Cranberry Crunch Salad

My first post in a while! I thought Thanksgiving would be the perfect time to dust off the ole laptop and share some yummy recipes. We all love the traditional holiday recipes that we grew up with but sometimes it's nice to mix it up a little. So.... what's up with the weird jello fruit salads that our moms always make? Don't get me wrong, I love my Mom's "Coronado Fruit Salad" (despite it's opaque mint green color and questionable mixture of heavy cream, pineapple chunks and horseradish) and gobble it up every year but it's time for an update!

This salad is a healthier, refreshing combination of fresh cranberries, apples and nuts that offers the palate-cleansing we crave... without being a scary gelatinous blob :-) Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

Cranberry Crunch Salad

Ingredients

• 1 package (12 oz) fresh cranberries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 small apple, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions

1. Wash cranberries and drain. Chop coarsely in food processor. 
2. In a large bowl, combine cranberries and sugar. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Chop the celery, apple and nuts.
4. Sprinkle gelatin over orange juice in small saucepan. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir over medium heat until gelatin is completely dissolved (about 1 minute).
5. Add gelatin mixture, apple, celery, and nuts to cranberries. Mix well.
6. Turn combined ingredients into a 1 quart mold or 9x9 casserole dish. Refrigerate until firm or overnight.

Makes 8 servings.

Chicken and dumplings

In spite of the fact that even at 11 pm, it's still 90 degrees in mid-September in this balmy oasis, I was in the mood for comfort food last night.  I've made this twice already, and it's so quick and easy, creamy and yummy.  It's basically Rachel Ray's recipe - I think I changed a few minor things, but don't remember what they were.  I know I left out the frozen peas - those have no business in chicken and dumplings, in my opinion.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-and-dumplings-recipe.html

Here goes:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb chicken (breast, thighs, tenders... whatever you like)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (1 turn of the pan)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 small or one baking-size russet potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 Medium carrots, peeled and cubed or sliced
• 1 Medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning (1/3 palm full)
• 2 Tbsp flour (a handful)
• 1 quart chicken broth or stock, canned or paper container
• 2 Cups biscuit mix
• 2/3 Cup Milk
• 2 Handfuls flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Dice chicken into bite size pieces and set aside. Wash hands.
2. Place a large pot on stove over medium high heat. Add oil, butter, vegetables, one handful chopped parsley and bay leaves and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Stir broth or stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth and stir.
3. Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with 2/3 cup milk and remaining handful chopped parsley. Drop large tablespoonfuls of prepared mix into the pot, spacing dumplings evenly. Reduce heat to medium low and cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover pot tightly and steam dumplings 8 to 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce a bit. Remove from heat, garnish with chopped parsley and serve in shallow bowls.

And, it goes great with a cold glass of rose on a plastic TV tray!

Keep your clothes on....

Last weekend, I made these incredible brownies - chocolate, of course, with a caramel center, and a generous dusting of powdered sugar.  Incredible.  The recipe is from the Pioneer Woman, and they are called "Knock-You-Naked Brownies."  I won't copy her recipe, but here is a link to it on her website - they are a-MAZ-ing!!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/05/knock-you-naked-brownies/