Skillet Green Beans

I have found a recipe for Green Beans that the entire family loves. In fact, they are asking me when I am going to make this recipe again.  The recipe is very simple and comes together quickly.  The ingredients are few -green beans, vinegar, bacon, onion powder, salt and pepper.  As you can see from the ingredients, the  beans get their flavor from the bacon grease, onion powder, and cider vinegar. They are delicious. 

Skillet Green Beans
From My Recipes adapted by From My Southwest Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 pounds  green  beans, trimmed
4 thick hickory-smoked bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover  4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge beans into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.

2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.

3. Add the green beans to the skillet.  Sprinkle with the onion powder and stir.  Stir in  the vinegar.  Increase heat to medium - high and sauté the green beans for 5 minutes or until hot.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss with reserved bacon and serve.

Serves 6

Shredded Ginger Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts - you love them or you don't.  In my family two out of six love Brussels sprouts.  We  will eat them roasted, sautéed, in salad, etc.  The remaining members of the family need to be coaxed into eating this veggie.  I am looking for new ways to get them to eat this delicious veggie.

I found a tasty recipe on the Taste of Home website.   This is a very quick and easy recipe to make. You start by cutting the Brussels sprouts into thin slices.  Toss in some  oil and  most of the other ingredients. Cook over medium heat until tender and serve.  That is all there is to make this delicious side.  Perfect for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

All members of the family loved this dish.

Shredded Ginger Brussels Sprouts
Taste of Home

Ingredients
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts (about 5-1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
1. Trim Brussels sprouts. Cut sprouts lengthwise in half; cut crosswise into thin slices.

2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until sprouts begin to brown lightly. Add oil and toss to coat. Stir in onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Add water; reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, 1-2 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in pepper.

Yield: 6 servings

Thanksgiving: Sweet Potatoes

I hope all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a great one with lots of good food:)  Every year for Thanksgiving, I try a few new recipes.  One dish that graced our table this year was Sweet Potatoes. Usually, I just make mashed potatoes and call it good, but the family also said they would like some Sweet Potatoes.

Instead of sticking to the standard recipe I make most  of the time, I modified one I found on "My Recipes" website.   They baked their potatoes in orange cups and used pecans in their recipe.  I eliminated the orange cups and pecans and added lots more marshmallows.   We love marshmallows on our sweet potatoes.  I baked my potatoes  in an 8x8-inch baking dish that was lightly sprayed with cooking oil.

This was the favorite side.  The potatoes were sweet and creamy with just the right amount of spice.  The marshmallows, well, what can I say except they were what made the dish.  Toasted to perfection with their sweet melted goodness in every bite.

This is a perfect side for any meal.  We were scraping the baking dish to get every delicious bite:)

Sweet Potatoes
From "My Recipes.com" adapted by "From My Southwest Kitchen"

Ingredients:

6 small sweet potatoes (about 2 3/4 pounds)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2-2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place the sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.  Let stand 20 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and place potato pulp in a large mixing bowl.  Add sweetened condensed milk and the next 8 ingredients.  Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth, stopping occasionally to remove any tough fibers, if necessary.
3. Lightly spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Spoon potatoes evenly into the prepared dish and smooth top.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with the marshmallows pressing lightly to adhere.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until marshmallows are melted and golden brown.  Remove from oven and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Thanksgiving:Spiced Cranberry Coffee Cake

Spiced Cranberry Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is perfect for Thanksgiving morning.  It sets the mood for the goodies that are to come later on in the day.  What makes the coffee cake so yummy are the spiced cranberries, spices and orange zest.  Cranberries are cooked with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and orange zest.   A truly delicious and seasonal filling for the  cake. I prepared the filling the night before and brought it to room temperature when I was ready to use it.  The cake is made with butter, flour, sugar, salt, eggs, buttermilk, orange zest, baking powder, and baking soda.  Once you have prepared the cake batter, you spread half of it in a prepared 9x13-inch baking dish.  Dot the batter with half of the cranberry sauce and swirl it in the batter.  Cover the cranberries with the rest of the batter.  Dollop the remaining sauce on the batter and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.  Bake.  Drizzle a confections' sugar icing over the warm cake.  Delicious:)







Spiced Cranberry Coffee Cake
From Woman's Day

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 cups spiced cranberries, recipe follows
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter and lightly dust with flour.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, then the buttermilk and orange zest.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
3. Spread half the batter into the prepared baking dish. Dollop 1 cup cranberry sauce over the top, then gently spread, swirling it into the batter.  Top with the remaining batter, then dollop with the remaining cranberry sauce.

Batter Spread in Bottom of Baking Dish

Dots of Cranberry Sauce On Top Of Batter

Swirls

Remaining Batter Placed On Top of Cranberries

Dotted With Remaining Cranberries

4. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top and bake until the cake is golden brown and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean,  45-50 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

Sprinkled With Chopped Walnuts

5. While the cake cools, make the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth.  Drizzle the icing over the warm cake, then let cool completely before serving.

Out-of-Oven

Confectioners'  Icing

Spiced Cranberry Coffee Cake

Spiced Cranberries

Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and the sugar to a boil.
2. Add the cranberries, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and grated orange zest, and boil until the skin burst, about 7 minutes.

Spices and Orange Zest

Popped Berries

3. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Serves 12

Cranberry Jello Salad

Cranberry Jello Salad

When I was growing up, every year for Thanksgiving my mother would make a Cranberry Jello Salad.  It was a recipe given to her by one of my aunts.   It had  lots of yummy ingredients in it - cranberries, apples, pineapple, celery and pecans.  My job was to use the food grinder and chop up the cranberries.  All the ingredients were mixed together and then added to Cherry Jello.  She poured the mixture into a mold and refrigerated it over night.
I continue the tradition of making this salad yearly for my family.  The kids enjoy helping me like I did with my mom.  I serve the salad by itself or sometimes topped with a dollop of creme fraiche.  Either way, it tastes great.  You have the tartness of the cranberries mixed with the sweetness of the apples and pineapple.  The nuts and celery give the salad a nice crunchy texture.  A delicious addition to any Thanksgiving Day feast.

Cranberry Jello Salad
Special Equipment: Two quart mold

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
1 1/2 cups diced apples
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped pecans
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple - do not drain
1 package (6-ounce) cherry Jello
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
Cooking Spray


Directions:
1. Lightly spray the mold with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. Stir together the cranberries, apples, celery, and pecans in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the crushed pineapple and stir until well mixed.

Cranberries, Apples, Celery, Pecans

3. Stir the cherry Jello and sugar together.  Add the hot water and stir until the Jello and sugar are dissolved.

4. Add the cranberry mixture to the Jello and stir well.

5. Pour the Jello mixture into the prepared mold.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm - 4-5 hours or overnight.

6. Place mold in a bowl of warm water (the top of the mold should not be submerged in the water) for a few seconds.  Invert the mold onto a platter. Lift the mold carefully.  Repeat placing the mold in warm water if necessary.  Serve
Makes 12 servings

Cranberry Jello Salad

French Rolls

Dinner rolls are a must for our Thanksgiving dinner.  This year, I am making a recipe for French Rolls that I found from  Our Best Bites  website.  I love the texture of the dough and the great flavor.  This is also a very easy dough to make and it tends to be forgiving.  I have made this recipe several times and the dough has always always made perfect rolls.

A wonderful bread to grace your Thanksgiving Day table or anytime. 

French Rolls
From Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4-5 1/2 c. flour
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg, separated
2 Tbsp. cold water
Instructions:
1. Combine yeast, water, and sugar in large mixing bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes or until bubbly.
 2. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk (set white aside for later) and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger. Knead, either by hand or in mixer (my personal and very lazy choice) for another 2-3 minutes. 3. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour 30 minutes.
Punch down dough. Spray muffin pans or a 13x9-inch baking sheet and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.  Shape into balls.   Use a scale if you have one to get equal-sized buns.
It’s okay if they touch (or will touch after having risen). Cover and allow to rise another 1 1/4 hours or until doubled. Keep an eye on things–if they seem like they’re getting so big that they might collapse, hurry and get them into the oven.
4. Preheat oven to 375. Mix egg white with water and brush over dough. Bake for 10 minutes and repeat brushing the dough with the egg wash.
Bake an additional 8-10 minutes or until bread is golden brown and your house smells like heaven.