Category Archives: Holiday Recipes

The sweet flavors and aromas of fall: Delicious apple butter

Posted on by 3 comments

The aroma of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and cooked apples waft through the neighborhood as apple butter is being prepared and put up.
 
These autumnal flavors are just one of the gifts Mother Nature gives us this time of year and with all of the choices at my fingertips to whip up for the dessert table, it’s always difficult to choose just one.

Apple Butter is the choice of the day simply for its diversity.  It can be used as a spread on bread or hot buttered toaster muffins, and even as a warmed topping on ice cream or yogurt.

There are many different recipes and variations, experiment with spice combinations until you find exactly what works for you.

Our apple butter is a delicious ingredient inside of our Cinnamon Apple Cider Doughnuts.

Apple Butter

green applesIngredients

  • 20 apples ~ I use Granny Smith
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 ground mace
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  1. Combine apples, cider, brandy cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, cloves, sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent scorching for about an hour.  Apples should be soft and begin to look saucy.  Mash any large pieces with your spoon to break down.
  2. Bring heat down to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all of the apples are broken down and the butter is dark and thick.  This should be about an additional 2 1/2 hours.  Remove from heat, let stand to cool.

If you plan to store your apple butter in an un-refrigerated environment, use proper canning procedures.

meringues with sugared cranberries

Posted on by Leave a comment

Friends and family will love these elegant little holiday gems.

When piping, try and leave a small area or divet to cradle to the cranberries.
you can find our sugared cranberries recipe here.

meringues with sugared cranberries

  • Difficulty: simple and delicious
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • dash of salt

Directions

  1. Place egg whites in a medium bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 250°.
  3. Add vanilla, cream of tartar and salt to egg whites and beat at medium speed until foamy.
  4. Gradually add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes.
  5. Pipe meringue (we use #32 star tip) about 1 1/4″ diameter, 2″ apart on parchment and bake for 40 – 45 minutes until firm to touch. Turn off the oven, leaving the meringues inside with the door closed for about an hour. Cool completely in oven to ensure crispness.
  6. Garnish with berries and greenery just before serving.

You can make meringues a day ahead and store in an airtight container.

sugared cranberries

Posted on by One comment

These festive little gems are the perfect finishing touch for your holiday desserts.

Sugared cranberries are so simple to make, you can get the entire family involvled.

The recipe below is a basic sugared cranberry recipe. Feedback for this recipe has included the following:
“Superfine sugar is not necessary, we used regular sugar for rolling and it came out fine.“

sugared cranberries

Ingredients

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 3/4 cup superfine sugar

Note: if you can’t find superfine, create your own by adding granulated sugar to a food processor for about a minute.

Optional: A few grates of orange zest and 1 or 2 cloves or vanilla added to the syrup adds a deeper flavor. Tweak and twist it a bit to suit your flavor and make the recipe your own.

Directions

  1. Using a toothpick, poke at least one hole in each cranberry to ensure the sweetened syrup gets inside the berry, otherwise they tend to be a bit too tart.
  2. Combine sugar and water, sturring until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer, not a boil and remove from heat.
  3. Stir in cranberries, pour mixture into a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
  4. Remove cranberries and drain in a colander over bowl, reserving cranberry simple syrup. DO NOT RINSE the berries. The syrupy coating is needed. Refrigerate the left over simple syryp for cocktails.
  5. Place superfine or granulated sugar in a shallow dish or rimmed baking sheet, add cranberries and roll to coat completely with sugar. Note: if some of your berries are too wet, blot lightly with a paper towel, being careful not to dry them completely. This will help to keep the sugar from “clumping”.
  6. Spread finished cranberries in a single layer on baking sheet lined with parchment. Let stand approx. 1 hour at room temperature until dry.


gingerbread whoopie pies and hot buttered rum sauce

Posted on by Leave a comment

hot-buttered-rum-sauce-on-pancakesEggnog, gingerbread and peppermint flavors are on the menu this holiday season.

Christmas may come once a year, but there are 25 days in December to get your holiday flavor fix. Incorporate festive tastes like eggnog, gingerbread and peppermint into everything from breakfast dishes to DIY gifts, scrumptious syrups and sips with recipes created and inspired by McCormick Kitchens

“We do a lot of celebrating – and eating – in December, so there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the seasonal flavors we look forward to all year,” said Chef Kevan Vetter of the McCormick Kitchens. “Make green ‘Christmas Tree’ waffles studded with chocolate candies as ‘ornaments’ and dusted with powdered sugar for the ‘snow.’ Or, mix popcorn with white chocolate, peppermint extract and red and green sprinkles for a party snack or edible gift.”  These these recipes will be featured this week. Stay tuned!

Stay tuned throughout the month as we hi-light and share the recipes McCormick Kitchens has sent over to share with our readers as well as though we are inspired to create.

The first of  two delectable recipes on our list is Chef Kevan Vetter’s Hot Buttered Rum Sauce, which is perfect for ice cream, pancakes, waffles, pie, cake or anything else that crosses your path. Next, we decided to showcase chef Vetter’s Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Lemon Crème. These delectable beauties make the perfect gift for friends and neighbors and can be prepared by the entire fam.

Hot Buttered Rum Sauce

hot-buttered-rum-sauce-on-ice-creamServes: Makes 1 1/3 cups or about 10 (2-tablespoon) servings.
5 mins Prep time  10 mins  Cook time
Ingredients

Method:

  1. Mix brown sugar and cream in small saucepan. Cook and stir on medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in butter, a few pieces at a time, until melted. Once butter is melted, remove from heat.
  2. Stir in extracts. Serve warm. Store any leftover sauce in tightly covered, clean container in refrigerator.

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Lemon Crème

  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Print
Serves: Makes 2 1/2 dozen or 30 (1 whoopie pie) servings.    30 mins Prep time  ♦  10 mins  Cook time
gingerbread-whoopie-pies-with-lemon-cremeIngredients
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies:

Lemon Crème:

  • 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
  • 4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Lemon Extract

Garnish:

  • 1 cup crushed peppermint candies

Method

  1. For the Gingerbread Whoopie Pies, mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low-speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

  4. Meanwhile, for the Lemon Creme, mix marshmallow creme, butter, cream cheese and lemon extract in medium bowl until well blended. To assemble whoopie pies, place about 1 tablespoon filling on the flat side of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, pressing gently to spread the filling. Repeat with remaining cookies. Roll edge of cookies in crushed candy. Store whoopie pies between layers of wax paper in airtight container in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Cooking tip

How to Crush Peppermint Candies: To make 1 cup crushed candies, you will need about 50 peppermint candies. Place peppermint candies in large resealable plastic bag. Close bag. Pound with rolling-pin or heavy skillet until coarsely crushed. Or, process in food processor using on/off pulsing action.

 

spirited holiday yule nog

Posted on by 2 comments

As the temperature drops and with the holiday season in full swing, there is no better way to celebrate than with a traditional festive beverage. Eggnog, a spiked mixture of egg yolk and milk, has been around for centuries and is often enjoyed around Christmas time.

In the American North it is mixed with coffee or rum, a technique brought to the Northern coastal states of New England by merchants and pirates. The merchants would often trade spices for textiles like twine used for fishing nets. These spices, such as rum and coffee were mixed with the delicate smoothness of the creamy eggnog becoming a fan favorite. And of course we all know how the pirates handled their days and nights at port. ~ Wikipedia

This holiday season, Salt & Char located in Saratoga Springs, will be serving up a special eggnog cocktail—the Salt & Char Yule Nog. The cocktail includes real cream and eggs, along with, cognac, jagertee, sugar, cinnamon, and much more.  If you aren’t in the area to stop by Salt & Char and taste this dazzling delight in person, the mixologists have shared their recipe with us so you can sip this beauty at your next holiday cocktail party.

Salt & Char Yule Nog

Yields 12 glasses

yule-nog-3Ingredients

  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch cinnamon
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 6 ounces cognac
  • 1 ounce jagertee
  • Orange and nutmeg to garnish

Directions

Mix egg yolks and brown sugar. Slowly add in milk and cream. Add vanilla, salt, white sugar, cinnamon, cognac and jagertee. Whip egg whites then fold into liquid mixture. Serve in chilled glass. Top with orange zest and nutmeg.

Whimsical Eggnog Cookie Gift Tags

Posted on by Leave a comment

A festive holiday idea for the entire family.

Why label gifts with a slip of paper when you can use cookies instead? This a festive holiday project the entire family can do together.

Mix food color and vanilla extract to paint designs on frosted, gift tag-shaped eggnog cookies. Then, thread a ribbon through the cookie, wrap it in a cellophane bag and attach to holiday gifts.

Another idea is to have each member of the family write a personal message and leave these whimsically detailed cookies on a plate next to a glass of milk for Santa on Christmas Eve.

Eggnog Cookie Gift Tag

eggnog-cookie-tagsServes: Makes 36 (1 cookie tag) servings
40 mins  Prep time  ♦   10 mins   Cook time
Ingredients

Directions

  1. Mix flour, salt and nutmeg in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla extract and rum flavor; mix well. Gradually stir in flour mixture on low-speed until well mixed.
  2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on generously floured work surface. Cut into 3×2-inch rectangles. Cut corners from one of the short ends of each rectangle so they resemble the shape of gift tags. Make a hole in between the cut sides of the cookies with a drinking straw. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
  4. To decorate cookie tags, frost with untinted Colorful Royal Icing. Place frosted cookie tags on cooling rack to dry. Meanwhile, prepare desired colors of Flavor Paints (see tip on Painted Sugar Cookies). Using small clean paint brushes, paint gift tag designs and messages on frosted cookie tags. Let dry.
  5. Insert ribbon through holes of cookie tags. Place cookie tags in small clear cellophane bags leaving ribbon exposed. Carefully seal bags closed with festive twist ties or smaller pieces of ribbon. Use exposed ribbon from cookie tags to attach to ribbon on wrapped gifts.

A big thank you to McCormick Kitchens for sharing their holiday recipes with our readers!

“We do a lot of celebrating – and eating – in December, so there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the seasonal flavors we look forward to all year,” said Chef Kevan Vetter of the McCormick Kitchens. “Make green ‘Christmas Tree’ waffles studded with chocolate candies as ‘ornaments’ and dusted with powdered sugar for the ‘snow.’ Or, mix popcorn with white chocolate, peppermint extract and red and green sprinkles for a party snack or edible gift.”  These these recipes will be featured this week. Stay tuned!

guests for the holidays? simple recipes could elevate your hosting reputation

Posted on by Leave a comment

The holiday season has arrived, which means it’s that time of year when guests expect you to bring them some figgy pudding – or any type of pudding for that matter.

After all, those guests likely subscribe to the idea that grabbing an extra slice of ham or overindulging in that box of chocolate-covered cherries couldn’t hurt the waistline all that much.

“Luckily, it’s also oversized sweater and sweatpants season,” says Chef Blakely Trettenero, who knows a thing or two about holiday main courses and desserts, and writes about her culinary adventures on her blog, Everyday Gourmet with Blakely 

And if you’re just as inclined as your guests to sneak yourself an extra helping of whatever delicious dish you dream up – well, she can relate.

 “I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas cookies because physically I can’t stop eating them,” Trettenero says. “In my family we especially love gingersnap cookies. We used to buy tins and tins of them and just go to town until they were gone.”

But Trettenero also knows that hosting at the holidays comes with pressures. Relax, she says. You don’t need to be the chef extraordinaire at a five-star restaurant to please the palates of the average relative or business associate who made your guest list.

She offers a couple of simple recipes that can help make holiday-hosting duties less painful so you can spend more time sipping eggnog by the fireplace.

Braised Short Ribs

ribsIngredients

  • 4 pounds bone in beef short ribs
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Olive oil
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 10 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed pan (or Dutch oven) heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Completely pat dry all of the short ribs. Put them on a paper towel to soak up any moisture
3. Heavily season the short ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
4. Working in batches, sear ribs until a beautiful brown on every side. Put the browned short ribs on a plate while you work on the next batch
5. Once all short ribs have been browned, add the onions, carrots, and garlic to the pan letting it cook for a few minutes
6. To the vegetables, add the tomato paste, stirring to coat everything, and let it cook another 5 minutes to cook out that raw tomato paste flavor.
7. Add the red wine and stir everything, scraping up all of the browned bits on the bottom for flavor.
8. Add back in the short ribs, add the beef broth, rosemary and thyme on the top, and the bay leaves
9. Put the lid on and put the pot into the oven. Let cook for 2 1/2 hours.

Homemade Gingersnap Cookies

img_4839Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh-grated ginger
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Extra sugar for coating

Instructions

  1. In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugars until smooth. To that add the grated fresh ginger, egg, and molasses. Give it another mix to incorporate everything.
  2. To the wet ingredients add the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, allspice, and cinnamon. Mix until well blended.
  3. The dough will be loose, but don’t worry. Put the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to let chill and set up for 1 to 2 hours.
  4. Once the dough has set up and chilled completely, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take the dough and form about 1 inch balls. Roll them in sugar, and put on a parchment-paper-lined sheet tray. Leave at least 1 inch between each ball. Bake for 10-15 minutes. For chewier gingersnaps, bake 10-13 minutes and for crisper gingersnaps, bake for 14-15 minutes. Let cool and set up on the counter for about 1-2 minutes before serving.

About Blakely Trettenero

Blakely Trettenero, host of the  Everyday Gourmet with Blakely ~ GourmetwithBlakely.com and Hungry for Travels ~ Hungryfortravels.com websites, is a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, Fla. She is a world traveler, having visited more than 30 countries, and is becoming a frequent guest on TV.

basil & salt’s last minute sides, tips, tricks and ideas

Posted on by Leave a comment

Slicing, dicing, baking and prepping. The countdown begins.

If you are looking for a couple of quick and simple side dishes, we have you covered. The best part about these two recipes is, these work any time of the year. Before we launch into those though, we have a few tips and time savers that will make your prep of the holiday turkey dinner just a bit easier.

Turkey

Simple is key here. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, roast for an hour and reduce temp to 350 degrees and continue cooking for about 2.5 more hours, or until golden and cooked through.
Tip: 15 minutes per pound, 165 degrees when thermometer is inserted into thigh. (A 14 pound turkey needs about 3.5 hours)

Stuffing or Dressing

The night before
Saute your ingredients as you normally would then cool, cover and chill. When you are ready to create your stuffing, remove from refrigerator, heat up ingredients in pan, the butter will melt and you can continue with your stuffing or dressing recipes as usual.

Potatoes

If you have the room in your refrigerator, doing this the night before saves an enormous amount of time and clean up the next day.

Wash, peel and cut your potatoes the usual way and put them in the pan you will cook them in. Cover with cold water, add the lid and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to start cooking them.

When you’re ready, take them out of the refrigerator, remove the lid and cook as usual.

oven roasted brussels sprouts and carrots

oven 400 degrees

ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1.5 pounds brussels sprounts, halved
  • 6 carrots 1.5″ thick
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parley leaves

directions

  1. Lightly oil baking sheet or oven safe pan.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, syrup, garlic and thyme. Set aside.
  3. Place your sprouts and carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzel balsamic mixture over vegetables, covering well.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until brown and tender. Garnish with fresh parsley.
  6. Option: If desired..lightly saute with small, cut up pieces of bacon prior to roasting in the oven. cook just enough to add flavor, set bacon pieces aside to top on roasted vegetables after removing from oven.

simple seasonal salad

a beautiful and delicious side dish for all seasons.

ingredients

  • greens
  • tomatoes, sliced or handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • feta cheese, a handful or 1/3 cup
  • dried cranberries

you can also use

  • roasted squash (no tomatoes if you use squash)
  • oven roasted, sugared walnuts
  • pears, cored and sliced thin or chunked

slow cooker cranberry sauce

Posted on by 2 comments

When friends and family arrive on Thanksgiving Day, everyone brings their favorite family recipes to the table. Grocery bags filled with ingredients, platters, trays and large serving bowls fill both the counter and the refrigerator. Trying to determine how to bake, roast and warm multiple dishes in one oven can be daunting and improvisation becomes a much prized and necessary skill.

slow-cooker-cranberry-sauce-iA few years ago, I purchased a very large countertop roasting pan for the turkey. It’s a lifesaver and while it does tend to warm the kitchen immensely, it also frees the oven for friends and family to bake and warm those speciality dishes they have brought with them. I’ve also found a couple of crock-pots or slow-cookers on the counter frees up much needed stove top space.

This week, McCormick Kitchens sent a few recipes our way to share with our readers. They understand that planning a perfectly timed Thanksgiving feast brimming with the nostalgic flavors and aromas of the season can be challenging. This year, the McCormick Kitchens have developed wow-worthy recipes that put the slow cooker to work, making everything from homemade cranberry sauce to sausage sage stuffing and mouth-watering apple cobbler. Our Thanksgiving menu has just been expanded.

slow-cooker-cranberry-sauce-ii“Many classic Thanksgiving dishes are even better when prepared in a slow cooker – it gives desserts an ooey gooey texture and allows flavors to fully develop in sides and sauces,” said McCormick Executive Chef Kevan Vetter. “Instead of using canned cranberry sauce, let fresh cranberries, cinnamon, bay leaves and an orange slowly simmer in the slow cooker. Four hours later you’ll have an impressive, sweet-tart sauce to serve with the turkey and spread on leftover sandwiches.”

Stay tuned this holiday season as we share McCormick Kitchen’s delicious slow cooker recipes.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

slow-cooker-cranberry-sauce-iiiIngredients

Serves: 8

Method

  1. Place all ingredients in 4-quart slow cooker. Cover.
  2. Cook 3 hours on HIGH, stirring every hour. Uncover. Stir well.
  3. Cook, uncovered, 30 to 45 minutes longer on HIGH or until slightly thickened.

For more Thanksgiving tips and recipes, visit McCormick.com. Also, check them out on Pinterest and Facebook.

slow-cooker-cranberry-sauce-i
slow-cooker-cranberry-sauce-ii
slow-cooker-cranberry-sauce-iii

Take a look at Basil & Salt’s new online cooking classes and workshops!

Are you ready for our recipes in printed, glossy color? Subscribe and receive 12 issues, a year subscription mailed direct to your mailbox, at the introductory price of $22.99… or follow our Groupon campaign for a deeper discount!

Maria Rodale’s Scratch Thanksgiving

Posted on by One comment

scratchThanksgiving dinner is easier than you think. Maria Rodale shares her thanksgiving menu with tips from her  cook book Scratch, which is filled dozens of home-spun recipes. When Maria Rodale cooks her annual Thanksgiving Dinner, nothing comes out of a can or a box, not even the cranberry sauce. Her menu this year includes tried and true dishes from roasted turkey and gravy to fresh cranberry sauce and stuffing. See the recipes below.

An organic activist and chef, Maria is also the CEO and Chairman of Rodale Inc., publisher of Women’s Health and Organic Life, among many other health and lifestyle magazines.  Maria shares the recipes and recounts her childhood spent on America’s first official organic farm; growing up in a family business that published books and magazines about healthy food, fitness, organic gardening and farming (at a time when they were pretty much the only ones doing it).

This roasted turkey recipe focuses on simplicity. No stuffing, no trussing, no fussing.

Roast Turkey

  • Difficulty: Involved
  • Print

Serves 10 to 12

roast-turkey-scratchIngredients

  • 1 whole turkey (about 14 pounds)
  • Salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. Place the turkey, breast-side up, in a deep, high-sided roasting pan, sprinkle with salt, and roast for 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to roast for 2 hours, or until the turkey is golden and cooked through. (Allow 15 minutes per pound of turkey. The internal temperature should read 165°F on a meat thermometer when inserted into the thigh.)
  3. Transfer the turkey from the pan to a serving platter, first making sure you tilt the bird slightly to drain the juices into the roasting pan. Set aside.
  4. Place the pan over high heat on the stovetop and bring the juices to a boil.
    Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Makes 3 cups

cranberries-freshIngredients

  • 2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
  • 2 oranges or tangerines
  • 1 cup sugar (or to taste)

Directions

  1. Place the cranberries in a food processor or blender. Squeeze the juice from the oranges and add it to the cranberries.
  2. Trim the ends from the oranges and then coarsely chop, skin and all. Add to the processor and blend until roughly chopped (not smooth).
  3. Transfer to a bowl, add half the sugar, and stir to combine. If it is too tart, add a little more sugar to taste (up to 1 /2 cup). Refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Pan Gravy

Serves 4 to 6

gravy-from-scratch-photo-mariasfarmcountrykitchenIngredients

  • Pan drippings from roasting chicken or turkey
  • 1 cup all purpose flour (depending on how many drippings you have)
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions 

  1. After roasting a chicken or turkey (which I always do in a high-sided roasting pan), I transfer the bird to a platter, tilting the bird first so all its juices run into the roasting pan. Then place the roasting pan on the stovetop.
  2. In a small bowl or glass, combine the flour and water and whisk with a fork until there are no lumps.
  3. Heat the pan drippings over high heat until bubbling (spoon off some of the fat, if desired) and add the flour mixture, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Make sure you scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (that’s where the flavor is!). Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until golden and thickened. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Serve the pan gravy with the bird you just roasted.
Thank you to Maria Rodale for images and recipes • printed with permission  Follow Maria Rodale on Facebook

Take a look at Basil & Salt’s new online cooking classes and workshops!

Are you ready for our recipes in printed, glossy color? Subscribe and receive 12 issues, a year subscription mailed direct to your mailbox, at the introductory price of $22.99… or follow our Groupon campaign for a deeper discount!

« Older Entries