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Come Party With Me: Last-Minute Thanksgiving - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:50:22 -0800

Thanksgiving is two days away, and if you've all of a sudden realized that you're in charge of planning, cooking, and hosting a dinner, don't freak out. I've got your back - and an incredibly easy menu that can be put together in just about two hours. For the appetizers, take some help from the store. Pick up your favorite cheese, crackers, dried fruit, and nuts. Use these items to throw together an uncomplicated yet stunning cheese display. When it comes to the main course, the simpler the better. Serve turkey breast roasted with lemon and thyme, mashed sweet potato paprika puree, and a hearty, healthy portion of braised kale.

Thanksgiving isn't about the quantity of food, it's about the quality of conversation you have while enjoying the meal. To savor these dishes with loved ones, get the recipes and read more.

Early Bird Turkey
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

Two 2 3/4-pound boneless turkey breast halves with skin on
One 2 1/4-pound bone-in turkey thigh
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 lemon, halved crosswise
1/2 cup chicken broth
Store-bought cranberry sauce, for serving

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°. Arrange the turkey parts on a rimmed baking sheet, tucking the smaller end of each breast under to make an even thickness. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the thyme, salt and pepper. Place the lemon halves, cut side down, in the pan. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in each piece registers 155°, about 55 minutes.
Transfer the turkey parts to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil; let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.
Meanwhile, pour the chicken broth into the baking sheet, scraping up any browned bits. Pour into a microwaveable cup; skim the fat that rises to the surface. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Serve the turkey pan sauce with the sliced turkey and cranberry sauce.

Serves 8.

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Sweet-Potato Purée With Smoked Paprika
From Gourmet

Ingredients

3 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and softened
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

Directions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Prick each potato once with a fork, then bake potatoes in a foil-lined shallow baking pan until tender, about 1 hour.
When cool enough to handle, peel, then cut away any eyes or dark spots.
Purée potatoes with butter, cream, paprika, salt, and cayenne in a food processor until smooth.

Serves 8.

Make Ahead: Purée can be made 1 day ahead and chilled in an airtight container. Reheat in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally.

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Braised Kale
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3 pounds kale, stems and inner ribs discarded, leaves coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a very large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the chicken stock, then add the kale in large handfuls, letting it wilt slightly before adding more. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook over moderate heat until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Serves 12.

Make Ahead: The braised kale can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Reheat before serving.

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Blast From the Past: Easy-Bake Ovens Get Kids Cooking

LilSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:00:03 -0700

Long before major culinary retailers began shrinking their grown-up sized cooking utensils to fit into lil hands, the Easy-Bake Oven gave tots a taste of kitchen magic. First introduced in 1963, the turquoise oven had a fake stove top and used two 100-watt lightbulbs to bake pre-made mixes and food.

Over the years, the oven evolved with the changing views toward kitchen design. In the late 60s avocado green made its debut, moving into harvest gold in the 70s and black in the 80s. In all, there have been 11 different oven designs including a microwave-esque machine and the "stainless steel" and mint green one ($25) available today. With more than 23 million units sold over the past 46 years, the Easy-Bake Oven is a right of passage in many homes where child chefs whip up macaroni and cheese, french fries, cookies and cakes.

Did an Easy-Bake Oven make its way into your home? If so, which color?

FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:50:03 -0800

You can go easy on the butter in your mashed potatoes when you use Yukon Gold spuds.
New Moon star Nikki Reed says hiking with her boyfriend is her fitness secret.
How well do you know the calorie counts of Starbucks's holiday drinks?
Worried about falling off the healthy wagon? Here are eight ways to get back on track.
I'm curious to know how many days a week you work out.
Ashlee Simpson-Wentz firmly believes in taco night and baby weights.
If you're starting to strength train, check out this guide to beginning weights for lifting.
Learn just how long you need to exercise in order to burn off a slice of T-day pumpkin pie.
I have some great gift ideas for the healthy cook in your life.
Learn a bit more about the fat-burning zone.

Beyonce's Trainer Reveals 5-Minute Preparty "Body Blast"

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:50:29 -0800

When I'm totally wrapped up in Thanksgiving cooking, prepping, organizing, shopping (need I go on?), there's hardly a fighting chance that I'll make it to the gym for a full-on workout. Usually, I'll try to squeeze in a set of push-ups while prepping dinner preparation, or an early morning yoga session, if I can. So, I was excited to see Marco Borges, the trainer credited with whipping Beyonce, husband Jay-Z, and Gwen Stefani into tip-top shape, sharing an easy and no-equipment-needed workout with US Weekly. Here are the five moves he suggests to give yourself an all-over body-blasting workout (even if you only have five minutes to spare before your guests arrive):

Jumping Plies: I call these jumping squats, but it doesn't matter what you call them as long as you do them. Here's how: stand with your feet just a bit wider than shoulder-width apart, abs pulled in tight, and bend your knees, lowering your body till your thighs are parallel to the floor and jump straight into the air. Return to starting position and repeat for one minute.

Reverse Lunges: Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, step back into a lunge and repeat on the opposite side, alternating for one minute. Be sure that abs remain tight throughout, working your core and maintaining your balance and posture.

Push-Ups: According to Marco, "The push-up is quite possibly one of the simplest and best body weight movements targeting the muscles of the chest, arms, shoulders and core." Do as many classic push-ups, or moderated position push-ups from your knees, as you can for a full one minute, making sure to maintain proper form and bring your chest as close to the floor as you can before pushing back to starting plank position.

For the rest of Marco's workout, keep reading

Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken Panini with Fig Jam

partysugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 05:27:18 -0800

Going back to work after the holidays is never an easy task. To ease some of the stress, treat yourself to a simple and delicious pressed sandwich for dinner. Pick up the fig jam, fresh bread, and cooked chicken breast from your local market. There is virtually no cooking in this recipe, all you have to do is assemble the sandwich and let the press do its magic. The sandwich with its rich, layered ingredients is comforting and filling. If you have any extra bottles of Champagne leftover from New Year's open one; a glass of bubbly pairs superbly with this sandwich. Take a look at the recipe, just read more.

Chicken Panini with Fig Jam
From Cooking Light magazine

1/4 cup fig jam
1 (8-ounce) ciabatta, cut lengthwise
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
8 ounces sliced cooked chicken breast
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups arugula leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Spread jam over cut side of top half of bread.
Combine cheese and butter in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Spread cheese mixture over cut side of bottom half of bread. Arrange chicken evenly over cheese mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Place top half of bread, jam side down, over chicken.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add sandwich to pan. Place a heavy cast-iron skillet on sandwich; cook 5 minutes or until both sides are browned, turning once. Alternatively, if you have a panini press, place the sandwich in the press and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes.
Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Remove top bread half from sandwich. Arrange arugula mixture over chicken. Replace top bread half. Cut sandwich into 4 equal portions and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 381(30% from fat); FAT 12.7g (sat 6.1g,mono 4.7g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 24.7g; CHOLESTEROL 70mg; CALCIUM 71mg; SODIUM 591mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 2.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.6g

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Monday's Leftovers: Quick Cioppino

YumSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:01 -0700

The beginning of the workweek is always on the strenuous side, so keep Monday nights as effortless as possible by selecting a swift dinner recipe that calls for ingredients you've already got on hand.

By doubling up on the amount of halibut and clams that you needed for last night's meal, you won't have to worry about hitting up the supermarket again.

Take a stab at a stress-free riff on cioppino, the classic San Francisco stew. With a mere 30 minutes, you can make a savory soup that's sure to allay any of your weekday stresses. See the recipe when you read more.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

partysugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:30:55 -0700

One of our favorite places to search for wonderful recipes is MyRecipes.com - the site that houses all of the recipes from several great food magazines like Cooking Light, Sunset, and Southern Living. We love the website so much that we've become fabulous friends and they're graciously providing this month’s Fast & Easy dinner recipes!

To get things started, I've found this delicious and filling salad recipe. Here, the classic Cobb is jazzed up with a green goddess dressing packed with fresh herbs. It's a wonderfully scrumptious dinner -especially after yesterday's Mexican food overload - so get the recipe now and read more.

Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
Salad:
8 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 cup trimmed watercress
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
2 tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges (about 1 pound)
2 hard-cooked large eggs, each cut into 4 wedges
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

To prepare dressing, place first 11 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Chill.
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and watercress in a large bowl.
Place 2 cups lettuce mixture on each of 4 plates.
Arrange 6 tablespoons chicken, 4 tomato wedges, 2 egg wedges, 2 tablespoons avocado, and 1 tablespoon cheese over each serving. Serve each salad with 1/4 cup dressing.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 273(39% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 3.6g,mono 4.3g,poly 2.5g); PROTEIN 25.7g; CHOLESTEROL 158mg; CALCIUM 196mg; SODIUM 637mg; FIBER 3.8g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.3g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- 7 Cool Salads Under 300 Calories
- Dinner Tonight Recipes in 45-Minutes or Less
- Eat Smart at CookingLight.com
- Get More Salad Recipes

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Sunday Dinner: Halibut With Leeks, Mushrooms, and Clams

YumSugar — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:30:20 -0700

There's no better way to really catch Fall fever than to prepare a steamy seafood dish that also incorporates the season's top produce picks.

For dinner tonight, sauté aromatic leeks and unconventional hen of the woods mushrooms in butter, add broth, and simmer halibut and clams in liquid until just barely cooked.

The resulting meal, which is delicate both in texture and flavor, makes for an enjoyable end to the weekend. Ready to cook it? Then read more.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Spinach, Olive, and Feta Omelet

partysugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:50:25 -0700

Do you live alone? Are you a vegetarian? If you answered yes to both of those questions, I suggest you consider this omelet for dinner tonight. It's a perfectly healthy and delicious meal for one.

In this recipe, the filling is a mixture of garlic, tomatoes, spinach, and black olives, but an omelet can be made with just about any vegetable, herb, or cheese, so use the technique and get creative with the ingredients. To look at the simple and straight-forward method, read more.

Spinach, Olive, and Feta Omelet
From The Nest

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 clove garlic, minced
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces (1 cup) baby spinach
4 to 6 pitted black olives, sliced
3 eggs
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and halved tomatoes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the baby spinach and olives and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until all of the spinach is wilted, then reduce the heat to medium.
Beat the eggs, rosemary, half-and-half, salt and pepper and pour into the pan. Stir constantly so that the eggs do not brown. When the center is just a little soft, crumble the feta cheese all around the omelet. Fold onto the plate and serve.

Serves 1.

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The Basics: Pear Crisp

partysugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:00:13 -0800

A crisp is a deep-dish fruit dessert that's topped with a crumbly oat, butter, and flour mixture. It's a fabulously easy and versatile finish to any home-cooked meal. Once you know the basic topping ingredients, you can use whatever fruit is in season. Apple crisp is my dad's favorite, but when I made this, I decided to use pears. As the crisp bakes, the topping browns and the fruit caramelizes. Crisps are best enjoyed warm out of the oven and are especially wonderful when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This old-fashioned and comforting dessert is always a crowd pleaser, so learn how to make it and read more.

Pear Crisp
From Ina Garten

Ingredients

4 pounds ripe Bosc pears (8-10 pears)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.
For the topping: Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.
Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

Serves 8.

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