Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce and Cornbread Stuffing

Some people who live in Southern California may remember that many years ago we had a natural foods market called Mrs. Gooch’s (later bought by Whole Foods). When I was first learning to cook, I picked up a little booklet from Mrs. Gooch’s entitled simply, “Thanksgiving Dinner Menu.” I tried the recipes for cranberry sauce and cornbread stuffing, and they were so good and so easy that I have made them every year since then. For my family, Thanksgiving would not be the same without these simple but delicious dishes. This year, when I took out my now old and tattered copy of Mrs. Gooch’s Thanksgiving Dinner Menu, I thought it would be fun to share these recipes. I hope they will become well-loved classics in your house, as they have in mine. Happy Thanksgiving!

Marla

Cranberry Sauce (Pareve)

1 pound fresh cranberries
¼ cup water
¾ cup honey


Mix honey and water, add cranberries and cook over low heat until cranberries have cooked down (you will hear them pop). Pour into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.




Cornbread Stuffing (Pareve)

1 small pan baked cornbread (any recipe will do. I follow the recipe on the cornmeal box substituting milk with soy milk)

1 small loaf whole wheat bread, cubed
1 ½ cups chopped celery
1 ½ cups chopped onion
3 cups vegetable broth, with 1 ½ sticks margarine melted in it
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons salt


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crumble the cornbread in a large bowl and add all the remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Stuff your turkey, or place in a well-oiled 9x13 pan.


Bake for 30-45 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered.

L'Shana Tovah

Happy New Year! Thinking outside the traditional Rosh Hashanah dinner fare, I thought this Apple French Toast Casserole would be a nice way to add sweetness to your celebration. We have served this at breakfast meetings throughout the year and it received great reviews. Please note that you need to prepare it the night before and bake in the morning. A great way to start off the morning- no clean up and the aroma of apples and cinnamon permeating the house!

Let us know what you think.

Happy Cooking!
Christine




Apple French Toast Casserole (Dairy)


1 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup butter
2 or 3 green apples peeled and sliced
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
12- 14 slices white bread, cut in half
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla

In a saucepan, heat brown sugar and butter until melted.
Add water, apples and cinnamon; cook until apples are slightly soft and the sauce is foamy.
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Pour mixture into baking pan and let cool.

Cover with bread slices. Combine eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake in a 350 degree oven uncovered for 40 minutes (cover the last 15 minutes of baking, if the bread is browning too quickly).