Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish

Again, I give homage to my mother for this. She's pretty good that one.

By the way,  if there is any of this left, because it still surprises every guest how much they cant get enough of this; use it in sandwiches, turkey panini's," its just so fresh, and bright it makes the Leftovers. "Top of the Chart"!






Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish
2 Minutes to Prepare. Make 24 hours ahead of time.

1 12 oz pkg fresh cranberries
1 orange(Whole not peeled)

1 cup sugar

Put washed, drained cranberries in a food processor with 1 orange which has been peeled and quartered with all seeds being removed.Pulse for a few seconds, just until coarsely chopped. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl, if necessary, to chop evenly.
Add 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar and taste adjusting sweetness as desired.
Stir well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Cranberry Orange Relish may be frozen for up to 2 months.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Buttered Green Beans with Leeks and Sliced Almonds

A leek is similar to a very mildly flavored combination of onions and garlic. An interesting fact- like all of their cousins(onions, leeks, shallots, garlic) let them sit for 5 minutes after cutting before cooking enhances the healthy qualities!

Buttered Green Beans with Leeks and Sliced Almonds

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed (Haricot Verts are my favorite a long thin green bean)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 leeks, thinly sliced and cleaned
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Lemon zest and juice
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Steam green beans in a small amount of water with 1/4 teaspoon salt, until beans tender; drain.
2. Toast sliced almonds in a skillet no oils needed. Stir over medium heat till brown. remove from burner and pan immediately as any additional heat will cause them to burn once they reach the browning point.
3. Heat the butter in the same large skillet you did the almonds in, and saute the leeks until they're lightly browned. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Add almonds(setting aside a few for the top) to the fully cooked leeks. Toss the mixture with the steamed green beans and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle remaining almonds on top.

Crispy Leeks
Cut leeks into 2-inch lengths. Holding the leek sections cut side up, cut lengthwise so that you end up with thin strips, known as the chiffonade cut, slicing until you reach the green portion. Make sure slices are cut very thin to shorten cooking time. Let leeks sit for at least 5 minutes before cooking.

No leeks? Use this simple recipe with just the green beans! Its delicious either way!

Authentic Irish Soda Oat Bread

Authentic Irish Soda Oat Bread

1 cup oats, 1 cup buttermilk mixed together

1 3/4  Cups Flour (1 cup all purpose, 3/4 cup cake flour)

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

6 Tbsp. Butter, softened  cut in

1 tbsp Orange zest (optional)

1 Cup Currants (or Raisins chopped)

Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl mix together oats and buttermilk.

In a seperate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Cut in in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and oats, currants and orange zest and mix until the dough just becomes cohesive. Knead a few times score brush with buttermilk. Do not over mix, or your loaf will be very tough.

Form the dough into one or two rounds (depending on what size you want your loaf) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Make an “X” in the top of your loaf (loaves).
Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve it steaming hot with sweet cream butter!

Or mix softened butter with honey and serve!

PRINTABLE VERSION

Coconut Rice

Easy Coconut Rice

21 minutes

1/2 tsp. coconut oil, OR vegetable oil
2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice (long grain rice like Jasmine is lower glycemic and wont send you into insulin shock like many other short grain and 5 minute varieties)
1 can good-quality coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water

2-3 Tbsp. toasted shredded unsweetened coconut (toast in a dry pan over medium high heat till browned. Remove immediately)
1/2 tsp. salt

1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut for garnish

Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot.
Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt in the pot and set over medium-high to high heat. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to low. Cover tightly with a lid and let simmer 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
Replace the lid and turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you're ready to eat.

When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork. Taste-test the rice for salt, adding a little more if needed. Serve right out of the pot, or transfer to a serving bowl. This rice is excellent served with a variety of both Thai and Indian dishes, such as curries or seafood recipes. If desired, top your rice with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and ENJOY!

Variation

Carribean Coconut Rice- Add one Cinnamon stick broken in three parts while simmers.  Remove and discard once ready to serve.

Orange Yams with Pralined Pecans

These are the BEST yams you will ever eat! The orange makes all of the difference in amazing joyful flavor!

Seriously.. mom. This is still one of my favorite dishes you have ever made.  And honestly, aside from butter none of the components are my favorite at all.  But you did it.  You made one the all time favorite, holiday, side-dishes ever.

Candied Orange Yams with Praline Pecans

4 pounds yams; 4-6 yams depending on size baked, pulp scooped out; easy instructions below
1/4 cup fresh squeezed (juice of 1/2 orange) (use from concentrate if you needed) add more if dry
2 tsp-1 tbs Orange zest
5 tablespoons Grand Marnier liquor (optional)
Dash of Salt
Dash of Pepper
2 tablespoons Butter

Easy Baked Peeled Yams

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place  unpeeled yams or sweet potato on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cut each in half place. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until tender when poked with a fork. Let cool enough to handle and scoop out pulp. This recipe can be the final product left in the skins and enjoyed similar to a baked potato with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, maybe some chili powder.... But for the holidays we really like to go big!

Pralined Yams Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend yams well with 2 tbs butter, orange juice, zest, salt, pepper and Grand Marnier(optional) smash with fork or pastry blender till mashed. Spoon into baking dish. 

Praline Topping
1 cup Brown sugar
4 tablespoons Butter
1 cup Pecans

Prepare pralined pecans by brown sugar and butter a small saute pan, and stir till melted over medium to medium low heat. Use care not to burn sugar, usually only 1-2 minutes. Pour praline over yams slightly pushing into brown sugar and arrange pecans over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, till bubbly and slightly brown. 

Preparing ahead- Assemble all components, beside praline topping 24 hours in advance and store in refrigerator. Add pralines when ready and bake the same.

P.S. If you do not like Pecans just omit the pecans and do a candied topping!