EDF Cooking Contest--Cranberry Challenge

[Mermade]

November's challenge will be <font color="maroon">cranberry</font> .



We'll be doing this challenge old school Iron Chef OOT style. Anyone who wants full consideration for the challenge must submit both an appetizer and an entree that features cranberry. Entries will be evaluated on creative use of the ingredient, execution, and presentation. Everyone is welcome to participate. The contest will run for the entire month of November.

For reference, you may want to check out these Iron Chef OOT challenges: Cabbage, Sweet Potato, Bacon, Rice, Beef, Avocado, Ricotta, Garlic, Catfish, Radish, Duck, asparagus, &amp; chili peppers.

Also check out the first three EDF cooking contests Tomato Challenge, Grill Challenge, and Pumpkin Challenge .

Congratulations to ElSapo, winner of the Grill challenge. If you haven't voted yet in the Pumpkin Challenge please do so here .

[SamIAm]

Let the games begin!

<font color="red">Cran-Apple Pork Roulade, Side Salad w/ Cranberry Vinaigrette, and VCR</font>

Cran-Apple Pork Roulade

At first, I thought about using half cranberry juice and half apple juice for the liquid. Then I realized that's actually what my bottle of "cranberry cocktail" is. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

1 C "Cranberry" Juice
1/2 C Cider Vinegar
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1 Shallot (diced)
1 C Dried Apples (chopped)
1 C Dried Cranberries
1 T Ginger (grated)
1 T Mustard Seeds
1/2 t Allspice
1/4 t Cayenne

Bring all of the above to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes. Then press out the liquid through a strainer.



On a 3 lb pork loin, cut parallel to the cutting board to "unroll" the meat in half-inch thickness. I found this pretty difficult with a chef's knife, but way easier with an electric. (Yay powertools.)



Spread the filling across the pork, leaving an inch at the wide end.



Roll it up and tie it tight. Bring 1 T of canola oil just to smoking, and sear all sides of the pork.



Stick a probe thermometer in the center meat, and cook at 350 till 135 degrees. (Took about 50 minutes.) Meanwhile reduce the above liquid to a thick glaze. (When I let it cool off the heat, I could turn over the pot w/o the glaze moving. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )Roll the pork around in the glaze and let it rest for 10 minutes.



Cranberry Vinaigrette

3 T Red Wine Vinegar
1/3 C EVOO
1/2 C Cranberries
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Pepper

Put all the above into a blender. Blend.



I put it on a mixed greens salad with toasted almonds and dried cranberries.

VCR

Mix equal parts Vanilla vodka, Cranberry juice, and Raspberry vodka.

Cut the pork with the electric knife again, and sauce with the remaining glaze.

[Mrs. Utah]

Way to hit the ground running Sam! I am still working on getting pumpkins out of my head. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

It looks really good.

[BK_]

Awesome. I love the picture right after you sear the pork. So good. Looks like we have the same knife too.

[Greenbird]

Just a note on the VCRs (I drink these too)- only mix equal parts if you want a STRONG drink. Call me a girly drinker, but depending on the size of the glass, I'll usually only put in about 3/4 of a shot of each of the vodkas, and fill the rest of the glass with cranberry juice.

[SamIAm]

[ QUOTE ]
usually only put in about 3/4 of a shot of each of the vodkas, and fill the rest of the glass with cranberry juice.

[/ QUOTE ]
Right. My bad. You can basically just mix to taste, but equal parts is likely too strong.

I admit that a VCR definitely isn't the most manly of drinks. Which is weird, since the guy that taught us really likes men...

[Ron Burgundy]

<font color="brown"> Prosciutto-wrapped Roasted Fennel Bulb with Cranberry Penne &amp; Cheese </font>

Start by making a cranberry paste by processing some dried sweetened cranberries and a little water. Cut out the core of a fennel bulb. The cores are a little tough and you also want some steam to be able to get into the fennel. Take some foil and form it into a shallow bowl shape on a baking sheet. Spoon the cranberry paste into the hollowed fennel core and on the foil. Put the fennel in the foil bowl, core side down. Make sure it's stable and won't fall over. Wrap a few slices of prosciutto around the fennel. Cover with foil, and poke some holes around to let some steam escape. Put it in a 375 oven for about 40 minutes. This doesn't cook the fennel all the way, which is the way I like it. If you want a softer, more cooked fennel, then keep it in for closer to an hour. When it's done, cut it in half, and cut out the little pieces of stalk that are usually in the middle of the fennel. That part is usually tough and fibrous. Fill the centers with the cranberry paste, which should have some rendered fat in it.

Cook some pasta in cranberry juice with a pinch of salt and sugar. When it's cooked, pour out the juice and add some evoo, s&amp;p, and cheese. I used provolone here. It tasted really good. The only problem is it turns the cheese red, so I added some extra cheese on top for plating.

There's also a piece of garlic toast on the bottom.

[Clayton]

[b]<font color="red">Cranberry chip</font>

2 t robustosauce
1 c lucksack powder
3 t oregano
6 T sugar

[Greenbird]

If people are up for extending through the weekend, I have a recipe for cranberry pot roast I'd like to try out.... (but I'm happy to still make it and put up some photos even if it doesn't make it in time for *contest* entry)

[BretWeir]

I put together a few cranberry dishes last weekend for Mrs. Weir and myself to get me back into the swing of cooking in preparation for hosting 14 people for Thanksgiving. Anyway, here they are -- I apologize in advance for the pretty poor picture quality.

Cocktail: Cranberry Manhattan

I love bourbon Manhattans, which are basically just whiskey with some flavored wine (vermouth). I came across some cranberry wine from a local NJ winery in the liquor store, and figured, why not?



2 parts bourbon
1 part cranberry wine
dash orange bitters

Combine all in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake and pour. Garnish with a couple of cranberry halves.



This was surprisingly good -- I liked it almost as much as a regular Manhattan. The cranberry wine by itself was also better than I expected -- not sweet or cloying at all, and actually pretty crisp and refreshing.