Cranberry, Apple & Raisin Crisp

• 1/2 c  old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c dark brown sugar
• 5 1/2 tbsp cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 12 oz cranberries
• 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 c raisins
• 3/4 c granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 c orange juice (from 1 orange)
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Heat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, the 1/2 cup flour, and the brown sugar. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture until small crumbs form.

In a large bowl, combine the cranberries, apples, raisins, granulated sugar, the 2 tablespoons flour, orange zest and juice, and the cloves. Transfer the fruit to an 8-inch square glass baking dish or a 2-quart soufflé dish.

Top the fruit with the crumb mixture. Bake until the fruit is tender and the crumb topping has browned, about 45 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Roast Turkey Breast

• 6 lb fresh turkey breast, on the bone, rinsed and dried
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• Kosher salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 small carrot, peeled & cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 small onions, peeled & quartered

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Rub the turkey all over with the butter, including the cavity of the breast. Season generously with salt and pepper. Scatter the vegetables on the bottom of a roasting pan just large enough to hold the turkey. Set the meat breast-side up in the pan. Roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 160 degrees F. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil for 30 minutes.

Carve the breast and serve.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes & Bananas w/Honey

• 5 med sweet potatoes, cleaned
• 4 bananas, unpeeled
• 1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 c honey
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 c pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, put them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Toss the bananas into the pan and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, until both the bananas and potatoes are very soft. Remove the pan from the oven but don't turn the oven off.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl along with 1 stick of the butter, and the honey. Season with salt and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything's well combined and the mixture is fluffy. Spoon into an oven-proof serving bowl and smooth the top.

In a separate mixing bowl, use your fingers to rub together the remaining stick of butter, the brown sugar, flour, and pecans until the mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden. Serve hot.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/whipped-sweet-potatoes-and-bananas-with-honey-recipe2/index.html?oc=linkback

Herb Stuffing

• 1 c butter
• 2 c celery, chopped 
• 1 c onion, chopped 
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp  seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 12 c dry unseasoned bread cubes
• 4 c chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes.  Stir in thyme, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper.

Place bread cubes in large bowl. Add celery mixture and broth; toss gently until well mixed. Spoon into lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish.

Bake 35 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

• 1 c sugar
• 1 c water
• 12 oz  fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix sugar and water in medium saucepan. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Add cranberries, cinnamon and orange peel; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes or until cranberries burst and sauce begins to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Cover.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole

• 1/2 c plain dry bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, divided
• 16 oz broccoli florets
• 16 oz cauliflower florets
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 lg onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/4 c milk
• 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning in small bowl. Set aside. Cut up any large broccoli or cauliflower florets into bite-size pieces.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour, remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper. Add milk; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Add vegetables; toss gently to coat. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle top evenly with crumb mixture.

Bake 40 minutes or until heated through and top is lightly browned.

Creamy White Bean Stew w/Bacon

• 12 oz smoked bacon, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Pinch sea salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 6 (15 ounce) cans small white beans (or navy beans), drained and rinsed
• 4 c chicken stock, hot
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; once hot, add in a small drizzle of olive oil, and the chopped bacon; crisp the bacon completely until browned, then remove with a slotted spoon, drain it on paper towels, and set it aside; reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, and set aside, wipe out the pot, and return it to medium-high heat.

Next reserved  bacon fat to the pot, along with the olive oil and the butter, and allow them to melt together; once melted and hot, add in the diced onion, carrots and celery, and allow them to soften for about 5 minutes; next, add in the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, add in 2/3 of the reserved bacon, the Italian seasoning, the sea salt and the pepper, along with the white beans, and stir to combine  Next, add in the hot chicken stock, stir, and allow the stew to gently simmer for about 40-45 minutes, partially covered with lid.  About half way through the cooking process, mash the beans a little bit with the with a potato masher, to break up the beans a little.  After about 40 minutes, turn the heat off and finish the stew by adding in the chopped parsley, the lemon zest and the lemon juice; serve the stew with some crusty bread, and garnish with some of the remaining crisped bacon.

Un-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 to 2 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1 lg onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 sm cabbage, chopped
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar or wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• dash nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.

Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, vinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

Serve by itself or over long grain brown rice.

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

20 jumbo shells
2 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
1/4 pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

Topping
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
10-15 sage leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place butternut squash on a baking sheet and toss with salt, pepper, nutmeg and olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes, flip, then roast for 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and mash with a fork or potato masher until almost pureed.

Prepare shells according to directions. Drain pasta and set aside to cool. While pasta is cooking, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter, garlic and shallots. Whisk until brown bits appear in the butter, then mash into the butternut squash, along with the mascarpone and and tablespoon of parmesan. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Spoon about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of squash into each shell, then lay in the dish. Repeat.

To make the sauce, heat a saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and cook until golden and a nutty aroma appears. Add milk and parmesan and let come to a simmer while whisking constantly. Once sauce has thickened, stir in nutmeg and taste – add salt and pepper if desired. Pour mixture over top of shells, then add mozzarella and sage. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Salmon Tacos w/Caper Dill Sauce

• 1 lb salmon fillet
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 sprigs fresh dill
• 2 tbsp capers, drained, divided
• ¼ tsp dried dill
• ¼ c plain yogurt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 6 corn tortillas
• Cooked brown rice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the salmon fillet on a long piece of foil. Drizzle melted butter and oil over the fillet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and capers.

Lay 2 sprigs of fresh dill on the salmon fillet and wrap it in the foil.

Place the foil packet on a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through.

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the caper-dill sauce and stir well.

Assemble tacos by adding cooked brown rice, salmon, and caper-dill sauce to corn tortillas.

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash & Broccoli

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 lg  bunch broccoli
• 1 1/2 c milk
• 4 c cooked spaghetti squash, drained
• 2 1/2 – 3 c cheddar cheese, grated

Cutting the broccoli into medium sized pieces.  Steam broccoli for approximately 4 minutes, or until still firm, but softened and bright green.  Rinse the broccoli under cold water to stop it from cooking any longer.  Drain well, then pour out onto a cutting board and chop until no large pieces remain.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and turn the heat down slightly.  Saute for 4-5 minutes until softened before adding the flour and whisking together.  Allow the butter, onion and flour mixture to cook for a couple minutes while whisking to prevent it from burning.  Whisk the mustard powder into the mixture, and then add the milk and whisk to combine the flour and the milk, starting with 1 1/4 cups and adding a 1/4 cup later after the cheese is added if it is too thick.  Cook until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil.  Add 2 cups of cheese and mix well.  Cook just until the cheese has melted into the sauce then remove from the heat.  Taste and add a little more cheese as needed, keeping in mind the vegetable will then the sauce somewhat.

In a large bowl, combine the already chopped broccoli, spaghetti squash that has previously been cooked and drained to remove as much liquid as possible and the cheese sauce.  Mix well.  Pour into a prepared casserole dish.  Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 30-40 minutes.  Turn on the broiler and broil just until the cheese on top is golden.  Remove from the oven and cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Spinach And Feta Pie

• 10oz frozen spinach, thawed & liquid squeezed dry
• 1/2 c scallions, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 c feta, crumbled
• 2 tbsp Parmesan, grated 
• 1/2 c white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 c fat free milk
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper to taste
• cooking spray

• Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray a pie dish with cooking spray.
• Mix spinach, scallions, dill, parsley, feta cheese, and in the pie dish.
• Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and blend well. Pour into pie dish.
• Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center. Let it stand at least 5 minutes before serving.