Thanksgiving Day

Well, Thanksgiving went off without a hitch, the kids showed up and visited w/their Dad, and I cooked up a scrumptios meal and good times were had by all.

I only wish there were more people to share with, so I made some pretty awesome togo packages to people who didn't have any goodies of there own (Including the kids grandma on their Mom's side) and sent them off with the kids, to be delivered and got some really sweet phone calls the following morning, Thanking me for the goodies, well, my pleasure! I hope it warmed their tummies and hearts!!!!!! Norma you are more than Welcome!!!!

© Jennifer Green Alger 2009

Joy of Big Sur Dream Bars

Big Sur Dream Bars

These Originally had a very special home grown butter that was used in this, which has fallen by the wayside over the years (except on very special occasions). So here's the revised version.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees,Grease a 9x9 in pan lined w/ foil.

Beat in a medium bowl until well blended:

1/2 stick unsalted Land 'O' Lakes butter, softened

2 Tablespoons Dominos Sugar

1 lg. egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Stir in until well blended and smooth:

3/4 cup flour

Press the dough evenly into the baking pan, bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat in a medium bowl until combined:

2 lg. eggs

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon Clabber Girl baking powder

1/8 teaspoon Morton salt

1 1/2 tespoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

Stir in:

1 1/2 chopped toasted pecans or walnuts (cooled)

1 cup toasted sweetened coconut (cooled)

1 cup Ghiradelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Spread mixture evenly over the hot baked crust

Bake until the top is evenly golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the middle, comes out slightly wet, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool, when cool cut with a wet knife.

Serve with Hagan Daz Vanilla Ice Cream or Cool Whip Topping
© Jennifer Green Alger 2009

Mushroom and Thyme Turkey Gravy

This Gravy just Rocks my Familys world, it's one of those that you want on everything, so make plenty.

1 or 2 pounds cremini, baby bella, or button mushroom, (any wild variety shitaki, oyster, enoki), will make this even better, don't be afraid to experiment.

depending on how you feel, my family like lots of shrooms, and I happy to accommodate!

1/2 stick butter or 1/4 cup EVOO(Extra Virgin Olive Oil) Over med high heat until the mushrooms start to brown, add

3 Tablespoons, Flour, and 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Thyme

coat the shrooms and let the flour taste cook out, at least 3 minutes, longer for a nuttier taste.

Add Chicken stock to thin wisking constantly, 2 to 3 cups should do it, but keep it handy in case it gets to thick, add to thin as needed.

The final and most important ingredient is the pan juices from the turkey, get as much of the pan juices in one of those handy dandy fat separators and add juices to taste.

Continue to stir, turn down heat to low, and set aside.
© Jennifer Green Alger 2009

Apple, Cranberry, Onion And Sage Stuffin' Muffins

©I must give kudos to Ms. Racheal Ray for this brilliant idea!!!

Stuffin' Muffins

Grease well w/ butter, a 12 muffin tin, or a 6 lg muffin tin

1 lg Apple, not to tart,( because of the dried cranberry's) chopped

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

3/4 cup Ocean Spray dried cranberry's/ Cape Cod style work best

1/4 stick Land 'O' Lakes unsalted butter

Saute all above ingredients , until translucent

Add:

3 cups Swanson Chicken stock

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Sage

2 packages Stuffing Pepperidge Farms works well

1/2 teas. Poultry Seasoning

Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning to taste

Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes

Fluff w/ fork, recover.

in a small bowl, break and mix well 1 lg. egg, add to stuffing and mix well.

Use a ice cream scoop or something similar to fill Muffin Tins.

Bake a half hr to 45 min until med golden brown.

Serve Immediately
© Jennifer Green Alger

Sweet Peas W/ Pearl Onions

Sweet Peas w/ Red, Yellow, and White, Pearl Onions in Cajun Butter

Peel 2 cups of mixed pearl onions, place in roasting pan, sprinkle w/ olive oil, salt and pepper

roast on 350 for 1/2 to 1 hour, until they start to show some color/carmelization!

Add 2 lbs Frozen Sweet Peas and half stick of Land 'O' Lakes unsalted Butter, and Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning to taste

Stir well until Butter melts, cover with foil, bake for 30 to 40 min, uncover for last 5 mins.
© Jennifer Green Alger 2009

Gruyere Cheese Green Bean Casserole

Gruyere Cheese Green Bean Casserole w/ Frenches Fried Onion Topping

1 9x9 baking pan

3 lbs Green Beans or 4 sm cans or 2 big cans Del Monte Green beans

1 can Cambells cream of mushroom soup, heated w/ cheeses melted in

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pinch of nutmeg really sets this dish apart and for those who like a little spice add a pinch of cayenne as well!!

Mix all ingredients together in pan, sprinkle with can of Frenches Fried Onions

Bake for 45 min on 350

Enjoy, my family fights over this one.
© Jennifer Green Alger 2009

Butter and Sour Cream Steam Mashed Potatoes

I always do this the night before.

This Depends on how many you are cooking for, I all ways make 10 pounds, because it rolls over into other dishes, and are just delish ! Latkes, Croquettes, Shepard's Pie, etc.

One trick I use is to steam the potatoes, there is no comparison to the strange, mealy consistency of boiled.

Large Pot w a steamer in the bottom.

10 lbs Russett Potatoes, whole, not peeled

Steam until very well done, turn off and let sit to cool, and peel.

Put back in the pot w/ 1 stick unsalted Butter and 1 cup sour cream, over low heat and start to mash w/ your trusty potato masher, mash until there are no lumps.

Salt and Pepper to taste, put in fridge for next day.

The steaming increases the smoothness of these potatoes and people, just love um!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2009

Gingered Sweet Potatoes

Gingered Sweet Potatoes

5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled cut and and steamed or 2 lg cans of yams, w/ 2/3 cup syrup reserved.

1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar & 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate or water

2 tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons Powdered Ginger

salt to taste

Tiny marshmallows

Combine all ingredients, except (marshmallows), in a deep pan size according to amount.

Bake at 350 for 45 mins

Add Marshmallows, bake until Golden Brown
© Jennifer Green Alger 2009

Cajun Orange Roast Turkey

Cajun Orange Roast Turkey

Small Turkey 10 to 15 lbs, big birds are tough, or 2 nice sized Turkey Breasts (bone in).

2 Fresh Oranges or 1/2 cup juice in a pinch (Keep a orange half or quarter, along with 1/4 onion and any herb of choice, to put in cavity)

1/2 cup Extra virgin Olive Oil

Cajun Spice

Garlic Powder

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Kosher salt

Clean Bird, Dry Completely, Slather with EVOO & OJ, rub all the spices on and in bird. Put 1/2 Orange in cavity) Cover and refridgerate, 4 hours, Take out 1 hr before cooking at 325 degrees for time indicated, basting every 1/2 hr. Do not over cook, as bird will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven! Remove and let sit tented w foil for 40 min to 1 hr
© Jennifer Green Alger 2009

Thanksgiving Day

My husband Bob and I have celebrated alone for the first four years of our married life, it just always worked out that way, I'd make a couple of Beautiful Balsamic Glazed Cornish Game Hens, w/ all the trimmings, and we'd eat to our little hearts content, pass out and be done w/ it. But this year for some reason I elected myself to cook for everyone, which for me is no biggie, as I am always up to cooking for any reason, it is what I love...my passion. So I decided to share these recipes because everything came out so deliciously, not to toot my own horn, but, I really should be doing this for a living. This all came off the top of my head for the most part, except I do have to give kudos to Racheal Ray for the Stuffin' Muffin idea, even though I used my own recipe, the stuffing cooked in muffin tins was brilliant!!!! So here's the menu:

Cajun Orange Glazed Turkey

Gingered Sweet Potato Casserole

Butter and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

Gruyere Cheese Green bean Casserole

Sweet Peas w/ Roasted Red, Yellow, and White, Pearl Onions

Apple Sage, and Cranberry, Stuffin' Muffins

Mushroom and Thyme Turkey Gravy

Sweet Rolls

Dream Bars (Shortbread Crust W/ Pecan, Coconut, and Ghriradelli Chocolate Chip filling)

Recipes to follow.......needless to say it was pretty good, to put it mildly.