Spaghetti Squash with Sage

I intended to post this recipe prior to Thanksgiving, but alas, I got wrapped up preparing the big feast.  While it would be perfect on Turkey Day for the nice presentation, this roasted spaghetti squash, adapted from Andrew Carmellini's Urban Italian, is simple enough to have as a side dish for a weeknight meal.  Carmellini calls for walnuts, but they didn't do too much for me; to add a little crunch I would try mixing in some toasted squash or pumpkin seeds.  Carmellini also suggests adding grated Parmesan cheese to the squash, so if you have cheese on hand, feel free to use it.

Roasted Spagghetti Squash with Sage and Squash Seeds
Adapted from Urban Italian

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• salt and pepper
• 5 tbsp butter, divided in 1 tbsp pieces
• 15 fresh sage leaved

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Slice the squash in half lengthwise.  
3. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and set the seeds aside.  
4. Season both halves of the squash with salt and pepper.  
5. Place 1 tbsp butter and 2 sage leaves in the cavity of each squash half and roast on a baking sheet until the squash is completely tender, about one hour.
6. Use a fork to to scrape out the meat from each squash half.  Reserve the squash skins and put the strands of squash in a bowl.  
7. Heat the remaining 3 tbsp butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  
8. Add the squash seeds to the sauce pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
9. Add the remaining sage leaves to the sauce pan and cook until they are fragrant, about 1 minutes.
10. Stir the squash into the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to mix all of the ingredients together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Remove the squash from the pan and serve it in one of the squash skins.
    

Thanksgiving Aftermath

For Thanksgiving, Significant Eater and I hosted R (of Love at First Shop) and M at Significant Eater's apartment.  This marked the first time I have ever cooked an entire Turkey Day feast, and I must admit that I was pretty nervous about it.  However, it all went off without a hitch aside from me forgetting to bring my camera, hence the lack of quality pictures.

Our turkey, a 14-pounder I purchased from Dickson's Farmstand Meats,  was raised on an Amish farm in Pennsylvania and had been slaughtered the day I purchased it.  Like mine, Significant Eater's oven is pretty tiny and fitting a whole turkey in it was going to be difficult, so I decided to breakdown the bird and cook the white meat and dark meat separately.  I covered the breast in butter and herbs and roasted it and braised the thighs and drumsticks in a well-seasoned broth.  In doing so, I was able to guarantee that both the white meat and dark meat were cooked perfectly.  As an added bonus, the braised legs and roasted breast provided us with a diverse heap of leftovers.

Alongside the turkey, I served an andouille dressing made with challah bread, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pan-roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, and gravy.  For dessert, Significant Eater supplied a deliciously gingery pumpkin pie from Two Little Red Hens bakery and M and R (who has a wonderful post-feast write-up of her own) brought along a wonderful array of sweets.  Like any great dinner party, all of this excess was fueled by plenty of wine, which helped me keep my cool while cooking so many courses with limited counter and stovetop space.  

It was a truly awesome Thanksgiving with awesome company.  Once we get through all the leftovers, which should happen in November 2011, I'll be ready to do it all over again.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Lemon, and Chili Flakes

You still have time to finish your Thanksgiving menu.  Here's a simple side that sure to please even the Brussels sprout haters.  Between the heat of the chili flakes, the acidity of the lemon, the sweetness of the bacon and Brussels sprouts, and the fresh flavor of the mint, I love the flavor contrasts in this dish.

Sauteed Brussels Sports with Bacon, Lemon, Chili Flakes, and Mint
Serves 2 to 3
 
Ingredients:

• 3 slices of bacon, diced
• 12 oz. Brussels sprouts, cut in half if large
• juice from half a lemon
• 1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
  

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp. about 3 minutes.  Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon.
2. Add the Brussels sprouts to the skillet and season with salt and pepper.  Cook the Brussels sprouts, stirring occasionally, until they brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes.  
3. Add the chili flakes to the pan and reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the Brussels sprouts soften, another 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low.  Pour in the lemon juice and season the Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper to taste.  
5. Put the Brussels sprouts in a bowl and top with the reserved bacon and the mint.  Serve immediately.
   

 

Cranberry-Apple Crisp with a Semolina Topping

I'm very much a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving desserts.  All other times of the year, I love creative desserts, but at Thanksgiving, all I want is pie, preferably of the pumpkin or pecan variety.  After tasting this cranberry-apple crisp I was surprised to find myself thinking that it would be a perfect way to end a Turkey Day feast.  This crisp has all of the familiar Thanksgiving flavors, but it goes the extra mile with plenty of orange and lemon zest and a hint of anise in the topping.  It is sure to please both the traditionalists and those who want a bit more creativity in their desserts.

The recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen. As suggested, I cut out all of the white sugar in the filling, and I substituted Jonagold apples for the more tart Granny Smiths.  I also used semolina flour in lieu of the polenta that Smitten Kitchen calls for.  The crisp turned out perfectly, if I do say so myself. 

Cranberry-Apple Crisp with a Semolina Topping
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the topping:

• 1 tsp anise seed, toasted in a skillet
• 1 1/2 cups pastry flour
• 3/4 cup semolina flour 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp cubes
• 1 egg, beaten

For the filling:

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 2/3 cup golden brown sugar
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds Jonagold apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
   
2. Make the topping by combining the first six ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the mixture forms into coarse crumbs. Remove the topping to a bowl and drizzle the egg over the topping.  Stir well to combine the egg with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Combine all of the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl.  Stir well so that the apples are coated with all of the spices and lemon juice.  
4. Pour the filling into a 11 by 7 1/2 inch baking dish.  Crumble the topping over the filling. 
5. Put the baking dish in the oven and bake until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling, about an hour.  Let the crisp cool for 15 minutes before serving, the serve in bowls, topped with the vanilla ice cream.