582 gentle thanksgiving Recipes

i use a 3 1/2 to 4 lb chuck roast, well marbelized with fat, and if you can find a bone-in roast, that s better yet (but it s almost always boneless chuck that you find at the grocer). i like to quickly rinse the roast in cold water just before i lay it on the cutting board to coat it with seasoned flour. place the following ingredients in a small baggie and shake the closed bag to mix it up, flour, salt, garlic salt, crazy mixed-up salt (if you can tsp get this seasoning, use seasoned salt instead, but jane s is by far the best), pepper, use your hands to generously pat the seasoned flour into the roast, on both sides, flipping the roast a couple times and repeating the process., in a dutch oven or roasting pan large enough to hold the roast, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat - you want your pan and oil to be hot enough to sear the roast well when you put it in the pan. when the oil is just about to the smoking point, put the roast in and cover the pan. let the meat sear until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip the roast. let it sear for a minute or two on the second side, then add, beef stock (i much prefer the boxed stock to the canned broth - it just seems to give the gravy a much richer taste in the end), cover the roasting pan and place it in a pre-heated 300 degree oven. roast for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falls apart easily. i check the roast each hour, quickly opening the lid, just to make sure the stock has not evaporated. as long as your pan has a good seal on it, this shouldn tsp happen. but if necessary, add more stock to the pan., an hour before the roast is done , prepare the mashed potatoes. peel 6 large red potatoes (these work better - at least for me - because they are much moister than the russets, so the mashed potatoes are creamier); cut into 1/4th, and place them in a large saucepan - rinse the cut potatoes 2 times in cold water, then cover them in fresh cold water and place the pan over medium high heat; boil until tender. this is usually about 30 minutes, but it depends on the size of your cuts, so just cook them until you can easily insert a fork into a potato. drain potatoes well, reserving 1 cup of the water for the gravy. add the following to the hot potatoes, butter, sour cream, milk, salt, crazy mixed up salt (use regular salt or garlic salt if jane s salt is not available), pepper, i use a hand masher , but you can use an electric mixer or however you chose to mash the potatoes into a creamy yet firm texture. add more milk if potatoes are too stiff. place the mashed potatoes in a buttered casserole dish, cover with foil, and place in the oven to keep warm while you make the gravy., prepare the gravy, melt 2 tbsp butter, stir in 1/4 cup flour to make a paste, stir in enough beef stock to thin the paste enough to pour., finished roast from the pan and place it on a plate; cover meat with foil to keep warm., place the roasting pan over a medium flame and bring the liquid to a gentle boil (i usually seem to have about 1 1/2 to 2 cups liquid in the pan when the roast is done - if you have less, just use the beef stock to increase your liquid)., use a whisk to gradually whisk in the butter/flour/stock liquid., add 2 tbsp beef base - i use tone s (i prefer beef base to buillon - has a richer flavor and is really worth having on hand, but if you can tsp find this, try knorr s beef buillon extra large cubes), add the 1 cup of reserved potato water, add 1/2 cup beef stock, taste the gravy and see if you want more seasoning. i usually find i don tsp need to add anything at this point, since i have the seasoning from the flour coating and the stock and the beef base. if you think you need more seasoning, add salt and pepper to your taste. beef base will also give you more saltiness., keep the gravy warm while you uncover the meat and use 2 forks to pull the meat apart into small to medium chunks., you are now ready to assemble...

red potatoes (key ingredient for this, as they are much moister than russets), each wrapped in foil and baked until done (400 degrees for about 1 hour, just until soft when gently squeezed). when done, remove from foil and let them set out to cool down enough to handle, or make them ahead of time and keep in refrigerator (once cooled) until ready to use., smoked ham, cubed into bite size pieces (ask the deli to slice a 3/4 slice of smoked ham if you don tsp have any ham leftovers to use - be sure to use smoked, not honey, ham), tb butter, tb flour, teapsoon garlic powder (don tsp use garlic salt since there s plenty of salt in the ham and butter - you can mince a couple fresh garlic cloves, if you prefer), crazy mixed-up salt (about 1 tsp), pepper (about 1/2 tsp), half-and-half (gives you a richer sauce than milk), grated gruyere cheese, grated velvetta cheese, some thin butter slivers for topping

these blueberry ricotta pancakes are perfect for a special breakfast or brunch, and they re easy to prepare. ricotta cheese gives them a wonderful texture and orange juice gives them extra flavor., all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, melted butter, ricotta cheese, egg, orange juice, milk, vanilla extract, blueberries, grated orange zest, optional, oil, in a bowl, combine the flour with baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar., in another bowl, whisk together the butter , ricotta cheese, egg, orange juice, milk, and vanilla., combine the wet and dry ingredients just until blended., gently stir in the blueberries and orange zest, if using., in a skillet or griddle, heat oil over medium heat., spoon a small amount of batter onto the hot skillet and spread gently with the back of the spoon.

rack of lamb trimmed and bones cleaned (about 1 1/2 lbs.), alderwood or fruitwood chips, water + sweet red wine, cure--- do this 2-3 days prior, garlic, half a cup of olive oil, an oz. of fresh rosemary, an oz. of fresh oregano, oil cured kalamata olives, ground coriander, sumac (if you don tsp know what this is, skip it), raw sugar, juice of two lemons, salad, giant portabella mushrooms, fresh zucchini blossoms, fresh hibiscus flowers, lambs lettuce, escarole, fresh mild goat cheese, toasted pistachios, vinaigretto, super-excellent olive, half a cup of fresh tangerine juice, sweet quince jelly (glykokythoni), fine dijon mustard, garlic, egg yoke, salt , a pinch of cayenne

recipe pastry for double-crust pie (see recipe below), sugar, cornstarch, salt, sliced, peeled apples (6 medium), maple-flavored syrup or pure maple syrup, whipping cream, vanilla, milk, sugar or maple syrup, pastry for double-crust pie, in a mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 tsp salt. using a pastry blender, cut in 2/3 cup shortening until pieces are peasize. sprinkle 1 tbsp of cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. repeat moistening dough, using 1 tbsp cold water at a time, until all the dough is moistened (6 to 7 tbsp cold water total). divide dough in half. form each half into a ball. on a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten 1 dough ball. roll dough from center to edge into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. to transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. continue as directed above.

grated coconut, sugar, margarine, raisins, cherries, salt, flour, dry yeast, warm water, egg , gently beaten, sugar, water

there is 1 christmas carol that has always baffled me ., what in the world do leaping lords , french hens, swimming swans , and especially the partridge who won tsp come out, pear tree have to do with christmas today, i found out., until 1829, roman catholics in england were, not permitted to practice their faith openly. someone, during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young catholics., it has two levels of meaning : the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember., partridge in a pear tree was jesus christ ., two turtle doves were the old and new testaments., three french hens stood for faith, hope and love., four calling birds were the four gospels of matthew , mark, luke & john., five golden rings recalled the torah or law, the first five books of the old testament., six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation., seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the holy spirit--prophesy , serving, teaching, exhortation , contribution, leadership, and mercy., eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes ., nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the holy spirit--love , joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness , gentleness, and self control., ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments ., eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples., twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the apostles creed ., there is your history for today. this knowledge was shared with me and i found it interesting and enlightening and now i know how that strange song became a christmas carol

cucumbers, peeled, seeded and shredded, roma tomatoes , gently seeded and chopped, carrot, peeled and shredded, radishes, shredded, green onions, chopped, green chile or jalepeno, chopped, cilantro, to taste, chopped, lime , zest and juice, kosher salt to taste

chart house jumbo lump crab cakes, jumbo lump crabmeat, special crabmeat (also called regular, deluxe, flake or white), egg, mayonnaise, parsley, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, salt, white pepper, japanese-style panko breadcrumbs, shells from the crabmeat , being careful not to break up the meat. place in a stainless steel mixing bowl., in another mixing bowl, mix together the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. mix in the breadcrumbs., pour the mayonnaise mixture over the crabmeat. using a rubber spatula , fold this mixture into the crabmeat gently but thoroughly. be careful not to break up the jumbo lumps. cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour., form the mixture into six crab cakes (4 oz. each). gently shape the cakes, but do not overwork them. place each 1 in a parchment-lined sheet pan. (these can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to cook.), broil , preheat the er and adjust the oven rack to the middle shelf. place the cakes in a buttered, oven-proof dish. on the middle shelf until brown on top. gently turn the cakes over and continue cooking until brown on top and cooked through.

refried beans , either from 1 15-oz can, veggie bacon, cooked and minced (optional; can use olive oil instead), chipotle powder , tabasco chipotle sauce, or adobo sauce, more to taste (or plain chili powder to taste), ground cumin, salt, shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese, chopped green anaheim chiles (canned ) or a tbsp of chopped pickled jalapenos (more to taste), avocado, peeled and chopped, hot house tomato , cut in half horizontally, seeds and juice gently squeezed out and discarded, chopped, sour cream , or if you can get it crema mexicana (mexican ), sliced ripe black olives

frozen biscuits, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, shortening, two packages yeast, warm water, buttermilk, sift dry ingredients together , cut in shortening. dissolve yeast in warm water; add to milk. add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. turn dough onto floured surface and knead gently several strokes. pat or roll out to desired thickness; cut and place on greased cookie sheet and freeze. if desired, when biscuits are frozen, roll each in melted butter that has been cooled to room temperature. place biscuits in freezer bags or freezer containers. defrost biscuits 30 minutes before baking; bake at 400 f until, browned. makes 4 to 5 dozen biscuits .

instant yeast (2 1/2 tsp, or 4 oz), honey, warm water (divided ), bread flour (plus additional for dusting the work surface), whole wheat flour, kosher salt, extra virgin olive oil, cornmeal for sprinkling the baking pans, special equipment : baking pans or cookie sheets, pizza stone (optional), makes eight 6-7 inch pitas, procedure, combine the two flours in a medium bowl., whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and keep whisking until the mixture is very smooth. cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until doubled and bubbly., stir the salt into the remaining flour mixture ., mix in the remaining flour , 3/4 cup water, and olive oil. stir until a shaggy dough forms., turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic., lightly spray a large, clean bowl with cooking spray (or coat with olive oil). place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat in the oil. let sit in a warm spot for at least an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size., punch down the dough (it s fun) and cut into 8 fairly even pieces., lightly flour a work surface ., roll each dough piece into a ball between your hands. flatten 1 of the dough balls , then roll out on your floured work surface to 6-7 inches in diameter. transfer the pita to the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. repeat with each dough ball., let the dough rest, loosely covered with a clean kitchen towel, for 30 minutes., if you are baking your pita on a pizza stone , place the stone on the oven floor, and remove the middle oven rack (move the second oven rack to the top position, out of the way). if you don tsp have pizza stone, remove the top oven rack, and place the second rack in the lower middle position., preheat the oven to 500of., transfer the pitas , two at a time, to the pizza stone or oven rack. bake for 2 minutes on 1 side, gently flip with tongs or a long spatula, and bake on the other for 1 minute., pita to a cooling rack. cool for 1-2 minutes, then stack to keep warm.

roasted garlic, head jumbo garlic (do not use elephant garlic, which is too bitter), olive oil , as needed, preheat oven to 325 degrees. lightly baste head of garlic with a little olive oil. wrap garlic in foil, and poke a few small holes in foil. bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until garlic meat is soft.( i never wrapped mine in tin foil)., roasted garlic can be added to other dishes or served alone as a spread with french bread. after roasting, the garlic will keep for several days if refrigerated., serve , slice the garlic in half horizontally, drizzle olive oil over it, and warm in oven until golden. gently squeeze each half to remove meat.), penne pasta with roasted garlic, tomatoes, stemmed and halved, extra virgin olive oil, head roasted jumbo garlic, white wine, unsalted butter, fresh thin asparagus spears, fresh penne pasta, fresh basil, chopped, salt and pepper to taste, goat cheese, room temperature

hash brown casserole, frozen hash browns (thawed ), butter, melted, cream of chicken soup, chopped onion, shredded cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, preheat oven to 350. defrost hash browns. combine next 6 ingredients, and mix gently., spray a 3 quart baking dish with butter flavored pam., put mixture in baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. remove foil and and bake 10 more minutes or until done.

poblano chile casserole with corn and cheese, fresh poblano chiles, butter, yellow onion, chopped, garlic cloves, minced, fresh corn kernels, or frozen thawed (from about 6 ears or two 10-oz packages), grated manchego or monterey jack cheese, cooked white rice, crema or sour cream, red salsa (see recipe below ), grated queso anejo or parmesan cheese, char chiles over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. enclose in plastic bag and let stand 10 minutes. peel chiles. starting at stem end, carefully cut 1 slit down length of each chile, leaving stems and tops intact if possible. carefully remove seeds and veins from chiles., preheat oven to 350 degrees f. melt butter in heavy large saute pan over medium heat. add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. add corn and saute 2 minutes. season to taste with salt and pepper. cool completely. stir in manchego or monterey jack cheese. stuff chiles with corn mixture., butter 15x10-inch baking dish. place rice in prepared dish. nestle stuffed chiles in single layer into rice. mix crema and red salsa in medium bowl; pour over chiles and rice. sprinkle with anejo cheese., bake until chiles are heated through and sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes (about 40 minutes for refrigerated casserole)., red salsa, vegetable oil, yellow onion, thinly sliced, garlic, sliced, fresh jalapeno chili pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced, salt , or to taste, canned plum tomatoes with their juices, in a saucepan over medium heat , warm the vegetable oil. add the onion and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. add the garlic, chili pepper and salt and cook for 2 minutes longer. add the tomatoes and their juices and reduce the heat to low. cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally to break them up, until soft and the juices have reduced by half, 10-15 minutes., let cool slightly , then transfer to a blender. puree until smooth, then strain through a sieve placed over a bowl. set aside to cool completely for use as a table salsa. or reheat gently over low heat to use hot. to store, cover tightly and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

baking soda, buttermilk or sour milk, cake flour or 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sugar, divided, cocoa, salt, vegetable oil, eggs, separated, vanilla extract, vanilla ice cream, quick and easy flaming cherry sauce, flaming cherry sauce, quick and easy flaming cherry sauce : combine 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling with 1/4 cup orange juice in chafing dish or medium saucepan; heat thoroughly. gently heat 1/4 cup kirsch (cherry-flavored liqueur) in small saucepan; pour over cherry mixture. carefully ignite with match. stir gently; serve as directed. (repeat procedure for sufficient amount of sauce for entire cake.) 6 to 8 servings., flaming cherry sauce, pitted dark or light sweet cherries, drained, reserve 3/4 cup liquid ), sugar, cornstarch, salt, freshly grated orange peel, cherry-flavored liqueur or brandy, stir together reserved cherry liquid , sugar, cornstarch and salt in chafing dish or medium saucepan. cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils, about 1 minute. add cherries and orange peel; heat thoroughly., gently heat liqueur in small saucepan over low heat ; pour over cherry mixture. carefully ignite with match. stir gently; serve as directed. (repeat procedure for sufficient amount of sauce for entire cake.) 4 to 6 servings.

chocolate espresso cake, when it comes out of the oven the cake should still be moist - sticky even - in the middle. as it cools the cake will sink slightly and the crust will crisp., on cooling , the outside of the cake becomes sponge-like, whilst the center remains dense and fudgy., fine dark chocolate, chopped, a small espresso (about 3 tbsp very strong coffee), butter, diced, eggs, separated, golden caster sugar, cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, line the base of a 8-9 inch shallow springform cake pan with silicone baking parchment paper, buttering the pan lightly to hold it in place., melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. as soon as it starts to soften, add the coffee and leave it for two or three minutes. stir very gently, then when the chocolate has melted add the butter. stir until it has melted., meanwhile , beat the egg whites with an electric mixer till stiff, then fold in the sugar. mix the baking powder with the cocoa powder and flour. remove the chocolate from the heat, quickly stir in the egg yolks, then slowly, firmly, and gently fold the melted chocolate into the egg whites. lastly sift in the flour and cocoa mixture., stir the mixture tenderly with a large metal spoon, taking care not to knock out any air. it should feel light and wobbly. do not overmix - just enough to fold in the flour. scoop into the lined pan and bake in an oven preheated to 350of for thirty-five minutes. leave to cool in its pan, then turn out.