Monthly Archives: November 2011

Roasted Butternut Squash, Onion & Garlic Dip

30 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Side, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Roasted butternut squash, onions and garlic – how can you go wrong with this colorful, autumn dip. Pair with crackers, brie and a full-bodied red wine for a savory appetizer.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and coarsely chopped into cubes
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half, lengthwise
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup organic, vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Toss the butternut squash, onions and garlic with oil, herbs and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.
  3. Bake in a shallow dish or on a baking sheet for 20-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until onions and squash begin to caramelize.
  4. Coarsely mash with a fork and add vegetable broth.

Cranberry-Apple Streusel Crisp

29 Tuesday Nov 2011

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This delicious variation of apple crisp combines the sweetness of local fall apples with the tartness of Canadian fresh cranberries. Serve crisp hot, room temperature, or cold with a couple scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking (click here for the original recipe).

INGREDIENTS

For the streusel

  • 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped lightly toasted walnuts
  • 1/4 tsp. table salt
  • 3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

  • 5 medium tart baking apples
  • 6 oz. fresh cranberries (1-3/4 cups)
  • 3/4 cup plus 6 Tbs. granulated sugar
  • 1 oz. (3-1/2 Tbs.) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, set a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, walnuts, and salt. Using your fingers, blend the butter into the flour mixture. Set aside.
  3. Make the filling. Peel, quarter, and core each apple. Cut each quarter lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and then cut each slice crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals to make tiny rectangles. In a food processor, pulse the cranberries with 3/4 cup of the sugar until coarsely chopped. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 6 Tbs. sugar with the flour, ginger, and cinnamon. Toss in the cranberry mixture and apples.
  4. Mound the filling into a 8X8″ baking dish. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apple mixture, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle.
  5. Put the crisp on the heated baking sheet and bake until the streusel is deeply browned and the filling is bubbling vigorously at the edges of the pie, 50-60 minutes. Check every 20 minutes, and if the pastry edge or the streusel browns before the filling is done, loosely cover the top or edges of the pie as needed with aluminum foil.
  6. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Tandoori Turkey

28 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in Meat, Recipe

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This is one of the best turkey recipes I have ever had! What a flavorful, tender, and spicy bird! If you are bored with a traditional recipe, you will NOT be disappointed with this one. While I found the recipe rather involved and time consuming, it was worth every minute. But, don’t skimp on the quality of turkey. It’s worth every penny to invest in a free-range, fresh bird from a local farm. Not only to you support your local farmers and environment, but you also support a higher quality of life for the bird. Serve with Cranberry Apple Chutney.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS

Tandoori Masala

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon mixed colored peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek seed
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ajwain seeds
Turkey
  • 1 12–14-pound fresh (NOT frozen), free-range, organic turkey
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 10 green cardamom pods
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves
Marinade
  • 4 cups (1 quart) plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1/2 cup chopped peeled ginger
  • 1/2 cup high quality bottled lime juice
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup paprika
  • 2 tablespoons tandoori masala (see recipe above)
  • 2 tablespoons garam masala (use store bought)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Tandoori Masala. Toast spices in a skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Grind, using a spice mill or a mortar and pestle.
  2. Turkey. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Rub inside and out with salt. Stuff turkey with cardamom pods and cumin seeds, then onion, celery, and garlic. Transfer to a large marinade bag.
  3. Marinade. Purée all ingredients in a blender. Pour marinade into marinade bag. Smear all over turkey. Tie bag and arrange turkey, breast side down. Refrigerate overnight.
  4. Roasting. Let turkey stand in a bag at room temperature for 1 hour. Turn breast side up and place turkey (and all of the marinade) in a large roasting pan. Cover and seal well with heavy duty aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 400°. Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (puncturing bag with thermometer) registers 160°, about 1 1/2 hours longer. Remove aluminum foil and roast turkey until breast is deeply browned but not burned and a thermometer inserted into thigh registers 165°, 15–30 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
  5. Gravy. Strain juices into a large saucepan. Spoon fat from surface. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about  40 minutes.
  6. Carve turkey. Serve with accompanying gravy.

Cranberry Apple Chutney

27 Sunday Nov 2011

Posted by in Sauce, Vegan, Vegetarian

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What a tasty change from traditional cranberry sauce! This recipe combine tart cranberries with sweet apples and savory Indian spices. If you want something different to pair with meat, try this delicious chutney. For a very unique Thanksgiving dinner, try this chutney with Tandoori Turkey.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 medium apples
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice, divided
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 lb fresh or frozen cranberries (2 cups), thawed if frozen
DIRECTIONS
  1. Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Peel, halve, and core apples, then cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Stir together 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup orange juice and remaining ingredients except cranberries in a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish and spread in an even layer.
  3. Roast apple mixture, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Remove dish from oven and stir in cranberries, then continue roasting until cranberries are softened and most of liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
  4. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup orange juice (add more sugar to taste, if you prefer a sweeter chutney, and more orange juice if the chutney is too thick).
  5. Coarsely chop the chutney, to further meld the flavors.
  6. Serve chutney warm or at room temperature.

A Nontraditional American-Canadian Thanksgiving

27 Sunday Nov 2011

Posted by in Dinner, Meal

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Earlier this year, my husband and I moved to Vancouver, BC from the United States. While I am Canadian, I’ve never lived in Canada. We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving in early October with family in Princeton, BC. Because we already ate one turkey feast, I wasn’t going to cook another one for American Thanksgiving. But, traditions are traditions. Who says you can’t have 2 turkey dinners in one season. So, inspired by some Canadian friends, I decided to go all out and cook up another feast, in honor of American Thanksgiving. However, I took the opportunity of this being our second turkey feast of the season, to experiment and try something new. The result – a very nontraditional, extremely savory and delicious, American Thanksgiving in Canada. Over the next few days, I will post the various recipes from this unique feast. But here’s a glimpse of the amazing food:

  • Roasted Butternut Squash, Onion & Garlic Dip with Crackers and Brie Cheese
  • Tandoori Turkey with Tandoori Masala Gravy
  • Cranberry Apple Chutney
  • Roasted Tandoori Potatoes
  • Kale, Parmesan & Roasted Pumpkin Seed Salad
  • Yams, Lentils & Black Beans
  • Apple Crisp

 

 

 

Kale, Parmesan & Pumpkin Seed Salad

26 Saturday Nov 2011

Posted by in Side, Vegetarian

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My friend, Sutton, introduced me to this extremely simple, yet flavorful salad. The combination of shredded kale, parmesan, pumpkin seeds, and a simple vinaigrette create a wonderfully, unique, texture-rich salad.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 bunch of kale (try red russian, or curly)
  • 1 to 1.5 cups thickly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
  • Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS

  1. Finely shred/cut the kale, rinse well, and remove excess water in a salad spinner.
  2. Combine kale and enough vinaigrette to evenly coat in a large bowl. Let stand for 1 hour.
  3. Toss with parmesan cheese and pumpkin seeds and serve.