Cranberry

For OBVIOUS reasons, Thanksgiving is hands-down my favorite holiday. It is during the heart of my favorite season (autumn), close to my birthday (November 30), and includes my three favorite things in this world - family, football and food! Of course everyone has their traditional spread of Thanksgiving regulars, but one vegetarian side that cannot be skipped is cranberry sauce.

Cranberries are an incredible power-packed berry that we sadly only see during the holiday season. Cranberries provide anti-oxidants that help reduce the aging process and fight bad bacteria. It is a versatile berry that can be used in sauces, gravy and, of course, desserts. Here are some perfect ideas for the Thanksgiving week for the use of cranberry and leftover sauces.

Whole Cranberry Sauce

I will admit that I loved canned cranberry sauce. I know it is a foodie sin to indulge in something so canned and processed, but Thanksgiving is only once and year. However, in 2005 my roommate and I were having a Thanksgiving 2 for our friends in Raleigh and I tried my hand at Martha's homemade cranberry sauce - I will never go back.

This is a savory sauce without a lot of sugar or tart. In fact, homemade cranberry sauce contains 40% less sugar than canned. I generally use fresh berries, but since fresh is such a rarity outside November and December, I recommend freezing them or buying frozen if you attempt to work this into your menu during the year.

1 large shallot

1 tbsp olive oil

fresh ginger root

12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

coarse salt and pepper

Mince shallot and saute in olive oil over medium heat. Add cranberries, sugar, vinegar and 1 cup filtered water. I shave frozen ginger root, about 1 tbsp, into the sauce. Or peel fresh ginger root and grate 1 tbsp for the sauce. It is more typical to have fresh ginger in the house around the holidays, but otherwise I will freeze the root to make it useful for more meals. Simmer sauce until thickened, mashing berries all the while - sauce should be done in 10-15 minutes. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cranberry leftovers

I'll be honest, it is difficult to find uses for leftover cranberry sauce without using turkey as well. But here are some ideas.

Cranberry pancakes:

thin leftover cranberry sauce with red currant jelly, or other tart jelly, until you get a smooth sauce that can be used over pancakes. You can also stir in whole cranberry sauce into pancake batter for an after-Thanksgiving festive creation.

Cranberry Spread:

Use cranberry sauce as a spread on sandwiches. Because this recipe is more savory and less sweet, it can be used with a variety of sandwiches.

Mulled Cranberry Cider:

In a large pot, boil 1 quart apple juice or cranberry juice, 1/2 cup cranberry sauce, cinnamon stick plus 1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon and ground cloves. Heat on simmer until mixture is warm and cranberry sauce is diluted. Filter mixture through a mesh strainer and serve warm.

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Hot and Sour Soup

I am really branching out now: I made tasty tofu! My primary frustration came from the draining process - place tofu between two plates and sit a heavy frying pan (cast iron skillet) on top until tofu is drained. But I found that if you press the tofu while you prep your vegetables, it doesn't take as long as I imagined. Always purchase extra firm tofu.

Another vegetarian foodie of mine offered a suggestion for how to cook tofu. She marinates the tofu in soy sauce and grills it. You can visually see when the tofu starts to firm and when to flip it. Unfortunately my husband was MIA the evening I made tofu - big surprise - so I cooked it on a traditional skillet. I sliced the tofu horizontally into quarters, and then into cubes. I found a great product at the grocery store - universal marinade in a spray bottle. The primary ingredient is soy sauce and it seems to pair well with everything. It provides a savory seasoning to tofu as well.

And slowly but surely, I am learning less is more. I have tried to up this soup with broccolini and sweet peppers, but it is such a distracting taste and texture to the hot and sour. I have seen some varieties that add bamboo shoots and Chinese egg noodles that I am willing to try, but you cannot go wrong with this simple recipe.

Hot and Sour Soup

4 cups vegetable broth, preferably Organic Hearty

2-4 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

8oz., at least, fresh shiitake mushrooms

1 bunch green onions

4 tbsp rice vinegar, separated

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 large egg beaten, plus egg whites

3.5oz. (half a package) extra firm tofu

I am very lucky that my father grows shiitake mushrooms as big as your face, and he is generous about giving them away. Hot and sour soup is not worth the effort without a large bunch of shittake mushrooms, although they are not cheap to come by. Make sure mushrooms are cleaned thoroughly (I highly recommend a mushroom brush), as I learned the hard way.

Slice whites of the greens onions and saute in olive oil over medium heat in a stew pot - keep some thin chives from green onions. Season onions with crushed red pepper and grated ginger. De glaze the pan with vegetable broth. As you can tell, I have been carefree about using chicken broth in my vegetarian recipes, but since I have found Organic Hearty vegetable broth (sold at Trader Joes and other grocers), I do not substitute broths as often. Organic Hearty is very hearty and rich with vegetable flavor. It resembles the color of carrot juice, but it tastes much more savory.

Add sliced mushrooms and cover pot. The mushrooms will cook down so use as many mushrooms as you like. Since there is not much to this soup, I used A LOT of mushrooms. They absorb the flavors so well in the soup and have a meaty texture. Simmer soup until mushrooms are soft and tender.

While soup simmers, cook tofu. I sauted two slabs of tofu until brown on both sides. Spray or season generously. Once brown, cut tofu into cubes; roughly 1/4 inch cubes. I cooked the entire block of tofu but only used half. Depending on how much you like tofu, use as much as you prefer. And help me think of something else to do with my tofu.

Stir together cornstarch in 3 tbsp vinegar. Mix into soup and stir. Once soup thickens (10 minutes), add tofu. Add beaten egg to soup and stir until egg ribbons form. I love the egg ribbons so I add some more egg whites from the carton - two eggs is just above too much for me.

Stir in soy sauce and vinegar just before serving. I used lots of soy sauce - I think I underestimated how salty the broth is so I didn't add salt. Soy sauce adds the flavor with sodium, so additional salt is unnecessary. The vinegar provides the "sour" in the soup. Although I am not a huge vinegar fan, I added a quarter cup to intensify the sour.

Serve with chives and cilantro, if desired.

Fancy Endive Salad

If you are anywhere near Valle Crucis, NC and want to spoil yourself to a night of divine, gourmet food and a relaxing atmosphere, you must visit The Inn at Little Pond. Gay and Frank host a beautiful bed and breakfast as well as sponsor cooking classes for their guests and send you away with your own glorious recipes to make the same dinner at home.

The last time I went there, I learned I liked endive. Endive looks like a tasteless heart of iceburg lettuce, but in fact it is quite nutritious and tender. On the ultimate vegetable list, it scores a 307, above green leaf lettuce. The most appealing part of the salad was the vinegar and walnut oil salad dressing.

I like using the word "fancy" because it makes me feel like I can show up overpriced restaurants and still make a presentation worthy of my husband and important guests. This salad is a great, light appetizer for a fancy meal or even as a large side dish to a simple main course. This is also a great recipe to getting rid of the last of your lettuce, specialty cheese or apple sitting in your fruit basket.

Fancy Endive Salad

Salad:

1/4 cup hazelnuts, raw and unsalted

2 heads endive, chopped

1 apple, cored and sliced

2 oz. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

coarse salt and pepper

7 tbsp walnut oil

Roast hazelnuts at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes. As soon as you smell them, take them out of the oven. Again, Trader Joes has the best selection of raw, unroasted nuts in bulk amounts at a discounted rate compared to other grocery stores. Once cool, chop nuts with a large knife.

Fill a bowl with water. Add sea salt. Sink chopped endive into bowl and let leaves rise to the top. This lets the dirt sink to the bottom. Pull leaves out of water, don't squeeze, and completely dry.

Whisk together salad dressing ingredients.

Combine endive and chopped apple. Slowly stir in dressing until produce is modestly coated. Serve salad topped with hazelnuts and cheese. You can use alternatives such as pear, romaine lettuce, baby spinach, blue cheese, walnuts, etc.