Cranberry-Pecan Pound Cake

Fall is here and with it comes fresh, seasonal, delicious cranberries in the produce department of the market. This lovely, buttery-rich pound cake is studded with toasted pecan pieces and chopped cranberries; perfect for the upcoming holidays or, for my family, anytime.

This recipe comes from the January 1990 edition of "Bon Appetit" magazine, with a few adaptions from me. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup chopped pecans (broken into small pieces, not finely chopped, 3-1/2 ounces)
1-1/2 cup cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
5 large eggs
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup orange juice or brandy (calorie count is done with orange juice)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1-1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 cup cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Powdered sugar for dusting, if desired

1. Grease and flour a 2-1/2 quart tube cake pan or two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pans.
2. Place pecans on cookie sheet and bake until lightly colored and fragrant in a 350 degree oven, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.
3. Coarsely chop cranberries.
4. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl once. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in sour cream, then orange juice or brandy, vanilla and orange peel.
5. Sift unbleached flour, cake flour and salt together. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients to egg mixture and stop when all flour has been added. Mix by hand until just combined.
6. Fold in pecans and cranberries. Pour batter into prepared cake pan(s). Tap pan on counter to release any air bubbles.
7. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, rotating pan(s) halfway through baking time, about 50 to 55 minutes for loaf pans and about 1 hour for tube pan.
8. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cake can be frozen up to 1 month. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before serving.

Yield: 20 servings
262 calories per serving
1 gm. fiber
Note: The flavor of the cake is best the day after baking.

Fruit Bran Muffins

Bran muffins are a favorite of mine, and this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens "75 Years of All-Time Favorites" cookbook is no exception. What sets this recipe apart from other recipes, is the addition of fresh fruit rather than raisins. That isn't to say that raisins couldn't be used; my favorite addition is cut-up dried apricots in place of the fresh fruit. So, be creative and use whatever your family will like. These muffins are great on their own with a bowl of fruit for breakfast, but would be equally good alongside a brunch casserole or quiche. Blessings...

Recipes: 

1-1/2 cups whole bran cereal, such as All-Bran Original
1 cup milk (I use 1%)
1 egg
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots.
The recipe is written for 1 cup fresh fruit ( such as chopped, peeled apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, or plums; halved dark sweet cherries; whole blueberries or raspberries; or chopped bananas)

1. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.
2. In a small mixing bowl combine bran cereal and milk; let stand 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in egg and oil; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, lemon peel, and salt.
4. Add bran mixture all at once, stirring just until moistened (batter will be thick). Fold in fruit.
5. Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full of batter. Bake in 400 degree oven 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins
140 calories each according to the cookbook
4 gms. fiber each according to the cookbook
3 gms. fiber each using 1/2 cup dried apricots

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

My friend, Patti, and I got together for our monthly catching-up-with-each-other-time today. We shared this Broccoli Cheddar Quiche and some wonderful late-harvest peaches from her yard, while we enjoyed our visit together.

This quiche is mild in flavor and works well for brunch or dinner, and it is very kid-friendly. Our little granddaughter thoroughly enjoyed it when I made it a few years ago for brunch on Thanksgiving weekend. Blessings...

Recipe:

Pastry for a 10-inch one-crust pie
1/2 lb. bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup diced fresh broccoli
1/3 cup minced onion
1-2 tsps. butter
4 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half
1 few grinds white pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg


1. Line 10-inch pie plate or 10-inch quiche dish with pastry. Make high fluted edge and set aside.
2. In small frying pan over low heat, melt butter. Add onion and fry until golden in color, remove pan from heat.
3. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Carefully spread cooked onion in pie plate.
5. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and broccoli pieces over onion.
6. Whisk together last 5 ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well combined. Carefully pour cream mixture into pie plate.
7. Bake 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees; cover quiche with foil to prevent over-browning and bake another 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove quiche from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 6 to 8 main dish servings

Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken

Slow cooker recipes are wonderful anytime of the year, but I especially appreciate them when the weather starts to turn cool. My niece contributed this recipe in a recipe group that we were a part of last year, and I readily tried it. The recipe is very easy, and so flavorful. Inexpensive chicken thighs are slow cooked until the meat falls off the bone. It is then shredded, added back into the sauce and served over stir-fried broccoli and cooked rice. A sprinkling of toasted sesame seed and dinner is ready! This recipe comes from www.emilylovesfood.com  Blessings...

Recipe:

6 skinless chicken thighs, bone-in
1/2 an onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water (I used chicken broth; it adds better flavor)
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. sesame oil to stir-fry the broccoli
rice
toasted sesame seed, if desired

1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and turn the heat to high while the sauce is being prepared.
2. Whisk together the onion, garlic, honey, soy sauce, tomato paste and oil in a bowl; pour over the chicken. Cook on high heat for 1 hour; reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 hours.
3. About 20 minutes before serving, remove the chicken from the slow cooker to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. It's easy to shred the chicken in a large flat dish.
4. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and the water, or chicken broth, and stir into the sauce in the slow cooker. Turn the heat up to high to thicken the sauce.
5. Prepare the rice according to package directions.
6. Shred the chicken and add it back to the sauce to warm through.
7. In a skillet, heat the 1 tsp. sesame oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the broccoli pieces until they turn a fresh rich green color, their outsides look moist and they are crisp-tender. This only takes a few minutes.
8. To serve, top rice with broccoli, then chicken and sprinkle with sesame seed, if desired. Yummy!

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

The Family Dinner Hour: A "Recipe" for Building Strong Relationships

The family dinner hour is that precious time when we stop the frantic pace of life and focus on our loved ones. During this time, ignore the phone, television, the knocks at the door, and the stuff of the world, and listen closely as your loved ones share about the events of their day. Connect. Pay close attention. In so doing, we pay value to those who are the most valuable to us.

Life can get really frantic, and the level of stress in a family can soar out of control very quickly. Children are the most vulnerable to the stress levels in the lives of their parents. The family mealtime can be a time of quieting down and re-connecting. This time of connecting and relationship building is vital to the well-being and health of the family.

Prepare a simple meal, focus on your loved ones, and strengthen your family. Blessings...

Broccoli Scalloped Potatoes (with ham)

This all-in-one-dish meal was created by Denell Syslo, from Fullerton, Nebraska. Her wonderful recipe was contributed to, and accepted by, "Taste of Home" for one of their cookbooks. As you have probably noted by this time, I have used many "Taste of Home" recipes over the years. I love the ease and simplicity of recipes  shared by home cooks, and this one is no exception. The recipe is very easy, but it does take time to prep the vegetables and make the sauce. Once this is done, pop it in the oven for an hour and dinner is ready. I served Autumn Tossed Salad, recipe posted on 9/24/2014, alongside. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 tbsp. chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter
5 tbsp. unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. white pepper ( black pepper would work just fine if you don't have the white)
1/8 tsp. salt
2-1/2 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese, divided use
2 pounds medium potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (about 6 potatoes)
2 cups julienned fully cooked ham (see note)
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed and patted dry (see note)

1. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter for 3-4 minutes.
2. Stir in the flour, pepper and salt until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup of cheese. Reduce heat; cook for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted (sauce will be thick).
3. Remove from the heat; gently stir in the potatoes, ham and broccoli.
4. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish or line pan with non-stick pan lining paper. (I love pan lining paper for ease of clean up!)
5. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
6. Uncover and test potatoes with a fork to make sure they are very tender. If they are, sprinkle casserole with remaining cup of cheese and return to the oven for about 5 minutes to melt cheese.

Yield: 8 servings
Note: I used packaged cubed ham; so easy to just take it out of the package and throw it in the pot.
Note: I used fresh broccoli and it worked perfectly.

Autumn Tossed Salad

Dinner salads can get so boring, so when I come across one that is loaded with cheese, nuts and fruit, I gladly give it a try. This combination of cashews, Swiss cheese, cranberries, pear, and apple in a lightly-sweetened poppy seed dressing is wonderful. This is a reader-contributed recipe from a "Taste of Home" cookbook. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. poppy seed
1 bunch romaine, torn
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup cashews
1 medium apple, chopped
1 medium pear, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries

1. In a blender, combine the lemon juice, sugar, onion, mustard and salt. While processing on low speed, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Stir in poppy seed. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.
2. In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, cheese, cashews, apple, pear and cranberries. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Yield: 10 servings
Note: I cut the dressing recipe in half and the yield is 3/4 cup. For two of us, I used 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup cashews, 1/4 apple, 1/4 pear, 2 tbsp. cranberries and a few lettuce leaves. There will be plenty of dressing for two more salads. You might use this as a guide for your family's needs.
Note: The addition of cubed, cooked ham makes this a wonderful main dish salad.