New For Thanksgiving

[Crabbergirl]

It's that time of year!T he thoughts of baking and cooking are in the forefront of my mind. One of the things I hope to do every year is add a new different dish to the meal. Don't get me wrong, all those traditional comfort foods we love are great , but adding a little something new sounds fun.

I would like to find a good stuffing/dressing that can be baked aside from the bird.
I have a recipe I use that has apples, cabbage, craberries and herbs in it, and it is wonderful but I feel I need something new.
Share any of your favorite recipes with me. If I use your recipe at my Thanksgiving dinner, I will send you a little surprise I am thankful for your guys as my extended family.

 

[Randy]

Crabber, I watched a cooking show two or three years ago when they had several of the Food Channel cooks on one show dealing with their favorite recipes. I copied down two of them. Giada D. did a a baked mashed potato recipe that is really good and I have made that one, but the one that really hit the spot in the family was a cranberry/apple cinnamon recipe for the cranberry sauce. I had to convince my wife to let me even try it and now she expects me to take care of that part of the dinner each time now. I may have it typed in my documents. If I do, I can post it.

 

[Randy]

I don't have it in my documents, but I do have a recipe card upstairs and I can copy either one of those mentioned if you have the interest. I know the mashed potato recipe has added cheese, but I'm sure that Giada had other good stuff to put in there also. The cranberry sauce recipe uses dried cranberries, diced apple, brown sugar, apple juice, and cinnamon. That is from memory and there is probably some other stuff in that one too. I am considering starting with fresh cranberries this year though as the dried cranberries are also sweetened and then you add sugar to the recipe. The fellow that demonstrated the cranberry recipe stated that if you knew someone that did not like cranberries, try this one on them and he is right. My wife doesn't like cranberry sauce and she has changed her tune on this one. One of the problems with the baked mashed potatoes though is that you need the oven and there are too many other things that also need to be baked. I suppose I could go out to the travel trailer and use the oven there.

 

[Wombat]

Hi Nancie this may be a bit strange getting a thanksgiving recipe from someone who doesn't celebrate that particular holiday, but in my travels over the years I was once privileged to spend a thanksgiving holiday in the US and this was one of the side dishes
Fresh ginger and pure maple syrup glazed carrots

Ingredients
4 pound carrots, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoon margarine or butter
1/3 cup(s) dark pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Directions
In 5- to 7-quart saucepot, combine carrots, water, ginger, and 2 tablespoons margarine. Cover and cook on medium 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and carrots are almost tender.
Add maple syrup, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and heat to boiling on medium-high. Boil 8 to 10 minutes or until syrup is thick and carrots are tender and coated with glaze, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon margarine. To serve, spoon carrots into serving bowl and garnish with parsley. As a variation she also baked the carrots in the oven until brown on top rather than serving straight away in a bowl, it was yummy!

 

[Kya D]

Randy does this sound like the one
BAKED MASHED POTATOES WITH PARMESAN CHEESE AND BREAD CRUMBS
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.
Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well. Mix in the milk and melted butter. Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Stir the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead of time; cover and chill.
Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

 

[Crabbergirl]

Randy
I love the idea of the Cinnamon Cranberries! If you think about it I would love to have the recipe. I make a potato soufflé that is pretty good, but I can't have the carbs anymore like that so I just do the plain mashed selfish I guess.

John
Thanks! I think between that and randy's craberries that will be perfect. I will let you guys know how they like it. John, if you are ever state side I will be happy to treat you to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It is my favorite meal to fix and sometimes I will do it just because. You would give me an excuse!

Dawn
That sounds a lot like mine but I use egg whites to make it airy.

Keep 'em coming cause I love new stuff

 

[Wombat]

Nancie this was another yummy recipe I came across, it can be a side or a dessert Woohoo thank you sooo much for the invitation! When I'm stateside again you will definitely get a knock on your door from a guy with a funny accent asking about dinner, I guarantee it. I'll even bring some bubbly!
Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup(s) 1% milk
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons fresh or orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans (1 3/4 ounces)

Directions
Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and return to the pan. Mash with a potato masher. Measure out 3 cups.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (or similar 2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
Whisk eggs, oil and honey in a medium bowl. Add mashed sweet potato and mix well. Stir in milk, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish.
To prepare topping: Mix flour, brown sugar, orange juice concentrate, oil and butter in a small bowl. Blend with a fork or your fingertips until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake the casserole until heated through and the top is lightly browned, 35 to 45 minutes.

 

[Randy]

Yes, Dawn, that's the one. That was a great idea that time they had a show with the different people that each had their own special recipe.

Crabber, I'll get that recipe and post it.

 

[Crabbergirl]

John
LOL! Now I am a southern gal, so it might be me with the strange accent. No matter which of us it is, you will always be welcome here!
We actually smoked a turkey today. I had to buy a new mattress on Sat and they were giving away free turkey's. Since it was fresh we had to cook it.
I like the sweet potato recipe. It is very much like one I have but we add mini marshmallows on top the last 10 minutes. My problem is I want to add new taste but I hate to give up my traditional dishes. So I end up with huge amounts of food. This year we are planning on 11 for dinner, but as always that will change as we add people who have no families or just need a place to spend the day. Always room for more at our table.

The menu so far;
Turkey with homemade apple,cranberry dressing
mashed potatoes ( Tim's fav)
broccoli casserole ( My fav)
Mashed rutabagas ( everybody's fav)
sweet potato casserole
Homemade cranberries ( going to try Randy's recipe)
Green Bean casserole
And I think I will add the glazed carrots, they sound so good.

of course, pumpkin pie and pecan pie, homemade

And there goes any hope of keeping my diet durning the holiday, because after Thanksgiving there is :
fried dressing
turkey sandwiches
pie for snacks and so on

 

[Wombat]

Wow Nancie that menu sounds wonderful! I think I put on a few pounds just reading it I'll definitely be there next time I'm stateside, it all sounds so yummy! I'll be at your door ready and rarin' to go with a napkin under my chin and a knife and fork in my top pocket! As for your funny accent we flew back from the states last time with a lady from Hattiesburg Mississippi in the next seat. Now there was a lady with a great accent, we understood each other perfectly as long as we didn't speak to fast!

 

[Randy]

Here it is, Crabber. As I mention in the notes, I am going to experiment some, but the recipe as it stands has received good reports even from people in the family that don't like cranberry sauce. Read the notes though. There is one that says I used ground cinnamon instead of the sticks. That is the only way I have made it so far.

Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Sauce

2 cups cranberry juice
1 six-ounce bag sweetened dried cranberries
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 cup sugar
2 Gala apples; peeled, cored, and diced
2 tsp corn starch

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the cranberry juice, cranberries, cinnamon, and sugar. Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have softened and apples are tender, about five minutes.

Remove 8 ounces of the liquid to a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch. Slowly add the cornstarch – juice mixture (slurry) to the cranberry mixture, stirring constantly. Cook for an additional five minutes.

Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl. Refrigerate until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve.

Note 1: Instead of removing 8 ounces of the juice from the cooking mix, I set aside 8 ounces in which to dissolve the cornstarch and added the slurry when the recipe called for it. The cornstarch dissolves easier in cool liquid.

Note 2: I haven’t used Gala apples yet, but I do use good quality apples. Nor did I peel the apples before dicing. I had Fuji apples on hand and used them instead of Galas. Some of the best tasting part of an apple is the peel and that part immediately under the peel.

Note 3: I haven’t done it yet, but I want to see if I can work fresh cranberries into this recipe rather than dried/sweetened cranberries. I hope to do the experiment before I need the real thing on Thanksgiving Day.

Note 4: There is a lot of sugar in this recipe. In addition to using fresh cranberries, I want to use brown sugar, un-packed. That will reduce the sugar content at least a little. The finished product above is quite sweet and I believe it can stand less sugar.

Note 5: I used a teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead of stick cinnamon and didn’t have to be concerned about removing the sticks.

Note 6: I use Clearjel most of the time instead of regular cornstarch. Clearjel is a modified cornstarch that does not break down as regular cornstarch is wont to do. Clearjel is what many commercial kitchens will use for a thickening agent. I don’t believe you will find it in a regular market. I got it from a restaurant supply place.

 

[Wombat]

That recipe sounds great Randy I may try it for Christmas.......just a couple of questions if I may please. Would Granny Smith apples be suitable or would they be too tart and alter the flavour and also I have arrowroot in the cupboard and I use it as a thickening agent as it remains fairly clear. I was just trying to think of an alternative to Clearjel is all.

 

[Randy]

Granny Smith apples should work just fine. Clearjel is not easy to find even around here, John. It does come clear though when cooked. But I see no reason why you couldn't use what you have. It is extremely rare that I will leave a recipe alone. The exception to that is if it is one of the German recipes. My wife is German and I try and cook some of the traditional German recipes to keep the traditions alive.

 

[Crabbergirl]

I am doing this! Thanks Randy. I like the idea of the Granny Smiths, I think it will be a good flavor combo. I use Granny Smith's in my stuffing too.

 

[Wombat]

Randy: Thank you for the info, it's much appreciated. I'll give the Granny apples and the arrowroot a go, it should be great! My wife lived next door to a German family when she was a child and they used to share quite a few different meals. Hers was rouladen(sp?) it melted in her mouth!

Nancy: Grannies are my favourite apple for cooking purposes they have such a great flavour. Never thought of using them in stuffing though, thanks for the tip!

 

[Randy]

I'll have to look that one up, John. I have heard of it, but can't place it. I bought some fresh cranberries yesterday at the market, but will wait until after Thanksgiving to experiment with them. I probably should couple the experiment with roasting a turkey breast.

 

[Crabbergirl]

John
The granny's add such a nice texture as well as a contrast to the herbs. I also use shredded cabbage and cranberries, onions and celery. It is a version of a great great grandmothers German dressing. I don't use a standard recipe it is all in my head much like my mother and grandmothers did it. In this house we never have a pre packaged dressing. Always made from scratch

 

[Randy]

My daughter and her family use prepared salad dressings and I like them, but quit using them a long time ago. For salad, I use rice vinegar and olive oil.

 

[Wombat]

Randy I wouldn't mind trying fresh cranberries myself but they're a little difficult to get hold of here...and can be expensive too lol. As an aside there's a native fruit called a riberry which imparts a clove, cinnamon taste and I'm thinking of combining the two. A bit of experimentation comming up methinks! We use olive oil as a dressing base too, it combines really well with just about any ingredient, including fresh lemon and balsamic vinegar.
Nancie Yep most of the recipes I try are in my head too lol. I think I picked up a lot just from hanging around the kitchen when I was a kid. It's amazing what you commit to memory without even realising it at the time. I don't do stuffing that often as Christmas Day is usually around the 95F mark so having the oven on to cook a turkey breast is not well received! lol. We do however roast chickens etc. in winter so stuffing mix will be used extensively, can't wait!

 

[Crabbergirl]

Randy,
I tried to buy my cranberries today and they were out of the dried so I bought real fresh ones. I was just thinking I might adapt your recipe for them. If you do it let me know how it works out for you. I think I won't add my apples untill a few minutes before the berries are done. I worry they might cook away and I think the apple chunks would be nice.