Cranberry Compote

This is so easy and tastes so good. Best to make a day in advance so it gets very cold and jellied. If you want a a clear cranberry jelly, directions are below as well.

1 bag (12 oz) whole cranberries, rinsed and sorted (pick firm, ripe ones)
3/4 cup sugar (more or less, per taste)
1 cup water
pinch of salt

After washing and sorting the cranberries, set them aside.

Place water and sugar into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until about half the cranberries are popped and it feels mushy and it coats the back of a spoon. Stir a few times so they don't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

Taste for sweetness. If you don't want them too tart, you can add more sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and cool on the stove. Once cool to the touch, pour into a glass bowl or a glass jar, cover and refrigerate. It will solidify as it cools. Eat hot or cold. Makes about 2 cups of cranberry sauce.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Follow the directions above except increase sugar  to 1 cup. Once cooked, strain through a small mesh sieve into a glass dish, pressing with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is squeezed out and all that is left are seeds and pulp.

Transfer jellied cranberries to a small jar in the refrigerator until completely cooled. Turn out on a plate (may take a little warm water to loosen the sides). You can also put it directly into a glass dish and refrigerate. Serve with a spoon. Makes about 1 cup of jellied sauce.

NOTE: if you want, you can add some orange zest to the pan when you cook it or replace some of the water with freshly squeezed orange juice. You can also add pecans (chopped), cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice to the mix. Be sure to start with only a small amount of spice since you can always add more. You want it to taste like cranberries, not spices.

Watermelon, cucumber, feta and mint salad

4 cups seedless watermelon, cut into small chunks
2-3 cups seedless cucumber, cut into small chunks or slices
1/4 - 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2-4 cups arugula (I used about 6 cups)
1/2 cup fresh mint, thinly sliced (add more if you love mint)
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (toasted or raw)

Dressing
3 Tbsp lime juice (about 1-2 limes)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil (use less if you want fewer calories)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Chill watermelon until very cold. When ready to serve, place all ingredients except the mint, feta and walnuts into a large serving bowl.

Toss salad with about half the dressing to start. You just want to lightly coat the ingredients with the dressing. Top with the mint, feta and walnuts and toss slightly, but keeping them mostly on the top. Serve with leftover dressing or save the dressing for another day.

This salad can become very watery, so don't assemble this until right before you want to sit down to eat it. You can also leave out the arugula or substitute spinach for the arugula.

Another variation is to add some chilled quinoa and some grilled chicken strips to make this a main-dish salad.

Tastes very refreshing and summery. The mint really sends this dish over the top, so don't skip it!

(Nathaniel didn't really care for this, but the rest of us thought it was refreshing and delicious!).

Caramel Apple Dip

A favorite and better than the stuff you buy in the stores. Just don't eat too much or it will defeat the purpose of eating a healthy apple!

1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Soften cream cheese in the microwave. Add brown sugar and vanilla and stir until fluffy. Drizzle caramel topping over the top and stir gently just to incorporate. Serve with sliced apples.

Autumn Apple Cinnamon Waffles

3 eggs
5 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
2 tsp. pure vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 3/4 cups finely peeled and chopped apple (about 2 small Jonathan)

Heat waffle iron.

Beat eggs with a small electric mixer until fluffy. Add coconut oil, vanilla, spices, sugar, salt, sugar, baking powder and continue to beat on high for about a minute. Add milk and beat another minute. Add flour, one cup at a time, using the mixer to beat until well incorporated. Fold in chopped apples.

Place batter in hot waffle iron and cook until crispy.

Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.

Makes 4-5 Belgium waffles.

**Variation: Add chopped walnuts or pecans to batter when you add the chopped apple.

Homespun Fresh Raspberry Tart

Pastry Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter (not unsalted), cut into 6 pieces
3 Tbsp. milk

Filling:
10-12 oz. fresh raspberries
5 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. AP flour
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Using a food processor to make the pastry dough, place flour, sugar in the food processor and process for 10 seconds to blend. Turn off the food processor and add butter, spreading around evenly on top of the flour-sugar mixture. Process until it has a coarse texture, but not creamed (about 15 seconds). Add the milk evenly and process for about 30 seconds or until a soft ball forms. Do not over-process dough.

Gather up dough and make a ball and then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour to allow the gluten in the flour to relax.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Once chilled, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit on a pan (I used my round pizza stone). Flatten dough into a 11-12 inch circle, taking care to turn it so it doesn't stick, but not too much flour to dry out the dough. I rolled mine on the parchment paper to make it easier to roll out. Dough will be fragile and may crack, but repair cracks and continue to roll dough evenly. Once it is done, set aside while making the filling.

In a small bowl, add raspberries and flour and stir to evenly distribute. Add sugar (use more or less depending upon the sweetness of the berries). and lemon zest and give a gentle stir.

Pile the raspberries in the middle of the dough, leaving 1 1/2 inch around the edge of the circle. Turn the dough over the top of the raspberry filling, leaving an opening of raspberry mixture. Evenly pour the butter over the dough and raspberry filling.

Bake for 20-35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and raspberries begin to bubble.

Remove tart from pan and cool taking care not to break the tart! Transferring the tart via the parchment paper is the easiest way to do this. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Serve with fresh-whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Makes enough to feed 4-6 people.

**Try with other berries...blueberries, blackberries, black raspberries, etc. There are endless possibilities to use other fruit, but flour and sugar measurements will need to be adjusted depending upon how much liquid each fruit produces and how sweet the fruit is

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4th of July Fruit Salad

Cut up a variety of fruit and mix together. It's that simple! 

I used:
1 pineapple
1 granny smith apple
1 cantaloupe
1/4 watermelon
1 pt. blueberries
1 qt. strawberries
1 large seedless orange
1 large bunch of green grapes, halved the large ones
2 nectarines
2 purple plums
2 cups bing (sweet) cherries
2 peaches
2 kiwis

Add apricots, mango, raspberries, red grapes, honey-dew melon, etc.

I avoid bananas unless I add them only to the portion we eat that evening or it gets brown and mushy. I usually just leave it out.

 Make sure the fruit is ripe and cut up fruit. It will become juicy after a day, so you might want to eat this within 3 days of making it. Tastes great for breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack! Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers!

Red, Blue and Fruit Parfait

I made this up for Memorial Day. Light and easy, it is an excellent dessert or fruit salad to go with your favorite picnic meal.

12 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c. dark brown sugar (loosely packed)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup low-fat French vanilla yogurt (Trader Joe's brand)
Fresh blueberries
Fresh raspberries
Fresh strawberries, sliced

Cream together the cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in yogurt and mix well. Taste to adjust flavors (if you want it sweeter add more brown sugar). Chill in refrigerator.

Wash and dry the fresh fruit. I used 1 pt. blueberries, 1/2 qt. strawberries and a half pint of raspberries for 4 parfaits.

Using a parfait glass, place a small amount of cream-cheese mixture in the bottom, layer blueberries, then more cream cheese mixture and then sliced strawberries. Top layer should end with raspberries and a small blob of cream-cheese mixture. Chill until ready to serve or eat immediately. Tastes light and fruity for a summer treat.

Optional: Sprinkle with nuts or granola just before serving for an added crunch.

Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish

One of our Thanksgiving favorites! I start by freezing my cranberries and then when I mix it up, it is already icy cold and you can taste the true flavors blended together. After making this, you will never eat canned cranberries again!

12 oz. pkg. of fresh but frozen whole cranberries, rinsed and drained
1 small unpeeled seedless orange (or half of a larger one), cut into 16ths
5/8 to 1 cup granulated sugar

Place 6 oz. (half bag) of cranberries and half the orange chunks into a food processor. Pulse to evenly chop the cranberries and oranges. Remove to a bowl, then repeat with remaining cranberries and oranges.

Mix the sugar 1/4 cup at a time. If you like it tart, start with 1/2 cup and slowly add the last 1/4 cup until you have the right level of sweetness to your taste.

Place in freezer container and freeze until Thanksgiving morning. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator until it is still cold and icy. Save leftovers in freezer for Christmas.

Makes about 3 cups.

Blueberry Crisp

3 cups of fresh blueberries, washed and drained
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 c. butter, slightly softened
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. oatmeal (uncooked) - I used Old Fashioned kind
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put the blueberries in an un-greased 8x8 inch glass dish. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the blueberries. Mix the remainder of the ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the blueberries.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. It will melt and taste like blueberries and cream! Not too sweet -- just right!

Blueberry Bread

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. + 1 tsp. sour milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. blueberries

2 tsp. cinnamon/sugar mix

Preheat oven to 375. Grease bottom and sides of one loaf pan and line bottom with wax or parchment paper. Sift dry ingredients and set aside. 

Cream butter, sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beat well. Blend in vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour milk. Blending thoroughly in between. Begin and end with dry ingredients.

Fold in blueberries, place in pan and bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar and bake an additional 35 minutes or until done.

Cool slightly and then remove from pan and cool on a rack. Remove parchment paper and allow to sit for a while so it is firm when you cut it. Store in the refrigerator or eat quickly! :)

Strawberry Shortcake with Ice Cream

1-2 Qt. Fresh Strawberries
1/2 c. sugar

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar**
Freshly grated nutmeg (2-3 grates)
1/4 c. butter (soft, but not melted)
Milk (about 3/4 c.)

1/4 c. butter (melted)
2 tsp. Vanilla Sugar (optional)

Wash, remove stems, and slice strawberries. Add sugar (more or less depending upon the sweetness of the strawberries). Set aside in an oven-proof bowl.

Butter 9 inch round cake pan. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and nutmeg. Use a pastry blender and blend the butter into the dry ingredients until fine pebbles develop and flour turns a beautiful yellow tone. Stir in milk -- a little at a time -- until the dough holds together, but is still soft. You may use a little less milk.

Turn dough onto a floured board and divide into two parts. Pat or roll the first half into a 9 inch round to fit the bottom of the cake pan. Spread it with 2 Tbsp. of the melted butter. Roll or pat the other half to fit the 9 inch pan and place on top. Sprinkle with the vanilla sugar. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the shortcake from the pan by flipping onto a plate. Cut the shortcake into 6 pieces and place on a dessert plate with the sugar turned on top. Open shortcake and spread a little more melted butter on each side of the shortcake.

Warm the strawberries slightly by placing them in the oven after you take the shortcake out -- turn off oven and allow to stay in the oven while you cut the shortcake and place on individual plates. Fill the shortcake with lots of strawberries and a little juice. Serve with whipped cream, heavy cream or homemade vanilla ice cream.

You can also serve the shortcake in the pan by removing the top layer of the shortcake -- fill with the strawberries and then slice it, but I think it's easier to remove from the pan to serve it the way I describe above. 

**For a richer shortcake -- increase sugar to 1/3 cup and butter to 1/3 cup. Add a well-beaten egg before stirring in the milk (decrease milk to 1/3 cup).

You can use other sliced and sugared fresh fruit (like peaches) for a filling variety.

This recipe was inspired by the Fannie Farmer Cookbook!

Streusel-topped Lemon Raspberry Muffins

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz lemon yogurt (if you use 6 oz -- be sure to add 1/4 c. more or they will be dry)
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. lemon peel, grated
2 eggs
1 c. fresh raspberries (or frozen)
Streusel Topping:
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
2 Tbsp. soft butter

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 2 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well. Set aside. In another bowl, combine yogurt, oil, lemon peel, and eggs and mix very well. Stir the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix just until moistened and well blended. Gently stir in raspberries.

Grease or use paper liners. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Combine the streusel topping and sprinkle topping among all muffin cups.

Bake 18-20 minutes in the middle of the oven being careful not to over-bake. Cool slightly before eating. Makes 15 muffins.