Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all of you had a fantastic day with your family and friends, and got the chance to spend some time relaxing. But if I'm being honest, what I really want to know is....what did you cook? I love Thanksgiving prep - I always volunteer to do side dishes because I'm not a huge turkey fan and I'm certainly not the world's best baker (I like to leave the pie to the pros). Every year I spend the days leading up to Thanksgiving watching the Food Network Thanksgiving videos, pouring over my Thanksgiving magazines and trying to find a way to do something unique with traditional sides (i.e. mashed potatoes are great but isn't there something EXTRA that can be done to make them even better? this is my quest). This year I was in charge of the stuffing, the brussel sprouts and, according to my mom, "something else." I became fixated on the 'something else' and finally settled on cranberry sauce, Thanksgivings most underrated side dish. Every year the cranberry sauce sits practically untouched, and the canned stuff has just never worked for me. After some digging around, I came across Claire Robinson's Spicy Cranberry Chutney - I knew that adding jalapenos to traditional cranberry sauce was a risk worth taking. This recipe couldn't be easier to make, and if you've never had homemade cranberry sauce - I absolutely suggest you give it a try. Homemade cranberry sauce doesn't have that syrupy sweetness that the jarred and canned stuff has - I love the tartness and the ability to control the flavor. This recipe has sweetness that comes from the juice and zest of two limes and two oranges with a kick of heat (think quick kick of spice, rather thank overwhelmingly hot) from 2-3 jalapenos. What I really loved about this recipe is that the cranberry sauce really soaks up the flavor of the peppers making it so unique and interesting (perfect for my fellow non-traditionalists). The other benefit of making 5 cups of homemade cranberry chutney? The leftovers. This would be great spread on toast or used as a glaze on poultry or pork (or as a condiment served alongside grilled vegetables). Now for a word on the healthy benefits of this recipe. I do consider this a healthy-ish recipe because it's made with natural ingredients. However, if you're watching your sugar intake just don't overdo it on the serving size (a few tablespoons should be enough). What did you make for Thanksgiving? Would love to hear about anything that was epically awesome (or even epically not awesome). Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Spicy Cranberry Chutney
Put all of the ingredients in sauce pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until desired consistency, about 40 to 50 minutes.
1 Comment
Sunday night dinners are important. After a weekend of running errands, seeing friends and general taking-care-of-business activities, Sunday night dinner is your last chance to kick back before the work week. For that reason, I have a few criteria for the recipes that I make on Sundays: 1. Must be comfort food 2. Must be fairly simple to prepare (slow cooker is always a great option) 3. Must be a tried and true recipe (no surprises with food that doesn't taste great) Last weekend I celebrated my birthday with my family by spending the weekend at the wineries in eastern Long Island. By the time Jared and I got home on Sunday, we needed to unwind and spend some time on the couch. I was dead-set on cooking dinner for us because I was gifted a giant bottle of Sriracha hot sauce for my birthday and I was longing to put it to good use. Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce made with chilies and garlic - it's hotter than your average everyday hot sauce, but is way more flavorful (plus it's 100% natural, which rocks). It's easy to find and delicious (go get some!). Now, the rule is that Sunday dinner recipes must be tried and true, however I bent the rules a bit and turned to an un-tried recipe on Cooking Light, because never let me down and their recipes are generally simple and delicious. And ladies and gentleman, I am so glad I took a risk, because now I can share this recipe for the most delicious Sriracha-Glazed Chicken and Onions. In fact, this recipe is so delicious, that I suggest you make it tonight. It's so good that I am making it AGAIN tonight. This recipe succeeds because of the way that the savory flavors are layered. Hoisin sauce is spiced up by the sriracha and ginger and the curry rounds everything out (not to mention that it makes your entire home smell amazing. I served the chicken over jasmine rice with a side of sugar snap peas. So if I haven't already convinced you to make this tonight, let me be clear - if you want a warm, comforting flavorful Sunday night dinner, this is the recipe for you. To keep this healthy-ish, stick with one serving and don't overdo it on the rice. Now, regarding wine (because let's get serious for a minute, Sunday night cooking requires a glass of wine to sip as you prep). Since we had just returned from the wineries, we had a bottle of our favorite White Merlot from Sherwood House Vineyards in Mattituck on hand (p.s. you can order this wine online directly from the vineyard, it's called 'Sandy Blush' and it's soooo good). It cut right through the spice and paired so well. Now, I know it's not technically Rose season, but I drink what I'm in the mood for (seasonality be damned!) - so I recommend a bottle of dry rose. However if you are a traditionalist I'd go with a Sauvignon Blanc, red just doesn't work with this dish as far as I am concerned. Happy Sunday - go cook, relax and enjoy! Sriracha-Glazed Chicken and Onions from Cooking Light Ingredients
Preparation Prepare rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. While rice cooks, combine hoisin, ketchup, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add ginger and remaining ingredients; sauté 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in hoisin mixture; cook 1 minute, tossing to coat. Serve over rice. Note: This post is brought to you by Jared, sharing one of my favorite meals he makes. This post is also the official kick-off to 'Chili Month,' which means I'll be posting one healthy-ish chili recipe per week for the entire month of October - get psyched! When the weather gets cold there is nothing like a good bowl of chili for dinner or lunch, especially on football Sundays. Since we try to keep it healthy-ish around here I went looking for a recipe that was an alternative to a full fat chili and also easy/quick to make. When I came upon this one and saw it included cooking with beer I was sold. Chipotle is the key ingredient that gives the smokey spice to the meat and the beer adds a pretty awesome flavor to the broth. This is a thin chili, that can pack a lot of heat if you want it to, just add an extra chipotle and another spoon of adobo, and it's very easy to double the recipe to have leftovers that taste even better the next day. Other modifications that I've tried using are lean beef instead of turkey (they are surprisingly comparable health wise), different styles of beer, and different toppings, our favorite is low fat grated cheese. The recipe below is supposed to be 4 servings..but it's more realistic to say it's for 2-3 hungry people. 30-Minute Chipotle Turkey Chili (from Food Network Kitchens) Ingredients • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped • 5 cloves garlic, chopped • 1 tablespoon kosher salt • 2 teaspoons chili powder • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • 1 chipotle chile en adobo, coarsely chopped, with 1 tablespoon sauce • 1 pound ground turkey • 1 (12-ounce) Mexican lager-style beer (Corona Light for the health conscious, Modelo works too) • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice (diced tomatoes if you don't want to get messy) • 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained • Sliced scallions, cilantro sprigs, sour cream, grated Monterey jack cheese, and/or tortilla chips are all optional *Reserve 1 additional beer for drinking while cooking. Directions Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, chili powder, and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the chipotle chile and sauce; cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 5 minutes. Add the beer and simmer until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Open you're reserve beer and enjoy while this happens. Add the tomatoes--crushing them through your fingers into the skillet--along with their juices and the beans; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes. Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with the garnishes of your choice. I can't get enough of spicy foods - seriously, the hotter the better - and as I've mentioned, my love of hot sauce runs deep (have you ever had Chipotle Tabasco? Go buy some and put it on everything). Although I find regular hot sauces (like Frank's...go buy Frank's Red Hot and put that on everything too) to be crazy-delicious, they generally don't have enough heat for me. So when I saw Habanero Tabasco - I was amped, until I tasted it. Habanero Tabasco is not a condiment my friends - it's a screaming ball of fire that needs to be taken seriously.... But to be honest...it burned so good. Now all I needed was a way to use it. So I did what any Internet-loving foodie would do when in need of a recipe - I turned to Facebook. And Facebook delivered - like it always does (thanks Kate!). Last night, I made Caribbean Pork w/ Pineapple (rum-soaked pineapple, my friends). The recipe was an amazing combination of sweet and spicy - the raisins and rum-soaked pineapple offset the salty spicy flavor of the habanero hot sauce and tasted complex enough to keep my tastebuds interested. I know what you are asking yourself - why is this a cautionary tale? Well, to be honest - as I was making this recipe, I thought to myself "3 teaspoons of habanero tabasco isn't enough heat - I need more" so I liberally doused the entire recipe. And then I tasted the sauce - and my head exploded. And then I started coughing, and then my lips started burning. And then....I was filled with regret. (note: Sheila, if you are reading this - believe me when I say, this is the perfect amount of heat for you, the rare exception to this warning) The good news is that after about 20 minutes of cooking and the addition of the pineapples - the heat mellowed enough for me to eat this without fear of destroying my entire palate. And as I said above - if you like hot, this recipe is good. My tip? Follow this recipe, use 3 teaspoons of Habanero sauce. I also advise adding about a teaspoon of salt (it need salt to cut some of the sweet). Serve it over plain brown rice to absorb some of the heat. PS...Pork tenderloin is super healthy, so don't be scared to eat it. It's lean and a nice break from poultry. Caribbean Pork with Pineapple (via Tabasco.com)
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add pork and cook until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer pork to a shallow baking dish. Add onion to skillet with drippings and place over medium heat; cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, broth, raisins, lime rind, and remaining 1 teaspoon TABASCO® Habanero Sauce; cook 5 minutes longer, then pour over pork. Cover pork and bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine pineapple and rum in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Spoon pineapple over top of pork and bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer. Makes 6 servings. |