Thanksgiving is a
national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is now a day when Americans give thanks
for everything in their lives, eat a huge meal surrounded by family and friends, and watch some football.
These are some
holiday foods that would make a perfect addition to your dinner table this
Thanksgiving:
Cranberry Sauce:
Ingredients:
12-ounce cranberries, 1 cup of sugar, 1 strip orange or lemon zest, 2
tablespoons of water
Empty a 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries into a
saucepan and transfer 1/2 cup to a small bowl. Add 1 cup sugar, 1 strip orange
or lemon zest and 2 tablespoons water to the pan and cook over low heat,
stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries are soft,
about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries
burst, about 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the reserved
cranberries. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste and cool to room temperature
before serving.
Mashed
Potatoes
Ingredients: 4
pounds golden, peeled and cut potatoes, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper, 2 cups of
heavy cream, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Put the potatoes into a large pot, add the bay leaf, 2
tablespoons salt, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high
heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain them well
and remove the bay leaf. Meanwhile, heat the cream and butter in a small
saucepan. Put the potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a bowl. Add the
hot cream and season with salt and pepper. Mix together with a spoon and add
the chives.
Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients: 2 hot
Italian sausages, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 cup chopped carrot, 1
cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped onion, salt, black pepper, ½ bunch fresh
sage, leaves chopped, 4 large chorn muffins, 3 large eggs, ½ cup, chicken
stock, plus more if needed, nonstick spray
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the casings from the sausages. Heat 1 tablespoon of the
olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the sausage meat. Cook,
breaking up the meat into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about
5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and set aside to cool while you
cook the vegetables. Wipe out any excess fat from the pan with paper towels.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium-high
heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper and add
the sage. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside to
cool a bit.
Crumble the corn muffins into a large bowl. Put in the cooled
sausage and vegetables. Add the eggs and 1/4 cup chicken stock. Using your
hands, mix well adding more stock if the stuffing is too dry. Spray a 2-quart
oven-proof baking dish with cooking spray. Put the stuffing into the dish and
bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is browned and crispy.
Sweet
Potato Casserole
Ingredients: 2 ½
pounds sweet potatoes, 1 orange, zested and juiced, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
1 tablespoon honey, ½ cup milk, ½ cup diced dried apricots. Topping: ½ cup
oatmeal, ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pea-sized pieces, ½ cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Put the sweet potatoes on a sheet tray and roast for 35 to 40
minutes. The sweet potatoes might still be a little hard in the center- no
problem!
While the sweet potatoes are baking make the topping. In a food
processor, combine the oatmeal, brown sugar, olive oil, butter, and walnuts and
pulse until mixture comes together.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut
them into 1-inch chunks. Discard the skins. Put the potatoes into a large dish
and add the remaining ingredients. Mash together with a potato masher until
well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish. Crumble the
topping mixture over the potatoes. Bake until the mixture hot all the way
through and the topping is brown and crispy, about 30 minutes.
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:
topping, 2 medium onions, thinly sliced, ¼ cup all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons
panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon salt. Beans and salt: 2 tablespoons plus 1
teaspoon salt, divided, 1 pound fresh green beans, 2 tablespoons unsalted
butter, 12 oz mushrooms, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 cloves garlic minced, ¼
teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 1 cup chicken
broth, 1 cup half-and-half
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl
and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly
spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and
bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times
during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to
use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon
of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the
beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the
beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over
medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their
liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to
cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir
to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease
the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture
thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of
the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake
until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.
Turkey
1. Thawing a frozen turkey requires patience. The safest method
is to thaw turkey in the refrigerator. Be sure to plan ahead — it takes
approximately 4-5 days for a 20-pound turkey to fully defrost.
2. For crisper skin, unwrap the turkey the day before roasting
and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Cooking times will differ depending on whether your bird was
purchased fresh or frozen. Plan on 20 minutes per pound in a 350 degree F oven
for a defrosted turkey and 10 to 15 minutes per pound for fresh.
4. A turkey will cook more evenly if it is not densely stuffed.
Consider adding flavor by loosely filling the cavity with aromatic vegetables —
carrots, celery, onion or garlic work nicely — or by carefully tucking fresh
herbs underneath the breast skin. For the stuffing lovers, cook the dressing in
a casserole dish on the side.
5. Before roasting, coat the outside of the turkey with
vegetable or olive oil, season with salt and pepper and tightly cover the
breast with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning (it will be removed in step
7).
6. Once you get the turkey in the oven, resist the temptation to
open the oven door and admire your handiwork. When the oven temperature
fluctuates, you're only increasing the likelihood of a dry bird. About 45
minutes before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil from the breast to
allow it to brown.
7. Remove the turkey from the oven and use an instant-read
thermometer to determine temperature; it should read 165 degrees F at the thigh
when it's done. If you stuff your turkey, check the internal temperature of the
stuffing as well; it should be at least 165 degrees.
8. Tent the bird with foil and let rest for about 25 minutes
before carving. If you need more time to make gravy, heat up side dishes, etc.,
you can let the turkey set for up to an hour without losing too much heat.
9. Remember to carve your turkey with a very sharp or electric
knife.
10. Before you get started with the cooking, browse our best
turkey recipes to find the perfect bird for your Thanksgiving feast.
Enjoy!
-RA Hayley
No comments:
Post a Comment