November is finally here and marks the beginning of the festive season. First in line is of course Thanksgiving.  Just imagine, a roasting turkey in the oven getting golden brown, plump and juicy with wonderful aromas emanating from that oven. There’s rolls rising in a warm spot in your kitchen, stuffing all ready to be heated up, yams boiling away in the pot, vegetables ready to be cooked, friends and family all gathered in your living room, watching the game, stomachs growling; waiting for the feast. Is this a nightmare or a cherished memory you would like to have? Whichever it may be, the kitchen goddess (that is yours truly) is here to the rescue. Yes, this month’s issue will be dedicated to the beginning of the holiday feast.

Whether you are a seasoned cook or a novice, you need to have a game plan. Most importantly, preplan ahead of time; even as far as two weeks in advance, what you would like to make. Start gathering and printing the recipes that you will be preparing. Don’t go overboard! I think we all tend to overdo (including myself) on the amount of variety that will be served. Depending on how big a family or guests you will be feeding, the general rule is to have one meat, two sides (a vegetable and starch) not including the dressing, and a dessert. If you have a bigger crowd, add an extra side or make up with an appetizer. Anything else is just pure gastronomical indulgence (which I am guilty of).

Next, take a good look at the recipes and see which ones can be prepped ahead of time. The more you get done before Thanksgiving, the easier it is on you. If you are making cranberry sauce, you can make it as early as five days in advance. If you plan to make stuffing from scratch, purchase a loaf of bread or baguette, cube it and lay them out to air dry or dry in a preheated 250 degree oven for about half hour, making sure you turn them every ten minutes or until the bread is dry and crusty. Sometimes, I just cube the bread and leave them in the oven a couple of days in advance. Just remember to remove them before using the oven! Depending on the kind of stuffing you are making again, cornbread can be either purchased a couple of days ahead of time or made ahead of time and crumbled the day before. Vegetables can be prepped at least three days in advance. Potatoes can be boiled the day before, reheated when ready to be mashed the next day. Onions, garlic, parsley, etc can all be prepped at least two days in advance and placed in baggies to be stored in the refrigerator. Make sure all vegetables are thoroughly washed and dried before storing back in the refrigerator. Pies, depending on the kind of pies you are making, can be baked two days in advance. Pecan pies can be made to the point of baking and frozen. The pie need not come to room temperature before baking but does need extra time for baking, around 10 to 15 minutes longer.

If you are using a frozen turkey, make sure you start thawing it in the refrigerator at least two days in advance. It does take a while to thaw before you can do anything to it. If you are buying a fresh turkey, you can purchase it two to three days in advance and place it in the refrigerator until ready to use. If you plan to brine the turkey and using a frozen turkey, make sure you thaw it at least three days in advance before brining.

Okay let’s get back to the initial preplanning. With all the recipes printed and making notes of which items can be prepared ahead of time, now it’s time to go grocery shopping. Make sure you write everything down as meandering through the aisles trying to remember what you need not only distracts you from your original plan but you are more apt to forget a few things; hence more trips to the store, maneuvering around stressed people who are there the same reason as you are, etc, etc…….With shopping done, now its time to go back to your planner and see what can be prep ahead of time and what can only be done last minute.  What I normally do is write down how many days in advance I can pre-prep the ingredients on the recipe itself. Next I make a rough calendar for myself and list on it what I can do on Monday, Tuesday, etc. I also list the time I want the item to be cooked or how long it needs to be baked in the oven.

Timing is very important on this day especially if you have only one oven and majority of your items need to be baked. Stuffing can be baked before roasting the turkey along with any other casseroles and reheated in the oven once the turkey is done roasting. This ensures that your food will stay warm when it is time to serve and letting the turkey rest after it is done roasting in the oven. If you follow the above game plan, you will be more organized, in addition of having less to do, more time to relax, and most important of all, a successful Thanksgiving that everyone will rave about!  Okay, enough preplanning, now let’s get cooking.

The menu below is suitable for those of you who are new to preparing a turkey dinner but pretty capable in the kitchen. For you seasoned cooks, this may be a different take to your regular repertoire to spruce up your regular menu.

Antipasti platter (Appetizer)

Mixed Greens with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing (Salad)

Glazed Roast Turkey with Citrus and Herb Butter (Entrée)

Herbed Bread Stuffing (Accompaniment)

Green Beans with Pecans (Vegetable/Side)

Garlicky Mashed Potatoes (Side)

Sweet Yeast Rolls (purchase from store)

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

RECIPES

Antipasti Platter:  This can be put together in a jiffy as all the ingredients are purchased ahead of time and assembled before your guest arrive. Purchase some deli meats such as Genoa Salami, Capicola, Mortadella, Prosciutto, or any deli meat of your choice along with a mix variety of olives, a block of feta cheese, aged provolone cheese, and fresh baby mozzarella and cube the cheeses. Also purchased a crusty baguette and slice thinly. Arrange the meats in a circular fashion on a big platter and pile the cubed cheeses in the middle in a circle. Place the olives in a pretty bowl to be served alongside the meats, cheeses and bread. The above items can be purchased a week in advance. Cheeses can be cubed two days in advance. Baguette can be sliced three hours in advance).

Salad Greens with Homemade Bleu Cheese Dressing

Can be made three days in advance and store in the refrigerator.

11/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 cup blue cheese, coarsely crumbled

½ cup buttermilk for thinning

Purchase one bag of pre-packed baby mixed greens.

Mix first four ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add blue cheese and stir until well blended. Add buttermilk a tablespoon at a time to thin out the dressing if too thick. Place mixed baby greens in a salad bowl. Pour dressing over and toss. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Glazed Roast Turkey with Citrus and Herb Butter

1 (12-14 pound) turkey

2 lemons, one thinly sliced, the other cut in wedges

1 large onion, cut in wedges

1 large orange, cut into wedges

12 sprigs fresh thyme, divide in half and finely chop one half

6 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 sticks butter, melted

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup apple cider

1 lemon, juiced

½ cup dark molasses

2 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

6 cups chicken broth

½ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Remove turkey giblets, neck bone and liver from the cavity and place the giblet and neck bone in the bottom of the roasting pan. Wash turkey inside out and pat dry with paper towel. Place your fingers underneath the skin between the breast meat to loosen the skin, all the way to the thighs and drumstick if possible, making sure not to tear the skin. Season turkey with salt and pepper outside and inside of the cavity. Next place the cut onion, lemon, orange, 6 sprigs of thyme, and rosemary inside the cavity of the turkey. Tie the legs together with a piece of twine. (Can be prepared one day ahead and refrigerated. Remove turkey one hour earlier to come to room temperature before roasting)

Mix the melted 2 sticks of butter with the remaining chopped thyme, 1 ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar in the bowl. Pour half of the butter mixture over the bird and rub the other half between the skin and meat of the turkey. Massage the turkey to distribute the butter mixture.

Place the turkey in the roasting pan along with the giblet and turkey neck in the oven on the lowest shelf. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the apple cider, lemon juice, 1 cup chicken broth, and dark molasses in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and pour 31/2 cups of chicken broth into the roasting pan. Baste the turkey with 1/3 of the cider mixture.  Cover the turkey with heavy duty aluminum foil. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake the turkey for another 2/12 hours, basting with the cider mixture two more times during that time until the meat thermometer register 165 degrees when pierced at the thickest part of the thigh or until the juice runs clear. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and tent with a foil, letting the turkey rest for 30 minutes. Very important: Do not attempt to carve the turkey right after it comes out of the oven unless you like dried out turkey. The turkey needs to rest and redistribute its juices. Cutting into the turkey right out of the oven will cause all the juices to flow out leaving the turkey dry.

To make the gravy: Strain the broth, over a sieve, from the roasting pan into a 4-cup measuring cup adding the balance of 1 ½ cups of chicken broth. Skim any fat that rises to the top and set aside. Discard any solids in the sieve. Melt 2 tablespoon butter in the roasting pan and add 1/3 cup all purpose flour. Whisk flour until smooth and slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour the strained liquid from the measuring cup into the pan, whisking continuously until gravy is smooth, about 5 minutes. When sauce starts to simmer, add in the buttermilk and continue to whisk. Remove sauce when totally blended and thicken to gravy consistency. Pour sauce in a gravy boat and serve over turkey.

Note: For those of you who would like to take this recipe up another level, try brining the turkey ahead of time before even beginning this recipe. Brining will produce a much moister turkey and prevent the turkey from drying out in the oven.

Brining solution: Mix together in a large saucepan 1 cup kosher salt, 1 quart apple cider, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup whole black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 12 whole cloves, 2 whole cinnamon sticks, 8 sprigs fresh thyme, 8 sprigs fresh rosemary. Bring brine mixture to a boil over medium heat until the salt and brown sugar has dissolved. Turn off stove and cool brine solution.  Add 8 cups ice cubes to the brine mixture. Place turkey in a clean ice chest that would fit the turkey. Pour the cooled brine over the turkey along with about one gallon ice water over the turkey, making sure the turkey is submerged in the water. Leave turkey to brine for 8-24 hours. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towel and continue with the recipe above.  Note: As turkey is already salty from the brine, you can eliminate salting the turkey inside and outside the cavity at this point.

Serves 6-8

Herbed Bread Stuffing

A very simple but extremely flavorful and delicious stuffing

Vegetables can be prep two days in advance. Bread can be air dried or baked in the oven two days in advance. Stuffing can be made six hours in advance.

2 loaves Italian bread, cut into ½ inch cubes

3 large onions, chopped

4 cups celery, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 pound mushrooms, sliced ½ inch

1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 cup fresh sage, finely chopped

½ cup fresh thyme, finely chopped

2/3 cups milk, plus a little extra on the side

2 sticks butter, room temperature plus 5 tablespoon, sliced

1 can chicken broth

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoon ground pepper

½ tablespoon sugar

Prep bread two days in advance and place on baking sheet, spreading out evenly to air dry until bread becomes stale. If short of time, Preheat oven to 250 degrees, place bread on baking sheet and bake in the oven for about ½ hour turning every ten minutes until bread is very light brown but dry.

Place bread in a large mixing bowl. Pour 2/3 cups milk over bread to moistened and mix until thoroughly soaked. Add a little extra if bread is still dry. Do not add too much or bread will become mush. Once bread has become soft, discard any remaining milk left in the bowl.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add the butter. Sauté the onions until translucent about 8 minutes. Add the mushroom a handful at a time, mixing the ingredients in the pan thoroughly before the next addition. Sauté the mixture until the mushrooms are lightly golden, about 5-8 minutes. Next add in the celery and parsley, sage and thyme. Stir mixture well and add half of the chicken broth first. Add salt, pepper and sugar. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour vegetables over the softened bread cubes and mix thoroughly. If stuffing feels dry, add the balance chicken broth little at the time, gently folding the mixture until the stuffing is just moist to touch. Pour stuffing into a 9 x 13 greased casserole dish. Dot the top of the casserole with the sliced butter. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes.

Serves 8

Green Beans with Pecans

Green beans can be cooked two hours ahead of time and reheated in the microwave when ready to serve..

1 ½ pounds green beans, washed and ends trimmed

6 tablespoon unsalted butter

¾ cup pecans, chopped

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2  teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Bring a large saucepan of water with 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and refresh under cold running water. Drain. In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the pecans, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, sugar, and the black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the pecans are golden brown and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the green beans and cook, stirring, until well coated and warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and serve.

Serves 6

Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes can be precooked, cooled and store in the refrigerator the day before. 

3 pounds small new potatoes, washed and cut in half

12 large whole garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoon butter

¼ cup chives, chopped (opt).

Place potatoes and garlic in heavy large pot. Cover with water.  Add salt to the water. Bring to boil over high. Reduce to medium; cover and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and return potatoes and garlic to pot.  Add whipping cream and butter. Mash until well blended. Season to taste. Sprinkle chives over potatoes before serving.

Note: Mashed potatoes can also be prepared an hour ahead of time, covered with a couple tablespoon of butter placed on top of the potatoes, and place over a double boiler on very low simmer until ready to serve.

Serves 6

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Love both pecan and pumpkin pies but only have time to make one? Don’t worry. I have a solution. Have both in one pie! To top it off, use a pre-made pie crust to make your life easier.

1 frozen pie crust of your choice

Pumpkin filling

1 cup canned pumpkin pie filling

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoon sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pecan filling

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup dark corn syrup

2 small eggs

2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Pinch of salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

¾ cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Pumpkin filling: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Pecan filling: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Spoon the pumpkin filling into the pie crust, spreading evenly to distribute. Gently pour the Pecan Syrup on top. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, around 35-40 minutes.

Serves 8

Kitchen Tips: Something as easy as preheating the oven ahead of time helps minimize waiting on the oven to heat up in addition to having the oven warmed thoroughly before baking anything.

Instead of rolling a pie crust in flour when making pies for dessert, try sprinkling powdered sugar instead.  This will give the crust a little extra sweetness and the crust will not stick on the table.

I hope this issue helped make your Thanksgiving preparation a little easier and gave you ideas on how to jazz up the feast. Just remember food alone will not make the day special. Friends and family are what makes the day a perfect celebration. With Christmas just around the corner, don’t forget to check out my next newsletter as I will be giving you more recipes and tips on preparing for Christmas. Until the next issue, eat well, stay healthy, and enjoy life to the fullest.

“There are four unbroken rules when it comes to Thanksgiving: there must be turkey and dressing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.” -- John Hadamuscin's Down Home (1993)