Happy Thanksgiving!

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Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Happy Thanksgiving!

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To all my blogger friends, my dear family, and circle of close friends:

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

I truly am thankful for you all.

Because Mr CC and I will be having Thanksgiving around a different table than mine this year, I would like to point you to a post I wrote several years ago, filled with links to some Thanksgiving dishes I've made in the past.

The moldy salad is there, as well as side dishes, soups, and a not-to-be-missed cranberry chutney.

Chestnut Ice Cream, Shaved Brussels Sprouts, and Brown Rice Pilaf with Apples, Walnuts & Pomegranates are a few of my latest offerings.

I'll be back on December 1st with a litany of winter recipes.

Take good care, travel safe, eat thankfully, and enjoy!

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Christine's Recipe For Shaved Brussels Sprouts With Shaved Ham, Valencia Orange Juice and Chopped Walnuts

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Brussels sprouts recipes abound among my food blogging friends this fall. And no wonder. These little Thanksgiving favorites are packed with goodness and cheerily allow themselves to be prepared in a plethora of ways, from roasting, old fashioned steaming, grilling, or sautéing.

Well I couldn't let myself be left out of the symphony of Brussels sprouts dishes now, could I?

So yesterday, as our local farmers market was celebrating its season finale and a wheelbarrow full of bright green sprouts was quickly disappearing into shoppers hands, I elbowed my way in, claimed my own, brought them home to my kitchen and came up with this recipe.

Wanting mine to be different from anyone else's recipe that I'd seen, I decided to shave my sprouts on a mandoline. Not stopping there, I added some shaved, uncured ham, and some shaved shallots. Lots of shaving went on in my kitchen, with nary a hair in sight.

After sautéing the shallots and ham, add the shaved sprouts and sauté, tossing with tongs, until they are wilted but still a bit crunchy. Add juice, toss some more, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. You're done. It's that simple. You can even make this a day ahead, allowing the flavors to deepen. Reheat in a low (300) until warmed through. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired and serve.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Shaved Ham, Fresh-Squeezed Valencia Orange Juice, and Chopped Walnuts
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
2 dozen Brussels sprouts, cleaned and thinly shaved on a mandoline (yield approx 3-4 cups)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup shaved ham (see Cook's Notes)
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice with pulp (Valencia is best for flavor)
olive oil and butter for the pan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black peppercorns to taste
Preparation:

Sauté shallots over medium heat in about 1 tablespoon each olive oil and unsalted butter. You can use more or less of the oils according to your taste.

When shallots are slightly golden, add the shaved ham and sauté until edges of the ham curl and become golden.

Add the shaved sprouts, toss to blend, and sauté until the sprouts are tender-crisp, about 4 minutes.

Add the orange juice and, using tongs, toss the sprouts well so the juice is evenly distributed throughout for another 2 minutes. The pan will be dry and all the juice absorbed.

Remove from the heat, adjust the seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper.

Sprinkle with fresh chopped walnuts and serve.

Cook's Notes:
The flavors of this dish deepen if made a day ahead. Leave out the walnuts, keep in the fridge then warm in a slow oven. Just before serving, sprinkle with the walnuts.

The orange juice not only compliments, but marries the ham and sprout flavors delightfully.

As I shaved the Brussels sprouts, using my very old mandoline, I made sure the stem end was facing up so I didn't shave it into the bowl. See photo.

Uncured applewood smoked ham steaks, my favorite, are made by Niman Ranch. No nitrites.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Christine's Recipe For Brown Rice Medley Pilaf With Apples, Walnuts and Pomegranate Seeds

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I love the Brown Rice Medley from Trader Joes; a combination of parboiled long grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds that give a nice pop when cooked.

Inspired by the shallots and apples at our local farmers market, I'd already made this pilaf several weeks ago and thought it pretty darned tasty. Then I received a gift from my friend Erika and took it a step further, adding walnuts and sweetly tart pomegranate seeds, not only imparting greater depth of flavor but also kicking up the nutrition factor - pomegranates being very high in antioxidants and walnuts giving up a walloping dose of Omega-3 fatty acids.

(Serving suggestion)

Because I avoid eating wheat, I won't be having traditional bread stuffing this Thanksgiving. But I won't feel at all deprived because this delicious, easy-to-make pilaf will be on the table.

Brown Rice Medley Pilaf with Apples, Walnuts & Pomegranate Seeds
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 cups Brown Rice Medley, or your favorite rice
2 and 1/2 cups chicken stock, organic if store bought but your own home made is best
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 tart green apples such as Granny Smith, cored, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, cut in half or quarters lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
olive oil and butter for the pan
kosher salt and freshly ground black peppercorns
2/3 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Preparation:

Cook the rice in the chicken stock in a rice cooker until done according to the manufacturers directions. The rice will be somewhat moist. Keep warm.

Sauté the onions in about 1 teaspoon each olive oil and unsalted butter until they are golden and soft. Add the apple, celery, and chopped thyme and sauté until they are softly cooked, adding more olive oil and butter if needed to prevent sticking.

Toss the sauté mixture with the rice then season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Add the walnuts and pomegranate seeds. Toss until blended.

May be made a day or two ahead, refrigerated.

Reheat, covered, in a 300-degree oven for 30 minutes to serve.

Cook's Notes:

Fresh chopped herbs like sage, marjoram, parsley or celery leaves can be added to the onions, apples and celery as they are sautéing.

Trader Joes did not ask for my endorsement of their product (I just like it) nor have they offered me any promotional renumeration.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Sautéed Chard Stalks With Sweet Peppers And Yacón

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Ever heard of Yacón? Neither had I until a few weeks ago. Farmers market supplier, Jacques Neukom had a display of what looked like potatoes, or maybe a new strain of Jerusalem artichoke, it was hard to tell. As it turns out, they were tubers that grow high in the Andes Mountains of Peru and are distantly related to sunflowers.

Botanically named Smallanthus sonchifolius, Yacón has a taste that's a bit like a crunchy sunchoke or a water chestnut, with a wonderfully juicy sweetness. It can be eaten raw, sautéed in stir fries, or roasted with other root vegetables. Because this Yacón is grown organically and locally, we're going to use it as a substitute for water chestnuts in this year's Thanksgiving stuffing. A colorful dish like the one offered here wouldn't be a bad idea either.

The sugars in Yacón seem to have a low impact on diabetics and studies are currently underway to determine just what the long term health benefits may be and how the food industry might capitalize on these low glycemic sugars.

For now, I'm happy to put them into stir fries, such as this offering of rainbow chard stalks, a mix of homegrown peppers, farmers market onion and garlic. A little kosher salt, a small amount of freshly ground black pepper, and a sprinkle or two of golden balsamic vinegar finishes this dish. No further embellishments needed.

Remember when I admonished you to not toss out your chard stalks? With good reason. First, what a great waste! Second, chard is listed as one of the world's healthiest foods and its stalks are very, very good for you as well, and they are in season right now. So, c'mon, put a little green, yellow, pink, red and orange in your life and on your plate.

Christine's Stir Fried Chard Stalks with Peppers and Yacón
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
22 rainbow chard stalks, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
4-5 garden peppers of any sweet kind, chopped (You can throw in a jalapeno if that suits you)
2 medium Yacón tubers, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, medium dice
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil for the pan
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium high. Add the minced garlic and onions and saute until softened.

Add the peppers and chard stalks and saute for about 3 minutes more.

Add the Yacón, stirring it into the rest of the vegetables, reduce the heat to medium low and allow to cook until everything is nicely tender, about 10 minutes more.

Don't overcook or you will loose the beautiful colors.

Season to taste with kosher salt and a few grindings of black pepper and serve.

Fast, simple, local, organic, healthy. What more could you ask for?

Copyright © 2005-2008, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Thanksgiving Recipes - Times Past

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For the first time in too many years to count, we will not be having Thanksgiving at our house. As children grow to adulthood, get married and settle into their own lives, old traditions change and new ones are formed. This is the natural flow of life and should be embraced rather than resisted, or one could find oneself having Thanksgiving alone.

All this is to say, I won't be cooking this year. Oh, I'm responsible for two side dishes, but I've made them before. I haven't come up with any new recipes to post here. I'll be taking it easy, sitting back, chatting with family, maybe even reading a book, while others do the work. I'll be the crone of whom questions are asked: Mom, how do I get the lumps out of the gravy? Mom, do you sauté the onions first?

I'm looking forward to this.

Before we travel, I thought I'd leave you with links to some of the Thanksgiving dishes I've created over the last few years. I hope you enjoy them.

Happy Thanksgiving to my ever growing circle

of blogger friends and subscribers.

I wish you safe journeys and delicious eating.

See you next week.

Corn, Andouille & Chicken Chowder
This, or a variation of it, is what I usually have simmering on the back of the stove for those who arrive hungry the night before the big day.

Cream of Mushroom & Celeriac Soup
An elegant starter to any holiday meal.

Roasted Beet, Sauteed Fig Amuse Bouche
A fun way to amuse your guests as they sit down to table.

Mashed Yams with Garlic, Chestnuts & Sweet Vermouth
A decadent take on candied yams.

Lime Jello Salad
My mother made this every year. We kids called it Moldy Salad. Thanksgiving would not be the same without it. And, yes, it will be on the Thanksgiving table this year.

Cranberry, Apricot, Ginger Chutney
Put this on the table next to the more traditional cranberry sauce. Yours guests will be delighted. It's delicious on turkey sandwiches the next day.

Turkey Soup
This changes from year to year, depending on how full I am from the night before.

Butternut Squash Bisque with Maple Syrup and Sage
Gives pumpkin pie a run for its money.

Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake
Let the dessert speak for itself.

Quince-Raisin Tart Tatin
A quintessential offering of the season.

Copyright © 2005-2007, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Cranberry Apricot Ginger Chutney

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I came across the foundation for this condiment many years ago, wrote the recipe on a post card, folded it in half and stuck it in the yellow-orange plastic recipe box that I've had since I was in my 20s. Over the years I've changed the measurements and ingredients quite a bit from the original and in doing so have made it mine. I wouldn't for the life of me know to whom to attribute it anyway.
I like this chutney for its sharp tangy-sweetness and slight heat from the cayenne. It makes a wonderful addition to "day after" turkey sandwiches.

Fresh cranberries

Turkish Apricots, snipped

Organic crystallized ginger cubes, chopped

Cranberry Apricot Ginger Chutney
(Print Recipe)
Ingredients:
3 cups fresh cranberries, some coarsely chopped (chopping is not necessary though)
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend or 1/2 cup regular light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1/4 cup golden raisins, left whole
20 Turkish dried apricots, snipped into pieces with kitchen scissors
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or 1/4 teaspoon if you like it hotter but be careful, too much can ruin the taste
3 tablespoons cranberry juice, such as one sweetened with apple juice, not sugar
tiny pinch kosher salt
1/3 cup toasted, roughly chopped pecans

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except for the pecans, and place over medium heat.
Stirring often, cook the mixture until the brown sugar has melted, the berries begin to pop and the ingredients begin to meld together and become juicy.
Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans.
Allow to cool in the saucepan then remove to a lidded storage container and place in the fridge to chill.
Remove from the fridge about 1/2 hour before serving to allow it to come to room temperature.

Cook's Notes:
Low carb warning! If you are counting carbs this chutney will not appear on any low carb food list. Even with the use of the Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, it's loaded with fruit sugars.