Thanksgiving 2011

This year we hosted Thanksgiving at our home. We had my parents, D's mom, D's brother, D's grandmother, and a friend from D's work. Because most people weren't getting in until right before the big day, D and I decided that with our little ones, the easiest thing to do would be to make the turkey and desserts, and order the side dishes. We ended up ordering a side-dish package, salad, and bread from Whole Foods, along with a pre-brined turkey. Everything was absolutely delicious, and having half of the work done by someone else certainly made our lives easier!

Let's start with the best part: dessert! I have a tradition of making a carrot cake for Thanksgiving. I had mentioned to D that I was thinking about branching out and trying something new, but he vetoed that move. This year, I flavored the frosting with a tablespoon of Disaronno amaretto liquor...and, it was absolutely delicious! I also skipped coloring any of the frosting (to save time), but I managed to draw a turkey on the top of the cake. I was pretty impressed with myself, especially because I'm not known for my artistic talent!


The other Thanksgiving dessert tradition is a chocolate pumpkin tart from a fabulous, always wonderfully perfect Martha Stewart recipe. This is a MUST, and trumps any traditional pumpkin pie recipe out there...everyone in the family agrees that it's not Thanksgiving without one of these tarts!







Here was the rest of the meal. We topped the mashed sweet potatoes in the sides package with some marshmallows and baked it until the marshmallows were perfectly golden brown. Thanks dad for standing at the oven and peeking through the window during the heating, so that the marshmallows were perfect:)





Our turkey came out wonderfully, and it was such a help to skip the at-home brining process, which is time consuming and messy. The turkey was stuffed with fresh poultry herbs, lemons, and garlic, and rubbed with butter. We basted the turkey with lemon juice and chicken broth throughout the cooking.





Here was our table. We cheaped out and had the paper turkey napkins to cut down on the washing. We even contemplated paper plates and plastic cups, but had to draw the line somewhere;) The decorations on the table have been collected by various parts of the family and traveled from all over the country to our table! We served a Pinot Noir from one of our favorite Sonoma Valley vineyards, and had water and sparking water to round out the drink options.

This was a really wonderful Thanksgiving, full of delicious food and good company. Thanks to D's grandma for some decorations. Thanks to the moms for doing all the serious prepping and cleaning. Thanks to my dad for providing us with some end-of-dinner entertainment;) Thanks to my brother-in-law for entertaining J and L, and being a really fun guy to have around. And, thanks to my wonderful husband and kids who were my sous chefs for the desserts. There is certainly a lot to be thankful for...

Bibimbap, take 2!

Ever since having L, we've been talking about bibimbap because of the perfectly runny egg. There's a great place in town that we love to go to, but lately getting there with the kidos doesn't seem to be happening, and it's not open for dinner. So, tonight I made bibimbap again, and it was wonderful!

In tonight's version I marinated the carrots along with the cucumber mixture, and not with the tofu. Both D and I agreed that this was an improvement on the previous recipe. It gave more texture to have the carrots crunchy, and allowed for the tofu to get a bit more crispy. And, both D and I agreed that there's just something about eating an egg yolk mixed with rice...pure heaven:) D said that this was my "best bibimbap yet", and "the carrot/cucumber marinade was so good, I even poured it onto my rice". I love the simplicity of this meal, but also how diverse and rich the flavors are when they combine. Definitely another success around here.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars

2 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 c sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c canned pumpkin puree
2 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
1/4 tsp ginger, ground
1/8 tsp cloves, ground
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
9 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place the butter and sugar into a stand mixer and cream together. Add the egg and vanilla and mix. Add the pumpkin and mix.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda and salt. Stir.
Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased 9X13" baking dish and bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

I came across a recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip bars on Bakerstreet's blog, and I just had to make them! I changed around a few things in the spice department, and these were just delicious! The pumpkin kept the bars unbelievably moist, and the chocolate gave them just the right amount of sweetness. These are a perfect fall/winter dessert!

Roasted Vegetable Ricotta Pizza, take 2!

Tonight we decided to have a repeat of the roasted vegetable ricotta pizza, and I'm so glad that we did!
This pizza takes a little extra effort, but it's really worth it. The roasted vegetables add a ton of flavor, and the ricotta adds a richness to the pizza. We left one portion of the pizza veggie-free for our picky little man. J enjoyed his cheese pizza as much as we enjoyed our gourmet version. I infused the pizza dough with a lot of dried basil and oregano, and kept with the new improvement of using 2 1/2 tsp of yeast. Another yummy dinner here!

Fiesta Chicken Burgers

1 tbs olive oil
3/4 lb ground white meat chicken
1 egg
1/4 c breadcrumbs
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
pepper jack cheese
avocado, mashed
tomato, sliced
hamburger buns, toasted

Place the oil into a cast iron (or nonstick pan), and heat over medium heat. Meanwhile, mix the chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, chili powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Form into patties using about 1/2 c of the mixture. Place the patties into the hot pan and cook until browned, flip, and cook through. Add a piece of the pepper jack cheese at the end, and melt. Serve on hamburger buns with mashed avocado and tomato.

These chicken burgers were really quite tasty, and they took about 30 minutes to make from start to finish. The pepper jack cheese added the perfect amount of bite, and the chili powder added just the right amount of flavor. The burgers were very moist, which is a plus when cooking with white meat chicken! I made J a mini burger with a slice of melted Swiss...we thought that the pepper jack might be a bit too spicy. D enjoyed his burger with a bit of tomatillo salsa. Little L just looked on...it's hard to imagine, but it won't be too long before she's eating solids. Yikes!

Penne with Spinach, Gorgonzola, and Walnuts

Tonight's dinner was a new recipe from the latest edition of Fine Cooking Magazine, and it was a total hit! The penne with spinach, gorgonzola, and walnuts was one of the super-fast meals in the magazine, and it didn't skimp at all on taste. The sauce was rich and thick, and the spinach and walnuts balanced the pungent nature of the gorgonzola cheese. I added a bit more toasted walnuts and chives than the original recipe called for, and I think both were a welcomed addition. D loved this meal as well, and I'm proud to say that it was easy enough for me to throw together in 30 minutes, while dealing with both of the kids.

Chicken Sausage with Oven Fries and Dipping Sauce

This picture is not the most appetizing, but the meal sure did taste good! We still have a bunch of farm share potatoes (both regular and sweet varieties), and oven fries are such a great way to use them up. Not only do we enjoy them, but J can't seem to get enough of the sweet potato fries...interestingly enough, he won't touch the white potato fries! I bought some pre-cooked sweet Italian chicken sausage at Whole Foods, and we just browned them up in a frying pan. D and I both enjoy the fresh/raw sausage, but they tend to dry out more than the pre-cooked variety. I sliced up a bunch of white and sweet potatoes and tossed them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. I placed the fries in the oven for 45 mins at 475 F, flipping them once mid-way through the cooking. For a change to the regular ketchup, I made this fry sauce from the latest Fine Cooking Magazine. After tasting it during the preparation, D and I decided that it could use some Tabasco sauce, so we added some. I expected this dipping sauce to taste more like the chipotle variety often found in restaurants and served with sweet potato fries, but I was somewhat disappointed. Don't get me wrong, D and I agreed that it tasted good, but I'm not sure it was worth the extra effort; ketchup does the job just fine.

Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Orange Sauce

J had been waiting for this dinner to arrive ALL day. He had wanted pancakes for breakfast, but because we were having pancakes for dinner, I told him to choose something else. So, from breakfast onward, he kept asking me, "is it pancake time?". I found the recipe for whole-wheat buttermilk pancakes with orange sauce in the latest edition of Cooking Light Magazine. But of course, I couldn't just leave the recipe as-is! I first used white-whole wheat flour in place of the whole wheat. I thought it would add some lightness to the pancakes, and not be "too wheaty"...sometimes a complaint from D. In addition, I didn't quite read the recipe through, and thus made the mistake of not beating the egg whites and folding them into the batter. Because of this mishap, the batter was rather thick, so I simply added another scant 1/2 c of buttermilk. This resulted in the batter being the perfect consistency! The pancakes were light, not too filling, and infused with fresh orange flavor. There was certainly no drawbacks to not whipping the egg whites, and honestly, skipping that step saved a lot of time and effort. The orange sauce was slightly goopy in consistency, but the taste was really pleasant. Sweet, but not too sweet, and it complemented the pancakes wonderfully. We served the pancakes and sauce with some cottage cheese (for protein), and the sauce made a delicious mix-in for the cottage cheese as well. Another recipe for the books:)

3 Cheese Baked Eggs with Zucchini and Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large zucchini, sliced and halved
9 large eggs
3 tbs butter, melted
1/4 c flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c ricotta cheese
1 c parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the zucchini and saute for another 8-10 minutes, or until the zucchini is soft and just starting to brown. Set aside.
Place the eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high for about 5 minutes, or until foamy. Meanwhile, place the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl, mix well.
Add the melted butter to the eggs, followed by the flour mixture, and the cheeses. Mix well on a low speed.
Fold in the zucchini and onions and pour into a 10" pie place. Place on a baking sheet and put into the oven for about 50 minutes or until set. The top should be mostly golden brown and a tester should come out clean. Remove from oven and let the bake sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Today is daylights saving, otherwise known as the "dreaded time change day"! I remember before we had kids, and I looked forward to this day with excitement, relishing in that extra sacred hour of sleep. Well, extra hour no more! With 2 little ones, I no longer look forward to this day, but I had an idea. Why not share the misery, and also eat some really good food? That always makes it better!

This morning we had our new friends/neighbors over for brunch. They have a 2 yr old daughter and another one on the way (almost here!). J and A (their little girl) seem to enjoy playing together, and D and I really like their parents, so it works out nicely. Both J and A were a bit tired, especially towards the end of brunch, but we all had a good time, and the food was as good as I had hoped!

About a year ago now I went to a book club meeting at my friend B's house, and she had made these cheesy baked eggs. They were delicious, and I haven't forgotten about them since. I emailed her earlier in the week, and got the original recipe. Like me, B loves to cook, and she changed things up a bit, using whatever farm share veggies she had around that week. I am NOT a roasted red pepper fan, so I knew I'd change things up a bit too. I have been thinking a lot about zucchini (not sure why), and it seemed to be the perfect thing...and it truly was! The dish was rich, but not too heavy, filled with wonderful flavor, cheesy, and cooked perfectly with a very slight cheese crust around the edge. It was super simple to make, and seemed much more impressive!
I served the baked eggs with my sour cream coffee cake. The coffee cake was sweet, and yummy, just like always! I had told J last night that we were going to get a haircut in the morning, and afterwards we would have A over and eat some cake. So, of course first thing this morning he kept asking to go get his haircut. During his haircut he told the stylist that he was "going home to have cake with A", so I'm glad that he enjoyed eating the cake too. Too bad he wasn't into the eggs, but he hasn't been wanting to eat eggs these days.

Our friends brought a delicious fruit salad to round out the brunch, and some coffee finished things off perfectly. Maybe we should start every time change day this way!

Panko Dijon Chicken, Couscous, and Spinach Salad with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese

1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs Dijon mustard
1 c panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb chicken cutlets

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Meanwhile, place the olive oil into a cast iron (or non-stick oven-proof skillet), and heat.
While the pan is heating, coat the chicken in the Dijon mustard. Mix the bread crumbs and spices in a large shallow bowl. Cover the coated chicken with the panko mixture and place into the hot pan. Brown each side of the chicken and then place the pan into the oven to cook for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with some couscous cooked in either water or chicken broth.
This chicken was a new one for us, and it was delicious. Even J was in agreement, and he's pickier than I am about his meats! The mustard gave a nice flavor, but wasn't too pungent. Our only complaint was that the panko breading was less crispy than we expected. I suspect that had to do with the pan-frying and the mustard rub. Next time, I might just skip the stove-top part and place the chicken directly into the oven.

With the chicken and couscous, I served a spinach salad. During the kids nap (yes, I managed to have them both asleep at the same time for just a couple of minutes!), I roasted the beets. (50 minutes in a 350 F oven, tossed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.) I finished off the salad with some soft goat cheese crumbles, and served it with oil and balsamic vinegar. The salad was fresh and tasty and complemented the chicken quite well. Another hit in our house tonight...

Food for Thought: Over dinner D and I were pondering panko, and wondering why and how it differs from traditional breadcrumbs. Chowhound.com comes to the rescue with some interesting information...who knew? :)

By the way, hopefully you've noticed the new look around here. I thought I'd change things up a bit for fall. Let me know what you think!