Holiday Cranberry Salad {Marilyn Hunt}

I wouldn't be a true Mormon if I didn't have a jell-o recipe on this blog. This is the one and only jell-o recipe that I love. My mom makes it every Thanksgiving and Christmas because that's what her mom did. And because it's SO good. It's that dish that I saw growing up and was like "ew" because of the celery and nuts (oh, how I hated nuts) IN the jell-o. Then, thankfully, I matured. Recipe from my grandmother, Marilyn Hunt.

21.5 oz. can crushed pineapple

6 oz. pkg cherry jell-o

¾ cup sugar

2 cup hot water

1/2 cup cold water

1- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lb (1 ½ cup) ground raw cranberries

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup broken walnuts

1 small orange (cut off ends, cut into pieces and process in food processor)

Drain pineapple, reserve syrup.  Combine jell-o & sugar, dissolve in hot water.

Add cold water, lemon juice & pineapple syrup. 

Chill till partially set… then add remainder of ingredients and chill till firm.   

Yummy!!!

Rollover Jerk Lentils with Roasted Peppers and Pineapples.

A Rachael Ray favorite that I veganized by taking the chicken out and putting in lentils. Yum! I didn't have any pineapples so I roasted to oranges. Um, double yum! Totally concentrated their flavor.

1 red onions, roughly chopped and divided
4 cloves garlic
4 scallions
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I omit)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, some for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 green bell pepper
1 cup dried lentils
2 cups water or vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place half the red onion, the garlic, scallions, lime juice, jalapeño pepper, red wine vinegar, orange juice, paprika, cumin, allspice, cinnamon and thyme in a food processor and pulse to combine. While running, stream in the EVOO to form a thick paste.

Rinse lentils and add lentils and water to a pot. Boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and add 1/2 of the jerk paste. Let simmer 20-25 minutes until lentils are tender.

Place the pineapple, bell peppers and red onion on a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle them with some EVOO. Place tray in the oven 30 minutes.

Serve over a bed of brown rice, lentils and veggies and pineapple on top. Or, just eat the mixture without the brown rice.

Rollover Jerk Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Pineapple

3 red onions, roughly chopped and divided

4 cloves garlic
1 bunch scallions
Juice of 2 limes
2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon (about a palmful) sweet paprika
1 tablespoon (about a palmful) cumin
2 teaspoons (about 2/3 palmful) allspice
1 teaspoon (about 1/3 palmful) cinnamon
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 to 1/2 cup EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus some for drizzling
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 green bell pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place one red onion, the garlic, scallions, lime juice, jalapeño peppers, red wine vinegar, orange juice, paprika, cumin, allspice, cinnamon and thyme in a food processor and pulse to combine. While running, stream in the EVOO to form a thick paste.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Rub the paste on the chicken and place in the oven to cook. About 25 minutes. 

Place the pineapple, bell peppers and 2 red onions on a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle them with some EVOO. Place tray in the oven with chicken. 

I serve over brown rice. The 'paste' make more then I need for my family, so I freeze the leftover to use again. This last time I made it I put the chicken in the crockpot, with the peppers and onions on top, then poured the paste over the top. Cooked 3+ hours on high during church. Then I added the pineapple to the crockpot, shredded the chicken and served it all over brown rice. It was super easy and pretty good crock-potted. Although I prefer the roasted ones.

adapted from Rachael Ray