New Thanksgiving Recipe

Hello everyone! You may remember from my series of posts last year that Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday. I basically make the same thing every year, but I do have a few new recipes that I'll be trying out.

Photo source: Taste of Home

Makeover Pumpkin Gooey Cake by Taste of Home may not seem as healthy as advertised. However, check out Paula Deen's version which uses a BOX OF POWDERED SUGAR, and you'll see the improvements of the Taste of Home recipe.

Photo source: Taste of Home

This Pumpkin Spice Cake has the addition of cocoa and chocolate chips. So it appeals to those (like me) who want Fall flavor of pumpkin and spices, but outside of a pumpkin pie. Also, I just bought a beautiful Nordicware Bundt cake pan from Goodwill, and want to use it!

Chau's Thanksgiving Turkey, 2010

That's the turkey that I made last year using a brining method. For those who prefer smaller portioned chicken for their meal, I recommend the following recipe. It was sent to me by my sister Kim. I've copied and pasted her recipe so that I don't leave out any ingredients. It certainly sounds interesting...

THANKSGIVING CHICKEN RECIPE:

Here is a chicken recipe that also includes the use of
popcorn as a stuffing -- imagine that. When I found this recipe, I
thought it was perfect for people like me, who just are not sure
how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out.
Give this a try.

4 - 5 lb. Chicken
1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is Good.)
1 cup uncooked popcorn (Orville Redenbacher's Low Fat
   is good here)
Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush chicken well with
melted butter, salt, and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing
and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward
the back of the oven. Listen for the popping sounds.....


When the chicken's ass blows the oven door open and the
chicken flies across the room and lands on the table,
it's done and ready to eat.

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

Thanksgiving posts you might enjoy:
Preparing for Thanksgiving
More Turkey Talk
Sweet Talk
One More Thing About Dessert...

More turkey talk

Champagne Basted Turkey Photo: Taste of Home

 

 

How gorgeous is that??? When I first saw the recipe for champagne basted turkey in the November 2010 issue of Taste of Home, I was thrilled. It seemed so fancy, yet so do-able for any kind of cook. I want to try this recipe, but fear that I'd end up drinking all the champagne, rather than cooking with it. I can really imagine it--in my champagne induced state, I'll forget to actually baste the turkey. I really hope that someone out there does use this recipe, and tell me how it goes. 

Sausage Snack Wraps Photo: Pillsbury

Every time I'm home for the holidays, my nieces, nephews, and older brother ask for these. Pillsbury calls them sausage snack wraps, but in our home, they're known as "pigs in a blanket." Easy is an important adjective on such a big cooking day, because the less time you need to focus on appetizers and sides, the more you can focus on the main courses and desserts. I'm telling you, these babies are easy and tasty.

Corn and Bacon Chowder Photo: Oxymoor House

This recipe from Cooking Light requires few ingredients, and comes together beautifully. Assuming that you already have most of these ingredients on hand for your other T-giving dishes, this would be an easy, fast, and delightful addition to your menu. 

Guys...I really love Thanksgiving. Can you tell???

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Halloween are way too commercial, and 2 out of 3 of those holidays involve dressing up in order to: 1. get a boyfriend/girlfriend 2. get laid. Thanksgiving, though, is about being thankful for what you have, and about food. Those are my favorite things, y'all.

The main meal:

Alton Brown's recipe for brining and roasting is fan-freaking-tastic. (Food Network's photo)

I've used Alton's method many times, and it consistently produces a beautifully browned, moist, and flavorful turkey. Every. Time. This recipe converts a turkey carcass into a vessel of warmth, comfort, and deliciousness. Though it is a bit time consuming to brine a turkey, the results are well worth the effort, and actual cooking time is reduced (which is great for when you have other sides/breads/desserts you may need the oven for on Thursday).


Cornbread Sausage Stuffing. My oldest sister Kim made it last Christmas, and it was out of this world.


Oat bread rolls. This is a great bread recipe. It always comes out light and fluffy, and oat adds nuttiness, iron, and fiber.


Giblet gravy with egg. I believe this type of gravy is a southern thing. I know what you're thinking...It sounds gross, but it tastes like little fairies carried happiness and joy and magic straight to your taste buds. I learned this recipe from my oldest sister, who learned it from her southern mother-in-law. Even though we're Vietnamese, my sister married a good ole country boy, and we've enjoyed this recipe in our family ever since. Why eggs, you ask? Why not? Don't you like the taste of happiness and joy and magic???

Mashed cauliflower (Food Network's photo)

A lot of people on the internet will tell you that pureed or mashed cauliflower will have the same taste/texture as mashed potatoes, but they are LYING. It's similar, yes, but not the same. Still, I really appreciate that it's a healthier alternative, and whenever I've made this dish in the past, I mixed it with a bit of garlic mashed potatoes. Doing that gave it more of the texture and flavor that I enjoy in regular mashed potatoes, but with added vitamins and fiber (46% DV of Vitamin C!!!), and can cut calories by 25%. Suggestion: If you're trying to cut fat/calories, do not add a huge dab of butter onto your serving, the way that Food Network did in that photo. More nutrition facts here.




To be honest, I started planning for this year's big meal in August. I have a pile recipes ripped out of Sunset, Taste of Home, and Better Homes and Gardens magazines, and bookmarks on my browser that lead to recipes that I thought might be good for when T-giving finally rolls around. Now that the time is almost near, I feel like my menu is still lacking. There are only 3.5 of us, so there really will be plenty of food, but I feel like I'm missing an important staple that everyone should have on T-giving. We won't be having green bean casserole (even though I LOVE it!), because my sister doesn't think it's that great...Maybe a broccoli casserole? Mac and Cheese? Lumpia??? Any suggestions?




Next post...Thanksgiving desserts!!!