Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving Rerun: A Simple Feast

Originally posted on November 26, 2008

Welcome to my kitchen! Today is prep day for our very simple Thanksgiving dinner. Since we will be running in our local Turkey Trot tomorrow morning, I wanted to get as much done the day before so that I'm not spending my whole time in the kitchen.

Normally, I cook very healthy meals. Thanksgiving is a different story. It's the one day of the year where we celebrate our abundant blessings! I will show you you how, just today, over a pound of butter made it's way into just 3 dishes (more planned for later!)

The first dish I prepared was my Simply Tasty Stuffing. I gathered all my ingredients: Dried bread cubes from homemade bread, 1 full onion finely chopped, 1/2 cup mushrooms chopped, 1 bunch of celery sliced, 1/4 lb. butter, fresh herbs (my preference is rosemary and sage), my Signature Spice Blend, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, chicken broth and lots and lots of garlic!



Saute your veggies in a full stick of butter until tender. Add your seasonings and cook a little longer. Mix with your bread cubes and add a full can of chicken broth. Add more for moister stuffing, less for drier. Tomorrow I will bake, covered in a 350 oven for about 30 minute, uncovering the last 10 minutes so the top will be slightly toasty. Here's what it looks like today, though.


Mmmmmm. Stuffing is my favorite, well next to the turkey, the gravy, the sweet potatoes, the asparagus, the cranberry sauce and the pie!


Our next 2 1/2 sticks of butter are used to make what I call Herbed Butter Medallions. I simply soften the butter and add the following: garlic (lots and lots!) , a couple of tablespoons of fresh herbs (any combination of rosemary, sage and basil), kosher salt, pepper and several dashes of My Signature Spice blend. Once blended, spoon out onto some plastic wrap and roll up into a "tube". Place the butter log into the freezer to harden. After about 1/2 to 1 hour remove from freezer and slice. These will be used to place between the skin and meat of your bird. It gives a very lumpy look to the bird but your turkey will be very juicy indeed after roasting. You should have plenty medallions left over to rub on the outside of the bird and to place within the cavity, along with some celery and onion wedges.












Get your roaster ready by placing, in the roasting pan, celery and carrot sticks, onion wedges and the giblets. Place the bird in the rack, cover with foil and refrigerate until you are ready to roast that baby! Just before placing the turkey into the oven, I pour about 1/2 bottle of beer and 1 cup or so of chicken broth to the pan. I use this, along with the juices from the roasting bird to baste every 20 or 30 minutes. Trust me...this is the BEST bird we have ever had! And the drippings make for a very special gravy!




The last half stick of butter goes in my Ever So Slightly Sweet Potato Cashew Bake. An unusual signature Thanksgiving dish of mine.












The asparagus has been rinsed and placed in a large baggie and coated with olive oil. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper was added. These will be grilled to perfection, just prior to dinner being served, tomorrow.




My job is practically done! Dear daughter will make the cranberry relish. We will prep Pioneer Woman's Crashed Potatoes tomorrow, along with tossing the salad, and the sweet potato pie just needs defrosting. Thanksgiving couldn't be easier!


A simple table presentation and you're ready for a simple Thanksgiving feast indeed!


Give Thanks to the Lord Who is good...Whose Love endures forever!

Psalm 107:1



Links to recipes mentioned in this post:

My Signature Spice Blend: http://www.grouprecipes.com/68537/pollys-signature-spice-blend-in-haiku-format.html

Ever So Slightly Sweet Potato and Cashew Bake: http://www.grouprecipes.com/70124/ever-so-slightly-sweet-potato-cashew-bake.html

Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/





16 comments:

Jephy's Mom said...

I wish I could cook like that. It looks delicious. I can't even set a pretty table like you. Your family has a few more things to be thankful for than mine does! Are you doing the turkey trot today?

Betty Manousos said...

That is a delicious treat!!and sounds yummy!
Loved the pics !So explanatory ones!
Have the happiest Thanksgiving!
love
hugs hugs

Bibi @ Bibi's Culinary Journey said...

It looks so tasty....I am officially jealous that we don't have Thanksgiving today.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your wonderful family.

ChristineM said...

I'm roasting my turkey that way this year! Been dreaming about it since your original post!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Unknown said...

Oh wow! This looks incredible! Hopefully I can someday put on a Thanksgiving to be remembered like yours. Those herbed butter medallions look incredible! Thanks for sharing all of this with us.

Jimmie said...

Wow! That all looks and sounds amazing! I'll have to try out some of those recipes sometime.

I hope you and your family have a happy thanksgiving!

God bless!

MJ said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! May you have another year of blessings and things to be thankful for!

All I can say is when's lunch, because even though this was last years feast, I am sure that this years is just as wonderful!
XO
MJ

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

I'm a "full stick of butter" woman, too. This year I'm basting my turkey with a reduction of maple syrup and blackberry schnapps, but those butter medallions look good, too. Perhaps another year. There's always another year, another turkey, God willing!

Lissaloo said...

You may have converted me to stuffing it looks so good! It ALL looks good!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your Family :)

L.B. said...

I doubt there is anything left but dang that looks good. I want some!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Betty Manousos said...

Hi,
I have a present for you on my blog.
Please stop by and pick it up.
hugs hugs

LarryG said...

I think I'll have that glass of wine now ;)
How was the trot? I trotted 4.5 miles in my neighborhood - nothing organized,
I love that meal prep info - pics, everything looked delicious.

Happy after the feast Thanksgiving wishes!

Raoulysgirl said...

That looks awesome! If I weren't so stuffed, I would probably say I'm coming over...but...

I can't move.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Holly Lefevre said...

So organized! I try to be every year...this year I think we accomplished it...with one exception...I switched the pumpkin for the sweet potato accidentally. OOPS! It was good anyway! Butter is flying around our kitchen on Thanksgiving too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Holly

♥♥ tuğçe♥♥ said...

Have the happiest Thanksgiving((:

Kathleen said...

YUM! Looks like you had a DELICIOUS Thanksgiving!

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails