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Southern (Indian) Thanksgiving

Yum Community — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:30:42 -0800

This story was written by member courtneyd and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.

For a few years now I've wanted to try to marry the traditional Southern Indian food my husband grew up enjoying with Thanksgiving as I know it (Southern girl with a love of spice and heat). So this year I did a trial run of a tandoori-style turkey made in the oven.

By next year I hope to build my own tandoor, or at least grill this guy, because it needs a little more heat to crisp up properly. Even so, the meal turned out great! Tandoori turkey, tamarind gravy, creamed saag, masala mashed potatoes, and Whole Foods' naan, which has a slight dinner roll texture, so it works out perfectly for this blended meal. The tamarind gravy was an original creation (that I cannot believe turned out properly, it was sooooo good), and the other recipes were either inspired by or taken directly from The Food of India from Whitecap Books. I love their "food of" series, and my husband is impressed with the Indian recipes.

For the turkey, I followed the instructions from November's Martha Stewart Living to spatchcock a turkey and cooked according to their instructions after marinating for about 7 hours. Not including the marinade time, this meal came together in about 2 hours on a Friday night. Also, we discovered New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc complements Indian food perfectly.

To get her recipes for this Southern Indian feast, keep reading.

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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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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Thanksgiving Tip: Freeze the Butter Before Making Pie

partysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:00:32 -0800

When making pie dough, it's very important to use really cold butter. This will ensure that the crust is rich, flaky, and buttery. Most recipes remind you that the butter should be cold, but whenever I'm baking a pie, the first thing I do, before measuring anything, is cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes. I put the cubes in a small dish and place it in the freezer. Then, I start making the dough. The butter is in the freezer for only a few minutes and doesn't really freeze; instead it gets really cold. Do you have a tip for great Thanksgiving pie?

Fast & Easy Dinner: Sole With Lemon-Shallot Brussels Sprouts

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:50:50 -0800

With an epic feast only a few days away, shun poultry (you'll be having it for days!) in favor of something on the opposite end of the flavor spectrum, such as a flaky white fish. Not only does sole make for a lighter dinner alternative and a great source of protein, but it's also extremely affordable. Keep the preparation super simple by dredging the fillets briefly in a mixture of flour, lemon, and white pepper, then pan-sauté in olive oil.

Serve with market-fresh Brussels sprouts that have been tossed with parsley and shallots. The resulting dish is straightforward, yet elegant. For the recipe, read more.

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.

Delilicious: Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

LilSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:37 -0800

Lisa Barnes, author of Petit Appetit: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry, shares with LilSugar a classic sugar cookie recipe that works for all seasons - though it's especially great for a holiday party, cookie swap or playdate activity. Kids can help dump the measured ingredients into the mixing bowl and turn on and off the electric mixer to help make the dough. Of course the fun really begins with the cookie cutting and icing decorating.

To see how to make this tasty and classic holiday treat with your tots, just read more.

Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
From Petit Appetit: Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Ingredients

2/3 cup organic unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large cage-free organic egg
1 tablespoon organic milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt and beat until combined. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in the flour, ¼ cup at a time, until all is incorporated.

Cover and chill dough for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, and using a floured rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Once completely cool these can be frosted with your child’s favorite royal or powdered sugar icing. For easy, frosting set out small spreaders and squeeze bottles so frosting ends up on the cookies and not your child, floor, and table. Add sprinkles to wet frosting for even more fun (and mess).

*Makes about 35 (2½-inch) cookies

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Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:06 -0800

Kick-start your Thanksgiving meal with a refreshing sangria-style glass of white wine. Made a day in advance, this wine is infused with oranges, Grand Marnier, and Pernod. Bay leaves and whole cloves give it an herbaceous, aromatic appeal that's sure to pair perfectly with baked brie and walnuts.

For the main course, select a versatile wine varietal that can support a lot of flavors. An affordable Chardonnay or light red are great options. Chat with your local wine shop owner for more suggestions. Tell him what you plan on serving and your budget, and he's sure to provide you with lots of ideas. For the orange wine recipe - this would also make a great Thanksgiving hostess gift! - read more.

Spiced Orange Wine
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 (750-ml) bottles dry white wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier
1/4 cup Pernod
2 whole cloves
4 Turkish or 2 California bay leaves
2 navel oranges

Directions

Bring all ingredients except oranges to a boil (reserve wine bottles and corks), stirring until sugar has dissolved.
Remove zest from oranges in a continuous spiral using a vegetable peeler and cut off any white pith with a paring knife. Reserve oranges for another use and divide zest between empty wine bottles.
Fill bottles with orange wine and cool, uncorked, 1 hour.
Cork bottles, then chill at least 4 hours.

Makes 2 (750-ml) bottles.

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Meet Our New Food and Entertaining Video Channel, YumTV!

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:43:19 -0800

I'm a huge fan of PopSugar Rush and BellaTV - that's why it brings me great honor to introduce our new food-related video channel, YumTV! We're creating an exciting lineup of original shows that will debut every week. YumTV is your ultimate guide to all things food, drink, and entertaining. We'll show you how to throw the perfect party, cook killer apps, browse the farmers markets, shake up creative cocktails, and much more!

In today's first episode, we talk about one of the most important side dishes of the Thanksgiving meal, mashed potatoes. To learn how to add a punch of color to our basic mashed potatoes recipe, watch YumTV now!

Smarter T-Day Eats: Go Gold For Your Mashers

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:11 -0800

I love me some mashed potatoes, especially on Thanksgiving. The problem is that this dish is usually overloaded with tons of butter and cream, which can be a big problem if you're trying to stay healthy. One way I make my mashed potatoes healthier is by using Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes instead of the old stand-by, Russet potatoes.

It might seem peculiar that switching out potatoes makes a difference, but these smaller variety potatoes are naturally creamy and sweet, and their skins taste like butter. This means that you can cut down on the amount of butter and cream you would normally add to the dish.

When shopping for Yukon Golds or Yellow Finns, look for smaller ones that aren't much bigger than one inch in diameter. Potatoes harvested early are creamier because they're more tender. Also, the more yellow the potato, the better - it's vitamin A contained in the skin that give these potatoes their golden hue. There's potassium in the skin too, so when making your mashers, don't peel! Another great thing about Yukon Golds and Yellow Finns is that their skins are pretty thin and won't detract from the creaminess of your dish if you leave them on.

For a few more tips on how to make mashed potatoes healthier, read more.

For added nutrition, add sweet potatoes to your mashers mix.
Substitute reduced fat or lowfat milk for the cream, or try making them with evaporated skim milk.
Cut back on salt by seasoning mashed potatoes with garlic, onion, and herbs.
Omit dairy altogether and mash in cauliflower and broth instead.

How do you make your Thanksgiving meal healthier? Share the details in our Healthy Recipe Group.

Source: Flickr User karindaziel