Zhender's Cranberry Relish

If you live in Michigan, there is a good chance that you have been to Frankenmuth.  That is a lovely city about an hour and a half Northwest of Detroit where they have cultivated a beautiful German themed community and have the best fried chicken in the Midwest.  The places for chicken are two huge competing restaurants that are owned by members of the same family (if you go back far enough).  Zhender's and the Bavarian Inn both have similar, but not identical menus.  Both offer the family style chicken dinners (all you can eat) which are one of the best ways to get insanely full anywhere in the state of Michigan.

One of the fun sides that come with the meals is a cranberry relish - especially if you go to Zhender's.  I have seen a few recipes on the web, and I have tweaked it a bit to lower the sugar.  This is a member submission on epicurious.  Here is one shared from The Flavors of Frankenmuth (from John Zhender). Love the way this turns out.

Ingredients
1 lbs Cranberries, fresh
2 Granny smith apples
2 Naval oranges
1 3/4 cups Sugar

Directions

1. Freeze cranberries overnight.
2. Clean apples, then core into large sliced (leave skin on).
3. Add half the frozen cranberries and apples to a food processor.  Chop until they are around a 1/4" large pieces.  Move to a mixing bowl.
4. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.  Move those to the same mixing bowl.
5. Clean the oranges.  Remove the tops and bottoms of the oranges and cut into sliced.  With the rest of the peel, add to the food processor and lightly chop until the peel pieces are around 1/4" large.  Add to the mixing bowl with the cranberries and apples.
6. Add sugar to the mixing bowl and blend.
7. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

Healthier Chicken Pot Pie

Ever so often, I make something that I am really happy with.  Truth be told, if it is not good - it does not go on my blog - the recipe will die with me!  And every so often, I make something that I am really, really, really, really happy with.  That applies to this dish!  A winner for sure.

We have been looking to make a healthier chicken pot pie for some time.  Well, it would be hard to make one that is less good for you that we find in restaurants.  But as we are trying to watch our weight - I am very excited that we found something good here.  I adapted this from the Cooking Light recipe for Chicken, Potato, and Leek Pie and converted into two portions at a time.

This was amazing!  I think that we really found something great here!  It tasted great and was not that hard to make - so it wins on both sides.  It is a perfect way to end a cold winter's day.

Ingredients (makes two chicken pot pies - each baked in 18.6 oz stoneware)

1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Butter
2 cup Red potatoes, cubed into small pieces and skin left on
1 1/2 cup Frozen carrots and peas (or other mixed vegetables)
1 Chicken breast (skinless and boneless), cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp All-purpose flour
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp Thyme, dried
1/4 tsp Savory, dried
1/4 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)
1 cup Chicken or Vegetable broth (fat-free, lower-sodium if available)
1/3 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (enough to cover the filling - you can use sparingly)
1 tsp Skim milk
1 large Egg white

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and frozen carrot & peas to pan; saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken; saute 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, Kosher salt, thyme, savory and black pepper; saute 1 minute, stirring frequently.
3. Slowly add broth to pan, stirring constantly; bring to a boil. Cook 1-2 minutes or until it thickens. Spoon mixture into the two stoneware baking dishes.
4. Cut the pie dough in a shape to fit over the filling.  Combine milk and egg white; brush mixture over top of dough. Cut small slits in dough to vent. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Pan Fried Whitefish

Modestly adapted from a recipe found on the Food Network site. Super easy and very delicious.

Ingredients (three fillets feeds 4 people comfortably)
Whitefish fillets (cut into 5" sections)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Flour (about 1/2 cup for three fillets)
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
2. With the skin-side down, sprinkle the flesh of the fillet with salt and pepper to taste. Then sprinkle lightly with flour. Gently Shake off excess flour.
3. Place the fillets in the pan with the skin side down, cook for 4 minutes (you might need to adjust with the thickness of the fish). Skin side should be nice and golden.
4. Turn the fish over and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.
5. Remove from pan and let the oil drain (paper towels work here).

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Sauerkraut

Been a while - this is a great dish and just in time for St. Patrick's Day! Super easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon dried minced onions
1 corned beef (average piece - 3 lbs)
2 lbs sauerkraut (canned or jarred) - you might need more with a larger piece of corned beef)

Directions:

1. Sprinkle the dried onion on the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Add the corned beef, fat side up.
3. Place the sauerkraut on top of the beef to cover. Include all the liquid from the jar or can.
4. Cook all day long - around 10 hours on low setting.

You could add other veggies, but we have kept it simple.
This is WONDERFUL as sandwiches with rye bread.