Thanksgiving Recipes 2008
For those of you yet to celebrate Thanksgiving (i.e., my American friends and family), or those of you planning on serving Turkey and all the fixin's for Christmas, here are some recipes you might enjoy. They went over quite well this past weekend. I even converted someone to a cranberry connoiseur.
Kickin' Cranberry Sauce
1 bag fresh cranberries (~3 cups), rinsed and whole
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar (raw or white)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Combine sugar, orange juice, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add cranberries and jalapeno pepper, and continue to cook until liquid has reduced by ~1/2 and cranberries have mostly popped.
Transfer to a sealed container and let sauce set in refrigerator overnight.
Gorganzola Beans
Don't let blue cheese scare you off this savoury side.
4 cups green beans, cleaned and stems removed
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola or Danish blue cheese
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Spread green beans evenly over bottom of greased, non-stick baking dish.
Dob with butter, and season with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.
Bake for ~15 min, stirring occasionally.
Add walnuts, toss, and continue cooking for ~10 minutes.
Toss with cheese before serving.
Cranberry Walnut Stuffing (for in the bird)
Some people worry about eating stuffing that's been cooked in the bird. As long as the bird hasn't sat stuffed for an extended period of time before going in the oven, and proper kitchen hygiene and handwashng has been followed, in-bird stuffing is both safe and delicious.
Half loaf of Italian bread, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp savoury (or to taste)
1 tsp rosemary (or to taste)
1 tsp thyme (or to taste)
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
2 tbsp dried cranberries
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and toss well. Ensure bread is well moistened with wine and oil.
Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Stuff loosely into cavity of bird just before roasting.
Bon apetit!
Comments
I am DEFINITELY going to do the Gorgonzola beans! YUM!
I have to admit to being one of those that can't really bring myself to eat stuffing that was in the bird. Can the recipe work just as well in a dish? It sounds divine, and I'm sure smells and tastes even better.
Posted by: heather at October 15, 2008 12:46 AM
I think if it were cooked in a covered dish, and you added some chicken stock for that extra je ne sais quoi flavour that you'd otherwise get from the turkey's juices, it would turn out reasonably well. I just like cooking it in the bird for (2) fewer dishes, (b) moistness, and (c) flavour.
Posted by: Saedigh at October 15, 2008 07:17 AM
S,You're on for the beans at Christmas dinner! Looks fabulous and I'm sure it will taste so!
H,I have found that adding stock to stuffing OUT of the bird is a good idea and it saves on oven time. I also like to use stuffing bags which are made of muslin and available in the meat section of the grocery around turkey time. They make it easier to cleanly remove the stuffing from the bird after it is cooked.
Posted by: Dee at October 16, 2008 08:18 AM