Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Classic Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Classic Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes:
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium carrots (about 3/4 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick circles
  • 1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts (about 1/2 pound), halved
  • 4 cups red bliss potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 3 medium parsnips (about1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 1 cup sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Place vegetables in baking sheet and add the dried herbs, salt and pepper. Toss well, evenly coating all the vegetables with the seasonings and oil. Add more oil if the vegetables seem dry
Spread the vegetables evenly on a large baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Tips


Thanksgiving Stuffing Tips

How to cook and serve Thanksgiving stuffing.


When prepared just right, Thanksgiving stuffing is everything Americans love about food: it's savory and a little sweet, warm and soft but a little crunchy on the outside. In short, it's the ultimate comfort food. To make sure your stuffing fulfills all your expectations this year, here are a few guidelines:

If you want to play it extra safe with poultry, don't stuff your bird at all. Instead, make a traditional "dressing", which is simply stuffing that's cooked in a buttered casserole or soufflé dish. You won't be sacrificing flavor, especially if you drizzle the dressing with pan drippings from the cooked turkey.

If you do plan on baking the stuffing and turkey together, stuff your turkey just before putting it in the oven and cook it to 180 degrees F. If the turkey is done but the stuffing isn't, remove the turkey, transfer the stuffing to a casserole dish and return the stuffing to the oven to finish cooking.

If stuffing your turkey, estimate one cup of stuffing for each pound of turkey, i.e. a 10-pound turkey will get 10 cups of stuffing. Cook any extra stuffing on the side. Be careful not to overstuff your turkey as this could cause it to become dried out.

To prevent your stuffing from getting too mushy, keep dry and wet ingredients separate until right before stuffing the bird or casserole dish. If you like the stuffing a little drier and cake-like, add an egg or two.

Dress up your stuffing with nuts, fruit, wild rice, sausage or liqueurs and try new spice combinations to reflect regional tastes.

Find the perfect stuffing recipe to complete your Thanksgiving feast: Top Thanksgiving Stuffings and Dressings.

Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe and Video

Thanksgiving Recipe

Plan an unforgettable Thanksgiving feast with the best Turkey Day recipe for every course.




Ingredients

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil



Directions
2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, also featured in Food Network Magazine



Thanksgiving Festive Appetizer Recipes

Thanksgiving Festive Appetizer Recipes:
Make these pre-dinner bites from Food Network Magazine in 15 minutes or less.


Goat Cheese Trio (No. 1)
Cut a 12-ounce log of goat cheese crosswise into 3 mini logs. Roll 1 piece in chopped mixed herbs, another in cracked mixed peppercorns, and roll the last in chopped dried cranberries and cashews. Serve with baguette slices or crackers.


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2. Cannellini Bruschetta: Combine 1 drained can cannellini beans, 1 cup chopped drained giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables) plus a splash of brine from the jar, 1/4 cup diced provolone and 2 tablespoons each chopped parsley and olive oil. Serve on toasted Italian bread.







3. Spiced Olives: Heat 1/3 cup olive oil with 1 strip each lemon zest and orange zest, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 smashed garlic clove. Stir in 1 cup mixed olives and a few thyme sprigs.





4. Radish-Anchovy Canapes: Finely chop 1 to 2 rinsed anchovies, 2 tablespoons parsley and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest; mix with 1 stick softened butter. Spread on pumpernickel cocktail bread and top with thinly sliced radishes and a squeeze of lemon juice.







5. Blue Cheese–Pecan Spread: Mix 1/2 cup soft blue cheese with 2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans. Spread on celery sticks or crackers and drizzle with honey.





See More Recipes at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/50-easy-appetizer-recipes.html

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

10 Tips for Planning Your Indoor Garden

Allergy Tip
Keep plants out of your bedroom. Their decaying leaves and the increase in humidity can promote the growth of mold.


10 Tips for Planning Your Indoor Garden

Plants bring life and color into the home and require little in the way of maintenance. Follow these simple tips and your plants should thrive.
from Trade Secrets


Plants bring life and color into the home and require little in the way of maintenance. Follow these simple tips and your plants should thrive.























Read more: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/10-tips-for-planning-your-indoor-garden/#ixzz3JRJRTmYK