Tri-Color Blue Cheese Coleslaw

Ingredients

1 small head of green cabbage
1 small head of purple cabbage
5 large carrots, peeled
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup sour cream
½ cup Greek non-flavored yogurt or mayonnaise
1 tsp. celery seed.
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ cup Blue cheese, Roquefort, or Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
½ cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1. Cut the cabbage in half and remove the core. Cut into wedges that will fit in the feeding tube of the food processor. Fit the food processor with a slicing blade, turn the machine on and slice the cabbage. Remove from food processor and place into a bowl, mix together, then measure out 10 cups of the cabbage and place in a large bowl. Reserve any extra cabbage for another use.

2. Change the slicing blade to a grating blade and grate the carrots, then add to the bowl with cabbage.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, sour cream, yogurt, celery seed, salt, and cheese.

4. Toss the cabbage mixture with dressing.

5. Top with toasted walnuts and serve immediately.

TIPS & TRICKS

• You can prepare vegetables & dressing ahead. Just assemble right before serving.

• Pull the dressing out of refrigerator 1 hour before serving to allow to warm up, then toss with slaw.

• To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes. Watch carefully, they burn very quickly! Once cooled, the roasted nuts can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

Brussels Sprout Gratin

Ingredients

2 pounds small Brussels sprouts, all about the same size
4 pieces bacon, cut into strips
2T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2T flour
2 cups milk
¼ tsp. nutmeg
salt & pepper

1 cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1.    Preheat oven to 375° F.

2.    Wash then trim the bottom off the Brussels sprouts. Cut each one into half. 

3.    Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tsp. of salt. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook 3-4 minutes, just until they start to soften. 

4.    In a large-size sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

5.    If needed, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan (you may have enough oil left from cooking the bacon); add the onions and sauté until slightly soft, about 3-4 minutes. 

6.    Add the garlic and continue to cook 1-2 minutes more. 

7.    Sprinkle in the flour; stir until the onions are well coated with the flour.  Scrape the flour off the bottom of the pan, stirring for 1-2 minutes.  

8.    Add the milk mix until well combined and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate all the flour. Cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Toss in the Brussels sprouts and stir until well coated.

9.    In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and cheese. Stir until combined.  Set aside.

10.    Pour the sprouts mixture into a 10x12-inch baking dish.
11.    Sprinkle on top the bacon bits, then top with the breadcrumb mixture.
12.    Bake in a 375° F oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.  Allow to sit 5-10 minutes. Serve warm.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You can do step #1-8 ahead of time. 
•    You can substitute brussels sprouts for blanched broccoli or cauliflower.

Cardamom Carrots

Ingredients

2T unsalted butter
1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and cut into pieces
1T cardamom seeds
2 pounds carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into sticks about 2 inches long
salt & pepper
½ cup chicken stock

1.    In a large sauté pan with a lid, over medium- heat, heat the butter; add the ginger and cardamom seeds and sauté 1-2 minutes.

2.    Add the carrots; toss until well coated.

3.    Add the chicken stock.

4.    Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the carrots, then cover with lid and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are tender, but still have a little crunch to them, about 8-10 minutes.

5.    Discard the ginger and cardamom seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Place in serving dish. Serve warm.

Fig, Sausage & Sage Stuffing

Ingredients

2 baguettes, cut into ½” cubes (10-12 cups)
1 pound sausage, removed from casing
4T olive oil
3 large leeks, washed and finely diced, white & light green parts
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½  cups celery, medium dice (6 large stalks)
2 cup (8 oz.) mushrooms, washed and sliced
1½-cup chicken stock
½ cup white wine
3T fresh sage, chopped
½ cup dried mission figs, finely diced
½ cup toasted walnuts* rough chopped
2 eggs, beaten
salt & pepper

1.    Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet and let them dry completely; overnight or place in a 350° F oven for 10 minutes.

2.    In a medium size sauté pan over medium heat, heat 2T of the olive oil; add the sausage. Using a spoon, break it up into pieces and cook until brown. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and place into a large bowl.

3.    If needed, add the remaining 2T olive oil to the pan pan (you may have enough oil left from cooking the sausage); and sauté the leeks for 2–3 minutes, then and the garlic cook another minute. Add the celery and mushrooms. Continue cooking until slightly softened, about 5-8 minutes.

4.    To the large bowl with the sausage, add the bread cubes, sautéed vegetables, chicken stock, wine, sage, figs and walnuts. Mix until well combined. Taste and season with salt & pepper, then add the eggs and fold them into the stuffing. The stuffing mixture should look moist, but not have puddles of liquid. If too dry, add a little more wine or stock.

5.    Stuffing can be used to stuff turkey or place in baking dish cover with foil and bake place in a 350° F oven until hot, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for additional 5-10 minutes to brown and crisp up stuffing. 

•    To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F.  Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.  Shake the pan and continue baking until nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes more.  Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be store in an airtight container for weeks.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You can cube and dry out your bread ahead of time. Store in an air tight container. It can also be frozen.
•    You can also do step #2 and 3 ahead of time and freeze them.

Perfect Thanksgiving Gravy

Ingredients

4T butter
5T flour
4 cups pan dripping or stock or combination of both
1T flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

1.    Pour the pan dripping into a fat separator. Allow it to sit for a few minutes then pass through a strainer. If you do not have 4 cups of liquid add stock to make 4 cups.

2.    In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter; add the   flour and stir constantly.  Cook until light brown and smells like toast, approximately 2-3 minutes.

3.    Add the pan drippings while stirring. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until slightly reduced and gravy has thickened, approximately another 4-6 minutes. 

4.    Season with salt and pepper to taste; add parsley.
5.    Serve with turkey and side dishes.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    This gravy is a little on the thin side. I like it this way so you can put it on top of everything!
•     If you wish it thicker gravy, simply take 1 tablespoon flour and mix it with 1 tablespoon soft butter until it forms a paste. Add just a marble size piece of the paste to the hot gravy then whisk till combine. Allow the gravy to cook a minute. Continue adding the butter mixture a little at a time until you reach your desired thickness. It should thicken up very quickly so add the mixture slowly.