Orange Infused Cranberry Sauce

Do you want to know what my favorite holiday is? 
Yup, you guessed it, Thanksgiving! 
It's the one time of year where the whole family comes together for no other reason than to just be with each other while surrounded by a fantastic meal to share. No presents to buy, no hustle and bustle, just good quality time with those you love!

And, where is the best place to celebrate Thanksgiving in my family? That would be my mother's house. She not only has the space for us all to fit comfortably, she also is a rock star at cooking this meal perfectly. My mother has had many years to practice, and let me tell you, there is no other place I'd rather be then where I grew up on this very special occasion. 

Over the past few years, with my parents getting older, us kids have all chipped in with the cooking, bringing a dish or two to share, while my mom just focuses on the three main dishes of the meal—the turkey, the stuffing, and the mashed potatoes. I'm getting excited just thinking about all of it, I can almost smell it!

This year I am bringing some desserts, one being my melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate brownies, spaghetti squash for a side dish, and also the recipe I am giving you here for my Orange Infused Cranberry Sauce. 

For me, Thanksgiving is not complete without cranberry sauce. I don't even think many people in my family like it besides my mother and I, but that won't stop me. I don't even mind if it comes out of the can. However, I certainly prefer it homemade, and a little healthier with less sugar if I can.

Below is the recipe for my homemade Orange Infused Cranberry Sauce. It's a little on the tart side, which I prefer, but if it is too tart for you, please feel free to add more sweetener until you reach your desired sweetness.

Orange Infused Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
2, 12 oz. bags of whole fresh cranberries, picked over for any bad cranberries
Zest of 2 navel oranges
3 navel oranges, juiced (or 1/2 cup orange juice)
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup light agave nectar, or about 4-6 packets of Stevia (add additional sweetener to taste)

Directions:
First, zest two navel oranges, and put it into a medium sauce pan. 

Then, juice all three oranges, and strain to remove any seeds. You should get around 1/2 cup of juice.

Then, in your sauce pan with the zest, add in your water, orange juice, and agave, stir to combine well. 

Turn your stove on to high heat, and bring the water mixture to a boil.

Once the water has reached a boil, add in your whole cranberries, stir, and let the water return to a boil. Once the mixture has reached a boil, reduce heat to simmer. 

Simmer cranberries in your water mixture for about 10-15 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cranberry sauce will thicken as the berries cook down. 

Once you have reached your desired consistency, turn off heat and remove to let cool. You can either serve this warm, or chilled over night. 

Makes about 5 - 5 1/2 cups.
This recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan.

The Best Gluten-Free Bread in Town!

Product Name: Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Gluten-Free Bread
Manufacturer: Canyon Bakehouse
Overall Rating: 4.8
Taste: 5
Texture (right out of the bag): 5
Texture (toasted): 5
Shelf Life: 5
Cost: 3.8 | $6.99
Company Website: http://canyonglutenfree.com/

Review: Over the past 5 years, I've searched high and low for the best gluten-free bread available in the Capital District. I've tried breads from local gluten-free bakeries and restaurants, which were fairly good, but way too expensive. I've tried making some on my own at home in my bread machine, which again, was okay, but not great and was very time consuming. And, I've also tried countless loaves off the shelves and freezers of a my local supermarkets before finding my favorite gluten-free bread to date. 

And, the best gluten-free bread in the Capital Region goes too....drumroll please...Canyon Bakehouse's 7-Grain Bread!

Canyon Bakehouse is not a local company—which I would prefer—but located in Loveland, Colorado. Canyon Bakehouse has a mission, which is to create delicious and nutritious gluten-free breads that the whole family will enjoy. They wish to create breads with the same flavor and texture of "regular" bread to those adhering to a gluten-free diet. And, let me tell you something, they hit this one out of the park. 

I found Canyon Bakehouse breads at one of my favorite local markets in Albany, the Honest Weight Food Co-op. The Co-op carries and sells this 7-Grain bread for $6.99 a loaf, which isn't cheap, but wasn't so high either that I was unwilling to give it a try. It looked good, and looked a lot like regular bread, so I picked one up, and brought it home. You can find this bread at the Co-op located on the regular shelf, not the freezer, with all of the other breads and wraps.

The texture of this bread is simply fantastic. Right out of the bag, it's soft and pliable like "regular" bread, and most certainly is not dry, like some of the others I've come across. It is light and airy, and not too dense like a lot of other GF breads tend to be, and has just a hint of sweetness. I was simply amazed by the taste and texture of this bread. It was everything I had remembered "regular" bread to be, and it is also good for me. Bonus! This bread, and many of the others that Canyon Bakehouse sells, are made with 100% whole grains, have 2g of protein and 2g of fiber, and is also dairy, nut, and soy free. 
Wow, right? 

I've also tried their Mountain White bread when the Co-op was out of the 7-Grain variety—apparently I'm not the only one who is in love with this bread— and it too is delicious. It has the same great texture, and the same great taste, but just a little more "plain jane" without the whole grain "seeds" that I love in the 7-Grain variety. The Mountain White variety is still a great nutritional choice since it is also made with 100% whole grains, and has 2g protein and fiber like the 7-Grain.

The Co-op also carries Canyon Bakehouse's Rosemary and Thyme Focaccia. I haven't tried this yet, but I'm definitely intrigued, and plan to give it a try soon. Based on my experience I've had thus far, I am sure it is spectacular too.

So, if you are looking for that perfect gluten-free bread, I would give this bread from Canyon Bakehouse a try. I think you might just forget that you are even eating gluten-free bread altogether, and end up enjoying that sandwich, toast with your eggs, or what ever you fancy, that much more.

Please let me know if you give it a try, and what you think. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Eggplant Pizza Boats with Sausage, Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms

I was on my way home from work, contemplating what I should make for dinner for my husband and I tonight, and for some reason, all I could think about was pizza. Pizza...pizza...pizza... Man, I sure do love pizza. However, I wanted to make something that was quick and easy, and something that was a bit healthier than regular pizza. There's no need for a carb overload right before bedtime. Plus, the thought of having to make my own pizza dough from scratch, and all that goes along with doing that made me not like the idea as much anymore...so, I thought to myself, Nah, I think I'll pass on regular pizza tonight. 

So, then I began thinking about all the vegetables that I love on pizza normally...like sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms! You have got to have mushrooms! Well, that is, unless you are my brother. My brother really dislikes those little fungi. I do have to give him credit though. He does, every so often, try one just to see if maybe, just maybe, his taste for them has changed. And, so far, the verdict for him is still the same. "Yuk! Yuk! YUK!" 
So, if you are anything like my brother when it comes to mushrooms, just ditch them, and add a different vegetable of your choice that you really like on pizza instead. Maybe olives, garlic, broccoli, etc.

Now came the point of my pizza-like journey where I had to figure out what I should use as the vehicle for these delicious pizza toppings? Then, I thought about a fairly recent dinner I had at my parents house. They had ordered (normal) pizza for themselves, and on the one that everyone liked the most had eggplant on it. So, I decided to give it a whirl and use eggplant to house all of my delicious pizza toppings! And, guess what? It worked out beautifully. Before I decided on the eggplant, I thought about using squash. I'm betting that it would work out well too, but the eggplant just seemed to be a little bit more of an appropriate Italian choice, don't you think?

After I decided on the eggplant, I then roasted it in the oven while sauteing all the vegetables and cooking the sausage. Then, after everything was done only a short time later, I assembled them, and put them back in the oven just until the cheese was all melted and bubbly. And there you have it, Eggplant Pizza Boats! Sounds good, doesn't it?

These pizza boats were not only super healthy and the perfect quick and easy dinner, but they were also delicious and packed with flavor. If that's what you are looking for, I strongly suggest giving these a try. My husband couldn't stop saying how good they were. So, as I've told you before, when he says something is good over and over, you know it is.

This recipe is written for two servings, so if you are making them for a family, just increase your measurements accordingly. Feel free to try your families favorite toppings in place of mine. I'm sure whatever floats your boat will work! (Get it? Floats your boat...yeah, yeah, I know, but I couldn't help myself with that one.)

I hope you enjoy these delicious boats of goodness as much as we did! Let me know what you think by using the comment area below!

Eggplant Pizza Boats with Sausage, Peppers, 
Onions, and Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Cooking Spray
1 large eggplant, cut in half
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
5 oz. baby bella mushrooms, quartered
3 links Premio Hot & Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage, casings removed
1 cup of your favorite jarred gluten-free tomato sauce, or homemade
1/2 cup shredded Part-Skim Mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated or in the can
2 teaspoons dried Italian Seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. 

Take eggplant halves and place them on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray, flesh side up. Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper to the tops of each eggplant half, then drizzle each one with a little EVOO. Roast eggplant for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Turn oven down to 350° and keep on for the last step of the recipe.

Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan sprayed lightly with cooking spray, saute vegetables for about 5-8 minutes, or until soft. Remove from pan and put in a medium sized mixing bowl.

In the same frying pan that you just sauteed your vegetables in, cook the sausage thoroughly until no longer pink. Remove from pan and mix into the bowl with your sauteed vegetables.

Premio Chicken Sausage is a great Gluten-Free Choice!

Now that your eggplant has cooled off a bit, take a knife and score the eggplant where you want to scoop it out, leaving about 1/4" from the sides to make sure you have "walls" to support the toppings that will go in your boat. 

Scoop out the middle flesh of the eggplant with a spoon, and put the it onto your cutting board. Chop the eggplant coarsely that you just scooped out up, and add it to your sauteed vegetables and sausage mixture. 
Add tomato sauce (unheated), and mix everything together well.

Scoop the vegetable and sausage mixture evenly into your two eggplant boats. Pile it up high, and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and your italian seasonings. 

Put back in the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Serves: 2
This dish is gluten-free and nut-free. This can easily be made vegan/vegetarian by replacing the sausage with your favorite protein replacement, or adding additional vegetable toppings.