Sometimes I ask my feng shui clients to follow what’s called “the tradition of the red envelope” for some of the “cures” I share with them. But if you know me at all, you know that in my practice, I have no issues with bending the rules of tradition. So, instead of requesting the traditional cash payment in the envelope, I ask them to give me something meaningful “from their heart.” Then, I give them an idea by saying that I love good “family” recipes. You know, the ones that were made up in someone’s kitchen versus a professional test kitchen somewhere?

I thought I’d pass along one that I received a long time ago that works very well during the holidays as well as one that “takes me back” to my childhood days when I lived in the Cincinnati area. Feel free to share your favorite holiday, or your favorite childhood comfort food recipe with me. I simply LOVE trying new recipes! Give these a go – they are EASY to make one pot dishes that are packed with flavor.

Cranberry Relish (Thanks to client Patricia Dreyfus)

4 cups cranberries

1 cup seedless raisins

1 2/3 cup sugar

Cook these in a large saucepan for 15 minutes. Then, stir the following into the mixture for 15 more minutes:

1 medium sized apple, chopped

½ cup thinly sliced celery

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. Ground cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. Ground ginger

1/4 tsp. Ground cloves

1 tsp. Grated orange rind

Then serve or refrigerate and use later! (Like on a turkey and cream cheese sandwich!)

Cincinnati Chili (Karen’s healthier version) Erase all preconceived ideas of what chili means to you and enjoy this unique “sauce.”

2 pounds ground turkey (traditionally it is ground beef)

1 quart water

2 cans (8 oz. Each) tomato sauce

2 medium onions, finely chopped

5 TBS. Chili powder

2 TBS. Vinegar

4 cloves chopped garlic

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ tsp. Salt

½ oz. Unsweetened chocolate (like Hershey’s cocoa)

1 tsp. Ground cumin

1 tsp. Ground cinnamon

1 tsp. Allspice

1 tsp. Ground cloves

1 large bay leaf

½ tsp. Ground red pepper (or tabasco sauce)

In a heavy 4 quart saucepan, place turkey and water stirring until it separates into small pieces. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to blend well. (Secret: sometimes, I just throw it all in the pot at once and go from there. You really can’t go wrong with this easy recipe.)

Simmer uncovered (about 2 to 3 hours) or until ingredients have the consistency of a spaghetti sauce. Stir from time to time. Remove bay leaf and serve over freshly cooked spaghetti. (As an option, you can add some fresh onions if desired) then add very finely grated cheddar or Colby cheese. (Some people also add warmed kidney beans on top of all this, but I prefer the no onion and no bean taste!) And if you want to really go all the way, (and if the spaghetti isn’t carb enough for you!) serve with a side of oyster crackers. Sounds strange, but that crunch and extra salt works great with this dish!

Serves 6 to 8.

(Alternative: place this chili and toppings on top of a cooked hot dog (turkey too?) in a bun for an awesome chili dog.)