Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Raw Cranberry and Orange Compote
Ingredients:
2 bags fresh cranberries- frozen
2 navel oranges- frozen, cut into pieces
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chef D's Sweet Season Spice Blend
1/2 Cup Walnuts
1/4 Cup roughly chopped mint

Method:
Place walnuts in Food Processor bowl and pulse- remove and set aside
Process the cranberries and remove to a large bowl.
Process the orange and add to cranberries.
Stir in sugar and spices and taste. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Add walnuts and mint just before serving.

Roasted Pumpkin with Cumin, Cardamom, and Citrus
Ingredients :
2 lbs fresh pumpkin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons Honey
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ Cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley

Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Quarter and seed pumpkin. (save seeds and roast as a snack or to grow next season)
Cut into chunky 2" cubes. Place pumpkin into a large bowl. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, cardamom and honey. Pour onto a roasting pan.

Bake in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft & also tinged brown at the edges. Squeeze over the lemon and toss with the fresh zest and parsley. Serve straight away.

Wild Rice with Almonds, Dried Cherries and Mushrooms
Ingredients:
¼ cup butter or bacon fat
1 tablespoon garlic-minced
¼ cup minced onion
1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms
1 cup wild rice
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup chopped scallions
½ cup slivered almonds- toasted lightly brown

Method:
Preheat oven to 325°. Wash and drain wild rice, set aside. Melt butter in large skillet and add garlic. Allow garlic to just start to brown and add onions and mushrooms, Cook until mushrooms start to brown, about 20 minutes add rice and toss to enrobe the rice in the mushroom mixture. Place rice mixture into ungreased 1½ qt. casserole. Heat chicken broth to boiling and stir into rice mixture. Cover tightly. Bake about 1 hour or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender and fluffy. Fold in cherries, scallions and top with almonds. Serves 6-8.