Thanksgiving Wishes and Cranberry Blueberry Sauce

Here's a little Thanksgiving tradition from my family to yours...this cranberry sauce recipe was given to me years ago by my sister. It has been a favorite of ours for every Thanksgiving celebration since.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It seems like the right time, therefore, to get back into the swing of blogging about food and sharing the recipes that allow us to slow down and enjoy the moment. Warmest wishes and Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Blueberry Sauce 1 cup of sugar 1 cup water 16 oz frozen cranberries 1 cup frozen blueberries (reserve 1/4 cup and set aside) orange skin (1-2 strips of about 1/3" x 2") In a medium sauce pan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add the cranberries and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Then, add 3/4 cups of blueberries and the orange skin. Continue simmering for 15 minutes, stirring every so often. Finally, add the remaining 1/4 cup of blueberries and allow the mixture to cool. It will keep for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Cranberry-Apple Salad Dressing

A good salad is like a good marriage: all the ingredients need to compliment each other. The idea is that if your salad dressing is on the sweet side you want to pair it up with a bitter leaf. A thicker vinaigrette would enhance an endive salad but overpower delicate watercress leaves. You also want just the right mix of textures. If you go overboard the heavier components stay at the bottom of the bowl. The most important thing is to keep things playful. Even when I tend to favor a simple salad I'll make it special by using some roasted hazelnut oil and high quality sea salt. Sometimes, I add some seasonal fruit slices, goat cheese crumbles and roasted nuts. My salad dressings don't usually involve any cooking time but this one is different and so worth the extra effort.

The creation of this salad dressing was an experiment gone well-- so I thought I'd share. It's creamy, tart and sweet. I love it with crisp salad leaves such as romaine or crunchy endives. The color alone is reason enough to make this delicious dressing.

Cranberry-Apple Salad Dressing 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup frozen cranberries 1/2 cup tart apple peeled and diced, such as Granny Smith or Pippin 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate 2 teaspoons dijon type mustard 1 teaspoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Saute the chopped onions in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent and beginning to brown. Add the cranberries and apples and continue cooking, stirring often, until softened (about 5 minutes). Transfer to blender and add the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth. Add more liquid (orange juice or water) if you wish for a thinner dressing.

For more wonderful salad recipes go visit Stacey's After Thanksgiving Detox week. She's featuring many gorgeous salad recipes to make up for last week's feast.

My Love Affair with Cranberries

I have started a love affair with cranberries this year. Oh, I have always loved them but this season I am rediscovering the pleasures of adding their tartness to an array of dishes and baked goods.



Orange, whether zest or fresh squeezed juice, brings out their loveliness even more. Too often, they are limited to make a shy gooey appearance out of a can at Thanksgiving. No offense to the canned-cranberry-sauce lovers out there, but this does no justice to this beautiful fruit. I am partial to scones, muffins and bread bursting with citrus and chunks of these bright red berries. And, when it comes to my Thanksgiving table, I follow in my sister's footsteps and make a delicious homemade cranberry-blueberry sauce which she introduced me to many years ago. My kids eat it by the bucket-full so I always double the batch.

This year, I have discovered a new recipe for Cranberry-Orange Bread. The aroma that fills my house as I type this post is simply indescribable. You'll have to bake a loaf to find out for yourself. Be warned: it must be left alone to cool for an hour before being sliced--not an easy thing to comply with when the sweet enticing smell teases you mercilessly.

So what is so different about this bread that warrants such passion on my part? The batter for one is sweet with orange pulp and a pillowy texture. The cranberries are crushed while still frozen, thereby providing the perfect cranberry flavor to bite ratio. The pulpy juice of fresh oranges makes such a delightful difference in the intensity of flavor and texture.



This recipe was based originally on an America's Test Kitchen recipe.

Cranberry Orange Bread (makes 1 loaf) If you are not concerned about the gluten you can make this recipe using 2 cups all-purpose flour (just omit the xantham gum) instead of the first 5 ingredients. If you are gluten free but would rather use a baking mix feel free to do so but don't forget to add the xantham as indicated in the recipe. I like the addition of almond meal but I have made this loaf entirely with Bob's Red Mill GF mix before with excellent results. 1/2 cup brown rice flour 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour 1/2 cup almond meal 1/2 cup millet flour 1 teaspoon xantham gum 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons canola oil 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce 2/3 cups fruit flavored kefir yogurt, or other liquid yogurt (buttermilk is a good substitute) 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice with pulp 1 tablespoon of orange zest 1 large egg, beaten 1/4 cup agave nectar, or honey 1/2 cup of crushed frozen cranberries 1/2 cup walnut pieces Preheat oven 375F Oil a loaf pan Mix all the first 9 ingredients together in a bowl. In another bowl: mix the oil, applesauce, kefir, juice, zest, egg and agave nectar until well combined. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl. Add the cranberries and nuts and mix thoroughly. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check for doneness after an hour by inserting a knife in the center. Blade should come out clean. Let cool for an hour before slicing.

Artsy-Foodie's Tip: Make this recipe into muffins for a nice individual treat. Reduce the baking time to 30 minutes instead.





Stop by for a visit later on this week for a wonderful apple-cranberry salad dressing recipe...

Daring Bakers November

I've concluded that every new culinary adventure tells you something about yourself. This month's Daring Baker challenge was very hard for me to get into. I am not a pastry baker. Frosting tastes like sweetened toothpaste to me. My fourteen year-old son, on the other hand, was very interested in trying his hands at baking a "real" cake. Armed with his enthusiasm, I decided to tackle this challenge.



Although we followed the recipes to the letter, both my son and I found the butter cream frosting to be too much for our taste buds. We tried to tone down the overwhelming sugar rush by adding some cooked cranberries to the mixture but this wasn't enough. In the end, we decided to serve the cake without the frosting.



The cake is a winner. It tastes really dense, almost like a rich butter danish. I was planning on serving it as part of my dessert assortments for Thanksgiving so we decided to add some chopped cranberries to the batter. The addition of a dollop of homemade cranberry sauce and whipped cream dressed up each slice beautifully. It was excellent.



So what did I learn about myself this time around? I have reaffirmed that I am picky when it comes to my sweets. And in the future, I may be more comfortable admiring the work of the very talented Daring Bakers who, unlike me, are willing to jump into a pool of frosting.

A big Thank you to our hosts this month:
Dolores of Culinary Curiosity, Alex at Blondie and Brownie and Jenny of Foray into Food. The Gluten Free version was provided by Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go.



The recipe for this moist cake and frosting came from Shuna Fish Lydon of Egg Beaters and can be found here Egg Beaters. I substituted the flour for some Bob's Red Mill GF All-Purpose mix with added xantham.

The Delightful Strangeness of Blueberry Pudding Cake

You want cake. You want pudding. You want pudding cake. It's bit of strange concept, but why not? Most people like something creamy to add moisture to a slice of cake and this recipe comes with it built-in.

The idea for this dessert came from gluten-free cookbook author Rebecca Reilly . I started out with her recipe and changed it quite a bit.



I switched some of the GF flour to almond meal, which adds richness and texture. Once that was done, the oil could be omitted since the almonds provided plenty. I also substituted soymilk instead of regular milk and egg whites instead of egg replacer powder. I have found that most recipes can afford less sugar without compromising the treat factor. Agave nectar, a sweetener derived from the agave cactus, is my first choice when I create a recipe. I replaced a lot of the sugar in the original recipe with a reduced amount of agave nectar. The result was a nice and light fruity-dessert which the whole family enjoyed.



Blueberry Pudding Cake (serves 6)
If you are not on a wheat-free or gluten-free diet, I suggest omitting the xantham gum and replacing the GF flour mix with all-purpose wheat instead. The cold leftovers go great with coffee. Refrigerate any remaining cake overnight and enjoy them for breakfast the next day.


3/4 cup almond meal
3/4 cup GF all purpose flour mix (such as Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 teaspoon xantham gum
2 teaspoon GF baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup soymilk, or regular lowfat
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup egg whites

2 cups frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon arrowroot
1/4 cup turbinado sugar, or granulated

1 cup boiling water


Preheat oven to 350F.
Oil a circular deep ceramic pie or gratin dish.

In a mixer combine the flour, xantham, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until combined.
Mix the soymilk, nectar, egg whites in a smaller bowl. Add to the dry ingredients in the mixer and mix well to form the batter.

Place the frozen blueberries on the bottom of the pre-oiled dish. Place the ceramic dish on top of a cookie sheet to catch drips during baking. Pour the batter on top of the berries. Mix the turbinado sugar with the arrowroot. Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top of the batter. Pour the boiling water carefully on top of the whole thing and bake for 55-60 minutes or until the top has formed a golden crust and is partially set. Let cool before serving.

Artsy-Foodie's Tips:
-This cake tastes even better the next day, which makes it a great make a day ahead dessert.
-If you don't have Arrowroot in your pantry use some cornstarch instead.
-For an added special touch, make a batch of fresh whipped cream with a little agave nectar and a teaspoon of hazelnut or almond extract.





More lovely blueberry desserts for you to enjoy...
Easy Blueberry Pudding
Mango Blueberry Kanten
Blueberry and Plum Clafoutis

Mango Blueberry Kanten

Fruit based desserts are by far my favorites. It wasn't always that way... There was a time when I would have traded my first born (sorry son...) for a good chocolaty treat. Nowadays, I enjoy dark chocolate in small quantities. It's a matter of taste not calories. I don't believe in skimming on taste when it comes to desserts--you end up eating the whole tray and still wanting more.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of making my way through the Millenium Cookbook and was introduced for the first time to Agar Agar as a substitute for gelatin. Then, my friend Ivette, who is an amazing cook, made me a fresh fruit kanten. It was wonderful, kind of like jello but creamier. It had a refreshing feel and taste, unlike anything else I had ever had. Jello lovers might want to throw their congealed transparent treats at me for saying this but Kanten beats jello in taste and texture any day.

After two years of experimenting, my family is unanimous: this mango blueberry version is our favorite.



Mango Blueberry Kanten (serves 6)

3 cups diced ripe mango
1 cup 100% white grape juice
2 tablespoons agar agar flakes (available in natural food stores)
1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

In a small sauce pan, bring the white grape juice to a boil. Add the agar agar, simmer while whisking until flakes melt into the juice (about 5 minutes).

Put mango pieces and agar agar juice mixture into a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a loaf pan (pyrex or ceramic is best). Add blueberries and smooth out by gently pounding loaf pan on the counter. This will help remove any air bubbles. Store in the refrigerator and let set for at least 4 hours. Gently unmold onto a platter or serve straight out of the dish.

Melon Blueberry Dressed-Up Salad

When I was a child, my parents entertained a lot. Our home often buzzed with foreign or local visitors. My mother would cook beautiful multi-course meals to spoil our guests. She was a wonderful cook. I say: "she was" because she no longer cooks. She jokes that she forgot how to. Funny Maman!

Although I miss her homemade pasta, gnocchi and profiteroles, I have to say that I get a thrill from having her crave my food for a change. My style is very different than hers. I may serve elegant dishes but it's always in a casual atmosphere. I don't use fine china or crystal glasses. Instead, I let the food speak for itself on simple white plates. One presentation she use to make that I still love is using small melons or avocado halves as salad bowls. It was always magical to me: a sure sign that the rest of the meal would be delectable. She would put so much effort, care and generosity in her offerings and for that I am forever thankful.



Just like my mother's use of fruits as bowls, creating a creamy sauce to coat melons and berries elevates the humble fruit to elegant status. It may not be reinventing the wheel but it's delightful never-the-less.

This one goes to Holler host this month of No Crouton Required.



Blueberry Melon Salad with Yogurt Maple Dressing (serves 6)
I love to make fruit salads as part of the meal but feel free to use this delicious summer salad as a dessert as well.

Ingredients:
2 cups of Blueberries
3 cups of melon balls, or large dices ( Cantaloupe or Charentais melon)



Yogurt Dressing:
1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt (goat, soy, or regular okay)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon roasted almond oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place the fruit in a strainer and let the juices drain out. In a medium/large bowl mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and mix well. Transfer the drained fruit into the bowl with the dressing and mix gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately.



Other fruity recipes:
Velvety Apricot Soup with Blueberries
Quick and Simple Jam

Just Lovely Orange Blueberry Muffins

I did not grow up with muffins but I have to admit that I have grown quite fond of them. For one thing, they are super fast and easy to put together and for another, they taste wonderful. The speed at which you can bake a batch makes it practical for a morning treat or a spontaneous snack. The possibilities are endless.

As much as I enjoy a nice piece of cake, I look for different qualities in my muffins. I like the texture to be a little denser and the flavor must be as assertive as a gust of fresh air. These blueberry muffins fit the bill perfectly. The orange infused batter helps to highlight the sweet berries. The texture is slightly dense. The overall effect is that the blueberries seem almost creamy inside this moist little muffin. Even my teenager, who doesn't like fruit cooked into his food, helped himself to seconds. All of us declared these little muffins a real treat.




Orange Blueberry Muffins (makes 24 small muffins or 18 regular)

If you are not concerned about gluten or wheat replace the GF flour with 1 cup of whole wheat white flour and 1 cup of all purpose and omit the xantham.
If you want to make these vegan, omit the egg and replace the butter for canola oil. I have baked them that way and they come out a little denser but they still taste great.

2 cups of GF all purpose flour mix (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 tsp xantham gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup turbinado sugar or regular granulated sugar

1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp orange zest
1 whole egg
1/3 cup egg white
2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of canola oil

2 cups fresh sweet blueberries

Preheat oven 375F.
Oil muffin pans.
In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients (flour-sugar)
In another bowl mix all the wet ingredients (orange juice-oil)
Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix well. Add the blueberries and mix. Divide the batter into the muffin pans. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Check by inserting a knife in the center to make sure the batter is cooked through.

*** Alternative baking option: Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Check by using the inserted knife method.

A Pail full of Blueberries and a Creamy Dessert

Chances are good that you will see quite a few recipes featuring blueberries this week on Artsy-Foodie. We went blueberry picking and brought home 13 pounds of blueberry goodness.



I made some jam and chutney that afternoon but still needed a dessert for our dinner. I decided to whip up a pudding with silken tofu, the homemade jam and some of the fresh blueberries. I have been making a chocolate version of this tofu pudding for fifteen years now and it's always a hit. I thought that the creaminess of the tofu would work well with the delightful blueberries. The pudding was a perfect compliment to the sweet, juicy berries and I love how easy it was to put this delectable dessert together.



Easy Blueberry Pudding (serves 4)

Ingredients:
12.3 oz carton firm silken tofu
1/2 cup of fruit juice sweetened blueberry jam
1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract
2 cups of fresh sweet blueberries
Additional jam for decoration (optional)



In a food processor, blend the tofu with the jam and the vanilla extract, scraping the sides once in a while. Process until completely smooth and transfer to a bowl. Add the fresh blueberries. Divide into 4 bowls and add a dollop of blueberry jam on top of each portion.

And one more recipe for your enjoyment...
Blueberry Plum Clafoutis

Blueberry and Plum Clafoutis

When I was growing up one of the many highlights of Summer was the homemade cherry Clafoutis my mom would make-- that and spitting out the pits into our siblings' faces when our "maman" was not looking... Traditional Clafoutis is made with pits, which adds a "je ne sais quoi" to this fine dessert. Since I haven't figured out what this "I don't know what" is, I leave them out.

Today, I opted for sweet blueberries and a sliced plum for added color instead of the more traditional cherries. The batter is super easy to put together and Sorghum flour substitutes beautifully instead of the traditional all purpose wheat flour.
I'm making this wonderful, light dessert another submission for SHF, hosted by Susan.





Blueberry Plum Clafoutis Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of honey
3 tablespoons of sorghum flour
1 cup of lowfat milk
2 cups of washed and picked through blueberries
1 sliced plum
1 tablespoon of Turbinado sugar


Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350F
-Oil a pie dish
-In a bowl mix energetically the eggs and honey. Add the flour and continue mixing, then incorporate the milk little by little.
-Put the blueberries in the prepared pie dish. Pour the batter on top and finish with the plum slices. Carefully transfer to the oven.
-Bake for 30 minutes and then sprinkle the sugar on top of the Clafoutis. Bake an additional 40 minutes or until set in the center. Let cool completely and refrigerate. Serve cold.

Raspberry Muffins Redeemed

Remember the muffins I described in my flip-flops, well I revisited the troubling issue and the results are truly decadent. Good enough to submit for Sugar High Fridays which theme this month just happens to be berries. This event is being hosted by Susan over at Food Blogga. The mortar was dropped in favor of a fluffy producing combination of flours, more almond flavor and some chocolate chips. These were voted the best raspberry muffins by eager tasters, sure to become a family favorite. The dough is light and crumbly, full of delicate almond taste. The chocolate chips are the perfect ingredient to offset the raspberries' tartness and bring out their aromatic flavor. Fixing this past weekend's culinary mess was enough to make my day... It's the little things in life that make it just right.

Chocolate Almond Raspberry Muffins (makes 12)

Preheat oven at 375F. Oil muffin pan.

In a bowl mix together:
1/4 cup canola oil
4 oz unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup of egg whites
3/4 cup of vanilla soymilk
2 teaspoon of almond extract

In another bowl, mix with a whisk:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup teff flour
1/2 cup almond meal
2 teaspoon of xantham gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Other Ingredients:
1 cup of raspberries, torn into halves
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
seedless raspberry jam

Combine content of wet ingredient bowl into the dry ingredient bowl. Mix until well combined. Add raspberry pieces and chocolate chips. Mix again gently. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Finish with a teaspoon of raspberry jam on each muffin top. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, checking for doneness (knife inserted in the middle should come up free of batter). Let cool for ten minutes.

10 lbs of Raspberries

This morning, we went berry picking with my friend R and her daughter. It was beautiful and sweet. We picked and ate. We ate and picked some more. Conversations were flowing over the bushes and time went by so fast. We came home happy with our beautiful red, juicy jewels. What do you do with 10 pounds of raspberries? So far, I have managed to make jam, a raspberry custard and a pie. Not bad for one day's worth of work. Funny thing is: I still have more than half of my box left. Any ideas?