It may seem early to be thinking about “The Holidays” but they are already looming, and will soon be swooping down. Now is the time to do some thinking and planning. If you make fruitcake or mincemeat, plan now. If you have travel in your plans, get your tickets early. If you have guests coming, begin thinking of ways to do some of the work early.
Will you be making Christmas cookies? Make your list now, and start watching for sales on the ingredients you’ll need.
Among the time saving ideas for cooking are compound butters. Compound butters are mixtures of butter and flavors, usually formed into logs and either refrigerated or frozen. The butter is worked until soft, flavoring agents are added and worked in, then they are formed into log shapes, sliced, and melted on meats and fish, spread on pancakes, waffles and toast. Compound butter combinations are limited only by imagination, though they are usually either savory or sweet.
The real beauty of a compound butter is that once made it will stay nicely in the refrigerator for a week or two, and in the freezer for a month or two. Think of it as your secret weapon, waiting patiently to amaze your friends and family.
Several more videos will appear at the bottom of the column, but here is a starter, showing the technique and a number of variations.
Compound Butter
Total Technique
National Days
10/10—Angel Food Cake Day
10/11—Sausage Pizza Day (Why not go out for pizza?)
10/12—Gumbo Day
10/13—Yorkshire Pudding Day
10/14—Dessert Day
10/15—Cheese Curd Day
10/16—Liqueur Day and Oatmeal Day
Apple of the Week—Rave
The Rave apple is another product of the University of Minnesota apple breeding program. A cross between Honeycrisp and MonArk (an early apple from Arkansas), it is one of the earliest apples being commercially grown, ripening in late July.
Rave has bright red skin and crisp white flesh. It is of medium sweetness and is recommended for eating raw and putting in salads.
Special Sales
Fry’s—Buy 5 Save $5
Safeway—$5 Friday
Sprouts—Good For You Brands Sale, over 600 items throughout the store.
Menus
Day 1
Braised Lamb Chops
Asparagus
Lemon Pepper Potatoes
Angel Food Cake with Fruit Salad
Braised Lamb Chops
Or you could go classic and sauté the veggies briefly in the fry pan, then deglaze with the wine.
Asparagus How To
Lemon Pepper Potatoes
High Altitude Angel Food Cake
This was the only recipe I could find specific to high altitude.
Items On Sale
Lamb Chops, shoulder—$5.99/lb @Sprouts
Asparagus—$.97/lb @Sprouts, $2.99/lb @Fry’s
Russet Potatoes—$.34/lb @Sprouts, $1.67/5 lb bag @Safeway
Grapes—$.67/lb @Fry’s, green .77/lb @Safeway, red, $1.48/lb @Sprout, red, green, black
Blackberries—$.97/5.6 oz box @Sprouts, $1.49/12 oz box @Fry’s
Peaches or Plums—$.98/lb @Sprouts
Strawberries—$3.99/lb box @Fry’s
Raspberries—$3.99/12 oz box @Fry’s
Watermelon—$2.50/each @Fry’s, personal, seedless
Day 2
Sausage Pizza
(Take Home, Frozen or Home Made)
Green Salad
Fruit Skewers
Sausage Pizza
Fruit Skewers
Items On Sale
Frozen Pizza—$5.99 @Fry’s, Digiorno, Buy 5 Sale
Greens—$.50/head @Sprouts, Iceberg, $2.50/each @Sprouts, 5-10 oz, select varieties
Avocados—$.98/eacj @Sprouts, (O), $5/5 ct bag @Safeway, $2.99/8 ct bag @Fry’s, mini
Tomatoes—$1.99/box @Fry’s, grape, Buy 1 Get 1 Free @Safeway, Cherubs
Bell Peppers—$.99/eacj @Fry’s, red, $1.50/each @Sprouts, red, orange yellow, (O)
Watermelon—$2.50/each @Fry’s, personal, seedless
Grapes—$.67/lb @Fry’s, green .77/lb @Safeway, red, $1.48/lb @Sprout, red, green, black
Strawberries—$3.99/lb box @Fry’s
Day 3
Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Corn Muffins With Honey Butter
Fruit Platter
Seafood, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
A hearty soup.
Corn Muffins with Honey Butter
Fruit Platter
Items On Sale
Shrimp—$8.99/lb @Sprouts, Raw Gulf Shrimp, $7.99/lb pkg @Fry’s, cooked cocktail shrimp, $10/2 pb bag @Safeway, raw, peeled, deveined, Friday Only
Chicken B/S Breasts—$1.99/lb @Sprouts, $1.47/lb @Safeway
Sausage—$3.49/18 oz pkg @Fry’s, Kroger Brats or Italian,
Watermelon—$2.50/each @Fry’s, personal, seedless
Grapes—$.67/lb @Fry’s, green .77/lb @Safeway, red, $1.48/lb @Sprout, red, green, black
Strawberries—$3.99/lb box @Fry’s
Blackberries—$.97/5.6 oz box @Sprouts, $1.49/12 oz box @Fry’s
Peaches or Plums—$.98/lb @Sprouts
Day 4
Pot Roast with Wine
Yorkshire Puddings
Apple Salad
Beef Pot Roast with Wine
Yorkshire Pudding
For maximum authenticity use the drippings (fat) from your roast beef instead of vegetable oil.
Apple Salad
I would pour boiling water over the dried fruit, let sit till the rest of the salad is ready, then drain and add. They are using 4 apples. Honeycrisp would be ideal. Maybe put a little lemon juice in over the apples.
Items On Sale
Beef Chuck Roast—$2.99/lb @Sprouts, boneless, AZ, $1/97/lb @Safeway, bone in, $2.99/lb @Fry’s, boneless
Apples—$.98/lb @Sprouts, Envy, Granny Smith, Fuji, $1.99/lb @Fry’s, Granny Smith, Fuji
Day 5
Baked Chicken Breasts
Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower
Compound Butter
Quinoa Salad
Apple Pie
Baked Chicken Breasts
220º C = 425º F
Be sure to use safe handling! I wouldn’t use a wooden cutting board with raw chicken.
Two Compound Butters
One Savory (bacon) One Sweet
Use the savory one with veggies.
Quinoa Salad
Apple Pie
A Classic Dessert. Honeycrisp apples are good in pie.
Items On Sale
Chicken B/S Breasts—$1.99/lb @Sprouts, $1.47/lb @Safeway
Broccoli or Cauliflower—$.77/lb @Safeway
Apples—$.98/lb @Sprouts, Envy, Granny Smith, Fuji, $1.99/lb @Fry’s, Granny Smith, Fuji
Butter—$2.99/8 oz @Sprouts, Kerrygold, Irish
Day 6 (A Breakfast Menu)
Breakfast Baked Egg Dish
Toast with Sweet Compound Butter
Fruit Salad
European Style Hot Chocolate
Egg Casserole
Two Compound Butters
One Savory (bacon) One Sweet
Use the sweet one with toast
French Hot Chocolate
Try a couple Tablespoons of Hazelnut Liqueur instead of Vanilla. WOW
Items On Sale
Eggs—$3.99/dz @Sprouts, Eggland’s Best,(O), $2.99/dz @Fry’a, Simple Truth (O), $1.49/dz @Safeway, Lucerne, first 2
Butter—$2.99/8 oz @Sprouts, Kerrygold, Irish
Bonus Recipes
Poutin—About the only dish I’ve heard of that uses cheese curds, they have them at Sprouts, I didn’t see any at the other stores.
Classic Canadian Poutin
