Roasted Butternut Squash with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Butternut squash is a type of winter squash that is orange in color, similar to pumpkin, and has a sweet nutty flavor. It's not something I've ever made before. In fact, I don't even remember eating it growing up. The first time I had it was when my mother made Butternut Squash Soup a few years ago and I loved it. This year, I decided to try to make the squash myself and wanted to use some of my favorite flavors like garlic, sun dried tomatoes and fresh rosemary, and roasting this squash seemed like the best plan.

6 Recipe Ideas for Leftover Turkey

Thanksgiving is over. You're completely stuffed and you've eaten all the turkey sandwiches you can handle. Now what? Here are 6 recipe ideas to use up some of that leftover turkey!

 Cream of Turkey Soup 

Turkey Orzo Soup

Turkey Tarragon Soup

Baked Turkey & Wasabi Mashed Potato Croquettes

Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Salad

Waldorf Chicken Salad 

(you can substitute turkey)

What do you like to make with your leftover turkey? 

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Believe it or not, we didn't eat many cheese balls at our family gatherings growing up. Mainly we would have an antipasto or cold shrimp with cocktail sauce or sausage bread. It wasn't until I was older that I was introduced to the cheese ball while attending parties at some of my friends' family gatherings. Still, I never even made one until recent years. They are really easy and quick to make. It's the refrigeration time that takes the longest.

Antonia's Portuguese Stuffing

My husband never knew his grandparents on his father's side of the family as my father in law was the youngest of nine siblings and was a "change of life" baby as they like to call it. His Portuguese grandmother, Antonia, was pregnant with twins at the age of 50, but the doctors thought she had a tumor. Nine months later, my father in law was born and sadly, his brother had passed in the womb. By the time my husband was born, both grandparents had passed away, but the stories lived on through his parents, aunts, uncles and older cousins.

Spiked Mini Apple Tarts with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Everyone has their favorite desserts and Thanksgiving is when we seem to make all of them...yes, at the same time. Pumpkin Pie. Apple Pie. Cheesecake. Chocolate Cream Pie. We always have a TON of desserts left over and half of the time we wind up throwing some of them away. This year, I experimented with a smaller version of one of my favorites with these Spiked Mini Apple Tarts with Cinnamon Whipped Cream. 

Cranberry Pear Sauce

Let's see a show of hands. How many people use canned cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving? I always did. It was just what I grew up with and yes, I even liked the jellied version that had to be sliced. (No judgement please). That is until last year when I made my own version after seeing how easy it was on some of my favorite blogs. 

Butter Roasted Carrots & Parsnips with Oregano

I'll admit it. Until a few years ago I never even tried a parsnip; which looks like a cream colored carrot. The parsnip was originally planted by the Romans and used as a sweetener before cane sugar, but wasn't introduced in the United States until the nineteenth century. You can eat the parsnip raw; however, it is more commonly consumed cooked, and is especially high in potassium.

Apple Cider Brined Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy

Last Thanksgiving I made a Lemon & Rosemary Brined Turkey and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious and moist. However, being that I was hosting a party of 14, it was impossible for me to take pictures of said bird. Don't get me wrong, my family loves me and this blog and all, but when it comes to Turkey Day, it's all about the food...no food styling or photos allowed!

Carrot & Sage Soup

Do you eat in courses during your holiday meals? We certainly do! Mostly our day consists of the following courses: appetizers, soup or pasta, salad, main meal; then dessert and coffee. I say soup or pasta because we very rarely serve both; it's usually either one or the other. For Thanksgiving, I like to stick with something orange in color...you know, just to be festive.

Pumpkin & Brie Mini Quiche

It's only 29 days until my favorite holiday...Thanksgiving! I know. It's not even Halloween yet, but if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a huge planner. I love Thanksgiving. The smell of turkey roasting in the oven. The parade Thanksgiving morning. The pumpkin...usually my only excuse to eat pumpkin pie during the year since no one really likes it except for my oldest daughter and I!

Turkey Orzo Soup

I love that the cooler weather is approaching. It means more soup like this Turkey Orzo Soup. I will purposely buy a whole turkey or just the breast and roast it on a Sunday afternoon, knowing that I will almost always have leftovers. The recipe below calls for chicken or vegetable broth; however, I've also used homemade turkey stock made from boiling the carcass with some onions, celery and carrots after all the meat has been carved from the bone. This soup is simple to make and really warms you from the inside out on a cool day.


Turkey Orzo Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes          Yield: 7 cups
Cook Time: 25 minutes         Serving: 1 cup
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 c. Carrots, small dice
• 1/4 c. Red Onion, small dice
• 2 Stalks Celery, small dice
• 1 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 c. Turkey, cooked and chopped
• 4 c. Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 2 c. Water
• 1/2 c. Orzo

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over low heat; then add in the carrots, onion and celery. Allow the vegetables to sweat and soften for approximately 3-5 minutes. 
2. Add the parsley, turkey, broth, water and orzo. Mix well. 
3. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 91, Carbs 8.4g, Fat 3.2g, Protein 7.2g, Fiber 1.1g, Sugar 1.5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Turkey Orzo Soup Shopping List

Garlicky Stuffed Mushrooms

As promised, I'm saving Friday's for savory recipes for the next couple of weeks while we're on our Holiday Baking theme. And since it's the season for holiday parties, I wanted to share an easy appetizer. 

I hadn't made stuffed mushrooms in a while so I decided to make them as an appetizer for Thanksgiving. I was going to make a version I had made already, but realized that I hadn't made a basic stuffed mushroom with breading yet. I mean, I've made them over the years, but I never posted it here on the blog. I know. I know. Never make a new recipe for a holiday. But, in actuality, I made these the day before and took a picture when no one was home so it's all good. :) 

These are so easy to make and I like that you're utilizing all parts of the mushroom. If you don't have Ritz crackers, you can use breadcrumbs, but I like the extra buttery-ness that they give to this recipe. As for the garlic, well that part was kind of an accident, a good one at that. My cloves were pretty large so it really took on the garlicky flavor. If you don't like garlic, you can omit it and they'll taste just as great. 

Garlicky Stuffed Mushrooms

2-10oz. Packages White Button Mushrooms

1 Scallion, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

42 Ritz Crackers

2 Sprigs Thyme, removed from stem

2 tbsp. Butter, melted

Cooking Spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rinse mushrooms to remove any dirt, then destem the mushrooms by holding the base and tilting the stem from left to right until it snaps out. 
3. Chop the stems using a knife or put them in a food processor. 
4. Heat the oil in a saute pan and add in the chopped mushroom stems, scallions, garlic and thyme. Saute until the mushrooms soften. 
5. Next, crush the Ritz crackers either by using a food processor, blender or putting them in a bag and using the back of a glass; then add the crackers and melted butter to the mushroom mixture and mix well.
6. Stuff the mushroom caps, line them on a baking sheet, spray the tops with cooking spray and bake for 25-30 minutes until the mushrooms are lightly brown. Makes approx. 28 pieces.

Enjoy!

Note: I breaded, covered and refrigerated them the day before. Then, when ready to serve the next day, I removed them from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking so that they would come to room temperature.

Ritz Crackers has come out with handy packaging called Fresh Stacks. I love this new packaging as they are less likely to get stale. They're packaged in 8 packages of 14 crackers. For this recipe, I used 3 packages of 14 crackers. 








*Ritz Crackers did not compensate me in any way for this post. It is based on my own personal opinion.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving holds many fond memories for me. I can still remember as a child spending the day with my mom, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from my mother's side of the family. There were 20 of us and sometimes more when my uncles side of the family came as well....the more the merrier!

The day would start out with my sister and I watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while my Mom made whatever side dishes she would be bringing to my aunts house. Then we would drive the hour long drive to my aunt and uncles home in NY where my Aunt Kay always hosted Thanksgiving. Everyone would always help out by bringing something whether it was an appetizer, side dish, or dessert, so that the burden wasn't all on her.  

Her kitchen was a small, galley style kitchen with few countertop spaces to work on,  so I was always amazed at how many of us we could fit in there. You never heard "Can I help?". It was always just assumed. As soon as you saw my aunt head towards the kitchen, all of the women and girls would follow and it would be like the perfect symphony. One mashing potatoes. Another making gravy. Another washing the pots. And yet another starting to get all of the food on the table all while chatting and laughing...sometimes hysterically! Each  one knowing what it was that had to get done so that the meal could get to the table at the same time. It was here that I learned the value of  respect and working together as a team and to my family, I'm eternally grateful. 

Me (in the front with the black and white shirt) by the
"kid" table with some of my cousins including my little
cousin Richie and my sister, Jill who are no longer with us. 

Because there were so many of us, we had the "adult" table and the "kid" table and I couldn't WAIT to get to go to the adult table. But once there, though it was also fun (and I learned how to play a mean game of penny poker!), I think in retrospect I enjoyed the kid table better! What wasn't to love with having 8 other cousins, half of them around the same age, to share it with! We were nutty, like most families I guess and it wasn't uncommon for my uncle or grandfather to throw a roll if someone asked for them to be passed. And my uncle ALWAYS pretended to trip while carrying the turkey to the table...every year. And you know what? Even though we knew it was coming, we'd all laugh anyway. 

As with most families, children grow up, marry and have families of their own and it makes it hard for everyone to get together like we all used to. I treasure the time and memories made with all of my family members and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to let them all know how much they mean to me. Families aren't perfect. They come in all shapes, sizes and personalities and don't necessarily have to even be bound by blood, but they shape who you are as a person and make lasting memories...good or bad. :)

This year, I'm thankful for a roof over my head, food on my table, mine and my families health (especially this week when we wound up at the ER getting a CAT Scan for Rachael who is now suffering from a concussion....yes, it's never a dull moment here folks!), all of my family, friends and for all of you. From those I see everyday to those I wish I could see more. Know I think of you often even though life seems to keep us apart. I've been blessed in life to go through some hard times and have been rewarded by good and for that I'm grateful. Tomorrow, I plan on preparing all I can ahead of time so that I can spend the morning watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade with my husband and two girls. Then enjoy a relaxing, fun filled eating-fest with my family and friends creating new memories for my children that will hopefully last a lifetime. 

From my family to yours....

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

There are still so many people in our area that have been displaced from their homes and lost everything from Hurricane Sandy in the tri-state area. If you would like to help, please consider donating to the American Red Cross.

My Thanksgiving Menu & Giveaway

I hope you all enjoyed this past week's Thanksgiving theme. 

I have been very torn as to what to make for Thanksgiving dinner this year and I actually got a late start planning my own menu.  Should I make the same old favorites? Should I make something new? And if I make something new, do I really want to stop the family fun to take photographs before letting my guests eat? Yes, these are the questions a food blogger thinks about when making anything! So, I have decided to go with some of our old favorites, because after all, isn't Thanksgiving a time to be thankful and grateful for the people you have in your life? Well, at least that is what I'm thankful for!

We're having a total of 14 people this year and this is what I came up with.  The menu items highlighted have been made before here on the blog and you can find the recipe by clicking on the link. 

Appetizers

Stuffed Clams

Made by my Mother in-law. The family loves them but you all know I won't be eating these. =)

Chorizo Bread

This recipe is in the book. ;)

Cheese and Crackers

Stuffed Mushrooms

I'm not sure which ones I'm making yet, but am leaning on a classic bread stuffing. 

Soup

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Made by my IRLF Jenn from My Daily Jenn-ism. 

I can't wait to try this I may just have to snap a picture anyway! :)

Pasta

Ravioli with Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

This recipe is in the book too. ;)

Tossed Garden Salad

Main Course

Lemon and Rosemary Brined Turkey

My first attempt at brining a turkey..wish me luck!

Sides

Praline Crusted Sweet Potato Casserole 

This is another new recipe I'm trying with a combination of my 
Crown Royal Mashed Sweet Potatoes and 
South Your Mouth's Sweet Potato Praline Casserole. 

Mashed Potatoes

Portuguese Stuffing

I'm definitely going to take a picture of this one and try to get the recipe this year 

from my Mother in-law. Remember last year she was in the hospital recovering 

from a fall and hip surgery so we didn't get any. 

Classic Bread Stuffing

Yes, I call it stuffing but if you want to call it dressing, go right ahead. 

Maple and Sage Glazed Petite Carrots

Green Bean Casserole

This is one of those things I HAVE to have on Thanksgiving or it's not the same. You all know I'm not a huge fan of leftovers, but this is one of those recipes that tastes even better heated up to scalding hot temperatures the next day. 

Honey Wheat Rolls

Dessert

Pumpkin Pie

Apple Crumb Pie

Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake

I'll be tweaking my Limoncello Cheesecake recipe that is in the cookbook. 

Do you think I have enough food? ;)

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

I also wanted to let you know how wonderfully supportive YOU have all been to CEK this year as well. And I am completely humbled and grateful to all of you that stop by each day. To thank you, I will be doing a new giveaway.

The winner will receive a Signed Hardcover Carrie's Experimental Kitchen Cookbook along with a Bella Rotating Waffle Maker. The contest will run from Friday, November 16, 2012 through Wednesday, November 21, 2012 and the winner will be randomly selected using rafflecopter.com and announced on Thursday, November 22, 2012. 

This contest has ended. Congratulations to Kathe Burke! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Banana Bundt Cake

Today is our last day of Thanksgiving Recipe Week so I have to end with dessert. I know, it's a mouthful to say and I have to agree, but this recipe was another wonderful way to use up those bananas. This was a deliciously moist cake with the chocolate, hazelnuts, pumpkin and bananas all wrapped up into one tasty package without being overly sweet. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Banana Bundt Cake
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Cocoa Powder
1/2 c. Granulated Sugar
1 c. Pumpkin Puree
1/4 c. Nutella or other Hazelnut spread
3 Ripe Bananas, blended
1 Egg
2 tbsp. Milk
1/4 c. Hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 c. Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions:
1. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and  cocoa powder. 
2. In a separate larger bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, Nutella, bananas, egg and milk. Whisk together until well blended. 
3. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix well; then fold in the hazelnuts and chocolate chips. 
4. Grease a bundt pan with cooking spray and pour in the batter. 
5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until the top springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes 16 slices. 


Click here for more DESSERT ideas! 

Enjoy!

*Tip: You can also make these as muffins; however, the cooking time would be different. For muffins, I would start checking them for doneness after 10-12 minutes.

Thanksgiving Tip
The day of, write a list of what items you will be serving and at what time. This will help you determine when to place items into the oven to avoid over crowding and to keep you on some sort of schedule. 

Here is an example:
9:00am Place turkey in the oven
12:30pm Put appetizers in the oven
1:00pm Guests arrive/serve appetizers
2:00pm Heat Soup 
2:30pm Serve Soup
3:00pm Serve Salad
3:00pm Put sides in the oven, rolls and/or cook the potatoes for mashed potatoes
3:15pm Carve Turkey
3:30/4pm Serve main meal and don't forget the cranberry sauce in the refrigerator(I do this every year!)
6:00pm Serve dessert and coffee


Shared at Close To Home 11/15/12

Pumpkin & Sage Risotto

It's Day 4 of Thanksgiving Recipe Week and today, I've got a great new side dish for you. This Pumpkin & Sage Risotto is the quintessential fall dish with wonderful flavors and lucky for us, it also has less than 5 ingredients! 

I made this recipe special to share this week as I wasn't sure if my family would like it, but when Rachael came home from school and saw the container in the refrigerator, she couldn't wait to try it (and then proceeded to eat half the container for dinner so I guess it was a hit). Risotto's are so easy to make and would make a great side dish on your Thanksgiving table.  


Pumpkin & Sage Risotto
1 tbsp. Butter
1 c. Arborio Rice
4 c. Vegetable Broth
1/2 c. Pumpkin Puree
1 tbsp. Sage
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. In a large, non-stick saute pan, melt the butter and add in the rice. 
2. Stir until the rice turns slightly brown, then add 1 cup of the vegetable broth. 
3. Allow the liquid to evaporate, then add the remaining broth 1 cup at a time, allowing the liquid to evaporate after each addition. 
4. When the last cup of liquid has almost evaporated, stir in the pumpkin and sage; mix well. Makes 5-1/2 cup servings. 

*Nutritional Information: Calories 113 , Carbs 25.5g, Fat 0g, Protein 2.1g, Fiber 1.1g, Sugar 2.2g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Click here for more SIDES! 

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Tip
Plan out your menu in advance and keep it posted on the refrigerator until the big day. I like to do this at least 1-2 weeks ahead of time so that I can gradually purchase any specialty pantry items I may need. As you prepare items that can be made ahead of time, cross it off of your list.  It is also a good idea to go through each recipe to make sure you have a complete shopping list. And then, if your neurotic like me, you'll re-write the list so that all like items are together. :) I don't know how many times I've had to send my husband to the store the morning of a holiday because I forgot something. 

Maple & Sage Roasted Delicata

It's Day 3 of Thanksgiving Recipe week and today I've got a new, or at least new for me, vegetable for you to try. 

Delicata is a type of winter squash and is also known as peanut squash, Bohemian squash or sweet potato squash. I had never seen one before until I visited my local Fairway Market. They have such a wide variety of produce, amongst other things as I recently mentioned before in my Rosemary Roasted Yellow Carrots recipe. I loved the flavor of this squash, especially tossed with the maple syrup and fresh sage. And, besides a little odd look from Gabrielle because she first thought I had roasted peaches (hmmm....now there's an idea!), the family and I loved it. I just wish I had purchased another one it was so good!  I would double the recipe if you are making this for more than two people. 

Maple & Sage Roasted Delicata
1 Delicata, peeled
1 tbsp. Maple Syrup
1 tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste












Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Cut delicata in half lengthwise, remove the seeds then cut in half again forming 4 strips; then cut into bite sized cubes.

3. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well. 

4. Place the delicata on a baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes; turning once and allowing them to get slightly brown and caramelized. Makes 2 cups. 

*Nutritional Information per Cup: Calories 126, Carbs 6.7g, Fat 7g, Protein 3.8g, Fiber 1.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Click here for more VEGETABLE ideas! 

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Tip

Your turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees when a digital thermometer is inserted by the thigh meat. Remove from the oven and allow to rest under a foil tent for another 45-60 minutes before carving to allow the natural juices to settle into the meat.