News

Holiday Planning! From Thanksgiving, to Gifting, to Party Planning

November The Twist Newsletter 2018

Check out these made over Left-overs!

http://www.icontact-archive.com/Rkt6QvLopAzVCDCFEy4OxyE6FT6kkNLQ?w=3

Stuffing vs Dressing

I'll be honest, we've never had this debate at our holiday gatherings.  Our debate is usually centered around if deviled eggs should have relish in them -- but that is for another time! 

When I started thinking of Thanksgiving fixings, specifically dressing, I found all sorts of different dressings, er, stuffings!  So I had to dig a little deeper, is there really a difference? 

My findings:  similar ingredients, different process.  Dressing is a prepared side dish, whereas stuffing is crammed in the turkey cavity.  (there is some mention to locale: sort of like the soda and pop debate)  The ingredients do vary a little.  Bread is the by far the most common ingredient, followed by celery and onion, and a plethora of herbs.  But as you will see below, some cooks include meat, seafood, and even rice!  

Whether you call it  dressing or stuffing at your festivities, we hope you enjoy the following twists!  (our personal favorite is of course Mom Hollinger's)  

Lemon and Sage Dressing
up to 1/4 c Butter Olive Oil
up to 1/4 c Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil
1 c sliced celery
1/2 c sliced green onions
1/2 c shredded carrot
8 c unseasoned stuffing cubes
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/4 c ready to serve chicken broth

Saute celery, onions, and carrots in butter olive oil.  Prepare casserole dish with a little Mushroom and Sage olive oil.  Place blended stuffing cubes, lemon peel and seasonings.  Combine sauteed items with stuffing mixture.  Pour chicken broth over top.  Drizzle Oils over top.  Bake covered in 350º oven for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake additional 15-20 minutes.

TWIST:  Can sub Wild mushroom & Sage oil for Lemon Olive oil. 

Gingered Rice Stuffing
2 c chopped celery
1 medium onion chopped
2 tsp grated fresh  ginger root
up to 1/2 c Butter Olive Oil
2 c cooked rice
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/3 c unseasoned dry bread crumbs

In medium skillet, cook and stir celery, onion and ginger root in oil, until tender.

In medium mixing bowl, combine vegetable mixture and remaining ingredients; mix well.

In greased casserole, bake stuffing covered at 350º for 30 minutes uncover and bake additional 15 - 20 minutes.

TWIST:  Add Honey Ginger Balsamic vinegar on top of the dressing before baking.

Corn Bread Stuffing
5 slices bacon
3 T Butter Olive Oil
1 small chopped onion
1/3 c chopped celery
1 1/2 sliced mushrooms
4 c cornbread stuffing mix
1/3 c snipped parsley
1 c stock
1 egg, beaten

In medium skillet, fry bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon, drain, crumble; set aside.

Over medium heat add olive oil to bacon drippings.  Add onion and celery.  Cook and stir in 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms.  Cook and stir until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  In medium mixing bowl, combine cornbread stuffing mix, parsley, reserved crumbled bacon and vegetable mixture.  Mix well.  Add broth and egg.  Mix well.  In greased casserole, bake stuffing covered at 350º for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake 15-25 longer.

Spicy Sausage Dressing
up to 1/4 c Butter Olive Oil
5 c cubed French bread
1/2 lb spicy pork sausage
1 Small chopped onion
1/3 c thinly sliced celery
1 medium apple, cored and chopped
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts
1/3 c stock

In skillet, heat olive oil, add bread, stirring to coat.  Cook and stir over medium heat until bread cubes are lightly toasted, adding oil as needed.  Transfer cubes to mixing bowl.  Set aside.

In same skillet, cook sausage and crumble.  Add onion, celery.  Cook and stir until vegetables are tender and pork is cooked through.  Add sausage mixture to bread.  Add apple and pecans.  Mix well. Add stock; mix.

In greased casserole, bake covered at 350º for 30 minutes.  Uncover for additional browning.

TWIST:  Use Roasted Onion and Cilantro or Chipotle oil.  As an alternative serving option: Scoop out an apple and serve the cooked dressing in it.

Mom Hollinger's Dressing
This is the staple recipe at our Thanksgiving dinner.  The kids (including the ADULT "kids") might revolt, if we change it up too much!  But hands down, this makes the best day after breakfast!!! And yes we bring our own containers, and grab our portion and hide it in the fridge, so we can have it the next day.  This version is very moist in comparison to the other options.

1 loaf of white bread, torn and dried 24 hours; bag and seal
1 onion chopped
2 stalks chopped celery
2 can creamed soup: chicken, mushroom or celery
2 T Wild mushroom and sage olive oil
1 tsp chicken parsley base
small can oysters (optional)
turkey bits (optional)

Bread prep:  tear one loaf of choice of bread into bite sized bits, and air dry for at least 24 hours.  This can be done weeks in advance and frozen. 

Bring 4 c water with onion and celery to a boil  until just tender (add optional turkey, too); add  creamed soups, and  olive oil; blend.  Put bread in large bowl,  pour soup mixture over bread; cover and let sit 5 minutes.   Then, toss with fork and place in greased casserole.  If using the oysters, chop them and bring 1 c water in a separate pan, combine liquid and oyster with bread.  Reducing the starting water from  4 c  to 3 cups.  Place casserole uncovered in 350º oven for 45 - 60 minutes.  If it is too moist, add additional time--but remember as it cools, it will firm up.

October 2018 The Twist Newsletter

Click on the photo or the link below to view our most recent newsletter!  

http://www.icontact-archive.com/Rkt6QvLopAzVCDCFEy4OxxiYiQL1LAdd?w=3

Mama Mia! It's a pizzaria (At your summer cookout!)

Tired of hot dogs and hamburgers? Then you'll love our latest recipe video! Check out the thin crust pizza dough recipe below the video.

Make the salad COUNT! Power Nutrient Salad

Salad Ingredients

Leafy Greens

Roasted Sweet Potato - cleaned, peeled an cubed (toss with Olive Oil at 350º for 15-20 minutes)

Red Cabbage, thinly sliced

Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Black Beans, rinsed and drained

Radish cleaned and thinly sliced

Quinoa, cooked as directed

Apple - washed, cored and thinly sliced, toss with Gravenstine Apple to slow browning

Avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

Walnuts

Dressing:

1 part Balsamic Vinegar of Choice (Try Neapolitan Herb)

1 part Olive OIl of choice (Lemon Olive Oil

Honey, optional

Bourbon Barrel Mustard, optional

Himalayan Salt, optional

Place clean leafy greens on plate and top with a layer of quinoa, vegetables and walnuts.  Drizzle dressing over top.

Begin dressings with balsamic vinegar and then slowly add the olive oil, to allow the vinaigrette to remain emulsified longer.

We made a recipe video! Check our our first of many!

And the Count Down has begun! It's a gift pack Christmas! View our gift guide!

We have an array of products and price points to assist anyone in their holiday gift giving.  Simplicity of a Grab n Go gift, to the more complex customization, our helpful staff can assist you.   

Remember FOOD PREP too!   Gather the lists, and stop in and see us for your Holiday needs. CLICK on the bow!

Leading the industry in quality and flavor!

In our never-ending pursuit to offer the highest quality product, we are continuously raising the bar.  We are announcing changes in our balsamic vinegar, which necessitates explanations in new nutritional regulations.   

What is staying the same

• Great Fun Flavors
• Verifiable Color-free 
• Authentic balsamic vinegar made exclusively in Modena Italy
• Time preserved process of hand craftsmanship artisan product
• Lab tested

What has changed

• Nutritional panel information has changed
• Higher proportion of barrel aged, kettle-cooked grape must
• Increase in total carbohydrates
• Our UP Traditional style balsamic is now comprised of over 97% cooked barrel aged grape must
• Higher amount of grape solids in a our product
• These solids also include the natural fruit sugar which originates solely from grapes
• Changes Equates to more calories
• Much higher concentrations of natural phenols

Why this is good?

• We know that naturally fermented products such as balsamic vinegar have long been touted as health promoting due to their pro-biotic nature but now we also intend to better understand the health implications associated with consuming phenols in balsamic.
• This is an exciting development as our products have the highest amount of grape solids measured of any other balsamic product available.
• Educating us to the properties to be better consumers that avoid products which are poorly made, watered down, or doctored.

Please view the individual product descriptions in the vinegar section of this website for the specific nutritional information, or contact our Fort Wayne location.

Gumbo vs Jambalaya: Fat Tuesday Inspired Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Recipe