Thanksgiving Salad

Leftover Thanksgiving salad
(Saturday after Thanksgiving)

I made some salad to bring to Thanksgiving this year.  I tried to incorporate fall and Thanksgiving foods into it without stepping onto the toes of other entrees and dishes - for example, shredded turkey would have been great but there's already turkey turkey at the meal...

The salad has spinach and mixed greens, sunflower seeds, toasted pecan pieces, chickpeas, dried cranberries, apples, avocados, herbed cheddar cheese, carrots, cucumbers, chickpeas, corn, green and red bell peppers, onion, hard-boiled eggs, and celery.

I know some people are not a huge fan of celery.  For salad I cut it lengthwise down the middle and then into very small pieces the other way.  It adds a nice crunch and flavor without being stringy.

The dressing was a vinaigrette I made from fresh cranberries, red wine vinegar, and sunflower oil.  Half of the red wine vinegar came from an old bottle of wine that we had not finished in time and I had put away to turn into vinegar - a great use for turning wine.

Biggest lesson learned?  This was my first time making croutons - I used pumpkin cinnamon bread to make them.  It was super simple.  I rarely have croutons because you have to buy a whole box at a time and they usually have bad ingredients like hydrogenated oil or high fructose corn syrup.  These were amazingly simple and easy.

How to make croutons:
1.  Cut up bread into crouton size

2.  Drizzle generously with olive oil and stir to coat evenly.

3.  Bake them in the oven at 375 degrees (put on parchment paper for easy clean up, and one single layer - no piling).

4.  Take them out when they are crunchy, probably 10-16 minutes - just don't let them burn!

5.  Let them cool before you store them in an airtight container.

Egg Nog

Because this is a raw egg nog recipe, it is important to have quality ingredients.  I used local unpasteurized organic milk and eggs from pastured cows and hens.

A.  Blend the egg whites until they are fluffy that put aside.

B.  Blend the egg yolks, I added a bit of agave syrup, a dash of vanilla, and a dash of maple syrup.

C.  Add the milk and blend some more.  Add in the egg whites and finish blending.

D.  If you want to add alcohol do so.

Mexican Rice

This is my version of Mexican or "Spanish" rice.  It is delicious and versatile in its uses.  In the past I was often disappointed when I made Mexican Rice because it never had enough flavor.  However, this preparation (Italian?) and blend of ingredients gives it both a kick plus the flavor I was looking for.  It is unique and delicious.

Here's what to do:

1.  Cook the rice.  Instead of using just water use: 1 part tomato sauce, 1 part wine, 2 parts stock.
(I do this in my rice cooker.  For example, if I put in 2 c brown rice, I put in 1 c tomato sauce, 1 c wine, 2 c stock).

2.  While the rice is cooking, mince onion, garlic, and jalapeno(s) (deseed if you want less heat).  Saute in olive oil or butter with salt, pepper, cumin, and cilantro (unless you are using fresh cilantro).

3.  Stir the onion mixture in with the cooked rice.  Add finely chopped fresh cilantro if using.  Finely, stir in some butter and romano or parmesan cheese.

Grandma Noodles

My Grandma Pearl made Grandma Noodles almost every time I visited her when I was a kid.  They are yummy and I always scarfed them down.  They are not too flavorful but the important flavors are there (read cheese with tomato sauce).  What to do:  Cook pasta (I use whole wheat).  After draining the pasta, return it to the hot saucepan.  Stir in a bit of butter, some cut up cheddar (or other cheeses), a bit of parmesan, and tomato sauce until it is orange.  It should mix and melt without even turning back on the stovetop.  I like to add some additional flavor like onion flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

                             

Roasted Beets

I was not a fan of beets until a few years ago when they came in our CSA and I roasted them.  Now I love them, but I think local and fresh is the way to go..  These are Golden Beets.  After roasting them longer than you think you should in the oven and then peeling them, they are delicious served with goat cheese, basalmic vinegar, and nuts (pictures above is with pistachios).

Mexican Dip

Who doesn't love Mexican dip???  Pictured above is a simple one: refried beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese, avocado, olives.


What I like to put in my Mexican dip depends on what's around the house and the time I have to make it.  Refried beans, cooked beans, ground beef (with taco seasoning), Spanish rice, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, corn, onion, cilantro, shredded cheese, onion, olives, peppers, etc.

I froze the leftovers with an added can of refried beans.
When I defrosted it, I used the mixture for tacos, adding sour cream, avocado, and salsa.

Mac & Cheese Casserole

Pictured above is a Mac & Cheese Casserole with whole wheat noodles, ground bison, peas, and four cheeses:  cheddar, mozzarella, colby, and feta.

I grew up eating Tuna Casserole.  This is an adaptable recipe that is delicious.  It's also the best way, in my opinion, to make Mac & Cheese (if you leave out the other ingredients), better than the cheese sauce method.

Layer the ingredients in a baking pan. Cooked noodles, shredded/grated/cut cheese, a protein like canned tuna or ground beef, vegetables like peas and corn, spices/herbs like minced onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, mustard, paprika, etc.  Adding a little bit of tomato sauce is optional.  Finally, bake and serve - for a special treat, crumble potato chips on top.

Baked Chicken

Baking chicken requires little prep time and but cook time with bones is not too quick.

The chicken here was baked with some herbs and barbecue sauce.

Pizza

I made pizza using Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough.  Anyone else have any favorite whole grain pizza doughs (pre-made or simple recipes)?

This particular pizza has tomato sauce, spinach, kalamata olives, red pepper, Applegate pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, smoked cheddar cheese, and feta cheese.