Thanksgiving

So, I have to admit:  I'm a bit addicted to Pinterest lately. My husband says I have a sickness.  It's ok though, because he's addicted to Angry Birds.  We both fall asleep at night playing our respective "games."  It's quite romantic.

Anyway, I've been hoarding recipes on Pinterest, but haven't had much time to try some of them out.  When we realized it would just be the four of us (mom, dad, me, J and baby (who can't eat yet!)), I was excited to try some of my recipes.  I'll admit, I didn't actually use any that I found on Pinterest, but a few of my own and a few more I hunted down on the internet.

We decided we didn't want a traditional meal.  Dad is from Australia and my sister lives there now, so we thought we'd pay homage to dad with some lamb. (It seems to me like lamb is the turkey of Australia.)   I haven't cooked lamb but once, but Jamie Oliver seemed like a reliable source for a lamb recipe. So it was lamb and a few of our favorites.

I love breakfast on Thanksgiving - because you know you're going to stuff yourself with good food, it feels like a reason to splurge.  So we did - with the sweetness of monkey bread. 

Monkey Bread for breakfast

After breakfast, we hung out a bit, but then got started with the feast.  Yes, I cooked all day, but it wasn't nearly as much work as a turkey, I don't think.  And in the end, we all got to eat something that was different from the norm, but every bit as delicious.

The final result

Yes, Audric helped make wine labels for Thanksgiving libations.
Cute or scary?! The DB wine is from a winery my dad used to represent.
Even though Dad doesn't drink, he wanted us to try it!

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Rack of Lamb

Before the lamb went into the oven (it's been seared already).

• 10 Anya potatoes
• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes
• 6-bone rack of lamb
• olive oil
• 1 handful of Kalamata olives, stoned
• 1 small handful of garlic cloves
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of rosemary
• 2 lugs of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.

Boil the potatoes until tender and squeeze the pips from the tomatoes.

Stick a large frying pan on a high heat, add a lug of olive oil and sear the lamb until golden. Remove and put to one side while you crush the drained potatoes in the frying pan – use the bottom of a jar or a masher – then fry for a couple of minutes over a low to medium heat.

After cooking.  I think we put it back in for a few minutes after this too.

Stir the tomatoes and olives into the potatoes with some seasoning and rosemary sprigs, drizzle with a little olive oil and place in a roasting tin. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes and cook according to pack instructions. Depending on the size of the racks, the lamb will take somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes to cook, but will still be pink in the middle (add 5 to 10 minutes if you like your meat well done)

When the lamb is cooked to your liking, slice it into chops and serve with the crispy potatoes and a little salsa verde or an extra drizzle of olive oil.




Pumpkin Soup
1 T butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped (more to taste)
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1 T curry powder
2 butternut squash or 2 large wedges of fresh pumpkin (or 2 large cans!)
Enough water to cover the squash
Bullion cubes (however many are required for the amount of water used)
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 T Worchestershire sauce
3 T peanut butter

Pare and seed the pumpkin/squash.  Cut into cubes, 1 1/2-2 inches.  Set aside.  Gently cook onion, garlic, curry, and red pepper in butter until onion is wilted.  In a large sauce pan, put squash, onion mixture, enough water to cover along with bullion cubes.  Cover and boil until squash is tender.  Stir in Worcestershire sauce and peanut butter.  Next, in batches, blend in blender.
*(I used canned (AH!) pumpkin this year and just added 3-4 cups of broth.  I like the fresh pumpkin, but it made life too complicated.  I still think this turned out very good.)

 

Spinach Salad
1/3 c. water,
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. ketchup
1/3 c red vinegar
2tsp  worchestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Shake well.  Keeps forever. *(We added bacon grease to this dressing - just adds something...)

Greens: 2 bunches of spinach, 8 hard boiled eggs, chopped; 1 lb bacon, fried, crumbled; 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced.  1/3 c finely chopped onions.



Cornbread Stuffing
1/2 cup butter
1 cups diced celery
3/4 cups chopped onions
1/8 cup minced parsley
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
9 cups of your favorite prepared cornbread
1 egg slightly beaten
3/4 cup of chicken broth
Saute the onions and celery in the butter til soft, then add everything else.  Bake at 350  for 30 -45 min.

Slaving away making green beans.
They're yummy, but tedious.

And after he did this, we did it again -
forgot to cook the green beans first!
The tedious became even more so...

Green Beans

Long green beans, cook until tender (5-6 per bundle; do not overcook)

Bacon, cut in half (fully cook, but not to crisp...must be able to wrap around beans)

Line the bean bundles (held together by toothpick) on baking sheet

Cover in melted butter, salt, garlic, and brown sugar -- all to taste.

Bake at 400 until the sugar browns (20 min? watch them closely)

 Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie

1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust
(I used "sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust" Recipe)
                *(I used a premade one and was disappointed - make your own!)
1 cup White Sugar

I was a little disappointed with the look of the pie,
but we demolished the better looking one.  Still tasted great!

3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Corn Syrup
3/4 teaspoons Vanilla
1/3 cup Melted Butter (salted)
3 whole Eggs Beaten
1 cup (heaping) Chopped Pecans

Preparation Instructions
First, whip up your pie crust using "Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust" found on Tasty Kitchen.
Next, mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.
Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.
Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.
NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!
Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.