Leftovers...

Leftovers are my favorite part of the whole Thanksgiving day feast. That's why we make such large portions of each dish.

Pies for breakfast, turkey sandwiches for lunch...and my all time favorite, the whole dinner repeat casserole.
It's so simple and so satisfying. Just lightly oil a glass baking dish, add large spoonfuls of stuffing, both kinds, yams, mashed potatoes, beans, turkey and gravy. 

We ate all the green beans and limas, that's why there is no green ;-)

Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, serve with the cranberry sauce and a salad on the side.
This can also be done in individual bowls and microwaved for a minute or two.


If you are tired of all thanksgiving fare, just freeze it in meal size portions. It's great fun to have a "thanksgiving" dinner in the middle of winter. Or use the turkey later for enchiladas , the mashed potatoes can convert to a great casserole. I like to save the turkey carcass for soup stock later.

Thanksgiving ideas...

I realize that most of you may have your menus already planned...but I did want to post a few easy and tasty versions of classic Thanksgiving day dishes just in case. There won't be any photos since I have yet to make them myself this year.

To honor the true spirit of this holiday I wanted to share what I am thankful for.

• Living in such a bountiful area, we are so lucky to have so much fresh, local and  organic food here on the Central California Coast.
• Having a career as a massage therapist that I still love to do after over 30 years.
• Best of all, a wonderful family and amazing friends who love and support me in so many ways.

Here are a few recipes we will be making for our feast !!

Cornbread stuffing
My sister makes this cornbread stuffing, it may be my favorite part of the whole meal ( except for maybe the pies ;-)

4-6 days before Thanksgiving I make a pan of cornbread( see my recipe cornbread), and when it is cool, I cut it into cubes (about 1/2").  I let the cubes sit around and get stale or dry them out in the oven.

When ready to make the stuffing, toss with cubes:

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup cut up dried apricots

1 green bell pepper cut into thin, 1-2" strips

anything else you'd like

salt & pepper to taste

Add both melted butter and turkey/chicken/veggie stock until stuffing is desired moistness.  

I use more melted butter than stock.

Place in glass baking dish and bake for 35-45 minutes. 

Candied Yams

6 to 8 servings

I discovered this recipe years ago in Martha Stewart's Living magazine. It has become a staple at our Thanksgiving table. The fresh rosemary makes the dish, it helps to cut the sweetness of the maple syrup.

This dish can be baked ahead of time then reheated just before serving.

2 1/4 lbs. small yams, peeled and  cut into inch thick wedges.

1 1/2 cup apple cider

1/2 cup maple syrup

3 to 4 springs fresh rosemary

3 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 F

Place the potatoes in a enamel pot or cast iron skillet with a lid.

Add the maple syrup, apple cider and toss gently.

Tuck in the rosemary and dot with pieces of butter, sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 45 minutes covered, remove cover and toss gently.

Bake for 15 to 30 minutes more depending on how tender you want them.

Cranberry Sauce with a twist.

Please, please, please make your own cranberry sauce, it is SO EASY there are not many excuses.You can make it ahead of time in 15 minutes !!

Here is the basic recipe:

In a saucepan place:

one 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries

one cup water

one cup sugar

Stir together to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the cranberries burst. That's it, refrigerate until you want to use it. Now wasn't that simple ??

There are many way to give cranberry sauce that added boost.

The most common way is to use orange juice instead of water and add orange zest.

There are also lots of fresh cranberry relish recipes. I am going to try one this year, I'll let you know how it turns out.

My favorite twist, use red wine instead of the water and add a small muslin bag with 1 cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves and 2 whole allspice. Add the spice bag once the mixture has come to a boil and remove it once the cranberries are done cooking. This cranberry sauce has an amazing subtle richness I love.

This year I am making that pumpkin cheesecake tart I just posted as well as the traditional pecan pie.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving whatever you cook up !!

Pumpkin cheesecake

Some of the folks in my poker group love cheesecake, so when I had extra cream cheese and Halloween decor that needed transfiguration, pumpkin cheesecake came to mind.

I have this great recipe that originally came from the food magazine Everyday Food, it was for a cheesecake tart with a fruit topping. I have made it many time in many different ways.  I have adapted it to make this excellent light pumpkin cheesecake, it would be great for a Thanksgiving dessert.
I'll give you both recipes.

First I had to dispatch Jack.

I scraped out the seeds and stringy bit and steamed it, scraped it out of the skin and pureed it in the food processor.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

The Crust:

        14 gingersnaps

        1/3 cup almond meal

        1/4 cups sugar

         4 tablespoons melted butter

Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, grind gingersnaps.

Add, almond meal, and 1/4 cup sugar, process until finely ground.

 Now add melted butter, and process until moistened. 

Transfer to a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. 

Using the base of a dry measuring cup, press mixture firmly into the bottom.

 Freeze at least 15 minutes.

The Filling:

  2 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature

  3/4 cup pumpkin puree

   1 large egg

   1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

   Pinch salt

   3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 

   1/8 to 1/4 tsp. each: powdered cloves, nutmeg and ginger powder

   1/2 cup brown sugar

2. Make filling and bake: Carefully wipe processor blade and bowl clean. Place cream cheese, pumpkin puree , 1/2 cup brown sugar, egg, vanilla, spices and salt in food processor; blend just until smooth.

 Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet; fill with cheesecake mixture. The baking sheet is because the crust leaks a bit of butter as it bakes.

Bake until filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer tart pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chill for at least several hours. The nice thing is that you can make it ahead of time and it will only tatse better in a couple of days.

Serve with whipped cream and make your friends happy.

Basic Cheesecake Tart.

Crust:

        6 graham crackers 

      1/3 cup almond meal

      1/4 cups sugar

      4 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:

    2 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature

    1/2 cup sour cream

    1 large egg

    1/2 cup sugar

    1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    a pinch of salt

Make it the same way as the above recipe.

To make it lemon, add lemon zest and extract to the filling and top with lemon curd or lemon glaze.

To make it fruity, top with fresh fruit or jam of your choice.

Polenta, simple and so versatile.

Polenta

Polenta is a thick corn porridge that can be served as a main course or a side dish, vegetarian, vegan or meaty. You can make it on your stovetop in about 15 minutes. You can serve is straight from the pan, or make it ahead and reheat it several different ways.

I have been making polenta long before it was a trendy dish on the Food Network. I use the recipe I first tried from Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu.

There are so many ways to modify this dish I will just give you the basics and let you use your imagination.

Ingredients

The Basics:

3 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal

3/4 tsp. salt.

What I Added:

1 cup cream cheese

1 tablespoon fresh herbs ( basil, rosemary, thyme)

The Red Sauce:

1 onion, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

8-10 fresh San Marzano tomatoes ( Romas work as well)

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1-2 tablespoons  balsamic vinegar

To make the polenta, place 2 1/2 cups of water in a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile in a bowl or large measuring cup, combine 1 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal and 1 cup water.

Add the wet cornmeal to the pot of boiling water and whisk constantly.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.

Add the cream cheese and the fresh herbs.

Dried herbs work just as well.

I used cream cheese because I had extra that needed using,
parmesan or any other hard cheese work as well.

Continue to stir until the cheese is all mixed in.

Now you can serve it hot or pour it into an oiled baking dish to cool.

To reheat, I like to slice it and grill, or pan fry it or warm it up in the oven or microwave.

From here on out anything goes ! Serve it with a red sauce, pesto, tapenade, sausage...

Here's the very simple red sauce I made:

Saute in olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 1/2 chopped bell pepper and two cloves of chopped garlic. Feel free to add any dried or fresh herbs.

Once the onions are cooked to a soft texture, add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives and 8 to 10 chopped tomatoes, I like San Marzano's but Roma's or other kinds will work .

Simmer gently for 10 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes break down. 

If it looks dry add a little water, wine or broth.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of warm polenta.

Chocolate Walnut Cookies

Chocolate Walnut Cookies

These are very simple to make and very tasty, like a brownie in cookie form. This recipe is adapted from one I found in the holiday cookie addition of On Fine Cooking.

My sister always requests these cookies whenever she wins reward in the Survivor game I run. Yes, I am a fan of the reality TV show Survivor ;-) For the past few years I have run an email game, sending out questions each week, usually about a dozen friends and family play. And yes, they can win cookies!!

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two cookie sheets with parchment. 

Have I mentioned how much I love parchment ?? It's the best for baking just about anything. It also makes clean up so easy.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder ( NOT cocoa mix)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until creamy.

Not creamy yet...

Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients.

Add at low speed to the wet mixture until just incorporated.

Mix in the walnuts.

Using a teaspoon, drop large dollops onto the cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. After 5 minutes switch the pans top to bottom racks, and rotate back to front.

The cookies puff up while baking then settle down as they cool.

Still puffy right out of the oven.

Starting to settle into their crinkly goodness.

Let them rest 5 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool.

They also are great used in ice cream sandwiches, but that's another whole post ;-)

Rose Champagne Jelly

Champagne Rose Jelly

Several years ago my niece was visiting and wanted a canning demonstration.
Somehow we decided on wine jelly, I had been making it frequently with red wine and giving it as gifts. That day I didn't have any red wine but I did have some cheap champagne leftover from some party. I remember thinking that the champagne itself would make a pretty boring jelly. Inspiration hit and I decided to try infusing it with the rose geranium I had growing out front.

A new favorite was born. I know not everyone likes the flavor of rose, but if you do you will be amazed by this jelly. I started tentatively selling it at my biannual sale, the response was huge. In fact I had several young men fall to my feet in rapture upon tasting this jelly (true story !!).

You can make a simple wine jelly with this same recipe just replace the champagne with zinfandel or cabernet and leave out the infusing part.

Rose Champagne Jelly
Place 1 bottle of inexpensive champagne in a large pot.
Add 4 to 5 rose geranium leaves, bring to a simmer.

Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes, this infuses the rose geranium into the champagne.

Remove the leaves and add 5 cups of sugar to the champagne.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.

When the mixture reaches a boil you cannot stir down, add 1 pouch of liquid pectin ( 3 ounces). Stir and bring back to a boil.

Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat and pour into hot sterilized jars.
You can can them in a hot water bath for 5 minutes or keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 months.
Yield is about 4 to 6 half pint jars.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes.

This is a very basic and tasty chocolate cupcake recipe, it just happens to be vegan as well.  I got it from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

I made these recently to take to a friend to cheer her up, it worked !! I was in a hurry so I didn't take the usual barrage of photos. They so simple to make you will be fine without the photo documentation ;-)

Preheat oven to 350 F and line muffin tins with paper cups.

Ingredients
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1/3 cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle.
In a separate bowl sift together all the dry ingredients.
Now go back to the bowl with the soy milk and beat in the sugar, oil and extracts until foamy.

Add the dry stuff in two batches to the wet stuff and beat until no large lumps remain. Small lumps are OK.

Pour the batter into the cupcake papers.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

I like to frost them with this very simple ganache.
If you are not concerned about the vegan aspect you can use milk or cream in place the soy milk.

Bring 1/4 of soy milk to a gentle boil in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, mix until smooth.
Set aside at room temperature until you are ready to use it. It will solidify as it cools which makes it easier to spread.

You can add almonds to the top or fancy them up anyway you like !!

Pineapple Guavas or Feijoas

Pineapple guavas are falling to the ground from our large bush out front. These hardy bushes are often used for landscaping but not everyone realizes that the fruit are very tasty. Some people  know them as feijoas. They are not a true guava but rather, Feijoa sellowiana.
You know they are ready when they fall to the ground and they give slightly when squeezed. They are high in vitamin C and have an exotic flavor, hard to describe.
You can find them in farmer's markets and some grocery store but if you walk around your neighborhood you may find someone like me who has a bush with plenty to share.
Even the flower petals are edible.

I think they are best eaten fresh. Cut them in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.

Some people make them into fruit desserts like crisps or add them to apple pies. Their flavor is very strong so start with a small amount. I have friends who scoop out the flesh freeze it and use it in their smoothies.
I have tried making jam, by itself pineapple guava jam has an unfortunate green color and texture ( think about the last bad cold you had), that is why I gave up on that idea. I have also tried drying them, not good.
I did have success adding a few chunks to some cranberry sauce one year and I still think they would be good in some sort of chutney. I plan to freeze some as slices to experiment with later.
Here is one simple idea that was a very big hit at a recent potluck.
Wash and slice one whole pineapple guava into a pitcher of water, add a few sprigs of whatever fresh tea herbs you have on hand. I used lemon verbena, lemongrass or mint would work well. Store in the fridge for a few hours before serving, it is so refreshing. You may have encountered the same idea with cucumbers.