Preparing food and enjoying the taste should be fun and satisfying without a bunch of fuss.
Make meal plans simple but delicious during the busy weeks before Christmas and incorporate fruit and fresh vegetables into menus.
Snappy Chicken
This meat dish with a flavourful cranberry sauce is easy and delicious. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
- 1 c. sliced onion 250 mL
- 6 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 c. whole cranberry sauce 250 mL
- 1 tbsp. beef bouillon powder 15 mL
- 1 tsp. cider vinegar 5 mL
- 1 tsp. prepared mustard 5 mL
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt 7 mL
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Place onion in slow cooker and arrange chicken over top. Combine cranberry sauce, bouillon powder, vinegar, mustard and salt in bowl. Spoon over chicken, covering each piece.
Cover and cook on low for six to eight hours or on high for about four hours.
This dish can be baked in the oven at 325 F (160 C) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, covered. Source: www.companyscoming.com.
Broccoli Cranberry Salad
Don’t forget the greens. This salad often appears on the holiday table.
Dressing:
- 1 c. mayonnaise 250 mL
- 1/4 c. sugar 60 mL
- 2 tbsp. vinegar 30 mL
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 mL
Salad:
- 5 c. broccoli, washed, dried and cut 1.25 mL
- 1/2 c. sliced red onion 125 mL
- 1/2 c. dried cranberries 125 mL
- 1 c. cooked and finely chopped pork or turkey bacon 250 mL
- 1 c. sunflower seeds 250 mL
In a large mixing bowl, combine salad ingredients, except for the bacon and seeds. In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Combine well, seal and refrigerate for at least two hours. Add bacon and seeds and mix just before serving.
Raspberry vinaigrette
Try this over greens. My aunt, Alma Copeland, says this is one of her favourites.
- 1/2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries 125 mL
- 1/2 c. vinegar 125 mL
- 1/2 c. canola oil 125 mL
- 1/2 c. honey 125 mL
- 1/4 tsp. cumin 1 mL
Blend in a blender or food processor until smooth. Source: Adapted from a recipe developed by chef Gerard Dakeniewich, Favourites From the Class of ’61.
Why the Bundt?
I was recently asked why I love to bake bundt cakes. By using a bundt pan, any flat cake can be transformed into a circular and elegant piece of art that is easy to decorate with a glaze or dusting of confectioner’s sugar. I also find it easier to serve than digging a flat cake out of a nine x 13 pan.
Chocolate Cherry Bundt
Cherry mixed in the batter makes for a great presentation. I used cherry pie filling with some prairie grown sour cherries and a little extra sugar.
- 2 c. flour 500 mL
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 7 mL
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 3/4 c. cocoa 175 mL
- 1 1/4 c. sugar 300 mL
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted 125 mL
- 1 c. buttermilk 250
- 2 tsp. vanilla 10 mL
- 2 (540 mL) cans cherry pie filling
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa and sugar. Mix well with whisk. Then add eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla extract and cherry pie filling. Mix with a spoon until moist and well combined. Pour batter into a prepared bundt pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a large toothpick comes out clean. Cool and remove from the pan. Serve with a dollop of cherry filling and whipped cream if desired. Source: www.thesouthernladycooks.com.<
If you are short of time, use a cake mix and use the following recipe:
- 1 pkg. chocolate cake mix (regular size)
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp. vanilla 5 mL
- 2 cans (540 mL) cherry pie filling
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and almond extract until well blended. Stir in pie filling until blended. Pour into a prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 50 to 60 minutes as above.
Cranberry Apple Pumpkin Bundt
This fruit filled cake has just the right spice.
- 1 1/2 c. peeled and diced apples 375 mL
- 2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted 30 mL
- 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries 125 mL
- 1/2 c. packed brown sugar 125 mL
- 3 tbsp. flour 45 mL
- 3/4 c. finely chopped pecans 175 mL
- 2 c. granulated sugar 500 mL
- 1 c. butter or margarine, softened 250 mL
- 4 eggs
- 2 c. canned pure pumpkin 500 mL
- 1 tbsp. vanilla 15 mL
- 3 c. flour 750 mL
- 2 tsp. baking powder 10 mL
- 1 tsp. cinnamon 5 mL
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 2 mL
- 1/4 tsp. cloves 1 mL
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger 0.5 mL
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda 2 mL
Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C).< Mix the chopped apples into the first measure of butter to coat in a medium bowl, then add cranberries, brown sugar, flour (the first measure) and pecans. Toss until well blended. Set aside. Beat granulated sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla, beat just until blended. Combine the second measure of flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and soda. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Spoon half of batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Spoon apple mixture over batter, leaving a half inch border around outer edge. Spoon remaining batter over apple mixture.
Bake for about 70 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in the centre of cake comes out clean. Cool and decorate with a glaze, icing sugar or nothing. Note: I have baked the cake with the batter and apples divided and I have stirred the apple mixture into the batter. Both give good results.Maple Glaze
- 1/2 c. pure maple syrup 125 mL
- 2 tbsp. butter 30 mL
- 1 tbsp. milk 15 mL
- 1 tsp. vanilla 5 mL
- 1 c. icing or confectioner’s sugar 250 mL
Bring maple syrup, butter and milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly for two minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla.
Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth, stir gently about five minutes or until mixture begins to thicken and cool slightly. Use immediately. Source: www.myrecipes.com.
Jodie Mirosovsky is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
