Aunt Jean's Crock Pot Tofurky with Cranberry Onion Sauce

This is a Vegetarian Turkey from Tofurky. It's a roast that tastes delicious. It also comes with a vegetarian gravy, however, this year I'm making an Apple Cider Gravy for ours. I'll use the other gravy for our Mashed Potatoes. One of our children is also vegetarian. I thought I'd add this to the blog so you get an idea of how amazing a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner can be. We will also have all the traditional trimmings, sides and desserts!
My wife also makes the Dressing vegetarian for everyone.

This simple recipe makes a moist, delicious Roast.

1 Tofurky Roast, thawed or frozen
1 can of whole Cranberry Sauce
1 package of vegetarian Onion Soup Mix
16 ounces (2 cups)  Vegetable Broth. (I use a Vegetarian Chicken Stock)

Empty package of soup mix into a Crock Pot and add the Chicken Stock and the Cranberry Sauce, stirring to mix.
Place the Tofurky Roast in the center of the pot.
For a frozen Roast, cook on high for about three hours, turning the Roast over in the sauce every half hour.
A thawed Roast will take two hours.
Slice the Roast thin and pour some sauce over it to serve,

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Fall Corn Pudding with White Cheddar and Thyme / Food and Wine Magazine

1. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2. 1 onion, finely chopped
3. 2 teaspoons minced thyme
4. 4 cups frozen corn kernels (about 20 ounces), thawed
5. 1/2 cup stone-ground cornmeal
6. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 5 large eggs
8. 3 cups half-and-half
9. 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch shallow ceramic baking dish. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and thyme and cook over moderate heat until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the corn and cornmeal and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the half-and-half. In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup of the custard with 1 cup of the corn mixture and puree until smooth. Whisk the puree into the custard. Then stir in the corn mixture, cheese, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper until well blended.
3. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and bake for about 40 minutes, until the pudding is slightly puffed and just starting to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Pont L'Evêque Cake with Hazelnuts

We discovered Pont L'Eveque  Cheese while visiting our friends in Normandy, France.

 Pont-l'Évêque is a French cheese, originally manufactured in the area around the commune of Pont-l'Évêque, between Deauville and Lisieux in the Calvados département of Basse-Normandie. It is probably the oldest Norman cheese still in production.^[1]

Here's an unusual Cake made with Pont L'Eveque Cheese and Hazelnuts.

1 (7oz.) piece of Pont L'Eveque Cheese , cut into small pieces and roll in the 1 1/2 C of  flour.
1/2 C half and half
1/2 C whole milk
1/3 C whole Hazelnuts
2 TBS butter
salt
pepper
1 1/2 C flour
2/3 C ground Hazelnuts
1 packet of baking powder (.5oz. or 14 grams) = 3 tsp.
3 eggs


In a medium bowl:
ground hazelnuts
baking powder
eggs
remaining flour after rolling the pieces of cheese
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Add half and half and milk.

Fold in whole Hazelnuts and pieces of Pont L'Eveque Cheese
Pour batter into a well buttered loaf pan
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes.

Serve Warm

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Cranberry Salad

This is from my Aunt Faye's vintage recipe file.
I know that most people don't make these molded salad for the holidays anymore, but they were so popular in the 50's and 60's and probably much earlier. I believe the Victorians had molded salads.
When we were in London last Christmas we shopped at Liberty ( it's a block from Carnaby Street), they have a clearance room that's incredible. We bought several souvenirs there. We got a glass mold , an iron christmas tree stand and a Christmas ball ornament covered in buttons. We also have many Steamed Pudding Molds and a ceramic mold for salads. I make molded salads and steamed puddings, so I was interested in this recipe from my aunt.

I made some adaptations to the recipe based on things that may have changed since the 50's and 60's.

Here's my version of her salad:

1 pound of fresh cranberries, ( the original recipes says to grind them, at this point I would say that they can be pulsed in a food processor to reach the consistency of them being put through a "grinder".

1 1/2 C sugar ( pour over the cranberries in a bowl and let stand for an hour.

1 package of frozen strawberries
1 box of cherry jello
1 C boiling water
1 C chopped pecans

In a large bowl, dissolve the jello in the boiling water.
Add the frozen strawberries and the cranberry/sugar mixture.
Fold in the nuts.
Pour into a mold and refrigerate until set.

To release the salad, soak a kitchen towel in hot water. Wring out the towel and wrap around the mold that's been placed upside down onto a serving platter. Leave the towel for a minute. Release the salad  by jiggling it over the platter, repeat with the hot towels if it doesn't release ,  refrigerate on the platter until ready to serve.



Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

These are my favorite Molds for Cranberries.
The glass mold is the one we bought in London
last Christmas. I'll be using both of these
this week for Thanksgiving

Cranberry Cream Cheese Salad / Thanksgiving 2013

This is a classic Thanksgiving salad. I remember my Aunt, Grandmother and Mother making this when I was young. I don't think I've ever had it as an adult. Maybe someday I'll get nostalgic and make it.
In the directions it explains making this salad in a bowl. I would make it in a clear glass bowl so that the layers are visible. I'm surprised the directions did not indicate that. It doesn't give the size of the bowl either. It's one of the things that I love about vintage recipes. I know that some of the recipes from my mother in law are quite vague. That's because she knew her recipes by heart and the details were only known to her. I suppose that was true of a lot of cooks from my grandmother's generation too.

2 (3 ounce) packages cherry flavored Jell-O 
1 (16 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce 
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice 
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 
1 cup chopped pecans 
1 tablespoon mayonnaise 

Directions
1.Drain crushed pineapple and save 1/4 cup of the juice. Dissolve gelatin in 2 cups of hot water. Stir in cranberries and crushed pineapple. Pour 1/2 of the mixture in a bowl and leave at room temperature, set the other 1/2 in the refrigerator until firm.
2.In a separate bowl mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, reserved pineapple juice and chopped pecans. Spread mixture over chilled gelatin. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Pour the room temperature gelatin over the top of the cream cheese layer and refrigerate until set

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

No Bake Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Squares / Trisha Yearwood

I had to come back and talk about this recipe. I have made it several times. It's also the #1 viewed recipe on my blog. Over 9100  views. Here's my update on the recipe. 

I crushed the Pretzels in a Zip Lock Bag with a Rolling Pin. When I did them in a Food Processor some of it ended up powdered and there were pieces that were too large. I was able to control the texture better in a bag.

Also, I do not recommend using Crunchy Peanut butter or "Natural" Peanut Butter. In both cases the bottom layer did not stay together well. They are perfect with Creamy Peanut Butter. The texture was good, they were easy to cut and overall, perfect.

Now, I have to add that they are terribly addicting. We will make sure we have plenty of them around for the rest of the Holiday Season.

Watch how to make this recipe.

This could be my new favorite , easy Chocolatey, Pretzely, Peanutbuttery, Yummy Cookie, Square, Bars!
Trisha Yearwood says they are her new favorite treat!
I'm simply re posting the recipe from her Blog.
I watched her cooking show this morning and this is what I chose to post on my Blog!
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were a hit. I'll be making them often!


1 1/2 Sticks (12 TBS) Butter, melted
2 C Pretzel Rods, crushed into Crumbs
1 1/2 C Confectioner's Sugar
1 1/4 C Smooth Peanut Butter, Divided.  Chunky Peanut Butter does not work well and don't use a Natural or Organic that has "Oil", the Bars won't hold together well.
1 1/2 C milk chocolate chips

Directions:
In a Medium Bowl, add the Melted Butter, Pretzel Crumbs,Confectioner's Sugar and 1C of the Peanut Butter and stir together until well combined.

Press the Mixture evenly into the bottom of an un greased 9" X 13" Baking Dish.

Combine the Chocolate Chips and the remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter in a Microwave-Safe Bowl.
Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the Chocolate and Peanut Butter are melted and smooth; two intervals should be enough.
Mix to blend, then spread over the Peanut Butter-Pretzel layer. 

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Winter Pimms Warm Cocktail from Windsor, England

We were in England last December and had an amazing time. I posted stories and photos on the Blog when we returned. I didn't come back with any recipes but we loved all of the food that we experienced.
We spent time in three places, Birmingham (for the Frankfurt Christmas Market) , London, and Windsor.
We had amazing Indian Cuisine in Birmingham, French Cuisine in London and traditional British Cuisine in Windsor.
We were in a restaurant in Windsor late one evening after walking around in the bitter cold. The restaurant was across the road from Windsor Castle.
The first item we asked for was a recommendation for a warm drink to take away the chill.
The server asked if we had ever had a warm Pimms Cocktail. We had never had Pimms.
We were very willing to try it, and very pleased that we did. It was the perfect warm, British cocktail!

The down side to this story is that I can't seem to find Winter Pimms #3 where we live.
I'm still in search of it so we can enjoy and remember our fond experience in Windsor.

Winter Pimms Warm Cocktail:

5 oz. Pimms #3
14 oz, Apple Juice
1 Apple,  cut into small chunks
1/2 Orange, cut into chunks
1 Cinnamon Stick

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and simmer.
Remove the Cinnamon and serve warm.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!