Orange Walnut Salad

I served this salad at Thanksgiving this year, and it was delicious! For a special salad, a great rule of thumb is start with a base of excellent, organic greens and serve with a fruit, nut, and cheese that compliment each other. For this salad, I used oranges, walnuts, and sharp cheddar. You might try cranberries, pecans, and chevre (or other soft goat cheese). Another favorite combination is pears, pecans, and smoked Gouda. Let your imagine run wild! Then pair it with a homemade vinaigrette that enhances the flavors you've chosen for your salad. With this salad, I used orange champagne vinegar to compliment the oranges in the salad. The basic rule of thumb for vinaigrette is Dijon mustard mixed with a 3 to 1 ration of oil to vinegar (or as much as a 5 to 1 ratio). Follow the directions below for making a vinaigrette from any kind of vinegar.

Salad
baby romaine or spring mix, pre-washed and ready-to-serve
1 bag candied walnuts (from Trader Joe's)
4 oz. Organic Valley sharp cheddar cheese, cut into chunks
2 oranges, peeled and cut into slices
Orange Champagne Vinaigrette (see recipe below).

Combine all ingredients in large salad bowl. Toss with vinaigrette.

Orange Champagne Vinaigrette
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbls Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar
3 to 5 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

1. Dip tines of fork into Dijon mustard (should be about 1/2 tsp). In a small, shallow bowl, whisk vinegar and mustard together until combined.
3. Slowly pour oil into the mustard and vinegar mixture, constantly whisking the oil with the fork as you pour into order to emulsify the oil. This method makes a creamy, thickened dressing but you must take care to add the oil very slowly in a very thin stream.

Roasted Yam Halves

From Martha Stewart Living
Prep Time: 5 min. Total Time: 55 min.
Serves 4

This is a quick and delicious way to prepare yams or sweet potatoes.*

2 yams or sweet potatoes (about 1 pound each)
2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbls finely chopped fresh thume
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve yams and place, cut side up, in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and very tender, 35 to 45 minutes.

*A word about ingredients: Yams and sweet potatoes both have a much lower glycemic index than regular potatoes. Translation: they do not cause your blood sugar to spike as much as regular potatoes. Glycemic index of potatoes. Yams - 37; Sweet Potatoes - 59; white mashed potatoes - 70; baked potatoes - 85; french fries - 75. For comparison, sucrose is 64. So yes, America, potatoes have a higher glycemic index than table sugar!!

Warm Brussles Sprouts with Apples and Red Onion

Serves 6-8
Adapted from a recipe my sister Katie Dunn gave me. We loved it as a side-dish at Christmas. Great anytime for a fall or winter side-dish. Try with roasted meats or as a side to Apple Chicken Spiced Sausage available at Giant under the Nature's Promise brand.

2 slices applewood smoked bacon (no nitrates, available at Giant or Whole Foods)
2 cups diced and peeled Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbls cider vinegar
3 cups Brussels Sprouts, cut into quarters
1 tsp stone-ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Cook bacon in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add apple, onion, and garlic to drippings in pan; saute for 5 min or until lightly browned. Add 1 tablespoon water and vinegar to the pan, scraping to loosen browned bits.
2. Meanwhile, steam Brussels sprouts in a separate pan with a few tablespoons of water until almost fork tender.
3. Add Brussels sprouts to pan with apples and cook, stirring frequently, until tender (1-2 minutes). Stir in mustard, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with bacon.

Cornbread-Sausage Stuffing with Apples

From The Silver Palate
Serves 12

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) sweet butter
2 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onions
3 tart apples, cored and chunked; do not peel
1 pound lightly seasoned bulk sausage (breakfast sausage with sage is best)
9 cups gluten-free cornbread cut into small cubes and dried on the counter overnight (regular cornbread works, too)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 1/2 cup shelled pecan halves

1. Melt half of the butter in a skillet. Add chopped onions and cook over medium heat, partially covered, until tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes. Transfer onions and butter to a large mixing bowl.
2. Melt remaining butter in the same skillet. Add apple chunks and cook over high heat until lightly colored but not mushy. Transfer apples and butter to the mixing bowl.
3. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to the mixing bowl and reserve the rendered fat.
4. Add remaining ingredients to the ingredients in the mixing bowl and combine gently. Cool completely before stuffing the bird; refrigerate if not used promptly.
5. If you do not wish actually to stuff the bird, spoon it into a casserole. Cover casserole and set into a large pan. Pour hot water around the casserole to come halfway up the sides. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 325 F, basting occasionally with cooking juices from the bird or with the reserved sausage fat if necessary.

Cornbread

Serves 6
Double recipe if making cornbread for Cornbread-Sausage Stuffing with Apples.

1-1/4 cup Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar or honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten (for fluffier muffins use two eggs)
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Muffins: Mix all ingredients together and fill greased muffin tin 3/4 full. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes.

Corn bread: Follow directions above, using two eggs. Pour into a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole

Serves 6
I created this recipe to replace the traditional green bean casserole with organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, chemical-free ingredients. A delicious organic potato leek soup adds creaminess, and almonds add a delightful crunch on top. Just as easy to make as the original!

1 1/2 lbs frozen green beans*
16 oz. Imagine Organics Potato Leek soup
1 onion, sliced
butter or olive oil
salt & pepper
6 oz. sliced almonds

1. Steam green beans or heat in a shallow pan of water until beans are bright green and heated through (you only need to bring the beans to a boil for about 1 minute and then remove from the heat). Drain beans and place in casserole dish.
2. Meanwhile, saute onions in 2 Tbls butter or olive oil until soft and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add to casserole with green beans.
3. Pour Potato Leek soup into casserole over beans and onions. Stir in salt & pepper to taste. Cook in a 350 oven until hot and bubbly (about 1/2 hour). Top with sliced almonds and return to oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

* A word about ingedients: I absolutely love Trader Joe's frozen green beans. They are thin and delicious. Yum!

Creamed Swiss Chard

Serves 12
From Martha Stewart Living

6 Tbls unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
3 to 4 large bunches Swiss chard, stems cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups), and leaves cut into 3/4-inch strips, then halved (18 cups)
6 Tbls all-purpose or rice flour
2 3/4 cups whole organic milk (NOT ultra-pasteurized)*
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 3/4 tsp coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream*

1. Melt 2 Tbls butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add chard stems; cook, stirring occasionally, until stems begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Stir in half of the chard leaves and 2 Tbls water; cook, stirring occasionally until very tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; cover. Add remaining chard leaves and 2 Tbls water to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 15 minutes. Stir into bowl.
2. Melt remaining 4 Tbls butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour, stirring to avoid forming lumps. Gradually whisk in milk and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium; bring to just below a boil, stirring occasionally; cook 2 minutes more, whisking constantly. Whisk in cream. Pour into chard mixture; stir to combine. Serve immediately.

*A word about ingredients: This recipe requires you to heat milk, which is not the ideal way to consume dairy ingredients. Dairy is best consumed raw. However, the occasional indulgence of cooked dairy isn't going to kill you! Also, the fact that this dish includes a dark, leafy green (chard), which is packed with tons of nutrients, offsets the damaged dairy in my mind. You might want to take some probiotics after consuming cooked dairy to help your system digest it.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Apples

Serves 6
From Martha Stewart Living

4 large sweet potatoes, pierced with the times of a fork
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbls heavy cream
1/2 cup organic, unsweetened applesauce*
2 tsp grated fresh peeled ginger
1 tsp coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 granny smith apples (1 pound), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Tbls sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375. Arrange potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake until tender, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand until cool enough to handle.
2. Cut each potato lengthwise. Scoop flesh into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted wit the paddle attachment; discard skins. Add 2 Tbls butter and the cream; mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in applesauce and ginger; season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer potato mixture to an ovenproof dish. Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, toss apples with sugar in a bowl. Melt remaining 2 Tbls butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are golden and caramelized, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove potato mixture from oven; top with caramelized apples, and serve.

Cranberry-Orange Relish

Makes about 2 1/2 cups
From Martha Stewart Living

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 large fresh jalapena chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 blood or navel oranges, peel and pith removed, flesh separated into segments, juice reserved
2 Tbls fresh lime juice
2 tsp grated fresh peeled ginger
1/2 cup sugar*
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4 dice
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Pulse cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in onion, jalapeno, orange sections and juice, lime juice, ginger, sugar, and celery. Refrigerate 1 hour (up to 2 days). Before serving, stir in mint and pecans.

*Another not-really-low-in-sugar recipe, but the cranberries do need some sweetening! The fresh ingredients in this recipe will outshine that canned cranberry stuff any day.

Carrots with Ginger and Honey

Serves 8 to 10
From Martha Stewart Living

Coarse salt
6 bunches baby carrots or halved thin regular carrots (about 2 pounds), peeled and trimmed
2 Tbls unsalted butter
2 pieces (2 inches) peeled fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
3 Tbls honey

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots. Reduce heat, and simmer until almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain. Carrots can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add carrots, honey, and 1/2 tsp. salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are glazed, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.