Thanksgiving Delish!!

Halloween has passed and it is officially time to start planning Thanksgiving dinner.  It will just be the 3 of us this year so I hope to keep it simple.  Here's my first draft of what's on the cooking board:

Black Turkey

Pumkin Pie Croissants

Regular croissants

Homemade macaroni and cheese

Roasted garlic broccolini

Sweet Potatoes and apples in carmel sauce

Sweet Potato Pie (maybe)

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Croissants

Keri of Shaken Together shared these easy to make Pumpkin Pie Croissants on her blog.

The recipe looks really easy made with pre-made ingredients which will help in cutting down some of my cooking time.  

 

 

What You Will Need:

2 tubes of refrigerated cresant rolls

 

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

1/2 8 oz. block of cream cheese

1c canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 tbs. sugar or splenda

 

Directions:

1. Roll each crescent roll out and cut lengthwise in

2. Mix together the pumpkin pie filling. Beat together until fluffy and creamy.

Spread 1 tablespoon (or more) of the filling along the crescent roll and roll it up.

Mix together 4 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice; Roll each pumpkin pie croissant in it.

Bake at 375 F degrees for 15-18 minutes.

	

Tender & Flaky Rolls

This recipe is from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake blog.  The blog's name is catchy I just had to check it out and I'm glad I did.  Jonna seems really confident that these rolls are the best you or I will find and I love confidence.  So, this makes it on to the cooking board.  Just look for yourself, don't they look delish? 

 

 

 

YOU WILL NEED:

 

 

*2 packages (1/4 ounce each) Active Dry Yeast

 

1 cup warm water

 

1 cup boiling water

 

1 cup shortening or butter 3/4 cup sugar

 

1-1/2 teaspoonS salt

 

2 eggs, beaten

 

7-1/2 to 8 cups all purpose flour

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

 

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water, shortening, sugar and salt. Allow to stand 3-4 minutes or until shortening is melted and sugar is dissolved. Add the yeast mixture and eggs; mix well.

 

Add 2 cups of four; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use, roll out and shape dough. Place rolls in pans, or greased cookie sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown. YIELD: 2 -1/2 dozen.

 

Jonna's Tip:

 

When doing it in one day simply add enough extra flour, to make a SOFT.....non-sticky dough. They still are fabulous. Make sure you let the dough raise until generously double. Then place crescent style shaped rolls on your greased cookie sheets. Let raise again until double, before baking.

 

Sweet Potatoes and Apples in Carmel Sauce topped with Marshmellows

Recently I tried acorn squash with granny apples, craisens and raisens which to my suprise was a hit with my fussy 3 year old and husband.  So, I'm thinking this recipe will be a tastee vamp from our traditional homestyle sweet potatoes. 

 

Another recipe from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake.  

 

YOU WILL NEED:

5 medium yams or sweet potatoes

or

2 cans of canned yams or sweet potatoes, drained well

3 Tart apples

Cook the yams until they are not quite done. Skin them & cut in small chunks. Or Drain canned yams, and layer with the chunks of apples in a 9×13 glass dish. Now prepare the sauce:

 

BROWN SUGAR GLAZE:

2 cups boiling water

1 cup Brown sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

pinch salt

1 Tablespoon Butter

Mix the brown sugar with the cornstarch & blend well. Add 2 cups of boiling water, slowly, along with the salt and butter. Cook over medium heat until the sauce has turned clear in color.

Pour the glaze over the yams and the apples. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees, or until the apples have softened. Melt mini marshmallows over the top under the broiler. Watch closely as they brown very quickly.

 

Garlic Lover's Broccolini

Ingredients:

 

1 bunch broccolini

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Kosher Salt and Pepper

 

 

Directions:

 

Preheat your oven to 350. Line a cooksheet with foil. In a small bowl, mix olive oil together with a hefty pinch of salt and pepper, add garlic to the mixture. Clean you broccolini by trimming about 1 inch of the bottom. Spread the broccolini evenly on the cooking sheet. Using a pastry brush, apply your olive oil mixture evenly to each head and stalk. Finish with an additional pinch of salt. Roast in the oven for about 12 minutes. 

 

My boss actually got me hooked on this recipe which he does a little different but I'm hoping to one up him ;) with a little help from cookingshorts. 

 

 

 

More to come so check back...

Escoveitched Fish

Okay confession time: I in making this recipe for my mother in-law because she is Jamaican, she loves escoveitched, I like it and to impress her....BUT mostly to impress her.

Since this recipe needs to be marinaded over night I am prepping this one a little early and will update y'all with the outcome of the recipe and of course my success on impressing the mommy in-law ;) 

3 lbs. snapper or King fish sliced in 1/2 thick slices

2 or 3 limes

1 sliced scotch bonnet pepper

2 cups vinegar

1/2 cup oil for frying

1 tsp allspice

2 large onions sliced

1/2 tsp whole black pepper grains

4 tsp black pepper

4 tsp of salt

Directions

1. Wash fish thoroughly in water and lime juice and dry. Season the fish with salt and black pepper and set aside for at least 2 hrs.
2. Heat oil in frying pan and fry fish on both sides until crisp.
3. Set fish aside in a deep Pyrex dish or other bowl. In a saucepan combine vinegar, sliced onions, peppers, pimento seeds, whole black pepper grains, and bring to a boil
4. Simmer until onions are tender.
5. Pour over fish and leave marinating overnight.

original recipe was taken from Authentic Recipes from Jamaica

Ceviche

I learned how to prepare ceviche during my stay in Belize as a Peace Corps volunteer.  Served with warm tortillas Ceviche makes a nice light summer meal.  This is definitely my go to meal on those ridiculously hot summer days when I don't want to spend too much time in a hot kitchen.  I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do.

 (serves 4)

• 
  
  • 1 1/4 pounds of red snapper fillets (any whitefish, fresh or saltwater will do, or some shrimp may be added/used in replace of red snapper)
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in halves
  • 1/4 sliced red onion
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 small serrano chilli seeded and finely diced
  • 1 1/2 cup lime juice (8 limes) *
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tbs cilantro (finely chopped)
  • 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • ground pepper to taste
  • dash of ground oregano
  • dash of tabasco sauce (closest thing to Belizean pepper sauce)
  
  - Dice fish into small pieces approximately an inch in size. Place in large glass bowl - it doesn't need to be shallow.
  
  - Using a lime juicer, add the juice of all 8 limes. Marinate for 1 to 1-1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
  
  -Dice onion, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno and add to the fish mixture. Stir in salt, pepper, olive oil and cilantro. Cover and place back in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to mix.
  
  *Bottled lime juice may be used, but it will not yield the same result. It adds a concentrate sweet/bitter flavor to the dish and is not as good as fresh squeezed.