Favorite holiday dishes: recipes from our readers, tested in Sunset's kitchen

Sunset, Nov, 2004 by David Prince

Cranberry Port Sauce

THERESA LIU, ALAMEDA, CA

The combination of cranberries, orange, and Port in this easy sauce makes a wonderful accompaniment for pork, duck, and turkey, writes Theresa Liu.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes

MAKES: About 2 cups

  1 bag (12 oz.) fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and any soft or
    decaying fruit discarded
  2 tablespoons grated orange peel
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Port

In a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir together cranberries, orange peel, orange juice, and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until the berries have broken open and released their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Add Port and cook 2 minutes longer. Let cool completely and store airtight up to 2 weeks.

Per tablespoon: 29 cal., 0% (0 cal.) from fat; 0.1 g protein; 0 g fat (0 g sat.); 7 g carbo (0.4 g fiber); 0.4 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Spinach and Crab Enchiladas

CHRISTINE DATIAN, LAS VEGAS

Christine Datian serves these rich, tasty crab enchiladas with a sliced tomato and red onion salad. If vine-ripened tomatoes have already disappeared in your area, use cherry tomatoes.

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PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

  1 tablespoon olive oil
  1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped
  4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  2 fresh jalapeno chiles (about 2 oz. total), rinsed, stemmed,
    seeded, and minced
  8 ounces shelled cooked crab or 3 cans (6 oz. each) lump crabmeat,
    drained
  1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  3 cups shredded jack cheese (about 12 oz.)
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup mayonnaise
  1 tablespoon Worcestershire
  1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne Salt and pepper
  2 cups tomato salsa or red enchilada sauce
 10 white or whole-wheat flour tortillas (7 to 8 in.)

1. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion, garlic, and jalapenos. Stir frequently until onion is limp, 5 to 8 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix crab, spinach, 2 cups cheese, olives, parsley, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, chili powder, cayenne, and onion mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Spread about 1 cup salsa level in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the crab mixture along the center of a tortilla. Roll tortilla around filling. Repeat to fill remaining tortillas, arranging filled tortillas in a single layer over the sauce. Top evenly with remaining 1 cup salsa and remaining 1 cup cheese.

4. Bake in a 350[degrees] oven until cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan about 5 minutes, then serve from pan with a wide spatula.

Per serving: 400 cal., 54% (216 cal.) from fat; 17 g protein; 24 g fat (8 g sat.); 28 g carbo (2.5 g fiber); 913 mg sodium, 65 mg chol.

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Apricots and Bourbon

KAREN CHRISTIE, SACRAMENTO

Karen Christie has experimented with this not-too-sweet version of baked sweet potatoes over the years until it has become one of her family's favorite holiday side dishes. If you like, you can prepare the dish through step 3 up to 2 days ahead; cover airtight and chill. Unwrap and bake as directed in step 4.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 2 hours, plus 20 minutes to cool

MAKES: About 10 servings

1/3 cup bourbon
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
  5 pounds red garnet or jewel sweet potatoes (sometimes sold as yams)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
  1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a small bowl, pour bourbon over dried apricots.

2. Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce each in several places with a fork. Place potatoes on oven rack or in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350[degrees] oven until potatoes are soft when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

3. Peel the sweet potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add brown sugar, butter, and vanilla to the bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until mixture is only slightly chunky. Stir in apricots and bourbon. Spoon into a shallow 2 1/2-quart baking dish and spread level.

4. Bake, uncovered, until hot in the center, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Per serving: 283 cal., 21% (59 cal.) from fat; 3 g protein; 6.6 g fat (3.9 g sat.); 54 g carbo (5.4 g fiber); 88 mg sodium; 16 mg chol.

Smoked Trout--Celery Root Salad

ROXANNE CHAN, ALBANY, CA

Roxanne Chan garnishes this delicious fall salad with chopped smoked almonds. We liked it with plain toasted almonds too.

PREP TIME: About 40 minutes

MAKES: 6 servings

  1/4 cup lemon juice
    3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
    1 pound celery root, peeled and cut into matchstick-size slivers
    1 Asian pear (10 to 13 oz.), rinsed, cored, and diced
    1 head radicchio (8 oz.), rinsed, halved, cored, and slivered
    8 ounces smoked trout, skinned and broken into bite-size pieces
  1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions Salt and pepper
  1/2 cup chopped smoked or toasted almonds (see note at left)