This make-ahead salad combines indigenous North American wild rice with the colors of fall. Not only will it save you prep time on Thanksgiving Day, it will add a vegan element to your menu that everyone can enjoy. Prepare the vinaigrette while the rice is cooking. Combine the rice with half the vinaigrette up to a day ahead; prep and refrigerate the remaining ingredients separately and toss them with the rice and remaining vinaigrette up to an hour before serving.
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This is an updated version the stuffing recipe my mom always made for Thanksgiving dinner, only instead of Pepperidge Farm Herb-Seasoned Stuffing mix, I use a blend of whole wheat panko, sea salt, black pepper and fresh sage and thyme. (It would work with regular whole wheat breadcrumbs, too.) This recipe serves 8-10 and doubles easily for a bigger crowd. You can make the stuffing a day or two ahead, spoon it into a baking dish, cover and refrigerate. On Thanksgiving, spoon some pan drippings from turkey over the stuffing and pop it in the oven while the turkey rests.
1 (9-ounce) package whole wheat panko breadcrumbs (such as Ian’s)
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus additional to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
1/2 teaspoon onion granules
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup shredded carrot (about 1)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1-1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 to 1/2 cup pan drippings from turkey
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine first 7 ingredients; set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt and pepper; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in parsley; cook another minute. Remove from heat, and stir in the egg and chicken stock. Stir in panko mixture and walnuts. Transfer mixture to an 8-inch baking dish. Spoon 1/4 to 1/2 cup pan drippings from the turkey over the stuffing. Bake at 425 F for 25 minutes.
Serves 8-10
Celery root (celeriac) is a knobby, homely-looking root vegetable with mild celery flavor that pairs deliciously with apple and potato. Cutting the dense-textured celery root into smaller pieces than the potato ensures both finish cooking at the same time. Use any variety of apple for this recipe. I picked up the trick of simply mashing the potatoes and other veggies with a whisk from Jennifer Shaertl’s clever book, Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens. Serve with our Spiced Pork Roast, Simplest Roast Chicken or Crispy Duck Breasts with Maple-Bourbon Sauce.
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By Linda West Eckhardt
Pumpkin makes a terrific addition to Bundt cake. It adds rich autumn flavor, plus fiber and vitamins A and C. Start with a fresh 2- to 3-pound sugar pumpkin or winter squash, cook it in the microwave until tender (about 10 minutes), then scrape out the flesh, peel and mash. Or even simpler, use 1 (15-ounce) can of pumpkin (make sure you pick up pumpkin puree and not premade pumpkin pie filling). Buy the freshest nuts you can find; the cake will have a lovely caramel color and bright, complex flavor from the marriage of squash and spices dappled with this season’s nuts.
Cake:
4 large eggs
Nonstick cooking spray with flour (such as Spectrum Canola Spray with Flour)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1-1/4 cups canola oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups mashed pumpkin OR 1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
Glaze:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans
Place eggs in a bowl of hot tap water (to quickly bring them to room temperature so they beat to maximum volume). Position oven rack in the middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan with cooking spray.
To prepare cake, sift together flour and next 6 ingredients (through ground cloves) onto a sheet of wax paper.
Place oil and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer to combine. Add granulated sugar and vanilla; beat well. With the mixer running, gradually add flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at low speed. Beat in pumpkin, zest and 1 teaspoon juice. Fold in 3/4 cup nuts.
Scrape batter into prepared pan (pan will be very full). Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of pan; carefully turn pan and rack to gently remove cake from pan. Cool cake on wire rack.
To prepare glaze, place butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer to combine thoroughly. Add powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix thoroughly. Scrape glaze over the top of still-warm cake and spread over the top with an offset spatula (glaze will drizzle down the sides of the cake). Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons nuts.
Serves 16
Linda West Eckhardt is a James Beard Award-winning author of more than 20 cookbooks, including Cakes from Scratch in Half the Time (Chronicle Books).
This ridiculously simple dish is a riff on Carnitas de Lia, another of an endless variation of “dry braises” you can make with your own mix of spices. I like to top bowls of Simple Udon Soup with a generous mound of shreds, or serve an Asian take on fajitas with scallion pancakes, plum sauce and griddled scallions.
2-1/2 tablespoons five spice powder
1 tablespoon coriander
½ to 1 teaspoon ground Szechwan pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3–4 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
Preheat oven to 275. Mix together spices and salt in a small bowl. Take pork out of its netting and rub the spice mixture all over, getting it into the nooks and crannies.
Place pork in a Dutch oven, cover and bake in the oven for 3–1/2 to 4 hours, until pork falls apart with the touch of a fork.
Serves 12
Note: If you’d like to crisp up either medium-sized chunks or fully-shredded meat, saute in a bit of the pork fat or canola oil.
Think of this caramel popcorn recipe as Cracker Jacks with an upscale theme. I’m into Chinese five spice powder these days and like the bright note it lends to the caramel. If you don’t have it on hand, you can substitute ground cinnamon. Because this caramel is made with maple syrup and agave nectar, it doesn’t change color dramatically, so this is a good recipe to use a candy thermometer or digital thermometer. You can break this popcorn into bite-size pieces or form it into popcorn balls.
10 cups plain popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup unpopped)
3/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons raw organic blue agave nectar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Place popped popcorn and peanuts in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Combine salt, Chinese five spice and baking soda in a small bowl. Lightly oil 2 silicone spatulas or wooden spoons. Set aside.
Combine sugar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Place a heatproof bowl in the top of the saucepan for 2 minutes; the condensation will wash away any sugar that has crystallized on the side of the pan. Remove bowl. Cook sugar mixture until it registers 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the salt mixture (the caramel will bubble).
Pour caramel over popcorn mixture. Toss to combine with two lightly oiled silicone spatulas. When the mixture begins to set (it should be cool enough to handle; otherwise wear a pair of latex gloves), lightly oil your hands and, working quickly, break it apart into bite-size pieces or form it into 2-inch balls. Place on a baking sheet to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Serves 20-25
Bulk-bin buys are the basis for this recipe, starting with amaranth seeds, a high-protein grain, along with golden raisins, pistachios, and the fancy salt for the brittle. Cooked amaranth has a gelatinous quality that lends itself to pudding. If you have a chai spice blend on hand, substitute 1 teaspoon for the cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. This pudding caused a little controversy in our household. I loved the flavor and aroma of the warm spices. Richard liked the texture, but would have preferred it plain, without the spices–”like a proper English pudding.” Of course, not too many English puddings are made with amaranth, but a version of this sans spices would be a kid- and Englishman-friendly dessert.
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A few things set this apple pie apart. Sauteing the apples in browned butter, then letting them cook down with sugar, a touch of lemon juice and Chinese five spice results in a filling reminiscent of caramel apples. Chinese five spice powder is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, and it lends the filling a bright note. You can substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger and cloves. Because the filling is cooked, this recipe calls for blind-baking the crust. You can use blind baking beans or dried beans (which you can cool after baking and reuse for future blind-baking). A sprinkling of crumb topping adds extra texture and sweetness.
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If you haven’t tried millet, this recipe from Rebecca Katz’s The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen (Celestial Arts) is a great introduction. As she notes, it looks very similar to quinoa, and it’s also gluten-free and a good source of protein. Millet and orange have anti-inflammatory properties, while spices like allspice, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon aid digestion. Coconut oil has antibiotic properties (you can find it with the other oils in health-food stores), and blueberries are rich in cancer-fighting phytochemicals. This is a nice make-ahead breakfast–just stir in a little extra almond milk and warm it up in a saucepan over gentle heat. It’s a powerfully nourishing start to your day.
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We’ve adapted this tasty maple-bourbon sauce from Hank Shaw’s award-winning blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. This sauce also works nicely with wild turkey, boar or pheasant. The duck breasts will render quite a bit of flavorful fat, which many chefs consider to be the platinum standard of cooking fats. Don’t throw it away! Instead, strain the fat through a fine-mesh sieve and use it in place of other fats (butter, oil) in other recipes. It will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
4 boneless duck breast halves, skin on
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup chicken stock
1-1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Sage sprigs, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place a foil-lined baking sheet in oven.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Trim any excess fat from edges of duck breast halves; set aside. Score the duck skin and fat in a diamond pattern. Season duck with salt and pepper. Place duck skin-side-down in pan, and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add reserved trimmings of duck fat to the pan, and continue to cook 15 minutes until the skin crisps and the fat renders out.
Remove the duck to a work surface; dust the skin side of duck with sugar. Place duck skin-side-down on preheated baking sheet. Bake 7 minutes or until meat is medium-rare. Remove from oven, turn duck skin-side-up, and cover with foil. Let stand 10 minutes.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered duck fat (strain and reserve remaining fat for another use).
While duck stands, heat the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook 5 minutes or until dark golden-brown. Stir often and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the bourbon, then return it over medium-high heat. It will thicken and sputter. Stir well, and start adding the stock, whisking constantly. When the sauce boils, whisk in the maple syrup and Sririacha. Let this simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let the sauce stop bubbling. Whisk in the cream. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Slice each duck breast half across the grain. Garnish each plate evenly with the sauce. Garnish with sage.
Serves 4
