Shaping Up Holiday Side Dishes

by: ARA

(ARA) - If dinner rolls and bread are usually guests at your holiday table, you can save a step and impress your guests by substituting savory stuffing loaves, muffins or balls. Molded stuffing is a tempting two-in-one side dish that is easy, too, since convenient packaged stuffing mix is the perfect foundation from which to start your adventure.

Wowing your guests this way isn’t a new idea, but rather based on a very old, tried-and-true one. The archives that span 60 years of recipes from Mrs. Cubbison’s Foods are full of stuffing balls, loaves and muffins from the early days when the company began publishing its recipes for home cooks. The company was started in the early 1900s by the late Sophie Cubbison -- an outstanding cook who invented packaged stuffing mix.

“Although these recipes take just minutes to make, because they are so interesting looking and tasting and different than what we traditionally serve today, they are showstoppers that draw ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from guests around the holiday table,” said Leo Pearlstein, a longtime friend of Sophie Cubbison, who now serves on the company’s board of directors.

Convenience is important for today’s cooks who want to emulate antique recipes to the delight of their holiday guests, but who don’t have time to slave over a hot stove. There has been a boon in sales of packaged homemade-style croutons in recent years from popular companies like Mrs. Cubbison’s Foods (prepared from freshly baked bread that is lightly toasted and perfectly seasoned, they are based on recipes invented by Sophie Cubbison in the early 1900s).

Our holiday side dish soiree includes stuffing muffin, loaf and ball recipes from Mrs. Cubbison’s Foods archives dating from the 1950s followed by a distinctive salad recipe:

Fig Stuffing Loaves

2 (6-ounce) bags of Seasoned Cornbread Stuffin’

1 cup melted butter or margarine

1 cup chopped celery, including leaves

1 orange, chopped, including peel (seeds removed)

1 cup chopped dried figs

2 eggs, well beaten

1 cup milk

Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended. Pack mixture into 8 small (4 1/2 by 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch) greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Unmold and serve.

Yields 8 single-serving loaves.

Pumpkin Dressing Balls

1 (6-ounce) bag of Seasoned Dressing

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

1 cup mashed fresh or canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon allspice

3/4 cups water

6 to 8 walnut halves

In a large bowl, combine stuffing mix with melted butter or margarine. In a separate small bowl, blend pumpkin with allspice. Add pumpkin mixture to stuffing, reserving about 2 tablespoons for garnish. Blend in water, mixing well, but lightly. Shape dressing into 6 or 8 balls and place in greased casserole. Top each with about a teaspoon of reserved pumpkin and place a walnut half in center of each. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until firm.

Yields 6 to 8 dressing balls.

Apricot Stuffing Muffins

1 (6-ounce) bag of Seasoned Cornbread Stuffin’

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

3 eggs, well beaten

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup crumbled crisp bacon

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

In a large bowl, combine stuffing mix with melted butter or margarine, eggs, broth, bacon and 1/2 cup of the chopped apricots. Spoon mixture into 12 greased muffin cups. Top each muffin with a sprinkling of the remainder of chopped apricots. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm. Cover muffins with aluminum foil if chopped figs on top brown too quickly.

Yields 12 stuffing muffins.

Spicy Cranberry Salad with Feta Crust

1 (6-ounce) box of garlic-flavored croutons

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup feta cheese

3 cups mixed greens

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped Granny Smith apple, with peel

Italian salad dressing, to taste (approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Finely crush croutons. In a medium bowl, add croutons, olive oil and feta cheese. Combine well. Divide into six portions. Take each portion and mold as crusts into six individual small salad bowls. In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, dried cranberries, celery, apple and Italian dressing. Mix well. Place greens mixture in each salad bowl, slightly pressing greens into crust.

Yields 6 servings.

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Wine: A Worthy Teammate for Football

Wine: A Worthy Teammate for Football

by: ARA
(ARA) - Football and beer go together like baseball and hotdogs, but what about football and wine? Traditionally, wine has been benched on Sundays. But if you prefer to serve your guests something a step up from a can of suds, a nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon on a chilly, fall afternoon can score a touchdown with your friends.

Kim Caffrey, football fanatic and senior wine educator at Beringer Vineyards, shares her winning strategy for scoring big with wine on football Sunday:

Evaluate your Players

First, look at the wines available to you and what each one has to offer. Some traditional favorites are Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is a versatile white wine that combines both citrus and ripe pear flavors with a soft, rounded body and hints of spice that make it a good match-up for a variety of foods. Merlot, a popular pick, has a good fruit pop with silky raspberry and black cherry flavors that make it a great all-purpose player. Cabernet Sauvignon is the linebacker on this team, with a big, bold taste that can stand up to the spicy, rich flavors of football snacks. But don’t forget about “the ringer,” something no one will expect but that is sure to win applause, like the Shiraz-Cabernet from Stone Cellars by Beringer. This team-up of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon has the deep, black fruit flavors of Cabernet combined with a kick of spice and red currant from the Shiraz -- it’ll be a favorite for Sunday afternoons.

Select your lineup

Second, you need to look at the food you will be serving and select wines that will support the team well. The flavors of the food and the wine should interact together, not overpower each other. Don’t worry if you have Buffalo wings and nachos on the menu, there are wines that will still pair nicely. Wines with good fruit flavors, soft tannins, and a medium-weight body are very versatile and can pair with a variety foods. The rich sauce and spiciness of the buffalo wings would play well with something like a Cabernet Sauvignon or the Shiraz-Cabernet mentioned above. I also suggest expanding the menu for a variety of different foods that complement wine. For example, there are lots of fun dips that are delicious and easy, such as a spinach and mushroom puff pastry footballs with a Merlot or a cheesy crab dip with a Chardonnay.

Make the necessary plays

Once you have your wines and foods selected, the last step is the seamless execution of the two for a crowd-pleasing victory. When determining how much wine to buy, figure that there are five glasses to a bottle. For football parties, I recommend easy magnum-sized bottles, which are double the regular size (ten glasses per bottle). Come on, it’s football -- a game where big always means better. And a magnum-size wine bottle is made to last through the game.

Kim Caffrey’s Favorite Football Party Recipes

Spinach & Mushroom Puff Pastry Footballs Pair with Stone Cellars Merlot

Makes 18 appetizers:

1/2 pound mushrooms, finely chopped

1 large shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 ounces fresh Chevre goat cheese

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon

3 tablespoon olive oil

5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, chopped and drained

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

One package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

One egg, slightly beaten

In large skillet over medium heat, saute onions and shallots in olive oil until slightly tender. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute until very tender (approximately 10 minutes), stirring regularly. Add spinach, crumbled goat cheese, tarragon, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Incorporate goat cheese and spinach well. Remove from heat.

On lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry sheet into a 12 inch by 12 inch square. Cut into nine 3 inch by 3 inch squares and glaze edges with egg. Place a heaping teaspoon of the mushroom/spinach mixture in center of each square. Fold each square in half diagonally forming a "football" triangle shape. Place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, seal edges with a fork and glaze tops with egg. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes in 400 degree oven. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve, or freeze and reheat at 350 F as needed.

Crab and Artichoke Dip Pair with Stone Cellars Chardonnay

1 onion, chopped

1 package of frozen artichoke hearts

2 tablespoons garlic

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup of parmesan

2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound of crabmeat

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil an 11-inch gratin or other shallow baking dish.

Cook artichoke hearts according to package instructions, then drain well and finely chop. In a heavy skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and golden. Stir in artichokes and transfer mixture to bowl.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour to create a roux, stirring until a light brown hue develops, approximately 3 minutes. Add half-and-half, constantly whisking until it thickens and slightly boils. Reduce heat and simmer, continuing to whisk for about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in artichoke mixture, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and crabmeat. Place mixture in baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Dip can be prepared (but not baked) one day ahead and chilled, covered.

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Tips for Eating Healthy This Winter

by: ARA (ARA) -

It’s easy to eat right during the summer months with an abundance of fresh produce available from a wide variety of sources. But as winter rolls around, those juicy ears of corn are just a memory. That doesn’t mean, however, that you drop your healthy eating habits with the dropping temperatures.

You still need to get your five servings a day of fruits and vegetables. Make an effort to include fruits and vegetables at every meal. Since your options are more limited during the winter months, now’s the time to get creative by trying new recipes as well as sampling produce you haven’t eaten before.

Winter brings a bumper crop of root vegetables like turnips, rutabagas and parsnips; squash; brussels sprouts; and more. Apples and pumpkins are the foundation of a variety of comforting, homey desserts. Here are some tips to help you chase away the winter chill by adding the flavors and healthy benefits of winter produce.

As always, the key to buying the best produce is to know what you’re looking for. No matter what the season, look for fruits and vegetables with good color; stay away from produce with bruising, blemishes, soft spots or shriveling.

For additional help in selecting produce, especially items you haven’t tried before, visit www.aboutproduce.com. This easy-to-use Web site features an “A to Z” guide to produce that includes useful information on the peak season for any given item, nutrition information and selection tips. You can also “ask the experts” if you have a question that isn’t answered on the site. Best of all, the site includes hundreds of recipes that show you how to put the produce to work on the dinner table. From asparagus to zucchini and everything in between, you’ll find it all here.

Here are two delicious recipes sure to warm you up this winter:

Pesto Minestrone

This full-flavored soup is also full of healthy vegetables.

2 cups cauliflower (2 small heads), coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups zucchini (1-2 medium), chopped

3 cans (14.5 ounces) chicken broth, reduced sodium

1 16-ounce can tomatoes, diced, drained

1 cup elbow macaroni or small pasta shells

3 cups kidney beans or black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed (1 cup dry makes 3 cups cooked) or 2 cans (15 ounces each)

1 cup carrot (1 medium), sliced

1 cup onion (1 medium), chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil (for pesto)

2 garlic cloves (for pesto)

1 cup basil leaves, fresh, loosely packed OR (for pesto)

1 cup Italian parsley plus 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves (for pesto)

1 tablespoon water

Directions

In a 5 to 6 quart saucepan bring to boil 1/2 cup water, tomatoes, cauliflower, onion and carrots; reduce heat and simmer covered 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add zucchini, beans, broth and pasta. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Meanwhile put all pesto ingredients in food processor or blender and process until very finely chopped. Just before serving, remove soup from heat and stir in pesto. Makes 8 servings.

Golden Apple Oatmeal

Start your day off right with a steaming bowl of this hearty (and heart healthy) oatmeal.

1/2 cup Golden Delicious apples, diced

1/3 cup apple juice

1/3 cup water

1/8 teaspoon salt

Dash of cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats, uncooked

Directions

Combine apples, apple juice, water and seasoning; bring to a boil. Stir in rolled oats; cook 1 minute. Cover and let stand several minutes before serving. Makes a 1-cup serving.

For more recipes, as well as nutrition and buying information for all types of produce, visit www.aboutproduce.com.

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