Crimson Pride

2 ounces thinly sliced turkey
1 ounce provolone or fontina cheese
2 slices Rosy Swirl Bread (see recipe)

1. Place turkey and cheese on one slice of bread. Top with remaining slice of bread. Grill in panini maker or pan until crispy and browned. Serves 1.

Per serving: 580 calories, 22g fat, 34g prot., 64g carbs., 6g fiber, 910mg sodium.

Filling:
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup boiling water
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
1 firm, ripe pear, cored and sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
¼ cup sugar

Cake:
Cooking spray
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel:
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon water
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. To prepare filling, combine dried apricots and water in a small bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Combine remaining filling ingredients in a large bowl. Add apricots and soaking liquid; mix well. Spoon into prepared pan.
3. To prepare cake, combine flour, sugar, butter and salt in a food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup for streusel topping.
4. Add egg to flour mixture in food processor. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk, stir well, and add to flour mixture. Add vanilla. Pulse to make a cake batter. Pour over cranberry mixture in pan.
5. To prepare streusel, add streusel ingredients to reserved flour mixture. Toss well. Sprinkle over cake batter and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serves 12.

Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Crimson Pride," Relish the Season, November 2007.

Per serving: 330 calories, 14g fat, 4g prot., 51g carbs., 4g fiber, 200mg sodium.

Bread:
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup butter, divided
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 (.25-ounce) packages dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups whole-wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon cinnamon mixed
with 3 tablespoons sugar

Cranberry filling:
1 2/3 cups fresh cranberries
½ cup sugar

1. Combine milk and 1⁄4 cup butter in a small saucepan and heat until butter melts. Pour into a large bowl and stir in oats. Let stand about 10 minutes.
2. Sprinkle yeast over warm water, and let stand 10 minutes or until bubbly.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt and yeast mixture to oat mixture. Stir well.
4. Stir in whole-wheat flour and 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time. Turn dough out onto a clean, floured surface; knead in remaining all-purpose flour, 1⁄4-cup at a time, until smooth and pliable. Knead about 6 minutes. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in it. Cover and let rise 1 to 11⁄2 hours, until doubled in bulk.
5. To prepare the filling, combine cranberries and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and cranberries start to pop. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Coat two 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. When the dough has risen, punch it down; divide into two equal parts.
7. Melt remaining 1⁄4 cup butter. Roll out one portion of dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar, stopping 3⁄4 inch from edges. Spread with half the cranberry filling, stopping 3⁄4 inch from edges.
8. Roll dough up, starting on one of the short sides. Pinch seams together at both ends; tuck ends under slightly. Place loaf, seam side down, into prepared pan. Repeat for second loaf.
9. Cover loaves and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 to 60 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake 35 minutes or until bread is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven, let stand in pans 5 minutes, then remove from pans and cool on racks 30 minutes. Makes 2 loaves (12 slices each).

Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Crimson Pride," Relish the Season, November 2007.

Per slice: 180 calories, 5g fat, 5g prot., 31g carbs., 3g fiber, 320mg sodium.

1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup, plus 3 tablespoons, sugar, divided
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 1/3 cup heavy cream, chilled
2 cups buttermilk, chilled
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Place fresh berries and 3 tablespoons sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, pausing to scrape sides. Stir in dried cranberries. Refrigerate.
2. Combine cream, buttermilk, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk well.
3. Pour mixture into the canister of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
4. When ice cream is done, remove dasher and gently stir in cranberries. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze at least 2 hours or until firm. Makes 1 quart.

Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Crimson Pride," Relish the Season, November 2007.








1. Place fresh berries and 3 tablespoons sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, pausing to scrape sides. Stir in dried cranberries. Refrigerate.
2. Combine cream, buttermilk, remaining 1⁄2 cup sugar, salt and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk well.
3. Pour mixture into the canister of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
4. When ice cream is done, remove dasher and gently stir in cranberries. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze at least 2 hours or until firm. Makes 1 quart.

Per (1/2-cup) serving: 210 calories, 16g fat, 3g prot., 14g carbs., 1g fiber, 85mg sodium.

1½ cups fresh cranberries
1⁄4 cup tomato ketchup
1⁄4 cup raspberry preserves
1 1⁄2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste
1 (1⁄4-inch thick) slice of a large onion
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons honey

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor; pulse until smooth, yet chunky. Pause several times to scrape down the sides of the processor. Makes 1 1⁄2 cups.

Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Crimson Pride," Relish the Season, November 2007.

Per (3-tablespoon) serving: 60 calories, 0g fat, 0g prot., 14g carbs., 1g fiber, 40mg sodium.