Almost-Famous Cranberry Walnut Relish

This recipe, courtesy of the Food Network Magazine, was thoroughly enjoyed on Thanksgiving, spread over the turkey, and is equally enjoyed by my wife who is topping everything she eats with the left overs. This was the first dish I've ever made where I was able to literally throw every ingredient into the saucepan all at once and have an incredible cranberry orange walnut recipe in about 9 minutes. Try it - you'll never go back!

Serves 6-8 (unless you have a cranberry sauce lover - then it'll serve 3-4)

INGREDIENTS:
1 orange
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 8 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnut pieces

DIRECTIONS:
Finely grate the zest of half the orange into a medium saucepan, then squeeze in all of the juice. Add the cranberries, sugar and walnuts and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the cranberries begin to pop - about 9-10 minutes.

Let cool.

Peas with Shallots and Pancetta

We had Thanksgiving dinner over my daughter's new home and I cooked up a couple of sides. One of which was this dish which was fast and delicious - a big hit with the fam! The recipe is from Bobby Flay and the Food Network. Since Thanksgiving, we've added the leftovers to pasta, which has been outstanding. ENJOY!

Serves  4


INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil ( I used organic garlic-flavored evoo)
1/2 pound pancetta, diced. (I purchased pre-diced pancetta from Trader Joe's. Saved some time.)
3 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 pound frozen peas, thawed

DIRECTIONS:Heat the oil in a large high-sided sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown and the fat has rendered. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add the shallots and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook until soft. Add the peas and cook until warmed through. Transfer to a large bowl and top with the crisp pancetta.

Pears in Port Wine

This is one yummy dessert! I got the recipe from Maya Angelou. I served it with Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond ice cream. I cut up the pear, added the ice cream, and dabbled some of the reduced liquid over the ice cream. It's so easy to adjust the number of servings with this recipe. One pear is one serving. You can add as many pears as will comfortably fit in your saucepan. The sauce need not be adjusted at all. ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS
4  ripe, firm pears (to serve 4)
3  cups ruby port wine
1/4 cup sugar
2  cups water
1  jigger (3 tablespoons) Cointreau
2  teaspoons vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Peel the pears, but leave them whole. With the stem end intact, cut off a thin slice at the bottom so that the pears can stand upright (not in the saucepan, but in the serving dish).
In a nonreactive saucepan, bring the port, sugar, and 2 cups of water to a boil.
Place the whole pears in the liquid, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for about 35 minutes, turning the pears occasionally, until they are tender. Remove pears with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Increase the heat under the saucepan and reduce the liquid by half by boiling vigorously for 20 minutes to a medium-thick syrup. Add Cointreau and vanilla extract. Place pears upright in a serving dish and spoon the reduced syrup over them. Chill for at least two hours before serving.
Add vanilla ice cream if you wish.