Stuffing and Cranberries, anyone?

November 2, 2009

The Best Ever Turkey Stuffing Recipe: Serves 6-8

1 -14 ounce bag of stuffing, herb flavored or plain

1 medium onion, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

1 Granny Smith green apple

1 stick butter

1-pound sage sausage (Jimmy Dean makes a good one, sold in most grocery stores)

14 ounces chicken broth

(Dried herbs, optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large frying pan, crumble the sausage and cook over medium-high heat until lightly brown and cooked. Meanwhile in a separate frying pan, melt the stick of butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and cook until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Pour the stuffing mix into a large bowl. When the sausage is done, drain off the fat and pour the sausage into the bowl with the stuffing. Then add the onion/celery mixture, including the melted butter. Stir gently and add chicken stock to reach desired moistness, starting with at least a cup and a half. Chop the green apple into ¼ inch pieces, skin on, and add to the stuffing. If the stuffing mix was plain, add some dried herbs. A tablespoon of an Herbes de Provence mix would do, or ¾ teaspoon each of sage, rosemary, parsley and thyme. Mix well.

Pour the stuffing into a shallow baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 40 minutes and remove foil for last 10 minutes if you want to have a crunchy top. Serve with all the fixings of a great turkey dinner.

Surprisingly Spicy Cranberry Sauce

1 package fresh cranberries

1-cup sugar

1-cup water

1 medium orange

1 habanero pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, mix sugar and water and cranberries. Add ½ teaspoon orange zest and the juice of half the orange. Cook until gently boiling and most of the berries have popped. Remove from heat and let cool. Wear gloves (or immediately wash your hands well after handling) to very finely mince about ¼ of the habanero, more if you want it really spicy. The seeds are a big source of spice so you can add or remove to suit your taste. Better to start with less, you can always add more. Add the peppers to the sauce, stir well, and place into a serving bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. It gets spicier as the flavors integrate, so taste before serving and adjust as needed.

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