Here are a few recipes for the holidays

Here are a few recipes to try during the holidays provided by Grand Forks Herald Food Editor Jeff Tiedeman:

Posted Nov. 15, 2012

No holiday meal would be complete without dessert, pie or cake being the choice of many people. But some are divided on what is the better.

Fans of cake cite its sweetness and melt-in-your-mouth qualities. Pie lovers will counter that pie is sweet, too, but in a more subtle and complex way. Plus it has a delicious crust.

For those two different camps, I suggest a combination of the two, such as the following from McCormick, in which cheesecake meets pecan pie in a smooth and decadent seasonal dessert.

Vanilla Pecan Pie

1 pie crust

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

3 eggs, divided

3/4 cup sugar, divided

4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups pecan pieces, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare crust using 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Beat cream cheese, 1 of the eggs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well-blended and smooth. Spread evenly on bottom of crust. Bake 15 minutes.

Beat remaining 2 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Add corn syrup, butter, remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla and salt; stir until well-blended. Sprinkle pecans evenly over baked cream cheese layer. Slowly pour corn syrup mixture over nuts.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until just set in center. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: Serves 10.

Approximate nutritional analysis per servvig: 506 calories, 34 grams fat, 43 grams carbohydrates, 96 milligrams cholesterol, 307 milligrams sodium. 2 grams dietary fiber, 7 grams protein.

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Posted Nov. 14, 2012

Just about everyone who’s cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner or another holiday get-together has their favorite technique to prepare the bird.

These days, a lot of people are turning to brining their turkey before cooking it, whether it’s in the oven, on the grill or in a deep fryer.

But many still like to roast their bird — often stuffed with a bread dressing of some sort — the traditional way, basting the turkey in its own juices and perhaps smearing on some butter for the last hour or brown the skin nicely.

Here’s another method preferred by some. It calls for coating the turkey with a rub before roasting it.

The recipe from McCormick, the spice people, features a sage, garlic powder, groound nutmeg and paprika rub that’s sure to bring mouthwatering aroma and show-stopping flavor to this holiday favorite.

Savory Herb Rub Roasted Turkey

2 tablespoons sage or poultry seasoning

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 12- to 14-pound whole turkey, fresh or frozen, thawed

1 large onion, cut into wedges

6 bay leaves

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place roasting rack in shallow roasting pan. Mix sage, paprika, seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepper and nutmeg in small bowl.

Place turkey, breast-side up, in prepared pan. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the seasoning mixture inside turkey. Stuff with onion and bay leaves. Brush turkey breast with oil. Spread remaining seasoning mixture over entire surface and under skin of turkey. Add 1/2 cup water to pan. Cover turkey loosely with heavy duty foil.

Roast 1 hour. Remove foil. Roast 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (175 degrees in thigh), basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove turkey from oven. Let stand 20 minutes. Transfer to platter or carving board to slice. Reserve pan juices to make gravy or to serve with turkey.

Yield: Serves 12.

Tip: For easy cleanup, line roasting pan with heavy duty foil.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 538 calories, 26 grams fat, 3 grams carbohydrates, 212 milligrams cholesterol, 558 milligrams sodium:, 1 gram fiber, 73 grams protein.

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Posted Nov. 13, 2012

It’s not too early to think about holiday baking. And the sooner you get to it, the more time you will have for shopping for those hard-to-please family members.

Cookies and bars are a favorite of many people this time of the year. Here’s a recipe from Nestle that reminds me of one my mom makes at the holidays. If the bars are anything like hers, they will be delicious.

Yuletide Layer Bars

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

1 14-ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 2/3 cups Toll House Holiday Morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan in oven; remove from oven. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter. Stir well; carefully press onto bottom of pan. Sprinkle with coconut and nuts. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over top. Sprinkle with morsels; press down lightly.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Tip: For easier cutting of bars, line pan with foil, extending over edges of pan. Coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake and cool as directed above. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into bars.

Yield: 24 bars.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 135.2 calories, 5.9 grams fat (2.1 grams saturated), 4.2 milligrams cholesterol, 61.6 milligrams sodium, 17.7 grams carbohydrates, 0.9 grams dietary fiber, 14.4 grams sugars, 2.2 grams protein.

Tiedeman shares recipes every week through his blog at chefjeff.areavoices.com

Tags: life, food