CRANBERRY-APPLE SAUCE

This is a recipe for those jellied cranberry sauce lovers out there. It has only 4 ingredients, PLUS it couldn't be easier to make. My picky-picky husband loves 100% jellied cranberry sauce, but it is just a little too tart for me.

With the addition of a couple of medium sized Gala apples.....that "pucker-tart" cranberry taste is mellowed just enough...and picky-picky husband really likes it too!! 

Whether you make half a recipe or a double a recipe, this is quick and easy. Did you know you can freeze jellied cranberry sauce?  I just put the leftover sauce in the freezer. 

Simple Ingredients:
12 ounces (3 cups) fresh cranberries (frozen is OK)

2 medium size Gala apples (cored but NOT peeled)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup pineapple juice (or water in a pinch)

Wash and sort the berries, throwing away any light pink or mushy ones. If I'm using frozen cranberries, I don't even thaw them.

Core (but don't peel) 2 medium sized Gala apples. Chop fine in the food processor.

Put the cranberries, chopped apples, sugar and juice in a heavy pot and bring to a boil(cover the cooking cranberries with a splatter screen to reduce any potential mess). After it boils for a minute or so, turn the heat WAY DOWN to just a MILD SIMMER and cook for 20 minutes (stirring occasionally). 

After 20 minutes, remove from heat and PRESS the berries through a strainer, into a bowl (I just press on the berries with a big spoon). It takes a couple minutes, but just keep pressing until all you have left in the strainer, is skins and seeds (throw that part away). 

Stir, the strained cranberry sauce,then chill in the fridge (sauce will thicken as it cools). 

Cranberry sauce freezes well too!! We are "empty nesters", so I freeze small containers of leftover cranberry sauce and none of it goes to waste.

ENJOY !!! 

 

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November 12, 2021

I use my Crockpot a lot, in the summer, when it is too hot to cook indoors, and homemade soup works perfectly to provide that "light dinner" you are looking for.

This is a great classic recipe for split pea soup; it is  quick, easy, packed with flavor and one of our favorite soups.

1/2 pound smoked ham, cubed
1 cup onion chopped (I like Vidalia or sweet onions)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1 pound dried split peas (rinsed)
2 quarts chicken stock*
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped small
2 teaspoons salt (see important note below)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cream (or half and half)

In a large stock pot, saute onion, celery and carrots together in a tablespoon of vegetable oil for a few minutes (they don't have to be cooked all the way through...it just makes the veggies a little sweeter).

Add the split peas, chicken stock, potatoes, ham, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer slowly (covered) for about an hour or until the peas are very soft (stir occasionally).

Now you have to process the soup in a food processor or blender (stick blenders don't work very well for this for some reason), so work in small batches, processing the soup until very smooth and thick.

Return the soup to the stock pot and add the cream (or half and half). Stir well and slowly reheat , but don't boil.  

When you serve it, top it with some crisp fried bacon (optional). I like to decorate each bowl with a rolled up slice of bacon (looks like a "bacon rose")

A NOTE ABOUT THE SALT: Do not automatically add the 2 teaspoons of salt before you consider the following:  If you are using home made chicken stock that has not been salted, go ahead and use the 2 teaspoons of salt.

If you are using a soup base, like McCormicks soup base (a fantastic product), remember, it has salt in it (but not as much salt as bullion).

If you use this, I would use only 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt.  If you are using regular bullion, leave the salt out all together and taste the soup just before serving to check for salt content.

ENJOY !!!

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June 07, 2021