Midwest Classic: Indian Trail Cranberry Orange Jello

Over the past few days, I've been pulling out my beaten and battered recipe cards to find those classic dishes we prepare every Thanksgiving. Our family's recipe for Indian Trail Cranberry Orange Jello is first on the list of favorites. It's such a Midwest classic.

But this year, we seem to have a problem! Indian Trail, the company that makes a key ingredient for our Thanksgiving Jello went out of business in November 2008.

What to do?

Well, if there's one thing I've learned in my years as a Midwest Mom, it's that this part of the country is resilient and resourceful. Cora at Cora Cooks has posted her recipe for Indian Trail Cranberry Orange Sauce. The taste and texture of hers is identical to our old favorite from the freezer section.

You still might be able to find a few tubs of Indian Trail out there... but know that they've been in your grocer's freezer for at least a year. Cora's alternative, however, will be perfectly fresh (and delicious). I suggest you give it a try.

In the meantime, here's my family's recipe for Indian Trail Cranberry Orange Jello. It's so good, I almost always make a double-batch.

Ingredients:

1 tub of Indian Trail Cranberry Orange Sauce
or
1 batch of Cora's Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce, drained with the liquid reserved

3 regular sized packages raspberry jello
2 cups boiling water
1 cup reserved chilled relish liquid, or cold orange juice
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans (roasted, if you like)

Instructions:

Thaw the cranberry orange sauce. In a large bowl, mix jello and boiling water. Stir in juice. With a blender, mix cream cheese into jello until mixture is smooth. Stir in cranberry orange sauce and pecans. Pour into decorative serving bowl (we use a glass trifle dish) or jello mold. Chill 4-6 hours, or until jello is completely set. (To un-mold jello, place mold in a bowl of warm water for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to spill water into the jello. Put serving plate on top of the mold and quickly invert. The jello mold should come out intact.)

Enjoy!

Hearty Chicken Soup

When my family has a cold or flu, this soup is the perfect remedy. It is easy to make and the result is hearty and delicious. What a great way to warm up on a cold day!

Ingredients:

6-8 pieces bone-in chicken (I use thighs and breasts)
3 cups water
2 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
or
1 bundle fresh sage, thyme & parsley, tied with a string
1 small onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 cups canned chicken broth

Cooked noodles or rice

Instructions:

Place chicken in a large saucepan, add water and seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Turn off heat and remove chicken from cooking liquid. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin, cartilage and bones. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Strain the broth and remove the fat (I use a de-fatting cup, but you can also skim the fat from the top with a spoon.) Return the meat to the pot with the vegetables. Add chicken broth if needed. (The ratio of ingredients to broth should be about 1:3). Cover and bring the soup to a boil. Lower to simmer again for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are fully cooked. Taste the broth. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt if necessary.

Serve soup piping hot over noodles or rice. It is important to cook and store the noodles separately so that they don't rob the soup of its moisture. Extra soup can be frozen for up to 6 months. This recipe makes a nice, big batch -- enough to serve 8 people.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice

When I'm in the mood for comfort food, I reach for this recipe. And as the weather gets colder, who isn't in the mood for comfort food?

Ingredients:

6 pieces bone-in chicken (we use legs or thighs)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced onion
salt & pepper to taste
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbs sour cream

Place chicken in crock pot. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Cook 6-8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High. 20 minutes before serving, remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Remove cooking liquid from the heat and whisk in sour cream until smooth. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones. Place shredded meat into the gravy and return to the heat. Serve warm over brown or white rice.

Enjoy!

Red Pepper Chili

Fall is the season for comfort food. When the weather turned brisk this past Sunday, this was the perfect recipe to make use of our bumper crop of Sweet Red Peppers. It warmed us inside and out.

Ingredients:

3-4 Red Bell Peppers, seeded and diced
1 white onion, diced
2 chopped dried or fresh serrano chiles, with seeds
olive oil

1 lb chuck steak, cut into cubes and browned
or
1 lb leftover steak or beef pot roast, cubed

1 large can tomato puree
or
2 cups fresh pureed tomatoes from the garden

1-30 oz. can of pinto beans, rinsed
2 cups water
1 1/2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
Scant 1/2 tbs dried oregano
Scant 1/2 tbs dried basil
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Gently sweat peppers and onions with a sprinkle of salt until translucent. Add chiles and beef and stir. Add tomato puree, beans, water, and spices. Stir to combine. Bring chili to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat, cover, and simmer gently for one hour. To thicken, remove lid to let liquid reduce and stir occasionally to keep beans from sticking. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve hot with sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

Christmas Cookie #3: Cream Cheese Cookies

These cookies are so beautiful to look at, and so rich that one tiny mouthful is enough to satisfy. As they bake, the dough turns a gorgeous white that contrasts so beautifully with the cherry. They are my favorite cookies of the season.

Ingredients:

2 cups butter, softened
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 cup splenda
2 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks
5 cups flour
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 jar maraschino cherries

Cream butter, cheese, sugar, and splenda. Blend in egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour gradually, followed by nuts. Roll dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Cut each cherry in fourths. Press 1/4 cherry into the top of each cookie. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

Christmas Sweets: Sugar & Spice Pecans

This recipe always gets raves from my neighbors. The secret to it is the salt and periodic stirring as the pecans bake. Even when I make a large batch, I run out!

Ingredients:

2 lbs of pecans (32 ounces)

2 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Beat egg whites to a light froth. In a large bowl, mix with pecans and toss to coat. Mix sugar, salt, and spices separately and pour over pecans, tossing again to distribute evenly over the nuts. Place in a single layer on a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet (I divide the mixture between two sheets). Bake at 225 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Christmas Sweets: Homemade Butter Mints

This recipe is one of my favorites because it is so fun to make and the results are strikingly festive (and delicious!) There is no need to bake and no need for a candy thermometer. The only requirement is to set aside some space for the candy to set undisturbed for 24 hours. Homemade Butter Mints travel well, and I include them in all our gift packages of holiday goodies.

Ingredients:

9 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup corn syrup

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

green and red food coloring, (I use paste, but liquid will work.)

In a large bowl, cut together sugar and butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender until butter is in large chunks. Add corn syrup, salt, peppermint, and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to come together, then work into a dough with your hands, kneading constantly until dough is smooth and uniform. Divide dough into two parts. Make a well in the center of each and put a small amount of food coloring in the well. Knead each ball of dough until the color is distributed uniformly.

On large sheets of waxed paper in an area where you will rest your candy, roll dough between your hands into "snakes" a little larger in diameter than a pencil. Once you have all the dough rolled, set a timer for 10 minutes. When the buzzer rings, begin cutting the snakes, starting with the first ones you prepared, into pillows. Allow them to set for 24 hours. Store in an airtight container or a large Ziploc bag. Keep in mind that the mints are semi-soft, so protect them from being crushed.

Enjoy!

Christmas Cookie #2: Fresh Ginger-Lemon Cookies

I love the taste of these gentle ginger cookies. They are a far cry from the heavily spiced taste of ginger snaps or gingerbread. I love to eat them with a nice, hot cup of Earl Grey. They are a crisp mouthful of buttery ginger-lemon goodness -- a great taste of the holidays.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tbs fresh ginger, finely ground in the food processor
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the sugar and butter, add vinegar and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients, one at a time, beating after each addition. The dough should be thick, but not stiff or dry. Roll dough in 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Gently press into 1/2 inch rounds with your fingers or the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake 14-16 minutes, until golden. Cool completely.

Enjoy!