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Hot Cranberry Salad

December 20, 2010 By Kate Leave a Comment

I absolutely love hot fruit salads. My mom has been making one with canned fruits and pie filling for years and I can never get enough of it. It’s definitely a standard at my parents’ house this time of year. As much as I love it, I don’t make it very often myself. It’s just one of those dishes that is synonymous with my parents and enjoying it at their house. It loses some of that luster when I make it myself.

So I decided it was high time I came up with my own hot fruit salad that could become a tradition at our house and that the kids would look forward to enjoying for years to come. A bag of cranberries became my inspiration as I put this dish together. It’s a delicious blend of sweet and tart with a mixture similar to a chunky applesauce. We all loved it!

Hot Cranberry Salad

  • 2 oranges
  • 2 green apples
  • 1 16 oz. bag cranberries
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. water
  • 1/2 t. cinnamon
  • 1/4 t. nutmeg
  • 1/4 t. allspice
  • 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Zest one orange on a grater or micro-plane to get 1 teaspoon zest. Set aside until using. Peel the remaining oranges and separate into wedges. Cut the apples into cubes. Combine the orange wedges and apple cubes and place in the refrigerator until cooking.

Pour the cranberries into a medium-sized sauce pan. Cover with sugar and pour in water.

Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Cook for 10 minutes, until thickened. Slightly mash the fruit before serving. Stir in walnuts. Serve hot.

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Sweet & Savory Acorn Squash

November 2, 2010 By Kate 3 Comments

Beyond zucchini and yellow squash, my experience with squash is fairly limited. I really never enjoyed other squashes until just the past few years. And while I could eat and enjoy them at a restaurant or at a family holiday meal, I avoided making any other kinds of squash until just recently.

Now that I’ve made that leap though, I’m really enjoying getting more familiar with all the other kinds of squash available. Butternut squash, acorn squash and spaghetti squash have become part of my kitchen repertoire and I’m so glad. Not only am I exposing myself to something different and learning a few new skills, I’m also exposing our kids to the new tastes. In the process, they’ve seen my experimentations succeed or fail. I think that’s such an important life lesson for them to learn, even if they don’t realize they are learning anything at that time. Whether you succeed or fail, don’t let fear of the unknown stop you. And when failures happen, dust yourself off and get right back to it. That applies in the kitchen just as much as it does with the rest of life.

This Sweet & Savory Acorn Squash was definitely a success. Most of my squash experience has focused around sweet flavors. I wanted to cross over and start experimenting with more savory flavors as well. So I decided I’d ease the transition and combine the two. The flavors meld together beautifully and the sweet and tanginess of the glaze really complements the taste of the acorn squash.

Sweet & Savory Acorn Squash

  • 1/3 c. brown sugar
  • 2 T. spicy brown mustard
  • 2 t. oil
  • 1/2 t. each salt, pepper and allspice
  • 1 acorn squash

1. Whisk together the brown sugar, mustard, oil and seasonings. Let sit at least 10 minutes so that the flavors can incorporate.

2. Wash and dry the acorn squash. Cut into evenly sized slices. Scoop the seeds and pulp out of each slice. Place on a baking sheet. (Line baking sheet with foil to ease the clean up process.)

3. Press the brown sugar mixture onto each slice of squash.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until tender and the glaze is caramelized.

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Scalloped Corn

November 15, 2009 By Kate 7 Comments

This scalloped corn is a simple but super tasty side dish. It’s a holiday favorite in our family. In fact, it’s one of those recipes that usually consists of adding some of this and some of that. I never knew how much work it could be to figure out the actual measurements for a recipe like that before.

But I did it for you, just because I’m nice like that. And because if you’re looking for a new holiday side dish to serve up at your Thanksgiving or Christmas table, this one should definitely make it on your list. It’s on my Thanksgiving menu already!

scallopedcorn2

Scalloped Corn

  • 1 15 oz. can creamed corn
  • 2 c. frozen corn
  • 1 sleeve Saltines, coarsely crushed
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 3 T. butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 t. each salt and pepper
  • 1/2 t. hot sauce, optional

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine well. Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

scallopedcorn1

Note – this recipe is super user-friendly and will cook just fine at any heat, making it the perfect side dish for a roasting turkey. Just increase or decrease the baking time as appropriate and keep an eye on it. It’s also easily doubled or tripled and will work just fine in any size or shape casserole dish.

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