Leftover Cranberry Sauce Muffins

Call me crazy, but among all of the star dishes of thanksgiving, I honestly think my very favorite is homemade cranberry sauce. I'll never go back to the canned version again, there's no comparison! But I don't just love to eat homemade cranberry sauce, it's fun to make. My favorite part is listening to the POP POP POP of the cranberries, I'm not going to lie, it makes me giggle like a five year old. But then after it's been made, it chills into a thickened tart treat that goes well with just about every meat and side of the meal.

Unfortunately I'm one of the only ones in my family that feels that way, which consequently leaves me with about a gallon of the stuff left when the holiday is over (you'd think halving the recipe would have dawned on me by now, but it hasn't). So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw these beauties on Maria's blog at Two Peas and Their Pod. This is not the first time I've made something from her blog, and it certainly won't be the last. She consistently posts the most delicious dishes and gorgeous pictures.

These muffins were a real family pleaser, I've already made two batches and will most likely be going for a third! My first batch are what you see in the pictures. My second batch I got a bit lazy and just threw the cranberry sauce right in the batter. It turned the them a delightful shade of pink and infused cranberry flavor in the whole muffin. Both were just delicious. If you have extra cranberry sauce on your hands, I highly recommend these. Thanks Maria!


Leftover Cranberry Sauce Muffins
By Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh cranberry orange sauce (about 2 tablespoons per muffin)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease well. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Rub in sugar and orange zest together. Whisk into dry ingredients.

3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk canola oil, egg, milk, and vanilla together.

5. Incorporate the wet ingredients into flour mixture. Add slowly and gently stir together. The batter will be thick.

6. Place half the batter at the bottom of six muffin cups. Spoon about two tablespoons of fresh cranberry sauce on top of the muffin batter. Top muffins evenly with remaining muffin batter. Sprinkle each muffin generously with turbinado sugar.

7. Bake muffins for 15-17 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool on a cooling rack.

Makes 6 large muffins

White Chicken (or Turkey) Chili

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Ours was lovely. There really isn't anything like waking up, putting on the apron, some Christmas tunes, and cooking all day. I know that you can appreciate how fun that really is! And of course sitting down to eat it all is just the cherry on top.

As I'm sure you all do, we have a fridge chuck full of leftovers, and I can't stand to see a shred of it go to waste. Sometimes nothing is more satisfying then turning one delicious food into another, which is why I'm loving all of these great leftover ideas you guys are producing.

Our church put on a chili cook off for Halloween a month ago. My friend Calli had made a white chicken chili which I heard nothing but rave reviews about. Since I never got a chance to try it at the party, I asked her for the recipe, which I promptly made and DEVOURED. I like chili, but I LOVED this white chili, so creamy, so flavorful and I could not wait to eat the leftovers, which isn't typical for me. This would be a great way to use up that huge Tupperware full of turkey, trust me, your whole family is going to love this!



White Chicken or Turkey Chili
Adapted from Calli's fabulous recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes, cooked chopped turkey would work well too
1 med. onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 TBS vegetable oil
2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can 14 oz chicken broth
2 cans 4 oz chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup whipping cream, I used fat-free half and half
1 cup sour cream

Directions

In large saucepan, saute chicken, onion, and garlic salt in oil until chicken is no longer pink, if using cooked chicken or turkey, just add when onions are soft. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 30 min. Remove from heat, stir in cream and sour cream. Serve immediately!

Happy Thanksgiving

Turkey's in the oven, appetizers on the table, and I have a small break to sit, rest my back and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope we all have a day filled with great food, love, and giving thanks for all of our many blessings and fortunes. Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

Roasted Butternut Squash Penne with Bacon, Sage and Balsamic Vinegar

I'll be honest, when I found this recipe, all I could see in the title was BUTTERNUT SQUASH and BACON. Yeah, that's all it took, I'm not a difficult sell when it comes to those ingredients.

This is one of those dishes that just screams fall. With it's earthy sage, tangy and rich balsamic, and of course creamy butternut squash, you'll be savoring nothing but autumn goodness. I don't even need to mention the fact that it also has bacon in it too, do I?


Roasted Butternut Squash Penne with Bacon, Sage and Balsamic Vinegar
By Cuisine and Home

Ingredients

1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (might I suggest precut butternut squash at the store, it will save you loads of time, and perhaps a finger)
2 TB olive oil
2 TB balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
8 oz thick-sliced bacon, diced
8 oz dry penne
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 TB thinly sliced fresh sage
Balsamic vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 450

Toss squash with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast until tender and beginning to caramelize, about 15 minutes (stir squash halfway through roasting); set aside.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain pasta reserving 1/2-1cup pasta water; set aside.

Cook bacon in a saute pan over medium heat until crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; discard drippings. Add garlic to pan, cook 1 minute.

Add roasted squash, pasta, and bacon to garlic, tossing to combine and heat through. Add pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until it loosely coats pasta.

Off heat, toss pasta with Parmesan and sage. Garnish each serving with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Scallops with Lemon-Basil Sauce

How hard to you guys work to make something that the whole family likes? I usually do my best to find things that are delicious, as well as family friendly, but then I find recipes like this. Yes, I'm the only one in my family that likes scallops. Yes, they are expensive. Yes, I am going to make them anyway and let my family fend for themselves.

Before you judge, we were going to have leftovers anyway, so c'mon, let a girl treat herself.

This was actually my first time making scallops, but after this dish, it will definitely not be my last. The trick is to not overcook them, or undercook them. I read once that if they have a nice spring to them when you press on them, they're done. I loved the freshness and simplicity of these scallops, such a bright and cheerful dish! I served this over a bed of angel hair that I tossed in butter and Parmesan cheese. Pure soft and velvety heaven.


Scallops with Lemon-Basil Sauce
By Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals, by Cooking Light (of course!)

Ingredients

1 large lemon
1 1/2 lbs large sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, divided
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Finely grate lemon rind, reserving 1/4 teaspoon. Squeeze lemon, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Pat scallops dry with paper towels.

2. Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper. Melt 2 tsp butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallops; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove scallops from pan; keep warm.

3. Add wine and reserved lemon juice to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of pan. Combine water and cornstarch; add to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add reserved lemon rind, remaining 1 tsp butter, remaining 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper, and basil. Remove from heat. Serve over scallops.

Serves 4: 5 oz scallops and 1 tablespoon sauce

Per Serving: 185 cal, 4g fat, 28.9g prot, 7g carb, 0.7g fiber

Points Per Serving: 4

Corn Fritters with Roasted Tomatoes and Lime Aioli

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away?! It's so hard to believe how fast this month has been going. I am starting to look forward to my turkey and mashed potatoes!

I made this a few months ago as a summer dish, but I also think it would serve as a pretty great appetizer for you Thanksgiving spread. The corn fritters are savory with a hint of sweetness, and paired with the roasted tomatoes, prosciutto and aioli, it's a dynamite combo. And if you're not up for adding another dish to Thanksgiving, it can stand pretty well on it's own, we actually enjoyed these for dinner. Enjoy and happy Wednesday!


Corn Fritters with Roasted Tomatoes and Lime Aioli
By Cooking Light

Ingredients

4 ripe tomatoes, halved (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (3 ears)
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon cold water
4 cups loosely packed arugula
4 (1/4-ounce) slices prosciutto

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle tomatoes with 1 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 375° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and have lost a lot of their moisture.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add milk and egg; stir until smooth. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, corn, green onions, and salt.

4. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop batter by level tablespoonfuls into pan to make 6 fritters; cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges are golden. Carefully turn fritters over; cook 2 minutes or until golden. Repeat procedure with remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil and remaining batter.

5. Combine mayonnaise, juice, garlic, and water. Place 1 fritter on each of 4 plates. Top each with 1 tomato half and 1/2 cup arugula. Repeat layers with remaining fritters, tomato halves, and arugula, ending with fritters. Top each serving with 1 prosciutto slice; drizzle with 4 teaspoons aioli.

Grilled Pesto Salmon-Orzo Salad

Have you ever tried a recipe and expected NOT to like it? Yeah well, I have. It's not that I pick a recipe and think "that looks disgusting! I'm gonna make it!" Usually it starts out looking good, fun, or adventurous, but as it all comes together in the kitchen, it becomes pretty apparent that this wasn't the dish for us. That's kind of how I felt walking into this one. It has all the makings of a delicious dish, but once all of the ingredients were bought and my sleeves were rolled up, I just wasn't feeling that confident.

I love it when my instincts are wrong, at least in this scenario. Not only did I love it, my slightly picky husband and really picky kids loved it. A hearty, yet fresh and light salad that is full of flavor and texture. I really loved the roasted sweet bites of cherry tomatoes, with the salty salmon and orzo, creamy beans and bitter arugula. Such a great blend of flavors. If you're looking for a break from all of the comfort foods of fall, I highly recommend this one!


Grilled Pesto Salmon-Orzo Salad
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 6 oz skinless salmon fillets
1/4 cup commercial pesto, divided
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 (1/2 inch thick) sweet onion slices
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
cooking spray
1 cup uncooked orzo
1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups firmly packed arugula
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Brush fish evenly with 2 tablespoons pesto; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush 1 tablespoon pesto over onion slices. Toss tomatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon pesto, and place on a 12-inch square of heavy-duty foil. Fold edges of foil up around tomatoes to form a bowl, keeping tomatoes in a single layer. (Do not completely enclose).

2. Place salmon, onion slices, and foil bowl with tomatoes on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 14 minutes, or until salmon is desired degree of doneness, onion is tender, and tomatoes begin to burst, turning salmon and onion after 7 minutes.

3. Cook Orzo according to package directions. Drain. Combine orzo, beans, arugula, and lemon juice in a large bowl.

4. Using a fork, gently break salmon into large chunks, and chop onion slices. Combine Orzo Salad with Arugula and White Beans, salmon, onion, tomatoes, and accumulated tomato juice. Toss gently; sprinkle with pepper. Serves 6

P.S. The Oatmeal, one of my favorite websites I visit for a laugh just came out with THIS new sketch. It's called Why I Don't Cook at Home. Something you probably can't relate to, but I imagine you'll get a kick out of it just the same!

Celebrating my 300th post with the Best Turkey Burgers Ever

300th post?! It's hard to believe that I've been at it that long. It's been a lot of fun scrolling through the old blog from the last two years and seeing how my tastes, and (ahem) photo skills have changed. I still have a long way to go, and a lot of things to try, so here's to hoping for another 300 posts. In the meantime, thanks so much to all of you for making it so enjoyable and encouraging me to keep going. As Biz says, I consider you all my friends!

Kim, my fellow burger admirer, this is for you! Turkey burgers aren't always what I crave, let's face it, I like my red meat! But, don't make these because they are a lighter substitute, make them because they are so juicy and delicious that you won't, for a second, wish that you were eating a beefy hamburger. I topped mine with sauteed mushrooms and blue cheese, I suggest you do the same!


Favorite Turkey Burger
From Great Food Fast, by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds light ground turkey
1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
course salt and fresh ground pepper
4 hamburger buns

Directions

1. Heat grill (I used my Foreman grill) to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine the turkey with the Gruyere, scallions, breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Dividing the mixture evenly, gently form the mixture into four 1-inch thick patties.

2. Lightly oil the grill. Place the patties on the hottest part of the grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move the patties to the cooler part of the grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.

3. Split the hamburger buns and toast if desired. Top with preferred toppings and place burger on buns. Get ready to say MMMmmmmmm with every bite!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Sometimes cold and rainy days are great. You put on your comfies, a sit down to a nice movie or book and enjoy the warmth of your home. Buuuuut then you have days where the weather couldn't have picked a worse day to be cold and rainy. The kids are climbing the walls, trashing the house with every second and driving me absolutely insane. That's when recipes like this are huge life savers. I found this on Recipe Shoebox, a fabulous blog that you should go check out asap. As soon as I found it, I ordered the kids into the kitchen and got to baking. Muffins are so fun to make with kids, they're not complicated, but there are enough steps involved to keep them busy for a while.

The best part is not only are these a snap to make, they are INSANELY delicious. And this is coming from a person that doesn't usually go running to the muffin table. So soft and moist with the best flavor. Lemons and blueberries really were meant for each other. Two days and these bad boys were gone. I can't wait to make them again. Thanks Lara, you saved us on a rainy day!


Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
From the Recipe Shoebox.

Ingredients

2 cups flour (I used King Arthur's white whole wheat flour)
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. cold butter, cut into 6-pieces
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

TOPPING I never did the topping, just covered the top in raw sugar. I imagine the topping is wonderful though!

2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. melted butter
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs (you want to be able to see small pea-sized clumps of butter still). In a separate smaller bowl, lightly beat together egg, milk, lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla until blended. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until just blended (do NOT overmix). NOTE: Batter will be somewhat thick.

Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter evenly into well-greased muffin pan.

For topping, in a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon until well blended. Spread mixture evenly over tops of muffin batter.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400°. Muffins should be golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 12 standard size muffins. Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana

Whenever I go to Olive Garden for lunch, I'm always sure to get a bowl of this tasty stuff. Zuppa Toscana, with it's hearty kale and delicious sausage, you really can't go wrong. The only thing better then eating it at a restaurant, is eating it at home donning pajamas and warm fuzzy socks, whilst watching your favorite show. I also love making things like this myself because I can lighten it up without lightening flavor, like using turkey sausage, and fat free half and half. Mmmmm, delicious.

Zuppa Toscana
Adapted From Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
flakes
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
6 potato, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch fresh kale, tough stems
removed

Directions

1. Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and kale, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through.

Chipotle Pumpkin Soup

Usually I'm not super excited about eating leftovers. Even if I enjoy it for dinner, I'm ready to move on. So when I tell you that I've eaten this soup three other times after making it, you know that it's good!

My friend introduced me to this soup as a bit of an experiment shortly after doing our pumpkin food group. Always being one for an adventure, I dove right in. I don't know what it is about this soup, but it is so good that even thinking about it makes me want some now. The pumpkin is flavored so well, it's warm, filling and just so dang comforting. And the best part is that it's SO healthy. There's very little fat in it and pumpkin is chock full of fiber, potassium and all sorts of vitamins. My advice is to make Dinner in a Pumpkin and then use the pumpkin for this soup, killing two birds with one...pumpkin!


Pumpkin Chipotle Soup

Ingredients

1 t. cumin
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1 1/2 c. diced onion
2 t. minced, seeded serrano or jalapeno pepper (I used jalapeno)
5 c. chicken stock or canned, low sodium chicken broth
5 c. diced (1/2") fresh pumpkin such as Sugar Pie or Cinderella, or butternut squash
1/2 T. chipotle pepper puree (I actually didn't use this, yes I realize it's what gives the pumpkin soup it's name, but I liked it just as much without it)
1/4 c. chopped scallion
Salt
any type of cheese for garnish, I loved Parmesan
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine oil and butter in skillet, cook over medium heat until butter melts. Add onion and cook until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Add chili pepper (jalapenos) and ground cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute; set aside.

2. Bring stock to boil in large sauce pan or soup pot. Add onion mixture and pumpkin/squash, cover, and cook until pumpkin/squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes (since I already roasted the pumpkin I don't cook for very long). Stir in chipotle puree, scallion, and 2 t. salt. Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish each with heaping tablespoon of cheese and cilantro leaves.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

She's alive! Wow, admittedly that was a longer break then I intended. In all honestly I wasn't sure if I was going to make it back, but I missed you guys too much! And thank you for all of your sweet comments and emails. Each of them really made my day. I'm going to do my best to get caught up with all of you too, I have no doubt that I have missed out on a lot.

I recently joined a food group with some of the girls out here. Each month a special ingredient is picked, and we all try to contribute to a big meal with that ingredient. The theme for October was pumpkin, and while I usually think of baked goods when it comes to pumpkin, there was a surprising amount of savory dishes there. Who knew pumpkin could be so versatile!

Since I've been excited to try different kinds of ravioli, I thought it would be fun to make a pumpkin ravioli with a pungent blue cheese sauce. It turned out delicious with wonderfully contrasting flavors, but I'll be honest, they were a pill to make! Since the pumpkin is the thinnest filling I've ever used, it made the ravioli tough to seal, so a lot of them ruptured during boiling. Luckily I finally got the hang of it and ended up with a good batch. It was well worth the work, they turned out delicious.

If you'd like to check out the blog to our food group, click here. Enjoy!


Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

For Pasta:
1 cup semolina flour
1 cup white flour
2 eggs
1 tsp oil
1 tsp water

Combine flours and make a well. Beat eggs, oil and water, pour into center of well. Mix and knead until a stiff dough. Add more water if needed. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in fridge for at least 30 minutes (I do it over night to save time).

For filling:
1 1/2 pound pumpkin
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 F. To make the filling; quarter the pumpkin, removing the strings and seeds and place, flesh side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, or until tender. Peel and puree flesh. Add egg yolk, cheese, sage, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

To make ravioli, divide dough into eight pieces. Roll two pieces into 1/8 inch strips, or on the setting of 5 on your pasta roller. Lay out one strip of dough on cutting board, place 1 tsp filling on dough about an inch apart (you'll make about four to five raviolis per strip of dough). Brush water around the outside of the filling, lay second strip of dough on top and seal, forcing out any air bubbles. Using a knife, or pasta roller, cut out ravioli. Allow ravioli to dry for 10 minutes before boiling.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous amount of salt. Gently place ravioli in water, cook for 10 minutes. Drain.

For Sauce:
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used fat-free half and half)
4 oz Gorgonzola
1/8 cup chicken broth
1 garlic clove

Over a double boiler, place Gorgonzola, allow to melt partially. Whisk in cream and broth and garlic clove whole. Cook for 3-4 minutes, remove garlic clove. Toss over pasta and serve immediately. I added toasted pine nuts as well.