Fresh Cranberry Salsa ~ 11.28.09

Not too long ago, a friend of mine made this little number and the rest is history.

I have a funny relationship with cranberries. I love the sweetened Ocean Spray variety. I will drink a blend of cranberry and whatever fruit they pair with it in a juice. I make Cranberry Jello Salad every holiday and thensome. Yet, I do not buy or bake with fresh cranberries all that often.

This Thanksgiving though, that all changed. I started buying them and throwing the bags in the freezer b/c I knew that I could certainly bake with them throughout the year and that this was the best time to buy them at $2 a bag. I have a ton of recipes that call for cranberries and I would like to give a fresh cranberry sauce a go at some point, just so I can see if I like it or not. The color of the cranberries is enough to make me want to eat them!

Enter onto the scene this beaut of a recipe. Fresh Cranberry Salsa. It sounded like a winner when she told me about it and I demanded, politely, that she make it for our next MOPS meeting. And it was a winner. And....

I

COULD

NOT


STOP

EATING

IT!

Something about the sweet and the tart and the kick of the jalapenos just beckoned me to keep eating!

Without further ado.... I give you Sharon's Fresh Cranberry Salsa:

1 bag fresh cranberries (haven't given this a go with frozen yet... but I will)
2-3 chopped green onions
1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, then chopped (I used half, but may add the whole thing next time)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp lemon juice or lime juice

Oh and I also threw in a sprinkling of kosher salt to bring out the flavors of everything

Chop the cranberries in a food processor.
Add all the other ingredients and let them marry together in the fridge for awhile- at least 2 hours. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

these are my faves, with salt:

It's the most delish feast of the year! ~ 11.25.09

Oh boy, am I excited for tomorrow. Currently I'm praying earnestly for a miraculous opening of my nasal passages so that I may SMELL Thanksgiving just as much as taste it!

I had to post these so as not to forget them for the future. What a fun and simple idea. I know I'll have some leftover pie dough scraps tonight and can make these leafy treats via Family Fun!

I imagine mine will be filled with cinnamon chips or Nutella- Yum yum!

My mom will be cooking all the main dishes (turkey, mashed taters, stuffing) and her apple pie. My   Thanksgiving Day responsibilites are:

• Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Ice Cream pie with Gingersnap crust - made and in the freezer already!
• Biscotti - done
• Old-fashioned Pumpkin cookies - done!
• Cranberry Salsa - awaiting the recipe from a friend, but this is DE-LISH-US
• Roasted Carrots and Parsnips (if there are leftovers they'll be turned into Roasted Carrot and PUmpkin soup- it is soooooo good)
• Cranberry Jello Salad

WoW, when I write it all out- it sure does sound like a lot. But really, half is already made. The veggies are a no-brainer, the cranberry salsa and jello salad and pumpkin pie will be made tonight and I'll be done.

What are you making for Thanksgiving?

I'll also be printing out these for the kids to do when they get a little out of control....
Thanksgiving printables

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas ~ 11.9.09

(Enchiladas just do not photograph well... I tried this in a few different places and this will have to suffice.)

This recipe was posted over at The Sister's Cafe and I've made it twice now. The kids wouldn't touch it the first time and the second time... they gobbled it UP! Love the sweet and spicy combination of these and that they do not contain any condensed soups. So many enchilada recipes are just heavy and laden with those soups (sorry if you like that type). These are more my style. I added cilantro to my chicken mixture  because it just works well with all the flavors and because I had some in the fridge that I needed to use up.

Honey Lime Enchiladas
via The Sisters Cafe with my creative license added

about 2 cups of cooked chicken - pulled/shredded (or pork)

Marinade:
Mix together:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbs chili powder ( may need to use less for my weaklings next time)
1 tsp garlic powder

2 cans green enchilada sauce or 1 can and some green salsa (it worked and I had some salsa to use up)
1/2 cup heavy cream 

shredded monterey jack- some for inside and lots of ON TOP!
(the Sisters use a combo of mozzarella and cheddar)

flour tortillas - I like the wheat ones

Directions:
Mix together your sauce ingredients and add them to the chicken (or pork). Let marinate for about 30 minutes. I've let mine sit overnight.

Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour in some enchilada sauce- just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
Fill the tortillas with an ice cream scoop of filling and cheese (oh, I mixed in the cheese with my marinated chicken mixture right before I filled the tortillas). Roll them up and line them up in your pan. I had to squeeze one along the side, but I believe I wedged 10-12 of them in there. You can always carry over to another pan if you need to do so.

Mix remainder of the green enchilada sauce with 1/2 cup whipping cream. Pour over the enchiladas and top, generously, with more cheese! I also sprinkled some chopped cilantro on top.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and let the cheese get all brown and crispy on top- just a few minutes should do the trick!

Serve with a side of Lime Cilantro Rice with pineapple!

another not so photogenic shot of these delicious little treats!