deliciousness

spicy parmesan green beans and kale

via giada de laurentiis
serves 6-8

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered (about 14 mushrooms)
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and slice into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch kale (1/2 pound), rinsed, stemmed, and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, green beans, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and continue cooking until the green beans are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and the kale and continue cooking until the kale has wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

oven roasted shrimp with red chile oil

via bobby flay
serves 8

24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Red Chile Oil, recipe follows
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Toasted Garlic Chips, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the shrimp in a cazuela or an ovenproof casserole and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle olive oil over shrimp, add crushed garlic, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven until pink and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle generously with Red Chile Oil and sprinkle with thyme. Serve with crusty bread.

Red Chile Oil:

1 cup olive oil
6 dried chiles de arbol, lightly toasted and crushed
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch salt
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

Blend all ingredients including the thyme leaves in a blender until smooth.. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.

Notes: Because I had to share oven space with the potatoes, I roasted the shrimp at 400 until they were pink. For the red chile oil, I added more garlic and some red pepper flakes and let it simmer, instead of blending it.

homemade gravy

via ina garten
yields 3 cups

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
1 tablespoon white wine, optional
1 tablespoon heavy cream, optional

In a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don’t rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked.

Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add the wine and cream, if desired. Season, to taste, and serve.

roasted rosemary potatoes

via ina garten
serves 3-4

1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture)
1/8 cup good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.

Notes: Since I had to get the timing right for dinnar, I parboiled the potatoes for 10 minutes, then, when everyone arrived, I baked them off until the outside was crispy (about 15 minutes).

sausage stuffing with fennel and roasted squash

via epicurious
serves 8-10

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 cups 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash (from one 13/4-pound squash)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups chopped onions (about 1 pound)
2 cups chopped celery (4 to 5 stalks)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh fennel bulb (about 1 medium)
1 1-pound pork sausage log
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
12 cups (generous) 1-inch cubes day-old pain rustique or ciabatta bread with crust (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Scatter squash on sheet in single layer; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast squash until tender, stirring occasionally, about 55 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; cool.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and fennel. Sauté 8 minutes. Add sausage. Sauté until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked through, breaking up sausage with fork, about 10 minutes. Add all herbs; sauté 1 minute longer. Add to bowl with squash. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until bread is crusty but not hard, reversing sheets after 5 minutes, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to very large bowl and cool.

Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. vegetable mixture into bread. Whisk salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend whisk in 1 cup broth. Add egg mixture stuffing, tossing to combine evenly and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.

Bake stuffing uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty on top, 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

bacon and herb roasted turkey breast

via emeril lagasse
serves 8

3 strips thick-cut bacon
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly chopped sage leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped oregano leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 (5 1/2 to 6-pound) whole turkey breast, rinsed and patted dry

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a shallow roasting pan or baking dish with aluminum foil.

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat separately. When the bacon has cooled, chop it finely and transfer to a small bowl. Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, butter, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Using a small spoon, mix thoroughly to combine and form a paste.

Using your fingertips, gently loosen the skin on both sides of the turkey breast so that it is separated from the flesh. Divide the herb paste in half and gently spread half between the skin and flesh on each side of the breast. Season the outside of the turkey breast with the remaining teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Brush the turkey all over with the reserved bacon fat. Place prepared turkey breast in the prepared pan and roast, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deep portion of the breast registers 165 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 or 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving into thin slices. Serve with the pan drippings.

Notes: Instead of cooking the bacon before, I just folded the slices in half and slid it under the skin with the butter/herb mixture. Make sure to test the temperature of the meat. I kept the meat in the oven for almost an hour and a half, but the meat was still a little undercooked in the middle. Not dry at all though!

mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and mascarpone cheese

via bobby flay
serves 8 

3 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 head of roasted garlic cloves, pureed
1/2 stick unsalted butter
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Place potatoes in a large saucepan, add cold water just to cover and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until tender. Drain well and run through a food mill set over a large bowl (I just used a potato masher).

While the potatoes are cooking, combine the milk, garlic puree and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir the milk mixture into the potatoes until combined. Fold in the mascarpone and season well with salt and pepper. Keep warm over in a bain marie or double boiler until serving.

Notes: Make sure to add only a little milk at a time. I ended up only needing 1 cup; any more would have made the mash too liquidy. My parents liked this so much, they kept saying it didn’t need any gravy, but I still served it with this recipe.

oven-roasted veggies

via ina garten
serves 4 

2 small fennel bulbs, tops removed
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the fennel bulbs into 6 wedges each, cutting through the core to keep the wedges intact. Place on a sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil over the fennel and season with salt and pepper. Make sure everything is evenly coated.

Place the brussels sprouts on a separate sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with your hands.

Roast the vegetables in the same oven for 35 to 40 minutes, tossing once while cooking.

Combine the vegetables in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Notes: I’m not sure why the recipe wants you to separate the fennel and brussel sprouts in the oven when it’s seasoned exactly the same and roasted for the same amount of time. Also, since I had some leftover bacon to use, had a lot of time, and needed to warm up the veg, I chopped up and browned some bacon and tossed the brussel sprouts in the leftover oil.

thanksgiving redux

lamb sausage in puff pastry
baked mashed potatoes with parmesan and bread crumbs (note: use less butter) homemade gravy
spicy parmesan green beans and kale
ciabatta stuffing with chestnuts and pancetta

thanksgiving 2008

spiced turkey breast
parmesan mashed potatoes and gravy
spicy parmesan green beans and kale
pecan pie from whole foods

overall, delicious and easy. turkey was still a little pink in the middle after sitting in the oven extra and resting for thirty minutes, but after carving and microwaving for a minute, it turned out perfectly. mashed potatoes and gravy was delicious of course. veg was a little spicy for mom’s taste but everyone else thought it was good. tiny pecan pie was just the right size for five people. prep always makes life easier. moms complaining and worrying over your shoulder is not as fun. but yay for grandmas eating.