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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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Healthy Carrot Soufflé

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:50:12 -0800

When my sister moved to Georgia a few years ago, I had the chance to spend Thanksgiving with her. Amongst all the dishes on the table was a Southern staple that I thought about for months after coming home - brown sugar and maple glazed carrots. I wanted to make this dish at my own Thanksgiving dinner this year, but was shocked to find out how much sugar and butter the recipe calls for. I decided to try and make my own healthy alternative to the dish and I think you'll be happy with the results.

There's barely any butter in my version and the dish has much, much less sugar. I also decided to make it into a souffle (I'm using the term loosely here!) to cut back on oil and give it a creamier taste and texture. This would be a great side dish for your Thanksgiving meal and it's an awesome replacement for a candied yam dish - carrots have fewer calories than yams and are exploding with vitamin A. Chances are your guests won't even know the difference!

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Healthy Carrot Soufflé
original recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of peeled, cut carrots
1/3 cup of plain lowfat yogurt
2 eggs and 1 egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Steam carrots until tender, about 20 - 25 minutes.
Place carrots in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.
Combine yogurt, eggs, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract into the carrots.
Pulse in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt to the mixture.
Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray or butter.
Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until set and firm.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Tomato Bisque With Mozzarella Crostini

partysugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:09 -0800

When the weather outside is frightful, but the fire inside is delightful, there's nothing I crave more than a bowl of steaming hot soup. Tomato soup is the ultimate comfort soup and this rendition is super creamy, but not loaded with fattening ingredients.

In fact, there's no cream, milk, or half-and-half in this recipe; the rich, smooth texture comes from the addition of silken tofu. Sound intriguingly scrumptious? Wait until you read the recipe, after the break.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Pork Chops With White Beans

partysugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:50:05 -0800

With so much energy going toward Thanksgiving, it's easy to overlook the meals leading up to the big day.

Tonight fix up a simple and delicious dinner that's a cinch to put together. Canned white beans simmered with onions and red peppers serves as a bed for succulent and juicy bone-in pork chops.

It's a hearty, comforting, uncomplicated, and adaptable recipe, so learn how to prepare it and read more.

Pork Chops With White Beans
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 well-trimmed bone-in pork rib chops (about 2 pounds; each 1 inch thick)

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and rosemary; season generously with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together broth and tomato paste. Pour mixture into skillet; stir in beans. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are coated evenly and sauce is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, generously season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork (in 2 batches, if necessary) until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve on top of bean mixture.

Serves 4.

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Reader Recipe: Hamburger Stroganoff

partysugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:50:43 -0700

Do you cook wonderfully delicious dishes and then take photographs of them to show your friends and family? Well, why not go one step further and share them with us in the YumSugar Community? That's what reader MénagèreModerne recently did with this scrumptious sounding stroganoff recipe. Classic stroganoff is made with ground beef, but Ménagère used ground pork because that's what she had on hand and she wanted to "cut down on the salt a bit." The final dish, that combines the meat with sour cream, sherry, and mushrooms, is economical and surprisingly fast. More of Ménagère's stunning food photography can be viewed on her blog, mmmm...food!, but to check out the pork stroganoff recipe, read more.

Hamburger Stroganoff
www.simplyrecipes.com

I made this over the weekend and my husband and I both really liked it. I used ground pork instead of beef since that's what I had on hand and cut down on the salt a bit and it tasted great. It was yummy, economical (since it uses ground meat instead of a more expensive cut), and really fast to make. I will be making this dish again for sure.

Ingredients

* Butter
* 1 lb ground chuck
* Salt and pepper
* 1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
* 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms (can substitute button mushrooms), sliced
* 1/3 cup of dry sherry, dry white wine, or water
* 1/2 cup chopped parsley, loosely packed
* 1 1/4 cups sour cream (room temperature)
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice (I used a bit more than that)
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika or more to taste (I used smoked paprika instead and more than what the recipe called for)
* 8 ounces egg noodles

Directions
1) Put a large pot of salted water (1 teaspoon salt for every quart of water) on to heat, for the pasta.
2) Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in the pan and swirl it around. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan generously with salt. Working in batches as not to crowd the meat, break up the ground beef and add it to the pan. Sprinkle the meat with salt. Do not stir the meat, as stirring will prevent browning. Once the meat is well browned on one side (a couple minutes, depending on how hot the pan), use tongs or a fork or a metal spatula to flip to the other side. Once that side is browned as well, use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan and set aside. Continue to brown the meat in batches, adding a teaspoon of butter to the pan with each batch if needed, and salting the pan and the meat, until it is all browned. Remove meat from pan. Drain excess fat from pan.
3) Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions to the pan. If you are working with very lean meat, you may not have any residual fat in the pan. If this is the case, you'll want to add in a tablespoon of olive oil or butter to the pan. Cook the onions, scraping up the meat drippings, until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove onions from the pan (add to the meat).
4) Depending on the cooking times of your particular brand of pasta, this is likely a good time to add the pasta to the (should be now) boiling, salted water.
5) While the pasta is cooking, add a tablespoon of butter to the pan, increase the heat to medium high. Add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté until nicely browned (about 4 minutes). Add the sherry (or dry white wine or water) to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Let the sherry reduce by at least a half, then lower the heat to low.
6) Remove the pan from the heat. Mix in the sour cream and paprika until smooth. Return the pan to very low heat, and not let the sour cream boil (or it may curdle). You may add a few tablespoons of water to the mixture to thin it out a bit at any time. Stir in the lemon juice, and about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt (taste). Stir in the meat and onions. Stir in the chopped parsley. Add more salt, pepper, and/or paprika to taste.
7) Keep the stroganoff on warm heat until the noodles are done cooking. When the noodles are ready (al dente) drain.

Serve the stroganoff on top of egg noodles. Serves 4.

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Delilicious: Leaf Us Alone Brussels Sprouts

LilSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:30:18 -0800

Your little sprout can help you bake up this healthy side dish for your holiday meal. Chef Lisa Barnes claims, "Although they are one of my favorites, I realize Brussels sprouts are not welcome by many. I think they get a bad rap because they are usually boiled, bland, and still rock hard in the center. Peeling the leaves and discarding the center core makes for an entirely different taste and texture. And yes, you and your kids may even have a new green favorite. Note this takes time and patience, but little hands make great peelers."

For the delicious and kid friendly recipe, just read more.

Leaf Us Alone Brussels Sprouts
From Petit Appetit: Eat Drink and Be Merry

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.

Cut off bottom stem or core of each sprout. Carefully peel away the leaves until it becomes too hard to peel. Cut off bottom core again and peel more layers. Continue cutting and peeling until it is too difficult to peel apart.

Place leaves in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and stir until all leaves are coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir again.

Spread leaves onto prepared baking pan in a single layer. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until leaves are cooked and start to crisp with golden edges.

The author, Lisa Barnes, says, "I brought these to the table to peel while my children were having a snack. It must have looked interesting as both my four year old and 18 month old starting peeling, too. I told them they were Brussels Buddies. My son just kept telling his dad 'We’re only eating the skins.' ”

*Makes 6 servings

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Healthy T-Day Dessert: Pumpkin-Carrot Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

FitSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:30:05 -0800

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and my love of all things pumpkin is hardly waning. From yogurt to muffins, I relish this tasty flavor of Fall. If you're looking for a pumpkin pie alternative, these pumpkin-carrot bars are delish. The bit of cream cheese frosting adds a deceptive element of decadence.

Low in calories while remaining full of flavor, these pumpkin bars make a great dessert - perfect for potlucks (much easier to share with large groups than pies) and they're relatively guilt-free. They're high in vitamin A - and trust me you cannot even taste the shredded carrot - and a bar only contains 70 calories and less than two grams of fat. With nutritional stats like that, it's OK to go back for seconds.

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Pumpkin-Carrot Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
Modified from SparkPeople

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Earth Balance (or other butter substitute)
2 eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin pie filling
2/3 cup finely shredded carrot

Cream cheese topping:
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon skim milk

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Spray a 15 x 10 jellyroll pan with cooking spray.
In small bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and baking soda.
In larger bowl, use electric mixer to beat sugar, Earth Balance, and brown sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin pie filling, and carrots. Beat until well blended.
Add flour mixture and mix until well blended. Spread onto greased pan.
To prepare cream cheese topping: mix together cream cheese, sugar, and milk until thoroughly blended.
Drop teaspoon-fulls of topping over pumpkin batter and swirl and cut mixture into batter with a butter knife.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan completely on wire rack before cutting into squares.

Makes 48 squares.

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Looking for more healthy recipes? Then check out the Healthy Recipe Group - the name pretty much says it all.

Southern Side: Creamed Collard Greens

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:50:11 -0800

I'm a little sick of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. That's why this year I plan on serving slightly different versions of old favorites - like a turkey roulade instead of a whole roasted turkey, for instance.

Rather than the usual green bean casserole, I'm reaching for a neo-Southern riff on the creamed spinach standby, and plan on impressing guests with creamed collard greens. Unlike creamed spinach, this vegetable side isn't swimming in heavy cream; the cream adds subtle body, while smoky bacon rounds out the collards' bitter character.

But the pièce de résistance is really the crispy, cheesy crumb topping. Be sure to make a generous amount, because the more, the better. Add a new tradition to your meal when you keep reading

Fast & Easy Dinner: Roasted Chicken Legs With Potatoes

partysugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:43 -0800

If roasting a whole chicken seems like too much work at the end of a long week, consider this recipe that combines chicken legs with potatoes and kale. It's the perfect one-pot meal.

All you have to do is toss everything into a roasting pan, throw it in the oven, and about an hour later, you'll have a flavorful dinner on the table.

Of course, chicken breasts can be substituted for the legs, but the dish may lose some of its rustic appeal. To get the uncomplicated and savory recipe, read more.

Roasted Chicken Legs With Potatoes
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds tender, young kale, stems and inner ribs removed
1 1/2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 whole chicken legs (about 10 ounces each)
1 teaspoon paprika
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a very large roasting pan, toss the kale, potatoes and onion with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread in an even layer.
Set the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down. Slice halfway through the joint between the drumsticks and thighs. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the paprika and set on top of the vegetables.
Cover the pan with foil. Roast the chicken in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and roast for 30 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
Transfer the chicken to plates and spoon the vegetables alongside. Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 8.

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Healthy Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:50:57 -0800

One vegetable delight of Autumn is the Brussels sprout. These small leafy balls are packed with fiber as well as taste, and they deserve a place at your Thanksgiving table.

My favorite method of cooking Brussels sprouts is to roast them. It's a simple preparation, but I have added nuts, balsamic vinegar, and cheese to fancy up the dish. While I have often had Brussels sprouts with bacon or pancetta, adding walnut imbues them with a meaty flavor while providing some healthy fats not found in bacon. This recipe is simple to make and is a crowd-pleaser for all ages - my 4-year-old ate three helpings!

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts
Modified from Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 stalk of Brussels sprouts (or about two pounds of sprouts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesean cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take Brussels sprouts off the stem, wash, and rip off outside leaves.
Chop sprouts until they are a uniform size, leaving the small ones whole and possibly cutting the larger ones into eighths.
Boil Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes. Pat dry.
Place Brussels sprouts in roasting pan and pour in olive oil and vinegar and stir until sprouts are coated well. Salt and pepper to taste.
Roast for 20 minutes, stirring Brussels sprouts to ensure even roasting. After 20 minutes, add chopped walnuts and roast for 5 more minutes or until walnuts are browned.
Sprinkle roasted sprouts with cheese and serve warm.

Serves 6.

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