Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thanksgiving Feast


Thanksgiving is the single biggest holiday in America, where families from all religions and nationalities come together to celebrate.  Thanksgiving has been celebrated for a long time in America however it was not until 1941, that congress declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday, to be celebrated the 4th Thursday in November.

Turkey is the traditional dish for the Thanksgiving feast. In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations. There is no official reason or declaration for the use of turkey. They just happened to be the most plentiful meat available at the time of the first Thanksgiving in 1621, starting the tradition.

Side dishes are what make a Thanksgiving Dinner so why not try some of these to even go with a traditional roast dinner.. 

New York Style Wacky Sweet Potatoes 

Peel and slice 5 sweet potatoes, c & mash with a spoon of butter, 3 tablespoons of orange juice and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Pop into a gratin dish and top with mini marshmallows bake for 15 mins until marshmallows are puffed up and golden brown .....  

Roasty Sweet Potatoes

Cut 6 sweet potatoes into large cubes, pop into a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil, cumin salt & black pepper.  Bake at 200 for 30 mins.


Sweet potato casserole topped with pecans

Peel and slice 5 sweet potatoes, place in a gratin dish, cover with veggie stock, top with grated parmesan cheese, bake at 200 for 40 mins remove from the oven scatter the chopped pecans over the top bake again for 10 mins.

Sweet Potato Gratin

Peel and slice 5 sweet potatoes in a gratin dish, cover with heated cream with garlic, season with salt and pepper cover with a mixture of 1 cup of  breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
Bake for 45 mins or until tender at 200 degrees.

Caramelised Brussels Sprouts with pistachios

2 cups of Brussels Sprouts sliced – steam for about 8 mins.
Melt some butter in a non stick pan Рpop in half a red onion saut̩ and a dash of red wine vinegar cook until onions are nice and brown, tip in the Brussels with a tablespoon of brown sugar and another dash of vinegar, sautee until heated through Рpop into a bowl and garnish with a handful of pistachios.

Succotash…

An American veggie dish... with onions, garlic peppers, courgette, corn, peas and butter beans in a tasty tomato sauce...

In a non stick pan heat the olive oil cook the onion until translucent, then add the garlic cook for 1 min.
Now pop in the peppers & courgettes, cook for about 5 mins and  then add the corn, peas, beans & pasata. 
Continue to cook for about 10 mins until the veggies are tender.  
Season with salt and cracked black pepper

Sesame Green Beans

Heat a little oil in a non stick pan, add sesame seeds stir in 2 cups of  green beans, sauté for 2 mins, pour over quarter of a cup of veggie stock cook for 10 mins until stock evaporates and beans are tender.....



Maple Roast Turkey Breast w Riesling Gravy

1 Turkey Breast 
3 tbls of butter
3 tbls of pure maple syrup
1 cup of Riesling wine
1 cup of stock

Oven @ 200  gas 6

  1. Season the turkey breast with salt, pepper and rub with 1 tbls of butter.
  2. Pop the Turkey into a baking pan and place in the oven to cook
  3. About an hour before the end of cooking gently melt the maple syrup and butter pour mixture over the turkey breast and continue to cook.
  4. Remove the turkey from the oven and place on an carving board to rest, (as it better to carve) covered completely with a clean cloth
  5. Reserve the pan juices to make the Riesling wine gravy

Riesling Wine Gravy

Drain excess fat from the juices of the pan, transfer to a small pot.  Pop the wine, salt & pepper into the pot and bring to the boil.  Leave to simmer and transfer to a sauce boat or if you wish to thicken it with a teasp of gravy granules.


Sweet Pumpkin, Nutmeg & Pecan Pie 

1kg of pumpkin or butternut squash
100ml milk
100ml cream
3 eggs
200g brown sugar
500g short crust pastry
1 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp caster sugar
200g soft brown sugar
Grating of Nutmeg
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 handful of chopped pecans

You need a 23cm pie dish for this recipe.

  • Peel & Chop the pumpkin bite sized chunks.  Pop the pumpkin into a pot with the milk, sugar, cinnamon and a grating of nutmeg, cover and cook over a gentle heat for about 45 mins to 1 hour, ensuring the pumpkin is soft.
  • Drain and leave to cool in a sieve over a bowl for a few mins.
  •  Meanwhile butter the pie dish with a little butter.  Roll out the pastry & line the pie dish with 2/3 of the shortcrust pastry .  
  • Pop the pumpkin into a bowl and mash well, combine with cream, 2 eggs and the cornflour.  
  • Pop the pumpkin mixture into the pastry case and scatter the pecan nuts over the top.  Roll out the remainder of the pastry into a circle to fit the pie dish.  
  • Use a fork to press the sides down.  Pop the remaining egg into a cup, whisk with a fork until frothy, and brush the top and sides of the pie case with the egg mixture.  
  • Use a fork to make an air hole in the centre.  Bake in a preheated oven @ 170 for about 45 mins or until golden brown.   

Serve with freshly whipped cream…….