Recipes Archives - Page 63 of 113

Baked Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

I think everyone cooks something special during the holidays. Perhaps there are traditional dishes you grew up with or you make homemade treats to give as gifts. On school days I limit sweets and other lower quality foods for my family. I really want the kids to be as well-nourished as possible so they can be at their best. But during their vacation, which just started a few days ago, I am a little more generous with treats.

Baked cake donuts are incredibly simple to make and much less unhealthy than fried. But my kids think they are magic. I’m not going to tell them I can whip up the batter in 10 minutes and bake them in 8, lest they start asking me to make donuts every day! I have a baked cinnamon cake donut on the site that is just delicious, but who doesn’t love a good chocolate donut?

These are similar to the cinnamon ones on my site. They are slightly denser and drier, less spongy and better for dunking than a muffin. But let’s all just agree that an iced chocolate donut is always a dessert and never a breakfast unless there’s no school for days and there are some scrambled eggs on the plate, too. In which case, I think these would be a fun treat for a Christmas brunch or dessert after Christmas dinner.

I saw some fun Christmasy decorations on Instagram which inspired these. I crushed up some freeze-dried raspberries, although strawberries would be just as good, and some pale green pistachio macarons. Both these items I found at my local Whole Foods. Other fun options could be fine shredded unsweetened coconut, dots of royal icing or dye-free sprinkles which you can buy on amazon and some natural foods stores.

You will need to have a donut pan though. I suggest a silicone-coated mold such as this one or this one, both of which do not contain any toxic substances which can leach. I have the latter one and I love it. You might even have time to order it for a last-minute Christmas present. Hope you and yours have a beautiful and joyful holiday. I’ll be back after Christmas!

Baked Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

Pamela

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Servings donuts

Ingredients

1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon whole milk or milk substitute at room temperature
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
6 Tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour or white spelt flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted + extra butter for greasing the pan
¼ cup cane sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate glaze:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon brown rice syrup
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
Topping suggestions: freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries crushed pistachio or green macarons, sprinkles or shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease the wells of the doughnut pan with some butter.
In a glass measuring cup, mix together milk and vinegar and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 5 minutes to curdle.
In a large bowl whisk together flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, honey, egg, vanilla and curdled milk.
Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients, taking care not to overmix.
Spoon batter evenly into wells of the doughnut pan, filling only 2/3 full.* If filled too high, there won’t be any doughnut holes. Another way to fill the wells is by transferring the batter to a quart-size Ziploc bag and snipping one corner ½inch and piping the batter into the wells. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until doughnuts spring back when pressed lightly. Allow to cool 5 minutes before turning doughnuts onto a cooling rack. Donuts can be glazed when they are slightly warm or cool.
Make the glaze: In a heat proof bowl, combine glaze ingredients and set over a small pot of simmering water. Stir regularly until ingredients are melted and smooth.
Dip tops of donuts in glaze and place glaze side up on a wire rack to allow glaze to drip. Sprinkle immediately with toppings, if desired.

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Fennel Salad with Citrus, Avocado and Ricotta Salata Recipe

I’m doing a little menu planning right now for my annual Christmas trip to my parents’ house, where we’ll (mostly I’ll) be cooking 3 meals a day for at least a dozen or more people. And this does require planning otherwise we will be schlepping to the market multiple times a day. And why would I want to do that when I can be obsessing over a 1000 piece puzzle all day, ignoring everyone around me? Exactly.

I don’t often think of salads when I meal plan during the winter in New York, but since it’s about 65 degrees there right now, I’m rethinking that and this will be on the menu for one dinner. This is my new favorite winter salad. I specify winter salad because I don’t make the same salads in the winter as I do in the summer. There are no local tomatoes or cucumbers right now, but there is fresh fennel and juicy citrus.

I’ve been teaching this salad in my classes this month and everyone is loving it. It’s light and refreshing and easy as pie to make. I think this would be perfect with fish, poultry or pork. Fennel is also an amazing digestive aid, which comes in very handy during the holidays. Wink, wink. As a child, I remember after a big pasta and meat dinner, my aunt would pass around a platter of raw fennel wedges and a bowl of clementines for dessert. It was the perfect end to a rich meal, but I loved fennel because it subtly tastes like licorice. So yummy. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned not all people ate raw fennel from a blue and white Wedgewood platter after dinner!

The components of this lovely salad are thinly sliced fennel, segmented citrus (preferably blood oranges or grapefruit,) avocado and ricotta salata + a citrus dressing. Like I always say, feel free to make substitutions and get creative. Other things you can add/sub:

radishes
frisee, butter lettuce or watercress
pomegranates
red onion or shallots

The image below is ricotta salata, which I love. It’s a dried ricotta made from sheep’s milk cheese, with a firm, but creamy texture and a little salty. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find. I buy it at my local Whole Foods, but there’s no other store in town that sells it. So when WF is out of it, I’ll use shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is also delicious here. But a good feta is also a nice sub.

If you’ve taken my classes in the last year, you know how obsessed I am with my new food processor. This is NOT a sponsored post for Breville even though I would be totally thrilled if they noticed me ;). I just think the adjustable slicing disc is genius. So I was able to go pretty thin with the fennel, but you can also do this with a mandoline or with a very sharp knife. If you have the Breville Sous Chef, I set the slicing blade anywhere between 1/2 and 1. Otherwise, just use the standard Cuisinart slicing disc. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, watch my YouTube video on how to use your food processor. And while you’re at it, check out this post for how to segment citrus.

I think the presentation of this salad is a little tricky, though. The best method is if you have a large platter on which you can spread the fennel ribbons in one layer and then tuck the grapefruit and avocado slices in randomly. Don’t worry about it being perfect. I apologized to a few of my groups this month that I couldn’t take the time to make this salad look more beautiful and I realized that was silly. It looked good enough to eat and it was gobbled up in record time. And that is good enough for me!

Fennel Salad with Citrus, Avocado and Ricotta Salata

Pamela

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Servings

Ingredients

Dressing:
2 teaspoons minced shallot about ½ a small shallot
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
3 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 large fennel bulbs bottom trimmed, stalks discarded, fronds reserved
6 blood oranges or 2 large grapefruits
2 firm but ripe avocados, halved and pitted and sliced crosswise
1/3 pound ricotta salata shaved (if unavailable, feta or Parmesan are nice alternatives) Do not slice with a food processor. Use a knife or vegetable peeler.
Maldon or flaky sea salt to taste

Instructions

In a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine dressing ingredients, shake until emulsified and set aside.
Halve the fennel bulb and remove the core. As thinly as possible, slice the fennel lengthwise. Use a mandolin, extra-thin blade on your food processor, vegetable peeler or a knife. Place fennel in a large bowl.
With a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the blood oranges and segment the slices. See my blogpost “How to Segment Citrus” for a visual.*
Arrange the fennel across a big platter and toss with enough dressing to moisten lightly.
Tuck the citrus segments and avocado slices into the fennel and scatter the cheese. Drizzle remaining dressing or only as much as is needed.
Garnish with fennel fronds, if desired. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

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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:

Brussels Sprout Latkes Recipe

Pamela

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Servings -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.

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brussels sprouts eggs onion potatoes

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!

No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Pamela (inspired by these bars)

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Servings 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.

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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.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins

Pamela

Adapted from Kim Boyce

4 from 1 vote

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Servings

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 3/4 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.

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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!

Leftover Stuffing and Egg Bake

Pamela

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Servings

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.

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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!

Lemon Turkey and Barley Soup

Pamela

5 from 2 votes

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Servings

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.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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!

Baked Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

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Fennel Salad with Citrus, Avocado and Ricotta Salata

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Instructions

Brussels Sprout Latkes Recipe

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Instructions

Notes

No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

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Instructions

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins

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Instructions

Leftover Stuffing and Egg Bake

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Lemon Turkey and Barley Soup

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