November 20 - Thanksgiving
The Carefree Gourmet -
by Joyce McCombs
Everyone knows the
Thanksgiving rules, and get ready because it’s just two weeks
away! Turkey is always the star of the show. Stuffing, mashed
potatoes and gravy are a must. Cranberries will appear in one form
or another, followed closely by sweet potatoes, rolls, and canned
green bean casserole with French fried onions on top. Corn is
usually on the menu as somewhat inaccurate tribute to our Pilgrim
ancestors. Jello, with canned fruit suspended inside is a tribute
to my own ancestors, who couldn’t get through a major holiday
without it. Appetizers, leafy greens, and soup are sometimes
invited to the party, but are often left on the sidelines during
this annual carbohydrate fest. Oh, and don’t forget the pie.
Pumpkin, pecan, cherry and lemon meringue top the list of favorite
Thanksgiving desserts. Nobody will request fat free sorbet, trust
me.
Yes, we who cook know all the rules and on the fourth Thursday of
November we bake and baste and mash with a happy heart for the
people we love, knowing full well that an hour after dinner
everyone will be slinking toward the couch to pretend to watch
football. In just minutes, some will be listing to starboard and
snoring softly. Later, they will deny even closing their eyes for
a second - they were certainly not napping, no sir!
None of these things are bad; none are things I want to change,
either. But I will admit that after so many years of tradition,
I’m on the prowl for something different to do with leftover
turkey. I’m looking for new ways to use pumpkin, and eagerly
seeking interesting cranberry revelations. If there’s a few less
slumber inducing carbs in the mix, that’s a bonus. I found some
good ideas this week - see what you think.
Perfect Pumpkin Cream
No need to drag out the ice cream freezer - this works fine in any
container that’s freezer friendly. You’ll want to make this the
night before so it’s ready to go after the big feed. If using
prepared pumpkin pie mix, leave out the spices listed below. Good
with gingersnaps.
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup half and half
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups whipping cream
Combine pumpkin, brown sugar, light cream, pumpkin pie spice and
vanilla until very smooth. Whip cream until soft peaks form, then
gently fold in pumpkin mixture with rubber spatula. Freeze in
covered container overnight.
Turkey Hustle
This goes together very fast and uses up a lot of leftover turkey,
so if you’re not inspired to make soup this year, and all the big
slices of bird have gone for sandwiches, this might fit the bill.
Preheat oven to 325 and spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Combine:
4 cups chopped cooked turkey
2 cups finely chopped celery
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 can mushroom soup
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
Spread in baking dish. For topping, combine:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
Spread over turkey mixture and bake 35 minutes or until golden
brown and bubbly.
Gobbler’s Pate
Use a food processor for a perfectly smooth spread that’s great on
crackers, celery or toasted cocktail sandwich bread. If you use
plain roasted turkey, use the dark meat and try adding a drop of
liquid smoke flavoring.
1 cup finely ground smoked turkey
One 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Combine turkey, cream cheese, mayo and pepper and mix well. Shape
into ball (or press into plastic wrap lined bowl) and chill for
several hours or overnight. Before serving, roll in pecan and
parsley mixture and let stand 20 minutes at room temperature to
soften.
Savory Sage Dressing
I am awfully fond of my cornbread and sausage dressing, which I’ve
blabbed about before in the annual Thanksgiving CG, but if I’m
ever inspired to try something else, this will probably be it. If
you like dressing made outside the bird, but the oven is full,
here’s a good solution. Be sure to refrigerate the leftovers
promptly.
1 cup chopped celery
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup butter
4 eggs
1 can mushroom soup
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 - 3 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 loaves of good bread, cubed
1 can chicken broth
Sauté the celery and onion together in the butter for 15 minutes
until tender. Remove from heat. Mix eggs, soup, baking powder,
sage pepper and bread in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in
chicken broth, onion and celery and stir until bread is coated.
Mixture will be very moist. Lightly oil the crock pot, set heat to
high. Pour in dressing and cook on high for one hour, then turn
heat to low for 4 to 5 hours. Stir often to prevent sticking.
Cranberry Whirl
You’ll need a ring mold or a bundt pan for this luscious pink
fluff. Try using a paper towel to lightly wipe the inside with
vegetable oil.
Combine in large bowl until well blended and no streaks remain:
One 16 ounce carton whipped topping
One 16 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
One 15 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
Fold in:
3 bananas, sliced
1 cup chopped walnuts
Pour into mold and freeze overnight. Thaw about 20 minutes before
unmolding onto serving plate.
Cranberry Chutney
This makes 2 pints - one to keep and one to give away. A nice,
spicy addition to the inevitable sandwich fest and also good as an
appetizer or snack on crackers spread with cream cheese.
2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup unpeeled, chopped, tart green apple
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup water
Combine all ingredients in large saucepan and bring to a boil,
stirring constantly. Reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking
for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Cranberries will burst
and apple pieces should soften, but not loose their shape. Remove
from heat and let cool to room temperature in pan. Mixture will
thicken upon cooling. Ladle into pint jars and store covered in
refrigerator.
Hot Buttered Cranberry Punch
This makes about ten cups and will keep nicely in a thermos if you
want to tote it out to the ice house or on the snow machine trail.
Pump up the spices if you like, especially the cloves, but watch
out for the nutmeg, which can overwhelm everything else and become
bitter. Fun to stir with those long cinnamon sticks, if you can
find them!
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 quart cranberry juice
1 quart pineapple juice
Butter
Combine sugar, water, spices and salt in saucepan and bring to a
boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in juices. Heat punch until
steaming but not boiling. Serve hot, and top each mug with about
1/2 teaspoon butter.
I’ll be taking a break next time, so expect a guest Gourmet in
this spot for the pre-Thanksgiving issue. In December I’m looking
forward to sharing the story of a local entrepreneur and her
incredible “rise” to fame with her wonderful hearth baked
sourdough breads. Happy early Thanksgiving!
