Excellent Stuffing

There are as many variations on dressing/stuffing as there are cooks.  Here is my version, that I adapted from a Thanksgiving long ago on Maui.  The original recipe called for Hawaiian chili peppers, not readily available-so I use chili powder with great results.  This is a dressing with a little more zip and complexity of flavor than many, but takes advantage of store bought stuffing mix.  This can be doubled.

1  16 oz. bag of Pepperidge Farms Herb seasoned stuffing (not cornbread)

1 large chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 stick butter/margarine

2 1/2 cups low salt canned chicken broth

dash pepper

1/8 tsp. apple pie spice or cinnamon

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. chili powder to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (washed)

Melt butter/margarine in large sauce pan.  Add chopped onion and celery.  Cook on med-low heat till translucent.  Add pepper, apple pie spice and chili powder saute together till vegetables are evenly coated and begin to brown.  Add dry stuffing mix and stir.  Pour chicken broth over stuffing and stir.  Add chopped parsley, and stir.  Let sit to allow the stuffing to absorb the liquid.  May be served like this, but I transfer it to an oven-proof bowl and dot with extra butter/ margarine and bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to get a crusty top.  Serve with gravy.

Read Full Post »

Cranberry Sauce with Chambord

Here is a recipe for the best and most expensive cranberry sauce ever!  The raves will make it all worth while.

1  12 oz . package of fresh cranberries (picked through for bad ones)

1 cup sugar

1 cup Chambord or Chateau Monet raspberry liqueur

Heat liqueur and sugar in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.  Stir till sugar dissolves.  Add cranberries and bring to a boil stirring frequently.  You will begin to hear cranberries pop open, turn down heat to med-high to avoid boiling over.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Leaving the cranberries in the sauce pan, mash about 1/3 of the berries to release the juice, using a potato masher or large fork,   Stir and let sit to solidify.  Refridgerate and serve cold.

Read Full Post »

Coconut Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 1  1/2 cups white sugar
• 1  1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree ( NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2/3 cup water
• 1  1/4 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
2. Mix together sugars, oil, and eggs. Mix in pumpkin. Add flour, salt, soda, and spice, and then water. Stir together until just moistened. Stir in coconut and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Read Full Post »