Carolina Kitchen

Orange-Cranberry Quick Bread

With its fragrant aroma and enticing taste, this bread makes a good breakfast or snack. When cooled completely, it freezes well. Baking for dairy-sensitive folks? Vegan margarine works instead of the butter. 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking soda 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1 cup sugar 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw) 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Grated rind of 1 orange ¾ cup orange juice ½ teaspoon vanilla 1 egg dairy free

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and sugar. Add the pecans and cranberries, and toss gently.

In a medium bowl, stir together the melted butter, orange rind and orange juice. Stir in the vanilla and the egg until combined.

Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine, but don’t over-mix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, or until you can touch the pan, then turn the loaf out onto the rack and let cool completely before serving.

Yield: 1 loaf Unless otherwise noted, recipes on this page are from Debbie Moose (debbiemoose.com), who has authored seven cookbooks and is a former food editor for The News & Observer in Raleigh.

Fall Vegetable Casserole This recipe can be a hearty side dish to roast chicken or turkey, or a vegetarian main dish by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth. Apple cider gives the best flavor, but if using apple juice, purchase a brand with less sugar. We prefer the milder flavor of marjoram, but you can use oregano instead. 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup chopped onions 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced 1 cup pearled barley 1 cup long-grain brown rice 4 cups peeled sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or a combo, in 1-inch cubes 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup apple cider or apple juice 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon marjoram ¾ teaspoons salt, divided

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle on about ¼ teaspoon salt. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Spread the barley and rice on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread the sweet potato and squash cubes over the grains, then add the black beans. Sprinkle on about ½ teaspoon salt, then distribute the mushrooms and onions on top. Pour the apple cider or juice and the broth over the ingredients. It will look like a lot of liquid, but it’s needed to cook the grains. Sprinkle on the thyme and marjoram.

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour, or until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are cooked.

Spinach and Chard Salad

With tahini vinaigrette Chard works well with spinach in this fall salad, but be sure to remove tough stems and use only the leaves. The vinaigrette is also good on grilled or roasted vegetables. Tahini is available in many supermarkets, or try Middle Eastern markets for more choices. 2 tablespoons tahini ¼ cup olive oil 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar 1 teaspoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon honey ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 garlic clove, crushed 4 cups fresh spinach leaves 3½ cups torn chard leaves, stems removed 4 thin slices of a medium or small red onion 2 tablespoons dried cranberries In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper until combined. Stir in the garlic clove. Let sit while you prepare the salad.

In a large bowl, toss together the spinach and chard. Separate the onion and arrange the slices on top, then sprinkle on the dried cranberries.

Strain the garlic clove from the dressing, then drizzle it on the salad. You may not need all of it; use your discretion. Toss and serve immediately.

Yield: About 4 servings

carolinacountry.com/recipes We take food seriously. Search more than 1,000 recipes by name or ingredient, with a new recipe featured every week!

From Your Kitchen

Mom’s Gingerbread Everyone should have a good, basic gingerbread recipe in their baking repertoire, and this is it. Medium moist with a good crumb and full-fledged gingerbread flavor, this little cake proves that mom knows best after all. 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons hot water 1 pinch salt 1 cup sugar 1 cup oil (we used coconut oil) 3 eggs 1 cup molasses 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cloves 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup boiling water Whipped topping, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Dissolve baking soda in hot water, then add a pinch of salt.

Mix sugar and oil with eggs and molasses. Then add in the dissolved baking soda water.

Sprinkle in dry ingredients and mix.

Add the boiling water last. Mixture will be thin.

Bake in a 13-by-9-inch greased pan for 40–45 minutes. Cool and served with whipped topping if you like.

Recipe courtesy of Annette Clontz of Belews Creek

Baked Apples with Honey Topping Each month, we’re taking a look back at some old favorites from our recipe archive. For November, check out “Baked Apples with Honey Topping” from 1971. See this recipe and more at carolinacountry.com/kitchencorner. Send Us Your Recipes

Contributors whose recipes are published will receive $25. We retain reprint rights for all submissions. Recipes submitted are not necessarily entirely original. Include your name, address, phone number (for questions), and the name of your electric cooperative. Mail to: Carolina Country Kitchen, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC, 27616. Or submit your recipe online at: carolinacountry.com/myrecipe.