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10 Unexpected Thanksgiving Leftovers

YumSugar — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:30:52 -0800

Thanksgiving leftovers can sometimes be too much of a good thing. Tons of turkey meat and side dishes can be great, but not if they mean eating uninspired leftovers with monotonous flavors. Thankfully, there's loads you can do with leftovers beyond pot pie, sandwiches, and chili. Here are 10 of our favorite new ideas.

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The Procrastinator's Perfect Answer to Thanksgiving Turkey

partysugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:35 -0800

Don't have the time or patience to cook an entire turkey? Then consider making a boneless turkey breast. It roasts for about an hour and can be filled with your favorite stuffing recipe. When the breast and stuffing are rolled together and tied, it even has a fancy sounding name that will impress your guests: turkey roulade. You'll need kitchen twine to hold the whole thing together, so don't forget to pick some up at the store. The key is to watch it carefully to ensure that it doesn't overcook. When a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast says 165°F, it's done. To check out the excellent recipe I made over the weekend at a pre-Thanksgiving dinner, read more.

Easy Roast Turkey Breast
Original Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of My Dad's Famous Stuffing or other stuffing recipe
1 (5-6 lb) boneless turkey breast half with skin on
kitchen twine
salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a small both combine the chopped herbs with the softened butter. Set aside.
Fill the middle of the turkey breast, where the bone would normally be with the stuffing. Spread evenly.
Fold the two sides of the turkey breast up around the stuffing and tie to close.
Place seem side down in a roasting pan. Rub all over with the herb butter and season generously with salt and pepper.
Roast for an hour. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. When the temperature reads 165°F, the turkey is done.
Let rest for 10-15 minutes. Carve and serve with the pan juices.

Serves 8.

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Do you have an amazing Thanksgiving recipe? Please participate in our Thanksgiving recipe challenge. All you have to do is upload your recipe, an image, and a brief description to the Kitchen Goddess group. If you're lucky, we might just feature your recipe here on YumSugar!

Come Party With Me: Last Minute Thanksgiving - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:30:15 -0800

There's still time to make an impressive and elegant Thanksgiving dessert. Surprise guests with a cool and light treat that doesn't involve pumpkin, but rather Thursday's other starring fruit, cranberry. This fluffy cranberry mousse takes only 20 minutes to come together. Cream cheese is combined with cranberry juice concentrate, cranberry sauce, and whipped cream to create a refreshing dish that's perfect for serving after a heavy meal. Spoon the tart-sweet fresh cranberry sauce on the mousse at the table. To check out this easy and fast recipe, read more.

Fluffy Cranberry Mousse
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 cup fresh cranberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 an 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate, thawed
1 16-oz. can whole cranberry sauce
1-1/2 cups whipping cream

Directions

In a medium skillet combine fresh cranberries, sugar, and the water. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and cranberries just begin to pop. Remove from heat. Cover and chill until serving time.
In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Slowly add cranberry concentrate, beating until very smooth. In a small bowl stir the whole cranberry sauce to remove any large lumps; set aside.
In a chilled large mixing bowl beat whipping cream with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until soft peaks form. Fold about half the cranberry sauce and half the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined. Fold in the remaining cranberry sauce and whipped cream.
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours (stir before serving if chilled). To serve, spoon fluff into a large serving bowl, 24 chilled demitasse cups, or 12 chilled small dessert dishes. Spoon sweetened cranberries on top just before serving.

Makes 24 (1/4-cup) servings or 12 (1/2-cup) 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.

10 Thanksgiving Recipes You Must Make

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:50:24 -0800

Hopefully, all of the hype surrounding Thanksgiving has got you pretty excited about the biggest food holiday of the year. Still looking for that clutch dessert or impeccable side to help you stand out at the dinner table? Then cease to look further, because I've compiled 10 entrées, sides, desserts, and condiments that you absolutely cannot live without this turkey day.
Don't forget to pick out a cocktail to go with your memorable meal. For this year's ultimate Thanksgiving recipes, keep reading.

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Wild Rice Dressing Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:50:27 -0800

Regardless of whether or not you stuff your turkey, it simply wouldn't be Thanksgiving without stuffing - er, I mean, dressing. Change things up and take a tip from denizens of the Deep South and Carolina low country: make rice the star of the dish. Not only is whole-grain rice healthier and gluten-free, but cooking up a pot of rice is less work than cubing pieces of day-old bread.

If you're on a tight timeline, keep things simple by using brown rice mix. Fluff in sweetness and crunch by adding dried fruit, almonds, and orange zest. Alternatively, build layers of complexity by browning aromatic vegetables, slow-boiling the rice separately, and then baking the components together to fuse all of the dish's earthy flavors. See both options when you read more.

Whet Guests' Appetites With a Spicy, Seasonal Salad

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:00:02 -0800

Whenever I have people over for a sit-down holiday dinner, I like to set the tone with a hunger-inducing salad as the first course. For my most recent dinner, I foreshadowed the Fall meal to come with a peppery medley of in-season produce.

This salad, with its salty, spicy, tangy, and sweet components, turned out to be the perfect way to get guests psyched for supper while still leaving plenty of room for the main course.

Toasted on the stove, pepitas, or hulled pumpkin seeds, impart a nutty flavor to the olive oil, which plays a crucial part in the aromatic dressing. Make this your Thanksgiving salad when you keep reading.

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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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.

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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