Cranberry Apple Pecan French Toast

Saute the apples

It was a little brisk out there this morning. I don't know why, but tasty aromas just smell different with a dip in air temperature.  Leaving yoga class this morning, I was overwhelmed by the need for some autumn flavors in my brunch. Inhaling the sweet and savory breakfast smells wafting from apartment windows and restaurants, I headed to my nearest market to pick up a few things to throw together. This time of year is so easy to convert classic dishes to a seasonal treat. With apples, pumpkins, cranberries, figs, pecans, concord grapes, walnuts, and spices a typical menu can make something basic into something really special.

Cook 3-4 minutes on each side

Today I decided to go with some French toast. Sometimes I use whole wheat challah, sliced thickly, for my French toast. Today, though, I was drawn to the 9-grain sliced loaf from The Baker. Adding some apple butter to the egg mix and doing a quick sauteed topping makes this classic breakfast a perfect cool weekend treat. I considered going with a pumpkin theme by using pureed pumpkin and spices with the egg mix, so if you are a pumpkin lover, that is a great variation to try. Use organic pastured butter to get your omega 3's!

Cranberry Apple Pecan French Toast

1 sliced Golden Delicous apple (with skin on, if organic)
2 T +1 T+ 3T organic unsalted butter, pastured if available
pinch of sea salt
dash of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
another dash of sea salt and cinnamon
1 tsp or so of honey

3 large eggs
1/2-2/3 cup oat milk, rice milk, or other preferred milk (I used sunflower seed milk)
2 dashes of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup apple butter
10 slices whole grain bread

real maple syrup for serving


In a saute pan, cook the sliced apple with 2 T butter, dash of salt, and dash of cinnamon over low heat for 15 minutes or so or until apples are nice and tender and beginning to caramelize. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Melt another tablespoon butter in the pan and cook pecans and dried cranberries over medium-low heat with a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of sea salt for about 10 minutes, stirring often until fragrant and pecans are just toasted. Finish with honey, stir honey in, and transfer to bowl with apples. Mix nuts and fruit together and cover.

Wash and dry the pan. and Melt some butter over low. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, and apple butter. Raise heat in the pan to medium. Dip bread into egg mixture two slices at a time (or more if your pan is big), and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side.

Transfer to a warming plate and continue with remaining bread OR serve immediately by topping with apple cranberry pecan mixture and drizzling with real maple syrup. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Cranberry Sorbet

I hope you are all enjoying your turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, and stuffing and potato concoctions. Maybe you tried "Leftover Soup" from my friends at Grapes and Greens!
http://grapesandgreens.blogspot.com

Whatever the case, chances are there may still be some cranberries left in the fridge. Often these are some of the last leftovers to go. Rather than letting them sit and eventually tossing them, consider this delicious and tart seasonal dessert. It may even help you to wean off the nightly pie attack, as well. Whether you like the jellied kind in the shape of a can or made a homemade version, this cranberry sorbet recipe is a great use of any of them. Feel free to improvise this.

If your leftover cranberries are plain, I strongly advise adding 1/2 cup orange juice, some cinnamon and allspice, and maybe some honey or agave nectar. If they are already seasoned with orange, spices, cherries, or other sweet stuff, adjust and season to taste before freezing.

Cranberry Sorbet

2 cups leftover cranberry sauce (any kind: canned, fresh, or sweet cranberry salad)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 T orange zest
3 cups water (or leftover dessert wine works!)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
(optional) 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, dash of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground ginger


Pulse all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Use your own judgment about how smooth you want to go. I like to have some chunks, but if you are blending cranberry sauce that has nuts, raisins, or other stuff, you may want to make it pretty smooth.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Make it a little sweeter than you think you would like because the sweetness is diminished a little when frozen.

Freeze in an ice cream or sorbet maker OR

Pour mixture into a stainless steel bowl. Place bowl in a safe spot in the freezer. Stir briskly every 30 minutes for about 2 hours (sometimes longer, depending on your freezer). I like to use a big whisk to break up the icy stuff that forms on the top.

Serve when it reaches sorbet consistency. If you are timing it to have right after dinner, you may have to pull it out, let it get just a little melty 30 minutes before and do one last stirring.

Stir more often for a finer texture. Also, when it's very icy you can briefly blend it and serve immediately.

(optional) Pour a few tablespoons of Nocella (Italian walnut liqueur) over to serve!

THANKSGIVING WEEK IS HERE! Time to get chopping!

The big week is here! If you are still finalizing the menu, here are some recipes that can simplify things for you. Feel free to share your favorite variations with me! I would love to hear them.

If you have any Thanksgiving questions big or small, please ask me below and I will try to answer them asap.




White Balsamic -Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Tomatoes, & Pine Nuts

4-5 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved the long way
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar ( or regular balsamic)
2 T honey
4 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
lots of black pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved the long way
2/3 cup pine nuts
(opt. 1/2 cup dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds)


Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with onion, balsamic, honey, oil, salt, and pepper. When mixed, evenly distribute in a single layer on 2 large cookies sheets. Roast for about an hour, tossing once or twice during roasting.

After an hour or so, when veggies are caramelized and tender, add grape tomatoes.
Roast 30 minutes.

Add pine nuts over the top and put back in the oven just until pinenuts are toasted. Serve!

If you make this ahead of time, toast the pine nuts separately and top the warmed dish with them just before serving.

Add cranberries and/or pomegranate seeds just before serving if you are using them.



Classic Stuffing
adapted from marthastewart.com

Here is the perfect classic stuffing recipe (Of course, it is. Thank you, Martha.) I love it because the basic formula is here and there is lots of room for variation.

For vegetarian stuffing, sub the chicken broth for vegetable broth and wine. You can add nuts, fruit, olives, oysters, sausage, etc. Enjoy!

Makes 12 cups

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 onions(2 lbs), peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice
16 celery stalks, cut into ¼ inch dice
10 large fresh sage leaves
6 cups homemade chicken stock (or canned low-sodium broth
skimmed of fat)
2 stale loaves white bread (about 36 slices), crust on, cut
into 1 inch cubes
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 cups (about 2 bunches) fresh, coarsely chopped flat-leaf
parsley

2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)
2 cups dried cherries (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and celery, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sage, stir to combine, and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup stock, and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half.

2. Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients, including the remaining stock; mix to combine.

3. Stuff into turkey's cavity and/or pack into a baking dish and cover. Bake while turkey roasts. Watch it closely, if you are baking it in a separate pan.


Roasted Spiced Butternut Squash

3 lb butternut squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Peel butternut squash and scoop out the seeds and seed goo with a spoon. Cut into approximately 1"-1.5" chunks. Toss with remaining ingredients.

Roast for 45 minutes. Let cool and store in the fridge until ready to heat.

Sara’s Cranberry Chutney

12 oz bag cranberries
1 apple, chopped
1 orange, chopped and seeded (skin on)
½ c walnuts
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
A little nutmeg
½ c OJ, freshly squeezed
½ c raisins or currants (I like to mix currants and golden raisins)
1/2 cup maple syrup
Dash of agave nectar, to taste

Bourbon (about 1/4-1/3 cup)--a big splash
2 Tbsp butter (optional--this is my addition)



Simmer all ingredients together except for the bourbon and 1/2 cup of the cranberries on medium-low heat about ½ an hour till cranberries start to pop. Stir frequently.
Add a big splash of bourbon and reserved cranberries and cook just a few minutes more, just until some of the alcohol cooks off.

You can add 2 tablespoons of butter at this point--this is my addition and not part of the original recipe. It's good either way. Let cool and serve right away or chill until the big meal.

Remove from refrigerator and let sit about an hour before serving--serve room temperature.

Sara's Cranberry Chutney

Here is an elegant version of cranberry sauce. It's a make-ahead dish to spice up your Thanksgiving table that is quick and easy. My friend, Sara, introduced me to this 7 or 8 years ago and it's become a Thanksgiving staple for me and lots of my clients. It's called a "chutney", but is really great eaten on it's own as a side salad, as well. The orange pieces with peel still on make this taste as though you have spent hours cooking it. They turn sweet and almost candied fast as they simmer with the sweeteners and spices.

Since you leave the skin on the orange, it's wise to get an organic one, if possible. If you can't find a good organic one, be sure to wash your orange really well.

Sara’s Cranberry Chutney

2 c cranberries
1 apple, chopped
1 orange, chopped and seeded (skin on)
½ c walnuts
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
A little nutmeg
½ c OJ, freshly squeezed
½ c raisins or currants (I like to mix currants and golden raisins)
1/2 cup maple syrup
Dash of agave nectar, to taste

Bourbon (about 1/4-1/3 cup)--a big splash
2 Tbsp butter (optional--this is my addition)



Simmer all ingredients together except for the bourbon and 1/2 cup of the cranberries on medium-low heat about ½ an hour till cranberries start to pop. Stir frequently.
Add a big splash of bourbon and reserved cranberries and cook just a few minutes more, just until some of the alcohol cooks off.

You can add 2 tablespoons of butter at this point--this is my addition and not part of the original recipe. It's good either way. Let cool and serve right away or chill until the big meal.

Remove from refrigerator and let sit about an hour before serving--serve room temperature.

Quinoa with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts

Today I am featuring quinoa as the medium for one of my favorite seasonal combos--dried cranberries and walnuts! This is a sweet and savory pilaf made with quinoa(pronounced "keen-wa"), an ancient heirloom grain that has been known in South America for centuries and is quickly gaining popularity here.

Famous for it's health benefits, quinoa is a powerhouse food that nourishes the body and provide many nutrients and minerals. It is the most common grain known in the U.S. that provides a complete protein (as opposed to combining grains with beans or veggies to achieve the complete protein), thus great for vegetarians. Quinoa contains no gluten and no known allergens, so it is popular with people on special diets or with special nutritional needs.

Sound too good to be true? You are probably thinking that it must taste awful, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. Quinoa is a tiny, nutty, sweet grain with a great texture and slight chewiness which makes it popular with most who have tried it. It is sold in boxes or in bulk, much like rice. If you are wondering what to do with it or how to serve it, here is a great, seasonal recipe that is simple and can get your picky eaters on board!

Serve this with some roasted butternut squash or stuffed into a baked acorn squash. This would be an exciting substitute for plain old rice or potatoes, too. If you like pork, it would be a fantastic, gourmet accompaniment to organic pork chops or pork tenderloin roast. Maybe pour some riesling and you have a dinner party!

A few resources:
http://www.nimanranch.com/index.aspx
http://www.quinoa.net/

Below is a great close-up photo of the quinoa plant. Pretty!

Quinoa with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts

1 large onion, sliced medium thin

2 T extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt
ground black pepper
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or stock, if you have some on hand
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 c walnuts, roughly chopped
1 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a saute pan, cook onion with oil, salt, and pepper over medium heat for five minutes. Turn heat to low and cook, uncovered, 35-40 minutes, until translucent and caramelized.

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Transfer wet quinoa into a 2-3 qt saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Add water or stock immediately when quinoa feels dry. Add a dash of salt and bring to a boil. As soon as it's boiling, cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat without removing cover.

Distribute walnuts on a baking sheet and toast about 15 minutes. Watch them closely and toast until just fragrant.

Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork. Fold in caramelized onions, dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts. Season with salt, pepper, and a few squirts of fresh lemon juice. Toss and serve!