Thanksgiving flavors set simple tone
A golden, crispy skin
The bird came out perfect this year – crispy golden skin and juicy. Sea salt, one stick of butter and a sprinkling of pepper was all that was required for the turkey, which left plenty of time to work on sides and desserts. The kitchen always smells its best around Thanksgiving. The smells of white onion, sage and celery are the mirepoix of Thanksgiving to me. Anytime I inhale a whiff of this combination, I immediately think of thanksgiving: dressing, turkey, eggnog and all the best this holiday cooking marathon has to offer.
Standouts for 2010 were a new version of cranberry sauce, stuffed mushrooms with pine nuts and spinach, green bean casserole with alfredo sauce and pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust.
One recipe that appears every year is the dressing. I’ve tried different versions made with oysters one year and sausage another, but the original recipe passed down from grandmother is made with giblets and organ meet (liver and heart) diced up into the cornbread/herb mix.
This dressing takes the most time of any sides, but is well worth the effort.
Cornbread Dressing
Cornbread:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8-inch cooking pan with 2 tablespoons canola oil. Place in oven for about 5 minutes; remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk with eggs, butter and cheese. Mix in with dry ingredients; do not beat. Fold ingredients in.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
While cornbread is baking, chop 1 cup white onion and 1 cup celery. Saute in skillet with 1 stick butter. Remove from heat and set aside. When preparing your turkey, remove the giblets and organ meat, if included. Boil until tender. Reserve broth for cornbread mixture.
After cornbread cools, combine liquid broth and chop giblets and organ meat. Mix well. Add 3 cups Kellogg’s or Pepperidge Farm herbed dressing mix. Add 3 tablespoons sage and salt and pepper to taste. Bake dressing at 30 degrees 45 minutes or until top begins turn golden brown.
This turkey platter is perfect for displaying carved sections
Onions and celery saute in the skille
The mushrooms were inspired from a recipe in Rachael Ray Everyday Food Magazine. I love pine nuts and was happy to be able to incorporate them into this year’s Thanksgiving Day spread.
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
30 cremini mushrooms, stemmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1 small onion
1 cup artichoke hearts
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry in a towel
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place mushrooms on a baking sheet, stem side up, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast 10 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and set aside. Chop onions, garlic and artichoke hearts. In a medium mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients with chopped vegetables; mix well.
Spoon mixture into mushrooms and bake another 10 minutes.
Servings: 6.
Pine nuts make these stuffed mushrooms a special treat
Savory aroma fills the kitchen as dressing emerges from the oven
Grand Marnier intensifies this cranberry sauce
I wanted to make the cranberry sauce really pop, so I added some Grand Marnier to the mix. It was just the kick it needed.
Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce
1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 mandarian orange, peeled and quartered
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup Grand Marnier
Stir together all ingredients except the Grand Marnier. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat; simmer for about 15 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.
Remove from heat; stir in liqueur.
Glwap, gloop and splot. This is the sounds that traditional green been casserole has been known to make if too much liquid has been added. Well no more. I still like the perennial guest at a Thanksgiving day buffet, and this year, I found something that still gives the dish its traditional creamy flavor: alfredo sauce, mushroom flavored. I used less of it and more green beans, rescuing this recipe from its gooey fate.
Green Bean Casserole
1 16-ounce package French-cut green beans, thawed
1 cup alfredo-mushroom sauce (I used Barilla)
1/4 cup 1-percent milk
1/2 can French-fried onions (reserve other half for topping)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl and blend well. Pour into a casserole dish about bake 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven and add remaining French onions. Bake addition 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
Alfredo sauce lends a new twist on an old standby
Pumpkin is one of my favorite desserts in any form, whether it’s bread or pie. But it is especially good in cheescake. The tanginess factor only serves to enhance pumpkin bliss. And the buttery gingersnap crust is a perfect companion to the sour/sweetness of the filling. This recipe is inspired from Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake
38 gingersnaps, finely crushed
1/4 cup finely chopped and toasted pecans
1/4 cup salted butter, melted
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup whipped topping
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Crush cookies in a Ziplock bag with a large spoon or in a food processor. Press crumbs into boom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch sprinform pan.
Beat cream cheese and sugar with a mixer until blended. Add pumpkin, spice, ginger and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until just blended. Pour into crust. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of nutmeg and ground ginger.
Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake combines the best of fall flavors
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