Thanksgiving Tips

Happy Thanksgiving Sisters!

This year for Thanksgiving we are going to my brother and sister-in-law's home in Draper, so I will not be making dinner.  My job is to prepare and bring the yams and stuffing--that's all.  I know I've belabored the excuse of having my kitchen torn apart with remodeling for so long that you probably don't even believe me anymore, but I really am doing most of my cooking in my electric skillet, and am without the benefit of a full-sized oven, adequate refrigeration, or even counter space to host Thanksgiving--or Christmas for that matter.  I did take some nice photos while making our dinner last year, so for this week's post I decided to share some of my favorite Thanksgiving Tips.  I hope you enjoy them.  It was fun putting this together and to dream about that hopefully not-too-distant day when I have a kitchen again!

8 Thanksgiving Tips

TIP 1:  Buy old bread for your stuffing.  Several days before Thanksgiving, I go to one of our local stores or bakeries and buy bread for my stuffing.  I save money by buying the discounted old bread, because that's how I want it anyway.  I don't want commercially made bread for this, but the store's own bakery bread or rolls. Just plain white bread--not whole grain.  Then I take it home and lay it out to dry on clean, white dish towels or paper towels.  Cover to keep clean, but with towels, not plastic wrap.  You want it to dry out.  Leave it out a couple of days.  (Note, if you bought rolls or buns, slice them first).  Depending on how much you will need, this may take up your whole table.

Kids love to help break up the bread.  When it's nice and crisp, have everyone wash up, give them each their own big bowl and a pile of slices, and sit down to watch a holiday movie together.  When it's all broken up, cover the bowl with a towel until you're ready to finish making it.

For those of you who would like further direction for the stuffing, write me at jamjo@comcast.net and I'll send you a recipe of sorts I put together last year.

Because some members of our family like their stuffing cooked inside the turkey and some do not, I always make some of each. I personally like turkey stuffing way better than the stuffing just cooked in a casserole, so it's worth it to me to take the necessary precautions, preparation, and extra cooking time to cook some of the stuffing inside my turkey.

Close the turkey skin over the stuffing with those little metal skewers, or whatever way you feel is best.  Just don't leave it open like shown above--close the skin back over it or it will dry out.  Make sure your turkey is very clean and dried out completely before the stuffing goes in.

This may not look delicious to you, but it's my favorite part of Thanksgiving--one bite makes all the work worthwhile.  And here's the stuffing baked in a casserole dish.  It's great, but not as great as the stuffing cooked inside Mr. Turkey!

TIP 2:  Make your pies with Libby's Pumpkin.  Sure, it's a matter of opinion, like everything else.  But I have tried other brands and I have also eaten pie made with pumpkin that is not commercially prepared, and all I can say is that I have never tasted a pie someone made from scratch from an actual pumpkin that I enjoyed.  Far be it from me to criticize those who process their own pumpkin for pies--I'm sure if it's done right it could be awesome.  But at the risk of offending those who make pumpkin pie this way, I've never been lucky enough to try one that didn't have a weird, stringy texture.  It's so easy to mix up delicious pumpkin pie filling by simply following the recipe on the can, which makes 2 big pies.  Maybe you aren't comfortable making homemade crust, but even store-bought crusts made with Libby's pumpkin are so much better than frozen or bakery, at least to me.  And don't forget the whipped cream!

Note:  For my easy pie crust recipe, go HERE.

TIP 3:  Select your yams carefully.  I know, it's a tradition for lots of folks to top their yams with mini marshmallows, but lots of folks also think they dislike yams because this is the only way they've ever had them.  It's all about tradition, and if everyone in your family loves the yam/marshmallow way, for heaven's sake--don't change!  But if you'd like to try a new way, this is how my grandma and mom taught me, and it's just baked yams, cooled and sliced, butter, salt, and brown sugar.

First, look for yams that are small to medium sized and oval shaped, not long, skinny, or huge.  They should be pinkish-orange in shade, not yellowish.  These are pretty nice, but last year's selection wasn't as good as sometimes, and there are blemishes.  But these are the perfect shape and size.

Put a cookie sheet or foil on the rack below when you bake them, or they will drip syrup on your oven.  Bake at at least 400 degrees until easily pierced with a toothpick.  Cool completely before peeling and slicing (I would bake these the night before and cool in fridge).

Now slice into a big casserole, sprinkle with salt, and put a chunk of butter on each piece.  Sprinkle on lots of brown sugar. 

Cover and place in fridge until ready to cook.  Then bake without covering at 350 to 375 for about an hour until bubbly and a bit crispy.

Along with the stuffing, these yams are my favorite part of the meal. I'm getting hungry just looking at this picture.

TIP 4:  Make a nice relish tray.  Does anyone else's family have the tradition of filling celery with processed cheese spread?  I don't know how this started, but we've always done it.  In fact, we have a joke about this because my sister claims it's the only thing I trusted her to make for Thanksgiving dinner for years after she grew up and left home.  Now that she owns and runs her own grocery store and cafe, I feel ashamed for ever doubting her culinary skill (plus, she never lets me forget it!)  Anyway, a pretty relish tray really brightens up the table and chilled, crunchy pickles and veggies taste good with all the rich, hot food.

Besides, when else could I show off my great mid-century revolving relish dish in festive orange with gold sparkles?

TIP 5:  Make your turkey gravy nearly fat free.  Believe me, this isn't about cutting calories and making your meal more healthy--it's Thanksgiving for heaven's sake!  But contrary to popular opinion, the ingredients in this meal--lean protein, vegetables, etc.,--aren't inherently bad for you.  However,  if you carelessly make up your gravy with all that turkey fat, not only are you needlessly adding unwanted fat grams to your meal, the gravy will taste greasy and heavy and so will the meat and potatoes you spoon it over.

So how do you separate the fat from the broth?  With this handy-dandy gravy separator!  It has a special spout (hard to see in this photo) which lets you pour what's on the bottom first.  See the clear liquid on the bottom?  That's the flavorful, rich broth.  The cloudy stuff on top is the fat, already starting to thicken.  This will be thrown away.  Look for the gravy separator in any kitchen store.

I've had this for years.  You just pour in the juices from the turkey, let it sit about five minutes, then when you pour it into the pan to make your gravy, you can see where the broth ends and the fat begins.  If you want to make lots of gravy (and who doesn't?) consider extending it at this point with canned broth, turkey gravy seasoning packets, or whatever you'd like, and with the juice from the turkey it will still retain that homemade flavor that everyone loves.  Here's what it looks like before you start thickening it.  See that nice brown color?

By the way, when you drain your potatoes, save some of the potato water to use in your gravy if you need additional liquid.

 Note:  For instructions on how to make gravy, go HERE.

TIP 6:  Make homemade rolls and take them hot out of the oven just in time for dinner.

OK, I'm just kidding about this one!  Sort of.  Honestly, oven space is dear on Thanksgiving day, so don't stress out about where your rolls come from.  However, it is nice to have them hot, so remember to reheat them in a pan covered with foil after everything is out of the oven.  By the time people are gathered around the table and the blessing is said, they'll be warmed and ready.

Note:  For how to make my Thanksgiving Rolls, go HERE. 

TIP 7:  Wear your cute Turkey apron (thanks Dani!) and enlist a big, strong man to help you with last minute details.  This one is particularly good at turkey carving, setting up tables, clean-up, and just about everything in between.  Sorry, he's already taken.

TIP 8:  Whatever you eat and whoever you choose to eat it with, take time to be thankful and enjoy the day and the people you love.  For us it's a different crowd every year, but we always have a great time, and I'm sure you all do too.  See you next week!

Recipe - Caramelized Butternut Squash

It appears cold weather is upon us once again, which means time to put heartier meals on the table and enjoy the bounties of the harvest, whether supplied from our own gardens or local supermarkets.  We had a bumper crop of butternut squash this year, so I've been trying some new recipes, including one I must attribute to TV's Ina Garten, better known as the Barefoot Contessa.  Using only four ingredients, you can turn this common vegetable into a healthy and beautiful side dish called Carmelized Butternut Squash.  I've made it twice over the past couple of weeks, plus we've had leftovers that tasted just as good as the first night. If you need further convincing to try this sweet veggie delight, I found some amazing information about the wonderful health benefits of Butternut Squash.  Here's my personal wheelbarrow full!

Low in fat, butternut squash delivers an ample dose of dietary fiber, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice. It provides significant amounts of potassium, important for bone health, and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems.  The dark orange color signals an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. In particular, it boasts very high levels of beta-carotene (which your body automatically converts to vitamin A), identified as a deterrent against breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration. What's more, with only a 1-cup serving, you get nearly half the recommended daily dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C.  Butternut squash also helps with blood sugar regulation and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Incorporating more of this hearty winter staple into your diet could help reduce risk of inflammation-related disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Finally, the combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in winter squash that have shown this food to have clear potential in the area of cancer prevention and cancer treatment.

Caramelized Butternut Squash

Here's all you need:

2 medium butternut squash (4 to 5 pounds total)
6 tablespoons butter or so, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper   

Note: If you don't have kosher salt or a pepper grinder, feel free to just use regular salt and pepper.  Also, heap the brown sugar up in the cup up a bit and pack down.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut off and discard the ends of each butternut squash. Cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds.

Peel with a sturdy potato peeler, then go over it again with the peeler to make sure all the tough skin is well removed, even though it may look like it's all off.

Cut the squash into large cubes and place them on a baking sheet or large oblong glass pan.

Mix up the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.

Drizzle evenly over the squash.

With clean hands (or spoon), toss the mixture into the squash and spread out into the pan (at this point, it could be covered and refrigerated until ready to bake--no more than a few hours).

Roast for about an hour or so, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. Part way through roasting, turn once with a spatula, to be sure it cooks evenly. This is how it looks part way through when you stir it.

Here's how it looks when it's done. 

Poke the biggest pieces with a toothpick to make sure it's very tender.  Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe - Mexican Rice

Doesn't everyone love Mexican food?  Judging by how often it's on the menu at our house, I guess we do.  After last week's post featuring Mexican Corn Chowder (which many of our sisters successfully made and enjoyed, by the way), I had planned to focus on Thanksgiving foods today, but since there are lots of Tuesdays in November, I thought I'd wait another week to talk turkey.  Looking at the plate above, it occurs to me that it looks pretty much like the typical American family dinner (even down to my everyday Corelle plates!)  I made this Mexican Rice to accompany soft-shelled tacos, with a little fruit salad on the side.  Topped with melted cheese and cilantro, leftovers the next day actually became our main course.   Most meals I make don't get a whole lot fancier than this.  However, a couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to go on a 7-day Caribbean cruise with 3 other family members.  Along with all the fun and fabulous activities on the ship, we ate like kings in lovely dining rooms where waiters draped napkins across our laps and served us dishes like this:

and this . . .

And this . . .

Followed by gorgeous desserts like these:

Yes, I did photograph my food on this vacation!  You can't just dig into such works of art.  My daughter even took the rare opportunity to sample Escargot (literally, French for Snail), which if you've ever wondered, looks like this:

By the way, she loved it!  After days of being waited on hand and foot and never lifting a finger (or a dish cloth), it was pretty hard coming home to make  . . . .Mexican Rice.  But as wonderful as a vacation is, for most of us everyday life involves lovingly nourishing ourselves and others as best we can on our everyday plates--and more often with rice than with lobster!  No complaints here.

Mexican Rice

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4- 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green or red pepper, diced 
• 1 1/2 cups white rice, uncooked 
  
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in ½ cup hot water
• 1 can corn, drained
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teas. black pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes (or a quart of home canned tomatoes, drained)
• 1 regular sized jar mild or medium Salsa
•  chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
• Shredded Cheese (optional)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add rice and sauté a couple of minutes. Add onions and peppers for a few more minutes. Add garlic and sauté just a minute or so more. (By the way, the reason there is dark green in this is that I used my food processor to chop the onion, then mince the cilantro in the same bowl, so bits of cilantro is what you are seeing).

Add the peppers.  Saute a minute then add spices and other ingredients.

Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low until done, about 20 minutes.  If the liquid seems to have absorbed before the rice is fully cooked, add some more water or salsa and continue to cook until the rice is tender and it isn’t juicy anymore.
Sorry about the change of skillets!  The photos are from two different occasions. 

Top with grated cheese and fresh cilantro if desired.