Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Kissed with a hint of orange juice, this sweet-tart recipe is a holiday classic.
Ingredients:
2½ cups cranberries
⅔ cup sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
Method:
1. Combine the sugar, orange juice, cinnamon, salt and cranberries in a medium saucepan along with ½ cup water. Bring up to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes until cranberries begin to burst. Let cool completely before serving.
Variations: Make this recipe your own! Feel free to substitute Grand Marnier for the orange juice; add the zest from an orange; or even add a dash or two of port.
Arugula Pesto
Stash this bright, zippy pesto in your freezer to add to the likes of pastas, soups or even grilled vegetables.
Ingredients:
4 cups arugula
1-2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 cup olive oil
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, garlic, arugula, Parmesan, and about 1 teaspoon salt and pulse to blend. With the machine running, pour in the olive oil through the food tube in a slow, steady stream and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Classic Basil Pesto
Toss it on pasta, add it to salad dressings, drizzle over heirloom tomatoes—the possibilities are endless with this classic sauce!
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh basil leaves (from about 3 large bunches)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
½ cup freshly grated Grana-style cheese
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Method:
1. Combine basil, pine nuts, cheese and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until paste forms, stopping often to push down any basil caught on the sides of the bowl. Then, with the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt, and then transfer to a small bowl.
Pear Sauce
This lovely sauce is amazing on top of freshly-baked scones, or enjoyed with your morning oatmeal.
Ingredients:
4-6 D’Anjou pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
1. Combine pears, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pears have softened, about 20 minutes.
2. Use an immersion blender to process the pear sauce until smooth. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, mash with a potato masher. (You can also transfer the cooked pear mixture to a food processor or blender to process, just make sure the pear sauce has cooled down first.)
3. Once the pear sauce has cooled down, pour into glass or plastic containers. Cover and store in the refrigerator, sauce will keep in the fridge for one week.
