Here we are again on cranberry
lane! (Is that a space on the Candyland game? It should be.) Have you
tried cranberry chicken yet? Are you anxious for favorite cranberry recipe #2? I
am! I haven't stopped thinking about it since I posted the first recipe a couple
of days ago. I should clarify that just because this recipe is the second one I
am posting does not mean it is any less a favorite than the first. It is equally
as delicious and dear to my heart.
Many years ago
I was part of a great group of friends that continually frequented plays and
concerts in the Salt Lake City area. We saw and heard some fantastic
performances! Before attending any event, we always went out to dinner. We even
had a rotation for who had to choose where we'd be eating The Roof
restaurant at Temple Square became a favorite of the group. While it was too
expensive to eat at on any kind of monthly basis, we did make sure we at there
every Christmas season and usually for Valentine's Day. Now, if you've been to
The Roof buffet before you know the high price is well worth it. The bite size
sampler foods, soups, vegetables, peel-and-eat shrimp, rotating main dishes,
prime rib and heavenly desserts combine to create a culinary masterpiece. I
could make a list of 20 foods there that I adore. And guess what? One of those
is a cranberry recipe--CRANBERRY FLUFF SALAD!
(picture
from The Albert Lea Tribune via Google)
While the
majority of the buffet items at The Roof rotate, a few of the salads remain the
same visit after visit. Luckily for me, the cranberry fluff salad is one of
those. Rarely did I roll out the door leave after dinner there
without saying to myself, "I have got to figure out how to make that salad." It
is a perfect blend of tart and sweet, creamy and crunchy. After a couple of
years it finally occurred to me that I actually owned a copy of the now
out-of-print original Lion House recipes. Since the salad never rotated off the
buffet, it must be a classic for the restaurant and might be in the very book
I'd owned all along. Guess what? IT WAS! Imagine my joy! Now that I have it, and
am still as in love with it as I ever was, I want to share it with
you!
Lion
House Cranberry Fluff Salad
2 c raw
cranberries, ground
1/2 c
sugar
2 c diced
apples
1/2 c chopped
walnuts or pecans
3 c miniature
marshmallows
1/4 t
salt
1 c heavy
cream, whipped
Combine
cranberries and sugar; cover and chill overnight. Add apples, nuts,
marshmallows, and salt. Fold in whipped cream. Chill. Makes about 12
servings.
This dish is a
great alternative to a fruit or a jello salad. It would be a great addition to
any Thanksgiving dinner! (I may need to put it on my menu this year.)
Since I know you are all anxious to make this delightful dish, let me pass along
a couple of things to be aware of.
First, the
sugar will bring out the natural juices in your cranberries as they sit
overnight. (Ever heard of the term "maceration"?) The juice is what
gives your salad it's lovely pink hue. To get your cranberries nice and fine,
give them a spin in a food processor. Second, I
never peel my apples. You can peel yours if you'd like, but I don't mind the
skin (think off all those vitamins!) so I don't take the time. Third,
the original recipe calls for walnuts, but I listed pecans as an alternative. My
dear hubby is allergic to walnuts, so I always substitute pecans. And finally,
make sure you don't sweeten up your whipped cream out of habit. Your berry and
sugar mixture will do that for you.
Oh yeah, one
more thing. There are several versions of this salad that use crushed
pineapple. I've never tried it that way. While I'm sure it's tasty, I am going
to cling to my original version for now.
So there it
is, cranberry recipe #2. Does anyone else want a bowl right now as much as
I do?
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