What does your Thanksgiving menu look like? This year our group is doing seafood instead of a bird (with all the sides of course). My favorite part of thanksgiving is the side dishes and you could easily make a meal just out of these.
Are you hosing vegetarians this holiday? If so here are some good ideas from the New York Times. Each Thanksgiving they showcase meat free recipes. Check out this recipe for Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts for a pacific northwest style Thanksgiving side dish. It’s super easy, you just toss the sprouts in olive oil and roast them. Check it out and let me know what you think.
As the weather cools off I am making more use of my oven. Here is an easy baked chicken recipe everyone will love. One of my clients recently turned me on to preserved lemon which I used in this recipe. Grated lemon rind would also work.
Citrus Baked Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients:
Chicken – I used four bone in, skin on thighs.
Potatoes – one small bag of new potatoes (two or three cups) washed and cut in half
One tablespoon of chopped preserved lemon (or fresh lemon rind)
One half cup of orange juice.
Two chopped garlic cloves
Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
Your choice of chopped fresh herbs – I used thyme and oregano
Two tablespoons of coconut oil or butter
Prep:
Preheat oven to 350. Season your bird with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven proof pan over medium high heat then add two tablespoons of coconut oil or butter. Cook chicken (skin side down) for five minutes. Remove from heat, carefully flip it over and snuggle the potatoes, garlic, lemon, and spices around the chicken. Pour the o.j. on top and add enough water to cover the potatoes and chicken about halfway. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the meat and potatoes are cooked through (poke the meat with a knife, when it is no longer pink it is done).
*Why all the fat you ask (butter, coconut oil, dark meat)? I loosely follow a “Traditional Foods” diet which includes pasture raised meat and dairy, lots of good fats, soaked grains and fermented vegetables. For more information check out the Nourished Kitchen website.
I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend! I was in central Oregon this weekend and huckleberries are in season. They taste sort of like a small not so sweet blueberry. Here is an easy, four ingredient fresh berry sauce recipe for you. The recipe calls for blackberries but you could sub blueberries, huckleberries, or raspberries. Use this on grilled chicken or pork, or as a topping on vanilla ice cream or yogurt.
Ingredients
• 3 cups blackberries
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
Directions:
1. Set aside 1 cup of berries. Puree the remaining berries in a food processor with the brandy, orange juice and honey. Transfer the mixture to a sieve set over a medium bowl. Press the puree through the sieve and discard the seeds.
2. Just before serving, stir in the reserved whole berries.
I was at the farmer’s market this week and picked up some carrots. Here’s what I decided to do with them.
This is a take on a classic French salad and is traditionally made with a salad oil rather than stronger-tasting olive oil. I suggest subbing extra-virgin olive oil because it is so good for you. I have also subbed apple cider for sherry vinegar again for the health benefits. My great grandmother, who we called Grannie Bird used to take a shot of apple cider vinegar every morning because she believed it helped ease her arthritis pain. I also added a squeeze of honey but if your carrots are very sweet you may not need it. Try this and let me know what you think.
French Grated Carrot Salad
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of honey
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
To make the dressing whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper, mustard, oil and honey
Toss dressing with the carrots and parsley in a large bowl.
Taste and adjust salt.
Let salad rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour, toss again and serve.
I’m on roll with the asparagus recipes, what can I say – it is one of my favorite vegetables and is in season now.
Pesto literally means paste. It is traditionally prepared by crushing pine nuts and garlic in a mortar and pestle, then adding basil, salt and olive oil. I prefer walnuts (and the use of a handy dandy food processor). While this recipe uses asparagus you can also experiment with basil, cilantro, arugula or throw in a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes if you are in the mood for spicy. Try this over pasta, baked potatoes or steamed veggies for a quick and easy meal.
Asparagus Pesto
1lb of fresh asparagus
Ice bath (large bowl in the sink filled with a few ice cubes and water)
1/2 cup of walnuts
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup of freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1. Rinse the asparagus and snap off the woody ends.
2. Steam asparagus stalks for 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and fork tender. Remove from heat and plunge into ice bath. Chill for a few minutes, then strain.
3. Place the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse. Add the garlic, cheese and asparagus and pulse again. Slowly add the olive oil and pulse until blended. Add salt a pepper to taste and pule a few more times. Go easy on the salt as the cheese will be salty to begin with.
