Thanksgiving Day Feast

It is that time of year again!! My favorite meal to prepare and consume is just days away, so I thought I'd post some recipes for those of you looking for new methods of preparing your meal.

I'm a strict traditionalist and insist that our meal be traditional. You will see no salad or jello on our table. The things that are always on the menu are:

Turkey
Stuffing (we do stuff the turkey)
Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry-Applesauce

There are lots of different ways to cook a turkey, but I prefer slow roasting. If you are concerned your turkey will be dry, worry not. Think about when you slow roast pork - it is succulent, right? Your turkey will be too if you do it correctly. Stuffing your turkey will actually help keep it from drying out. Here is the recipe for turkey and stuffing from last year's blog post...
http://steffiskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/slow-roasted-turkey-and-traditional.html

and...the cranberry applesauce:
http://steffiskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/cranberry-applesauce.html

I'm getting so excited about cooking this year. I just wish our new baby could eat the meal...one more year and he will get to experience the culinary delight that has wowed my tastebuds for more than 30 years now!!

Happy cooking and Happy Thanksgiving!! :)

Summer Rice and Veggie Salad

I can hardly believe how long it has been since I've posted a new recipe. Pregnancy has put a huge damper not just on my appetite, but on my "inspiration" for cooking. A good friend came over for dinner, which means I had to actually think about what I was going to prepare. Alas, inspiration came to me and it actually turned out really good!

Ingredients
1 1/2 - 2 c. cooked rice (cooled in fridge)
3/4 c. frozen peas thawed
1/2 c. frozen corn thawed
1/2 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes (quartered)
1 avocado (diced)
2 tbsp. finely diced red onion
2 tbsp fresh basil (cut in chiffonade style: http://www.finecooking.com/articles/cutting-chiffonade-basil.aspx)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lime juice
olive oil (approx 4 tbsp)
rice wine vinegar (approx 3 tbsp)

Toss all ingredients together and taste. Add most salt or lemon/lime juice for added flavor. However, be careful - the flavors will become stronger when the salad is chilled.

Chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge (if ingredients are already cold when mixed).

I served the salad with fresh grilled Atlantic Salmon, grilled zucchini and squash. It was FANTASTIC!!

Sausage (Hamhock) and Lentil Soup

I used a recipe on Christmas that was good for a soup similar to this, however, I needed something that would translate to the crock-pot and still be yummy. I threw this together yesterday and it was EXCELLENT!

1 white onion
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 bunch celery
5 large carrots
2-3 Ham hocks or for a healthier version... 1lb Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage (links)
1 c. Red Lentils
1 c. Green Lentils
6-8 c. Low Sodium Organic Chicken broth
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp Chinese all spice
1 tsp. ground sage
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
3 bay leaves

Chop Veggies. Toss all ingredients in crock-pot, stir to combine. Cook on high or med-high for 4-6 hours. Remove meat, chop up and return to stew. Serve Hot! :)

I just had the left overs for lunch and I still think it was awesome!