Hot Dish Review

Sadly, we didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Florida this year. It’s much more enjoyable having turkey, dressing, and this awesome dessert while wearing shorts and a T-shirt!

Me and the Bunny made our third visit to my parents’ place in Crystal River, Florida for Thanksgiving, feasting on roasted turkey, cornbread dressing, green beans (canned from their garden, of course), and my Mom’s homemade cranberry relish.

Then there are the sweet potatoes, frozen manufactured patties which we cut up and top with a few pecans and sugar-free maple syrup. I add marshmallows to a section for myself and my Dad. It’s the one anomaly in an otherwise healthy version of the traditional holiday meal. I top my green beans with Durkee Fried Onions to trash ‘em up a bit.

And I bought this superb bottle of red zin (2007 Liar’s Dice) from Murphy Goode, the winery where Atlanta’s very own Hardy Wallace landed that sweet job. We ate like escaped prisoners on a Carnival Cruise!

Then we did the unthinkable….we put on our bikinis (a horrific thought even for the skinniest chick) and went to the pool where I proceeded to get bitten over 100 times by no-see-ums. Yes, they do exist, and in fact, I could see ‘em. The next day I was covered with itchy bites to the extent that I thought I might have chicken pox. Happy Thanksgiving.

We rarely have room for dessert after consuming four helpings of turkey and all the fixin’s, but after a few hours we are ready for something sweet (but not cloyingly so). This recipe has become somewhat of a tradition for us. It’s a great apple cranberry crisp adapted from an Andrew Weil recipe and another similar one from a Prevention magazine.

So here’s the recipe! It’s a bit confusing because many of the ingredients are duplicated for the filling and the crumble topping so it’s best to be sober when you make it.

APPLE CRANBERRY CRISP

For the Filling

3 Cups apples, quartered and sliced thin (about 1/8″)
1 Cup fresh cranberries
1 tblsp. lemon juice
2 tblsp. Triple Sec
1 tblsp. agave nectar
1 tblsp. flour
1/4 Cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

For the Crumble Topping

3/4 Cup uncooked 1-minute oats
2 tsp. ground flaxseed
1/4 Cup light brown sugar
1/4 Cup agave nectar
1/4 Cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 tblsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 X 9 glass casserole with oil. Combine dry ingredients for topping and set aside.

Mix all ingredients in the filling and spoon evenly into casserole dish. Add the oil and agave nectar to topping, mixing until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, then spread it over the fruit.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes covered, then 30 minutes uncovered, or until brown and bubbly.

Let cool and serve in individual bowls, topped with whipped cream. Makes about 6 servings. Now pour yourself a nice glass of that zin and enjoy!

Having recently had a little “procedure”, I’ve been stuck at the homestead all week, full of hydrocodone. Since my plum puff pastry project was such a success with the help of some valium I thought this would be a good time to roast some butternut squash and apples.

I had purchased pre-cut butternut squash at Trader Joe’s, having heard that cutting it was a perilous task. JJ, one of my colleagues, had made this recipe with pumpkin pie spice and it looked delicious! I made my own bastardized version with the addition of some onions and a few savory spices.

My kitchen smelled great and the flavor was subtly sweet and a bit spicy….the perfect Fall side dish! Here is my impromptu recipe:

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLES

1 18 oz. container of cut up butternut squash
(note: I cut the pieces a bit smaller)
2 large apples, cut into cubes
1/2 cup Vidalia onion cut into large pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
cinnamon
red pepper
curry powder
fresh black pepper
allspice

Toss the cut squash, apples and onion with oil in a shallow glass baking dish. Add spices to taste (I used only a dash of the curry) and roast for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I thought the texture of the apples didn’t quite hold up to that of the squash, might add them halfway through baking next time. This could be great with turkey for Thanksgiving with some dried cranberries and pecans tossed on top….yum!