Thanksgiving Menu and Recipe Ideas

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is refreshed for the week ahead. I probably should have done this before Thanksgiving, but I thought I would still share this year’s menu with you, with links to the recipes. You can always bookmark it for next year, use some for your Christmas menu, or there are a few dishes listed at the bottom that I think are fantastic at any time. 

Appetizers

Cheese and Vegetable Platter

Shrimp Cocktail

Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

Bacon-wrapped Scallops

Breads

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Hickory-Bacon and Roasted-Corn Gougeres

 

Salad and Vegetables

Red Leaf and Apple Salad with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts

Green Beans and Walnuts with Lemon Vinaigrette

 

Mains

Herb Turkey with Lemon-Garlic Gravy

Venison with Roasted Vegetables

Bacon, Apple, and Fennel Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce with Port and Tangerine

 

Root Vegetables

Sauteed Parsnips and Carrots with Honey and Rosemary

Crispy Potato Roast

Sweet Potato Pudding with Pecan and Gingersnap Topping

 

Desserts

A choice of Cranberry Tart or Apple, Blueberry, or Pumpkin Pie

The following dishes were particularly easy and wonderful. Thank you to Epicurious and Bon Appetit! 

Sauteed Parsnips and Carrots with Honey and Rosemary

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound carrots (about 4 large), peeled, cut into 3x1/4x1/4-inch sticks

1 pound large parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, cut into 3x1/4x1/4-inch sticks

Coarse kosher salt

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 tablespoons honey (such as heather, chestnut, or wildflower)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and parsnips. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are beginning to brown at edges, about 12 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Add butter, rosemary, and honey to vegetables. Toss over medium heat until heated through and vegetables are glazed, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Green Beans and Walnuts with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup walnut oil or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 2/3 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
• 
  

Preparation

• Remove peel from lemon with vegetable peeler and cut into very fine strips. Cut lemon in half. Squeeze enough juice to measure 2 tablespoons; transfer to small bowl. Whisk in mustard, then oil and shallot. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook green beans in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain; pat dry.
• Combine beans, walnuts, and lemon peel strands in large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
  
  
  
  

If you end up trying these dishes or any of the ones on the menu, let me know how they turned out :) 

A Whole Lotta Love,

Adrienne

Drowning in Zucchini...

I LOVE summer vegetables! And zucchini is a special favorite because it seems like there is just SO much of it. My parents had quite a bit (which they gave some to me) and now mine are starting to come in as well. Here are some good dishes that I've been cooking/ baking lately.

These are zucchini fritters. They are quite easy and a wonderful appetizer or small meal. There are two wonderful recipes from Closet Cooking and I kind of combined them a little and made my own thing because I added bread crumbs and Ouzo to the fritter recipe. They are great with some Greek Tzatziki sauce!

Greek Style Zucchini Fritters

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:
2 cups zucchini (grated, and squeezed to drain)
1 handful fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, mint; chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)
1/2 cup flour (I like to use whole wheat)
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil

Directions:
1. Mix the zucchini, herbs, green onion, feta, flour, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

Kolokythokeftedes (Zucchini and Feta Balls)
(makes 12 zucchini balls)

Ingredients:
2 cups zucchini (grated and squeezed)
1/4 cup of feta (crumbled)
1 splash ouzo
1 clove garlic (chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1 handful herbs (such as mint, dill and parsley, chopped)
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
flour (I used whole wheat)
breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
oil for frying

Directions:
1. Mix the zucchini, feta, ouzo, garlic, green onion, herbs and egg and season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix in equal parts flour and breadcrumbs until you can work with the mixture to form balls.
3. Form the mixture into balls and dust in flour.
4. Fry in oil until golden brown and set aside to cool.

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber Salad)
(makes 4 appetizer sized servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or strained yogurt
1/2 cup cucumber (peeled, seeded, and shredded, squeezed and drained)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or mint (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 splash ouzo (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Of course the old standby favorite is zucchini bread. I like this recipe that I got from Dish N' That . I still had applesauce left over that I made from last fall and froze, so I liked this one because it substitutes healthier apple sauce for all that oil that is in usual recipes.

Applesauce Zucchini Bread with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries

Makes two loaves.

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups white flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1/2 dried organic cranberries

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Grating of nutmeg

Dash of cloves

Butter and flour for greasing loaf pans

Let the grated zucchini sit a while and then squeeze out the excess water.

Mix together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer or using a hand whisk and a big bowl, mix the sugars and eggs; add the applesauce and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture in thirds, folding it in with a spatula.

Add the zucchini and mix well, but do not overbeat.

Fold in the nuts and cranberries.

Divide the batter between two loaf pans that have been buttered and floured.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean.

Let the loaves sit in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes then remove them from the pans and allow to cool.

Enjoy warm with a dab of cream cheese or nothing at all.

The loaves also freeze nicely; make sure they are thoroughly cooled before freezing.

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Even if you live in an apartment or only have a little space to grow vegetables, zucchini can still be grown. Even though I have plenty of gardening space, I like growing things in pots.

More photos of my little kitchen garden pots






A Day's Harvest


Yum!