Monday, November 13, 2017

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup 2

Our poor blog is beyond neglected, perhaps bordering on forgotten, but one year ago I set a reminder to finish and post a follow-up to last year's Thanksgiving Roundup of recipes, so here we are. Hopefully, I've given you enough time for you to plan or adjust your menu and buy the ingredients for some of the worthy offerings below.



Turkey and Stuffing
Crockpot Turkey and GravyA great option if you have a smaller number of people to host this year, or simply don't feel like hauling a full turkey in and out of the oven.

Ancho Turkey: K made an ancho chile turkey in a slow cooker for P their first Thanksgiving away from the desert in Boston.  Email exchanges at the time suggest that this could be accomplished as follows: Season turkey breast with lemon, butter and garlic salt. Cook ancho chiles, garlic and onion together on the stove until browned, transculent, and/or slightly blistered. Blend the mixture into a sauce, and marinate the turkey breast in it overnight.  Cook in a slow cooker, likely 4-5 hours on high. (If this inspires you to find a more exact recipe, please send our way!). You could do the same to a full turkey, and roast it.

Roasted Chestnut Cornbread StuffingLast year I hosted Friends-giving in my cozy Boston home, and this was a perfect New England addition to the table.  I replaced the white bread with cornbread, and would do that again.

Southwestern Green Chile Cornbread StuffingCornbread is best with jalapenos, right?  Cornbread stuffing probably is, too.

Vegetables and Sides
Smoky Scalloped Sweet PotatoesK made these scalloped sweet potatoes last year, and added smoked paprika along with the thyme to make them smoky, spicy and creamy.  She doesn't remember exactly how much paprika, but she strongly suggests you do the same.

String Beans with Ginger and GarlicAnother addition from K's table last year, when her goal was a straightforward, but hearty Thanksgiving meal.  These fit the bill as a simple but flavorful side.

Mary's Cranberry Orange RelishP's mother Mary makes this relish every year, so it's become a staple for us as well.  It's bright with flavor, and great for those who aren't fans of the usual homemade cranberry sauce.

Bejeweled RiceIf you have vegetarians on the guest list, this dish is a good staple to have on your table - with the opportunity for a stunning presentation as well.

Cabernet Cranberry and Blueberry Sauce: A genius friend of mine once had a booze-themed Thanksgiving (yes, I agree, I need to hear more about her menu, too), and says this recipe was one of the best of the year.  

Leftovers
Mom's Turkey Pot Pie: If you were over-zealous about your pie crust making, as we often are, transforming your leftovers into a portable desk lunch is going to be a breeze.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Stuffing Waffles: Our brilliant cousin guest posted these on our blog last year, they've become a tradition in her household.  They also involve a cheese sauce made with your leftover gravy.

Mashed Potato WafflesAnother Thanksgiving carb turned into waffles, this time by Joy the Baker.  Last Thanksgiving, I accidentally made 5 pounds of mashed potatoes for just 4 people, so this recipe came in handy when I had brunch the following weekend.

Turkey Enchiladas: K's idea for when she had some additional family come visit a few days after Thanksgiving. Dip some tortillas into a mole sauce. Place tortillas in a 9x13 pan, fill with shredded turkey and queso fresco.  Wrap tortilla, continue until pan is filled. Top with  more mole sauce and cheese, bake at 350 degrees until bubbling (just 10-15 minutes).  Could also be done with an enchilada red sauce, instead of mole.

Classic Turkey SoupWhen Kate posted this years ago, she said to bookmark it for your Thanksgiving leftovers now...so I'm just helping you along.  

Turkey, Kale, Date Salad: After making this salad (subbed with kale, as mentioned in my last Thanksgiving roundup!) and having plenty leftover, my genius friend Sarah suggested we throw some leftover turkey in it for a healthy and fast reset meal.  It was the perfect post-Thanksgiving work lunch!

Turkey and Stuffing Dumpling Soup:  Another turkey soup, yes, but this one turns the stuffing into dumplings!  Using multiple leftovers in one dish is ideal.

Pie, Pie, Pie
New England Cranberry Walnut PieK made this last year when her table started to transform from Southwestern to New England. Consider it a good sign that it's a menu contender again for this year, as we have a lot of pies that we love.

Hatch Chile Apple Pie with Cheddar CrustThe perfect Southwestern pie twist from the New York Times.  The spice level will depend on the heat of your chiles, but serving it a la mode allows the vanilla ice cream to mellow the kick.  You can use canned green chiles if you're a desert person adrift in an Eastern city. (But I'm sorry, it's really so much better with real hatch chiles).

Salty Honey PieThis February, a friend and I took a pilgrimage to the Four and Twenty Blackbirds shop in New York City for our birthdays.  There, this pie changed my life.  Make this pie, and use good honey.  (Perfect for a Thanksgiving table with someone who has a nut allergy, but also as a compliment to almost any other pie).

Pumpkin Cream Pie: For when you need the easiest pie you can imagine, in order to attend to other parts of the meal.

Pear, Fig and Hazelnut Crumb PieFigs are a highly underrated fall fruit, and I've been looking for a way to put them between pie crust.  This may be just the ticket. Although, it sounds like it has many steps, so perhaps I'll just crumble some hazelnuts on top of this one.

Cardamom Custard Apple PieI have a deep love of cardamom, which is a lovely and unexpected winter spice.  This pie suspends apples in a sour cream custard laced with cardamom.  I've used pears and even peaches in place of the apples, and each was dreamy. Bonus points: the custard makes your top crust bake perfectly flat, making it easy to make a very attractive pie to impress your guests.

Cranberry Pie with Pecan CrumbleYes, this is another cranberry + nut pie, but this one is my personal favorite.  It has a tart, pure layer of cranberry buried underneath all the pecan crumble your heart desires.

Drinks
Apple Hot ToddySarah's husband, Chris made these as a Thanksgiving cocktail years ago, so I'm reviving them here. They include muddled baked apples and I'm definitely requesting these from him this year when our family gathers in Boston.

Cranberry Margarita: Did I offer you enough opportunities to put a Southwest spin on your Thanksgiving, yet?.

Cranberry Sorbet Champagne Fizz:  Easy, and easy on the eyes.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Mom's Crockpot Turkey and Gravy

This was a staple of wintertime in our childhood home, so it feels a little wild that it's not posted on the blog yet.  I'm sure I've texted Mum for the recipe many, many times over the years. Without further ado, the perfect thing to come home to on a cold winter day...creamy, warms-you-to-your-bones turkey and gravy. All of the Thanksgiving comfort, with much less of the fuss.

Turkey Breast (Easily found at Thanksgiving, these look like a mini turkey when wrapped up in the produce section. We use the boneless, skinless turkey breast. Buy a couple if you have the freezer space)
1 to 2 boxes of chicken or turkey broth
Sage
Pepper
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/3 cup to 1/2 cup Cornstarch
Cold milk

Heat broth in crockpot until hot - enough broth + water to cover the turkey breast.  Once hot, add the turkey breast, and sage and pepper (as desired).  Add the cream of mushroom soup now, or later if you like. Cook on high for four to five hours, until meat is cooked through and easily shredded. Cooking for longer won't hurt, if you need, and once the meat is cooked through you turn to low heat. Once cooked, put cornstarch in a mug or bowl. Stir cold milk into cornstarch. Heat in microwave until thickened, stir well. This mixture is a roux, stir the roux into the broth in the crockpot until thickened into gravy as desired.  Shred meat, serve meat and gravy over rice or mashed potatoes.

Food considerations:  Could be gluten free, so long as you use gf broth and soup.