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Category: Recipes

Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Growing up, my Grannie Mattie’s cornbread dressing was my hands down favorite Thanksgiving dish! Actually, I like the trifecta of turkey, dressing, and the bright red cranberry sauce that slides right out of the can (hey, don’t judge!). The consistency of this dressing is closer to mashed potatoes that a crumbly stuffing. And no sage here, the secret ingredient is… curry powder!

I called my Grannie once to ask her for the recipe, and she started off with “oh honey, it’s so easy!” Then she proceeded to rattle off more of a list of suggestions than an actual recipe. I’ll paraphrase what she told me: you take some cornbread and some day old hot dog buns, then you cook down your celery, onion and green pepper (the holy trinity as it’s known), then you mix it all together with some milk and chicken stock, or better yet, pan drippings from your turkey, then you pour it into a pan and bake it. When I asked her how much milk she said “Oh, just enough to moisten it.” I found this very frustrating.

What I’ve learned from making this over and over is no skimping on the butter and stock (or whole milk). If you think I’m kidding about this, the next time you see me ask me how I feel about low fat dairy. BOOOO! It is not only unhealthy, but just does not taste good. It’s Thanksgiving people! Bring on the butter! I use Jiffy cornbread mix because it always comes out great and just fits into my small iron skillet.

Oh, and I’m talking about my Florida grannie Mattie; my Louisiana grannie Mary Del also made a version of this, but she put oysters in hers. When I was a little kid my reaction was “ew gross.” Now my reaction is “YUM!” The oysters cook down so you don’t really notice them (no slimy texture) and they give you a salty seafood flavor, so even if your family says they are not into oysters, they may actually like this. But please, no tricking people with stealth oysters.

Cornbread Dressing

*This recipe serves six, and can be doubled it if you are serving a crowd. Not sure if your people are into oysters? You can pour dressing into two smaller casserole dishes, then add the oysters to only one pan. If using a smaller pan, reduce cooking time to about 35 minutes total.

Cornbread Ingredients:

  • 1 8.5 oz box jiffy cornbread mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup of milk

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 8 tablespoons butter (reserve one tbsp. to grease the pan)
  • 4-5 ribs of celery, chopped
  • 1 small green pepper, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 5 slices white bread, dried in warm oven, and crumbled
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2-3 cups chicken stock
  • 3/4 cup whole milk

Optional: 1 pint fresh oysters, drained

Directions:

  1. Make cornbread according to package directions. Cool and crumble (you can do this a day or two ahead).
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the celery, green pepper, onion, salt, pepper and curry powder until the veggies are soft (5ish minutes).
  4. In a large bowl, place the veggie mixture. Add the cornbread, white bread, eggs, chicken stock and milk and mix well (add the oysters if you are using them). You want the dressing to be moist and pourable, but not so wet that there is liquid floating on top.
  5. Pour into prepared dish and bake at 350 for 30 – 45 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. (to test for doneness, carefully and gently jiggle the pan, and if the center of the dressing moves cook it a little longer, til it is set).

Anne McCranie is a Portland based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to bring Thanksgiving happiness to your belly. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas

One of my ladies sent me this recipe for baked sweet potatoes. It is one of her family’s favorite recipes (even the kids eat it!). As I LOVE sweet potatoes, I was eager to try it out. It is simple, and aside from the smoked paprika – which I found at QFC – the ingredients are fairly straightforward. You really do need to use smoked paprika, it imparts and smoky but not too spicy flavor. In fact I’ve been adding it to everything from rice, chicken, beans…

Check out this recipe and let me know what you think.

Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Chickpeas

Ingredients:

  • 3 Large sweet potatoes, sliced lengthwise into wedges (4-8 wedges each, depending on the size of your potatoes)
  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon crushed red-pepper flakes, divided
  • 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
  • 5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup plain (unsweetened), full fat yogurt
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 green peppers, trimmed, and thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil, and grease both pans with one tablespoon of olive oil.
  3. In a large bowl, mix honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper flakes. Toss yams in the honey mixture and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon olive oil, smoked paprika and salt, to taste. Toss chickpeas in olive oil and spices.
  5. On the first baking sheet, spread yams out on in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, until nicely toasted underneath. Flip wedges over and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Turn the oven to broil and cook for one final minute, to crisp and brown the edges.
  6. On second baking sheet, spread out chickpeas. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, rolling around once or twice so that they cook evenly, until lightly browned and crispy on the outside.
  7. While your veggies are roasting, mix yogurt, remaining tablespoon olive oil, and lime juice together in a small dish, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Arrange sweet potatoes and chickpeas on a platter. Drizzle with yogurt sauce, sprinkle with onions, and remaining pepper flakes, and serve!

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Andalusian Gazpacho

Anybody else suffering from an abundance of tomatoes and cukes? Last weekend I was headed to a potluck so I whipped up this chilled summer soup. While there are lots of variations on this soup, this time I made the Andalusian version, and processed the veggies into a pureed “drink”, like a spicy smoothie.

tomatp gazpacho soup recipe

While this recipe is simple, there is quite a bit of prep (if you are interested in making sure all the cucumber and tomato seeds have been removed). I chopped all my veggies in batches, mixed everything together and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours.

 

Andalusian Gazpacho

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups tomatoes, chopped and de-seeded (about 5-6 medium tomatoes)
  • 2 cucumbers, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped
  • 3/4 cup red pepper, chopped
  • 3/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 small jalapeno
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. Gather all of the above ingredients plus a food processor or vitamix, a large bowl, a cutting board, and a sharp knife.

2. Place garlic in the food processor. Slice and seed the jalapeno (wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly after as these babies can burn!) and add to the food processor. Add a few spoonfuls of water (reserve the rest) and process this mixture until finely diced.

3. Now roughly chop the rest of your veggies so they will fit into the food processor, and working in batches process them so they are finely chopped but not liquefied, adding them to the bowl as you go.

4. One all the veggies have been added to the bowl add the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, Worcestershire, cumin and salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add more water if you would like a more soupy consistency. Chill for at least two hours and serve with a garnish of lime, or a slice of crusty bread.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see you medical professional for specific dietary advice. 

 

Tomato Mozzarella Salad

With Portland’s record breaking heat how are you staying cool? I’m avoiding turning on the stove. I was looking for a light salad for this month’s recipe and found these delicious tomatoes, and fresh basil at the Moreland Farmer’s Market. I mixed them with a little buffalo mozzarella, and a simple dressing of balsamic and olive oil. Try this and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad Recipe

Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium tomatoes (or 12 bite sized tomatoes) sliced
  • ½ lb fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced into bite sized pieces
  • ¼ cup basil leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In your favorite serving dish, layer tomato slices, cheese slices, and basil.
  2. In a small jar combine oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Shake jar to combine dressing.
  3. Sprinkle dressing over tomato and cheese slices, and serve.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

One of my ladies brought this to a recent potluck (thanks Concetta!) and I loved it so much I am sharing it with you. The combination of smoky spices and bright colors offers a nice change from traditional potato salad. Loaded with fiber, B vitamins, and beta carotene, sweet potatoes pack a nutritional punch. Try this at your next BBQ and let me know what you think in the comments below…

Ingredients:
• 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• Juice from one lime
• 1 tsp chipotle chill powder
• 1 tsp smoked sea salt*
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ cup finely chopped red onion
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

 


Directions:
1. Steam potatoes: Fill a large pot with an inch of water and a pinch of salt. Place steamer basket in pot, and place potatoes into basket. Cover and steam for 7 – 10 minutes (until potatoes are just render when poked with a fork). Remove potatoes, spread them out on a large pan and chill.

2. Make dressing: Mix together mayo, lime juice, chili powder, salt, pepper, onion and cilantro.

3. Once the sweet potatoes have cooled, mix them with the dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste. Chill for a few minutes and serve cold.

*I found smoked sea salt and chipotle chili powder at New Seasons. You may substitute regular sea salt if you like.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.