It is so easy to just make your own cranberry sauce. It is MUCH tastier than the canned stuff…which the only place I may use that is if making some type of sweet meatball appetizer. But if you like the canned then by all means use it…but this recipe comes together quickly! Also, if you have left overs you can spread it over some corn bread or toast.

This recipe is basically the recipe you find on the back of a fresh cranberry bag, but I’ve used some substitutions…for the water I add juice and also add a cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon for some warm flavor.

I LOVE my cranberry sauce chunky, so I just leave it as is once it is done. If you like a creamy texture with no chunks, then put it through a food mill, while warm, before adding to glass container.

You will need:

• 1 cup orange juice*
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1 bag fresh or frozen cranberries, well rinsed (12 oz package)
• 1 orange, zested

Steps:

1. Add orange juice, sugar and cinnamon stick to pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally*. Let boil for a few minutes then add cranberries and orange zest. Once it is back to a boil, allow the mixture to boil for about 7 minutes. Don’t be alarmed when the cranberries start popping, just stand back 🙂 .
2. Let sauce cool for 10 minutes in pot then transfer to a glass jar or container, cover and cool completely then put in refrigerator.

*Notes:

1. If you only want to use the juice from the 1 orange that you zested, instead of cutting into another one to make the one cup of liquid, then you can substitute the rest of what you need to make a cup with water.

2. You can throw all of the ingredients into the pot together, to make it even more simple, just make sure you stir it well before turning on heat then bring it to a boil and boil for 7-10 minutes.

Kali Orexi!

This is one of my favorite non-meat traditional Greek dishes to eat. My mother would always make it, especially during times when we would be on a non-meat fast for church. As you may know, in Greece they try to eat more fresh fish, legumes, vegetables and less red meats (the Mediterranean Diet), so this is a perfect dish for a healthy lifestyle. Serve it with a little bit of feta cheese and some homemade (or store-bought) crusty bread and dig in. Your body will love you for it!

You will need:

• 1 pound dried large lima beans
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 28 ounces of tomatoes (diced, crushed, or sauce canned or freshly grated)
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 cups water, veggie or chicken broth (broth gives it even more flavor)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

1. Soak your dried lima beans per package directions for at 6-8 hours (or use quick soak method). Rinse and drain.
2. Boil drained lima beans, uncovered, in water for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, give it a quick stir and let sit for a couple of minutes before draining.
3. Before draining beans, remove the bean skins that have surfaced to the top and discard, then place drained beans into a 9 by 13 inch pan (or equivalent) and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and mix.
4. In the meantime, heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in sauté pan on medium-low and throw in chopped onions, celery and carrots, and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes.
5. Add in sliced garlic and cook for one minute then add in tomatoes, parsley and oregano. Stir until combined.
6. Add 2 cups of the water or broth and salt and pepper, to taste. I use 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper for my liking. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer then turn off heat.
7. Gently pour the liquid mixture over the beans and stir gently to incorporate everything.
8. Cover with a piece of foil and place on a baking sheet then bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. After an hour, remove foil and give it a gentle stir and cook for another 30 minutes, or until beans are done to the texture you like. If at anytime it looks like it needs more liquid (after you remove the foil), add up to another cup but warm it up before adding to pan, and give it a gentle stir.
10. When done, remove from oven and let sit 30 minutes before enjoying with some feta cheese and crusty bread! It will be juicy so use the bread to slop up the juice on your plate 🙂 .

Kali Orexi!

I love the flavor of these little cookies with frosting. They have that perfect balance that isn’t too sweet. I first had something similar to these at a local backery in KC called McLain’s. They call them “cupcookies”…I’m assuming because they are cookies with a swirl of cupcake frosting on them…what a cute name for them. I recently have been craving them so thought I’d give a try in recreating the recipe.

I use almond flour in mine, I think it just gives them a nuttier flavor. By all means, if you have extra pecans you can pulse them into a fine meal (don’t over blend) and add that into the mixture instead of the almond flour.

These are cute to serve for any occasion. If you don’t want to use frosting you can dust them with some powdered sugar and some chopped pecans instead. It’s the perfect little bite, either way!

This recipe makes about 24 cookies, using a tablespoon sized ice cream scoop. Double the batch if you want to have plenty left over.

You will need:

For cookies:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour/meal
• 3/4 cups pecans, finely chopped/processed

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
3. Mix in flour, almond flour and chopped pecans.
4. Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into balls, and using your finger, the back of a spoon or ice cream scoop, make a well in the middle.
5. Bake 14-16 minutes.

For frosting:

• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder (depending on how chocolatey you want it)
• pinch of salt
• 1 cups powdered sugar
• 1 & 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (I usually mix half Mexican vanilla with half regular, it gives it a great and distinct flavor)
• A few coarsely chopped pecans, for topping (optional)

Steps:

1. Add cocoa powder and pinch of salt to melted butter and stir to combine, then, alternatively, add 1/3 of powdered sugar, stir, then 1/3 of milk and stir until all used. Add vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy. Add more milk or powdered sugar to get it to the consistency you desire.
2. Using a #21 open star tip, pipe little swirls on cookie and sprinkle a few chopped pecans on top, if desired.

Kali Orexi!