Fresh Cranberry Relish

1 bag fresh cranberries 

1 Granny Smith Apple 

1 Gala Apple 

1 small can crushed pineapple (drained) 

1 small can Mandarin orange segments (drained) 

2 - 4 Tbsp. cup orange juice 

handful chopped walnuts, optional 

sugar or honey to taste, optional 

Core apples and chop with cranberries in food processor and put in large bowl.  

Add orange juice, crushed pineapple, Mandarin oranges segments, and chopped walnuts.  

Sprinkle with sugar or honey and mix, taste, and add more sugar to taste chill.  

*As you can see, I pulse everything together in the blender then add roasted chopped walnuts.

Roasted Garlic Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Recipe and picture source:
http://ourbestbites.com/2013/11/roasted-garlic-chipotle-sweet-potatoes/

Here is the recipe for the savory mashed sweet potatoes I made at Thanksgiving. The recipe makes a lot, so unless it is for a gathering I recommend halving the recipe.

Roasted Garlic Chipotle Sweet Potatoes
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

5 pounds fresh sweet potatoes
2 heads garlic
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
Buttermilk (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
Adobo sauce from chipotle chilies (and some chilies if you want some extra heat)
kosher salt, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 425. Cut the tops off the bulbs of garlic. Tear a sheet of aluminum foil big enough to tightly wrap both the bulbs of garlic and place them, cut side up, on top of the foil and drizzle each of them with about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Wrap tightly with foil and place them, cut side up, into the heated oven. Roast the garlic for about 45 minutes. If you happen to have the oven going for other Thanksgiving-y things, just pop these in with them; if the temperature is lower, you’ll just have to extend the roasting time to about an hour. Just keep an eye (and a nose) on things; when it smells amazing and the garlic is soft, it’s ready.

As the garlic is finishing up, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into pieces that are roughly the same size. Boil the sweet potatoes until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain, then transfer to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

When the garlic is done roasting, unwrap it and allow it to cool for a few minutes and then carefully squeeze it into the sweet potatoes, picking out any of the skins. Add 4 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and about 2-3 tablespoons of adobo sauce. With the wire whip attachment (or with a handheld electric mixer), mix until the potatoes break down and the butter melts. Test and add salt and adobo sauce to taste; I’d give specific measurements here, but this is going to be largely personal–some of you may end up adding all the adobo sauce or even a chili or two whereas for others, 2-3 tablespoons will be plenty (it will add a nice, smokey flavor and a tiny, tiny bit of spice).

When the seasonings are about right, add enough buttermilk to reach the desired consistency. Again, this will be super personal; some people like their whipped potatoes smooth as silk and other others like them lumpy. When you have the consistency you want, taste them again for salt and spiciness and add more adobo sauce and/or salt taste.

Serve immediately or transfer  to a baking dish and cover with foil for up to 2-3 days. When you’re ready to serve them, pop them (covered) into an oven heated to 425 degrees for about 1/2 hour. Or you could zap them in the microwave, but I’m not sure how long.

Serve with holiday meals or as a side dish for sandwiches, steaks, or roasts. Makes 12-14 servings.

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Fresh Peach Pie

*I first had this at Phillips' cabin when I was a teenager.  It stood out in my mind as being amazing so I was excited to find it in the West Side Cookbook.  When I had a bunch of fresh Brigham City peaches, I made it (and other recipes) to make sure I still loved it.  I did.  We did :)

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 TB cornstarch
2 TB lemon juice (from a lemon or bottled)
dash salt
4 TB butter
(Red food coloring, opt.)

graham cracker crumbs
1 baked pie shell

Directions:

Combine top 6 ingredients and cook until thickened.  (Add food coloring if desired.)  Cool.  Slice peaches and add to cooled mixture.  Sprinkle cracker crumbs lightly in bottom of pie shell.  Add filling and chill.  Serve with whipped cream.

This pie has a buttery, lemony flavor.  Mmmmm.  Since I can't have gluten right now, I made this into a crisp instead of a pie with a gluten-free oatmeal crisp topping.  It was very good.  Filling is also good over ice cream or mixed into ice cream as a shake.

Green Bean Casserole

modified from Paula Deen

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html

· 6 T. butter
· 2 cups diced onions
· 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
· 2-16 oz bags frozen green beans (French or regular) OR 8 cups sliced fresh green beans
· 12 cups chicken broth, optional
· 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
· 1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings (I use up to 4.5 oz)
· 1/2 tsp (or to taste) House Seasoning, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth or water for 10 minutes and drain (or just cook as directed on bag). Add the green beans, mushroom soup, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the French-fried onion rings and bake for 5-10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Note: I was asked to bring Green Bean Casserole to the Hansen Thanksgiving Dinner last year, and I am not a fan of the traditional Green Bean Casserole! So, I found and modified a recipe more to my liking--light on cream soup with added onions and mushrooms. I was asked to bring this to every other family meal for the rest of the winter--they loved it! And I like it, too. :)

Sweet Potatoes

3 c. cooked mashed yams
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together

Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter (softened)
1 c. chopped pecans

Mix together, and put on top of sweet potato mixture
Bake @ 375 degrees for 30 minutes