A Cranberry Thanksgiving - Three Recipes for the perfect stress free day!

Thanksgiving is literally biting me in my ass at this point.  The stress of knowing that I will be responsible for feeding 30 of our “closest” is no small feat. I’m lucky that I actually like most of my family members.  (Note to family members, please do not ask if you are part of the most list on the table this year)

Luckily I will be armed with something fabulous that will keep my stress, my heart and my health under control.  You’re in luck too… this Thanksgiving, I’m in the spirit of giving!  Three fabulously delicious recipes that should be staples on your table!  All with one of my favorite ingredients… CRANBERRIES! 

Cranberries rock.  They do. I’m not lying.  Cranberries are actually among one of the highest-ranking foods when it comes to proven health benefits.  We all know they come to the aid in a snap when you’ve got a bladder or urinary tract infections… at least we did back in our early 20’s when we were having crazy amounts of sex. (Yes, you’re reading a Thanksgiving recipe post that’s talking about sex. Move along now…) But here’s some facts about those berries that you might not have known. 

·     Cranberries are known antioxidants… meaning they have great anti-aging properties. They actually can give you glowing skin!

·     If you have an ulcer, some studies have shown that drinking unsweetened cranberry juice for a few months can actually kill the bacteria that causes them.

·     Cranberries are proven to relax the blood vessels, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and help prevent heart disease. 

Here’s a recipe for my absolute all-time favorite all-in-one Thanksgiving…

Cranberry Stuffing Recipe

         1 small onion, diced

         1 cup of diced mushrooms

         3-4 stalks of celery, diced

         1 stick of butter

         1 package of seasoned stuffing (I use Mrs. Cubbison's)

         1-2 cups chicken broth or water (per box instructions)

         1 package of fresh cranberries (may use canned if fresh unavailable)

         Fresh thyme

Note: If you would like to follow step-by-step instructions on how to make this recipe, just click here.

Directions

Melt the butter on a medium heat and add the onion and celery. Allow them to sweat and turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes on medium high heat.

Add the fresh cranberries. Don’t worry about the cranberries cooking down too much… you’re not looking for them to turn to mush just yet! They’ll cook down once they’re in the stuffing. Just give them about 3 to 4 minutes to cook.

Now add the stuffing mix straight outta the box. Any brand that you happen to like… I usually use seasoned stuffing mix… it just adds more flavor. Add broth and combine thoroughly.

Transfer mixture into a Pyrex or baking pan that has been coated with non-stick spray or butter. Sprinkle the top with some of the fresh thyme and bake in the oven covered on 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, remove the cover and allow the top to become golden brown.

Cranberry-Apple Dressing

1          12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

3          Tablespoons sugar

¼         Teaspoon ground cinnamon

2          Medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled and diced

2          Teaspoons fresh lemon juice

¼         Cup Orange Juice or Water

In a saucepan place the cranberries, sugar, and cinnamon and add juice or water- just enough to bring the cranberries to a float. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes and then drain, but leave a small amount of liquid in the pan.

Add apples and cover mixture for 5-10 more minutes or until apples are tender.  Stir in lemon juice.

Allow cooling - then transferring dressing to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.  Serve chilled.

Makes 3 cups

Cranberry Twist Cocktail

4 ounces Cranberry Juice

2 ounces Vodka

2 ounces Ginger Ale

½ ounce Lemon Juice

1 ounce Simple Syrup

In a cocktail shaker combine all ingredients. Shake. Shake. Shake.

Serve over ice or martini style!

Seafood Linguini

Mediterranean Mama Style Seafood Linguini 

½ Pound of Large Shrimp Raw

½ Pound Calamari Cleaned and Sliced into 1" Rings

1 Pound Black Mussels

1 Pound Clams (Butter or Little Neck)

1 Can of Chopped Tomatoes

¼ Cup Dry White Wine

2 TBS. Olive Oil

1 clove of garlic minced

Fresh Basil or Parsley

Linguini Pasta

Cooking Directions:

In a large sauté pan that has a lid add oil, garlic, tomatoes, let cook for a minute, add the wine & salt & pepper to taste- allow to come to a simmer.  Let cook for at least 10 minutes.

Then add the clams & mussels- cover and let it cook until they open   (3-5 minutes)

Add remaining seafood and cover for 3-5 more minutes

Place over Linguini and add a chiffonade of your favorite herb-

*Red Chili Flakes (optional but oh so yummy!) 

Mezze Platter

Mezze Platter 

*Borek

*Eggplant Salad

*Hummus

*Stuffed Grape Leaves

*Tabbouleh

Tzaziki - Cucumber Yogurt Dip

Tzaziki

2 Cups plain yogurt

1 Cup Lebni (can be found in any middle eastern market)

-if you can’t find Lebni substitute with plain Greek yogurt

1 garlic clove finely minced

1 tablespoons dried crushed mint

1 bunch of dill chopped finely

½ teaspoon salt

4-6 Persian Cucumbers or 1 English Cucumber

¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Using a cheese grater, grate your washed cucumbers (skin on) into a colander.  Allow the cucumbers to drain for about 10 minutes.  You can even pat them dry with papertowels to remove excess water.

Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl, combine well & refrigerate for 15 minutes prior to serving.

Enjoy with Pita Bread, Pita Chips or freshly chopped veggies as a dip!

My Grandmother's Stuffed Grapeleaves

Armenian Style Stuffed Grapeleaves

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds of ground beef

1 can or 16 oz of plain tomato sauce

2 cups long grain white rice

1 small onion finely diced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 16oz jar of grape leaves

¼ cup water

Preparation of the grape leaves and the meat filling::

Remove the grape leaves from the jar… this takes a little bit of jiggling to get them out… they are packed in brine, I suggest sticking a finger in there, and tilting it to the side to remove all of the liquid first, then gently pull the bunches out. There should be 2 or 3 neatly folded bundles in there, depending on the size of the leaves. Drain, open up the bunches and allow them to sit in some clean cold water for a few minutes to remove some of the excess  brine.

Once they’ve sat for a few minutes, begin removing the stems from each leave. (If you leave the stems on, they will be too tough to chew) Use scissors to cut them off at the base of the leaf.

While the grape leaves are soaking, in a separate bowl mix together the beef, rice, spices, water and ¾ of the can of tomato sauce- reserving ¼ of the can for use later. Now get in there and use your hands and mix mix mix! Making sure everything is combined well. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Get ready to roll….

Place the leave with the shiny side down, vein side up on a flat surface and spread out. Place about a teaspoon to tablespoon (depends on leave size) and using the tips of your fingers, pinch it outwards, leaving some space to fold in the edges of the leaves.  

Fold up the bottom leave

Fold in the sides

Roll upwards tightly. Don’t roll it up too tight as while the rice and meat are cooking, they will expand and it will tear the leaf or unravel.

Repeat this process with the remaining leaves and meat mixture. (reserving about 5-10 leaves)

Now here comes the tricky part… (as if this wasn’t hard enough!) If you don’t place your little grape leave cigars properly in the pot while they’re cooking… well, all this is for nothing. Ha ha ha. I’m KIDDING! You’re doing great!  They will unravel if you place them with the seam in the wrong place.

In a large saucepan or medium sized pot, lay a few of the remaining leaves on the bottom of the pan. Lay each stuffed grape leave side by side next to each other tightly, seam side up and continue making even layers. Do not fill it all the way to the rim of the pan, as it will as I said expand and well, you’ll have a mess on your hands… or your stove rather. Layer about 2 inches from the top of the pan and place a small plate upside down on top of the grape leaves and apply pressure to hold it down.

In a large measuring cup mix together:

2 cups cold water (Give or take a bit)

Remaining tomato sauce

1 teaspoon crushed mint

2 cloves crushed garlic (mortar & pestle it into a paste)

¼ teaspoon cayenne

½ lemon juice

Pour this mixture over the leaves, making sure that they are covered just over the top of the edge of the plate on top. If you don’t have enough liquid, add more plain water. Cook on high heat until it comes to a boil and then reduce heat down to a low simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, making sure that the leaves don’t move around inside the pot.

Allow to sit for a few minutes before removing plate from the top- remove leaves from the pot and serve with some lemon wedges… or as we do with some plain yogurt or lebni (Armenian style yogurt)  on the side.

**sidenote** You can omit the cayenne if it’s too spicy for you. Look for leaves that aren’t too thick. Use only the flexible soft leaves This meat filling can be used to stuff bell peppers, small eggplants, zucchini, or even tomatoes. You’d cook it using the same process. Once you get the hang of rolling the leaves you’ll be on a roll… ha ha ha (bad joke) Just know, they don’t have to be perfect! I hope that you try this recipe… it’s a little bit a work… who am I kidding… it’s work! But you’ll really love the end result! I know I always did and still do!