Spinach Salad With Cranberry Vinaigrette, Walnut Praline And Blue Cheese

Spinach Salad With Cranberry Vinaigrette,

Walnut Praline, And Blue Cheese

I buy an extra bag or two of cranberries when they are in season for my freezer to have on hand for use in recipes throughout the year.

Ingredients:

Spicy Walnut Praline:

1 cup lightly toasted walnuts, finely chopped 

1 tsp.. salt 
1/4 tsp.. cayenne or to taste 
1/2 cup sugar 
2 - 6 oz.. bags baby spinach 
1/2 cup dried cranberries 
1 cup Danish blue cheese, crumbled 
Cranberry Vinaigrette: 
1/2 cup fresh cranberries 
3 T.. raspberry vinegar 
1 clove garlic, peeled 
1 tsp.. minced shallots 
1/2 tsp.. Dijon mustard 
1/4 cup Cranberry juice cocktail 
3 T. walnut or olive oil 
1 T. honey 
3 leaves fresh mint 
1/3 cup vegetable oil 
Salt to taste 
Directions:

For Walnut Praline, toss together walnuts, salt and cayenne. In a dry  small heavy nonstick skillet cook sugar over medium heat , without stirring, swirling pan until golden. Add walnut mixture and stir to coat nuts with caramel. Spoon praline onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cool. When cool, transfer to a cutting board and chop. Keeps 3 days.

For vinaigrette, place cranberries, vinegar, garlic, shallots and mustard in food processor blender and pulse several times to coarsely chop. Add the cranberry juice, walnut or olive oil, honey and mint; blend until thin and smooth. With machine running slowly all vegetable oil in a steady thin stream and blend to form a slightly thickened and emulsified dressing. Season with salt.. 

Place spinach and dried cranberries in a large salad bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat th e leaves well. Divide salad among serving plates and sprinkle with walnuts and blue cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

Brie Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie

Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie

Ingredients
Cranberry Sauce
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch sea salt

Instructions
To make the cranberry sauce: in a medium pot, bring the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Boil 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries burst and the sauce becomes jammy.

Brie
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 8-12 ounce wheel of brie cheese
2/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
1 egg, beaten
coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Lay the puff pastry flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the brie in the center of the pastry and remove a little of the rind from the top of the brie. I leave the rind on the bottom and sides intact. Spread the cranberry sauce over top and then sprinkle over the pecans. Fold the corners of the pastry over the brie. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown.

Eat and enjoy with your favorite bread or crackers...or just with a spoon.

Holiday Cranberry Salad ~ Lazarus Dept. Store Restaurant Recipe

Holiday Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:

Yield 25 to 30 servings

1 14 to 16 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained, reserve 

   juices

1 5 oz. box raspberry flavored gelatin

2 pounds fresh cranberries, crushed in food processor

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup pecans, halves or pieces

Directions:

In a mixing bowl combine water and juices, add gelatin and sugar.  Stir until thoroughly dissolved.  Add chopped cranberries and pecans.  Refrigerate until firm.

 

Cranberry Salsa Crostini

Cranberry Salsa Crostini

Makes 2.5 cups of salsa

Looking for a fast and festive appetizer? This Cranberry Salsa Crostini is just the answer! It's delicious and a cinch to assemble. It takes advantage of an often stereotyped, seasonal fruit and presents it in a new way. Try this during Thanksgiving week, and maybe a few more times throughout the upcoming holiday season.

Ingredients:
1 bag (12oz) fresh cranberries
2 jalapeños, seeded and coarsely sliced
4-6 scallions, green and white parts, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped, packed
1 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar, more to taste, as desired
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Directions:
Homemade Crostini:

Slice a baguette into 1/4” slices, brush each slice with olive oil on both sides and bake (turning once) at 375°F until golden brown - about 5-7 minutes per side.

To Serve:

16 oz. cream cheese (two pkgs.)

Rinse the fresh cranberries in a colander. Pick out any bruised or withered berries. Towel dry the cranberries and place into the work bowl of a food processor.

Cut off the stem end of the jalapeño peppers, halve, remove the seeds, and any rib membranes. Coarsely chop the peppers and add to the cranberries. Prep the scallions by washing and trimming away the root end. Roughly slice the scallions including about 6 inches of the onion’s green portion. Add the scallions to the food processor.

Rinse the cilantro well and pat dry. Remove any coarse stems of the cilantro, but it’s perfectly fine to include the tender portion of the stems in this salsa. (Not having to stem the cilantro will save a lot of time!) Add the cilantro to the food processor.

Add the remaining ingredients: lime juice, salt, sugar, and cumin.

Pulse the mixture in the food processor stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Chop until all of the ingredients are finely chopped, but not pureed.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl for refrigerator storage. Chill for at least one hour. As the salsa chills, the sugar will promote the release of the cranberries’ juices. It will turn a lovely deep red – a dazzling color for any holiday table all season long. Stays fresh for up to 3 days -- a great do-ahead dish!