Recipe(tried): Gina's 2009 Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Good Morning Everyone!

Well, it's a nice and nippy morning in Georgia, perfect for posting my 2009 menu and going to the grocery store later on and getting my supplies! This year I kept my "tried and trues" and added some new hors d'oeuvres and desserts.

It will only be DH and me this year, so the turkey will be smaller and the sides cut in half...nevertheless, it will be a scrumptious dinner in memory of my beloved Mom who simply adored the holiday. She would put music on and together we would cook the dinner dancing and singing until it was all done. Susan Boyle, the singing sensation from Scotland, sings "Wild Horses" on her debut album/CD and it is a fitting song in memory of my Mom. I will play this song along with all Coldplay songs and the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" ...dance while you cook, it's good for your soul!

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Gina

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THANKSGIVING DINNER 2009

The Menu:

Appetizers:
Campari Orange Spritzer

Roasted Spiced Walnuts
Baked Brie with Pistachios & Dried Fruit

Entree & Sides:
Roast Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy
Mom's Sausage, Apple & Nuts Stuffing
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Garlic & Chives
Sweet Potato Crunch
Sweet Peas
Green Beans with Garlic and Parmesan Curls
Cranberry Relish
Sister Schubert's Yeast Rolls
Nana's Holiday Cranberry Bread

Desserts:
Scrumptious Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream
Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar Walnut Topping

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THE RECIPES:

CAMPARI ORANGE SPRITZER

6 ice cubes
1/4 cup Campari
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups sparkling water such as San Pellegrino
Orange slices, halved
A few fresh cranberries

Place the ice cubes in a highball glass. Add the Campari, OJ, and San Pellegrino. Add a slice of fresh orange and a few fresh cranberries and serve ice-cold.

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ROASTED SPICED WALNUTS
Source: Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining

"Both sweet and savory, these spicy walnuts make for crunchy nibbling."

3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg white
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 cups walnut halves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly butter foil.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, salt and pepper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg white until frothy, add the sugar mixture and whisk to blend. Add the orange zest. Add the walnuts and stir until all nuts are coated. Spread the coated walnuts onto the foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to loosen them. Bake until golden. Transfer into a bowl and let cool. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.

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BAKED BRIE WITH PISTACHIOS AND DRIED FRUIT
source: Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining

"Soft, warm Brie, jeweled with pistachio nuts and dried apricots and cranberries, is delicious spread on crackers or toasted baguette slices."

1 round Brie Cheese
2 tablespoons Curacao, Cointreau, Cognac or orange brandy, divided use
1/3 cup dried apricots cut into 1/4 inch strips
3 tablespoons dried cranberries (or golden raisins)
3 tablespoons pistachios (or pine nuts)
lettuce leaves (for serving)
toasted thin baguettes and/or crackers (for serving)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the cheese round on a rimmed baking sheet. Prick the top with a fork in a dozen places and drizzle with 1 1/2 teaspoons of liqueur.

In a bowl, toss the dried fruit and nuts with the remaining liqueur. Scatter the fruit mixture over the top of the round.

Bake until the cheese warms and softens about 8-10 minutes. Using a wide spatula, transfer the round to a plate lined with lettuce leaves.

Serve with baguette slices and/or crackers.

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APPLE CIDER GLAZED TURKEY WITH SAVORY HERB GRAVY

1 (10- to 12-pound) whole fresh turkey
12 fresh sage leaves
fresh parsley leaves
My Mom's Sausage, Apple and Pecan Stuffing (recipe follows)
1/2 of an apple
1/2 cup melted butter
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cups apple juice
2 cups chicken broth

Rinse the inside of the turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Carefully use your hands to loosen the skin of the turkey at the breast. Gently arrange the sage and parsley leaves under the skin so that you can see them. Spoon stuffing into neck and body cavities. Pull neck skin to the back and use skewers or sew up. Twist foil around the wing tips. Close up the front cavity using skewers and stuff half an apple in opening.

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place turkey breast side up, on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush butter mixture on top and all over turkey. Cover loosely with foil. Pour apple juice and chicken broth in bottom of pan.

Roast turkey in a 325 degrees F oven for 3-4 hours. Baste every 1/2 hour. If using thermometer, the meat should register 180 degrees F and the stuffing inside should register 165F. Take foil off turkey the last hour to brown and glaze and cover again if it gets too dark.

Remove turkey from pan, reserving pan drippings. Place turkey on a platter and make gravy.

SAVORY HERB GRAVY

Pan drippings
2 tablespoons flour

Pour pan drippings into a fat strainer; let stand until fat rises to top. Pour turkey broth into a liquid measuring cup; reserve 2 tablespoons fat from drippings. Heat reserved fat in bottom of heavy-duty roasting pan. Whisk in flour, and cook 5 minutes, whisking to loosen particles from bottom of pan. Gradually whisk in reserved turkey broth, and cook, whisking constantly, 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve immediately with turkey.

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MY MOM'S SAUSAGE, APPLE AND PECAN STUFFING
Old family recipe of Gina Perez McClenning

This is our family favorite and it's incredible!

1 lb. Jimmy Dean Pork mild sausage
3 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery, including leaves
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 (14 oz.) bag plus 1 small bag Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing
3 red apples, washed, cored, and chopped
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds or pecans or walnuts
2 packets G Washington's Seasonings
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups homemade turkey stock (recipe follows), divided use
salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage in skillet till browned. Drain and set aside.

Saute onions and celery in butter till onions begin to golden.

In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry stuffing, the onions and celery, sausage, chopped apple, raisins, nuts, seasoning packets, and cinnamon; begin blending, with your hands, add 1 cup of broth at a time till you get to the desired stuffing consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the turkey with the savory stuffing...any leftover, put into a baking pan, cover with foil and heat the last hour of roasting the turkey.

TO MAKE THE TURKEY STOCK:
I make turkey stock by putting the bagged contents that come inside the turkey in a pressure cooker, top with water, 1/2 and onion studded with 6 whole cloves, 2 garlic cloves, a sprig of parsley, 1 celery stalk cut in half, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper. I pressure cook for about 45 minutes. I take out the turkey neck and pick off all the tender meat and place in a bowl. I then strain the broth. Discard everything else and use the stock and turkey meat to add to the stuffing.

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SWEET POTATO CRUNCH

3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed
1 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Bake sweet potatoes about 1 hour til tender. Scoop out insides and place in large mixing bowl. Add sugar, 1/2 cup butter, eggs and vanilla. Blend well and add into a buttered 2 quart baking casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour and cinnamon, brown sugar, nuts and 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix til crumbly and spread over sweet potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

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MASHED YUKON GOLD POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND CHIVES

3 1/2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into chunks
3/4 cup half-and-half
salt and ground white pepper, to taste
1 stick (1/2 cup) garlic butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (for garnish)

Place potatoes in a pot with enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until tender. Drain potatoes; mash, add garlic butter and half-and-half, season with salt and white pepper. Beat til fluffy. Just before serving, sprinkle chopped chives on top.

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GREEN BEANS WITH GARLIC, TARRAGON AND PARMESAN CURLS
Source: Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining
Makes 10-12 servings

salt
2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
4 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
freshly ground black pepper
3 oz. piece Parmesan or grana padano cheese, cut into shavings with a vegetable peeler

Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes. Drain the beans, transfer immediately to the ice water and let cool for 1 minute. Drain again and pat dry.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook stirring, just until pale gold, 2-3 minutes.

Add the beans and tarragon and toss to coat with the garlic butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally until beans are heated trough, 3-4 minutes.

Top with Parmesan shavings just before serving. Serve hot.

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SCRUMPTIOUS APPLE PIE
Source: The Pioneer Woman by Ree Drummond
Makes 8 servings

7 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples (about 5 apples)
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 cup al-purpose flour, divided use
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided use
3/4 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 single refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of a 15 oz. pkg.)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
FOR SERVING:
Jarred caramel ice cream topping
vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Stir together apples, white sugar, lemon juice, 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well blended; set aside.

Cut butter into remaining 1/2 cup flour with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles small peas. Stir in brown sugar, oats and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.

Fit pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate according to pkg. directions. Fold edges under and crimp. Place apple mixture into pie plate and top with brown sugar mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Shield edges of crust with foil. Place pie on foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove foil from crust and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with pecans and bake 5-7 minutes more until nuts are toasted. Let pie stand 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving.

Serve with caramel topping and ice cream.

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NANA'S CRANBERRY PUMPKIN LOAF
Makes 2 loaves

2 cups sugar
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 (16 oz.) can whole cranberry sauce
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
powdered sugar (for dusting tops)

Blend sugar, eggs, oil, pumpkin and cranberry sauce together; set aside.

Mix the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt and nuts together. Add the dry to the wet mixture. Mix well. Spread into 2 greased loaf pans.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 45-55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto serving platter and dust with powdered sugar.

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PUMPKIN PIE WITH BROWN SUGAR-WALNUT TOPPING
Source: Bon Appetit magazine, November 2009
Makes 1 pie, 8 servings

"Brown sugar adds a deep, rich flavor to the soft filling. The nutty, slightly salty topping is the perfect finish!"

FOR THE CRUST:
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

Position oven rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350 degrees F.

Transfer crust to 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold edges under and crimp decoratively. Freeze crust 20 minutes.

Line crust with foil and fill with beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Gently remove foil and beans and return crust to oven and bake until partially cooked and golden brown around edges, pressing down on crust if bubbles form with back of spoon. Bake 15 minutes. Cool crust on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

FOR THE BROWN SUGAR-WALNUT TOPPING:
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients. Using on/off turns, blend into fine crumbs. Set aside

FOR THE FILLING:
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream

Whisk brown sugar, eggs, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in medium bowl. Add pumpkin and cream and whisk until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into crust.

Bake about 30 minutes or until pie until it is firm, covering with a foil collar if needed or if browning too fast.

Sprinkle the Brown Sugar-Walnut Topping evenly over top of pie. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F; continue baking pie until filling is set and slightly puffed in center, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.

This pie can be baked the day before. Tent with foil and refrigerate. Let it stand for 1 hour at room temperature before serving.