Savor our savory selections

It’s almost time to hang the mistletoe, deck the halls and wait around for ole St. Nick. But just in case you’re dreaming about … some super good munchies to dish out this season, staffers at ThirdCoast Digest have assembled a spread of their very own favorite soups, stews, entrées and side items that are sure to please the palate. And, what of those delectable holiday desserts? They’re coming, too, in our next round of staff recipes.

So clear the counters, warm the ovens and get ready to make a little holiday cheer. Here, TCD members share their stories and savory recipes:

 

German Red Cabbage
By TCD Business Manager Patti Wenzel (actually, from my Grandma Katie Breitigam)

I never knew my Grandma Katie Breitigam. She died before I was born, but she was always present at our Christmas table. Her humble recipe for German-style Red Cabbage was always there, in a beautiful crystal bowl, ready for everyone to partake of its sweet-and-sour goodness.

There was no formal, written recipe — instead this was handed down by my mother from Grandma Katie, who probably learned it at her mother’s feet in the old country. She brought it with her as she crossed the Atlantic, not on a piece of paper, but in her heart. A pinch of this, a splash of that; taste and determine if it needed more vinegar or sugar — that was the extent of the recipe. But as my mother faded in the last year of her life, we sat down to figure out a close approximation to Grandma Katie’s dish. This is the closest and tastiest I have come to what my grandmother prepared for Christmas meals.

INGREDIENTS:
1 head red cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 water
¼ pounds bacon, diced
1 small onion, diced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 medium Granny Smith or other tart apples, cored and cut into chunks

Shred cabbage and set aside. In a large (12- or 14-inch) frying pan, sauté bacon until crispy. Drain bacon and reserve fat in frying pan. Sauté onion until translucent set aside. Deglaze pan with vinegar and water, loosening bits on bottom with a spoon. As this cooks down, slowly add sugar to mixture. Taste to determine correct level of sweet and sour and adjust with additional vinegar or sugar.

Add cabbage and stir as it wilts. Return bacon and onion to pan, season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low simmer and allow flavors to blend.  Twenty minutes before serving, add chopped apples and mix.

Serves 6 (hungry people) or 8 (normal ones).

 

Poultry* in Pomegranate-Walnut Sauce with Saffron Basmati Rice
By TCD co-Founder and Distribution Manager Mehrdad Dalamie

Known as Fesenjan, or Fesenjoon (a special occasion food in Iran), it is traditionally made with duck or chicken in the north of the country along the Caspian Sea. A rich sweet-and-sour dish, it is especially better in flavor if served the next day. In Iran’s capital of Tehran, its sweeter version tends to be more popular.

 

 
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup butter or oil
2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 cups walnuts, finely ground in a food processor
1 1/2 to 2 cups stock or water
1-3 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup pomegranate syrup or molasses
1/2 teaspoon (optional) cardamom or cinnamon

Heat butter or oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium flame. Add the chicken pieces, a few at a time and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the onions to the pot and sauté until translucent. Stir in the ground walnuts and stock (or water) and return the browned chicken pieces to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the pomegranate juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is tender, the sauce is somewhat thickened and the walnuts begin to give off their oil. Adjust seasoning and serve with plain white rice.

Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon when sautéing the onions for a fancier flavor. Adjust for tartness or sweetness by adding a little sugar or lime juice accordingly.

* You may use duck or pheasant instead of chicken.
**Trim all excess fat before browning. Remove excess fat from stew as it simmers by spooning it out.

How to prepare Saffron Basmati Rice:
1 pound Basmati rice
1 gram of Persian or 2 grams of Spanish Saffron, ground
¼ pound butter
3 quarts water
1 teaspoon salt

Bring the water and salt to a rapid boil, and add the rice. Bring to a boil again and allow to precook the rice until al dente. Rinse the rice in a colander, rinsing the excess salt with hot water and drain. In a four-quart pot, bring the butter to a sizzle, and then add the rice to the pot in a mound; form poke holes and lower the flame to low-medium. Cover and allow it to steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Check occasionally to avoid burning the rice, lower heat if needed. Mix the saffron with a tablespoon of melted butter and an ounce of hot water until color and aroma are achieved. Add the saffron mixture to a couple of tablespoons of rice and use to decorate each individual serving of rice with it.  Serve with Fesenjan and enjoy.

Serves 4 to 6.

 

Apple-Cranberry-Squash Bake
By TCD Senior Features Writer Erin Lee Petersen

I totally stole this from Simply Recipes, but added a few changes. It’s very hearty, slightly sweet and tart. I added a few potatoes to balance out the sweetness and create a more filling dish. This is a good side dish, but it can also be a meat-free main dish as it’s completely vegan — assuming you use vegan butter.

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
2 large apples cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 large red potatoes, cut into cubes (leave the skin on)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (I use Smart Balance-vegan)
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg or cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice and peel squash and apples.

Put squash and potato cubes in ungreased 7-by-11-inch baking dish. Place apples on top and then cranberries. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and mace and sprinkle on top. Dot with butter. Bake 50-60 minutes. Will serve 8-10.

 

Super Extra Cheesy Mac ‘N Cheese Bake
By TCD Contributor Hope Stolarski

Ingredients:
16 ounces, elbow macaroni
1 stick butter or margarine
Salt
Pepper
8 ounces, grated mild cheddar cheese
12 ounces, grated sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces, grated Velveeta brand cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 can evaporated milk
Bread crumbs
Paprika

Boil macaroni and drain. Add butter or margarine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cheese to macaroni. Add eggs and milk. Sprinkle buttered breadcrumbs and paprika on top of macaroni and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until browned.

 

Short-cut Recipe for Classic Boeuf Bourguignon
By TCD Dining Critic Mr. M.

Cold, holiday weather is the best time to break out the ol’ Crockpot! Most of you know the following dish as “Beef Burgundy,” from when your mother made it in a slow cooker.  Though this recipe is still made in a slow cooker (see notes below), the difference between it and your mom’s old Crockpot recipe is night and day! This recipe closely resembles the Boeuf Bourguignon (American pronunciation: “boof  boor-geen-YAWN”) that Mrs. M. and I have had in Paris. It calls for bigger cuts of quality beef instead of cubed “beef stew” meat and a good-quality red wine (see notes below). Warm and comforting, this French original is a festive, cold-weather classic. Enjoy (Bon Appétit)!

INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1½ cups ready-to-eat baby carrots
2 pounds rump roast cut into big, 2 to 3-inch cubed hunks
Half a 16-ounce bag frozen pearl onions
8 ounces fresh, whole button mushrooms (baby Portabella mushrooms work great, too)
1 to 1 ¼-ounce packet McCormick Roasted Garlic gravy for STEAK
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped/minced
½ cup dry, red wine (I use Pinot Noir or a nice cabernet sauvignon — see notes below)
1 10-ounce can condensed beef consommé
1 dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons salted butter, softened to room temperature
1 tablespoon tomato paste (see notes below)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:
Layer the carrots, beef chunks, onions and mushrooms in a 4- to 7-quart slow cooker with removable crockery in the order listed above. In a 2-cup measuring cup or bowl, whisk the packet of McCormick gravy-mix powder with the Dijon mustard, the wine, the garlic and the consommé. Add ½ to a whole teaspoon pepper to the mixture, blending well. Pour the mixture over the contents in the slow cooker, and then set the removable pot in the fridge overnight. The next day, cook on the low setting for ten hours (see notes below).

Thirty minutes before eating, shut off the slow cooker, take off the lid and fish out the bay leaf. Thoroughly cream/fold in the softened butter with the flour in a small bowl, and then mix it well into the pot. Also then thoroughly stir in the tomato paste. Do not continue to cook it — let the pot cool a bit so the sauce thickens nicely, about 15 to 20 minutes.

There’s plenty of salt in the McCormick’s mix and the butter, so only add salt to taste at the table. Serve with crusty French bread and the rest of the bottle of wine.

Serves 4 (hearty servings).
NOTES:
If you don’t have a slow cooker, then you may simply cook this dish the old-fashioned way over very low heat, covering the pot, for 10 to 12 hours (stirring occasionally).

Do not use that horrible Ernest & Julio Gallo “Burgundy” wine that your mom used to put in her old Crockpot recipe. Instead, use a nice Pinot Noir, which is the grape primarily used to make red wine in France’s Burgundy region. There are wineries in California and other parts of the U.S. that produce some of the best Pinot Noir in the world, so don’t hesitate to pay less for as good a quality of wine made in this country as that made in France!

Tomato paste is widely sold in 4- to 5-oz. squeeze-tubes in most American grocery stores (they come in little cardboard boxes). Look for these tubes to be sold in the condiments aisle at your favorite market.

I start the pot on low the next day between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., and it’s ready by 6 p.m. But you can cut the cooking time in half on the high setting.
Imperial Chicken
By TCD Dining Critic Mrs. M.

I love this recipe.  It’s one of my mothers, but other than that, I have no idea where it came from. It’s a great dish for a leisurely evening of cooking, for a dinner party or even a Christmas brunch, which is when I first remember having it.

When it comes to measuring things, I am a grossly negligent cook, and especially in this recipe, I tend to increase some ingredients well beyond the quantities listed here. With things like the amount of sherry, onions or seasonings, you can be as generous as you see fit.  This version serves two people, but you can simply increase the amount of chicken and sauce as needed for dinners serving more guests.

INGREDIENTS
2 chicken breasts
Flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ pound small mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon minced onion or shallots
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1/8 cup dry sherry
¾ teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
1 ½ tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat chicken breasts with ¼ cup of flour. You can place them on waxed paper and put the flour on all sides, or (a handy trick from Mr. M.) put the flour and piece of chicken in a paper bag and give it a good shake. Voilá, it’s coated.

Put butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, and then fry the chicken until it’s lightly browned on all sides. You’re not cooking it all the way through, just giving it a nice coating and color. If the 2 tablespoons of butter don’t seem to be enough, go ahead and throw in more.

After you’ve achieved gorgeous golden chicken, remove it from the skillet and set it aside in your 9-by-9- inch pan. Leave those drippings in the skillet, and over medium heat, add your mushrooms and onions, stirring frequently during the next 5 minutes or so.

Your onions and mushrooms will caramelize and begin to smell wonderfully. To this tantalizing mixture, stir in the cream, sherry, salt and pepper, and blend well. In a cup, combine 1 tablespoon flour with 1 ½ tablespoons of water, and then gradually add that to the pan, stirring gently but constantly until the mixture thickens a bit.

At this point, you are developing the sauce that will go over the chicken. It should be somewhat thick — you don’t want to have a soupy sauce.  If it’s more on the soupy side than you’d like, add flour. I always put more sherry in my sauce, and maintain the thick texture by putting in additional flour, continuing to balance the flavors by adjusting the amount of cream, salt and pepper. Basically, be attentive to the taste and scent of your sauce — that will tell you what you need.

When you’ve got a sauce that you’re happy with, pour it directly over your waiting chicken in the 9-by-9-inch pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour until the sauce is bubbly.  While that’s baking, go relax with a glass of wine, and come back to a lovely dinner.  Enjoy!

 

Apple and Butternut Squash Soup
By TCD Partner and Culture Desk Editor Tom Strini

This squash soup was the hit of my 2008 holiday cooking season. It’s based on a recipe in the February 2007 issue of Food & Wine magazine. I’ve tweaked it some, by subbing Wisconsin smoked cheddar for a Vermont variety, adding a healthy dash of nutmeg and dicing an apple to stew with the squash.

This soup makes a great Thanksgiving dinner opener. Champagne goes well with it, and so does a chilled sauvignon blanc. I make a point of keeping plenty of good jars around leading up to the holidays. I make huge batches of this soup and send jars full of it home with my dinner guests. It’s a nice parting gift.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, halved and sliced thin
3/4 cup apple cider
One large butternut squash, about two pounds. (Look for the sort that are more uniform in shape top to bottom, rather than the stem-and-bulb shape. You should end up with 5-6 cups of cubed pulp.)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and fresh ground white pepper
4-5 cups of chicken stock (Yes, I use Better Than Bouillon brand. It’s the best I’ve found, and who has time to take a full day to make stock?)
2 tablespoons butter
1 apple, peeled and cubed
2 apples (1 green apple and 1 red apple), skins on, sliced into very thin wedges
Coarsely grated smoked Wisconsin cheddar, enough to top each bowl with generous portions
Sage leaves, slivered for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add the onions and simmer on low for eight or more minutes. Let them take on a little color, but do not burn or fully caramelize them.
2. Add the cider and turn the heat back to medium.
3. While the onions and then the cider are on the stove, peel and dice the apple and the butternut squash. The first peeling of the squash will reveal yellowish pulp streaked with green veins. This stuff is bitter; peel again to get down to the good, orange squash beneath it. Discard all seeds and related strings.
4. Add the squash and apple to the stock pot and stir to coat with the oil and cider. Add 4 1/2 cups of stock. Cover, bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. When the squash is very soft, you could remove it batch by batch and run it through your blender or food processor – if you don’t mind scalding yourself and making a monumental mess in your kitchen. It’s better to invest in a stick blender (trust me, the cheap one works just fine) and make your purée right there in the stock pot.
6. Stir in the cream and add salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. (Easy on the nutmeg; don’t overpower the squash. And the cream is optional; this soup has plenty of body and richness without it.)
7. Heat the butter in a small skillet. After it stops foaming, add the diced apple; it should sizzle. When the apple takes on a little color, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
8. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the sautéed apples, the slivered sage, the grated cheese and the thin slices of chilled green and red apples.
9. Serve with crusty bread and butter or toasted baguette slices.

Serves 8 (as a soup course); 4 (as a main course)

Want to share a few of your holiday favorites with ThirdCoast Digest readers? Take a look here and send them in!