I don't really celebrate Thanksgiving, at least not in November. For me, the autumn equinox is my feast of thanksgiving/harvest festival celebration. Samhain is the last of the harvest festivals. By the time November rolls around, a lot of things have already been harvested. Also, I'm not too big on celebrating things that are attached to the Puritans and their murderous, poo-poo-headed ways. Pass.
Still, I'll be off the entire week (working from home Monday-Wednesday), and my Aussie will finish the work week on Thursday. He probably won't have to work the entire day, but we're not sure yet. We know that he'll work half a day on Dec. 25, a full day on the 26th, and then have the 27th and 28th off. That's when we will go to my parents' house.
I figure since I'll be off all week, and he'll have worked 5 days, I could at least prepare a nice meal to celebrate his weekend. While he's at work, I plan to cook and drink a lot of wine. I'll probably watch Alice's Restaurant and The Last Waltz, too.
There will only be the two of us. We were invited to a coworker's house to celebrate with her visiting family members, but my meatless fast thingie would just complicate things too much. I'm saving my appetite for Dec. 27, for a pork shoulder roast with crackling and a roasted goose! Oh, yeah. I'm looking forward to that, for sure. So, no turkey here, especially since only one person would be eating it.
I'll make a pared-down vegetarian feast. I have lots of dishes planned, but I will make smaller amounts of them. The menu thus far:
* Spinach salad with almonds, pears, and a ginger-sesame dressing
* Lentil-rice-walnut loaf
* Smashed red potatoes
* Mushroom gravy
* Duchess sweet potatoes
* Harvest Home rolls
* Swiss chard
* Glazed carrots and parsnips
* Cranberry upside-down cake with orange and cardamom
I'm getting full just thinking about it. What are you making?
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Mabon Recipes: Side Dishes
Sweet Potato Souffle is a recipe I am trying tomorrow. Hopefully it will turn out. Souffle has a reputation for being very persnickety and easily upset.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 c cream or milk
5 eggs, whites and yolks separated
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
Boil sweet potatoes until tender, 10-15 minutes, depending on size of dice. Drain and set aside.
Preheat over to 350 F. Grease a 2-quart souffle dish. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sugar and turn to coat.
In a large bowl, mash together sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, egg yolks, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they peak. Gently folk egg whites into sweet potato mixture in a figure-8 fashion, 1/4 at a time. There will be flecks of white in the finished product.
Pour into souffle dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 c cream or milk
5 eggs, whites and yolks separated
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
Boil sweet potatoes until tender, 10-15 minutes, depending on size of dice. Drain and set aside.
Preheat over to 350 F. Grease a 2-quart souffle dish. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sugar and turn to coat.
In a large bowl, mash together sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, egg yolks, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they peak. Gently folk egg whites into sweet potato mixture in a figure-8 fashion, 1/4 at a time. There will be flecks of white in the finished product.
Pour into souffle dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thanksgiving, Part III
I'll try to wrap it up in this post. Maybe one more. We may even get to dishes that were actually served at the first Thanksgiving!
Although not served at the first Thanksgiving, no table would be complete without that big, jiggly blob of canned cranberry sauce. Perhaps you make your own? If so, bless you! It's so much better.
Cranberries are ruled by the planet Mars. Their element is water and their energy is protection.
To prepare your own, add 1 bag cranberries to a sauce pan. Put in 1 cup sugar and 1 cup orange juice. Cook until the berries start to burst. Easy. If that's not easy enough, just open a can and *plop*.
Another food that was not served in the 1620s was mashed potatoes. For years I didn't like mashed potatoes. After having lap band surgery, I find the texture appealing and I now enjoy them.
The potato is an Earth food, carrying energies of protection and compassion.
Sweet Potatoes are ruled by the Moon and Earth and carry the energies of love and sex. Not that anyone is really thinking about sex after a full Thanksgiving dinner although it would be an excellent way to burn off those calories.
Pumpkins are also ruled by the Moon and Earth. Their energies are healing and money. Pumpkin pie flavored with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg can be used to attract money. You know, for Yule shopping the next day.
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving celebration next week. May you be surrounded by loved ones and loving energies, along with prosperity for this new year.
Although not served at the first Thanksgiving, no table would be complete without that big, jiggly blob of canned cranberry sauce. Perhaps you make your own? If so, bless you! It's so much better.
Cranberries are ruled by the planet Mars. Their element is water and their energy is protection.
To prepare your own, add 1 bag cranberries to a sauce pan. Put in 1 cup sugar and 1 cup orange juice. Cook until the berries start to burst. Easy. If that's not easy enough, just open a can and *plop*.
Another food that was not served in the 1620s was mashed potatoes. For years I didn't like mashed potatoes. After having lap band surgery, I find the texture appealing and I now enjoy them.
The potato is an Earth food, carrying energies of protection and compassion.
Sweet Potatoes are ruled by the Moon and Earth and carry the energies of love and sex. Not that anyone is really thinking about sex after a full Thanksgiving dinner although it would be an excellent way to burn off those calories.
Pumpkins are also ruled by the Moon and Earth. Their energies are healing and money. Pumpkin pie flavored with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg can be used to attract money. You know, for Yule shopping the next day.
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving celebration next week. May you be surrounded by loved ones and loving energies, along with prosperity for this new year.
Thanksgiving, Part II
We've briefly discussed the turkey and now it's time for the best part of the dinner for some people - the stuffing.
Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, put it in the bird's butt or not, this side dish is always made with bread. Bread, in turn, is made with wheat. Wheat is associated with Venus. Its element is earth and although its energies can vary, the biggest ones are prosperity and money. Adding a stuffing to the inside of the turkey might punch up the prosperity magic if that's what you're going for, but remember that stuffing adds cooking time and if it doesn't cook all the way through, you could be looking at some serious health issues later.
Chestnut Stuffing
4 cups of day-old white bread, cubed - prosperity, money
2 cups day-old cornbread, crumbled - protection, spirituality
2 onions, finely chopped - protection
2-3 ribs celery, finely chopped - peace, psychic awareness
2 sticks butter - spirituality
1 tablespoon dried sage - longevity, health
2 teaspoons dried thyme - love, psychic awareness, purification
1 teaspoon dried savory - can't find energies, but I would say love
1 pound roasted chestnuts, sliced - love
salt and pepper to taste
chicken or turkey stock to moisten
With a sharp knife, cut an "X" into each chestnut. Roast at 450 F until shells open, about 10 minutes. We do this over an open fire at my parents' house, in an old cast iron chestnut roaster.
When chestnuts are cooled, peel and slice.
In a large bowl, combine the breads. In a skillet, cook the onions and celery with the butter until soft, about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add to the bread mixture. Mix in the herbs and turn well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Moisten the dressing with stock. Actually, you want it to be fairly wet to keep it moist while it is cooking. Start with two cups and add more. You don't want it to be soupy.
Put the dressing/stuffing/whatever you call it in a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, until the top is brown and a bit crunchy.
This is my mom's chestnut stuffing, more or less. She doesn't use thyme or savory, but I finally talked her into using actual celery and not celery seed. Yeesh!
There you have it. A side dish for love, or a stuffing to add extra prosperity to the bird.
Note: If you are stuffing the bird, remember that stuffing adds to the cooking time. Consult your recipe books or the internet for proper cooking times. The meat should reach 180 F in the leg meat when done, and the stuffing should have an internal temperature of about 165. I recommend a digital meat thermometer for this. Don't rely on the pop-up thingie in the turkey.
Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, put it in the bird's butt or not, this side dish is always made with bread. Bread, in turn, is made with wheat. Wheat is associated with Venus. Its element is earth and although its energies can vary, the biggest ones are prosperity and money. Adding a stuffing to the inside of the turkey might punch up the prosperity magic if that's what you're going for, but remember that stuffing adds cooking time and if it doesn't cook all the way through, you could be looking at some serious health issues later.
Chestnut Stuffing
4 cups of day-old white bread, cubed - prosperity, money
2 cups day-old cornbread, crumbled - protection, spirituality
2 onions, finely chopped - protection
2-3 ribs celery, finely chopped - peace, psychic awareness
2 sticks butter - spirituality
1 tablespoon dried sage - longevity, health
2 teaspoons dried thyme - love, psychic awareness, purification
1 teaspoon dried savory - can't find energies, but I would say love
1 pound roasted chestnuts, sliced - love
salt and pepper to taste
chicken or turkey stock to moisten
With a sharp knife, cut an "X" into each chestnut. Roast at 450 F until shells open, about 10 minutes. We do this over an open fire at my parents' house, in an old cast iron chestnut roaster.
When chestnuts are cooled, peel and slice.
In a large bowl, combine the breads. In a skillet, cook the onions and celery with the butter until soft, about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add to the bread mixture. Mix in the herbs and turn well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Moisten the dressing with stock. Actually, you want it to be fairly wet to keep it moist while it is cooking. Start with two cups and add more. You don't want it to be soupy.
Put the dressing/stuffing/whatever you call it in a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, until the top is brown and a bit crunchy.
This is my mom's chestnut stuffing, more or less. She doesn't use thyme or savory, but I finally talked her into using actual celery and not celery seed. Yeesh!
There you have it. A side dish for love, or a stuffing to add extra prosperity to the bird.
Note: If you are stuffing the bird, remember that stuffing adds to the cooking time. Consult your recipe books or the internet for proper cooking times. The meat should reach 180 F in the leg meat when done, and the stuffing should have an internal temperature of about 165. I recommend a digital meat thermometer for this. Don't rely on the pop-up thingie in the turkey.
Signifiance of Thanksgiving Dishes, Part I
This post is going to explore the energies that are connected to the foods on the typical American Thanksgiving table. With Thanksgiving just over a week away, many people are busy planning menus and putting together shopping lists. Some families serve a traditional turkey dinner, while others serve traditional foods from a different culture, such as ravioli in Italian households. We're going to deal with the regular old holiday menu first - turkey and all the trimmings.
First, we have the turkey. I see turkey as being associated with earth and prosperity, similar to most meats. Nothing says bountiful like a huge platter holding an enormous bird, its skin a nice bronze color with snowy white flesh beneath.
To add an extra punch of prosperity or money magic to your dish, try stuffing the cavity of the bird with herbs for prosperity: basil, parsley, or dill.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Leftover Magic
Thanksgiving leftovers? Never fear, the kitchen witch is here! I wasn’t able to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving feast this year, but I am still here with ways for you to use up some of the leftover food you may have, and stir up some witchin’ in the kitchen to boot.
The following soup is just the thing to lift you out of the post-Thanksgiving slump. In fact, it’s good for helping lift you out of the winter doldrums, so it’s a good one to hang on to until spring. Plus, being a spicy soup, it’s good not only for warming and protection, but you can also serve it at Imbolc.
Curried Pumpkin Soup
First, let’s talk about that pumpkin. As we have discussed before, this is an excellent symbol of the harvest. Its round shape represents fertility and abundance. The seeds are also symbols of fertility and can be toasted and eaten, or dried and marked with runes for divination. If you like to do things the slower way, maybe you’ve purchased a pumpkin and roasted it yourself. If so, good for you. Roasting the pumpkin intensifies the flavor and brings out a lovely sweetness. If you’re short on time, however, canned or raw pumpkin will work just as well. This recipe is partially about the spice.
Ingredients:
2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
1 hot red chili, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ½ cups pumpkin (used canned or roasted, whichever you have)
3 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
3 tablespoons butter or oil
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pot, melt butter and cook onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili, and spices. Stir to coat everything with the spice mixture and cook 2 more minutes.
Add the pumpkin, water and broth and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes. Add the coconut milk and continue simmering for another 5-10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in your blender or use a stick immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. Soup can be thinned with a little extra water or stock if it’s too thick for your liking.
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro leaves if desired.
Not in the mood for soup? You can also turn this into a satisfying, chunky curry to serve over rice. Use cubes of roasted pumpkin instead of canned, and omit the water and stock, keeping the coconut milk.
The following soup is just the thing to lift you out of the post-Thanksgiving slump. In fact, it’s good for helping lift you out of the winter doldrums, so it’s a good one to hang on to until spring. Plus, being a spicy soup, it’s good not only for warming and protection, but you can also serve it at Imbolc.
Curried Pumpkin Soup
First, let’s talk about that pumpkin. As we have discussed before, this is an excellent symbol of the harvest. Its round shape represents fertility and abundance. The seeds are also symbols of fertility and can be toasted and eaten, or dried and marked with runes for divination. If you like to do things the slower way, maybe you’ve purchased a pumpkin and roasted it yourself. If so, good for you. Roasting the pumpkin intensifies the flavor and brings out a lovely sweetness. If you’re short on time, however, canned or raw pumpkin will work just as well. This recipe is partially about the spice.
Ingredients:
2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
1 hot red chili, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ½ cups pumpkin (used canned or roasted, whichever you have)
3 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
3 tablespoons butter or oil
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pot, melt butter and cook onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili, and spices. Stir to coat everything with the spice mixture and cook 2 more minutes.
Add the pumpkin, water and broth and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes. Add the coconut milk and continue simmering for another 5-10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in your blender or use a stick immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. Soup can be thinned with a little extra water or stock if it’s too thick for your liking.
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro leaves if desired.
Not in the mood for soup? You can also turn this into a satisfying, chunky curry to serve over rice. Use cubes of roasted pumpkin instead of canned, and omit the water and stock, keeping the coconut milk.
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