Chicken Breasts with Cranberry Quinoa

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 green onions, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt

CHICKEN:
3/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 large tart apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons butter
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add quinoa and thyme. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat; fluff with a fork. Discard thyme.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add green onions and celery; cook and stir until tender. Add cooked quinoa. Stir in the dried fruits, lemon juice, lemon peel and salt.

In a large saucepan, mix the first six chicken ingredients until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until slightly thickened. Add the apple, cranberries and walnuts. Stir in preserves and butter until melted.

Cut a pocket horizontally in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Fill each with 2-3 tablespoons quinoa mixture; secure with toothpicks. Place remaining quinoa mixture in a greased 1-qt. baking dish; cover with foil. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Carefully brown stuffed chicken on both sides. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; pour apple mixture over top.

Bake chicken and quinoa, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170° and quinoa is heated through. Serve chicken with quinoa. Discard toothpicks before serving.

Comments:
A little labor intensive, but so worth it. I skipped the "stuffing" part and just cooked the quinoa mixture underneath the chicken. Such a great mix of flavors and textures. I'd definitely make this one again.

Adam Cooks: Cranberry Meringue Pie

From Eating Well



Ingredients:
CRUST
3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour (see Tip) or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons butter, softened

FILLING
1 12-ounce bag cranberries, fresh or frozen, thawed
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3 large eggs, separated

MERINGUE TOPPING
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.

To prepare crust: Stir flour, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir in oil and butter with a fork until well blended and crumbly (it should look like wet sand). Using the back of a spoon, firmly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake the crust until it just begins to brown, about 20 minutes. (Keep the oven on for Step 4.)

To prepare filling: Meanwhile, combine cranberries and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the cranberries are beginning to break down, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the juice. Whisk 3/4 cup sugar into the juice until combined. Whisk in whole egg and 3 egg yolks. Return the cranberry mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and vigorously, until it thickens and just starts to bubble as you are stirring, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the warm filling into the warm crust. Set aside while you prepare the meringue topping.

To prepare topping: Beat the 3 egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and pinch of salt and beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Very slowly add 1/3 cup sugar, beating constantly, until the mixture holds stiff, shiny peaks. Beat in vanilla. Spoon the meringue over the filling, then gently spread to the edges of the crust. Make peaks in the meringue with the back of a spoon or a small off-set spatula. Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool the pie on a wire rack to room temperature, at least 3 hours, before serving.

Comments:
This is what we brought to the Dodds Thanksgiving on Thursday. It was absolutely delicious. Perfect balance of sweet and tart, wonderfully executed meringue. And I can take no credit whatsoever. All I did was separate a few eggs...

Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries

From The Pioneer Woman

Chicken recipe can be found here. (It's a good one!)



Ingredients:
3 pounds Brussels Sprouts
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Salt And Pepper
1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Dried Cranberries

Directions:
Trim/clean Brussels sprouts, then cut them in half if desired (or you can leave them whole). Arrange on two baking sheets and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper and roast at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until brown.

Combine balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and reduce until very thick, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the roasted sprouts, then sprinkle on dried cranberries. Toss and serve immediately.

Comments:
This was my first attempt at cooking Brussels sprouts. It was also my first attempt at EATING Brussels sprouts. I don't know why it's taken me almost 30 years to venture into this culinary territory. I guess the opportunity just never presented itself prior to this occasion. But I saw this recipe on the Pioneer Woman Christmas show on FoodNetwork and I thought it sounded yummy. So I made it. And it was yummy. Yay for fulfilled expectations!

My one caution is about this glaze thing. Wow, does it get thick. As in, good luck scraping it out of your saucepan and serving dish thick. Yikes! Tricky clean-up aside, this was a great introduction to a new veggie.

Cranberry-Chipotle Chicken

From Better Homes & Gardens Simple Slow Cooker Recipes



Ingredients:
8 oz bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped roma tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 (16oz) can whole cranberry sauce
1 canned chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a large skillet cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Drain off fat.

2. Transfer bacon mixture to a 3 1/2 - 4 quart slow cooker. Stir in black beans, cannellini beans, tomatoes, rice, chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt, cumin, cinnamon, and garlic. Add chicken.

3. In a small bowl combine the cranberry sauce, pepper, lime juice, and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour over mixture in cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours (high 3 to 3 1/2.)

Comments:
I don't know about this one. I didn't really like it much. I did sub a habenero for the chipotle and some frozen cranberries for the canned stuff, but that shouldn't have changed the overall taste too much. Not sure what exactly it was, but it wasn't good. Won't make this again.

Apple-Cranberry Crisp

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
4 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cold unsalted butter
6 medium Empire apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a small bowl, combine oats, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and flour; with two knives or your fingers, work in the butter until mixture is combined and crumbly.

In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, remaining 2 tbsp brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg; toss to combine. Spoon into the pan; sprinkle with oats mixture.

Bake until filling is bubbly and top is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 3

Comments:


This was really good, although I was not such a fan of the oat topping. I would have preferred a more traditional crisp topping. The tart cranberries and apples went very well together. The other issue was there was a lot of liquid on the bottom of the dish. But that didn't really make a difference in the taste - just have to be sure to get it out of the dish pretty quickly or it would get soggy.

Turkey Sauté with Cranberry-Port Sauce

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds turkey breast slices
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 (16-ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup port wine
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Sprinkle turkey with pepper and salt. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of turkey slices; cook 5 minutes or until browned on both sides, turning once. Remove from skillet, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining turkey.

2. Add cranberry sauce, wine, and vinegar to skillet; bring to a boil. Return turkey to skillet; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes, basting turkey with sauce

Comments:
This picture looks kind of unappetizing, but this was really good, I promise. The tartness of the cranberries and vinegar, the richness of the wine, the smooth turkey. Wonderful and really quick to throw together too.

Rosemary-Dijon Roast Pork with Autumn Fruit Compote

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
For the pork
1 (2 1/2-lb.) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

For the fruit
4 (3") fresh rosemary sprigs
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Bartlett pears, peeled and sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup fresh cranberries

Directions:
Roast Pork
Pat pork roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle or rub roast with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown pork roast on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Place roast on a rack in a lightly greased roasting pan.

Combine mustard and 2 Tbsp. rosemary; spread onto browned pork.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in center of roast registers 155°. Cover with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 160° before slicing.

Fruit Compote
Place rosemary and crushed peppercorns in a small square of cheesecloth; tie to secure. Place cheesecloth bag, orange juice, and next 6 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 8 minutes or until apple and pear are almost tender. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature. Remove and discard cheesecloth.

Comments:
Obviously I went with thick-cut pork chops rather than a roast. I couldn't find any small roasts and didn't want a ton of leftovers. Not being a pork enthusiast, I only ate half of one chop. It was ok, but nothing to yell from the rooftops about. The fruit compote was wonderful. I couldn't find fresh cranberries so I used Craisins instead. I'm thinking this probably made it a bit sweeter than it should have been, but it was still good. And I even ate the raisins.

Turkey (or Chicken) Schnitzel with Tots and Apple-Cranberry Sauce

From Everyday With Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
4 cups frozen puffed potatoes, such as Ore-Ida Tater Tots
4 mcintosh apples, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 cup apple cider
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries (a generous handful)
Flour, for coating
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (about a palmful)
About 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 turkey breast cutlets, pounded 1/8 inch thick
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 lemon wedges

Directions:
1. Bake the potatoes according to package directions until golden and crisp.

2. In a large saucepan, bring the apples, cider and cranberries to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook, mashing the apples into a sauce, for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs on 3 separate plates. Season the breadcrumbs with the poultry seasoning and nutmeg. Season the turkey cutlets with salt and pepper and coat them in the flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs.

4. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the cutlets 2 at a time and fry, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges, potatoes and apple-cranberry sauce.

Comments:
Pretty simple, although I used chicken instead of turkey. Adam helped with the pounding of the chicken. He always likes doing that - male agression or something. He really whacks them good... The cranberry-apple sauce was really good. It gets pretty sweet, even with no added sugar, and is a nice alternative to ketchup for the tater tots.

Thanksgiving Wraps

From The Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook by Nancy Maar



Ingredients:
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
1 stalk celery, minced
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
2 tbsp red onion, minced
1/4 dried cranberries
6 tbsp mayo
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper
12 large romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Toss all but the lettuce together in a large bowl.

2. Lay out the lettuce leaves, add turkey filling, and roll up.

Comments:
Adam wasn't digging the eating from lettuce leaves thing so he wanted to add a burrito shell to it. Fine, whatever works. I also left out the thyme and onion. Well, I forgot I had to pitch the onion I had so I didn't really leave it out on purpose. I also left out the cranberries on Adam's. He doesn't love them too much.

Anyway, this calls for way too much mayo. Don't use 6 tbsp. It will be gross. Other than that, these are good. Didn't really remind me of Thanksgiving, necessarily, but still a good, light, quick and easy dinner.