As Thanksgiving approaches some of us get excited to try new side dishes or new ways to cook that old turkey. However, there are many that meet the coming of Thanksgiving with fear and anxiety of what to make and how to cook all that food. To help those in need I have put together a small plan below that will hopefully make your Thanksgiving a stress free event. And sorry, I cannot help you with the in laws! The idea is to buy some prepared larger items as well as fresh ingredient driven side dishes. The arrival of fall brings a whole new set of crops giving cooks more opportunities to create simple dishes. Apples, chestnuts, zucchini, squash are fresh and in season so try to use them in your dishes. The roasting technique used in the recipes below caramelize the natural sugars found in vegetables and creates veggies that are browned on the outside and tender on the inside. The result is an intense flavor that you just cannot get any other way. Anyone can order a turkey, turn an oven on, boil water and season food with salt and pepper so stay calm and let me walk you through this.
For those of you not interested in cooking at all, let us help you enjoy your Thanksgiving by providing the meal. To place your order for just call 512.970.2200 and get it delivered directly to your home. How is that for simple and easy!
Roasted carrot, butternut squash, & sweet potato
Ingredients
- 2 butter nut squash – trimmed, peeled, cut into 3×1/2-inch sticks
- 8 carrots – trimmed, peeled, cut into 3×1/2-inch sticks
- 4 sweet potatoes – trimmed, peeled, cut into 3×1/2-inch sticks
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced thyme
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine carrots, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes on a large rimmed sheet pan. Add oil, thyme, salt, pepper and toss to coat.
- Spread in an even layer on sheet pan and roast until vegetables are tender and brown around edges, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Green beans with honey roasted walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds green beans
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 shallots or red onions – minced finely
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup honey
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
- Fill large bowl with water and ice and then set aside.
- Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender – about 3- 4 minutes. Once cooked, drain and transfer to the ice water bowl to cool; drain again.
- Toss walnuts with honey in a large bowl and add a pinch of salt.
- Place on a sheet pan and add to a pre-heated 300 degree oven. Cook walnuts about 10 minutes or until golden brown in color.
- Sauté shallots in a pan on med-high heat with olive oil for 4-6 minutes until shallots start to caramelize or show a golden color.
- Toss in green beans and walnuts just to warm through (2-3 minutes) and plate immediately on a large platter to serve.
Roasted cranberry sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh cranberries
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup dry red wine mixed with 2-3 tablespoons orange juice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix cranberries with sugar, oil, thyme, sage, and salt on a rimmed sheet pan. Roast until edges begin to bubble, about 15 minutes.
- Remove sheet pan from the oven but maintain oven temperature.
- Bring wine mixture to boil in small saucepan and stir into the cranberry mixture.
- Roast until juices bubble and/or cranberries begin to burst. Make sure to stir occasionally – roughly 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl to cool and then cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours.
- To serve, you can rewarm in a sauce pan or even the microwave.
Honey Roasted apples
Ingredients
- 4 large apples – unpeeled, cored (Golden Delicious or Granny Smith are good)
- 8 tablespoons mixed dried fruit – your choice
- 2 tablespoons of butter – cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
- 3 tablespoons honey
- Yogurt or crème fraiche
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each apple so they stand upright. Place apples in a casserole or pie dish.
- Fill cored-out section of each apple with roughly 2 tablespoons dried fruit and then pour apple juice around apples in dish. Drizzle honey over dried fruit filling and apples. Dot the core of each apple with the butter.
- Bake the apples until tender when pierced with skewer, basting frequently with pan juices – this will take roughly 40 – 50 minutes. Once cooked through, let rest.
- Once cooled a bit, cut each apple in half (from top to bottom and right down the middle so each half gets some of the dried fruit/butter filling) and serve warm by spooning pan juices over each apple.
- To finish place a dollop of yogurt or crème fraiche on top of each apple and serve.
I know Thanksgiving can be a stressful time of year when you feel the need to cook for family and friends. But, rest assured that the recipes above will help you get organized when planning your Thanksgiving dinner. And if not, just remember to call Chef Crusco so he and his team can provide you and your family a beautiful Thanksgiving spread.
