candied citrus-infused cranberry sauce

personally i think cranberry sauce is one of the most important thanksgiving dishes, second to the turkey of course.  i really love the flavors of fresh cranberries candied in a sugary sauce with hints of orange...it's a must-have!  please do me a huge favor and don't buy some store-bought can of cranberry sauce (ew!)...just make some with this super easy and amazing recipe!

ingredients:

- 12 ounces fresh cranberry

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1 cup freshly squeezed oj

- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

directions:

- heat a saucepan over medium heat

- dissove white and brown sugar in oj in saucepan

- add cranberries and cook until they all pop, about 10 minutes

- add orange zest, mix

- remove saucepan from heat and let sauce reach room temperature, then serve!

xoxo,

kara

roasted beet and orange salad with hazelnut vinaigrette

i love beets and they are even more delicious when you roast them at home :)  here is a recipe for a very light yet yummy salad with a hint of citrus...a perfect way to start a multi-course dinner (like thanksgiving) or a light lunch.  enjoy!!

ingredients:

- 1 pound beets in various colors, stems removed

- olive oil

- s&p

- 2 oranges, 1 blood orange and 1 regular

- 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil

- 1 tablespoon of shallots, finely diced

- bag of mixed greens

- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

- 2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, chopped

- goat cheese crumbles, optional

directions:

- preheat oven to 400 degrees

- toss beets in a drizzle of olive oil and s&p

- line baking sheet with foil and add beets

- roast for 35 minutes until tender; cool

- in the meantime, peel and cut thin, clean wedges of oranges; set aside

- peel roasted beets and cut into bite-size pieces

- mix hazelnut oil, orange juice and shallots in a bowl and whisk

- add s&p to flavor and whisk again

- drizzle dressing over beets, orange wedges, hazelnuts and mixed greens; toss and serve!

xoxo,

kara

refreshing white sangria

although my personal fave is my red sangria recipe, this white sangria recipe is pretty amazing too!  the peaches, pears and citrus fruits add depth to the flavor, and the bubbly ginger ale makes it super refreshing.  perfect for a hot summer afternoon.  enjoy!

ingredients:

- 1 bottle of white wine (i like to use riesling)

- a couple shots of citrus vodka

- 2 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

- 1 asian pear, sliced

- 2 oranges, 1 cut into wedges, 1 sliced

- 2 lemons, 1 cut into wedges, 1 sliced

- 2 cups of ginger ale

- sugar to taste

directions:

- in a large pitcher, stir wine, citrus vodka and ginger ale together

- squeeze the juice of the orange and lemon wedges into the pitcher

- add peach slices, pear slices, orange slices and lemon slices

- i personally like my sangria not too sweet, but please as much sugar as you want :)

- chill in the fridge for at least a couple hours; add ice right before serving

- enjoy!!!

xoxo,

kara

amazing red sangria

i love sangria :)  and during the spring & summer, i try to make this sangria recipe as often as possible when i have guests over...because people just LOVE it.  it's delicious, fruity but not too sweet with hints of cinnamon.  amazing :)

ingredients:

- 1 bottle of red wine

- 1/4 cup of triple sec

- 2 shots of vodka

- 2 cups of sparkling apple cider

- 1 green apple, cored then sliced

- 2 oranges, 1 cut into wedges, 1 sliced

- 2 lemons, 1 cut into wedges, 1 sliced

- handful of strawberries, sliced

- 2-3 cinnamon sticks

- sugar to taste

directions:

- in a large pitcher, stir wine, triple sec, vodka and apple cider together

- squeeze the juice of the orange and lemon wedges into the pitcher

- add apple slices, orange slices, lemon slices, strawberry slices and cinnamon sticks

- i personally like my sangria not too sweet, but please as much sugar as you want :)

- chill in the fridge for at least a couple hours; add ice right before serving

- please enjoy responsibly haha :)

xoxo,

kara

roasted beet and orange salad with hazelnut vinaigrette

i love beets and they are even more delicious when you roast them at home :)  here is a recipe for a very light yet yummy salad with a hint of citrus...a perfect way to start a multi-course dinner (like thanksgiving) or a light lunch.  enjoy!!

ingredients:

- 1 pound beets in various colors, stems removed

- olive oil

- s&p

- 2 oranges, 1 blood orange and 1 regular

- 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil

- 1 tablespoon of shallots, finely diced

- bag of mixed greens

- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

- 2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, chopped

- goat cheese crumbles, optional

directions:

- preheat oven to 400 degrees

- toss beets in a drizzle of olive oil and s&p

- line baking sheet with foil and add beets

- roast for 35 minutes until tender; cool

- in the meantime, peel and cut thin, clean wedges of oranges; set aside

- peel roasted beets and cut into bite-size pieces

- mix hazelnut oil, orange juice and shallots in a bowl and whisk

- add s&p to flavor and whisk again

- drizzle dressing over beets, orange wedges, hazelnuts and mixed greens; toss and serve!

xoxo,

kara

citrus & herb roasted chicken

i like to make this roasted chicken recipe for rob on sundays (because leftovers last until tuesday or so!).  it's simple, delicious and super super easy to make.  happy roasting!

ingredients:

- 1 (4-pound) roasting chicken

- 1 tablespoon kosher salt

- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

- 4 garlic cloves, minced + 2 heads garlic, cut in half crosswise

- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

- 2 teaspoon of fresh parsley, chopped

- 2 lemons, quartered

- 2 oranges, quartered

- 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature (or olive oil)

directions:

- preheat oven to 425 degrees

- in a bowl, mix the salt, pepper, minced garlic, thyme and parsley

- remove the chicken giblets and rinse the chicken inside and out

- pat chicken dry with paper towels

- lift the skin on top of the chicken and place butter between the flesh and skin

- rub the chicken with the herb mixture, above and below the skin as well as inside the cavity

- squeeze each lemon and orange into the chicken cavity and place rind in as well, along with the halved garlic heads

- place chicken, breast side down on a rack in a roasting pan (place leftover lemons, oranges and garlic halves in the roasting pan around the chicken)

- roast for 1 hour (helpful rule of thumb - roast chicken 15 minutes per pound to cook)

- remove from oven and let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before serving

xoxo,

kara