COOK NOOK

Apple Raisin Dressing

By Staff

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup butter

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 Granny Smith apples, chopped (about 3 cups)

2 teaspoons rubbed sage

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 cups of white bread cubed

1 cup currants

1 cup chopped pinenuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute onions and celery until tender.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and add the celery and onion.

4. Toss lightly with a fork until well mixed.

5. Put dressing in a covered, greased baking pan.

6. Bake for 1 hour

No Fuss Turkey

By Miah Jackon

INGREDIENTS

1 12-20 pound turkey

1 onion, peeled and quartered

1 lemon, quartered

1 apple (your favorite kind), quartered

.75 ounce container fresh rosemary *

.75 ounce container fresh thyme *

.75 ounce container fresh sage 

HERB BUTTER

1 cup unsalted softened butter 

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

fresh chopped herbs

DIRECTIONS

1. If the turkey is frozen: Thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. Give yourself one extra day just to be safe.

2. Remove the thawed turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting to let it come to room temperature. 

3. Adjust your oven rack so the turkey will sit in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

4. Make the herb butter by combining  room temperature butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, One tablespoon of fresh chopped  thyme, and half a tablespoon of fresh chopped sage. (Will use the remaining fresh herbs for stuffing inside the cavity of the turkey)

5. Remove turkey from packaging and remove the neck and giblets from the inside of the cavities of the bird. (Reserve them for gravy, if you want, or discard them). Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels. 

6. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the quartered lemon, onion and apple and leftover herbs.

7. Use your fingers to loosen and lift the skin above the breasts (on the top of the turkey) and smooth a few tablespoons of the herb butter underneath. 

8. Tuck the wings of the turkey underneath the turkey and set the turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan*.

9. Microwave the remaining herb butter mixture for 30 seconds, (it doesnt need to be completely melted--just really softened). Use a basting brush to brush the remaining herb butter all over the outside of the turkey, legs and wings.

10. Roast at 325 degrees F for about 13-15 minutes per pound, orn until internal temperature (inserted on middle of thigh and breast) reaches about 165  degrees.

11. (suggested to remove the turkey from the oven once it reaches 160 degrees. Then, tent it with foil, and let it rest on the counter. It will continue cooking under the foil, to reach 165 degrees F).

12. Check the turkey about halfway through cooking, and once the skin gets golden brown, cover the top fo the turkey with tinfoil, to protect the breast meat from over cooking. Althernately, you could start cooking the turkey with it tented in foil, then during the last hour or so of cooking you can take the foil off and let the turkey brown.

13. Allow turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. 

14. Reserve any drippings and juice remaining in your roasting pan to make turkey gravy.

Credit:  tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Holiday Glazed Baked Ham

By Wolf Nazari

INGREDIENTS

Bone-in ham - (I used a spiral-cut ham, which makes it a lot easier to slice. )

Brown sugar

Honey

Dijon mustard

Apple cider

Cumin powder

Ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS 

1. Prepare the ham: Add ½ cup water to the bottom of a roasting pan and place the rack on top. Place the ham flat-side down on top of the rack. Score the ham with a knife to make shallow cuts, about ¼-inch deep. This helps the ham soak in the sweet glaze. Cover the pan with foil to keep the ham from getting overcooked and dry.

2. Bake the ham: Bake the ham covered for 2 hours in a preheated 275 F oven until the internal temperature at the thickest part registers at 135F on a meat thermometer.

3. Prepare the glaze: Increase the oven temperature to 425 F. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, mustard, apple cider, cumin powder, and cinnamon. Whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.

4. Add the glaze in two intervals: Remove the pan from the oven and generously brush half of the glaze over the ham to coat. Return the pan to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Then repeat, applying the remaining glaze and baking for another 15 minutes until the ham caramelizes and turns brown.

5. Serve: Transfer to a serving platter and pour pan drippings on top. Slice and serve with cranberry sauce.

Credit : aheadofthyme.com

Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup 

By Staff

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

1 Small yellow onion, chopped

1 Shallot, chopped

2 Carrots, sliced 1/4 -inch thick

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 Cloves garlic, crushed

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Bay leaves

1 Low-sodium vegetable stock

480 ml cold water

2 (2-inch-long) Strips lemon peel

180 g orecchiette

3 tbsp. Yellow miso

Crushed chilies flakes 

Freshly chopped dill, for garnish

Lemon Wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chickpeas, bay leaves, and rosemary and stir to combine, Season again with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until you can smell the rosemary, about 1 minute.

3. Add stock, water, and lemon peel and bring to a simmer, using a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add pasta, return to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, 13 to 15 minutes

4. Remove soup from heat  Ladle about 120ml broth into a medium bowl and whisk in miso. Whisk the miso mixture back into the pot and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Ladle soup into a bowl, top with dill, and serve with lemon wedges.

Credit: www.delish.com

Delicious Creamy Mashed Potatoes

By Staff

INGREDIENTS

5 lb. russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

3/4 c. butter

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. (to 3/4 cups) half-and-half

1/2 tsp. (to 1 teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1/2 tsp. (to 1 teaspoon) black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

2. Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

3. Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

4. Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

By Miah Jackson 

INGREDIENTS

6 ounces of penne pasta

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled

4 cups Romaine lettuces, chopped

1/2 medium size cucumber, chopped

1 carrot, shredded

1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup croutons (optional)

Caesar salad dressing, to taste (You can use any dressing you like)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain water and set aside to cool.

2. Chop the grilled chicken breasts into small chunks.

3.  In a large bowl, toss together chicken, cooked penne pasta, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, green onion, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and croutons.

4. Drizzle with the desired amount of Caesar salad dressing and toss to coat.

Credit: tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Cranberry Sauce 

By Jonah Shirazi

This recipe for cranberry sauce is the perfect sauce you need for your Thanksgiving dinner.

INGREDIENTS

12 ounces of fresh cranberries

1 cup orange juice

1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Dissolve sugar in the orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. Stir in the cranberries and cook until they start to pop, about 10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. It will thicken as it cools. 

There you have fresh homemade cranberry sauce.

Credit : www.allrecipes.com 

The Perfect  Drink For Autumn from Starbucks

By Davina Separzadeh

  One of my favorite drinks to get at Starbucks during this season has to be iced matcha with one pump of pumpkin syrup. It's the perfect mix because it's not too sweet but not too plain or bitter.

   I created this drink, and it's a perfect fall drink. If you like matcha and pumpkin, spice is the ideal mix. 

  You could get this drink at your local Starbucks. Next time you go, you should try this out.  

Spiced Pumpkin Latte with Matcha 

At-home Recipe

By Staff 

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp Matcha Latte Powder

1/4 cup hot water (~175F) 

1 cup cashew milk (optional homemade, recipe below) or your milk or choice

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1/4 tsp blended pumpkin spice 

1 tsp pumpkin puree (optional)

Dash of nutmeg & cinnamon to taste

DIRECTIONS 

1. Sift matcha powder into a dry bowl.

2. Heat water to a simmer in a pan, and let sit for about 15-20seconds.

3. Pour hot water with the matcha powder and begin whisking (try a bamboo whisk or electric milk frother) until a layer of frother is created.

4. Pour matcha into a latte mug (or similar) and set aside.

5. In a separate pan or shallow pot, combine other ingredients (milk, vanilla, spices, pumpkin puree) and mix: let simmer while stirring.

6. Use a whisk or frother to froth the milk mixture until a soft foam is achieved; alternatively, use a blender.

7. Pour the mixture slowly over the matcha that you set aside.

8. Now you may stir or let the Pumpkin Matcha Latte settle on its own as it creates colorful green swirls.

9. Finish by adding dashes of powdered spice to taste (or extra matcha). 

10. Enjoy!

Credit: matcha.com

Homemade Churros 

By Jonah Shirazi and Wolf Nazari

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CHURROS

1 cup. water

6 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 large eggs

Vegetable oil for frying

Cinnamon sugar

FOR THE CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE

3/4 cup. dark chocolate chips

3/4 cup. heavy cream

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Make churros: In a large saucepan over medium heat, add water, butter, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then add vanilla. Turn off the heat and add flour and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until thickened, 30 seconds. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes. 

2. To the cooled mixture, using a hand mixer, beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. 

3. In a large pot over medium heat, add enough oil to come halfway up the sides and heat to 375°. Holding the piping bag a few inches above the oil, carefully pipe churros into 6" long ropes. Use kitchen scissors to cut off dough from a piping bag. 

4. Fry until golden, 4 to 5 minutes, turning as necessary. Fry 3 to 4 churros at a time and let the oil return to 375° before each batch. Remove churros with a slotted spoon or tongs and immediately roll churros in cinnamon sugar, then place on a cooling rack. 

5. Make the chocolate dipping sauce: Place chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream to a simmer. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes. Add cinnamon and salt and whisk to combine. 

6. Serve churros with chocolate dipping sauce. It's important to note that the 10-minute cooling time before frying is very important. Your batter will stiffen as it cools, allowing it to fry better! 

Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies

By Staff 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

30 candy corn candies, plus 6 white tips of candy corn

6 chocolate sandwich cookies

6 mini peanut butter cups

6 malt balls

1 cup Red Frosting

6 chocolate sandwich cookies with the top cookie removed

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the chocolate chips in a medium stainless steel or glass bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. For each turkey, push 5 candy corn candies, tip-side down, into the cream filling of a chocolate sandwich cookie to make the feathers for the turkey. Lay the cookie on a work surface.

3. Dip the flat, larger end of a peanut butter cup in the melted chocolate allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the peanut butter cup, chocolate-dipped end down, onto the sandwich cookie.

4. Dip a malt ball into the melted chocolate allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the malt ball above the peanut butter cup to make the head of the turkey.

5. Dip the flat end of the white candy corn tip in the chocolate. Place on the malt ball, to make the turkey beak. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set, about 10 minutes.

6. Place the Red Frosting in a piping bag. Using scissors, cut a small opening in the end of the piping bag. Pipe a small piece of frosting under the malt ball to make the turkey's beard.

7. Place a cookie (with top half removed) on a platter. Stand the turkey upright into the cream filling. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Credit: foodnetwork.com

The BEST Pumpkin Pie 

By Wolf Nazari

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 can Pure Pumpkin

1 can Evaporated Milk (Or substitute with an equal amount Lactose-Free or Almond Cooking Milk)

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

2. Pour into pie shell.

3. Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes.

4. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. 

5. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Credit: verybestbaking.com

Homemade Nutella

By Staff 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups hazelnuts (240g)

1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup sweetener of choice (see above for options)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk of choice OR 2 tbsp oil

DIRECTIONS

1. If hazelnuts are not already roasted, preheat the oven to 400 F and bake for 6-8 minutes or until they begin to brown. 

2. Rub them together in a paper towel to get the skins off. It’s okay if a few stubborn skins won’t come off. 

3. In a Vitamix or food processor, blend the nuts until they’ve turned to butter, then add all other ingredients and blend a long time until it’s smooth like Nutella! (I think I blended off and on for a full two minutes. 

4. It's extra-creamy in a Vitamix, but a Cuisinart food processor works  Storage tips are listed above.

Credit: chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Apple Pie

By Miah Jackson

INGREDIENTS

⅓ cup sugar

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 to 7 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 large egg white

OPTIONAL: Turbinado or coarse sugar, ground cinnamon, Vanilla bean ice cream, and caramel sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough into a ⅛-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. Pie plate. Chill while preparing the filling. In a small bowl, combine sugars, flour, and spices. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add sugar mixture; toss to coat. Add filling; dot with butter.

2. Roll the remaining dough into a ⅛-in-thick circle. Place overfilling. Trim, seal, and flute edge. Cut slits in the top. Beat egg white until foamy; brush over crust. If desired, sprinkle with turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon.

3. Bake on the lowest rack for 60-70 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, covering with foil halfway if the crust begins to get too dark. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, Serve with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Credit: www.tasteofhome.com

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

By Wolf Nazari

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegan butter (one stick) softened

1/2 cup vegan brown sugar

2 tablespoons vegan sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch (or 2 additional tablespoons flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Take your butter out of the fridge about 1 hour before baking to allow it to come to room temperature or place it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds to warm it a little.

1. Preheat your oven to 375° F (190° C).

2. Mix 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup softened vegan butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth and creamy.

3. Add the 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt then mix again until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.

4. Add 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips and stir well again.

5. Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to spoon balls of cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Place a few more additional chocolate chips on the top of the dough ball to make your cookies look pretty.

7. Bake at 375° F (190° C) for 9-11 minutes until they have flattened and are just slightly brown. They will still look pretty soft and doughy, but that's okay, they will firm up when cooled.

8. Allow cooling for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a flat surface or a cookie rack.

Credit : thehiddenveggies.com