The Holiday Kitchen: Thanksgiving dishes: old faithful's and something new

 I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends. Let's be honest, Thanksgiving is the biggest food holiday. So much goes into the preparation of this one meal. Some people taking days to plan and make all of the food. 

Are you a purest who likes to make all of the normal thanksgiving foods or do you like to change it up? Add new spices into regular dishes or make something different? 

This year for Thanksgiving at my friends I made 2 dishes. An old faithful and something new, and a twist on something my mom used to make. 

The old faithful dish: Green Bean Casserole. My secret to this dish is I mix half of the fried onions into the bean mixture. 

This year I used a different ration of beans to mushroom soup mix. I used a ratio this year of 4:1. I added half of the fried onions to the mixture and stirred until incorporated. Once baked, I add the rest of the fried onions to the top. 

The twist on a dish: Cranberry Pretzel Salad. My mom used to make the strawberry pretzel salad so this is a twist on a dish my mom would make. 

The Ingredients:

2.5 C crushed pretzels

2 tsp vanilla

2/3 C brown sugar

2 TBSP flour

3/4 C butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and lightly grease a 13x9 pan. In medium bowl, add crushed pretzels, vanilla, brown sugar, and flour, and stir. Melt butter and add to pretzel mixture and stir until combined. Spread into baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes and remove and cool completely. 

12 oz fresh cranberries

1/4 C sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

1 TBSP orange zest

1/4 C orange juice

2 tsp cornstarch

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, add cranberries, sugar, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and cornstarch. Stir and bring to a boil and cook until the cranberries burst and thicken up. Remove from heat and let cool. I used my immersion blender to smooth the texture out more. 

8 oz. cream cheese

1 C powdered sugar

8 oz cool whip

In a bowl or stand mixer, beat cream cheese 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy, then add powdered sugar. Beat until well combined and fold in cool whip until combined.  

Once the crust has cooled, spread cream cheese mixture over the crust. Top with the cranberry orange filling and spread evenly. 

The Guest Kitchen: Southwest Veggie Cheeseball aka Pumpkin Cheeseball from Tara McCausland

 At Thanksgiving this year, one of the most popular dishes was actually a cheeseball. It was amazing! And so cute! A pumpkin shaped cheeseball with a southwest flare. I would have sworn this had Rotel in it, but it didn't! By the end of the day everyone was asking for the recipe!

The Ingredients:

8oz cream cheese

8oz veggie cream cheese

2 TBSP spicy ranch mix

3 green onions, sliced

1 red pepper diced

2 C sharp shredded cheddar cheese

The recipe:

Combine the cream cheeses. 

Stir in 2 TBSP of the spicy ranch mix, green onions, red pepper, and 1 C of cheddar. 

Spread out cling wrap.

Sprinkle a 1/4 C of the cheddar onto the cling wrap and top with the cheeseball.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the top and sides of the cheeseball.

Wrap with cling wrap in a ball. 

Place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. 

During the fall holidays you can shape this into a pumpkin, or you can just leave it as a ball. Take it from me this cheeseball was amazing! You should try it for your next gathering!

The Global Kitchen: Chicken Prikash from Hungary

 

Chicken Prikash is a very popular dish found in Hungary. The name comes from the use of a lot of paprika to make up the dish. Paprika is sourced from Hungary and is found in a lot of the country's cuisine. The dish can be made using sweet or spicy paprika (I used both) and a orangish color. Some dishes include peppers and tomatoes but to I did not use either. 

It is traditionally served with egg noodles or a noodle similar to the German Spätzle. It can also be served with rice or millet. I was trying to eat healthier and chose to eat it with spaghetti squash. It would have been much better with noodles or rice, I am sure. 

Quartered chicken is a more traditional way of making this dish, but modern interpretations call for boneless, skinless chicken thighs (this is the way I made it). The chicken is dredged in a flour and paprika mixture and a bit of salt and pepper (in my onion the sauce could have used some salt as well). 

This dish was adopted by Hungarian Jews as a meal to have on the Sabbath and remains popular among the group today.  However, when they make the dish, they do not include the sour cream. 

Some other ingredients that have been included are peppers, garlic, tomatoes (this also would add a depth of flavor to the dish I feel like this variation is missing).

My opinion of this dish was that the paprika does really shine. I wish I had used more of the hot paprika for some added depth and I definitely think the sauce needs some salt as well. Some of my issues with the dish may be overcome if I serve it with the traditional noodles instead of the spaghetti squash. 

In my opinion, this dish was a bit of a miss for me, but I think it could be improved upon by adding some additional ingredients like the tomatoes and peppers and the salt mentioned earlier. I would say this probably won't be one I make again, but I have some leftovers I can play around with and see if it improves. 

This is what cooking is all about. Trying new things. Some things are great and a huge hit, others are not. In the past this would have really set me back. I would think I was a bad cook because it didn't turn out great when in reality, I probably just chose a bad recipe to try.  Not to mention a questionable side dish for this. Let me encourage you, don't let that one bad dish set you back. Learn from it. Figure out what would have made it better. Next time, things will turn out better and tastier. 

Now what to do with these leftovers...

The Holiday Kitchen: Oven Roasted Chestnuts

Everyone has heard The Christmas song, and it's famous line...chestnuts roasting on an open fire. I have never tried them. While at the store I found some chestnuts so I got a few and thought I'd try it. 

You have to score each chestnut with an x. If you don't or don't score deep enough they will explode in the oven. I learned that the hard way. You then have to soak them for 1 hour in a bowl of water.

Drain then place in a single layer on a baking sheet a bake for 20-30 minutes in 425 degree oven. 

Once done place in a paper bag or a towel to steam. This will allow you to be able to peel them easily. Crack the chestnuts then peel.

To be honest...I was not a huge fan. But I am particular with nuts. I'm glad I tried them but will probably keep to singing the song instead. You should try them yourself though. You may prefer them. 

 

The Breakfast Kitchen: Baked French Toast

I've always been intimidated by making french toast and I'm not sure why. This morning I made an Almond Cinnamon Baked French Toast. It whipped together in minutes and baked in 25 minutes.

This recipe called for vanilla extract but I used almond instead. I also used keto friendly bread. This would be much better I am sure with a good quality bread.

The almond extract really makes these smell amazing but I am partial to almond. The vanilla would be great as well. Some other extracts that would be good are maple, rum, cardamom, and orange. I also topped this with Skinny Sticks Bourbon Barrel Aged maple syrup and powdered sugar. 

Tip: use a good quality bread use quality extracts and spices.

You can elevate the dish by adding toppings like fresh fruit, chocolate, or whip cream!

The Family Kitchen: Grandma Hazel's Raisin Bars

    These raisin bars are a favorite of my dad's and another recipe of my Grandma Hazel's that I have never seen anywhere else. They are a type of cake with raisins mixed in. It uses spices often found in pumpkin pie. My mom learned this recipe from my grandma, and it is still one my dad asks for regularly. I'm glad I have the recipe so I can keep making it. If your family has special recipes or ones that everyone likes, make sure you write them down and share them so the next generation can keep making these special dishes. 

    One thing I have learned over the last few years is how much I wish I took an interest in these things when my grandmas and even my mom were still around and could make all these dishes together. However, now they are pieces of them that I can make and remember good times and all the great meals we had together.  

    During this holiday season, take the time to stop and take in your surroundings. The family and friends around you. Appreciate these times that you have together. Time is fleeting and you don't want to take for granted the time that you have together. 

The ingredients:

1 C raisins

1 C water

1/2 C oil

1 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp allspice

The Recipe:

Boil raisins and water then add oil and sugar and set aside to cool.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Place in a jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degreed for 20 minutes. Cool.

Top with a powdered sugar glaze.

2 C powdered sugar

2 T milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Whisk together until smooth and drizzle on top of raisin bars.

Couple adjustments I had to make because I was low on certain ingredients. I used brown sugar instead regular granulated sugar and only used about 1/2 tsp of vanilla in the cake part. For the glaze, I used almond extract instead of vanilla. Guess I need to get to the store to buy some baking essentials!

The Holiday Kitchen: Cookie Memories

One of my favorite activities at Christmas was helping my mom make her Christmas cookies, which were my grandmother's recipe. They were special and tasted amazing. I still can't get them just right. Mom would make these special rolled sugar cookies often and anytime we asked for them. But, on the occasion when she didn't have time for them, she always made chocolate chip cookies which I always associate with her even though they are just the Nestle Tollhouse recipe.  Cookies always bring back warm memories of happy times with family at the holidays.

Now that Mom is no longer with us, baking cookies now remind me of her and all the love she put into it. Just because we liked them. Now the next generation are continuing to make her cookies. Maybe not as well but with just as much heart and care. And now, my nieces and nephews get to be the ones to help make the cookies. I hope years from now, they will take the torch and keep the memories alive through baking. Food is sustenance but it can also bring back memories and feelings as well.

This holiday season, I hope you and your family take the time to bake together. Baking is so much fun to do with those you love. Grab the little ones and show them how to bake, let them cut out the cookies or decorate, or tell them stories while you bake the cookies, and they eat them! Make this season a time for family and friends. You can even bake some cookies and take them to your neighbors if you don't want all of the sweets in your house or give them as gifts to your mail man, garbage man, and UPS driver (For all those packages you will have ordered this season). It's a great way to say thanks. If you don't have family close by, get your friends together for a baking night.

A great idea I've heard of to get to sample different cookies is to have a get together where everyone brings a different type of cookie to share. Then you have a fun night of cookies and games or some fun activity and at the end of the night you divvy up any leftovers. 

The Holiday Kitchen: The cooks kitchen gift guide

Whether it be for Christmas, birthdays, or just because, if you are looking for a gift for the cook in your life stay tuned! I am going to give you some fun and functional gift ideas that your cook will love. I am going to do my best to include budget friendly and some more extravagant gift ideas.

1. KitchenAid Stand Mixer

    No holiday list is complete without the KitchenAid stand mixer. There are different price points for this but it is a more extravagant gift. These mixers not only come in either tilt head or bowl lift styles but also come in all sorts of colors. My favorite is the pistachio. If I didn't already have one this would totally be on my list! This one comes with a price point of $450 on Amazon. 

2. A great cookbook

Cookbooks have somewhat gone by the wayside with the invention of Pinterest. However, there are those of us that love a good beautifully put together cookbook. Any of the Half Baked Harvest cookbooks are beautiful and have lots of good recipes to try. Another favorite of mine are the Magnolia Table cookbooks (I have them all). Most cookbooks will run you from $10-40. This would be a good budget friendly gift idea. I suggest knowing your cook though. Do they like cookbooks or prefer looking up recipes online. Or are they like me and do both. 

3. A good set of knives

This can be both budget friendly and extravagant depending on brand. These Cuisinart knives are not only beautiful but they are relatively budget friendly. This set on Amazon runs about $30. I have similar knives from Pampered Chef that included a few more types of knives but mine were about $100 at regular price. 

4. Spices! 

             

New and sustainable spices are a great gift idea. My favorite spice company Burlap and Barrel offers a couple ways to give spices as a gift. They sell collections like this fundamentals box set. They come in 6, 9, or 12 set boxes. And the price ranges from $53-107. These spices come in glass jars, they are single source spices, and a lot of their spices are spices that are hard to find at the grocery store like my favorite spice Black Lime. The other gift option they have is a spice club. You can buy in a regular subscription for $45 or you can gift a 1-year subscription for $180. Keep in mind the regular subscription is a automatic payment quarterly. Each regular shipment includes 4 full sized jars of spices and new harvests of favorite spices. They also include new collaboration products, plus recipe and spice stories. The annual gift subscription includes 4 seasonal shipments with the above-mentioned products. Most of the time, these new spices come out to the club members before they are available online for purchase. This is something I would love to get as a gift personally. Their spices are amazing, and I use them all the time. 

5. Aerogarden

If you like having fresh herbs and produce all year long the Aerogarden is for you! Plants grow 5x faster in water instead of soil. Grow lights mimic natural light. Comes with plant food and 6 plant herb pod kit. This is a midrange cost at $50 and up. There are all types and sizes and even comes in a few colors.

6. Dutch Oven

A cast iron Dutch oven is a popular cooking dish. You can cook on the stove or in the oven. They come in various colors and sizes. It's a great dish for those one pot meals. This has a midrange price point depending on the size and brand. This 3 qt Cuisinart one runs about $43 on Amazon.

7. Pots and pans

This gift will depend on the brand and if you buy a whole set. A real nice set can be in the hundreds or you can get a midrange set like the Ninja foodie nonstick set for a couple hundred dollars. Or you can buy a single pot or pan and it is much more budget friendly. These KitchenAid pots and pans are between $20-50 per pan. 

8. Local food basket

Something like this could be a unique gift. Especially if you know certain items your person would love. You can make it as big or small as you want and you can spend as little or much as you want. You can do a theme basket like: wine, cheese, chocolate, baking, vinegars and oils, etc. This would involve a little more thought and work into putting it together but could be a big hit. You could even do a snack basket for the kids!

9. Kitchen utensils and gadgets

This is another thing you can buy sets of or find some really unique utensils like this fish spatula found on Amazon for under $10. Or, you can find some fun kitchen gadgets like this cute egg separator also under $10 on Amazon. This popular meat chopper can be found on Amazon for under $10 as well. 

10. Coffee cups

This is another gift where the price can vary depending on the brand and size. There are so many varieties as well. You can even make these into a basket by adding some things like gourmet coffee or hot cocoa bombs for the mugs. 

The Global Kitchen: Tikka Masala turkey meatballs with garlic turmeric rice and samosas from India

I have always wanted to make Indian food but was intimidated to try it. Recently I discovered a line of products that helped me realize my goal. Indian As Apple Pie is a brand sold at Harvest Market that is also healthy. This dish was made with the Tikka Masala sauce. I made the meatballs with seasonings from Burlap and Barrel. 

The ingredients:

1lb ground turkey

1/4 C breadcrumbs or panko

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp corriander

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 TBSP paprika

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

2 tsp of salt

1/2 TBSP ginger

1 TBSP garlic

1/4 C chopped cilantro

The Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In stand mixer combine all ingredients and mix until well combined.

Make equally sized balls  and place in baking dish that has been greased. 

Bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove from oven and add the Tika Masala sauce and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Making sure meatballs are cooked to 165 degrees.

I also made with this a Garlic Turmeric Rice as a side dish. 

The ingredients:

1 tsp bay leaf pwdr or 1 bay leaf

1 tsp garlic 

1/4 C yellow onion 

1.5 C chicken broth

1 C basmati rice (or Jasmine rice)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1 TBSP butter

The Recipe:

Add all ingredients to a rice cooker and stir to mix all the seasonings well. I have an Aroma Touch Rice cooker and select the white rice setting. The rice comes out perfect!

To go with this, I bought some Deep Indian Kitchen chicken samosas which I love. They also have a pea and potato samosa which are great as well, but they are bigger in size. Deep Indian Kitchen is a line of Frozen Indian meals and appetizers. You can find these at the Indian market, Harvest Market, and Target that I know of. If you want to try some Indian and see if you would like it this is a great way to start. 

Overall, I was very happy with my first attempt at making Indian food and it was pretty quick and easy. This meal did have a bit of a spiciness to it just so you are aware. I highly suggest the brands mentioned they are very good. 

Tip: When cooking make sure you read the tsp vs TBSP carefully. I accidentally used TBSP instead of tsp in my meatballs, so they were a little on the salty side. Not bad but just a tip to remember to learn from my mistake. 

I feel like this was a relatively healthy meal minus the samosas. I used lean meats and lots of seasoning for flavor. The sauce is vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free. The sauce is also low carb at only 5G per 1/4 C serving this includes 2G of sugar. I did use basmati rice this time next time I would like to try this with brown rice instead to make it a bit healthier.