Cranberry Horseradish and a Vegan Dish. Yes Vegan

I know that it sounds gross. Yes, I know. The fact of the matter is that I always make this and it really is because it is so good on the leftover turkey. I got the recipe years ago and it is still one of my favorites.


Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish
NPR

2 cups whole raw cranberries, washed

1 small onion

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons horseradish from a jar ("red is a bit milder than white")

Grind the raw berries and onion together. ("I use an old-fashioned meat grinder," says Stamberg. "I'm sure there's a setting on the food processor that will give you a chunky grind -- not a puree.")

Add everything else and mix.

Put in a plastic container and freeze.

Early Thanksgiving morning, move it from freezer to refrigerator compartment to thaw. ("It should still have some little icy slivers left.")

The relish will be thick, creamy, and shocking pink. ("OK, Pepto Bismol pink. It has a tangy taste that cuts through and perks up the turkey and gravy. It’s also good on next-day turkey sandwiches, and with roast beef.")

Makes 1 1/2 pints.

So the picture above is Lily my Saint Bernard that is no longer with us. She used to speak her mind. Not like Dakota who keeps pretty quiet but is sneaky.

What? You want another great Thanksgiving recipe? Ok. Ok! I can't believe that I am saying this but this is a Vegan recipe that I made for a friend that joined us one Thanksgiving. It was so good that I ate this and pretty much snubbed the turkey.



Vegetable tarte tatin
The Ultimate Book of Vegan Cooking
Tony and Yvonne Bishop-Weston

2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 eggplant sliced lengthways
1 lrg red bell pepper seeded and cut into long strips
10 tomatoes
2 red shallots, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves crushed
2/3 C white wine
2 tsp fresh basil (I used Herbes de Provence) because I didn't have basil
2 C cooked brown long grain rice
1/3 C pitted black olives (I didn't use these because they didn't seem to go)
12 oz Vegan puff pastry (I bought already made and it was fine)
ground black pepper


1. Preheat the oven to 375. Heat the sunflower oil with 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant slices, in batches if necessary, for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. As each slice softens and browns, lift it out and drain on several sheets of paper towel to remove as much oil as possible.

2. Add the pepper strips to the oil remaining in the pan, turning them to coat. Cover the pan wit a lid or foil and sweat the peppers over a medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes., stirring occasionally, until the pepper strips are soft and flecked with brown.

3. Slice two of the tomatoes using a sharp knife and set aside.

4. Plunge the remaining tomatoes into boling water for 30 seconds, then drain. Peel off the skins, cut them into quarters and remove the core and seeds. Chop them roughly.

5. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and fry the shallots and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until softened.

6. Stir in the white wine and the fresh basil (or whatever herbs you like), with black pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the cooked rice and olives, making sure they are well distributed.

7. Arrange the tomato slices, cooked eggplant slices and peppers in a single layer over the base of a heavy, 12" shallow ovenproof dish. Spread the rice mixture on top.

8. Roll out the puff pastry to a circle slightly larger than the diameter of the dish and place it on top of the rice. Tuck the edges of the pastry circle down inside the dish.

9. Bake the tatin for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden an risen. Leave to cool slightly, then invert the tart on to a large, warmed serving plate.

So that is it. Both these recipes are really worth making.