Turkey Day Menus?
- Thread starter JohnJumba
- Start date
Having Thanksgiving with my girlfriend who is Indian. She and her kids are not vegetarian but her parents, brother and other extended family are. So we will have traditional turkey and fixings with an Indian flare, as well as several Indian vegetarian dishes. The trick is to not allow the cooking utensils to comingle.
Ok, I had to go to Mt. Joy this morning so I drove over to Lititz during lunch. A shop called Olio Oil and Vinegar had a Maple White Balsamic Vinegar in-stock. I wanted the white balsamic so the color of the sauce would be light/white with cream. White balsamic is slightly less sweet than the dark balsamic so I'll taste the dish near completion to determine if more sugar is needed or not.Chef Jean Pierre local here in FTL met him many times.....great chef see YouTube..
You have to Order the Maple Balsamic Vinegar $$$$--Key ingredient I have tired this others ways--Dont work--neither does Maple syrup.
I buy Birds Eye Frozen Pearl Onions---no difference vs. Fresh--just put in colander hour r so before use.. I buy Diced Ham packet 6oz...No Nitrates etc.
This year I am contemplating using Pancetta...cooking for 14 people this $#!! getting expensive...
Pearl Onions with Smoked Ham
Makes 8 Servings
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups pearl onion
6 ounces small dice Smoked ham
¼ cup Maple Balsamic Vinegar
¼ light brown sugar
½ cup dark raisins marinated in port wine or rum overnight
1 cup heavy cream
In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil. When hot add the onions, when golden brown, add the ham cubes and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the vinegar, brown sugar, raisins and cream. Cook for a 15 minutes.
EVERYONE Raises an EYE BROW for this Dish then they try it and its like WOW! Trust me....
If you've got a foodie on your Christmas list I'm sure you'll find something in the shop to fill their stocking. If not, walk around the corner to a shop called Zest and you'll/they'll be happy you did.
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Sometimes you have to get people to just try something different to expand and educate their palate. When my mother was alive she always made chopped chicken liver as an appetizer and topped it with sliced hard boiled eggs and served it with a party rye bread. I’ve done it but it’s a lot of work but I like to serve one dish which is a little exotic or adventurous. Thursday we have two teenage boys and one adult male who doesn’t eat anything - not even blueberry pie! But the rest of the 10 of us are pretty good eaters. So we’ll have cheeses, pepperoni, nuts, shrimp, pate, and crackers with champagne before hand followed by a very traditional meal of turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes with pineapple, mashed potatoes, string bean casserole, cranberry sauce, pickles, olives, rolls and butter, pumpkin pie, apple gallete, chocolate chip cookies, and coffee.
I think that people who go through life without eating “exotic”foods tend to be culturally underdeveloped individuals. You don’t have to be eating insects and snakes and such that you hear about in the Far East but if you’re not eating seafoods, snout to tail meats, and ethnic dishes from around the world you’re missing out on living life. Just my opinion.
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Sounds great….dont think it will need more sugar…the dark does make the sauce look rich…the rum raisins with take care of the sweetness with the tart the vinegar provides…the maple is Nice touch!
good luck! Look forward to comments after
Quick question; did you dice the raisins or put them in whole?Sounds great….dont think it will need more sugar…the dark does make the sauce look rich…the rum raisins with take care of the sweetness with the tart the vinegar provides…the maple is Nice touch!
good luck! Look forward to comments after
No whole---I use a Mason jar and Spiced Rum--Costco Spiced is basically Cpt Morgans Spiced--$14 for 1.75ML cant beat that! Cheap Spiced Rum...marinade them at least 24hrs..the dark Rum will also help darken the sauce.
Doesn’t seem like enough beer.
We’ll be having a Turkey (cooked in a bag. I don’t trust myself to keep it moist otherwise), mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, baked/grilled mac and cheese, scalloped potatoes, stuffing, dinner rolls from scratch, possibly corn bread made in a skillet, and this year I’m going to also grill a steak for the non-turkey eaters. Oh, and beer. Then more beer. The whole purpose of using the grill is to allow for outdoor beer drinking time without all the people milling about.
Sorry to be a pest. I assume the raisins are strained before adding them to the pan or does the rum go in as well?
Turkey Vindaloo?
Actually, that sounds DELICIOUS.Anyway, I've always wanted to try this - every year on NPR they have a segment with Susan Stamberg and she always talks about her mother's 'famous' Cranberry Relish. Think I'll make it this year....
Mama Stamberg's cranberry relish
2 cups raw cranberries – washed1 small onion
½ cup sugar
¾ cup sour cream
2 T. horseradish.
Grind the cranberries and onion together (I use an old-fashioned meat grinder, but you can use a processor – just keep pieces chunky). Add everything else. Mix. Put in a container and freeze. On Thanksgiving morning, move the relish from the freezer to the refrigerator compartment, to thaw. It will be thick, creamy, chunky, and shocking pink*. Makes 1 and ½ pints.
Not a Pain being Diligent. I just scooped them Out of the Mason Jar with a Fork...and thats it--I do not add the remaining rum reserve.
My daughter is going to Hawaii for her honeymoon next week. She doesn’t eat seafood and I’m almost crying at the thought of her missing out on who knows what delicious delicacies.
Who knows what is right. Not a fan of seafood either; everyone I know who loves seafood has to either add a sweet/sugary sauce or tons of butter. If in Japan, maybe go for it. At least in Hawaii, there is plenty of spam musubi
.
Really? Huh. That describes not me. Are you including shellfish? Seafood, shellfish, when I get that I’m a happy man, no butter for me, either.
Not shellfish; salmon, tuna, mahi mahi, etc. unless fried - then fish is awesome.
I don’t eat seafood, never have. Grew up 5 minutes from the ocean and the only time I ever ate any was twice at about 2:30 AM walking home from the bars in Belmar, NJ when I had clams. Mike’s Clam Shack I think was the name of the place. Honestly can’t recall anything about it other than I ate them.
There is nothing better in my opinion than a grilled fresh fish like bronzino, yellow snapper, swordfish, Chilean sea bass, or Alaskan halibut simply seasoned with just some lemon, pepper, and sea salt. It’s also very healthy and low in fat. Add some local corn on the cob and Jersey tomatoes, and a glass of Pinot Grigio and you’ve got a meal fit for a king. This is my summertime standby at my shore house.
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OK, here's the plan.
Get the Turkey on Tuesday. 24 hour brine. Take out and let sit for another 24 in the fridge.
Some sort of gravy.
Real cranberries. A favorite. My wife makes them. Super savory with a pinch of heat.
Stuffing. My favorite. MORE CELERY PLEASE.. Celery gets so little love....... It's just so very wrong... lol....
I'm making green bean casserole. Mushrooms, dried mushrooms and their "lacquer", some onion, cream, butter, cheese and yes, a can of those onions on top. "Fresh" green beans (November isn't in season).
Sweet potatoes.........
And that's about it.
Thursday evening........ The leg is mine.
Get the Turkey on Tuesday. 24 hour brine. Take out and let sit for another 24 in the fridge.
Some sort of gravy.
Real cranberries. A favorite. My wife makes them. Super savory with a pinch of heat.
Stuffing. My favorite. MORE CELERY PLEASE.. Celery gets so little love....... It's just so very wrong... lol....
I'm making green bean casserole. Mushrooms, dried mushrooms and their "lacquer", some onion, cream, butter, cheese and yes, a can of those onions on top. "Fresh" green beans (November isn't in season).
Sweet potatoes.........
And that's about it.
Thursday evening........ The leg is mine.
Lol….sigh….butter and sugary sauces lol…oh my ruin the fish…
many ways to cook fish without butter and butter should only be used for browning in lite sauté for fish…
what fish? What’s are you in the mood for? preparation all based on that!
wahoo…well fresh we do fresh sashimi it’s too good or Thai style…cut in bite size chunks, cornstarch, quick sautee in panwith a sriracha based sauce with loads of fresh ginger and scallions…finish with black sesame seeds
mahi….tacos grilled or blackened doesn’t matter…use a very low sodium like 20mg blackening season! Avocados, fresh cabbage slaw, lime cilantro sauce home made…
swordfish…trick to it all about a secret dry rub with little oil. Marinade four hours then grill medium rare!
tuna we do poki bowls or wonton nachos using fresh tuna 20 minutes in ponzu sauce!
snapper …score and bake or sauté or tacos
i can go on…
many ways to cook fish without butter and butter should only be used for browning in lite sauté for fish…
what fish? What’s are you in the mood for? preparation all based on that!
wahoo…well fresh we do fresh sashimi it’s too good or Thai style…cut in bite size chunks, cornstarch, quick sautee in panwith a sriracha based sauce with loads of fresh ginger and scallions…finish with black sesame seeds
mahi….tacos grilled or blackened doesn’t matter…use a very low sodium like 20mg blackening season! Avocados, fresh cabbage slaw, lime cilantro sauce home made…
swordfish…trick to it all about a secret dry rub with little oil. Marinade four hours then grill medium rare!
tuna we do poki bowls or wonton nachos using fresh tuna 20 minutes in ponzu sauce!
snapper …score and bake or sauté or tacos
i can go on…
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I’m late to replying to this but we had “Friendsgiving” last night and I made three of these appetizers that were all gone very quickly. It might not be a “traditional” thanksgiving appetizer but they were really good: Mexican (basically taco dip without meat), spinach artichoke, and the jalapeño popper one. It was a hit and all gone before dinner. Perfect for sitting around and watching football too. Here’s a link that has a ton of options on it (I had to send this link to all of the other women who were there last night because they all wanted to know the recipe and these are all hard core south jersey Italians who are very particular about the food they make
):
25 Easy Party Pinwheel Recipes
These 25 Party Pinwheel Recipes are the best bite for any gathering! With so many options, hot or cold, chicken or veggie everyone can munch!
breadboozebacon.com
No.Lol….sigh….butter and sugary sauces lol…oh my ruin the fish…
many ways to cook fish without butter and butter should only be used for browning in lite sauté for fish…
what fish? What’s are you in the mood for? preparation all based on that!
wahoo…well fresh we do fresh sashimi it’s too good or Thai style…cut in bite size chunks, cornstarch, quick sautee in panwith a sriracha based sauce with loads of fresh ginger and scallions…finish with black sesame seeds
mahi….tacos grilled or blackened doesn’t matter…use a very low sodium like 20mg blackening season! Avocados, fresh cabbage slaw, lime cilantro sauce home made…
swordfish…trick to it all about a secret dry rub with little oil. Marinade four hours then grill medium rare!
tuna we do poki bowls or wonton nachos using fresh tuna 20 minutes in ponzu sauce!
snapper …score and bake or sauté or tacos
i can go on…
If you feel your missing out on living life, maybe you should volunteer at some of the soup kitchens during holidays in your area to help cook and SERVE food. My children did while growing up,
Made this and it was outstanding! You were right, lots of raised eyebrows but most went back for seconds. Thank you!Chef Jean Pierre local here in FTL met him many times.....great chef see YouTube..
You have to Order the Maple Balsamic Vinegar $$$$--Key ingredient I have tired this others ways--Dont work--neither does Maple syrup.
I buy Birds Eye Frozen Pearl Onions---no difference vs. Fresh--just put in colander hour r so before use.. I buy Diced Ham packet 6oz...No Nitrates etc.
This year I am contemplating using Pancetta...cooking for 14 people this $#!! getting expensive...
Pearl Onions with Smoked Ham
Makes 8 Servings
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups pearl onion
6 ounces small dice Smoked ham
¼ cup Maple Balsamic Vinegar
¼ light brown sugar
½ cup dark raisins marinated in port wine or rum overnight
1 cup heavy cream
In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil. When hot add the onions, when golden brown, add the ham cubes and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the vinegar, brown sugar, raisins and cream. Cook for a 15 minutes.
EVERYONE Raises an EYE BROW for this Dish then they try it and its like WOW! Trust me....
