2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
½ teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1 tablespoon orange juice
Dash cayenne pepper
1 pound fresh or frozen sea scallops, cooked and chilled (see Tip)
8 ounces fresh or frozen peeled and de-veined shrimp, cooked and chilled (see Tip)
6 cups fresh spinach leaves or torn mixed salad greens
2 large mangoes or small papayas, seeded, peeled, and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons cashew halves or sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
Preparation
Stir together sour cream, ginger, vinegar, orange peel, orange juice, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Halve any large scallops. Combine scallops, shrimp, spinach, and mango in a large salad bowl. Drizzle dressing over scallop mixture; toss gently to coat.
To serve, divide the scallop mixture among six dinner plates. If desired, sprinkle with cashews.
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Toss the yams with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and arrange evenly onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until the yams are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion and garlic until the onion has caramelized to a golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in the kale, cooking until wilted and tender. Transfer the kale mixture to a bowl, and cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
Once all the ingredients have cooled, combine the yams, kale, red wine vinegar, and fresh thyme in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and gently stir to combine.
In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.
Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.
2 (15 ounce) cans Mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry
Directions
Stir together orange juice, eggs, and sugar in a small saucepan. Place over low heat, and stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture is very thick. Once thick, strain mixture into a large bowl, and stir in butter cubes until melted. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
Fold whipped cream into cold egg mixture until smooth. Recover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
To assemble, place half of the cubed angel food cake into the bottom of a trifle bowl. Spoon on half of the whipped cream mixture, and sprinkle with half of the Mandarin oranges. Create a second layer with the remaining angel food cake, whipped cream mixture, and Mandarin oranges. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Whisk eggs, 2 cups milk, green onions, onion powder, and salt together in a large bowl until well mixed.
Layer half the Canadian bacon in the prepared baking dish. Spread English muffins over meat and top with remaining Canadian bacon. Pour egg mixture over casserole. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Sprinkle casserole with paprika; cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in preheated oven until eggs are nearly set, about 30 minutes; remove foil. Continue baking until eggs are completely set, about 15 more minutes.
Whisk hollandaise sauce mix with 1 cup milk in a saucepan. Add margarine and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer, and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Drizzle sauce over casserole to serve.
Combine lobster tails, champagne, green onions, and salt in a skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the skillet, and simmer until lobster is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer lobster to a plate.
Stir cream in champagne sauce in skillet. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1/3 cup, 5 to 10 minutes.
Whisk butter into champagne sauce, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce is smooth. Cover the skillet and remove from heat.
Remove lobsters tails from shells and slice into medallions. Spoon champagne sauce over lobster medallions.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread the almonds onto a baking sheet, and toast until the nuts start to turn golden brown and become fragrant, about 10 minutes. Watch the nuts carefully as they bake: they burn quickly.
Stir together the sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper in a mixing bowl; set aside.
Stir together the water, honey, and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to bubble, stir in the toasted almonds until evenly moistened. Pour the almonds into the sugar and spice mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread onto baking sheets in a single layer, and cool to room temperature.
Scoop the ice cream into a pan over low heat. Stir in the eggnog and coffee; and heat until warm, about 3 minutes. Pour into four glass or ceramic mugs. Top each with 1 tablespoon whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately.
3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut chips or flakes, toasted if desired
Preparation
To prepare custard: Whisk ½ cup milk with cornstarch in a medium bowl; set near the stove. Whisk 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon coconut extract and ¼ teaspoon salt in another medium bowl. Combine the remaining 2½ cups milk, coconut milk and ⅔ cup sugar in a large saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming but not bubbling. Whisk the hot milk into the cornstarch mixture, then return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Strain through a sieve into a bowl or storage container. Cover and refrigerate until cold, 4 hours or up to 2 days.
To prepare cranberry filling: Combine cranberries, cranberry juice, 1 cup sugar and honey (or agave) in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until most of the cranberries burst open, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Or transfer to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
To prepare sponge cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large (12-by-16½-inch) rimmed baking sheet (half sheet pan) with parchment paper. Trim the paper so it covers the bottom of the pan completely, but does not curl up the sides. Coat the paper and pan sides with cooking spray. Place 5 eggs (in the shell) in a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl, add very warm tap water and set aside to warm the eggs and bowl.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally, until the white flecks of milk solids in the bottom of the pan start to turn golden brown, 4 to 8 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in 2 teaspoons coconut extract. Set aside.
Meanwhile, whisk whole-wheat pastry flour and cake flour in a medium bowl; set aside.
Drain the water and break the eggs into the warmed mixing bowl. Add ⅔ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon salt and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until tripled in volume and very pale light yellow, 5 to 15 minutes (depending on the strength of your mixer). To test if it’s beaten well enough, lift the beater from the batter: as the batter falls off the beater into the bowl, it should mound for a moment on the surface.
Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture with a whisk, in two additions, until just incorporated. Gently fold about 1 cup of the batter into the reserved butter. Then gently fold the butter mixture into the bowl of batter with a whisk until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cake until puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool in the pan on a large wire rack for 10 minutes. Gently run a knife around the edges and turn the cake out onto the rack; remove the parchment and let cool completely.
To assemble trifle: Cut the cake into 1-inch cubes. Spread about 1 cup of the custard in the bottom of a trifle dish. Top with about 3 cups cake cubes and 1 cup of the cranberry filling. Repeat the layering 3 more times.
To prepare topping: Just before serving, whisk or beat cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Whisk in yogurt, confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon coconut extract until smooth. Spread over the top of the trifle. Garnish with coconut.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-qt. baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine broth, wild rice, and brown rice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender, 40 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, nutmeg, and pepper, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add parsley, walnuts, figs, and sage.
Drain the rice, reserving the cooking liquid, and transfer to the bowl. Measure 1 cup of the cooking liquid (add additional broth or water to reach 1 cup, if needed) and stir into the rice mixture.
Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes more.
¼ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing, plus 3 tablespoons, divided
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
1 to 2 teaspoons flavored mustard, such as Dijon-style mustard or horseradish mustard
¼ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons mango chutney
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ cup cooked crabmeat (about 2- ¾ ounces)
Preparation
Halve the hard-boiled eggs lengthwise and remove yolks. Set whites aside. In a quart-size, self-sealing plastic bag place egg yolks, ¼ cup mayonnaise (or salad dressing), green onion, mustard, ⅛ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne. Seal bag. Gently squeeze the bag to combine ingredients. Snip one corner of the bag and pipe mixture into egg white halves.
Cut up any large pieces of chutney. In a bowl, combine chutney, the remaining 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (or salad dressing), curry powder, the remaining ⅛ teaspoon each salt and cayenne. Gently fold in crabmeat. Top each deviled egg with a spoonful of the crab mixture. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
1 (2½ to 3 pound) spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
⅔ cup unsalted shelled pistachios
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
½ teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
Place squash cut-side down in a microwave-safe dish; add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave, uncovered, on High until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler to high.
Pulse pistachios in a mini food processor until coarsely chopped. Add brown sugar, butter, sage and ¼ teaspoon salt and pulse until the mixture starts to clump.
Cut each squash half into 4 pieces and place on a baking sheet. Brush the squash with oil, sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and top with the pistachio mixture. Broil, turning the pan from back to front halfway through, until the topping is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch wedges
6 large carrots, cut into thirds and thick pieces halved lengthwise
1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon coarsely snipped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon coarsely snipped fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary, cut into 1-inch pieces
Preparation
Rinse chicken body cavity; pat dry with paper towels. Let chicken stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
Place one oven rack in center of oven. Place a second oven rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a roasting pan with foil and place a rack in prepared pan. Remove zest and squeeze juice from one of the lemons; set juice aside. In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, 1 Tablespoon snipped thyme, butter, 2 teaspoons snipped rosemary, and garlic. Slip your fingers under breast and leg skin to create pockets. Rub herb mixture over meat in pockets and inside body cavity. Sprinkle chicken and cavity with kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Truss chicken (see Tips). Insert a thermometer into center of one of the inside thigh muscles.
Place chicken, breast side up, on rack in prepared pan and place pan on middle oven rack. Roast 55 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a 15×10-inch baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, carrots, red onion, olive oil, 1 Tablespoon coarsely snipped thyme, 1 teaspoon coarsely snipped rosemary, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread vegetables in prepared pan. Top with thyme and rosemary sprigs.
After the chicken has roasted 55 minutes, place vegetables on bottom oven rack. Roast 25 to 35 minutes or until chicken is done (at least 175°F in thigh). Remove from oven. Roast vegetables 10 to 15 minutes more or until tender and golden.
Cover chicken with foil and let stand 15 minutes. If desired, remove zest from remaining lemon. To serve, remove and discard skin from chicken. Carve chicken and drizzle with reserved lemon juice and pan juices. Serve with vegetables and top with lemon zest and additional fresh thyme and rosemary.
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced ( ½ inch
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup mini marshmallows
½ cup toasted chopped pecans
Preparation
Place sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir to coat. Cook on High for 3 hours.
Transfer to a serving dish. Top with marshmallows and pecans. (The heat from the sweet potatoes will partially melt the marshmallows.)
In a large bowl, combine eggs, pork, rice, dried cranberries, salt and pepper. Shape mixture into 64 meatballs (each about 1½ inches in diameter). If mixture is sticky, use wet hands to shape the meatballs.
In an extra-large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Cook meatballs, half at a time, in hot oil for about 5 minutes or just until browned and slightly firm (meatballs will not be cooked through), turning once halfway through cooking. If necessary, add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to skillet during cooking. Immediately transfer meatballs to a 3- ½- to 4-quart slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cranberry sauce, ketchup, orange juice and lime juice until combined. Pour cranberry sauce mixture over meatballs in slow cooker (do not stir). Cover; cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours or on High for 1½ to 2 hours.
¼ cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup fat-free milk
⅔ cup fresh cranberries, chopped
⅓ cup chopped almonds, toasted
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and ½ inch up the sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together almond paste, egg, and oil until smooth. Stir in milk. Add milk mixture all at once to flour mixture; stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in cranberries and almonds. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
Place egg whites in a mixing bowl. Add cream of tartar and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Continue beating, while slowly adding sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until the whites are stiff and glossy. Add vanilla and beat for 30 seconds more.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Fill a 1-quart sealable plastic bag (or a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip) with the meringue. Seal the bag almost completely, leaving a small opening for air to escape from the top as you squeeze. Snip off one corner of the bag with scissors, making a ¾-inch-wide opening. Fold the top of the bag over a few times, then gently push the meringue down to the snipped corner. Working with the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet, pipe the meringue into 1½-inch-diameter cookies. Pipe half as much on top to resemble a snowman. Bake the cookies, switching pans from top to bottom and back to front half way through, until dry and crisp throughout, 1½ to 2½ hours. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the cookies cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Place the chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and continue microwaving in 20 second intervals until melted and smooth. Place the melted chocolate into a sealable plastic bag. Push the chocolate down to one corner and snip off the tip of that corner to create a piping bag. Pipe dots for eyes and buttons and twig-like arms along the sides. Allow chocolate to harden before serving.
Remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms. Set the caps aside and chop the stems.
Lightly brush the portobello caps with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the chopped portobello stems, apple, bell pepper, shallots, poultry seasoning and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in walnuts and parsley. Fill each mushroom cap with about 1 cup filling.
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces
Preparation
Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion; cook about 10 minutes or until the onion is very tender and golden brown. Stir in vinegar. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until liquid is evaporated. Stir in roasted red peppers, olives, basil, salt and ground pepper. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.
Meanwhile, cook green beans in a small amount of boiling water in a covered large saucepan, about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Stir the onion mixture into green beans.
12 cups light whole-wheat bread cut into 1-inch pieces and dried (see Tip)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 cup coarsely shredded carrots (2 medium)
1 (14.5 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed or 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in sage, ground pepper and, if desired, crushed red pepper.
Combine bread cubes, water chestnuts and carrots in a very large bowl. Add mushroom mixture; toss to combine. Add broth and egg, tossing lightly to combine. Spoon into a 3-quart casserole.
Bake, covered with foil, 50 to 55 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 160°F.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Score ham in a diamond pattern by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals. Place ham, cut side down, on a flat rack in a roasting pan. Pour the water into the bottom of the roasting pan around ham. Tent ham with foil. Roast for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, for glaze, combine marmalade, brown sugar, mustard, horseradish, and chopped or dried rosemary in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until marmalade melts. Set aside.
After ham has roasted for 1 hour, brush ham with the glaze. Roast, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes more or until a thermometer inserted into center of ham registers 140°F, brushing ham with glaze every 15 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving. If desired, garnish serving platter with rosemary sprigs and orange wedges.
For vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, yogurt, preserves, oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.
In an extra-large serving bowl, combine spinach, romaine, apple, cheese, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette; toss to coat. Pass the remaining vinaigrette.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
Combine melted butter, brown sugar, brown rice syrup (or corn syrup), cranberries, pecans and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Divide among the muffin cups, spreading about 1 tablespoon in the bottom of each.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and the remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Add cold butter and, using two knives (or your fingertips), cut (or crumble) the butter until it’s the size of small peas. Drizzle with buttermilk and oil; stir just until combined. Spoon the batter on top of the cranberry mixture, using about 2 tablespoons for each.
Bake rolls until lightly brown around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of each to loosen. Place a large serving tray over the pan and invert the rolls onto it. Spoon any topping left in the pan onto the rolls. Serve warm.
