Glorious Gratin of Root Vegetables

This gratin is a delicious way to serve root vegetables available through the late fall and winter. It is perfect for Thanksgiving or other holiday events and is lovely as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course. Feel free to substitute any root vegetable for the ones listed here.
 
This recipes is adapted from my favorite cookbook, "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone," by Deborah Madison.

Butter for the dish
Bechamel for Gratins (see recipe below)
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon butter
12 ounces yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into juilienne
12 ounces turnips, peeled and julienned
8 ounces carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 2-quart gratin dish.
 
Cook the bechamel sauce (recipe below).
 
While the bechamel is cooking, cook the onions in the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, about 8 minutes.
 
Combine with the rest of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to gratin dish.
 
Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, cover with bread crumbs and bake until bubbly and golden on top, about 45 minutes.
 

Aromatic Bechamel for Gratins

2 cups milk
2 slices white or yellow onion
Aromatics: a few parsley sprigs, a few thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves plus 1 garlic clove, crushed -- (tie the aromatics in a cheesecloth or put loose in the pan)
4 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, slowly heat the milk with the onions, aromatics and garlic. When it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and set aside.
 
In another heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute.
 
Whisk in the hot milk at once, including the aromatics.  Cook until thickened, then reduce heat, cover and cook for 25 minutes.  Check from time to time and stir to be sure the sauce does not scorch or cook too quickly. You want this to cook at a slow, easy simmer.
 
Discard the aromatics, season with salt and pepper.  The bechamel is now ready to use!

Healthy Holiday Pumpkin Bread

Makes 2 loaves.

Give the second loaf away, or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to two months. Ground flaxseed and water add moisture to the batter for a smooth-textured bread.

14.6 ounces  all-purpose flour (about 3 1/4 cups)

2  teaspoons  salt

2  teaspoons  baking soda

1  teaspoon  baking powder

1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1  teaspoon  pumpkin pie spice

1/2  cup  water

1/3  cup  ground flaxseed (ground in blender or coffee/spice mill)

1  (15-ounce) can pumpkin

2  cups  sugar

2/3  cup  canola oil

2/3  cup  honey beer (at room temperature)

1/2  cup  egg substitute

2  large eggs
 

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.

Combine flour, salt, and next 4 ingredients (through pumpkin pie spice) in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.


Combine 1/2 cup water and flaxseed.


Place sugar and next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add flaxseed mixture and pumpkin; beat at low speed just until blended. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined.

Divide batter between 2 (9 x 5–inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine 2008

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Mission Fig Sauce

Serves 4

For Fig Sauce

2 ½ cups port (such as Tawny port)

1 ¼ cups low sodium chicken broth

8 dried black Mission figs, coarsely chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



In a medium-sized, heavy saucepan, combine the port, chicken broth, figs, rosemary, cinnamon, and honey.

Boil over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 30 minutes.

Discard the rosemary sprigs and cinnamon sticks.

Transfer the port mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.
Blend in the butter, salt and pepper.

Note: The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Warm over medium heat before using.





For the pork

Two pork tenderloins, roughly 1 ½ to 2 pounds each

Salt and pepper

Olive oil


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season the pork with salt and pepper.  
Put a small amount of olive oil in a large sauté pan and bring to medium high heat.

Sear the pork tenderloin in the pan, browning the meat quickly on all sides.

Place the pork in a baking dish and roast for 25 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the tenderloin.




Cut the pork crosswise into slices. Drizzle with warm fig sauce and serve.



Adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

Best-ever Ginger Snaps

My mom’s friend Jacqueline always wowed us with these cookies, but none of us could have guessed how easy they are to make. A simple ingredient list and five simple steps are all that are needed to make these most wonderful ginger snaps. Perfect for holiday entertaining or gift-giving.

¾ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
2 cups sifted flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Cream shortening and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add egg, beat well. Add molasses.
Sift together dry ingredients.
Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
Roll into 1 inch balls and dip in sugar.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes.

Cheese-wrapped Olive Balls

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup flour
cayenne pepper to taste
1 splash Worchestershire sauce (to taste)
Salt to taste
1 large jar of large-sized green olives stuffed with pimentos

Grate the cheese and let it come to room temperature. Add the flour and other seasonings, working into a dough with your hands.

Wrap the mixture around the olives and form into small balls.

Bake on a greased baking sheet for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Serve hot. Experiment with different kinds of olives (garlic-stuffed, jalapeno-stuffed, etc.) and try with different dipping sauces such as marinara, salsa, ranch, etc.

Note: The dough can be crumbly if your hands are warm. Work quickly with the dough for best results. These also freeze beautifully so feel free to make them ahead of time and have them on hand to pop into the oven when guests arrive. No need to thaw them ahead of time, just place them into the oven from the freezer and allow a bit more baking time to cook through.