POTS AND PANS CITY BLOG

Special ingredients are always part of the fun of cooking Christmas dishes.  This chutney is the perfect accompaniment to add to your Christmas dinner (perhaps instead of the traditional cranberry sauce).  It has a sweet spicy taste that also goes well with cold meat or cheese trays.

This Christmas Chutney also makes a great gift.  Add attractive ribbons or bows to the canning jars before gift-giving.

Christmas Chutney

Ingredients:

9 red plums, pitted and chopped

• 6 pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 crisp apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup rhubarb
• 4 stalks of celery
• 5 onions, sliced
• 5 tomatoes, skinned and cut into cubes
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1 TBSP. freshly ground ginger
• Rind of 1 orange, grated
• 2 TBSP. pickling spice
• 3 ¼ cups vinegar
• 2 cups sugar

Place the plums, pears, apples, rhubarb, celery, onions, tomatoes and raisins in a large pot.  Add the orange peel and ginger.  Spoon the pickling spice onto a small square of cheesecloth and tie it securely with a piece of string.  Add this spice packet to the saucepan.  Add the sugar and vinegar.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for at least two hours, until the fruits are softened.

Meanwhile, sterilize the glass canning jars and lids you will need.  Remove the chutney from the heat and remove the pickling spice packet.  Fill each jar with chutney and cover with a canning lid. 

A traditional Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner typically includes a roast turkey, but if you are not prepared for the big roasted bird then perhaps this option of a Turkey and Cranberry Pie is a better choice for you. This entrée still has the turkey and cranberry combination that the conventional meal includes, but it has a bit of a twist to it in that the turkey is in the pie. This is also a great make-ahead turkey dish that allows you to make your main course in advance.

Turkey and Cranberry Pie Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pork sausage meat
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1 TBSP. sage
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• Generous amount of salt and pepper
• Finely grated rind of 2 oranges
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger or ½ tsp. ground ginger
• 1 lb. turkey breast, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh cranberries (or 1 can cranberry sauce)

Pastry:

• 4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup shortening or lard

Glaze:

• 1 egg beaten with a small amount of milk
• 1 ¼ cups aspic jelly, made per package directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Put a large baking sheet in the oven to preheat.

Combine the sausage and ground turkey in a large bowl. Add the spices, salt and pepper, the orange rind and the ginger. Mix together well with your hands or a wooden spoon.

For the pastry, in a large bowl add the flour and salt and mix together with a fork. In a small saucepan, heat the shortening or lard with the milk and water. When just beginning to boil, remove from heat and cool slightly. With a wooden spoon, quickly stir the liquid into the flour. Stir until a very stiff dough is formed. Transfer the dough to a working area and knead until smooth. Cut off about a third of the dough for the top of the pie. Wrap this piece in plastic wrap and keep it in a warm place.

On a floured surface, roll out the large piece of dough with a rolling pin. Place the dough in a well-greased 8” springform cake pan, pressing the dough up the sides. Work the dough while it is still warm or it will start to crack and break.

Place the thin slices of turkey meat between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten with a rolling pin or the bottom of a pot until it is about 1/8” thick.

Spoon half of the sausage/ground turkey mixture into the base of the dough layered pan, pressing it into the edges. Cover this mixture with half of the turkey slices, then with the fresh cranberries (or cranberry sauce). Place the remaining turkey slices over the cranberries, then top with the remaining ground meat mixture.

Roll out the rest of the dough and cover the filling. Trim away any excess and make decorative cut-outs to place on top of the pie with any extra dough. Seal the edges of the pie with the beaten egg. Make a steam hole in the centre of the pie. Brush the remaining egg/milk mixture over the top of the pie.

Bake the pie in the oven on top of the heated baking pan for 2 hours. (Hint: Cover the top of the pie with tin foil if it starts to get too brown before baking is finished.) Place the baked pie on a wire rack to cool.

When pie is cool, make the aspic jelly according to package directions and use a funnel to funnel it into the pie. Let the pie set overnight before unmolding.

Many people believe the white meat of the turkey is the best tasting part of the bird.  If it is cooked just right, it can be succulent, juicy and very tasty.  Below are the instructions for cooking a turkey breast (when you don’t want to cook a whole turkey).

Ingredients:

• Turkey breast
• ¼ cup butter, softened, plus extra for rubbing on the skin
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 TBSP. dried sage
• 1 tsp. dried basil

In a small bowl, add the herbs and cream together with the ¼ cup of softened butter.  Gently loosen the skin on the turkey breast with a wooden spoon (try to leave the edges of the skin attached to the breast).  Insert the herb mixture under the skin.  Pat down the skin to spread the butter mixture evenly over the entire breast. 
With your fingers, rub more softened butter over the skin of the breast.  Season with salt and pepper.
Wrap the whole breast in aluminum foil and seal the edges tightly.  Place in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and bake at 350°.  The baking guidelines suggest 20 minutes per pound, or until an internal meat thermometer temperature reaches 160°.
When done, open the foil wrappings carefully to avoid burning yourself with the escaping steam.

A favourite at Thanksgiving and Christmas tables, this sweet potato casserole dish is easy to make and sure to please, especially for those with a sweet tooth. It is so good, it is almost like a dessert, but is typically served with the main meal. Ingredients:

• 4-5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into rounds
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 TBSP. melted butter
• Salt & pepper
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows
• 2 TBSP. melted butter

Preheat oven to 375? F. Place sweet potatoes in large flat (9’ X 13”) casserole/baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle salt and pepper over sweet potatoes, then top with brown sugar. Mix together lightly. Gently pour first 2 TBSP. of melted butter over all. Cover with tin foil and bake for approximately ¾ hour. Remove from oven. Test that potatoes are done (tender when pierced with a fork). Mix together marshmallows and second batch of melted butter. Remove foil from baking pan and spread marshmallows over top. Place oven on broil with rack mid-way in oven. Place potatoes back in oven and broil for 3-4 minutes, watching closely that marshmallows don’t burn but are browned and golden. Serve hot.

This oven-roasted potato dish consists of regular white potatoes and sweet potatoes.  The rosemary marries all the flavours together to create a wonderfully fragrant and tasty potato side dish.  This potato dish is great served with turkey (or other poultry), lamb or beef.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 large potatoes, cut into large chunks
• 3 large sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
• 2 onions, quartered
• 4 large carrots, cut into large chunks
• 2 TBSP. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
  3 TBSP. dried rosemary, crumbled with fingers (or you can use 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped up)

  Preheat oven to 375º.

  Arrange potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and carrots in large roasting pan.  Pour olive oil over top and sprinkle with spices.  Stir together thoroughly.

  Bake covered for ½ hour.  Remove from oven and remove cover.  Stir lightly. 

  Return to oven and bake for another 40 minutes, uncovered.

A panini can be more than just meat, cheese and vegetables thrown together and grilled.  A panini can be made into a child’s delight as well, and what child doesn’t love peanut butter and jam sandwiches—or chocolate?  Here is a fabulous panini that every kid will love—and probably most adults too!

Ingredients:

Preheat your panini press according to the manufacturer’s directions.

• 4 slices crusty bread, cut into ½ “ slices
• Peanut butter
• Fruit preserves or jam
• 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Assemble the panini sandwiches:  Spread each slice of bread with a layer of peanut butter.  On half of the bread slices, spread your favorite fruit preserves or jam.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the jam.  Top these two bread slices with the other buttered bread slices with the peanut butter on the inside.

Place the sandwiches on your panini grill, pressing down lightly, for about 2-3 minutes, or until grill marks appear on the bread.

Enjoy warm, with the ooey-gooey peanut butter, jam and chocolate chips melting into the crisped bread.

Merlot is a red wine grape that is used both to blend wines and in varietal grape wines (varietal wines are produced from a single grape variety). Wines made with the Merlot grapes are typically medium-bodies wines with hints of berry, plum or currant. These grapes have a softness and fleshiness that blends well with the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes which ripen later in the season.

The Merlot name is derived from a French word meaning ‘young blackbirds’, but it is not known whether these grapes are named because of their dark-blue color (resembling the dark birds) or for the blackbirds’ fondness for the grapes. The Merlot grape is the third most planted red grape in France, where the Merlot wine is primarily produced. It is the 5^th most planted grape in Italy, but it is also planted in California and Romania, and on in lesser amounts in Australia, Argentina, the Niagara Peninsula in Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, Slovenia and in other parts of the United States. Merlot grapes are typically planted in the cooler growing areas because they tend to ripen too early in areas that are too warm.

The Merlot grapes’ role in traditional wine blends is to add body and softness to the wines. Typical blends include Bordeaux, Graves, Medoc, Chateau Petrus, Sangiovense, Kekfrankos, Kekoporto and Kadarka.

Merlot wines have a flavor that is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but Merlot seems less distinctive and slightly more herbaceous in both taste and aroma. It has a plusher, slightly more velvety mouth-feel than Cabernet and has a lower natural acidity level. Merlot is a wine drinkers favorite, rather than a wine collectors, with many a wine drinker ordering this pleasant wine.

The plumy, fruity richness of the Merlot wines complement beef dishes well. Below is a recipe for Crock-Pot Pot Roast beef that would go pleasantly with a serving of a glass of Merlot wine. The robust, hearty meat would be complemented by the richness of the Merlot wine.

Crock-Pot Pot Roast

• 3-4 lb. chuck roast
• 2 TBSP. olive oil
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can beef bouillon
• 3 large carrots, cut into chunks
• 4 large potatoes, cut into wedges
• 3 large onions, cut into wedges
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes soy sauce
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika

Season roast with spices and sear meat in hot oil in large skillet.

Add to crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients and season with spices again.

Cook over low heat for 4-5 hours.

Mix together 2 TBSP. corn starch with small amount of water.

Add to crock pot and cook for another 15 minutes to thicken gravy.

Club sandwiches have been popular since the early 50’s when they were served in diners all over the country. The combination of succulent turkey, bacon, lettuce and tomato are a classic. Here is a grilled turkey panini based on that popular club sandwich. Take your panini creations back in history to enjoy this Grilled Turkey Club Panini.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of whole wheat bread
• 2 thin slices of turkey meat
• 2 strips of bacon, cooked
• 2 slices of tomato
• Lettuce
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 slices Swiss cheese

Sauce:

• ½ cup Italian dressing
• 1 TBSP. prepared mustard
• 1 TBSP. Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Preheat your panini press according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Prepare sauce by placing all sauce ingredients into a bowl and mixing together well with a whisk.

Assemble the panini by layering the turkey, bacon and cheese between the bread slices. Brush both sides of the outside of the bread with the sauce. Grill on your panini press with the lid down until the bread is golden and toasted. (At this point, this is almost like a grilled cheese sandwich.) Remove the panini from the grill. Open it up and add the lettuce, onion and tomato. Close up the sandwich again and enjoy!

Pinot Noir is a red wine associated with the Burgundy Region in France. The Pinot Noir grape comes from the French words for ‘pine’ and ‘black’ which refers to the way the grape grows in dark, tightly clustered pinecone-shaped bunches. This variety of grape is difficult to grow, and also is difficult to ferment. The Pinot Noir grape, however, can produce great wines which age very well and that develop more floral flavors as they age. These wines often peak at about 5-8 years after vintage.

Because the Pinot Noir wine grape is so difficult to work with, many of the wines produced tend to be in smaller quantities, which make them relatively expensive. There are some cheaper examples available, however, as progress is being made in growing the grape in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, the Okanogan Valley in British Columbia, in New Zealand and in California.

The Pinot wines are among the most popular in the world today. The Pinot Noir wine has a medium to full bodied flavor to it that does not seem heavy. It is strongly perfumed with a sweet edge—a fruity aroma almost like that of black cherry, raspberry or currant. It is also often commonly described as having a spiciness that suggest cinnamon, sassafras or mint, with a ripe tomato, mushroom or barnyard impression. It is high in alcohol, but not really acidic or tannic. It has an appealing soft, velvety texture, almost silky as it caresses the palate.

Because of its spiciness and velvety impression, Pinot Noir goes well with any dish that features mushrooms as a main element in it and with foods that are simple and rich, such as those found in classic French cooking. It should not, however, be paired with anything too spicy which may mask the delicate flavors of the wine and may accentuate the strong taste of alcohol.

Below is a recipe for Beef Stroganoff that would pair well with Pinot Noir wine. It has the elements of rich, brothy gravy made with sour cream, with the added taste of mushrooms that would complement the full-bodied ‘mushroom-like’ quality of the wine.

Beef Stroganoff

• 1-1 ½ lb. ½’ thick sirloin steak
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 lb. portabella mushrooms, sliced ¼” thick, stems removed
• 1 TBSP. butter
• 1 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pkg. dry beef bouillon
• ½ tsp. each: salt, pepper, garlic powder
• 1 cup sour cream

Cut steak into strips.

Heat oil and butter together over med-high heat in large skillet. Add onions and sauté until golden. Add steak strips and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Brown steak strips on each side. Add mushrooms and stir in beef bouillon. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Stir in sour cream. Heat through until it just simmers.

Serve over hot rice or buttered noodles, with fresh bread for dipping in the sauce, and complement with Pinot Noir.

This is a more traditional panini sandwich using roast beef and cheese, grilled to perfection. The added excitement in this sandwich is that it is served with a dipping sauce (or juice) to add extra flavor. The combination of the crisped grilled panini sandwich and the velvety beef juice is a comforting delight to the palate.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP. butter
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 1 ½ TBSP. flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• Salt and pepper
• Hot sauce (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 French baguette
• ½ lb. roast beef slices
• ¼ lb. sliced Swiss cheese
• 1 TBSP. mayonnaise

To make the dipping sauce: Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent (about 3 minutes). Stir in the flour and cook for another minute. Add the beef broth all at once and stir vigorously. Add the hot sauce (if using), the Worcestershire sauce and the spices. Stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat.

Preheat your panini press according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Assemble the panini sandwich. Cut the baguette into 4 portions and then slice those portions in half lengthwise. Spread the mayonnaise on half of the slices. In a bowl, add the roast beef slices with about half of the sauce and make sure the beef is covered in sauce. Add this beef on top of each of the sandwich slices spread with mayonnaise. Add the cheese on top of this and put the other half of the bread over all of this.

Grill the sandwiches on your panini press until grill marks appear on the bread and the bread is toasted to the desired doneness. Serve the grilled roast beef panini sandwiches with the remainder of the sauce on the side, for dipping.