Hosting My First Thanksgiving

I’m back and just in time for a Thanksgiving post. This was my first year hosting Thanksgiving and let me tell you, I was so excited. I’ve always wanted to host turkey day at our house, but we normally go to my in-law’s. But this year, they were out of town and we weren’t able to go to my parents’ so they decided to come here. So my first Thanksgiving was a small one; just me, my husband, and my parents.

My family likes pretty traditional foods for Thanksgiving so I decided I’d play it safe and just make everyone’s favorite foods so there would be no misses. After browsing through lots of recipes I finally settled on the ones I would use. After a lengthy (and expensive) trip to the grocery store I was finally ready to get started. Thankfully, I got off work early on Wednesday so I could get a head start on the prep work. My parents came in Wednesday night so my mom helped me a lot on the actual day. And the verdict? Everything turned out great! But if I learned one thing from hosting my first Thanksgiving it would be that it’s a lot of work! I am so much more appreciative of my great-grandmothers, grandmother, my mom and mother-in-law who have planned and hosted Thanksgiving for many more people than I did for many years now. I would love to host again, but I think I might have to go into training beforehand next time. ; )

On the menu this year:

Garlic and Citrus Brined Turkey

For the brine
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
3 bay leaves
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 gallon water

For the turkey

1 8-10 lb turkey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in 1 gallon of water. Place the turkey in a large stock pot or brining bag. Pour the brining solution over the turkey. Add the sliced oranges, lemons, garlic and bay leaves to the brine solution. Refrigerate over night or place in a cooler with ice. Before cooking the turkey, rinse it well inside and out and pat dry with papertowels. Rub the turkey inside and out with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook as desired.

And yes, that is canned cranberry sauce…the only kind my family and I like!

Dressing

2 cups prepared cornbread, crumbled
2 cups Pepperidge Farm herbed stuffing mix
8-10 crumbled crackers (saltine or club will work)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
chicken broth (about 3-4 cups, enough to make the bread mixture moist)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Begin my sauteing the onions and celery in a little olive oil until soft, about 8 minutes. In a large bowl, combine cornbread, stuffing mix, celery, onion, butter, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Add chicken broth until the mixture is very moist. It will be just slightly soupy but the bread will absorb the liquid. Place in a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake 35-40 min.

Sweet Potato Casserole
(my mother-in-law’s recipe)

3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked until tender (should be easy to mash) about 4 med potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a baking dish.

For the topping:

1 cup pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), melted
1/2 cup flour

Mix all dry ingredients and sprinkle over casserole. Pour melted butter over the top. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. The top should be bubbly and have a golden crust.

Jiffy Apple Pie

3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place chopped apples in an 8×8 baking dish. In a bowl, mix dry cake mix, cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples. Slice the stick of butter into thin slices and place all over the top of the cake mixture. Bake for 35 min or until the top is golden and bubbly.

 

This apple pie is obviously not a traditional apple pie. It’s best served warm as a dessert topping for vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Classic Pecan Pie

• 1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.
3. Bake on center rack of oven for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.
4. **To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.
5. RECIPE TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly – it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust is overbrowning, cover edges with foil.
6. NUTRITION TIP: To reduce calories, substitute new Karo® Lite Syrup for the Karo® Light or Dark Corn Syrup.
7. High Altitude Adjustments: Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and increase butter to 3 tablespoons. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

My only complaint from the whole Thanksgiving dinner was that my pecan pie didn’t set. It’s the first one I’ve ever made and I followed the directions exactly, and it just didn’t set in the middle. I’m not sure why, but I’ll definitely be making another one in the future and hopefully will have better luck with that one.

Along with this we also had green beans and rolls.

Marinated Chicken Kabobs

Here’s another delicious dinner to add to my “it’s too freakin’ hot to cook inside” list. My sister was visiting for my birthday so I decided we would grill out last night. I had all the ingredients to make chicken kabobs so I decided to use this marinade recipe that I’ve used before and added about 1 tsp each salt and pepper. I used chicken, cut into 1″ chunks, bell pepper, red onion, and grape tomatoes. I tossed them all in a bowl with the marinade and let them marinate for an hour. Then I put the chicken and veggies on soaked skewers (to prevent burning on the grill). I also made some red potatoes in a foil packet on the grill so I wouldn’t have to do any cooking inside. I seasoned them simply with salt pepper and lemon juice and left them on the grill about 30 minutes.  It was a wonderful birthday dinner, even if I did make it myself. : P

On another note, I got new kitchen toys for my birthday! My wonderful husband got me the KitchenAid ice cream attachment and an extra bowl for my mixer. I’m so excited to make some frozen treats for summer!

Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

Here’s another terrific recipe that I snagged from another food blog, Annie’s Eats. I have gotten several great recipes from this blog. What can I say, the girl knows good food! And as I expected, this recipe definitely didn’t disappoint. What’s even better is it uses ingredients that I almost always have on hand; chicken, spinach, and tortillas. I also made some simple black beans to go along with my quesadilla tonight. I seasoned them with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. This meal also gave me a reason to pull out this amazing salsa that I bought while we were in Houston, TX last month. It’s not your traditional tomato based salsa and is made only of fire roasted peppers. And it is HOT! A little of this stuff goes a long way. It went so well with these delicious quesadillas.

Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

fajita seasoning, to taste

1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing

3-4 oz. button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

1 cup packed fresh spinach

3-4 flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Combine the lime juice, vegetable oil, red pepper flakes and garlic in a plastic bag. Seal and shake well to combine. Add the chicken breast to the bag and allow to marinate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Place the chicken in a nonstick skillet and sprinkle to taste with fajita seasoning. Cook on medium-high heat until cooked through. Cut into small pieces and set aside. In the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and spinach and sauté just until the spinach is wilted, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Brush a grill pan with olive oil and heat to medium/medium-high heat. Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas, spooning it onto half of each tortilla and leaving a border uncovered near the edge. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Fold the tortillas in half over the chicken mixture to enclose loosely. Place on grill pan and cook until dark grill marks have formed on one side of the tortilla. Flip over and repeat to achieve grill marks on both sides. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Serve as desired with sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

Dave’s Pepper Palace Five Amigos Salsa

Garlic and Herb Roasted Pork

As I was wandering the aisles of the grocery store last week looking for orzo, I came across couscous on the shelf. I had never had it before so I decided I’d pick some up to try this week. I opted for the pre-seasoned roasted garlic and olive oil kind since this would be my first time making it. So I stuck it in the cabinet and sort of forgot about it. Tonight, I was trying to think of a side for my pork roast and then I remembered that I had bought the couscous so I figured, what the heck, I’ll give it a try. I figured it would be pretty boring on its own so I decided to add about a 1/4 cup of chopped spinach and a tablespoon of lemon juice to it. I had seen this on a blog earlier this week (although I can’t remember which one). I’m pretty sure there was more involved in that recipe, but since I was using the already seasoned couscous, I just left it at that. I have to say it was pretty good and even my picky husband ate it, but I wouldn’t say it was my favorite thing ever. But even if it hadn’t been good, the roasted pork loin I made would have more than made up for it. It was so moist, flavorful and delicious. I’m really enjoying coming up with ways to use the fresh herbs I’m growing and this recipe couldn’t be simpler. It’s definitely quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal.

Garlic and Herb Roasted Pork Loin

2 lb pork loin

2 Tbsp chopped basil

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp dried thyme (I didn’t have any fresh)

1 tsp Pampered Chef citrus basil seasoning (you could omit this but I really like it)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus 2 more Tbsp

Begin by cutting 4-5 slits diagonally across the top of the pork loin about 1/2 ” deep. Sprinkle the citrus basil seasoning, salt and pepper on the pork roast. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl to form a paste. Rub the paste over the top and bottom of the roast, making sure to rub it into the slits as well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to 1 day. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pan and heat over medium high heat. Place the pork roast in the pan and sear on all sides. Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp is 160-165F. Remove from the oven and place aluminum foil over the roast. Let set for about 10 minutes. The temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees. Slice and serve.

Not your average potato salad

It’s hard to believe I’m from the south and have never made potato salad. I’ve always liked it, but have always bought it from the deli counter or eaten some that other people have made. Well my husband invited my in-laws over last night to grill out and while he was in charge of the grill, I of course, was in charge of the sides. I thought potato salad would be a good side for grilled burgers. Since I knew I’d be working all day, I decided to make this potato salad the night before. This recipe is a little different in that the potatoes are roasted instead of boiled like in most potato salads. It turned out really good and everyone seemed to like it. I do think making it a day ahead really helped all the flavors to meld together nicely. I got this recipe from a cooking chat board that I frequent. Thanks ad52905 for this great recipe!

Roasted Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing
From Cooking Light

3 pounds small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 bacon slices (uncooked), chopped
2 cups diced Vidalia or other sweet onion (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar(I used red wine vinegar because that’s all I had on hand)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring once. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 15 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized, stirring frequently. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds. Add onion mixture and bacon to potatoes; toss gently. Let stand 15 minutes.

Combine mustard, mayonnaise, honey, and vinegar in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add mustard mixture and parsley to potato mixture; toss gently.

8 servings (yield: 1 cup)

 

My Garlic Mashed Potatoes

One of the simplest but most comforting foods is mashed potatoes! But not just plain ole mashed potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes. I made up this recipe a couple years ago and they are the only mashed potatoes I ever make now. It’s also one of my husband’s favorite side dishes. A word of caution about this recipe though…I don’t really measure anything. The measurents are my estimation on how much of each thing I actually put in. I mostly go by look and taste. We had these potatoes tonight along with barbecue chicken breasts and green beans. It was a wonderful meal.

My Garlic Mashed Potatoes

4-5 medium red potatoes, washed and cut into cubes, skin on
1/4-1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1-1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain water off and place potatoes in a bowl. Add milk, butter, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or a mixer to remove any lumps. Add grated parmesan cheese and parsley and stir into the potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

So it’s been a while since I’ve updated my blog. Things have been so hectic around here and we’ve pretty much been fending for ourselves. I was exhausted tonight but decided I should cook anyway. My friend Elly sent me some orzo, since I’m so sheltered and had never tried it, so I decided to make that tonight. I saw this recipe on allrecipes.com and had saved it a week or so ago. Then I saw it on someone elses’ blog too and decided to try it. It was very easy and very good! I think I’ve found a new food that I love!

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
2. Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 – 20 minutes.
3. Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

* I didn’t have any chicken broth on hand so I just used 14.5 oz of water and added some salt. We had this with some grilled chicken and peas.

Original source: allrecipes.com

Quesadilla Night!

I always end up with a few left over tortillas that I don’t know what to do with and usually end up tossing them after a while. Well I found a use for my two left over tortillas by making quesadillas. This was the first time I’ve made them and if I do say so they turned out great! I also made taco rice from a Cooking Light recipe for taco rice salad to go with them.

Chicken Quesadillas

1 large chicken breast (pre-cooked, seasoned with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes) shredded-you could really use any left over baked chicken you have
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup mexican blend shredded cheese-I just used the bagged kind
2 large flour tortillas

Spray a pan with non-stick spray and saute peppers and onions until tender, about 5-7 min. Remove from pan and set aside. Again, spray the pan with non-stick spray and place one tortilla in the pan. Add a 1/4 cup of cheese, a layer of shredded chicken, and 1/2 cup of the pepper/onion mixture to one half of the tortilla. Add 1/4 cup cheese on top of that. Fold the other half of the tortilla over. Flip tortilla over once to ensure the cheese melts all the way through. Remove from pan. Repeat with second tortilla. Cut into triangles and serve.

Taco Rice

3 cups cooked yellow rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook rice as directed on the package. Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Use a fork to fluff rice and mix in seasonings.

Original recipe from Cooking Light-
http://tinyurl.com/32dc5v