What To Do With Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

Posted: November 28, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

by Katherine Danesi

Let’s face it.  We all hope that whoever was in charge of our Thanksgiving feast had the foresight to prepare more than enough so that there are leftovers to see you through Friday, at least.  It’s either that or we’re ordering pizza.  Nobody wants to cook (again).  We’re too busy shopping or watching football or playing Scrabble.

Everyone in their right mind knows this.  As a result, there are leftover tips flowing forth from a variety of sources.  Here’s a roundup courtesy of Twitter.

Eat up.  Then go for a walk.

Bert Greene’s Potato Scallion Cakes (Fritterra)

Nicole Gulotta’s Pumpkin Hummus

Eat This Poem_Nicole Gulotta's Pumpkin Hummus

Image Source: Eat This Poem

Marla Meredith’s Thanksgiving Leftovers Nachos

Wylie Dufresne’s Turkey Hash

Mark Bittiman_Wylie Dufresne's Turkey Hash

Image Source: MarkBittman.com

Daily Candy’s Give Thanks for Leftover Recipes

Daily Candy_Give Thanks for Leftover Recipes_Sweet Potato Ravioli

Image Source: DailyCandy.com

On TODAY – Giada Puts a New Twist on Traditional Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Posted: November 21, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Giada De Laurentiis Thanksgiving Sides on the Today Show

Chef, author & television personality Giada De Laurentiis made a pre-Thanksgiving appearance on this morning’s Today Show.  Her contribution to the Thanksgiving meal was a novel take on a few classic side dishes: Bacon bourbon Brussels sprout skewers; Sweet potato salad with maple syrup dressing; and Cranberry soup with curried breadcrumbs.

I always love her seemingly casual recipes that result in deceptively delicious dishes.  Not to mention the bonus of being reminded how to properly pronounce “mascarpone” (and other Italian ingredients).

It might be time to change things up.  Give at least one of them a try.  Put a little Italian into the classic American Thanksgiving meal.

The recipes for the Brussels sprouts and Sweet potato salad are included below.

Buon appetito!

Giada De Laurentiis_Bacon bourbon Brussels sprout skewers

Image Source: Today.com

Recipe: Bacon bourbon Brussels sprout skewers

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup bourbon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 pound slab bacon, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
  • 1 pound small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved if needed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 15 to 20 (8-inch) bamboo skewers
Preparation

Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to cook until the butter begins to brown and starts to smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the brown sugar and cayenne and cook another 2 minutes stirring regularly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the bourbon. Be careful as it will splatter. Place the pan back on the heat and ignite if desired. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until a smooth caramel has formed, another 3 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spread the bacon on a small baking sheet and bake in the oven for 8 minutes, just to begin to render the fat. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the sprouts and simmer for

3 to 4 minutes or until just barely tender and still bright green. Spread on a sheet tray to cool slightly. Toss with the olive oil and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

Preheat the grill pan over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Begin to assemble the skewers starting with a Brussels Sprout, then a piece of bacon, another sprout, another piece of bacon and finishing with a sprout. Continue until all of the skewers are assembled.  Brush the glaze lightly over the skewers. Place them on the prepared grill pan and grill, brushing them with glaze with every turn, until the bacon is beginning to crisp and the Brussels sprouts are starting to char, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove and serve warm drizzled with any remaining glaze.

Tips

Cooks Note: It may sound crazy, but the glaze for these Brussels sprouts also works well over chocolate ice cream with toasted pecans.

Serving Size: Makes 15 to 20 skewers

Recipe: Sweet potato salad with maple syrup dressing

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
  • Vegetable oil cooking spray
  • 2 1/2 pounds (about 3 large) sweet potatoes or red garnet yams, peeled and diced into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • For dressing:
  • 1/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted (see Cook
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preparation

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Toss together the sweet potatoes, olive oil and salt on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes until golden and tender.

For the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mascarpone cheese, maple syrup, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Pour the dressing over the potatoes. Add the apple, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and parsley. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Cook’s Note:

To toast the pumpkin seeds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.

Serving Size:  Makes 4 to 6 servings

A Sandra Lee Specialty – Cream Cheese and Cranberry Bars

Posted: November 19, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Recipes | Tags: , , , , | 4 Comments
Sandra Lee_White Chocolate Cranberry Cream Cheese Bars with Cheesecake Icing Drizzle Recipe

Image Source: Sandra Lee Recipes

The lead-up to Thanksgiving continues, with each live television show inviting a variety of cooks to show us their best for this holiday meal.

On this morning’s Today Show, it was chef and author Sandra Lee.  I missed the first bit of the segment, when she prepared Baked Turkey Tetrazzini (which was okay, as it would not likely make it onto my “must-make” list of recipes), but I did manage to catch her putting the final touches on her Cream Cheese and Cranberry Bars.

While Ms. Lee was drizzling icing over the top, Matt Lauer took a bite (or two), during which he proceeded to ooh and aah.  And he continued to do so at the start of the next segment, saying that the bars should not be legal.  Okay, I’ll bite.  Plus, it appears that they probably could not be easier to make.  Perhaps you create a Thanksgiving dessert menu.  Give that pumpkin pie some company.

Good eating!

Recipe: Cream cheese and cranberry bars

Courtesy of Sandra Lee

Ingredients

Bars

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 1/2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 4 packages (8 ounces each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 package (12-ounce) white chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Icing

  • 4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine crushed graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. In a very large bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy using an electric mixer on medium. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Pour half of the white chocolate chips and half of the dried cranberries into batter. Combine. Pour over prepared crust.

4. Sprinkle remaining white chocolate chips and remaining dried cranberries over batter. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until edges are set but center still jiggles slightly. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour.

5. For cheesecake icing, beat cream cheese until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla. Add 3 tablespoons milk and stir to thoroughly combine. Add milk as needed to get desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled bars. Refrigerate baking cookies & cakes at least 2 hours before serving.

6. Cut into 12 square bars (approximately 3×3 inches).

Serving Size: Makes 12 bars