Thanksgiving Recipes

Ninny’s Cranberry Salad Recipe

November 22, 2011 By Joi Sigers

Sigh. Thanksgiving gets me every year. If you’ve lost a loved one, you know what I’m talking about. It’s a wonderful, beautiful, and even magical time of year – but it’s also a time that’s ripe with emotions, isn’t it? Thanksgiving was my dad’s favorite holiday, by a landslide. Sometimes I thought the man lived for Thanksgiving Day.

So each Thanksgiving season finds me missing him A LOT.

I’m one of those unlucky people who lost both of their parents too soon, so I actually have both a mom and dad to miss during the Holiday Season. Thank God I have lots of beautiful, much beloved faces surrounding me (some with whiskers, some without!) or I’d just hole up and wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas to pass.

This morning I was thinking a lot about my mom and how she embraced the holidays. A few weeks before hand, the recipes and cookbooks would cover the table and counter as she jotted down ingredients and made her plan of attack. I’m now in THAT role, myself. Funny, we never suspect that we actually will be… until we are.

Anyway, I decided I wanted to make a particular Cranberry Salad that momma would make each Thanksgiving, but none of the recipes were like the one she made. I’d read one after one thinking, “No,” “Nope,” and “Not even close.” I got into the bottom of an antique hutch, looking for some of momma’s old cookbooks. One was lying right on top, with it’s cover torn off (why not, it’s probably 576 years old… okay, not quite). Written on the opening page, in her handwriting were the words, “Cranberry Salad” Pg 15.

Thanks, mom.

I turned to the page she told me to turn to and, sure enough, the recipe was exactly the one I was looking for. I couldn’t make up my mind if I wanted to cry or smile, so I sort of ended up doing both. I did kind of chuckle though because right beside the recipe was one of her nutty backward check marks. She was left handed, so I guess that explains it, but the woman’s check marks were as backward as backward can be. I remember teasing her about it and she’d laugh and say that her check marks were “beautiful” and that everyone else’s were backward.

I don’t know. Maybe she was right.

Here’s my mom’s favorite recipe for Cranberry Salad. The recipe calls for Cherry Jell-o but I recall she always favored Strawberry, so I made the exchange.

Cranberry Salad

2 (3 oz) pkgs strawberry-flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped nuts (she used pecans, as I will)

Mix and chill.

Don’t let the celery throw you – it’s excellent in this salad and you’ll love the crunch!

About Nuts: Have you ever bought Oh Nuts? I’m addicted to them beyond belief. There are certain brands that I’m ridiculously loyal to and, when it comes to nuts, none compare. In fact, I’m launching an entire week of NUTTY recipes on the food blog. I am a nut for nuts and use them in my cooking just about every day. With Oh Nuts, everything’s even more delicious…. when I can stay out of them, that is! They come in these big, beautiful bags that open and close so effortlessly – which is a good thing, of course, but it’s almost impossible to quit snacking on them.. Good thing they’re so wonderfully healthy!

Family Recipes:
If you haven’t already, it’s a great idea to write down (and safely protect) favorite family recipes. If a parent, aunt, grandparent, or uncle makes alterations to a recipe, be sure to write down their exchanges or alterations. Better yet, let them write it down in their own handwriting. It’s pretty special to have handwritten notes and notations from loved ones. Sometimes they even come with backward check marks. 🙂

Quick and Easy Sweet Potato Casserole

November 14, 2011 By Joi Sigers

Sweet Potatos (Ipomoea Batalas)
Buy This Allposters.com

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

3 cups grated sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
4 tsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix sweet potatoes, sugars, milk, butter, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch greased baking dish or pan. Bake for 1 hour in a pre-heated 325 degree oven.

Heavenly!

Sweet Potatos (Ipomoea Batalas)
Buy This Allposters.com

The Food Channel Presents A Gulf Coast-Style Thanksgiving Feast

November 23, 2010 By Joi Sigers

The Food Channel is honoring the resilient spirits of America’s Gulf Coast residents with a fabulous Thanksgiving feast full of sumptuous seafood, Creole accents and plenty of Southern tradition.

In celebration of the inspirational efforts made by people rebuilding along the coast in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas after the devastating oil spill that followed several natural disasters, The Food Channel has prepared an entire Gulf Coast-style Thanksgiving menu, in tribute to the flavors and traditions that make that region of America distinctive. The Thanksgiving recipe collection is part of a series of articles on foodchannel.com chronicling the comeback of America’s Gulf Coast residents.

“This Thanksgiving menu is dedicated to the men, women and children of the American Gulf Coast. We give thanks for their inspirational perseverance, and we’ll continue to help tell their stories of courage and recovery,” said Kay Logsdon, editor of The Food Channel.

Get the dish on recipes for everything from Southern-favorite starters, such as the French 75 champagne cocktail and Creole-spiced toasted pecans, to decadent desserts, including pumpkin cheesecakes with bourbon sauce and pear and cranberry tarts . Also, learn how to prepare New Orleans Oyster Dressing to blend perfectly with a Creole-Butter Roasted Turkey.

Guests will delight in creative, taste-tempting sides served with Southern charm. Try the Crab-Stuffed Artichokes and Corn Maque Choux for truly fantastic additions to your Turkey Day plate.

Visit The Food Channel to discover many more delicious recipes to serve a Gulf Coast-inspired Thanksgiving menu that will have your guests giving thanks for American tradition and celebrating Southern-style, Creole cooking and come backs. To see the entire recipe collection and ready a delightful, Gulf Coast-style Thanksgiving menu, go to http://www.foodchannel.com/articles/article/american-gulf-coast-thanksgiving.

Traditional Thanksgiving Recipes

November 15, 2010 By Joi Sigers

Earth Risotto Recipe

Butternut squash and raisins add a touch of sweetness to this rich-tasting vegetarian dish

1 tablespoon LAND O LAKES^® Butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice

4 to 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine or apple juice

1 medium (1 cup) red apple, chopped

1 medium (2 cups) butternut squash, quartered, seeded, peeled, cubed 1/2-inch

1/4 cup raisins

Salt, if desired

Melt butter in 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened (4 to 5 minutes). Add rice; continue cooking, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine chicken broth and wine in 4 cup measure or bowl. Reduce heat to medium-low. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups broth mixture. Cover; cook 10 minutes.

Uncover; add apple and squash. Continue cooking; add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time and stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed and rice is tender and creamy (4 to 5 minutes for each addition of broth, totaling 12 to 15 minutes).

Reduce heat to low; add raisins. Cook until heated through (1 to 2 minutes). Season with salt, if desired.

TIP: Cut squash into pieces. Peel pieces with vegetable peeler.

Toasted Onion Mashed Potatoes

Nothing beats the flavor and aroma of sautéed onions and butter — these potatoes are a great addition to a homestyle dinner

5 medium (about 10 cups) potatoes, cut into eighths

Water

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES^® Butter

3 cups coarsely chopped onions

2 tablespoons cold LAND O LAKES^® Butter

1/2 cup warm milk

3/4 cup LAND O LAKES^® Sour Cream

Place potatoes in 4 1/2-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Cover with cold water; add salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; boil potatoes until fork tender (15 to 18 minutes). Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter until sizzling in 10-inch nonstick skillet; add onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown (8 to 10 minutes). Set aside.

Place cooked hot potatoes in large bowl. Mash slightly with fork. Beat at medium speed, adding cold butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixed. Continue beating, gradually adding browned onions and all remaining ingredients until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. (DO NOT OVERBEAT.) Serve immediately.

Baked Sweet Potatoes & Apples with Pecan Butter

This sweet potato and apple side dish is a great accompaniment to a special menu

1/3 cup LAND O LAKES^® Butter

1/3 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

3 medium (1 1/2 pounds) orange sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/2-inch

3 small tart cooking apples, sliced horizontally 1/2-inch, seeds removed

Heat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in 13×9-inch baking dish in oven (4 to 6 minutes). Stir in all remaining ingredients except sweet potatoes and apples. Place sweet potatoes in butter mixture; toss to coat.

Cover; bake for 25 minutes. Add apples; spoon butter mixture over apples. Cover; continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes and apples are tender.

Recipe Tip: Although no yams are grown in the United States, some grocery stores label orange sweet potatoes as yams.

Spiced Fruit & Bread Stuffing

Dried fruit adds new flavor to homemade stuffing or dressing

4 cups dried bread cubes

4 ribs (2 cups) celery, sliced 1/2-inch

1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted

1/2 cup sherry or chicken broth

1 (7-ounce) package whole mixed dried fruit, cut in half

2 medium (1 cup) onions, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Stir together all ingredients in large bowl. Use stuffing mixture to stuff 12 to 14-pound turkey.

Recipe Tip: Prepare half of recipe to stuff 4 to 5-pound roasting chicken, duck or goose.
VARIATION: Do not stuff turkey. Heat oven to 350°F. Place stuffing mixture into greased 2 quart casserole dish. Cover; bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and temperature in middle of casserole reaches 165°F. 10 (3/4-cup) servings

For more Thanksgiving recipes you’ll want to make and serve this Thanksgiving (and Christmas, for that matter!), you’ll want to visit Land O’ Lakes Recipes. You’ll find Roasted Turkey, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potatoes with Sugared Pecans (YUM) and many, many more.

Self Magazine’s Diet-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes

November 9, 2010 By Joi Sigers

Cherry-Cranberry Sauce (Serves Eight)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 piece ginger (about 1 inch), peeled
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup amaretto
1 bag (15 oz) frozen or fresh cranberries
1 bag (10 oz) frozen cherries
1/4 cup sugar

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook ginger and cinnamon until ginger becomes fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add amaretto and cook until liquid thickens and reduces by half, about 1 minute. Add cranberries, cherries, sugar and 1/2 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until cranberries break apart and sauce thickens, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Pear, Mushroom and Pomegranate Stuffing (Serves Eight)

1 tablespoon olive oil
10 oz. cremini mushrooms
2 large celery stalks, chopped
8 large sage leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 demi whole-wheat baguette (about 8 oz), cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large Anjou or Bartlett pear, cored and cubed
1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup pomegranate juice

Heat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook mushrooms, celery, sage and thyme, stirring often, until mushrooms and celery soften, 6 to 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl; add baguette cubes, pear, prunes, broth and juice. Mix well and let rest until bread absorbs liquid. Transfer to an 8″ x 8″ baking dish; cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes, remove foil and bake until stuffing puffs up, about 5 minutes.

Green Beans With Blackened Sage and Hazelnuts (Serves Eight)

1 tablespoon. unsalted butter
1 tablespoon. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh sage
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 lb green beans, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon. salt
1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Heat butter and oil, then cook sage until it begins to blacken, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add beans and salt; toss to coat. Carefully add 1 cup water. Steam until beans are fork-tender and most of the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle hazelnuts on top and serve..

The skinny: 92 calories per serving, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 9 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips With Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese (Serves Eight)

1 tablespoon. olive oil
3 large white onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoons salt
3 baking potatoes (such as Yukon gold, about 2 lb), peeled and cubed
6 parsnips (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, heated
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat; reduce to medium. Cook onions with sugar and salt, stirring occasionally, until onions brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Add a few tbsp water as you cook to keep onions from sticking or burning. Fill a medium stockpot 3/4 full with cold water. Add potatoes and parsnips; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes and parsnips are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes, then drain. Beat 1/4 of potato-parsnip mixture and 3 oz broth in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Repeat, alternating between potato-parsnip mixture and broth, until you’ve incorporated all. Fold in onions, cheese and thyme, and serve..

The skinny: 209 calories per serving, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 41 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Roasted Squash With Balsamic Sauce and Apples (Serves Eight)

2 large butternut squash (about 4 lb), halved, and seeds and membranes removed
1 piece ginger (about 1 inch) peeled and finely chopped
1 cup. balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 Gala or Golden Delicious apples, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped

Heat oven to 400°. Slice a small piece off the skin side of each squash half, so halves sit flat. Microwave on high in a covered bowl until flesh begins to soften, 2 minutes. Gently simmer ginger, vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until liquid decreases by 1/3, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place squash halves skin side down on baking sheets. Arrange apple slices in cavity of each half. Bake until apples soften, 25 minutes. Remove squash from oven, drizzle with balsamic sauce, return to oven and bake until apples brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Cut each squash half into quarters and transfer to a serving platter with any extra juices. Sprinkle with cherries and serve immediately..

The skinny: 166 calories per serving, 0 g fat, 42 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Sweet Potato Biscuits (Makes Eight)

1 medium sweet potato (about 5 oz)
1 1/4 cups. whole-wheat biscuit mix
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoons ground allspice

Wrap sweet potato in a paper towel. Microwave on high until soft, 4 minutes. Scoop flesh into a bowl and mash; set aside. Heat oven to 400°. Place biscuit mix and butter in a bowl; rub butter into mix with fingertips until large pea-sized crumbs form. Add sweet potato, buttermilk and allspice; mix until just combined. Transfer dough onto a cookie sheet and form into a 12″ x 4″ rectangle. Cut into 8 rectangles with a serrated knife and separate slightly. Bake until biscuits are firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days..

The skinny: 124 calories per biscuit, 5 g fat (3 g saturated), 15 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Thanksgiving and Christmas don’t HAVE to destroy your diet or clobber your willpower. Thanks to healthy recipes like the ones above, you can still look forward to a beautiful and delicious meal and not have to dread the scales the next day.

Well… not toooo much.

If you want to make the stuffing recipe above (or any dressing or stuffing recipe, for that matter) completely vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. I do it every year for my daughter Brittany and her dressing is always outstanding. Granted, you’ll want to get creative with the spices – sage, pepper, and onion powder compensate for the flavor you lose when you avoid chicken broth.

Thanks to Self Magazine for sharing these recipes and images with our readers!

Amazon.com Widgets

Rich Corn Bread Recipe

November 4, 2010 By Joi Sigers

Rich Corn Bread

1-1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon each salt and sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 x 16 inch pan or large cast iron skillet. Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and vanilla. Add eggs lightly beaten with milk and beat until the batter is thoroughly blended. Stir in heavy cream and butter. Spread the batter into baking pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until well browned.

Recipe Credit: Nielsen-Massey Vanilla

Cooking 101: How to Brine a Turkey

December 15, 2009 By Joi Sigers

When it comes to making and serving turkey – your reputation as a cook is riding higher than ever! If it’s tasteless, dried out, and lacks any resemblance of moistness, you’re toast! However, if you serve up a nice, juicy, flavorful turkey – you’re everyone’s hero. If you wouldn’t mind achieving this sort of hero status and want to serve a turkey that’ll have them raving all year long, try soaking your turkey in a brine solution overnight.

Brining a turkey is probably the simplest and easiest way to add flavor to any holiday meal. Here are the basic tools and utensils you’ll need to brine a turkey:

large 10+ quart cooking pot
chest cooler bigger and deeper than your turkey
large wooden spoon

And here are the ingredients you’ll need to brine your turkey:

2 cups kosher salt
2 tbsp peppercorns
5 bay leaves
2 cups brown sugar
1 bag of ice
1 6-12 lb turkey
6 cloves fresh garlic peeled

How to brine a turkey

Make sure you make your brine mixture 2 days before you’ll actually be cooking your turkey!

First of all, fill up your large cooking pot with at least 2 gallons (8 litres) of cold, fresh water and put it on the stove on the highest setting. Now pour in your kosher salt and brown sugar. A general rule of thumb is to add one cup of each per gallon of water used.

Next throw in your bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic cloves. Then bring the whole thing to a boil while stirring occasionally. Boil the brine mixture for about a half hour to make sure the pepper, bay leaves and garlic have had a chance to infuse the liquid nicely.

Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a couple of hours before putting it in the refrigerator overnight.

The next night before you go to bed, wash off your turkey under the faucett and remove anything from the inside, like the neck and giblets. Put your turkey in the cooler and pour in your brine mixture, making sure that the entire turkey is covered with liquid. Then pour in the bag of ice and place the cooler in a cool place like your garage or basement. Leave it in the brine solution for about 9 or 10 hours and no more or it could be damaged beyond repair.

Then take the turkey out of the brine mixture and dry it completely with paper towels, inside and out. Place it into your roastpan and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to put it into the oven.

Be sure to clean and disinfect all the tools and utensils immediately after using them and don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw meat of any kind, especially poultry.

Of course, there are many variations you can use when cooking just about anything. As a rule though, one cup of kosher salt and a cup of sugar per gallon (4 litres) of water is best. The other ingredients of the brine mixture are optional and can be experimented with depending on what your tastes are.

Video: How to brine a turkey – the video below was done by someone who isn’t associated with me or this site in any way. But what skills! Gotta love the skills.

Holiday Baking Begins with Carnation Evaporated Milk

October 31, 2009 By Joi Sigers

Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Recipes

Thanksgiving and Christmas are on the doorstep – two of the most welcomed guests of the year. If I loved this time of year any more, I’d probably explode. From September to January, everywhere you look in our home (and yard), you see pumpkins, happy ghosts (I collect the smiling ones, not the grumps), scarecrows, bats, Pilgrims, Native Americans, turkeys, cranberries, snowmen, santas, angels, Christmas mice, Christmas trees, and or general hoopla.

The room, of course, with the most excitement, is the kitchen – It’s a non-stop party!

An ingredient that I can’t imagine anytime without, let alone the holidays, is Carnation evaporated milk. Not only does it add richness to every recipe it graces, it has a sentimental bond with me as well.

When my husband and I first started dating, I met his adorable mom (Frances) and stepfather (J.L.). They’ve moved on to Heaven now – I guess Heaven needed some extra cuteness. They were an older couple and he looked an awful lot like Abe Vigoda (“Fish” remember him?). When we first started going to their house, J.L. often had coffee made up (loved that about him). I normally put cool whip or whipping cream in my coffee – after all, I was 18-19 and probably didn’t even know what calories were. J.L. always put Carnation evaporated milk in his coffee. The first time he made me a cup, he asked if I wanted “creamer.” I said, “You bet!” To my horror, he reached in the fridge and pulled out a can of Carnation evaporated milk. My mind said, “Whoa, he’s lost it. That’s what my mom puts in Pumpkin pie!”

Never one to hurt someone’s feelings OR turn down a cup of coffee, I graciously accepted the alien cup of coffee. And not only drank every drop – went back for more WITH the evaporated milk.

I still, to this day, love Carnation Evaporated milk in my coffee. It reminds me of afternoons around the table with loved ones – and it tastes fantastic.

I also love evaporated milk in my recipes. Did you know that you can replace whole milk with evaporated milk in just about any recipe. I’ve never run into one that it didn’t work beautifully and richly.

Below is a fantastic recipe from Carnation Evaporated Milk. You have to try it as soon as possible… how about now?!

Carnation Evaporated Milk Recipe - Pear Oven Pancake

PEAR OVEN PANCAKE

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
3 large eggs
1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 450º F.

POUR melted butter into 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or cake pan. Swirl to coat bottom and sides of plate.

COMBINE flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in medium bowl. Whisk evaporated milk and eggs in another medium bowl until blended. Add to flour mixture; whisk for 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pie plate. Arrange pear slices on top of batter in pinwheel design, pushing down slightly. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Sprinkle top with sugar mixture.

BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.

TIP: For a harvest twist on this fabulous recipe, substitute sautéed apples for pears. YUM!

This recipe is from Carnation Evaporated Milk’s Holiday Recipe Guide, Full of Flavor. Click the link for your FREE copy. I love mine and have plans to make each recipe over the next 2 months.

Visit The Cooking Milk.com for more recipes as well as an awesome Virtual Kitchen with a friendly and lovely guide filled with great ideas and information.

TIP: Use Carnation Evaporated Milk the next time you make Hot Chocolate. I’d be willing to bet it’s a “secret” ingredient at a lot of coffee houses. It makes it richer and creamier somehow. Don’t forget the marshmallows!

Recipe for Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Risotto

October 29, 2009 By Joi Sigers

Recipe for Pumpkin Goat Cheese Risotto!

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Risotto Recipe

1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, fine chopped
1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded and medium diced (can substitute with butternut squash or acorn squash)
1/2 can pumpkin puree
4oz goat cheese
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
5 cup hot chicken stock
½ cup white wine
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp whole butter, unsalted
1-2 tbsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Bay Leaf, dried
chives, thyme or parsley, chopped

Directions:

Steep the bay leaf in your chicken stock.

in a heavy bottom stock pot, saute rice with pumpkin and onions over medium heat til onions are translucent and rice has a toasty aroma with a golden color. Add garlic and sauté briefly.

Deglaze with white wine, add bay leaf.

While stirring vigorously add stock one cup at a time.

It will take a few minutes to absorb the stock, so this is a labor-heavy task.

Continue adding the stock 1 cup at a time until it is absorbed. You will use almost, if not all of the stock depending on how you like it, al-dente or fully cooked. Before adding the last cup of stock stir in your pumpkin puree.

Once your rice is cooked to your liking you should season it with salt and pepper and add your cheeses while stirring.

Finish by adding in your butter, stirring until it is completely melted.

Stir in your chopped herbs allow to site for a minute before serving so it can allow all of the flavors to marry.

This wonderful recipe is courtesy of Chicago’s Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel’s Executive Chef Kerry Heiber. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

Why Your Heart Loves Pumpkin and A Pumpkin Pudding Recipe

October 19, 2009 By Joi Sigers

According to SuperFoods HealthStyle: Simple Changes to Get the Most Out of Life for the Rest of Your Life, a wonderful superfood is in abundance at this very moment: Pumpkins!

Pumpkin is a superfood, whether it’s canned or fresh. This big, beautiful squash is especially good for your heart because it’s loaded with carotenoids that are known to reduce heart disease risk. But there’s more: According to the book’s authors, Steven G. Pratt, MD, and Kathy Matthews, pumpkin is also a good source of potassium, magnesium, fiber, and antioxidant vitamins C and E.

Below is one of the many outstanding recipes from SuperFoods HealthStyle: Simple Changes to Get the Most Out of Life for the Rest of Your Life.

Recipe: PATTY’s PUMPKIN PUDDING

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
2 to 4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, optional
2 large eggs (the SuperFoods authors recommend eggs with extra omega-3s)
One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
One 12-ounce can evaporated nonfat milk (or evaporated 2% milk)