Cranberry/Pecan Turkey Stuffing

Are you ready for something a little different this special holiday?  Prepare your usual and favorite stuffing recipe this year with a twist of whole cranberries and glazed pecans - the perfect touch for great country feasting. 1 Cup pecan pieces (for each 2 quarts of traditional stuffing) 1 Cup real butter One-third Cup brown sugar 2 Cups fresh, whole cranberries 1 Cup granulated sugar In a saucepan, mix one cup of water and one cup granulated sugar and add cranberries. Quickly bring to a boil. When cranberries start "popping". Remove from heat and allow to cool at room temperature for one-half hour. Set aside. In a sauté skillet, melt butter and add roughly chopped pecans. Leave pecan pieces on the large side and add to melted butter in saucepan. Lightly sprinkle brown sugar over the nuts and stir constantly until a slight glaze begins to form with the butter and sugar. Remove from heat. Add whole, cooked cranberries and glazed pecans to your finished stuffing recipe and toss lightly. Ummm good!

Secret Cilantro Sauce

One-Half Sweet Onion One bunch Fresh Cilantro 16 ounces Sour Cream One Fresh (sliced and de-seeded) Serrano Chili Lime Juice In a blender or food processor, combine chili pepper, onion,  sour cream and about one-half cup fresh chopped cilantro. Finely chop or puree ingredients and add enough lime juice to make the mixture thinner. Add a touch of tequila for flavor if desired. Use sauce as a dip for fresh celery and other vegetables, or use it as a sauce topping over most any primary dish, including the turkey!

Texas Gulf Oysters on the Half Shell w/Spicy Vinegar

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup very thinly sliced green onions 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots 5 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 36 fresh oysters, on the half shell Lemon wedges Stir vinegar and salt in medium bowl until salt dissolves. Mix in green onions, shallots, garlic and black pepper. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt, if desired. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Stir parsley into vinegar mixture. Line platter with crushed ice. Arrange oysters atop ice. Spoon 1 teaspoon vinegar mixture over each oyster. Transfer remaining vinegar mixture to small bowl. Serve oysters with lemon wedges and remaining vinegar mixture.

Pumpkin Flan

1 can (16 oz.) solid pack pumpkin 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk 1 2/3 C. granulated sugar, divided 3 eggs, beaten 2 tsp. vanilla, divided 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground ginger  1/2  tsp. ground cloves 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 C. whipping cream 1 Tbl. powdered sugar 1. Preheat oven to 300 detgrees F. Beat pumpkin, evaporated milk, 1/3  c. granulated sugar, eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla and spices in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Set aside. 2. Heat remaining 1 1/3  cups granulated sugar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until melted and golden brown. (Mixture will be hot.) Carefully pour melted sugar into eight 4-oz. ramekins. Place ramekins in 15x11 inch baking dish and fill each cup with pumpkin mixture. 3. Pour hot water into pan half way up sides of cups. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool. Run knife around edges of each cup to loosen Invert onto serving plates. 4. Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla in small bowl with electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Garnis each flan with whipped cream mixture. Recipe courtesy of Favorite Brand Name Recipes Series

Anise Seed Borracho Cookies

This is a variation of a traditional Christmas cookie baked at Christmas time all along the Rio Grande Valley!. The word, "Borracho" in spanish means drunk! 2 Tbl. anise seed 3 Tbl. rum 1 1/4 C. Butter 3/4 C. white sugar 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour 1 egg 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves Place the anise seeds in a small bowl with the rum. Set aside to marinate overnight. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the anise seed and rum. Mix in the egg. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and cloves, stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown at the edges. Cool for a few minutes on baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely. These are great served with hot apple cider or a hot buttered rum! Recipe submitted by: Ruben Jerez

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