Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Thanksgiving Recipes

The best holiday of the year (for our bellies) is finally around the corner!  Here are a few favorite Thanksgiving recipes, tips and tricks shared by our LDW members:

Turkey Tips
 
-For a juicy turkey:  Wrap it in banana leaves and cook it in the oven at a really low temperature (250) for almost all day long.. (season it as you wish)
-Brine turkey overnight and then roast and turn the bird over a high heat (400 degrees for almost 2 hours).
-http://www.just-cook-already.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-turkey.html
-http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/11/kates-thanksgiving-turkey-2/

-Great place to get your bird: gobblegobble.com
 
Amazeballs Appetizers
-Black Rice with Roasted Acorn Squash

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups black rice (wild or forbidden)
2 Tb. butter (oil for Vegan)
2 shallots, peeled and diced
1 cup pecan pieces
Zest of 1 orange
2 Tb. fresh thyme leaves
2 Tb. vegetable oil
1 acorn squash, peeled seeded and diced
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Set a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter and shallot and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the rice and toss to coat in butter. Add the appropriate amount of water as directed on the rice package (from 3-4 cups depending on the variety of rice.) Add 1 1/2 tsp salt, cover, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, stir, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until cooked through--follow time directed on rice package.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the peeled and diced acorn squash in oil and spread over a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn and spread the acorn squash again and roast another 10 minutes. In the last 2-3 minutes sprinkle the pecans over the acorn squash so the pieces can toast.

Once the rice and roasted acorn squash are ready, toss together with orange zest and thyme. Then salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm of room temperature!
 
 
-Spicy corn:

Ingredients:

1. 1 packet of sweet corn
2. 1/2 medium onion (Cut into very thin slices.
3. 1/2 tomato ( cut into very tiny pieces)
4. 1/2 green slim pepper or a slice of bell pepper (Cut into nano pieces)
5. 3/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper powder
7. 1/4" thick slice of butter from a quarter for buttery flavor
8. 2-3 teaspoon of oil

Prep:
Add oil in deep bowl or pan, add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato and saute 2 minutes. Add salt and red pepper and mix for 1 minutes. Add 1/2 packet and stir for 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2corn and stir for 2 minutes. Add 4 small cup of water and stir well and mix.Add green pepper and boil at medium temp for 5 minutes. Cover and Cook at medium for 1 hrs hours. Stiring and looking for water is still there and corn do not stick to the pot. Simmer at low another 1/2 hrs till all water is evaporated. You may open cover for better evaporation. Check and stir as often so corn do not stick to pan. Add butter and stir well and simmer at lowest level for another few minutes.
 
-Autumn Chopped Salad

Ingredients
*6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
*2 medium pears, chopped
*1 cup dried cranberries
*1 cup chopped pecans
*8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
*4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
*Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like T. Marzetti)
*Balsamic Vinaigrette (I like Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Instructions
*On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of the balsamic vinaigrette. (I would estimate that I used about a cup of dressing: 70 percent poppy seed dressing and 30 percent balsamic vinaigrette) If you prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the combination.


-Roast heads of garlic into mashed potatoes.  Can't wait to try this out, oh my.
Desserts
-Sweet potato balls: Sweet potatoes, packed around a marshmallow, rolled in coconut flakes and sprinkled with brown sugar
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/aunt-peggys-sweet-potato-souffle-recipe/index.html
Time Saving Tip
To save time, I gather all my recipes, do any prep I can the day before (chopping, laying out ingredients), and make a written plan for the day. The written plan helps me keep the stress under control.
 
May the Turkey day odds be ever in your favor!
 

 

1 comments:

Tara said...

Another turkey tip is to cover it with a butter-soaked cheese cloth for the first two hours. Also, for a nice golden outer layer, roast at a higher temperature (425) for the first thirty minutes before turning down to 350.

I haven't heard of the banana leaf idea!