I urge, no, I plead and beg you…donate that can of cream of mushroom soup to the food bank…PLEASE!
A little planning and yes, I will admit a lot of work and your family and friends bellies will jiggle like a bowl full of jelly.
I have compiled some recipes that I have tried and love. They come from magazines, newspapers, cookbooks, my grandmothers and mother, but all of them, I like to twist and make my own. I will also give credit where credit is due, for without Alton Brown I can’t help you cook your Turkey.
Starters
Fig and Walnut Tapenade with Goat Cheese
1 C chopped and stemmed dried Calimyrna figs. (If you can’t find figs I love to use Medjool Dates as well)
1/3 C water (if using Medjool Dates use 1/4 C water)
1/3 C Kalamata Olives
2Tbs Extra virgin olive oil
1Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
2Tbs Capers
1tsp fresh thyme (if you have to used dried, use 1/2 tsp)
1 small log of goat cheese (Cherve)
1/2 C toasted walnuts (I’ve used pecans as well)
I loaf of french bread that you have sliced into 1/4 inch’s and baked to make toasts. (350 degree oven, place slices on cooling rack IN oven, watch carefully and turn to cook other side when golden brown and then remove from oven and set aside)
Combine figs and water in saucepan over med. heat till water is absorbed, about 5-8 min. Meanwhile pit olives with ‘cherry pitter’ if they have seeds, and chop , big or small, doesn’t matter. Add to bowl, add capers, olive oil, vinegar and thyme. When figs are ready chop them well and add to bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (you can make this 3 days ahead, cover it and place in fridge) Sans the nuts, toasts and goat cheese!
When ready to serve bring to room temp, add the nuts. Surround with goat cheese and serve with toasts.
If you want you can use crackers, I know you’re busy.
(Epicurious and Bon Appetit)
Asparagus Rolls
This is a GREAT make ahead because you HAVE to freeze it:)
25 Asparagus spears (trim base of spears by breaking off thick ends)
25 slices of bread, crust removed and rolled out FLAT.
8oz cream cheese
3oz of blue cheese or gorgonzola
1egg
2sticks butter, more or less if you need.
Have a bowl of ice water set to the side. Bring a pot of salted (1 tsp salt?) water to boil and add asparagus, blanch asparagus till tender, 3-5ish min. Add to ice water when ready to stop cooking. (this will keep the lovely green colour bright and you asparagus won’t be mushy)
Beat cheese’s and egg with mixer till combined
Melt butter and set aside
Drain asparagus
Spread an even amount of cheese mixture on bread add asparagus, roll up and roll bread in melted butter. Place seam side down on parchment lined cookie sheet…repeat, 24 more times. Freeze for 24 hours then if not using ‘right away’ place in freezer bag till ready.
When ready to cook place in 400 degree oven for 15 min.
(Junior League Centennial Cookbook)
Sides and Stuff
Cranberry Sauce
1C dry red wine (that you would drink)
1C Orange juice
1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar (or more if desired to taste)
a dash of cloves
a dash of allspice
1/2tsp cinnamon
1 Bag of fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
Bring wine, juice and sugar to boil till sugar is dissolved add spices and lower heat and reduce by 1/4 ish. Add the cranberries, cook till they burst, about 10 min. Remove from heat. If it’s to saucy drain and reserve the sauce for a cocktail;)
Can be made a week ahead, keep in fridge.
(me)
Brussel Sprouts
This recipe is another fly by the pants…
Brussel Sprouts, cleaned and cut in half.
Olive oil
2-3 Tbs Gorgonzola cheese
Cream
Salt and pepper
Saute brussel sprouts till golden brown. Add Cheese and a about 1/4 C of cream. Lower heat and cook for maybe 5 min. Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
(Me)
Sweet Potatoes
Whole Roasted Yams with Maple Allspice
1C butter at room temp
1/4C Pure Maple syrup
1/2tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp blk pepper
8 small yams/sweet potatoes …what ever you want to call them…
Mix frist 5 ingredients in bowl. You cam make this ahead and keep it in your fridge for 3 days.
Pre-heat oven to 375. Pierce potatoes al over with fork, bake until tender, about an hour.
Cut potatoes in half, be careful they will be hot and your hands are probably not made of asbestos like mine. Remove the flesh and put in bowl. Add 8Tbs of butter mixture and blend together. Put the flesh back into the potatoes and serve with extra butter on the side.
(Bon Appetit)
Sweet Potato Casserole
6 Med Sweet Potatoes
1/2 C Brwn Sugar
2 lg eggs
1tsp Vanilla (no imitation)
1/3C 1/2 and 1/2
1/2C butter, melted
1C packed Brwn Sugar
2Tbs Flour
1/4C Butter
1C Chopped pecans or Walnuts
Cook whole sweet potatoes on boiling water till tender(45min-ish) Remove, cool, peel and mash. Combine sweet potato mash, 1/2 C brwn sugar and next 4 ingred.. Beat with mixer till blended. Place in greased oven proof dish.
Combine 1C brown sugar and flour, cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle over sweet potato mash.
Bake in oven at 350 for 30 min. or lightly browned and bubbly.
(Southern Living)
Dressing/Stuffing
The difference between dressing and stuffing; Stuffing cooks in the bird or roast, dressing cooks separately. I only stuff roasts not turkeys because that’s what Alton taught me.
I start my dressing weeks in advance by making...get this the corn bread recipe on the back of the cornmeal container. I do however add a couple of extra teaspoons of sugar. I cook it, cool it wrap it up and put it in the freezer until I’m ready. This Recipe is ‘old school’. I just make it, I have actually never measured anything, so you will be making it on a wing and a prayer….like me. Sometimes I add other things as well. I’ll give you a few ideas at the bottom.
1lb Loose Sausage
1 1/2C Chopped onion
4 or 5 Celery ribs sliced thinly
1/4 C Butter
Corn bread
Stale bread.
Chicken Broth
Rubbed Sage
Salt and pepper
Cook sausage and set aside in bowl. Saute onion and celery in butter till tender over Med. heat. Add to sausage. Add thawed cornbread and loaf of day old bread. Start adding broth till bread is moist. Add salt, pepper and Sage. You can taste it so you can adjust the seasoning at this point.
Sometimes, I saute apples with the celery and onion.
Or add some of my cranberry sauce
To be honest I put in it what ever I have around. To some of us cooking is second nature, so I apologize for the lack of info in this recipe. I will measure it all out when I make it, but even then, it changes and morphs with time and my mood.
The Turkey
A few hints and things you will need. A probe thermometer with alarm. A roasting pan and rack;) .
When you buy a Turkey OR a chicken there is a bag of innards inside it, the neck heart, liver and such. You need to remove this bag. I reserve said innards for gravy.
1 14-16 Lb Turkey Thawed in fridge for several days.
Alton Brown (a hero of mine) likes to brine his turkey. You don’t have too though, if you wanna short cut.
Brine
1 Gallon Veg Stock
1C kosher salt
1/2C packed Brwn Sugar
1Tbs Blk Peppercorns
1 1/2tsp whole All-Spice berries
1 1/2tsp Candied Ginger
1 Gallon heavily Iced Water
Aromatics (The stuff you put on and IN said Turkey)
1 Apple, quartered
1/2 an onion, quartered
1 Cinnamon Stick
1C water Sage Leaves
Canola oil for coating Turkey
If brining
Combine veg. stock, salt, sugar, ….well, everything but iced water…in large stock pot over Med. High heat. Bring to boil and make sure all solids are dissolved. Remove from heat and bring to room temp. and place in fridge.
The night before you want to cook the turkey…in a 5 gallon bucket (clean please;) Place turkey (innards removed) breast side down in the brine add iced water and refrigerate or place in cool place. Make sure Turkey is completely submerged. 8 to 16 hours….turning 1/2 way through.
If not brining, skip above step.
Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Rinse Turkey inside and out (even if not brining) place on roasting rack and pat dry with paper towels. Combine Apple, onion and cinnamon in 1 C water and microwave for 5 min. Remove from water and put aromatics inside Turkey along with sage. I pour the water in the bottom of the roaster. Liberally coat Turkey with oil all over.
Roast Turkey on the lowest rack of oven at 500 degrees (don’t be scared, I promise it works) for 30 min. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. (make sure it DOES NOT TOUCH BONE) Reduce oven temp to 350. Set thermometer alarm to 161. A 14-16 lb Bird should require a total of 2 or 2 1/2 hours to cook.
(Alton Brown)
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