Spiced Cranberry Apple Raisin Compote Dessert

Your oven gets a real workout around the holidays and finding the room for an extra dish, or trying to time it so everything comes out when it should is tricky. This is one solution I came up with that might help. This one comes out of your slow cooker!

Traditional warm spices make this a real treat too. Serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Delish!

Ingredients:
6 granny smith apples, peeled and diced bite size
1 cup raisins
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground gingner
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 c orange juice
2 tbsp sugar or splenda

Directions:
In a bowl, break up the cranberry sauce so it is loose. Mix in raisins
Place apples in slowcooker, add cranberry raisin mixture and toss gently to blend ingredients
In the now empty bowl, add remaining ingredients. Wisk to blend
Pour spice & juice mixture over apple mixture
Set pot to cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours (until everything is tender)
Keep your pot on warm until ready to serve

Serve in dessert cups topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, or serve it over ice cream while still warm

Optional:
Sprinkle chopped pecans on top!

Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

Traditional Thanksgiving side dishes are usually loaded with salt and gluten. This dish is what I plan on making for my side this year, cutting all the gluten and most of the salt out. It is an alternative to the green bean casserole, but you can certainly make your green beans in this manner.

Ingredients:

• 16-24 oz frozen brussel sprouts, defrosted, or fresh
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 c white wine
• 1/2 stick butter/promise
• 1/2 c heavy cream (or plain fat free creamer)
• 1/2 c bread crumbs (gluten free, or pulse 2 gluten free toast)
• 1/2 c shredded parmesan
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp canola oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt 1 tbsp butter and oil in saute pan. (oil prevents butter from burning)
Add brussel sprouts and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes
Remove brussel sprouts to oven safe casserole dish an set aside
Add onions to saute pan an brown (you may need to add a little more oil)
Remove onions to casserole, covering the brussel sprouts
Add wine to saute pan, use a wooden spoon to get all the goodies stuck to the bottom
Add remaining butter to melt.
Add seasonings and cornstarch
Saute until cornstarch has cooked through and mixture starts to thicken
Add cream, stir until mixture thickens again
Pour mixture over onions and brussel sprouts
Combine parmesan and breadcrumbs in a bowl, use to top the brussel sprouts and onions
Bake for 45 minutes covered, removing cover the last 15 minutes to brown the top

Makes 6 servings

Buffalo Chicken Dip

**Can be made gluten free, watch labels on your ingredients
*** if you have guests that have gluten allergies, make a separate dish for them that crackers and other glutens will not be dipped. Make sure people can tell it is gluten free by placing a card or paper napkin nearby with the words GLUTEN FREE.***

We have 20-30 people over for Christmas eve. Fans of this dish request it every year.
 

• 1 small bottle Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing (depending on your taste)
• 1 container low fat sour cream
• 1 package low fat cream cheese (brought to room temperature)
• about 2 cups shredded chicken breast (a large can of chicken works well, but is high in sodium)
• 1/4 c. buffalo wing/hot sauce (or to taste)
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• pepper to taste

optional: chopped red bell pepper, chopped fresh cilantro

Warm oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a casserole with non-stick spray and set aside.

Mix dressing, sour cream, and cream cheese together until well blended. Toss hot sauce and chicken together, add to the cream cheese mixture and stir in. Add 1/2 the shredded cheese, any optional ingredients and the pepper to the mixture and blend. Taste it to see if you like the amount of heat and if needed, add more hot sauce/pepper at this point and blend in. Turn into a casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Place in oven for 10-15 minutes... until the the cheese on top has melted and started to brown.

Serve with cut veggies such as celery, pepper rings, carrot sticks, tortilla chips or crackers, keeping in mind food restrictions if any.

Gluten/Sugar Free Pie Crust (graham crust type)

This is delicious and makes a crust much like the graham cracker crusts.

1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy

1 2/3 cups baking sugar replacement (recommended: Splenda)
1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (McCormick pure vanilla is gluten free)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare your pie dish by coating with non-stick spray. (I use the wrapper from Promise sticks and it does a great job.)

In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, 1 1/3 c. sugar replacement (reserve 1/3 c), egg, and vanilla, and stir well with a spoon. Consistency should be a little stiff, like cookie dough. Add in more sugar replacement, a little at a time till you get the consistency needed.

Put mixture into pie dish and form into crust. You can use the bottom of a glass or jar to help with this part.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. The cooling is important, otherwise the crust is too soft.

This is great for pudding/cool whip type fillings, but can be used for any filling you like.

:-)

Dessert Trifle

Very easy to make and versitile. This is a family favorite.
***If making gluten free, check your labels when purchasing your ingredients as manufacturers do change their formulas at times***

Ingredients:
2 packages of your favorite instant sugar free pudding or gelatin mix
2 large tubs whipped topping -fat free (sugar is minimal)

Optional: (make it unique!)
bananas
fresh or frozen berries
grapes
fresh or sugar free canned pinapple
peanut butter

Reserve a little of the whipped topping for the very top of the dessert. Split the remaining whipped topping into two batches and mix one package of pudding/gelatin into each batch.

Layer your ingredients into your serving dish, top it off with the reserved whipped topping.

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes for the pudding to solidify a little.

Makes approximately 12 servings.

Here are a few varaitions I have made:

Elvis Trifle:
Using chocolate pudding in one batch and cheesecake pudding and 2 tbsp peanut butter in the other. Sliced banana as a middle layer and a few pieces on top. Chopped walnuts on top for decor. I tossed the bananas in a little lemon juice to prevent browning.

Very Berry Trifle:
Strawberry gelatin in one batch, and cheesecake in the other. Reserve a few whole berries for the decoration on top. Mix the rest into the strawberry gelatin batch.

Nutrition information:
(This is BEFORE you add your own toppings)
59 Calories
0 Fat
116 mg sodium
12 grams carbs