Tag: Thanksgiving

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Turkey Liver Paté

This uses just one turkey liver – perfect to make at Thanksgiving time. Adapted from https://onthegas.org/food/turkey-liver-recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 turkey liver
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/2 medium shallot (or use 1-2 T. minced onion)
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1/8 cup Cognac
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp coarse black pepper
  • 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped

Preparation:

  1. Place butter in large pan on low heat and allow to melt until butter begins to foam.
  2. Chop and mince shallots and add to butter and sauté until clear.
  3. Add the liver, thyme, Cognac, salt and pepper and simmer on high heat.
  4. Cook and stir occasionally until the Cognac is reduced and the liver is brown on the outside but still slightly pink on the inside (about 3-4 minutes)
  5. Remove from heat and let sit for approximately 10 minutes.
  6. Once mixture has cooled, place in blender or food processor and add the cream.
  7. Blend until mix is smooth and creamy, feel free to add more cream until the mix reaches desired consistency. Add the hard-cooked egg, and pulse until mixed well.
  8. Adjust seasonings as needed then place mixture in the refrigerator and allow to cool for at least two hours. Serve with toast or crackers.
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Golden Syrup

Substitute for corn syrup. Read about golden syrup here. I based my recipe on this: http://joepastry.com/2013/chinese-golden-syrup/. I’m planning to use golden syrup in this recipe for pecan pie.

Combine in a stainless steel saucepan

  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. water

Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook until the syrup is deep amber in color, about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it and do not let it get too dark or it will taste burnt. Remove from heat and stir in

  • 1 c. boiling water and then
  • 1 c. sugar and then
  • 1 T. lemon juice (I used a little less – 1/2 a small lemon – and it was just right)
  • Pinch salt

Cook until it reaches 235 degrees F, about 10-20 minutes, I think. Remove from heat and pour through fine-mesh strainer into a glass storage container. Cool, cover, and store in fridge.

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Coconut-Lime Turkey (or Chicken) and Rice Soup

My favorite recipe for turkey soup. I make turkey stock in a 6qt pressure cooker: leftover turkey carcass, 2 carrots in chunks, 3 stalks celery in chunks, medium onion in chunks, 2 bay leaves, salt, pepper corns, water to the maximum line; bring to pressure, then cook for one hour with weight gently rocking; allow pressure to drop naturally; strain.

Adapted from http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/11/recipe-for-coconut-lime-turkey-or.html (adapted from Coconut-Lime Chicken Soup from The Sunset Cookbook).

Makes 4-6 servings; I usually double the recipe.

  • 4 c. homemade chicken or turkey stock (Note to LD: one pressure-cooker potful – to the line – of stock is sufficient for a double recipe; no need to add water.)
  • 5-6 thin slices fresh ginger root
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, sliced in half
  • 1 1/2 T soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 T brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. (or more) green Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce of your choice, or use a diced fresh chile if you really like it spicy)
  • 3 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (I use Alton Brown’s baked brown rice recipe)
  • 2 cups leftover diced or shredded turkey
  • 4 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 can light coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or use 1/4 cup chopped basil, Thai basil, or sliced green onions)

Slice 5-6 thin slices of ginger root. Peel 2 medium garlic cloves and slice in half. Put chicken stock into a heavy soup pot and start to simmer, then add ginger root slices, garlic cloves, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Let simmer on low for about 20 minutes, or until flavors are well blended.

After 20 minutes remove the garlic and ginger pieces and add Tabasco, lime juice, rice, mushrooms, and diced turkey to the soup and let it continue to simmer on low about 6 minutes more. Stir in coconut milk and simmer 6 minutes more. Be sure the heat is low enough that the soup won’t boil after the coconut milk has been added.

Add chopped herbs or green onions and simmer for 1-2 minutes more. Serve hot, with sliced limes to squeeze into the soup if desired.

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Pecan Pie

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks website: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/the-pie-thatll-make-you-cry/

  • 1 whole unbaked pie crust
  • 1 cup white sugar (Jack says to use a little less)
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup corn syrup (use a little less)
  • ¾ teaspoons vanilla
  • ⅓ cups melted butter (salted)
  • 3 whole eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups chopped pecans

Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Spread chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

Pie should not be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.

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Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Great with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Variations: use chicken thigh meat instead of turkey; Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (double batch) instead of red enchilada sauce (omit canned tomatoes); and/or Monterey Jack instead of cheddar.

  • 1 medium red or green pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 c. corn kernels (frozen is fine)
  • 2 cups enchilada sauce (I make my own, recipe here)
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon each chili powder, garlic powder and ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound leftover cooked turkey, diced or shredded (a mix of dark and light is best)
  • 12 corn tortillas (6 inches) (In Chicagoland, El Milagro fresh tortillas)
  • 1 TBS oil (I use avocado oil)
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided

 

Coat the sides and bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the red or green pepper and onion over medium heat for several minutes, until soft and golden. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the beans, corn, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in turkey. Adjust seasonings.

While the filling mixture is cooking, prepare the tortillas. Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil, break or cut in half, and stack on a plate. Heat small skillet over medium-high heat, then cook tortillas one-at-a-time, turning until pale golden on each side.

Spread 1 cup meat sauce into baking dish. Top with six tortillas (12 halves). Spread with half of the remaining meat sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer with remaining tortillas and meat sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 10-15 more minutes.

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Thanksgiving dinner notes

Turkey
Dry brine a Ho-Ka turkey using this recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/15069-russ-parsons-dry-brined-turkey-a-k-a-the-judy-bird

Order the turkey from Nature’s Best for pick-up on Monday before Thanksgiving. 2019 note: For 10 people, buy a 12# turkey. I was able to fit (barely) a 17lb turkey into the metal 9 x 13 pan for the drying phase in the fridge. A 17lb turkey took about 3 hours total roasting time. Save the carcass, skin, wing tips, etc. for stock.

Stuffing
Regular stuffing: “Simple is Best” Dressing. Make a day ahead and bake the first time following instructions. Bake the 2nd time after the turkey is out of the oven.

Cornbread stuffing: Make cornbread muffins on Tuesday and cut into cubes. Cut wheat bread into cubes. Bake all the cubes at 250 degrees for several hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so, to thoroughly dry out. Cut a 1# loaf of good sandwich bread into cubes and bake at 250 degrees for several hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so, to thoroughly dry out. Do ahead: chop celery and onions. Thanksgiving morning, make the stuffing and bake until almost done. Reheat in oven at 250 right before serving. http://www.southernliving.com/recipes/classic-cornbread-dressing-recipe

Gluten-free stuffing: Use TJ’s GF stuffing mix in a box. Buy a few weeks ahed as they sometimes run out.

Salad/side dish

Fennel Salad with Blood Oranges and Walnuts

Kale apple salad: http://www.chow.com/recipes/30354-kale-apple-coleslaw-with-poppy-seed-dr…

Brussels sprouts slaw with Asian citrus dressing (from Nom Nom Paleo, but the recipe on her site requires constant scrolling and so is really hard to follow)

Low-Carb Broccoli Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan

Pie
Crustless pumpkin pie: use the recipe on the can of Libby’s pumpkin puree. Bake in the 10″ pie plate at 325 for 55-65 minutes.

Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for pecan pie is really good, but use light brown sugar instead of dark.

Gravy
Bob’s Red Mill GF all-purpose flour works fine – about 1/2 cup. Simmer the turkey neck and giblets in a box of chicken stock for several hours. Deglaze the roasting pan drippings with water. Separate the fat and in a large skillet mix fat with flour, stirring until smooth. Cook several minutes, stirring constantly until boiling. Gradually add the rest of the pan drippings and the broth that’s been simmering with the turkey neck and giblets. Save the neck and giblets for making stock at another time.

2015 menu

  • Roast turkey
  • Cornbread stuffing
  • Gluten-free stuffing
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Gravy
  • Brussels sprouts slaw with Asian citrus dressing
  • Homemade applesauce
  • Cranberry orange relish
  • Pecan pie
  • Crustless pumpkin pie
  • Vanilla ice cream
  • Whipped cream
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Roasted butternut squash with onions and cranberries

The cranberries become less tart when roasted and add a lovely color and flavor to the squash and onions. The ingredients are flexible, both in amounts and in types of vegetables. Beets, carrots, and other root vegetables are also great this way.

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 3/4″ pieces
2 onions, sliced
1 to 1.5 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries, rinsed and drained
2 to 3 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together. Roast at 400 degrees F in large roasting pan for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

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Baked Garlicky Butternut Squash

From Main-Course Vegetarian Pleasures, by Jeanne Lemlin (1995)

Lemlin’s note: Here is a variation of a recipe that the late Laurie Colwin wrote in Gourmet. This crusty, garlic-scented dish needs just a salad to make it a completely satisfying and delicious meal, although a close friend of mine says it is absolutely spellbinding served on a golden bed of polenta.

1 large (3.5 lbs) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1/3 c. fruity olive oil (I use about half that amount)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I use more)
2 Tbs minced fresh parsley (I use more)
Salt to taste
Liberal seasoning of freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss together the squash, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Spoon the vegetables into 12 x 7 x 2” baking dish (I use a 9 x 13).

Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, or until the squash is tender, not mushy.

Serves 4 as a main dish; serves eight nicely at a dinner where a lot of other food is served.

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Corn Noogies

1 1/2 cups milk
1 c. corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup fine ground cornmeal
1 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1 large beaten egg

Preheat oven to 350. In a large saucepan bring 1 cup milk and corn to a boil. In a bowl mix remaining milk with remaining ingredients. Whisking constantly, add to milk and corn mixture. Stir constantly for 3 minutes. Transfer to a greased casserole dish or 2 mini-muffin tins (24 mini-muffins). Bake till golden brown and set, about 30 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature or cooled.