Sunday, November 18, 2012

Thanksgiving Menu Part 1


 
Putting together  a classic Thanksgiving feast with all the trimming is not so difficult if you plan ahead ...
Cranberry drinks .... Parmesan twists ...Sweet potato & carrot vichyssoiise ... Roast turkey  with gravy ... All American stuffing ... Gratin of green beans ...Glazed onions ... Corn Pudding ....Parker house rolls  ... Cranberry-orange relish  ... Pumpkin chiffon pie  ... blue ribbon apple pie ...  this is an idea to help you adapt your own tastes ...
Cran-Raspberry Spritizers
3 cups  chilled white wine  or cran-raspberry juice
1-1/2 cups chilled carbonated raspberry beverage
Opitional garnishes : fresh mint leaves  ... fresh or frozen raspberries
1 )  Combine wine , cran-raspberry juice  and raspberry beverage  in a 2-quart glass pitcher
2)    Serve it over ice , garnish with mint leaves  and raspberries if desired ...Makes 8 servings
Parmesan Twists
1/2  cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1    sheet (9-1/4 inch x 1/8-inch) frozen puff pastry , thawed
1    egg yolk bleanded with 1 tablespoon water  (egg wash)
1)  Preheat oven to 400*F . In a small bowl  , combine  grated  Parmesan cheese  and cayeene ; set aside .
2 )  Place pastry  on a work surface  . Brush lightly  with egg wash  , then sprinkle  with Parmesan cheese mixture  and press gently into pastry .
3 )  With a sharp knife  , cut pastry  lengthwise  into 15 strips  , slide onto an ungreased baking sheet  and refrigerate 5 mintues more .
4) Using both hands  , twist strips ; refrigerate  5 minutes more .
5)  Transfer to the oven  and bake until nicely browned  ... about 12 to 15 minutes ........makes 8 twists
Sweet Potato & Carrot Vicyssoise
3  tablespoons butter or margarine
2   small leeks , halved lengthwiae  , thoroughly washed  and sliced
1/2  teaspoon ground nutmeg
2  medium-sized sweet potatoes  , peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2      medium-sized carrots , peeled  and cut into 2-inch chunks
4   cup chicken stock  or canned low-sodium chicken broth (about)
1-1/2     cups buttermilk (about)
Salt and freshly ground  black pepper to taste (optional)
1   cup heavy cream
2    tablespoons snipped chives
1 )  In a medium-size saucepan over moderate heat , melt butter . Add leeks and nutmmeg  and saute  , stirring occasionally  until tender ... about 5 minutes .
2 )   Add sweet potatoes  , carrots and stock  and bring to a boil over high heat . Reduce the heat  to low  and simmer  uncovered  until sweet potatoes  and carrots are tender  ... 15 to 20 minutes .
3 )  Working in batches  , puree the mixture  in a blender at high speed  or in a food processor . Stir in buttermil , salt and pepper . If soup seems to thick , thin with a little additional stock or buttermilk .
4 )  Transfer to a large bowl , cover and refrigerate  2 to 3 hours . When ready to serve  , spoon into serving bowls . For a fancy presentation , paint the surface  with cream , just a few dabs . Sprinkle with chives if desired ... makes 6 servings
Roast Turkey with Giblet Gravy: .........Turkey ....
1    fresh  or thawed frozen turkey ( about 12 pounds)
2    teaspoons salt
1/2   teaspoon black pepper
2      tablespoons butter  or margarine , melted
Stuffing :
1 recipe of your favorite stuffing  or instead of stuffing :
2     medium-size yellow onions , 1 peeled whole  , 1 peeled and quartered
2    medium-size carrots , peeled and quartered
2    medium-size stalks celery , cut into chunks
4    sprigs parsley
2    whole bay leaves
1 )    Preheat the oven to 325*F . Remove giblets  and neck  from turkey  and reserve for gravy . Rinse turkey inside and out  under cold  running water  ; drain well  and pat dry with paper towels .
2 )   Rub neck and body cacavities  with salt and pepper  . If using stuffing , spoon loosely  into cavities  and truss . If not using stuffing  , place whole onion  in neck cavity . Place carrots , celery , quartered onion , parsley and bay leaves  inside  body cavity and then truss.
3 )   Place turkey , brest side up  on a rack  in a large roasting pan  , brush with butter  and tent loosely with foil  . Roast until  an instant read thermometer  inserted  in the meatiest part of the thigh  but not touching the bone  registers  180*F to 185*F ... about 4 hours . Meanwhile , begin the giblet gravy .
4 )   About 30 minutes  before turkey is done  , remove the foil  and brush skin generously with pan drippings . When turkey tests done  , transfer to a heated platter  and let stand while you finish the gravy . Remove vegetables and bay leaves  if used . ... makes 12 servings .
Giblet Gravy :
1   whole bay leaf
4   cups water (about)
1   cup chicken stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth (about)
1/3  cup unsifted  all-purpose flour
salt and black pepper to taste
1 )   While turkey is roasting  , place neck , all giblets , except liver  and bay leaf in a mediun-size saucepan  , add water  to cover , set over high heat  and bring to a boil . Reduce  the heat to low  and simmer  covered  until giblets  are nearly tender  ... about 45 minutes  , Add liver and simmer  covered about 15 minutes  more , drain , reserving broth . Chop nech meat  and giblets . Refregerate  until ready to proceed .
2 ) Skim 1/2 cup fat from pan ; set aside  , pour remaining  drippings into a 4-cup measure ; add it to reserved giblet  to make enough stock to total 4 cups .
3 )  Set roasting pan over moderate heat  and add 1 cup of giblet broth-stock mixture . Simmer  and stir to loosen browned bits  ... 2 minutes . Pour back int 4-cup measure .
4 )  In a medium-size saucepan  heat reserve fat  , stir in flour  and cook , stirring until thick , smooth and slightly browned ... 2 to 3 minutes .
5 )   Gradually stir in srock mixture . Cook stirring  until smooth . Add reserved giblets  and neck , heat through , season with salt and pepper .
Gratin of Green Beans :
4     tablespoons butter or margarine
1    medium-size white onion , diced
3    cloves garlic , minced
2    large shallots , chopped
1    pound trimmed french green beans  that have been blanched  for 1 minute  in boiling salted water
1     teaspoon salt
1/4    teaspoon black pepper
1/2    cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4     cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4     cup chopped parsley
1 )      Preheat the oven to 400*F . In a 10-inch skillet over low heat , melt i tablespoon of the butter  . Add onion , 2 teaspoons of the garlic  and shallots  and saute until  lightly browned ... about 5 minutes . Remove to a small bowl  and set aside .
2 )    Saute beans in 2 tablespoons of butter , in batches  if necessary  until juices  cook out  and evaporate ... about 5 minutes . Add salt  , pepper and reserved onion mixture  and spoon into an ungreased  10-inch oval gratin dish  or a 10-inch x 6-inch baking dish .
3 )    Melt the remaining  1 tablespoon  butter in a small skillet . Add to bread crumbs  along with Parmesan  , the remaining  1 teaspoon  garlic  and parsley and toss  well to mix .
4 )    Scatter bread crumb mixture  evenly  over beans  and bake  uncovered  for 30 minutes .....makes 4 servings .
Heart healthy

2 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh,
    that had me drooling. Beautiful menu....PIC

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you ...wait for the Xmas menu .
    This menu will give people ideas .

    PIC

    ReplyDelete

Come on in , set awhile and have a cup of tea and cookies , as always you are welcome .