Whiskey Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

4 cups of fresh cranberries (one bag)
2 cups of organic sugar, pulsed in the food processor
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of whiskey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, combine cranberries, sugar and cinnamon. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for one hour. Remove from oven and pour in whiskey and stir. Allow to cool and congeal. Can be served warm or at room temperature. 

Notes:

I never liked cranberry sauce until my friend Laura Schrop shared this recipe with me. It is really tasty!

Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
8 stalks of celery, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 - 10 ounce packages of stuffing mix (I prefer Arrowhead Mills brand)
1 bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
3 to 4 cups of vegetable broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add onion and celery. Saute until they are translucent and the onion starts to brown a little bit. In a large bowl, mix the stuffing mix with the onion, celery and parsley. Start with one cup of vegetable broth and then continue to add until the stuffing is moist and just starting to stick together. You want it to be a little moist because it will dry out a bit in the oven. Place in a casserole dish, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes so that the stuffing browns on top.

Pearl Onions with Peas and Watercress

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable broth
¼ cup vegan butter
3 teaspoons fresh dill or 1 ½ teaspoons dried dill
1 ½ pound pearl onions (frozen is easiest)
2 cups peas (frozen)
½ juiced lemon
1 small bunch watercress
Salt/pepper

Directions:

Combine broth, 2 tablespoons of vegan butter, and dill. Add onions and peas and heat through. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, watercress, remaining butter and dill. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes:

Credit goes to my mom for this recipe.

Carrots with Tarragon

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots, sliced in ¼ inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
Salt

Directions:

Place carrots, butter and salt in a skillet and cover with water. Heat at medium high heat until boiling, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until carrots are soft. Toss with fresh tarragon.

Notes:

My daughter, Jaz asks for this recipe every holiday. Credit goes to my mom for this recipe.

"Sour Cream" and Onion Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes
1 tsp salt
1 medium yellow onion
1/4 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil (I prefer California Olive Ranch)
6 ounces non-dairy sour cream (Tofutti or another brand)

Directions:

Wash and cut potatoes into cubes (I leave the skin on for extra nutrients). Boil the potatoes in salted water until a fork easily pierces through. While the potatoes are boiling, chop the onion and fry in the olive oil at low-medium heat until translucent.

Drain the potatoes, add the onions/oil and sour cream. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth.

Notes:

This is the veganized version of the recipe my mother made. I made this version for her on Thanksgiving and she could not tell the difference!

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, whole, with stem trimmed and leaves removed
2 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup salt
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
Coarse salt for serving

Directions:

Bring wine, oil, salt, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, bay leaf and 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Carefully lower cauliflower into pot, reduce heat to medium and simmer, turning occasionally for 20 minutes. Transfer cauliflower to a roasting pan. Roast, turning throughout until brown all over for 30 to 40 minutes.

Transfer cauliflower to a plate and sprinkle with coarse salt.