If you just can’t wait until Thanksgiving for a taste of turkey, this quick and tasty recipe should tide you over.  Simple and satisfying; serve over either cooked noodles or rice.

2 t EVOO
4 turkey cutlets
1 shallot, chopped fine
8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/3 C dry white wine i.e. Chardonnay
1 can  cream of mushroom soup
1 t dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 C water
several dashes of Worcestershire sauce

• In a large skillet, heat EVOO over medium heat.   Add cutlets and cook briefly, only 2 to 3 minutes per  side, or just until they lose their pink color.  Be careful not to over cook!
• Add shallot and mushrooms to skillet and cook about 5 minutes until tender. Add wine, stir and simmmer for an additional minute. Stir in soup, thyme, salt & pepper, water and several dashes of Worcestershire sauce. 
• Return the cutlets to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Turn cutlets over to coat, heat briefly just until heated through.  Remove from heat and serve over either cooked egg noodles or rice.

I’m always looking for little “tapas” to make ahead and have on hand for something quick to serve when friends stop in. These are awesome after a few days in the fridge when the flavors have really gotten to know each other.  Keep some on hand for superior snacking during the holidays.

3 T EVOO
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t dried oregano
1 lb. good olives, i.e. pitted kalamatas (Publix has a terrific variety in their deli section - try a blend of several different types)

• In a small bowl, stir together EVOO, garlic and oregano.
• Add olives and toss to coat.  Cover and chill at least 4 hours or as long as two weeks.

My husband Rod loves homemade everything except when it comes to coleslaw - then he wants “storebought”. We live 17 miles from the nearest grocery store so this doesn’t always work for me. Deep down inside who doesn’t love KFC coleslaw?  I found this recipe online, tried it on him and he absolutely loves it.  Truly tastes like “the real thing”.  

8 C shredded cabbage
1/4 C shredded carrots
2 T minced onion
1/3 C sugar
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 C milk
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/4 C butter milk
1 1/2 T white vinegar (I use white Balsamic for its sweetness but any white vinegar will work)
2 T fresh lemon juice

• Shred the cabbage and carrots in a food processor and then empty them into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in minced onion.
• Put the remaining ingredients in either the bowl of a processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Pour over cabbage and carrots and mix thoroughly.
• Cover and chill several hours before serving for best flavor.

I found this recipe on the Ocean Spray website and tried it today.  It is absolutely delicious - moist and lighter than most quick breads. The cranberries and walnuts provide a nice crunch.  This could become a new holiday season standard around our home.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 -inch loaf pan.
• Mix sugar and butter together in a medium mixing bowl until completely blended.
• Add banana, milk and eggs, mixing well. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until moist. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Spread batter evenly in a loaf pan.
• Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool. Makes 1 loaf.

My favorite food on the holiday menu is cranberry sauce, and I kept trying to find the perfect blend.  I put together this recipe back in 1989 and have used it ever since.

1 12-oz. pkg. cranberries
1 1/2 C orange juice
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C chopped walnuts
zest of 1 orange (be careful to avoid getting any white part in)
1/4 t ground ginger

• Bring orange juice to a boil.  Add washed cranberries and sugar. Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Mash berries to desired consistency with a potato masher. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Chill for several hours and serve.

This soup is reason enough to head for New Orleans.  I can never get enough of it or gumbo when I’m there.

1/2 C butter
2 bunches scallions, sliced thin
3 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 9-oz. pkgs. frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and quartered
  OR 2 14-oz. cans artichoke hearts, washed, drained and quartered
3 T flour
1 1/2 qts. chicken stock or broth (4 cans Swanson workd fine)
cayenne to taste
1 t salt
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t dried thyme
1 qt. oysters, drained and chopped (liquor reserved)
1/3 C dry sherry
1 C half and half
1 C milk

• In a heavy 4 or 5 quart pot melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the scallions, celery and garlic and saute until soft taking care not to let them brown.  Add the artichokes.  Sprinkle the mixture with the flour and stir to coat the vegetables well, but do not let it brown.
• Gradually add the stock, stirring occasionally.  Add the cayenne, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme.  Simmer the mixture, covered, for 1 hour.
• Add the oysters, oyster liquor, and sherry and simmer for 10 minutes.  Do NOT allow the soup to boil.
• Stir in the cream and milk. Cool and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
• Before serving, reheat the soup slowly over low heat.

Serves 8

Back-to-back Mary Anne favorites today, one savory, one sweet.  She has been making these for years and said she is always being asked for the recipe but is embarrassed at how easy it is to throw together.  Sounds perfect to me.  Another plus?  The ingredients are staples almost always on hand.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick of butter
1 box 10x confectioners sugar
3 eggs
8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• Mix and press the cake mix, 1 egg and stick of butter into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
• Mix and spread the sugar, 3 eggs and cream cheese and spread evenly over top of first layer.
• Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  Cool and cut into squares.

This is probably Mary Anne’s most requested recipe and she’s kind enough to serve it often. The sauce is fantastic, with a delicious flavor that tastes complicated but which actually goes together in literally seconds.  You’ll find yourself making it frequently as it works so well with so many foods.  Super easy and delicious. 

Sauce:

1/2 C mayonnaise
1/2 t minced garlic
salt & freshly ground pepper to tate
1/2 roasted red bell pepper (jarred ones are fine)
1/2 t sweet curry powder

Crab Cakes:

3/4 C bread crumbs
12 oz. lump crabmeat, cleaned
1 jalapeno chili, seeded & chopped
2 t freshly squeezed lime juice (about the juice in 1/2 lime)
2 T cooking oil
1 1/2 T chopped fresh parsley
3 T diced red bell pepper
2 T chopped fresh chives
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

To Make the Sauce:

• Puree the mayonnaise, roasted red bell pepper, garlic and curry powder until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To Prepare the Crab Cakes:

• Combine the bread crumbs and parsley in a small bowl and set aside. Place the crab in a medium bowl. Fold in the red bell pepper, jalapeno, chives, and lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in 1/4 C of the bread crumb mixture and 4 T of the sauce.
• Divide the crab mixture into 18 equal size portions (or whatever number you feel comfortable with depending on the size you wish to make each cake) and form into patties.  Dredge the crab cakes in the remaining bread crumbs. 
• Cook the crab cakes in the cooking oil in a hot saute pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy.
• Top each crab cake with a small spoonful of the sauce and serve warm.

Serves 6

My all time favorite salad - I could eat this every day and never grow tired of it.  I know it’s not the classic prep method, but Rod and I have tried a LOT of Caesar recipes and this is perfection to us.

2 large heads of romaine lettuce, cleaned & spun dry
2 can anchovies in oil, drained
1/2 C EVOO
juice of 2 lemons
2 cloves minced garlic
2 eggs
1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Boars Head is very good)
freshly ground pepper

1/2 loaf Baguette or French bread
1/4 C EVOO
1 to 2 cloves garlic, slivered fine
sea salt

• Roughly tear the romaine into bite-size pieces in large salad bowl.  Set aside.
• In a blender, add anchovies, EVOO, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and eggs.  Blend til smooth.  Pour into a serving cruet.
• To make the croutons: With a serrated knife, but the bread slices into cubes or other shapes, as desired.  Heat large heavy bottomed skillet with olive oil, saute garlic slivers 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove garlic slivers and reserve.
• Add bread cubes to hot EVOO, reduce heat and cookd for several minutes, stirring and tossing.  When browned nicely, toss back in the garlic, sprinkle with salt.
• When ready to serve, drizzle dressing over lettuce leaves an dtoss to cover evenly.  Add dressing until your have the amount you prefer.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and toss lightly.
• Spread croutons over the top and serve.

Lazy cool autumn Sunday afternoons are the perfect time to fire up the grill, and few meats are easier and tastier than grilled pork loin. The only plant in my garden I have never managed to kill is my rosemary bush, which is about 10 years old and spans about 5 feet across.  This was from a dinner club menu when Rod and I hosted one year, so it serves about 10.

2 3-lb. pork loins
2 t salt
1 t pepper
1/4 C coarse grained Dijon mustard
1/2 C EVOO
2 C soft breadcrumbs
5 T finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 C chopped garlic
Garnishes: sliced fresh pears, fresh rosemary sprigs

• Sprinkle pork loins evenly with salt and pepper.
• Stir together mustard and 1/4 C EVOO; spread evenly over pork.  Stir together remaining oil,, breadcrumbs, rosemary and garlic.
• Light one side of the grill, heating to medium high heat (350 to 400); leave the other side unlit.  Place pork over lit side and grill, covered with grill lid, 8 minutes on each side or until seared.  Remove pork from grill.  Press breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of each pork loin.
• Grill over unlit side of the grill, covered with grill lid, 35 to 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in t part registers 155.  Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.  Garnish with slices of fresh pears and rosemary sprigs if desired.