Melba Sweets’ Oyster Dressing
Denver Post Food writer Ellen Sweets shares this recipe from her mother, who died earlier this month at the age of 97: “My father loved oysters. The rest of us, well, not so much – until we learned better. What went in the bird was plain. What got baked separately was oyster. Some recipes call for oysters to be cut into pieces, a notion that would have appalled Nathaniel Sweets. In our family, oysters were always left whole, lest the family run out of plain dressing and wander into corrupted territory. Serves 4 enthusiastic eaters or 6-8 normal people, considering all the other goodies at table.”
Ingredients
1 loaf day-old white bread, crusts removed and cubed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse-ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups small oysters, with liquid
1 1/2 cups organic chicken stock
Olive oil spray
Paprika
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.
In a sauté pan, melt 1/4 cup butter. Sauté onions and celery until both are slightly softened. Stir in parsley, poultry seasoning, sage, salt and pepper. Add to bread crumbs and combine with a rubber spatula. Stir in egg, oysters and chicken stock. Toss to ensure that mixture is moist, but not soggy.
Spray a casserole with olive oil. Transfer dressing contents to casserole. Sprinkle top with paprika and drizzle remaining melted butter over top. Bake about 45 minutes.
Brussels Sprouts Vinaigrette
From Everyday Food, serves 8. Prep time: 10 minutes, total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
2 pounds Brussels sprouts (about same size, if possible), discolored outer leaves removed and a thin slice cut off from base
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan with a lid; fill with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil; add sprouts, cover, and cook until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 10-15 minutes (depending on size).
In a small bowl or liquid-measuring cup, combine mustard, vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until combined.
Lift basket and transfer sprouts to ice water. Let stand until cooled, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat dry; cut lengthwise through core into quarters. Serve sprouts drizzled with vinaigrette.
Note: To make ahead, trim, steam, cool, and quarter Brussels sprouts up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag lined with a paper towel. Make vinaigrette up to 1 day ahead; cover, and refrigerate separately from sprouts. Serve sprouts drizzled with vinaigrette. Curried Sweet Potatoes with Golden Raisins
Curried Sweet Potatoes with Golden Raisins
From “Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals,” and Sun-Maid Raisins,
serves 4.
Ingredients
1 can (29-ounce cut sweet potatoes, drained
1 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sliced almonds or pistachios, lightly toasted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 1-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes and raisins; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter, curry powder, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and salt. Stir to combine. Add to sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared casserole dish. Top with toasted sliced almonds or pistachios. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes.
Cauliflower Gratin With Endive
Sardinian pasta, also known as fregola or friulli, is a flour- based, nutty-flavored pasta; it absorbs juices in gratin beautifully. Small pasta such as tubettini may be used instead; boil it for 3 minutes and rinse under cool water before using in recipe. From Martha Stewart Living, serves 8.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
2 heads Belgian endive, cut lengthwise into sixths
1 cup large-style Freula Sarda, Sardinian pasta, or 1 cup parboiled tubettini pasta
2 pounds cauliflower florets (2 large heads)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups hot milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons minced chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
10 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated on small holes of a box grater
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 ounces parmesan cheese grated on large holes of a box grater to yield 1/4 cup
Directions
Place rack in lower third of oven; heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter a deep heat-proof dish. Arrange endive in bottom of pan. Spread pasta evenly over endive. Arrange cauliflower florets in dish in a mound.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; when bubbling, stir in flour with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium low, and stir 2 minutes to cook flour. Whisk in hot milk, whisking constantly until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and marjoram. When well blended, whisk in Gruyère until smooth. Pour mixture over cauliflower. Wipe any spills from side of dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Transfer gratin dish to a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan. Reduce temperature to 350, and continue baking until a knife easily pierces larger cauliflower pieces, about 40 minutes. (Cover with aluminum foil if top darkens before cauliflower is cooked through.) Remove from oven, and place on a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Cranberry, Apple and Walnut Conserve
From Gourmet magazine, makes about 12 cups. Start to finish 25 minutes, 15 minutes active.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups turbinado sugar
3-inch cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3 12-ounce bags fresh cranberries (about 2 1/2 pounds, or 11 cups)
3 Gala or Pink Lady apples
2 cups walnuts, toasted, cooled and broken into small pieces
2 tablespoons Calvados or brandy
Directions
In a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, simmer water, sugar, cinnamon stick, allspice and half of cranberries, stirring occasionally, until cranberries just start to pop, about 5 minutes.
Add half of remaining cranberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and core apples, then cut them into 1/4-inch dice. Add to pot, along with walnuts and remaining cranberries. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in Calvados and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool to warm or room temperature.
Discard cinnamon stick.
Raw Cranberry Relish
From Real Simple magazine, makes 6-8 servings. Start to finish 40 minutes, 10 minutes active.
Ingredients
2 navel oranges, washed and patted dry
1 cup dark or golden raisins
12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
Directions
Peel one orange, discarding peel. Leave peel on other orange. Cut both oranges into wedges.
Place oranges and raisins in a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add cranberries and pulse until finely chopped, but not puréed.
Transfer relish to a serving bowl. Stir in liqueur.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Chipotle Cranberry Compote
From Cooking Light magazine, makes 14 servings. Start to finish 2 hours, 30 minutes active.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Two 12-ounce packages fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon chipotle chili, canned in adobo sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a large saucepan over a high heat, combine sugar, orange juice and cranberries. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes, or until cranberries begin to pop.
Stir in chipotle, orange rind, cinnamon, coriander and salt.
Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until mixture is thick.
Chill before serving.
