Thanksgiving!

I am sorry it has been a few weeks since I last posted. I am without a laptop, and it really does hinder my ability to share my recipes. But fear not, I have not abandoned the kitchen!

Here are some Thanksgiving recipes for you. With the exception of “Stephie’s Potatoes” everything in this post is low-sodium.

In our family it is a Thanksgiving tradition for the siblings to do most of the cooking. My sister made the potatoes (as well as some mashed) and my brother made the pies. The cranberry sauce at the end is a recipe from my roommate Jen. It was not present for this particular meal, but it is such a good recipe I needed to share it. You will also notice that I did not include a turkey recipe. I have nothing against turkey, but I am definitely not an expert in that field. Our Thanksgiving turkey was delicious, but it had more to do with the excellent stuffing inside and the onions and garlic around the edges.

Enjoy!

Sorrel Stuffing

Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, chopped

12 pieces of bread, cubed and toasted

2-3 bunches of Sorrel, fresh or frozen from the summer, chopped into small pieces. (You can also use Spinach or Swiss Chard)

½ pt. Carton of Heavy Whipping Cream

3 tsp. Yellow Mustard

2 tsp. Garlic

1 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. Black Pepper

1 tsp. Sage

1 tsp. Thyme

3 Tbsp. Water

(2 tsp. Lemon juice if you don’t use Sorrel)

Sauté onions and oil in large frying pan.

Pour into large bowl with toasted bread and sorrel. Add whipping cream, mustard, water, and spices.

Stir together.

Stuff into turkey or bake in large glass dish with lid at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Stephie’s Potatoes

Red Potatoes, washed well and cubed

Vegetable Oil

Water

Soy Sauce

Parsley

Garlic

Pepper

Pour ¼ inch oil in the bottom of a large glass dish. Add ½ inch water. Pour in potatoes. Liberally add soy sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, pepper and garlic powder.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, stir with metal spatula.

Sweet Potato Fries

Olive Oil

Sweet Potatoes

Garlic Powder

Black Pepper

Thyme

Peel and cut potatoes into long strips. Pour oil on the bottom of an edged-baking pan. Add potatoes, stirring to coat with the oil. Sprinkle with herbs and spices.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until they start to brown. Half way through, stir with metal spatula.

Apple Pie

Recipe by Sharon Redinger, made by Isaac Redinger

Crust:

1 ½ cup Whole Wheat Flour

¼ tsp. Salt

1/2 cup Mazola oil

3 Tbsp. Cold water

Stir together and form into ball. Set aside 1/3 for crumble top. Roll 2/3 portion between two pieces of wax paper. Place in pie dish. Embellish the edges as desired.

Filling:

Apples, cubed

1/4 cup Flour

1/3 stick Butter

1/2 cup Brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

Boil apples for about 10 minutes in a small amount of water. Pour apples onto crust, in a heaping pile. Sprinkle with flour, sugar, cinnamon and pats of butter. Crumble remaining crust on top.

Place two long pieces of tin foil on the table, in the shape of a cross. Place pie pan at the center. Fold up the edges so only a four-inch circle remains open.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes with foil, and another 30 minutes with foil folded down.

Cranberry Sauce

Recipe from Jennifer Risz

1 12-oz bag of fresh cranberries, washed

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Water

2 tsp finely grated orange peel

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Allspice

1/8 tsp Cloves

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Ginger

Bring all ingredients to a boil in heavy saucepan, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until most of Cranberries burst. Transfer sauce to medium bowl. Cool, cover, and refrigerate.

The Joy of One's Own Kitchen

 

This past weekend I attended a retreat/conference in Wisconsin. The weather was beautiful and chilly, I got to hang out with new and old friends, and I was blessed to hear some really good speakers. The one thing I missed was my kitchen. The food was good, but most of it I had to eat around, skirting the sauces and seasonings to avoid the sodium. I was glad to get home and know that I could make healthy, delicious meals. 

That being said, I made this soup a couple weeks ago. My brother was rolling through town on his way back from working at an organic farm in Georgia, so I thought I'd make him some veggie-filled soup. It turned out marvelous, but the funny thing is, it could not stay in the pot. I'm not kidding, I dropped it twice. Once when the soup pot handle fell off and a second time when a wet plastic container slid through my fingers. It was rather pathetic, yet fortunately I only lost two bowls worth to the floor. Let this be a lesson in securing hardware and drying tupperware.

Tomato Lentil Soup

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 3-4 servings of vegetables)
*This recipe is borrowed from my cousin Shannon*

2 T. Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, chopped

2 cups Veggies, chopped (I used Zucchini and Butternut Squash, but you can also use Carrots and Celery)

Garlic

1 ½ cups dried Lentils

5 ½ cup Water or 1 carton Broth + water  to equal 5 ½ cups

Parsley

Oregano

Chili Powder

1- 8 oz can Tomato Paste

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Black Pepper

Crumbled Feta

In a frying pan, sauté onions and garlic until they start to brown. Pour into Soup Pot. Sauté other vegetables in same oil and pan, just to brown a little. Add to soup pot.

Rinse and sort lentils. Pour in. Add water or broth/water combo, tomato paste, chili powder, and herbs. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until hard vegetable are tender.

Stir in vinegar and pepper.

Sprinkle with Feta Cheese, if desired.

Spaghetti Squash and Green Beans over Pasta

1 Serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Olive Oil

Garlic

Green Beans, frozen or fresh

Pasta of your choice

Spaghetti Squash

1 Tbsp Butter

Black Pepper

Balsamic Vinegar

To cook squash, slice length-wise, into halves or quarters. Scoop out seeds. Place face down in a deep pan with 3/4-1 cup water. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes. Once cooled enough to touch, scrape out of skin with a fork. This recipe calls for 1 cup of squash. Set aside the rest for later recipes.

Add butter, garlic and pepper. Stir well.

Cook/heat up green beans in a small pot with water and garlic.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Stir everything together and add balsamic vinegar.

Balsamic Tuna Primavera

1 Serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Olive Oil

Onion

Red Bell Pepper

Tomato

1 Can of Tuna

Basil

Black pepper

Pasta of your choice

Balsamic Vinegar

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook pasta according to directions. Set aside.

Sauté vegetables in small amount of olive oil. Add tuna, balsamic vinegar, basil and pepper.

Stir everything together. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.