Thanksgiving!

WARNING! there are no turkey recipes in this post. 

For a brief period of time, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. Why? Because, at its heart, it's all about food. And y'all know I love to eat. And cook. We never really celebrated Thanksgiving in my immigrant Polish childhood home. In fact, I have no memories of it. Zero. Zilch. None. The only turkey we ever ate was in deli meat form and I wasn't fond of it. Smoked turkey was too dry, and unsmoked turkey was too wet. Both, unfortunately, tasted like turkey. My unpopular opinion: you can keep the bird. The sides were and still are more interesting to me. 

I roasted my first turkey in my parents' house as a new wife at the ripe old age of 35. Mr Minx had skipped his own family's celebration to start a new tradition with my clan. Because his family did the whole turkey-and-multiple-carbs thing, his new bride would do the same. I used Alton Brown's recipe, minus the brine, and to be perfectly honest--it was a triumph. I didn't (and still don't) understand why anyone made dry turkey when a moist and juicy one is so easy. 

Sadly, my mother died the following February, so we Minxes, plus my younger brother but minus our dad, started celebrating with my mother-in-law and her regular holiday crew. After my first Thanksgiving there, which included turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, supplemented with canned corn, canned peas, and canned cranberry sauce, frozen rolls, and sweet potato casserole made with frozen glazed yams, I decided to take over help with the cooking. The following year, I brought a corn pudding and homemade cranberry sauce. In subsequent years I started making the sweet potatoes and the gravy, and added brussels sprouts and green bean casserole. If the holiday was about food, then I wanted it to be tasty and abundant. I loved my mother-in-law dearly, but in her later years she cooked primarily for sustenance purposes. I, on the other hand, loved to cook and eat delicious things and truly enjoyed preparing my contributions. 

A few years later, we moved the celebration to my brother-in-law's house as my MIL had various ailments and became too ill to cook. BIL Craig made the stuffing and provided the kitchen, and Mr Minx and I made everything else. I took off from work the day before Thanksgiving in order to get as much cooking done as possible in advance so it only needed rewarming the next day. Lugging bags of cooked food, raw ingredients, and some cooking implements, we started to feel like caterers. After my MIL passed, Thanksgiving finally moved to Minx Manor. Dad's girlfriend had dumped him, so he became part of the crew. And while it was more convenient to cook and serve food at our own house, going from caterer to restaurant owner involves more expense, decision-making, and house-cleaning, and much less enjoyment. One year, after vowing never to wash so many dishes again, we made lasagna and salad. It raised slightly less furor than the year I decided to make roast duck. 

Then Craig got married and Dad died. Buh-bye Thanksgiving feast! Seeya never, turkey! The holiday crowd that once included Mr Minx's 99-year-old grandfather and MIL's work friend Wayne in addition to five other family members was down to Mr Minx, Minxbro, and moi. In 2019, we started a new tradition: the grand Thanksgiving meal was pared down to a giant charcuterie platter that we grazed upon as we watched football and drank copiously all day. That first year, I cooked nothing, though I did make a cheeseball. Our coffee table became a buffet of cheese, crackers, sausage, and stuff like olives and cornichons. We used paper plates which we refilled over and over again. It was great, and we weren't stuck with 3 pounds of leftover turkey in the fridge. We did the same in 2020, and I added broiled bacon-wrapped dates to the party. 

Then my brother announced that it seemed wrong not to have a cooked poultry product on our holiday table.

There was no way I was going to make a turkey for three people, one of whom wasn't even going to eat it. I decided to make chicken wings, which seemed appropriate considering we'd be eating them in front of the annual Lions and Cowboys games. But I couldn't find reasonably priced wings last year. Chicken legs, however, were budget-friendly, with more meat and less waste. I coated them with a seasoning based on the wings served at Earth, Wood, and Fire and baked them. And since I had the oven on, I roasted brussels sprouts and tossed them in a spicy-sweet sauce of gochujang and maple syrup. We still had charcuterie, but much less of it. This year will be a repeat of last year, with the addition of stuffing. I know what you're thinking--in a year or two, I'll be back to making the whole holiday shebang again. No! I promise I won't go back to that. The only reason I'm making stuffing is because Olivia's Croutons sent me a box of products that includes both regular and gluten free stuffing mixes. So I'll make a small pan of each. Stuffing is simple: sauteed mirepoix; broth; herbs; bread. Maybe a little pork. We'll see what I feel like tossing in. Bake until crusty. Hey, the oven's gonna be on anyway....

For those of you who read this far and are still looking for Thanksgiving recipes, I'm including some here at the end. Please remember that I'm not like those bloggers who make turkeys in June just to have something to post in advance of the holiday. BO-RING! There are 109 million hits on the google for "roast turkey recipes," so you don't need mine. Sides is where it's at, people, so here's a handful of recipes for good stuff to eat on the side of a nasty ol' turkey. (Yes, I realize most of the recipes are for brussels sprouts. We like brussels sprouts!)

Corn Pudding

This is the corn pudding that I made every Thanksgiving for 15 years. I could have sworn I posted it here at some point in the past, but I couldn't find it. Luckily, I have the original printout safely tucked away someplace I can actually find it.

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups frozen corn kernels, defrosted

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cream, and milk. Stir in the salt, sugar, and corn.

Pour into a greased 8" square baking pan. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

---------------------------------------

Blackened Carrots with Harissa Yogurt I didn't make this for Thanksgiving originally, but I think it would make a great side dish. 

Celery Root Remoulade Try something totally different and make a cold salad. It's like cole slaw, but not at all like cole slaw.

Cheesy Drop Biscuits are much better than heat-and-eat dinner rolls.

Collard Greens are traditional in some homes. I do believe I made them to accompany my first turkey.

Spicy Sweet Potato and Bacon Casserole Make this at your own risk. I posted it on Food52 and someone commented that it was a "hot mess." I thought it was pretty tasty, and far better than the stuff with mini-marshmallows on top.

The Brussels Sprouts Collection

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Apple

Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Walnuts

Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts

Raw Brussels Sprout Salad

Shaved Brussel Sprout, Meyer Lemon, Quinoa Salad

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Kale-stuffed Mushrooms

I love stuffed mushroom caps, especially when crab imperial is involved. But if I'm going to spend money on crab meat, I'll use it in something where the crab meat shines. When I found these perfectly-sized-for-stuffing mini portobello mushrooms, I had to come up with a different filling. We had a bag of Trader Joe's chopped kale in the freezer, and I thought "why not?" I also had a package of Mexican chorizo, one of my favorite meat products ever, but if I'm going to go the healthy route with kale, for goodness' sake, why sully it with something fatty like sausage?

I know. You don't know me anymore. It's this diet thing I'm on, Mark Bittman's VB6. I'm eating vegetables for breakfast and lunch and not really missing the meat. It's not like I'm deprived - I can eat meat every night for dinner - but I'm finding I am really enjoying the plethora of veg. So yeah, I opted not to put real chorizo in the mushroom caps. Instead, I used chorizo seasoning, which I had purchased a while back and hadn't yet tried. It tastes exactly like Mexican chorizo. Seriously, it does.

The seasoning in the recipe is a guideline. You want the kale and onion mixture to be strongly flavored so it will stand out over the bland mushroomyness of the mushrooms, so feel free to add more garlic, spices, or honey to suit your taste.

Kale-stuffed Mushrooms

12 mini portobellos or large button mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
olive oil
pinch salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen kale, defrosted
1.5 teaspoons chorizo seasoning (I got mine from Spice House)
1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup
panko
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar, monterey jack, or swiss cheese

Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any clumps of dirt. Remove the stems. Using a teaspoon scoop out the gills, making the opening of the mushroom as large as possible. In two batches, place the caps on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Cook the onion over medium heat in a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt until softened and starting to lightly brown around the edges. Stir in the garlic. Chop the mushroom stems and add them to the onion along with the kale. Cook until the kale is wilted. Add the chorizo seasoning and honey. If the mixture seems wet, add a couple tablespoons of panko and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Fill the mushroom caps with as much of the kale mixture as they can hold. Top each with a sprinkle of panko and a large pinch of shredded cheese. Bake mushrooms for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and there are small puddles of moisture under the mushrooms.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

More Thanksgiving Leftovers!

Last year, it seems like we ate Thanksgiving leftovers into December - we had cooked two turkeys which provided a seemingly endless supply of the bland bird. By the end of the week, I was throwing up in my mouth a little bit at the mere thought of ingesting yet more turkey (although Mr Minx's turkey tetrazzini was pretty great).

This year, we didn't take home much leftover meat from our Thanksgiving feast, but we did have an ample supply of mashed potatoes and my giblet-rich stuffing. With some home-made pork stock (left over from braising a pork shoulder the week prior) and smoked chicken-apple sausage, it made a scrumptious soup.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Soup

1/2 cup onion, sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 quarts chicken, turkey, or pork stock
2 cups mashed potatoes
2 cups dressing
Vegetables of your choice (can be leftover or frozen corn, peas, green beans, etc.)
8 - 12 oz of your favorite smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2" coins
Thanksgiving-y seasonings (dried sage, thyme, poultry seasoning)
salt and pepper

In a dutch oven or other soup-appropriate pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook until they become translucent and start to brown a bit on the edges, 5-7 minutes. Add the stock. Whisk in the potatoes until incorporated into the liquid. Stir in the stuffing, vegetables, and sausage. Simmer 15 minutes until everything is hot. Season to taste with pinches of herbs plus salt and pepper.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dinner is such an ordeal anymore since Mr Minx and I basically act as caterers. I miss the days when we could lounge around in our pajamas and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade before leisurely packing up and heading to our dinner destination! Things have changed, however, and for the past two years we've headed over to my brother-in-law's at 9am in order to get the poultry started.

Despite our issues, the food is always good. :)

After last year's duo of turkey, I decided that this year I would instead make duck. Oh, and a turkey breast. But first, the duck. I used Sally Schneider's recipe from A New Way to Cook, minus the thyme, because I wanted to serve the meat like Peking duck, with tortillas in place of Chinese pancakes, plus hoisin sauce and scallions.

Looks like the real thing, no?

To keep things Thanksgiving-y, I made cranberry hoisin. And to keep with the Asian theme, the traditional green bean casserole became Sichuan green beans. Everything else was basically the same as always: corn pudding, steamed Brussels sprouts with lemongrass oil, mashed potatoes, and dressing - two kinds this time: my colorful concoction of veggies and Martin's Potatobred cubes, and my BIL's regular overly-squishy recipe. Dad contributed a sweet potato casserole with roasted pineapple and toasted macadamia nut toppings, and we had bakery-bought pies for dessert. (Thank God for bakery pies! Ours were from Yia Yia's, in Rosedale - their pumpkin pie is quite rich and delicious.)

Oh yeah - I forgot the turkey breast. Despite my dislike for turkey, I have to admit that this was pretty good. Mr Minx found a recipe for grilled turkey in a Steven Raichlen book; it involved injecting the beast with a mixture of chicken stock and Cajun seasoning, and cooking it over indirect heat with a packet of wood chips. The resulting body part was wonderfully moist and juicy with a subtle smoky flavor. I'll admit I would have eaten it, were it not for the duck.

You can find the duck recipe at the link above, and here are a couple of others:

Chock-full of Veggies Dressing

giblets from two ducks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided use
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 leek, washed and chopped
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh scallions
16 cups stuffing cubes
4 cups vegetable, chicken, or pork stock

Saute the giblets (except the livers) in 1 tablespoon butter until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add livers and cook an additional five minutes. Allow to cool and chop finely.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and remaining butter to skillet. When butter melts, add celery, onion, leek, mushrooms, and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover skillet, and cook 15-20 minutes until vegetables soften, then add scallions and giblets to the pan and combine. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl with vegetables. Moisten the dressing with stock until all of the bread is moist but not wet (you may not need all of the stock).

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with release spray. Pour in dressing and do not smooth top (you want more nooks and crannies for more crunch). Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes to crisp top.

Cranberry Hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons black bean sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons soy
3 tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce

Mix together all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Apricot Ginger Cranberry Sauce

6 canned apricot halves, chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
12 ounces fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger

Place ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened, 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl or other glass container and refrigerate until chilled. Serve cold.

Mini Pork Roulades with Spicy Maple Mustard Glaze

What to do with a couple of thinly cut boneless pork chops? Make a roulade! Sounds fancy, but it's really pretty simple.

A stuffing was made with a sauté of finely chopped carrot, celery, mushrooms, onion, and fennel, a few pieces of not-quite-stale wheat bread torn into chunks, and a few spoonfuls of stock. The meat got pounded to an even thinner state with my trusty mallet, the surface covered with chilled stuffing, and the whole thing was rolled up and secured with toothpicks. They were then seared in a non-stick skillet with a bit of olive oil.

After about 10 minutes of cooking on medium-high heat, turning them a few times to make sure they were done all the way through, I added a glaze made from 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and a heaping teaspoon of sambal oelek. As the sauce bubbled and thickened, I mounted it with a tablespoon of butter.

The salad on the side is simply thinly sliced raw fennel, Granny Smith apple, the juice of one lemon, salt, a bit of sugar, and a sprinkle of fennel seeds.

I always worry about the end result when I get experimental like this, but I'm happy to say that all of the flavors and textures worked well together. The stuffing was rich, the sauce was sweet but not too, and the tang and crunch of the salad was a nice counterpoint.

I'm Stuffed!

When you hears the word "stuffing," you usually thinks of Thanksgiving turkey, right? But as long as you have a starch, a fat, and seasonings, you can make stuffing.

I decided that I was going to make pork tenderloins for dinner tonight. Ordinarily, I would rub them with some spices, Patak's biryani paste, for example, and bake them. But today I decided I wanted to stuff them. I had never butterflied a pork tenderloin before and wasn't even sure it could be done successfully, but once I get an idea in my head, it's hard to change my mind.

So now that I had decided to stuff my pork, the question became - what with? I opened my magic pantry and discovered some sundried tomatoes. What else did I have? Hmmm...there's a can of abalone mushrooms purchased from the Asian food store a couple weeks ago...and some walnut halves...and there are two slightly stale hot dog rolls...and some chopped frozen onions! That sounds like stuffing to me!

Pork Tenderloins with Kitchen Sink Stuffing

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, not in oil, rehydrated in 1 cup of boiling water for 15 minutes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup frozen chopped onions
drizzle of olive oil
handful of walnut pieces
two Martin's potato rolls, crumbled
2 abalone mushrooms, chopped, from a 15 oz can
salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped fine or pressed
1/4 water
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
splash balsamic vinegar
honey

Add frozen onions to a skillet and salt generously. When they have thawed, add a splash of olive oil, the sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms. Sautee for 10 minutes, until browned and fragrant and all moisture has evaporated. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning. I found the mixture to be a bit bland, so added approximately 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and a generous drizzle of honey. This made for a nice flavor balance. Toss in parsley, crumbled bread and water, stirring until bread is most. Remove stuffing to a bowl; cover and chill until cool.

I cut my pork tenderloins in half widthwise because I wasn't sure if I had a knife long enough to butterfly them whole, then cut each piece into a wide strip. When the stuffing was cool, I mixed in the walnut pieces. I then mounded the mixture onto the pork and topped the stuffing with slices of hard goat cheese. After rolling up the meat into fat logs, I secured them with wooden skewers, placed them on a foil-lined baking sheet, and drizzled them with olive oil and salt and pepper.

They cooked at 375 for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, since I was doing something vaguely Italianate with the pork, I decided to make a side dish of polenta. I had some medium-ground cornmeal, and some grits.

3 cups water
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup grits
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Bring water to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal and grits. Stir continuously, on medium heat, until the mixture thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 20 minutes. Stir in the butter, salt and pepper, and grated cheese.

For a green veg, I nuked some frozen peas in salted water for 4 minutes, drained them, then added a knob of butter. Easy peasy. :)

The stuffing was rich and mellow, and went well with the somewhat bland pork. I think it would also work well for chicken breasts, or perhaps some turkey tenderloins as well. Heck - beef too! The stuffing was also quite moist (but not at all wet) and precluded the need for any sauce or gravy. The "polenta" was flavorful, but not too dense, and the peas were a nice touch of green. Although a simply dressed arugula or other green salad would be quite appropriate as well.

The stuffing could have been made with any number of ingredients - perhaps chopped dried apricots and prunes instead of the tomatoes, or even dried cherries or cranberries. Pecans could have substituted for the walnuts; no nuts at all would have also been fine. Fresh basil would have been a welcome touch, but that will have to wait a few months until I can get my container garden started. And I could easily have substituted pre-cooked rice for the stale rolls, or maybe that last piece of cornbread hanging out in the fridge.

Stuffing doesn't have to be just for Thanksgiving, and doesn't have to come out of a box, either. If you have the the right ingredients on hand - and "right" is pretty limitless - you can stuff just about anything.