Recipes Archives - Page 60 of 111

Brussels Sprout Latkes Recipe

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I learned how to make latkes from an unlikely source — my Puerto Rican mother-in-law, who like me, also did not grow up Jewish. But let me tell you something. That woman makes the best latkes I have ever had. The. Best. And I’ve had a lot. They’re a cross between lacy and meaty, with the perfect crispiness and seasoning. No one even cares what else is on the Hanukkah dinner menu since we all practically make a meal of latkes as they come out of the frying pan.

Since there are still 4 nights of Hanukkah left, I thought I would squeeze in this recipe. Full disclosure though, these are not my mother-in-law’s latkes. She wouldn’t dare mess around with Brussels sprouts or anything too healthy. She’s pretty straightforward — all potato and onion. And no one complains. But I taught these in my classes this month and everyone has been raving. Personally, I would love to substitute a little more Brussels sprout for potato, but my family stopped me here, the point where they couldn’t tell there were Brussels sprouts in there. I am crazy for Brussels sprouts and love the taste, so I think a little more would be a good thing.

I originally got the idea for using Brussels sprouts from my talented friend, Phoebe Lapine, who has a blog called “Feed Me Phoebe.” She actually makes her latkes with all Brussels sprouts! How about that? And she serves them up with an anchovy aioli. So fun to be young and cooking for not picky children. I would love anchovy aioli. I digress. I merely took my basic latke recipe and subbed in 1/2 pound of Brussels sprouts which I sliced in my food processor. And yes, I use a food processor to make latkes. They do not taste better when the potatoes and onions are grated by hand. That is an old wives tale meant to make all the ladies who lost their knuckle skin feel better. Using a food processor is awesome, fun and the way to go. See my post for how to use your food processor if this intimidates you. If you know how to use a toaster oven, you can use a food processor!

A couple of latke-making tips:

Latkes taste best right out of the frying pan. But you can make them ahead and freeze them if you want. Fry them until the are barely golden, i.e. underdone, and freeze them in one layer on a sheet pan. Once they are frozen, scoop them up and store them in a container or a resealable bag until ready to use them. Bake them frozen on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees until hot and crisp, about 10-15 minutes, and serve.
You can also make them an hour ahead and keep them warm in one layer in the oven at 200 degrees.
Do not make the latke mixture ahead of time though. It will turn all shades of ugly.
Frying, as opposed to baking, makes them taste the best, so just let go of the fact that you will be overheating your oil and crating all sorts of inflammatory particles and free radicles. Life is about balance. Enjoy the fried latkes.
You can use any number of binders including matzoh meal, potato starch, all-purpose flour, panko crumbs and even ground up cereal. I use potato starch if I am serving to anyone gluten-free, but I think it also makes a lighter latke.
Do squeeze the living daylights out of your potatoes and onions. The less moisture, the crispier the latkes. I posted a picture of me on Instagram squeezing the mixture in an extra-large nut milk bag. Best method ever. Then just wash the bag in soapy water and let air dry. I only use this one for veggies, not making nut milk. This is the one I use and it’s $9 on amazon. You’ll have it for years. Otherwise use a thin flour sack towel or cheesecloth.
When the bottom of the bowl starts to get liquidy, just pull the mixture from the top. You don’t want a drippy, soaking wet mixture. The latkes won’t be crispy and the oil will splatter everywhere.

If you do celebrate Hanukkah, have a joyful rest of the holiday. For everyone else, I’ve got you covered with some fab Christmas and party recipes coming up!

Shop the tools I used for this recipe by clicking on the images below:

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Brussels Sprout Latkes Recipe

Author: Pamela

Serves: 15-20

Ingredients

½ pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed (or 3 cups pre-shredded)
1 ½ pounds Russet potatoes, about 2 or 3, peeled or unpeeled, and cut to fit a food processor, if necessary
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon sea salt
A few grinds of black pepper
½ - ¾ cup potato starch, panko bread crumbs, all-purpose flour, or matzo meal
Olive oil for frying (or a refined peanut oil or grapeseed oil has a higher smoke point, although not exactly healthful)

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the slicing disc attachment, thinly slice the Brussels sprouts. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Change the disc to a shredding disc and shred the potatoes and onions. Squeeze out as much liquid as humanly possible. I like to do this by placing the shredded vegetables in a thin kitchen towel and wringing it out. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes and squeeze again.
Add the shredded potatoes and onions to the Brussels sprouts. Mix well. Remove 2 cups of this mixture and add to the food processor this time with the metal S blade and pulse twice until everything is finely chopped.* Add back to the mixing bowl.
Add the eggs, salt, pepper and bread crumbs to the vegetables and combine well.
Heat the olive oil in 2 large skillets until hot, but not smoking. You want more than a thin layer.
Using about 2-3 tablespoons of the Brussels sprout-potato mixture, form the latkes into 2 ½-inch pancakes. Flatten slightly and carefully place into the pan. When the edges are brown and crisp, turn them over and continue cooking until deep golden. I usually flatten them in the pan when I flip.
Lay paper towels on a cooling rack or brown paper bag. Transfer the latkes from the pan to the rack. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Serve immediately with applesauce or sour cream (if you must).

Notes

*If you don't want any "meatiness" to your latkes and prefer all lacy-ness (not really a word, but you know what I mean), don't pulse the vegetables.

No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Recipe (no added sugar)

After I posted these chocolate peanut butter bars on instagram a few months ago, I was harassed, yes harassed! into teaching them in my classes pronto. Of course they look delicious and beautiful and there’s no added sugar, so I can see why there would be interest. But, no one could focus in my cooking classes after that. “The soup looks great, Pamela. But when are you teaching “the bars?”

So I pushed this recipe up on the schedule from February to December and I am even doing something very uncharacteristic — I am posting the recipe before I have finished teaching it. It is the season of giving and I love you all, so here it is.

Are these chocolate peanut butter bars all that? Well, if I do say so myself, they really are. They are incredibly simple to put together and taste like a Reeses peanut butter cup collided with a larabar. But, they’re not terrible for you. You don’t need an oven, but you do need to make them ahead. They’re hard to beat, if you ask me.

The base is a combo of dates and roasted, salted peanuts — chewy with a little texture. The chocolate layer is melted chocolate and peanut butter plus an extra drizzle of peanut butter which gets swirled around into a pretty design like you’re all of a sudden a pastry chef. And did I mention easy to do?

Since there are very few ingredients here, you know what that means. The better the ingredients with which you start, the better the final product. Poor quality peanut butter will give you bars that are not as good as these you see here. I think you’ve seen in one of my Friday Favorites posts that I am very loyal to Santa Cruz Organic peanut butter. It is quite honestly the only one I buy because it is the only one that meets my standards for peanut butter which are these:

organic, since peanuts are very heavily sprayed
in glass, since plastics leach when food is stored in them for long periods of time
no added sugar or salt, since I like to control the types of salt and sweeteners I add to my food
no added hydrogenated oils; can you say “inflammation?” Avoid please.
tastes delicious!

I love Santa Cruz Organic because they have been in the organic business before organic became a buzz word and a trendy marketing strategy. Their products are also non-GMO and the company supports sustainable resources. They are the real deal and have been since day 1. After they saw my post a few months ago, they reached out and offered to provide me product for my next recipe that involved peanut butter. So sweet! So even though I am always reluctant to do a sponsored post, I accepted this one with a full heart since you know I have been a fan of Santa Cruz both on the blog, in my cooking classes and in my personal kitchen for many years. You can find Santa Cruz products, including the peanut butter, at most Whole Foods store and other natural foods stores. I have been purchasing Santa Cruz peanut butter from thrivemarket.com, which has the best prices. There are four options: Light-Creamy, Light-Crunchy, Dark-Creamy and Dark-Crunchy. For this recipe I prefer the creamy, either light or dark.

The key with achieving perfect swirls here is to make sure the peanut butter is a loose, drizzly consistency, like when you first stir the jar. If it is too thick, it won’t swirl well. Read the recipe for what to do if your peanut butter is too firm. I am going to pan a few pans of these for cookie exchanges and for potlucks this season!

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No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Author: Pamela (inspired by these bars)

Serves: 16 squares

Ingredients

oil or butter for greasing dish
1 cup roasted, salted peanuts
1 cup dates, pitted
3 ½ ounces semi-sweet chocolate (approximately a heaping ½ cup)
3 ½ ounces dark chocolate (or use all semi-sweet)
¼ cup creamy or crunchy natural (unsweetened and unsalted) peanut butter, divided

Instructions

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9-inch glass baking dish with oil or butter and line with unbleached parchment paper.
Place peanuts and dates in the bowl of a food processor and process until completely crumb-like and sticky. Press into the bottom of your baking dish evenly, creating a crust. If mixture is too sticky, use plastic wrap to help spread it out.
Using a double boiler or glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate with 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter and stir until combined and creamy. Pour on top of the peanut/date crust.
Using a small spoon, drizzle (do NOT dollop) the remaining 2 Tablespoons peanut butter over the chocolate, teaspoon by teaspoon, in lines. If your peanut butter is not loose enough to do this, warm over a double boiler to thin it out.
Using the tip of a knife, gently create swirls along the top of the bars. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator 10 minutes before serving. Remove from baking dish and cut into squares. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge.

chocolate dates peanut butter peanuts

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins Recipe

I don’t know if you cooked a little or a lot for Thanksgiving (or maybe not at all), but were you like me wishing even a little that everyone would eat a bit more slowly? I mean, that’s a lot of cooking just to be inhaled in less than 30 minutes. I whispered to my husband during dinner, “please slow down the pace a little.” And it’s not just Thanksgiving day that I wish wouldn’t fly by. I would have loved to relax and enjoy the weekend a little more. But the holiday energy can be kind of overwhelming. Regardless, I had a really nice few days with my family, including my daughter who was home from college. She actually was my assistant for the KTLA segment on Friday morning. So sweet.

I almost posted these delicious sweet potato muffins last week, but I just couldn’t swing it. Even though I have been making them for years during every season, I just realized that they would be a good vehicle for leftover sweet potato casserole. They would also be delicious for a brunch, breakfast or after school snack. My kids all love them, as does my husband who is not much of a sweet potato guy, but doesn’t seem to notice here. I am a big sweet potato pusher with the family since they are incredibly nutritious. They are so so rich in antioxidants, and so versatile. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed I even eat sweet potatoes for breakfast with a drizzle of almond butter and whatever fruit is in season. Of course, they make great baked fries, are terrific in stews, stir-fried and roasted. I love them.

When I taught these in my breakfast class a few years ago, I made lots of improvisations. The most popular was adding chopped, cooked turkey bacon to the mix! I’m not big on bacon, but it was the most popular variation that month. Smoky, salty bacon is pretty perfect with the sweetness of sweet potatoes and the dried fruit. As you know I am a huge fan of dates, but sometimes I’ll use dried cherries, cranberries (so fall!), raisins, currants, or diced prunes (so underrated!) Once I added the zest of an orange which was a nice change. Otherwise, these are a lightly sweetened, almost dense muffin with fragrant spices and little nuggets of dried fruit and ginger. Heaven.

I think most muffins are best the day they are made, these included. But they also freeze well, individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a container or a resealable bag. One variation I haven’t tried yet is to make this into a loaf or in a cake pan and cut into squares. I’ll try that next. But not too soon since apparently I’m already behind on my holiday shopping. Jeez.

4.0 from 1 reviews

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Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins

Author: Pamela

Serves: 12

Adapted from Kim Boyce

Ingredients

2 small sweet potatoes or one medium sweet potato, about ¾ pound total
Dry mix:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
6 large Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped or ¾ cup dried fruit, like raisins
¼ cup diced crystallized ginger
8 pieces of turkey bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup plain whole yogurt
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (cold or room temp)
½ cup pure maple syrup (Grade A or Grade B) or coconut sugar or sucanat
1 large egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roast the sweet potato for 1 to 1 ½ hours, depending on their size, until they are tender when pierced with a fork. The bottoms should be dark, even burnt-looking, and the juices beginning to caramelize. Set aside to cool, then peel and leave whole.
Lower the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 –cup muffin tin with unbleached parchment liners.
Combine the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add chopped dates, ginger and bacon (if using) and mix until coated.
In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and yogurt.
Add the butter and sugar (or maple syrup) to the bowl of a standing mixer. Attach the paddle and mix on high speed until the butter and sugar are light and creamy, about 3 minutes. (If using maple syrup, mixture will be lumpy.)
Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and half of the sweet potato and mix on medium speed for about 1 minute, until thoroughly combined. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
On low speed, so the flour doesn’t go flying everywhere, add the dry ingredients and mix until partly combined. Add the buttermilk mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining sweet potato and mix until barely combined. You want to see pieces of sweet potato in the mix.
Scoop batter into muffins cups (an ice cream scoop does a good job of this.)
Bake for 35-40 minute or until tops of the muffins spring back when pressed. Take muffins out of tin and place on a rack to cool. Best when served warm.

buttermilk dates sweet potatoes

Leftover Stuffing and Egg Bake Recipe

Friends, I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and that it was everything you hoped it would be. I feel very grateful that we had a house full of family and friends, many of which spent the whole day with us watching the parade, football, and popping in and out of the kitchen to chat with me. That’s what it’s all about in my opinion. It’s also nice to have the meal go smoothly and taste good, for sure.

Maybe you have some leftovers today! I was on KTLA Channel 5 in LA this morning at 9:45 am PST offering up some creative and easy ideas for what do with them. If you’re not in LA or you missed it, you can check out the segment below. I shared two ideas for five classic Thanksgiving foods: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Here’s what I talked about:

Turkey: turkey quesadillas with cranberry salsa (recipe here) and curried turkey salad in lettuce cups (sub turkey for chicken in this recipe)

Mashed potatoes: mashed potato croquettes (take some grated cheddar cheese and mix it into mashed potatoes, form the mixture into small patties, dip in egg, then panko breadcrumbs and sauté in olive oil) and shepherd’s pie (to an 8 x 8 casserole dish add 2 cups of cubed turkey, 2 cups leftover roasted veggies or frozen veggies, 1 cup gravy mixed with 1 cup of stock, top with mashed potatoes and grated cheese or a little melted butter, bake at 350 until bubbly)

Stuffing: stuffing stuffed mushrooms (brush olive oil on mushrooms with the stem removed, put a spoonful of stuffing in cavity and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes) and stuffing egg bake which I am giving the recipe for today.

Cranberry sauce: cranberry-yogurt-granola parfait (recipe here) and oatmeal with cranberry sauce

Pumpkin pie: pumpkin pie French toast casserole (just sub half the bread with an equal measurement of cubed pumpkin pie — this is to die for!) and leftover pumpkin pie smoothie (just scrape the pumpkin pie filling into a blender — freeze it if you have time — add almond milk to get the desired consistency, a drop of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon to taste)

There are really infinite uses for Thanksgiving leftovers, but something I mentioned in the segment was that if you are totally over Thanksgiving food, all of the above can be frozen for a rainy day.

This strata was a huge hit after the show when the crew descended upon the table. And I couldn’t blame them. This egg bake is essentially like a strata or a frittata with bread and veggies. Although it’s easier than both of those since you just stir a cup of stuffing into 3 beaten eggs and bake! I think most stuffings would work for this recipe. I tried it with my mushroom and leek stuffing as well as a cornbread, fennel, chicken sausage and apple stuffing and they were both delicious! Have friends over for brunch tomorrow or make for dinner with a green salad tonight and give yourself a break. On that note, after 29 people for dinner last night and an early wake-up call this morning, I am calling quits for the rest of the weekend. See you all next week!

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Leftover Stuffing and Egg Bake

Author: Pamela

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil, for greasing the ramekins
2 cups leftover Thanksgiving stuffing
6 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease 2 4-inch ramekins* with olive oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the stuffing and mix to combine.
Pour the egg and stuffing mixture into the ramekins and bake until set and lightly golden brown, about 50-60 minutes. Or divide the mixture into 4 ramekins and bake for 25-30 minutes. Pictures on the blog were done in 2 ramekins (thicker.) Egg bakes on the morning news segment were done in 4 (thinner.)

Notes

*You could also use a medium skillet or a loaf pan.

Thanksgiving

Lemon Turkey and Barley Soup Recipe

Maybe you’re in the whirlwind of Thanksgiving preparation madness and can’t focus on the day after quite yet. But just thinking about this soup relaxes me. You know how I am rather structured and favoring traditions on Thanksgiving? I am just as much that way the day after Thanksgiving. I stay in my pajamas until noon, forgoing the turkey burn spin class that everyone else is at, in favor of a very leisurely breakfast with my family and holiday shopping on my laptop. But the first thing I do on Friday morning is to start my turkey stock on the stove with last night’s carcasses and fresh aromatic vegetables. Now when I smell turkey stock, it feels like a day off. And then I always make some version of a simple turkey soup for dinner. What’s nice about using the remnants of a roasted bird versus a raw one, is that you don’t have the accumulation of fat to contend with. So the resulting stock can be used that same day (as opposed to waiting until the next day to remove the fat that has solidified from the top.)

In general, you can take any soup which calls for chicken and chicken stock and replace it with turkey. Turkey just has a stronger, more distinctive flavor which tastes like….turkey! But you can take my Chicken and Lime Soup with Avocado and use turkey there, or Italian Wedding Soup with shredded turkey instead of turkey meatballs, and so forth. Or just make a batch of stock and freeze it for a rainy day. This soup though, is the perfect antidote to all the richness from Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a nice, light broth soup with a little tang from fresh lemon juice. I love that it doesn’t taste like yesterday’s meal. I personally like eating my leftovers in a transformed way, as opposed to just heating them up and having the same exact meal the next day. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course.

I had some turkey leftovers from a recent class, so I made this Lemon Turkey and Barley Soup for my family and they all, even Mr. Picky, loved it! What’s lovely about barley is that it thickens up the longer it sits so I enjoy this soup even more the next day, and so did my kids when I put it in their thermoses for school lunch. If you are gluten-free, I think any kind of rice would be nice instead of barley. Be mindful of the cooking times, though. Brown rice takes 50 minutes and white takes 18. I asked the kids what they thought of the lemon juice in the soup and they all thought it was the perfect amount — definitely lemony, but not too much. I personally would have liked a little more lemon, but that’s something that can be added to each individual’s bowl, as well. It’s a nice, fresh twist on a barley soup. For a more traditional barley soup, check out this link here and sub turkey stock if you like.

Ironically, this year my day after Thanksgiving will be different. I’ll be waking up before the sun comes up and heading over to KTLA Channel 5 (not in my pajamas) armed with my Thanksgiving leftovers to make some delicious recipes with the anchors that morning. If you are in LA and are interested in tuning in, my segment is scheduled for 9:45 am!

Until then, I hope you have a wonderful holiday. I always remind myself in the midst of the planning and prep and cooking that this day is about being mindful of all we have to be thankful for — and there’s always, always something. I am so grateful for all of you and my students, from whom I learn so much and who inspire me every day!

5.0 from 2 reviews

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Lemon Turkey and Barley Soup

Author: Pamela

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon herbs de provence*
8 cups turkey or chicken stock, preferably homemade
¾ cup uncooked barley (not hulled – takes too long) I like Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills, which say “pearled,” but they’re only semi-pearled.
2 teaspoons sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound leftover turkey meat, shredded or cubed
2- 4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used 4 Tablespoons and thought it was perfect)
5 ounces (about 5 cups, packed) fresh baby spinach leaves
Grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the herbs de provence and stir.
Add the stock, barley, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook partially covered until the barley is tender, at least 30 minutes.
Stir in the cooked turkey and simmer until turkey is heated through. If you want the barley to become larger and thicken the soup a little, just simmer another 10-20 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice and spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt, pepper or lemon juice, if needed. Serve with grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes

* Herbs de provence is a blend of dried herbs which often include thyme, oregano, savory, marjoram, rosemary, and other herbs. If you don’t have herbs de provence, feel free to make your own blend of these herbs to use instead.
** You can also substitute 1-2 cups cooked grains and decrease the stock to 6-7 cups. You will just need to warm the grains through and not cook them for the full amount of time.

barley carrot celery lemon onion turkey

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2015 — 1 week and counting

This post has been edited from the original which was published on November 17, 2011.

Is it just me, or have the last few weeks flown by?? I am getting super excited for Thanksgiving. We have a great group joining us this year, although I am still unsure about how many we’ll be. The latest count is 27 peeps! I am also looking forward to some one-on-one time with the kids, especially my older daughter who will be home from college! I used to get all of them in the kitchen Thanksgiving morning to help me with pies or trimming green beans or whatnot, but my two daughters have taken to sleeping until noon on days off. However I had a stroke of genius four years ago, which was to tack my Thanksgiving to-do list on the refrigerator and have everyone sign up for three tasks. Even my husband helps out!

My last class is Monday night, but I will be getting busy this weekend. I always plan Thanksgiving day down to the last detail because I don’t like forgetting things and a schedule makes me feel more relaxed, which equals more fun for me! But just because Thanksgiving is the star of the show this week doesn’t mean that I can forget about normal life on very other day. So I think about regular meals and activities, too. Here’s what my schedule will look like from Sunday until we eat on Thursday at 4:00 pm (-ish). This shouldn’t make you feel exhausted, but merely show you what you can do ahead for your own Thanksgiving!

Here’s my menu for Thursday and after that is my timeline so you can see how everything can get done.

BREAKFAST

Struesel coffee cake (I’ve been making this for 20 years, but it’s from an old, out-of-print book.)

LUNCH

Butternut squash soup

Mini Cornbread Muffins

HORS D’OEUVRES

Crispy cauliflower

Zucchini cheese tart

Small cheese board

DINNER

2 Whole Roast Turkeys and Gravy (18 pounds each)

Cranberry Sauce (x2)

Applesauce (x1)

Mashed yukon gold potatoes (10 pounds)

Sweet potato casserole (x 1 1/2)

Stuffing (mushroom and leek) (x1)

Stuffing (sourdough, chicken sausage, apple, fennel)(x1)

Delicata Squash Salad with Roasted Apples (x3)

Crispy Stove-top Brussels Sprouts (4 pounds)

Green Bean Casserole (x4)

Spinach Gratin (x1)

DESSERT

Homemade vanilla ice cream

Whipped Cream

Apple-Caramel Sauce

Fresh Fruit Platter

I have two friends bringing another dessert.

Schedule:

Sunday

Grocery shop for everything other than turkeys and produce

Arrange tables & chairs

Make cranberry sauce and applesauce

Write placecards

Monday

Prep for tonight’s class

Make salad vinaigrette for salad

Make 2 qts. ice cream

Dry mix for sweet potato casserole with a note about adding butter

evening: Cooking class

Tuesday

Pick up turkeys and produce

Buy and arrange flowers (last year I made arrangements with white hydrangeas, flowering kale, roses, and snapdragons)

Brine turkey for 24 hours

Set tables

Wash and dry greens

Shred cheese for tart, salad

Toast pumpkin seeds for salad

Dry bread cubes for stuffing

Chop onions for soup, stuffings, gratin

Defrost spinach for gratin

Make apple caramel sauce

Dinner: pumpkin and black bean chili, spinach quesadillas

Wednesday

Make butternut squash soup

Steam cauliflower; bread and refrigerate

Make sweet potato casserole
Clean mushrooms and slice for bean casserole

Make stuffings

Prep Brussels sprouts
Prep zucchini

Blind bake tart crust

Defrost turkey stock and chicken stocks

Prep delicata squash for salad

Blanche green beans

Make pumpkin pies

Make pecan pies

Make spinach gratin

Bake gingerbread muffins

Set up coffee and tea service

Check powder room

Uncover turkeys

Leave butter, eggs and sour cream out for cake

Dinner: spice-rubbed salmon, brown rice, sautéed Swiss chard

Before bed: make sure garage refrigerator door is closed! (Five years ago, I left the door open to my extra fridge in the garage all night long. OMG. Disaster! Needed to buy two new turkeys on Thanksgiving morning!)

Thursday

6 am Wake and shower

Make coffee cake

Make decaf coffee

Make cornbread

Make apple pies – All pies must be out by 10:45AM

9:00 Take turkey out of refrigerator

Roast delicata squash and apples for salad

Prep turkeys

11:00 Put turkeys in oven

Get dressed and do hair

Make crispy onions for bean casserole

Prep coffee machine for after dinner

12:00 Reheat soup

Herb oil for tart

Prep gravy ingredients

Remove salad dressing from refrigerator

Add melted butter to sweet potato topping

Blanche brussels sprouts

Assemble fruit platter

2:00 Peel potatoes; make mashed potatoes; keep in bowl over simmering water

Prep tart

2:15 Bake tart

2:30 make cauliflower and serve hot

3:00 sweet potato casserole in small oven

start green bean casserole

3:15 Take turkey out to rest, oven to 350

Reheat stuffings at 450

Make gravy

3:30 remove foil and add topping to sweet potatoes

Add green bean casserole to oven

Bake gratin for 20 minutes at 425

Sear brussels sprouts

Light candles, water, butter, cranberry sauce, applesauce, assemble salad

3:45/4:00 Carve turkeys

After dinner: whip cream, coffee and tea, sparkling water

After everyone leaves, write notes for next year!

Friday

Segment on Thanksgiving leftovers on KTLA Morning News. Stay tuned for time!

Perfect Mashed Potatoes Recipe

A few years ago, I asked my husband if I could make cauliflower mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving instead of the “real” kind. “I think you’re taking this healthy food thing too far,” was his response. Really? “Who cares about mashed potatoes?” is what I thought. For someone who loves planning and cooking Thanksgiving dinner as much as I do, it’s pretty ironic that I don’t like turkey, stuffing or mashed potatoes. So every now and then I test the waters to see if I can eliminate one of them. Nope, never happens.

I have even asked if I could make Thanksgiving mashed potatoes more exciting. “Honey, why can’t we be one of those couples who serves roasted garlic mashed potatoes or parsnip-celery root mashed potatoes with caramelized leeks?”

“Um, because no one in my family would want to eat those.”

Drat. And this, people, is the reason there are “friendsgivings.” I vow to do one next year with all sorts of seemingly crazy, alternative twists on tradition.

In the meantime, if I’m going to make plain old mashed potatoes, I might as well make them the best that they can be. And that involves significant dairy. In fact, I taught these in my classes a couple of years ago and I titled the recipe, “Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes” just to put a little alert they’re not diet food. If you usually come here for truly healthful recipes, I have not sold myself down the river. It’s just this once, I promise.

In my opinion, mashed potatoes should be smooth and flavorful, light and creamy. I have tried mashed potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream and I wasn’t a huge fan. But I don’t skimp on the butter. I have been using this recipe for many, many years and it never disappoints. But there are a couple of key tips to making excellent mashed potatoes no matter what recipe you use. I much prefer Yukon Gold potatoes over Russet potatoes. Yukon Golds are buttery and creamy. Russets have less flavor and are a little grainy. Starting your potatoes in water, as opposed to bringing water to a boil and then adding potatoes, will help cook potatoes more evenly. A ricer or a food mill will result in the smoothest consistency. A ricer presses the potatoes into small, rice-like bits which blend super easily when mixed with butter and half-and-half. I have had my ricer for almost 20 years and I think it’s this one on Bed Bath & Beyond, but amazon.com has this one which looks exactly the same as mine and it’s prime so you can order it today and get it well before Thanksgiving. Do NOT use a food processor to puree your potatoes. They will turn into glue!! Lastly, warm up your half-and-half and butter before adding them to the riced potatoes. This will keep everything nice and warm.

My last tip is a good one: you can make mashed potatoes up to two hours in advance if you like. We eat at 4:00 pm and I start the process at 2:00 pm. Place them in a heatproof bowl, cover them with foil or a lid and set the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water. Make sure the bowl doesn’t sink so far into the pot that you will have difficulty getting it out (that was a problem for me one year.) The hot water will keep the mashed potatoes warm without drying them out. No need to add extra butter or cream on top. Just give them a stir from top to bottom before serving.

This is my last Thanksgiving recipe before the holiday since I think everyone has a pretty good idea of his or her menu by now. I will be posting my final menu and timeline on Thursday as well as a couple great leftover recipes next week. Exciting!

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Perfect Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes

Author: Pamela

Serves: 12-14

Ingredients

6 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces*
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 ¼ cups (18 ounces) half-and-half, heated
sea salt, to taste

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill pot three-fourths full with water. Bring to a boil and add the tablespoon of salt. Boil gently until potatoes are very tender and can be pierced easily with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well in a colander.
In the meantime, warm the half-and-half with the butter in a small saucepan.
If you are serving the mashed potatoes immediately, place a ricer or food mill over a large serving bowl. If you are holding the potatoes for up to 90 minutes before serving, place the ricer or mill over the top pan of a double boiler, or a large heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of hot water (but not touching the water). Put the potato cubes through the ricer or mill. (Alternatively, mash the potatoes using a potato masher). Slowly add the half-and-half/butter mixture, a little at a time, stirring constantly with a large spoon or a large whisk, until the potatoes are very creamy but not soupy. Season to taste with salt.

Notes

**Can be peeled, cubed and stored covered with water in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight, if necessary. Drain before cooking in fresh water.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Apple Caramel Sauce Recipe

Have you been waiting for that one Thanksgiving recipe that is going to knock your socks off? The one for which you would change your menu? That makes you say, “that’s it!” Here it is. This has been my absolute favorite Thanksgiving dessert of all time. I don’t make it every year because I also make three kinds of pie, but I do dream about it.

This is not a bread pudding with regular bread and pumpkin puree in the egg mixture. This bread pudding is made with pumpkin bread, so perhaps it should be called “Pumpkin Bread Bread Pudding?” What do you think? I’m not even a huge bread pudding fan, but this is to die for. I do love pumpkin bread though. And this is basically cubes of pumpkin bread enveloped in a lightly sweetened custard. I take my standard pumpkin bread recipe and use currants instead of nuts, cut it up and dry it out slightly, and soak it in a mixture of eggs, half and half, maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla. Dust it all with cinnamon and bake it. I mean…..it’s so delicious. Tender pumpkin bread soaking up all that goodness with little pockets of soft custard here and there. SO. DELICIOUS.

Sound too boring?

Right. Then serve it with this apple caramel sauce which is probably one of the most delicious things I’ve ever drizzled on anything. I am not going to lie and say this is good for you or sugar-free or anything like that. But it’s Thanksgiving, and who wants to eat healthy caramel sauce on Thanksgiving? Not me!

Even if you don’t make the bread pudding, which you should, you should make this caramel because a drizzle of this on on anything will make it better, especially ice cream or a simple apple galette or a spoon.

Here’s your game plan:

Make the pumpkin bread now and freeze it. Defrost the day before you want to make the cubes. (Or buy prepared pumpkin bread and skip that step altogether.)

Make the pumpkin bread cubes the day before you make the pudding. Allow to sit at room temperature.

Make the salted caramel sauce up to 2 days in advance. Warm before serving.

Make the bread pudding up to the point of baking up to 12 hours in advance and refrigerate.

Bake as early as the morning of Thanksgiving or when the turkey comes out of the oven. Keep in mind you need to place the baking dish inside of a roasting pan with a water bath. If you only have one roasting pan, make this in the morning so you’re roasting pan will be available for the turkey. If you make it early, it can be rewarmed, if desired.

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Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Apple Caramel Sauce

Author: Pamela

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

For the pumpkin bread*:
1½ cups whole wheat pastry or white whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup pure maple syrup
1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) or half a 15-ounce can
⅓ cup melted butter or coconut oil
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk or water or almond milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup currants (or diced dates or raisins)
For the custard:
3 ½ cups half-and-half
¾ cup pure maple syrup
5 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons bourbon (or dark rum)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the apple caramel sauce: (adapted from Bobby Flay)
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup unsweetened apple juice
1 star anise
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups granulated sugar, preferably organic
½ cup water
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Calvados (apple brandy) or apple schnapps

Instructions

To make the pumpkin bread, preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9X5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Whisk all the dry ingredients (except currants) in a large mixing bowl. Blend all of the wet ingredients in a blender. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (do not overmix). Stir in currants. Pour into loaf pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, approximately 1 hour. Allow to cool completely.
Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and dry out a little on a baking sheet overnight or toast in a 325 degree oven, turning once, for 30 minutes. Let cool before proceeding. (You can do this the day before.)
In a medium saucepan, mix the half-and-half and maple syrup and bring to just a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
Whisk together the eggs, vanilla and bourbon until foamy. Slowly whisk in half-and-half mixture until thoroughly blended.
To assemble the bread pudding, place the dried out pumpkin bread cubes in the bottom of a 9X13 inch baking dish. Pour the custard mixture into the dish evenly. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes so that the bread can soak up the custard. Or allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator, covered.
Sprinkle the cinnamon over the top of the bread pudding. Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan and fill the pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake in the center of a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges yet still slightly soft toward the center. Remove the baking dish from the water as soon as it’s taken from the oven. I usually do this by placing two metal spatulas underneath the baking dish to lift it out of the water bath and ask someone to help me transfer it to a trivet to cool.
To make the apple-caramel sauce:
Combine the cream, apple juice, star anise, ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Cover and remove from the heat and let steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain the mixture into a clean, small saucepan and place back over low heat while you make the caramel.
Combine the sugar, water and vinegar in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook WITHOUT STIRRING, until it’s a deep amber color, about 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in the warm cream mixture a little at a time, and continue whisking until smooth. Add the Calvados and cook for 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. This sauce can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat before serving.
Serve bread pudding warm or at room temperature with apple-caramel sauce.

Notes

*Or use 1 9 x 5 already prepared pumpkin bread.

eggs pumpkin. cinnamon