This is a take off on a recipe I found in my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, but with important modifications. First, the sugar is cut down because the sweetness of the cranberries is really all you need here. Also, cornmeal has been added, which gives it a wonderful gritty texture and plays nicely with the cranberries.
This bread is also great with blueberries or rains. Resist adding chocolate chips (I wasn’t able to so I speak from experience), as they are overly sweet and don’t go with the batter.
Bonus! A PDF is available of this receipe, courtesy of moi. You can download here.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts) chopped
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Steps
- Preheat to 350°. Grease and flour a 9x5x3 loaf pan.In a small bowl, mix together half the sugar, the nuts, and the cinnamon. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining sugar, the flour, the baking powder. In another bowl, beat together the egg, milk, and oil. Pour into the flour mixture and stir.
- Spoon half the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture in and then pour the rest of the batter in. Use a knife to pull the cinnamon mixture up so it marbles.
- Bake for 55 – 60 minutes until it passes the toothpick test.
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes and every time I make this it turns out great. This dish is so good that I am willing to bet non-shrimp fans change their minds after this. This recipe is one I originally found in Sunset magazine, but it had me doing all kinds of crazy things like using shaved coconut. And who has that on that? Not me. I saw some other recipe that used coconut milk to cook the rice, and put the two together. The result is a very easy meal. This takes no time at all and it’s so good.
I like to use Trader Joe’s frozen bag of peeled, de-veined, medium shrimps. I also save time by getting a peeled, chopped up mango from TJ’s too– even though TJ’s uses unnecessary amounts of plastic packaging.
Also, for the soy sauce, I prefer using Maggi Seasoning, which is like a souped-up soy sauce that is 3x more tasty.
Soy sauce is still OK to use.
Mango Coconut Shrimp
- Frozen shrimp one bag
- White rice 2 cups
- Coconut milk one can, light
- Lime juice 1 tablespoon
- Soy sauce 2 tablespoons
- Basil 1/4 cup fresh chopped
- Onion 1, chopped
- Mango peeled and cubed
1. Prepare the rice.
Use the coconut milk instead of water to cook the rice, for about 25 minutes or until coconut milk is absorbed.
2. Prepare the sauce.
In olive oil, cook the onions until translucent (4-5 mins). Add the soy sauce, lime juice, basil, and shrimp. (Don’t forget to follow the directions on the back of the shrimp package–I often forget to do this, but if frozen, you’re supposed to defrost or run under water for a while first.) Cook til the shrimp are pink.
3. Toss Together.
Toss the mango cubes in and heat until warm. Serve the shrimp mixture over the coconut rice. Mmmm.
A guest post by Enid Powell
 Polenta comes from humble origins but can be transformed into many an elegant dish. Polenta is generally made of cornmeal, but other grains can also be used: quinoa, buckwheat, semolina. It is a healthier alternative to pasta or potatoes and just as versatile. It is also a good source of calcium, iron and vitamins A and B6. It contains zero grams of fat… until you add the goodies.
You can boil it on the stove, bake it in the oven, grill it, sauté it, or cook it in the microwave. You can have it smooth and creamy or solid enough to slice. You can buy polenta in many forms, from prepared and ready to slice, packaged in a box, or in the bulk section at the supermarket. The size of the grain determines how smooth it will be. The more finely ground, the creamier when cooked. And, naturally, organic polenta is best.
Basic stovetop preparation:
- 1 cup of polenta
- 4 cups of liquid. Use water, vegetable or chicken broth or a combination. A little vermouth or wine can be used as well.
- A dollop of butter or 1tbs of olive oil.
I never cook with salt, but you can add a teaspoon to the mix if you want.
1. Bring the liquid to a boil and slowly stir in the polenta (it will form lumps if you add it all at once). Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from sticking to the pan.
2. After the polenta is cooked, the fun starts. Depending on how you are going to serve the polenta, you can add cheese as soon as it is cooked.
To make Ratatouille Polenta:
Cook the polenta and stir in about 5 ounces of gorgonzola. Spread the polenta on a wide flat pan or a large frying pan and cook over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes. You could skip this step and just spread it on a large plate, but it is better cooked.
To make the ratatouille:
- 1 large onion
- 1 red and 1 green pepper
- 1 eggplant (skip if not available)
- 1 or 2 zucchini and/or yellow squash
- 1 tbs. oregano
- 1 tsp. thyme
- ½ tsp. tarragon
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ½ tsp. salt if you must
- 2 tbs. olive oil
In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Cook the eggplant until soft. Add the peppers and onion, squash and herbs. Add some fresh chopped basil, parsley or both when cooked.
To make the chicken:
1. It is best to use breast tenders, but if not available, use boneless, skinless thighs. Combine a half cup of flour with some herbs (oregano, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, dried parsley).
2. Sauté in 2 tbs. olive oil and 1 tbs. butter. Butter helps the browning process, but you can skip it if you want.
3. Assemble the dish: Spread the polenta on a large flat plate or serve in the pan. Spread with grated parmesan cheese. Add the ratatouille mixture and place the chicken on top. Add a little more parmesan to the top.
Serve with a dry red wine, such as Zinfandel or Syrah.
Variations:
Polenta Italiano
- Cook or bake the polenta (for baking instructions, see below). Add some parmesan to the polenta.
- Add a marinara or other type of red sauce. Precooked from a jar is fine and easy. Or you could use a pesto sauce.
- Top with parmesan or mozzarella or both.
- Add sliced Italian sausage, ground beef or pork and a little more parmesan on the top.
Polenta Mexicana
- Cook or bake the polenta. Add a handful of jack and or cheddar to the polenta.
- Add black beans or red beans cooked with some onion and peppers. You can add pork or chicken.
- Top with a combination of jack and cheddar cheese and sprinkle with cilantro. You could also use sour cream and/or guacamole.
Polenta Milano
- Cook or bake the polenta. Add a handful of gorgonzola, blue cheese or gruyere to the polenta
- Sauté onions in olive oil. Add a cup or two of chopped ham and frozen peas.
- Top with cooked broccoli, kale or spinach. Add some crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola to the top.
Polenta a la Grecque
- Cook or bake the polenta. Add a handful of feta.
- Sauté onions in olive oil. Add spinach to the pan but cook briefly, one to two minutes so that it doesn’t wilt.
- Add with cooked chicken thighs or a thin cut of pork loin cooked in olive oil and organo.
- Top with crumbled feta.
- Serve with a Greek salad of tomatoes and cucumber sprinkled with olive oil.
As you can see, you can do anything with polenta and it will be delicious.
To Bake Polenta:
Combine the polenta and the liquid in the same proportions as listed above in a two quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in butter, olive oil and cheese. Test the polenta to make sure the grains are cooked. If not, bake for another 10 minutes. Serve right away for soft polenta or let it sit for 5 minutes for stiffer polenta. Yum.
 This recipe is really simple even though it sounds fancy. (Come on, I wouldn’t post a complicated recipe!) The one thing about pancakes is that they’re actually really easy to make from scratch, so don’t be afraid to do so. Pancake mix makers have us well brain washed into thinking the way to making pancakes is by buying boxed mixes. Resist. They’re loaded with salt and other nasty stuff.
We made these pumpkin-currant pancakes today and loved them.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have this, make it by squeezing half a lemon into a cup of milk, let stand 5 mins)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/3 cup (or however much you want) dried currants
Steps
Mix the dry ingredients together and then the wet until everything is well combined. Use butter on a hot griddle to cook. (Butter works better than veg oil). Turn pancakes every 1-2 minutes or so until golden.
It’s time for fall treats! My absolute favorite season of the year–I love the orange light, the shorter days, the cozy feeling, and the delicious food. This pumpkin bread recipe is my great-grandmother Mammy’s, but I have improved upon it over the years. Every year I make this repeatedly. I just love it.
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients:
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. cloves
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs well beaten
- 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
Steps:
Just mix everything together and bake in a loaf pan at 350 for 55 minutes.
Note: pecans are especially nummy in this.
I love fall-related recipes, and this is a great one. This is adapted from a Parents magazine recipe for turkey apple meatballs. I don’t like frying meatballs in oil because it stinks up the house, takes forever, and inevitably burns, but I do love sticking this in the oven as a meatloaf and leaving it. Turns out, it was really tasty this way. I have added a few more ingredients to this that make it a real meatloaf. For example, I always use bulgar in mine–you can also use any kind of grain– cous cous is also a good one. This meatloaf is incredibly moist and has a great touch of sweetness to it from the apple.
Ingredients :
- 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup parm cheese or any combination of parm
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 medium apple, coarsely grated
- 1 tbs. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbs. chopped parsley
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 cup of bulgar or oats
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, apple, mustard, parsley, and salt and pepper. Add turkey and bulgar/oats and mix.
3. Bake for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, heat glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Pour over meatloaf and bake 10 minutes longer.
W e’re not normally stew people unless it has massive chunks of meat in it. But I have to say, this stew was filling and delicious. I got the original recipe out of a Sunset Best Of magazine, but it called for six whole star anise. No one normally has whole star anise on hand, but I happened to, and while it spiced it up slightly, I’m not a fan of black licorice, which is what star anise tastes like. (And it stunk up my kitchen afterwards, which is going a bit too far for my already limited patience with black licorice.) Also the original called for jalapenos and some other stuff that I totally wasn’t going to either buy or stick in there.
So instead, here’s my toned down version. I recommend eating this with hunks of buttered French bread. I did and it was deelish. This stew couldn’t be easier or faster.
Split Pea Butternut Squash Stew with Spiced Butter
- 1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Several healthy shakes of dried basil
For the spiced butter:
- 5-6 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cumin
1. Put the split peas, turmeric, and 4 cups of water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add the butternut squash cubes and sugar. Boil on low for 15 minutes. The squash should be really tender and soft. (Seriously? 15 minutes is all it takes for this stew!)
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add in the ginger and cumin.
Pour the spiced butter over each serving of the stew.
Spanikopita has a lot going for it: it freezes well, it’s great for leftovers (not everything tastes as nice a few days later), it has simple ingredients (just six!), and gives you a nice dose of veggies with the spinach. And it’s Greek!
That being said, handling filo dough can be a chore. In most recipes for spanikopita, you need to brush melted butter over each paper-thin sheet of filo–a painstaking and unrewarding process because the filo always rips apart under the brush. But I have a solution: butter spray. It keeps this recipe nice and light on the cals, too, especially if you use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. The spraying makes this very easy. That being said, melted butter certainly gives the filo a more crispy, hearty finish, so it’s up to you which one to use. I’ve used both. If you’re going to use a brush and melted butter, I recommend getting a silicone brush like this one. (I have it and it’s a real pleasure to use.)
A note on the amount of ingredients below. You can add as much or as little of each as you like; this recipe is pretty forgiving. If you do more, then you can layer the spinach mixture in between sheets. If you use less, you can just do one layer of spinach mixture. It’s tasty either way.
Spanikopita
- Spinach (if using fresh, use at least 2 bunches)
- Cooked chicken (optional), shredded, about 2 cups (or more or less as desired)- great to use from leftover chicken
- Feta cheese (again as much or as little, but try to use at least 8 oz)
- Butter spray or at least 1/2 cup of melted butter
- Filo dough
- 1/2 – 1 onion, chopped
1. Defrost the filo dough–usually overnight in your fridge. Preheat the oven to 375.
 2. In a saucepan, cook the onions in olive oil over medium-high heat. When they’re softened, add the chicken and spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted and stirs easily.
3. Add in the feta and mix until just starting to melt.
4. In a large glass casserole dish, spread one sheet of filo dough. Spray or brush it with butter, then add another 4 or 5 sheets–spraying or brushing with butter between each sheet.
5. Spoon in the spinach mixture. Place another filo sheet over the mixture, spray/brush, and repeat with about 6 or 7 more sheets. If you have a lot of spinach mixture, add in another layer of that now. Then place more sheets on top, spraying/brushing with butter.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes. The filo dough should be crispy and brown.
 A few weeks ago I made a whole roasted chicken and saved the pan juices–which meant a container full of savory fat in my fridge. I’m not really someone who knows what to do with chicken juices, so I thought I’d probably have to end up throwing it out.
But on a Sunday night I needed a dinner idea. I’d picked up a packet of Apple Gouda sausage (already cooked) at the store purely based on the combination of apple and gouda in it. And what I ended up making was really delicious. I was proud of myself for doing this because I didn’t follow a recipe. This was incredibly delicious and really easy because I basically made a light gravy.
Sausage Pasta
- 1 packet already-cooked sausage, any flavor, chopped into bite sized rounds
- 8 0z pasta (I used fusilli)
- about 1 cup leftover chicken juices (or see below)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 tbls flour
- 2 tbls butter
Substitute for chicken juices:
- 1 tbls butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- generous lemon squeezes
1. Make the sauce
Get the pasta water boiling and cook it. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet on medium high. Add in the chicken juices/substitute slowly and mix to combine. Add in the flour and stir.
Once the flour has absorbed the liquid, add in the milk and stir until thick and bubbly.
2. Combine
Add in the sausage and mix, and heat for a few minutes. When pasta is cooked, drain and add to the skillet. Mix well with the sausage and gravy mixture. Add in Parmesan cheese and pepper.
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 The boys and I went to Ardenwood Farm the other day, which is a wonderful old working farm, part of the East Bay Regional Parks. They had some baked treats made in their outdoor oven when we were there, one of which was cornmeal cranberry cookies. They were delicious and I found the recipe online, but there was a ton of butter and way too much flour. So I adapted the ingredients to make it easier. These were really good. My four year old whippersnapper gave these a thumbs up. Everyone loves these.
Important note: In general, I think chocolate enhances everything, and this is almost always true of cookies. However, I added chocolate chips to these cookies after I’d made them a few times. They don’t go well. The chocolate overwhelms the balance between the cornmeal and the cranberries. Don’t do it. Resist!
Cornmeal Cranberry Cookies
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt (or a few shakes)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup- 1 cup cranberries (I used Trader Joe’s medly mix with golden raises and cranberries)
- Cream the butter with the sugar.
- Ideally you’d want to add everything else carefully, but I got excited and just added everything in after that. Mix in Kitchenaid or by hand until the dough is thick and combined.
- Drop onto cookie sheet in any size you want.
- Bake at 350 for 15-18 mins (I did 17 mins).
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