Cranberry Pear Relish

You know it's fall when those cranberry commercials pop up on the tv! Thanksgiving isn't complete unless cranberry sauce is on the table and so I had to include something prepared with cranberries on our Regional Thanksgiving menu. I was actually surprised to learn that the state of Wisconsin is a major cranberry producer in the United States. With that, the following recipe represented the state of Wisconsin and involves a great variation of cranberry sauce.


This recipe is extremely simple... and can be done well in advance. I found that the more it sits, the better the flavors. Even better is that this recipe doesn't require any cooking! All you need is a food processor to whiz everything up.

The only thing I changed from the original recipe was omitting the orange peels. I found that they made the relish too bitter. Instead, I just peeled the oranges and chopped them up for the relish. Don't throw away the peels though! You can save them to make candied orange peels for the holidays or even use them for their zest in other recipes! If anything, you can always use slivers of the peel and make orange twists for holiday cocktails you may be serving up too...

Cranberry Pear Relish
recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

1 small navel orange
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1 Bartlett pear, cored and cut into large chunks
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Pinch kosher salt
3 tablespoons pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

Wash and dry the orange. Cut the orange into small wedges, removing the peel, and put in a food processor. Add the cranberries, pear, sugar, and salt. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Just before serving, stir in the pecans if using.

Butternut Squash & Sage Dinner Rolls

Dinner rolls are a great addition to the table to any holiday feast. Rather than serving up the usual white or wheat rolls, I wanted to prepare something more flavorful and colorful as well. Continuing with our Regional Thanksgiving theme we prepared this year, I looked to the New England state of Connecticut for inspiration.

Connecticut has major crops in winter squash including acorn, butternut and buttercup squash. For the following recipe, I used butternut squash and fresh sage to prepare a yeast dough for my rolls. The squash adds such a beautiful orange hue and subtle sweetness to the dough and the sage gives it a nice herbal touch popular in Thanksgiving foods.

Out of convenience, you can use canned butternut squash but I found it tastes much better roasting squash and using that instead. If you want, this could also be prepared ahead, saving you time on the day of...

2 Days Before:
- Roast a small butternut squash with oil and sea salt. Allow it to cool and scoop out the flesh and set aside.

1 Day Before:
- Prepare the dough as written in the recipe below. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill overnight or until ready to proof and bake.

Day of:
- Allow the chilled dough to come to room temperature... and it will proof a bit.
- Break off pieces of the dough and form into small boules or into knots as indicated in the recipe below.
- Allow to proof for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven and bake.
- Keep the rolls warm in a bread basket, covered with a tea towel before serving.

Butternut Squash & Sage Dinner Rolls
recipe adapted from Country Living

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope instant rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup mashed cooked butternut squash or canned pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
1 large egg, for egg wash


Make the dough: In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse together flour, yeast, salt, and sugar until combined. Pour milk into a 2-cup glass measure and add the melted butter and squash. Whisk to mix and, with the processor running, add milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Process until the mixture forms a soft ball that rides the blade -- about 60 seconds. Add a small amount of flour through the feed tube if the mixture sticks to the sides of the bowl.

Knead the dough: Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand 2 or 3 times, adding sage leaves while kneading. Form into a ball and place in a large, lightly buttered bowl. Cover and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk -- about 45 minutes. Punch the dough down, turn the bowl over it, and let it rest under the bowl for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces.

Bake the rolls: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 baking pans. Roll each dough piece under the palm of your hand to form a long, skinny string about 10 inches long. Tie each into a knot and space them loosely on the baking sheets.

If you don't want to make knots, you can form each piece of dough into small boules by pulling the dough under itself to form small balls.

Cover and set aside to rise -- about 15 minutes. Whisk egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush over the tops of the rolls. Bake until golden brown -- 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm with butter.

Bourbon Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans

Sweet potatoes are a favorite on Thanksgiving and are a must on a traditional holiday table. To make things a little more interesting, this version won't include any gooey marshmallows. Instead, I made the following recipe with some Kentucky bourbon whiskey and candied pecans. This dish represents the south of our Regional Thanksgiving this year and as they say, a little alcohol makes a party!

My favorite Kentucky bourbon whisky is Maker's Mark. This added a really nice flavor that was used for the flavorful and sweet topping. For added texture and crunch, I also made some candied pecans which I chopped up and topped the dish before baking. You can also make this dish a couple days ahead...

2 Days Before:
- Boil or bake your sweet potatoes until soft. Peel and mash until smooth. Season with salt and place in a baking dish, then cover.
- Make a batch of candied pecans. You can use a portion for the dish (chopped up once cooled) and serve up the remaining pecans as an appetizer or snack, or even add to salads.

1 Day Before:
- Combine the two corn syrups, maple syrup, and bourbon whiskey in a small jar or salad dressing bottle to make the sweet bourbon sauce. Store at room temp until ready to use.

Day of:
- Preheat the oven and pour the sweet bourbon over the mashed sweet potatoes in your baking dish.
- Top with your chopped candied pecans and bake in the oven until hot.

Bourbon Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans
recipe adapted from Taste of Home

6 to 8 large sweet potatoes
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 Tbs maple syrup
1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey (I used Maker's Mark)
Candied pecans, chopped (store bought or homemade)

Cook sweet potatoes; peel and mash.

Place the mashed sweet potatoes in a buttered casserole pan or dish.

Combine the remaining ingredients except nuts and pour over potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbling hot. Garnish with nuts and serve.

Wild Rice & Portobello Salad

Mushrooms... such a delicious fungus! To highlight the Pacific Northwest in our Regional Thanksgiving menu this year, I wanted to prepare a dish using Chanterelle mushrooms, a mushroom variety that's found in this region of the country. However when I went to the store, I had a heck of a time finding chanterelle mushrooms. Typically, they are available from September through February but I had no luck finding them at the grocery stores I went to. So as a substitute, I used portobello mushrooms. It worked just as well with a rich, meaty flavor. The salad was hearty enough to be a meal all in itself! This dish is also one that can be easily made in advance and so easy too...

2 Days Before:
- Prepare the rice and cool.
- Chop up the dried fruits and toss with the cooled rice. Wrap and store chilled in the fridge.
- Prepare the vinaigrette and store in a salad dressing bottle or small jar; store in the fridge.

1 Day Before:
- Saute the garlic, onions and mushrooms. Cool and toss into the rice and dried fruit mixture. Wrap and store chilled in the fridge.
- Toast walnuts, cool and store at room temp.

Day of:
- Combine the vinaigrette with the rice mixture and place into a serving dish. Top with fresh watercress, toasted walnuts and crumbled goat cheese.

Wild Rice & Portobello Salad
recipe adapted from Sara Multon

3 boxes of long grain & wild rice mix
chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 bay leaf
12 sprigs thyme
4 teaspoons canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound portobello mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped

To prepare the rice: Prepare the long grain and wild rice box mix by place the rice mix in a pot. Prepare as directed by substituting the water called for with chicken or vegetable broth. Add the salt, bay leaf and thyme to the pot. Do not use the seasoning packet included in the rice mix (either save it for something else or discard.)

Cook the rice on the stovetop as directed or in a rice cooker/steamer. Once cooked, allow the rice to cool and set aside.

To prepare the mushrooms:In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from heat, drain well, and set aside.

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mixed dried fruits, such as cherries, cranberries, raisins, chopped figs, chopped apricots or a combination
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 pound watercress
8 ounces fresh white goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, shallots, cumin, thyme, and pepper and season with salt. Add the dried fruits.

In a salad bowl, combine the cooled wild rice, cooked mushrooms, and walnuts. Toss with the vinaigrette and fruits.

To serve, portion the salad onto a large platter, top with the greens, and sprinkle with the goat cheese.

Pecan Cornbread Dressing

The state of Georgia is well known for pecans, even moreso during the month of November!

To highlight the state of Georgia on our Regional Thanksgiving menu this year, I came across the following recipe. I prepared the recipe as follows, using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth since we had some vegetarian guests to cater for our dinner. I also have to admit that I prepared cornbread from a mix (Trader Joe's brand) to save myself from time. You're welcome to use store bought cornbread, but if you are able, homemade is always better. The Trader Joe's brand I used for this recipe worked deliciously since there were some whole corn kernels in the mix and the texture of the cornbread wasn't too dry. The key thing to note about preparing cornbread dressing is to not over handle the cornbread because it will crumble as you combine it with the dressing ingredients. Handle it carefully and gingerly... and cubing the cornbread in large pieces will prevent it to crumble too much.

To make this in advance...

2 Days Ahead:
- If making your cornbread, make it as early as 2 days ahead. Allow it to cool and cube it up.
- Toast and chop up the pecans and toss it with the cubed cornbread.
- Saute the onion and celery in butter, then deglaze with wine until it evaporates. Add this mixture to the cubed cornbread and pecans. Allow it to cool and store in your fridge.

1 Day Ahead:
- Prepare step three of the recipe below to assemble the cornbread dressing. Place in the baking dish, cover and store in your fridge.

Day of:
- Preheat your oven.
- Pour a little broth over the stuffing and bake as directed.

Pecan Cornbread Dressing
recipe adapted from Everyday Food

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
4 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dish
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
16 cups cubed store-bought or homemade cornbread (about 2 3/4 pounds)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, heated (vegetable broth if vegetarian)



1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread pecans on a large rimmed baking sheet, and toast until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes; set aside.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium. Add onion and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine, and cook until evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; let cool slightly.

3. To bowl, add cornbread, sage, eggs, and pecans. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and teaspoon pepper. Pour 1/2 cup hot broth over cornbread mixture. Toss gently (cornbread will break down into smaller pieces). If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup more broth so stuffing is moist but not soggy.

4. If stuffing turkey, set aside 4 cups dressing. Spoon remaining dressing into a buttered 2-quart baking dish; pour up to 1 cup remaining broth over top to moisten. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes; uncover, and bake until browned, about 15 minutes more. Makes 12 cups.

Cajun Fried Turkey

Around this time of year, Food Network is a popular cable channel to watch for all their holiday recipe ideas. One show that I always enjoy watching during Thanksgiving season is Alton Brown's episode on Deep Fried Turkey (which you can watch in 3 parts here). Ever since I saw that episode, I've always wanted to try to make a fried turkey.

Since this year we decided to have a Thanksgiving menu that highlights various regions of the country, it was our opportunity to make a deep fried turkey with cajun seasoning. I came across the following recipe online since it makes use of cajun spices and allows us to fry it.

If you wanted, you could even make your turkey in advance... yes, it's possible and a great time saver! To make your turkey in advance, prepare the recipe as written a few days in advance and when it's done, cool your turkey completely. Properly wrap it and store in your refrigerator or even your freezer if making this well in advance. On the day you plan on serving it, all you need to do is heat it up and serve. The beauty of making this in advance is that your oven won't be tied up as long and you don't have to worry about juggling so many cooking tasks on turkey day!

- If you choose to heat up a cooked, refrigerated turkey, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your cooked and cold cajun fried turkey in a roasting pan with a v-rack. Pour in 4-6 cups of chicken broth into the bottom of the pan and cover turkey with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours until heated through. You can then use the drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan to make a homemade gravy.

- If you choose to heat up a cooked, frozen turkey, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place your cooked and frozen cajun fried turkey in a roasting pan with a v-rack. Pour in 4-6 cups of chicken broth into the bottom of the pan and cover turkey with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 4 hours until heated through. You can then use the drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan to make a homemade gravy.

Cajun Fried Turkey
recipe adapted from Real Cajun Recipes & Alton Brown

12-15 pounds turkey
1 1/2 cup Italian dressing
1 stick butter
1 handful Cajun Seasonings
garlic powder and onion powder to taste
peanut oil amount depending on size of turkey



Two days prior to cooking:
Defrost turkey in the refrigerator or submerged in cold water, making sure you change the water ever 30 minutes to one hour.

One day prior:
Sift the Italian dressing to catch items too big for the injector needle. Melt a stick of butter and add to the strained dressing to make the marinade.

Take a handful of your favorite Cajun seasonings and add to marinade (some brands recommended to use include Tony Chachere's (TM) Creole seasoning, Chef Paul Prudhomme's® blackened seasoning, Zatarins® Creole seasoning, Cajun Shake seasonings, and any Cajun spice you can find). You can also purchase Cajun Injector seasoning from the store.

Add onion powder and garlic powder to marinade, to your tastes.

Use injector to inject marinade into the turkey breasts, thighs, and wings. Stick the needle all the way in. As you slowly pull out, slowly press and inject spices into the turkey. Inject from multiple angles for maximum coverage. The more you use, the juicier the turkey will be when you cook it. Also, rub seasoning on the outside of the turkey, under the skin, and the inside cavity as well.

Place turkey, legs up, on holder and place inside plastic oven roasting bag. Keep overnight in an ice chest with a little ice.

Morning of:
Figure out how much oil you will need to fry your turkey. In order to determine the correct amount of oil, place the bagged turkey into the pot that you will be frying it in, add water just until it barely covers the top of the turkey and is at least 4 to 5 inches below the top of the pot. This will be the amount of oil you use for frying the turkey. Remove the bagged turkey from the pot of water. Mark the level of water in your pot so you know what point to fill your turkey with oil.

Dry your fryer pot and fill with enough oil to your marked water level. (You don't need peanut oil, but it is recommended since this type of oil smokes less).

Bring the temperature of the oil to 250 degrees F. Once the temperature has reached 250, slowly lower the turkey into the oil and bring the temperature to 350 degrees F. Once it has reached 350, lower the heat in order to maintain 350 degrees F. Cook 2-3 minutes per pound. After 35 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer. Once the breast reaches 151 degrees F, gently remove from the oil and allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to carving. The bird will reach an internal temperature of 161 degrees F due to carry over cooking. And never, ever cover pot with lid!

Remove and let the turkey rest before carving to allow the juices to redistribute. Carve as desired and enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving Friends!

This past weekend my husband and I hosted a very special Thanksgiving dinner for our friends of What's Cookin, Chicago. It was a wonderful event full of food, fun and seeing our friends and family who we haven't seen in quite a while. Thankfully I got my cooking and baking mojo back because I prepared quite a few things for our holiday feast.


Each year we try to come up with an interesting theme in which our Thanksgiving menu can be inspired by. This year we decided to do a Regional Thanksgiving around the U.S., paying homage to the popular regional ingredients of the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, South, New England and Midwest states. Be sure to check back often all this week for the recipes of the following dishes I prepared!

Representing the Pacific Northwest...


Wild Rice and Portobello Salad
with Dried Fruit, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts (Oregon)

Roasted Salmon
with Horseradish Creme Fraiche (Alaska)

Green Bean & Portobello Mushroom Casserole
with Crispy Fried Walla Walla Onions (Washington State)

Representing the New England Region...


Butternut Squash & Sage Dinner Rolls
(Connecticut)

Traditional Crab Cakes
with Lemon Dill Sauce (Maryland)

Maple Braised Short Ribs
(Vermont)

Representing the Southern States...



Cajun Fried Turkey
(Louisiana)

Bourbon Candied Yams
(Kentucky)


Cornbread Pecan Dressing
(Georgia)
Representing the Midwest...


Apple Cider Glazed Pork
(Michigan)

Creamy Herbed Mashed Potatoes
(Idaho)

Cranberry Pear Relish
(Wisconsin)


Representing the Southwest...


Guajillo-Tamarind Glazed Chicken
(Texas)


Chipotle Corn Salad
(New Mexico)

Cauliflower Gratin with Queso Cotija
(Arizona)

With so many dishes on our holiday table, we served everything as a buffet and set it up accordingly using chafing dishes I usually have on hand for the catering events I do. The chafing dishes also allowed all the dishes to remain warm throughout the entire service. Since we had a few guests that had some dietary restrictions, I made sure to label each dish indicating whether they were also vegetarian and included dairy and/or seafood. This avoided our guests from guessing whether or not they could eat it and made it clear for everyone.

Our guests also contributed to our holiday feast by bringing appetizers, desserts and lots of wine to share... (These pictures were taken very early in the party but once everyone got there, this table was overflowing with good eats!)

Green Bean & Chanterelle Mushroom Casserole

A Thanksgiving meal isn't complete unless green beans is on the table! This recipe is a bit different from the traditional green bean casserole because it uses Chanterelle mushrooms and you won't find any canned soup either!

Green Bean & Chanterelle Mushroom Casserole
recipe adapted from Chef Damon Jones

Topping:
2 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter
Pinch salt

Pulse bread, butter and salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Casserole:
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 ounces chanterelles, cleaned and sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Salt and pepper
1 cup french fried onions

Drop trimmed green beans into boiling, salted water. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove from water and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking action. Drain and let dry.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautée chanterelles until soft. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add flour and cook for 1 minute more.

Add chicken stock and reduce heat to medium. Stir in heavy cream and gently simmer until mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Toss warm mix with green beans and place in an oven-safe baking dish. Top with breading and french fried onions and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbling around the edges.

Chipotle Corn Salad

I really like having a side of corn with a holiday Thanksgiving meal, however to incorporate the southwest in our regional menu, I came across this recipe highlighting the flavors of chipotle for a nice smoky touch. This went really well with the roasted turkey and has a good kick of spice. Another plus with this recipe is that the corn and dressing can be prepared a day in advance and then assembled pretty quickly just before serving.

Chipotle Corn Salad
recipe adapted from Food & Wine

5 ears of corn
1/2 medium Vidalia or Walla Walla onion, thickly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and finely chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper


Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the corn and onion slices with the olive oil and grill over moderately high heat until charred in spots but still slightly crisp, about 7 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut the kernels from the cobs and coarsely chop the onion.

In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream with the lime juice, chopped chipotle chiles and sliced scallion and stir in the charred corn and onions. Season the corn salad with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Maple Braised Short Ribs

One of my favorite cuts of meat is short ribs, especially when braised. I've braised this cut with beer and wine, but when I saw this recipe using maple syrup, I knew I had to give it a try. It also went along with our Regional Thanksgiving menu as it represents the state of Vermont, known for its maple syrup. The ribs come out so tender and flavorful, really capturing the flavors of fall.

Maple Braised Short Ribs
recipe adapted from Paul Evans Caterers

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 lbs beef short rib
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb baby carrots
5 sticks of celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups beef broth or stock
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Pre-heat oven to 375*F

Season short rib with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. When oil is hot, lay the rib (meat side down) in the pan let it sear for two - three minutes. Remove it from the pot and place on paper towel.

To the pot, add the onions and cook until lightly brown. Add the remaining vegetables and garlic and season with salt and pepper.

Add the beef stock to the pot and place the browned ribs into the pot. Pour in the maple syrup over the ribs.

Cover the pot with parchment paper and then place the lid on the pot. Place the pot into the preheated oven and braise for about 2 2/12 hours until the ribs are tender.

Winner of Foodie Freebie Friday: Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor

Happy Happy Friday! I can't believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away... and that means lot of good eats! Hope you're getting into the holiday spirit and have some delicious plans for the weekend. The past few months have been a bit rough for me and I haven't had the energy to cook (much less eat) but all that's about to end. I've got my cooking and baking mojo back and tomorrow is a big Thanksgiving party I'm catering for friends. Be sure to check back next week because I'm sharing our Regional Thanksgiving recipes I've preparing!

For this week's Foodie Freebie Friday, I wanted to learn more about what your favorite Thanksgiving dish is... and reading through them has got me so hungry and excited about Thanksgiving! Everything from mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey and all the delicious desserts are reasons enough for Thanksgiving to be my favorite holiday of the year. With food on the brain, I'm giving a lucky reader a Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor to help them get through the holidays!

The Cuisinart® Mini-Prep® Processor is the perfect kitchen helper for your small food preparation tasks. This compact processor occupies minimum counter space yet offers major advantages: more power than other choppers, 2-speed operation, large 21-ounce capacity and several colors to choose from.

Product Features

Powerful chopper/grinder
21-ounce work bowl
2 speeds for precision processing
Patented reversible blade
Dishwasher-safe parts
Stainless steel blade with sharp and blunt edges
Spatula
Instruction/Recipe Book
Limited 18-month warranty

Ready to find out who won this week's Foodie Freebie Friday?...

Comment #45 comes from Lindsay who said...

Pumpkin praline cake!!
November 17, 2009 11:44 AM

Congratulations to Lindsay! Please email me at itsjoelen@gmail.com so I can have your new Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor sent to you!

Thanks again to all those that commented and stay tuned to the next Foodie Freebie announcement on Monday, November 30, 2009! We're taking a break for the Thanksgiving holiday! Don't feel discouraged if you haven't won yet - I have a whole year's worth of freebies ahead and next week is one that you won't want to miss!

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Roast

If there's a dish that tastes like fall, it's this one! Pork and apples are a great combination and in this recipe, pork is braised for hours in apple cider. Probably what I like best about this recipe is that its a perfect crockpot recipe!

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Roast
recipe adapted from ABC news

2 medium onions, halved and sliced
4 apples, cored and quartered (peeled, optional)
1 pork loin roast, 3 ½ - 4 pounds
Kosher salt and pepper
4-6 carrots, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces, or 20 baby carrots
1 cup new potatoes or red potatoes, quartered (1 inch pieces)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped herbs such as thyme and parsley
2 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Arrange onions and apples on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Rub pork roast with salt and pepper and place in the slow cooker on top of the onions and apples.

Place carrots and potatoes around roast. Sprinkle the roast with garlic and herbs.

Combine the cider, vinegar, ginger and brown sugar and pour alongside the roast.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Restaurant Review: Sullivan's Steakhouse

Last week, my husband and I went out on a dinner date and dined at Sullivan's Steakhouse. We were given the opportunity to check it out, compliments of the restaurant, since we've never dined there before and surprisingly, the restaurant is less than half a mile from where we live!

Sullivan's Steakhouse is a 1940's Chicago-style steakhouse offering the finest certified angus beef, select seafood, veal, pork, lamb and chicken entrees, appetizers, soups, salads and side disges (including Sullivan's renowned horseradish mashed potatoes). Sullivan's House Specialty is the 20oz. Bone-on Kansas City Strip. Desserts are made in-house and they also have an extensive wine list and complete inventory of bourbon, single malt scotch and cognac.

Our dinner started off by having the pleasure of meeting Brad Alaoui, the restaurant's general manager, and Laura was our server. Although our dinner was compliments of Brad, here's a breakdown of our meal and experience with our unbiased review..

Appetizer - Calamari
This was an appetizer that my friend had suggested. She raved about the calamari when she dined at Sullivan's (Baltimore location.) Trusting her judgement, we ordered that. Brad came by our table and shared with us that they use parmesan cheese and a touch of paprika in the batter used for the calamari. My husband *loved* the calamari and even proclaimed that it was some of the best calamari he's had. As for me, I thought it was okay. I'm not into seafood lately but managed to give some a try. The calamari was accompanied with a dipping sauce which tasted like a mixture of seafood cocktail sauce and perhaps relish? It had a nice tang and bite to it and went well with the calamari.

Husband's Order - Susan B Komen Prix Fixe Meal

We figured the meal would offer a nice sampling of dishes and support a worthy cause. He ordered:

Asparagus Bisque - We thought the chilled bisque was delicious. It was very refreshing and had a very distinct asparagus flavor. The bisque also had the additional texture from jumbo lump crab which garnished the soup and a few drops of chive oil which gave a nice subtle flavor that paired well.

Salmon Filet - It was a very generous size that was done nicely, if not slightly under done. Part of it was slightly undercooked for his taste but overall it was nicely seasoned and the lemon butter sauce offered some nice bright notes.

Crab Fried Rice - The rice was slightly mushy/moist than we expected and my husband thought some of it was cooked al dente. It was the least liked dish on his plate. I though perhaps the rice was made with some seafood stock - maybe too much - which was why the texture was slightly mushy. There wasn't much color to the fried rice and if I were to recreate this, I would have added some diced carrots, peas or maybe a melange of diced bell peppers.

Skillet Steak Mushroom Caps - These had a rich flavor and good texture - not too rubbery and nice portion amount. I believe button mushrooms were used and I wonder if using cremini would make this side dish even richer in flavor.

My Order - John L Prix Fixe Menu

Iceberg Lettuce Wedge w/Blue Cheese Dressing - This was probably one of my favorite salads. My only concern before ordering this was whether the blue cheese was pasteurized. Once I was told it was, I was thrilled and it was a great dressing. I was told it was made in house and had a nice balance of flavor. Even my husband who isn't a fan of blue cheese really enjoyed the salad.

Filet Mignon - I requested the steak to be cooked medium well and it was done nicely. There was a portion that was too pink for my taste but overall, it was succulent and lightly seasoned so that I could taste the quality and true flavor of the steak.

Asparagus & Horseradish Mashed Potatoes - These accompanied my steak and was a nice pairing. The asparagus were crisp and fresh - not overcooked and had still had a bright green color to them. The mashed potatoes were okay, but somewhat too smooth. It made me question whether they were real mashed potatoes. If so, what's their secret for making them so smooth and creamy?! The potatoes also had a nice hint of horseradish that wasn't too overpowering.

Dessert - We were served a platter for 4 specialty desserts which we enjoyed with Lavazza coffee.

Key Lime Pie - my personal favorite on the plate. Perfectly tart with a nice buttery crust

Creme Brulee - beautifully done with the vanilla bean specks clearly visible

Espresso Mocha Mousse Cake - My husband's favorite. The cake was a little dry but the mousse made up for it. Regardless, my husband loved this cake.

NY Style Cheesecake - our least favorite of the desserts. The texture was a little soft for our taste and slightly too "eggy"

Overall it was delightful evening and we enjoyed our meal. We have already shared our experience with some friends as well as informed them of the happy hour specials they offer during the week. I hope to plan a girls night out soon and take them to Sullivan's so they can try out their specialty martinis.

Sullivan's Steakhouse has quite a few locations around the country and if you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it!

This Week's Foodie Freebie: Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor

Happy Tuesday and hope everyone had a great weekend. My apologies for another delayed announcement for this week's Foodie Freebie. I'm still feeling a bit icky and had a doctor's appointment yesterday. Thankfully things are looking better and I'm starting to get some energy back... which is a good thing. I've got a huge Thanksgiving party I'm hosting and catering so I'm back in the kitchen this week whether I like it or not.

With a big cooking task ahead of me, having time management skills is key. One way to make things easy is to have some tools that will help save me some time so I can focus on more complex cooking and baking tasks. A tool that I've found super helpful in the kitchen is a mini prep food processor. It allows me to prep ingredients for dishes all throughout the year and comes in even more handy during the holidays. So this week, a lucky reader will be receiving a Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor.

The Cuisinart® Mini-Prep® Processor is the perfect kitchen helper for your small food preparation tasks. This compact processor occupies minimum counter space yet offers major advantages: more power than other choppers, 2-speed operation, large 21-ounce capacity and several colors to choose from.

Product Features

Powerful chopper/grinder
21-ounce work bowl
2 speeds for precision processing
Patented reversible blade
Dishwasher-safe parts
Stainless steel blade with sharp and blunt edges
Spatula
Instruction/Recipe Book
Limited 18-month warranty

Some guidelines:
- Giveaway is only for those who live in the United States - my apologies to my international readers!
- You must check back on my blog on Friday to see if you've won so you can claim your prize!

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment answering:

- What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?


Deadline: Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 12 midnight CST.

ONE WINNER will be randomly chosen by Random. Org's Interger Generator based on the number of your comment and will be announced on Friday, November 20, 2009. Good luck!