Many moons ago, I made a wild rice stuffing for my turkey that was delicious. However, this post is not about that. It’s about the leftover box of wild rice I’ve had sitting in my cupboard for those many moons (7 years!). While rice going bad isn’t something that I had ever really thought of, I was kind of surprised when I opened it and no weird odors or growths appeared. Then I moved onward with my plans to make a delectable rice laced with crisp green veggie slivers.

California wild rice is black, with a somewhat nutty, somewhat earthy flavor, and a texture that is the epitome of “toothsome”. And it’s fuss-free. “Add water to pot with rice. Boil. Drain.” are pretty much the instructions on the box. As a girl who often burned pots of rice dry, I can get on board with these directions. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

Last year I struggled and struggled with what type of stuffing (or dressing, as I don’t generally stuff my turkey) to fix. After digging through many recipes, I decided the winter fruit and nut stuffing would be a perfect addition to the table. Filled with dried fruits and sweetened with a bit of Sauternes, it lacked an overly-sweet flavor that I had feared other fruit stuffings would bring to the overall menu.

One word to the wise: always read through a few of the comments on websites that have them. While reading through the comments on this particular recipe, I realized there was a misprint on the website, and the recipe should contain some chicken stock as well. So I made the necessary changes, and this recipe turned out perfectly. (more…)

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Gourmet, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian by Courtney

When it comes to making something I’ve never made before, I’m pretty fearless. I figure the worst case scenario is it’s inedible, and I have to serve something else. However, this week I’ve been toying around with the idea of adding truffle salt to the mashed potatoes. I love using it on buttered popcorn, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around whether or not it would be tasty in my potatoes. Since mashed potatoes are pretty easy to whip up, I made a quick batch Friday night to see how they tasted. (more…)

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Comfort food, Dinner, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian by Courtney

While every year I struggle with which favorites to serve and what new things to try, this cranberry sauce has been a staple since I started making it a few years ago. Last year I was tempted to shift to a Pinot Noir-laced cranberry sauce, but at the last minute I decided not to stray from a good thing.

Those last two words should give you a hint of where I found this recipe — in one of my many Martha Stewart magazines. One of my guilty pleasures around this time of year is pulling out all of my November and December issues from years past and combing through recipes, seeing what I’ve missed or what I haven’t made and trying to decide whether it will go with this year’s theme.

But back to the cranberry sauce. This recipe creates 2 versions – one spicy, pepper-jelly-and-herb version, and a sweet-tart orange version. (more…)

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Dairy free, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian by Courtney

Last weekend we had some beautiful weather, and I thought it would be the perfect time to finally try out the recipe for pork barbecue sandwiches that it took me so long to procure from my dad. While I can’t give you that recipe (I’ve been sworn to secrecy), the sides are pretty darned awesome too. One of my favorites for barbecue is potato salad, but I do mine with a tangy twist. Instead of using mostly mayo as many recipes do, I use mostly mustard, and a good blend of them at that, and throw in a few savory seasonings that make this not your normal potato salad. The result will make your taste buds tingle and beg for more! (more…)

Filed under:
Dairy free, Gluten free, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian by Courtney