Cranberry Salad

Some like it sweet and creamy. Some like it crisp and tart. Every family has a favorite way to make Cranberry Salad. Ours is semi-sweet and crunchy with chopped cranberries and pecans. The holiday time ofThanksgiving and Christmas meals is a perfect time for Cranberry Salad, however you like it.

CRANBERRY SALAD

1 bag (12-16 oz) cranberries, ground

1 cup sugar

1 package strawberry or raspberry jello

1 (6-oz) can crushed pineapple

½  cup chopped pecans

Mix cranberries and sugar together, set aside. Prepare jello as directed on package with 1 cup boiling water and 1 cup cold water, using juice from crushed pineapple as part of the liquid. When jello starts to congeal, add the cranberry mixture, crushed pineapple and pecans. Let set until completely gelled.

It's simple, but good.  

Easy Lasagna

Are you tired of turkey? Yesterday I made this Easy Lasagna for a warm and filling lunch. This is the family size version of a favorite we make at Community LinC for 200. Photos following the recipe show the crowd size preparations. 

Easy Lasagna 

for a 9"x13" pan:

6-8  ounces egg noodles

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 pound ground beef

1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles (oil in the water helps keep them from sticking). Layer cooked noodles over the bottom of a greased baking dish.

Brown hamburger, drain fat and mix with sauce.

Mix cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream with parsley, basil and pepper. Pour over noodles.

Put hamburger and sauce mixture on top of cheese mixture .

Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

When we prepare this favorite for Community LinC's Eureka meal site, we plan for 200 servings. We make 8 pans, so we do 8 times everything! 

8 bowls of cheese mixture

8 bowls of meat and sauce

8 pans with noodles

Layer: noodles + cheeses + meat + mozzarella 

Greens from the community garden for salad

Ready to serve! 

everyone helps - garlic bread to go with
the lasagna is buttered.

Sweet Potato casserole that's not dessert!

Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't be right without the Sweet Potato Casserole, usually loaded with marshmallows and brown sugar. This turns out more like a dessert, sweeter than the pumpkin pie that is really the dessert. This year we changed that a bit, this recipe still has a sweet flavor, but is lower in calories and guilt. It was good with the turkey and traditional meal and would be good for any fall dinner. For a less festive dish and to reduce calories more, you could reduce or omit the pecans and marshmallows.

Often we confuse sweet potatoes and yams. But they are different plants completely! Sweet potatoes are from the morning glory family and yams are a tropical vine. Sweet potatoes aren't even related to potatoes. Sweet potatoes are engorged storage roots, even the decorative sweet potato vine will produce an enlarged root area resembling the favorite vegetable. 
We know sweet potatoes by their bright orange color, but they may also be pinkish or coppery or white. Some even have purple flesh. Orange color indicates the presence of carotene which our bodies convert to vitamin A. 
Sweet potatoes are often labeled as yams at the produce counter. Unless what you're buying is canned and says 'yams', or is a big, big chunk of root cut off of a bigger root and wrapped in plastic, then what you're buying is a sweet potato. They are about the size of potatoes and shaped similar to a potato but with tapered ends instead of rounded. 

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ –inch cubes

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 tsp. cinnamon

a pinch of nutmeg

a pinch of salt

brown sugar (optional)

4 large egg whites or 2 large whole eggs, lightly beaten

¾ cup chopped pecans

½ cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly grease or spray a 2.5 quart casserole dish.

2.     Put the sweet potatoes in a medium sauce pan with enough water to just cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until fork-tender, 5-7 minutes. Drain.

3.     Return the sweet potatoes to the pot and use an egg beater, mixer, or potato masher to mash them up.

4.     Add the yogurt, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix it in. Taste, add brown sugar 1 tablespoon at a time to the sweetness you want.

5.     Once you’re satisfied with the taste, add the eggs and beat them in, Transfer the mixture to the lightly greased casserole dish.

6.     Bake for 30 minutes. Top evenly with pecans and marshmallows and continue to bake until marshmallows are puffed and lightly browned, 10-15 more minutes.

Is Maple the new Flavor?

Some references predict that Maple flavor will knock Pumpkin Spice out of top place for fall flavors! As much as we love pumpkin spice, maple is a favorite also. Several commercial companies have recently introduced maple flavored drinks, donuts, and other treats. More recipes with maple are showing up in the magazines and on-line. Maple pairs well with pecan and brings to mind fall with beautiful colored leaves.  I've tried a couple of these new recipes, and my family liked them.

So, are you ready for a maple flavored treat? This recipe for cinnamon rolls with maple frosting is a keeper for 2 reasons - the cinnamon roll recipe is quick, easy and light. The maple frosting is also easy and could be used on a variety of other baked products. Its a Chef Alli recipe, so I knew it would be good!

SPEEDY CINNAMON ROLLS WITH MAPLE FROSTING

Ingredients:

I cup water

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 egg

6 – 6 ½ cups all-purpose flour

5 tsp. yeast (may use quick rise, if desired)

Filling:

½ cup unsalted butter, very soft

1-2 Tbs. cinnamon

⅔ cup granulated sugar

⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar

Maple Frosting:

1 lb. powdered sugar

pinch of salt

¼ cup strong coffee (or ¼ cup hot water combined with ½ tsp. expresso powder)

1 tsp. maple flavoring

3 Tbs. melted unsalted butter

1-2 Tbs. milk, added a little at a time

Directions:

1.     Combine milk, water, oil, sugar and salt in microwave safe bowl; heat for 1-2 minutes, until temperature is 120 – 130 degrees F.

2.     While liquids are heating, measure 3 cups of flour into bowl of mixer; add yeast and combine will with flour.

3.     Pour the heated liquids into the flour/yeast mixture. Using the whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for 1 minutes, then add egg and beat an additional minute.

4.     Switch to dough hook, and add 3 cups of flour; knead dough for 2-3 minutes. Dough should be soft and pliable, slightly tacky to the touch, but not sticking to sides of bowl. If dough is still too sticky, add remaining ½ cup of flour, a little at a time, beating with the dough hook after each addition. (at this time, I find it helpful to turn it out to a floured surface for a small amount of hand kneading to get the final consistency for the dough)

5.     Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes. Punch dough down; then place into a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, roll dough into a large rectangle, about 22”x18”. Spread softened butter over surface of dough, then sprinkle dough evenly with cinnamon, and both sugars. Using your palms, gently press the sugars into the dough a bit.

6.     Roll the dough from the long edge, gently tucking dough and the filling as you go. Adjust as you go to keep the dough even in circumference by gently stretching out the center. Using a sharp serrated knife or piece of dental floss, cut the roll in half. Mark cutting lines on each half,  keeping the marks as even as possible. Slice at the incisions and place onto a greased (or parchment covered) baking pan.

7.     Let rolls rise in a warm place for 25-30 minutes. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 18-20 minutes, depending on size of rolls. Rolls will be done when the internal temperature (taken with a food thermometer) is 190-195 degrees.

8.     While rolls are baking, prepare frosting by combining all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Let rolls cool for 10-15 minutes, then frost, letting the frosting spread over the warm roll.

Never too young to work with dough!

My son even brought me Maple candy from his
trip to Canada.