Thanksgiving Delights

• Carrot sticks
• Celery sticks
• Broccoli crowns cut into bite sized pieces
• Cauliflower crowns cut into bite sized pieces
• Olives on toothpicks
• Ranch dressing

Decoratively arrange the vegetable pieces on a serving platter and serve with one or two bowls of ranch dressing as a dip.

• Yields: 12 servings
• Preparation Time: 15 minutes

• 12 hard boiled eggs
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 T. mustard
• ¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 T. pickle relish
• Paprika

Shell the hard boiled eggs and cut each one in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and put into a bowl. Set the whites aside for later filling. Using a fork, smash the yolks and add the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and pickle relish. Mix thoroughly. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the mixture into each of the egg white halves. Garnish each filled egg half with a little paprika and serve on a platter decorated with parsley sprigs.

• Yields: 12 servings
• Preparation Time: 15 minutes

• 14 to 16 large mushrooms
• 1 brick (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded crab meat
• 3 T. butter
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Cream together the butter and cream cheese until thoroughly mixed. Next, combine the crab meat into this mixture. Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place the stuffed mushroom caps on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they are hot.

• Yields: 12 servings
• Preparation Time: 25 minutes

• 1 turkey, 12 lbs. or larger
• Butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Red or pink wine

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees while preparing the dressing and stuffing the turkey. Stuff the dressing mixture into the body and neck cavities of the turkey. Any remaining dressing can be put into a casserole dish for later baking.

Once the turkey is stuffed, rub the bird with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the bird into a large roasting pan and place into the oven, uncovered. Allow the bird to brown at 500 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. This high heat will seal the juices into the bird resulting in a much juicier end product. In addition, the heat also kills any bacteria, such as salmonella, that may be present on the bird. After searing at 500 degrees, reduce the heat to 325 degrees and cover the bird.

Allow the bird to cook for 20 minutes per pound of weight. After the first hour, begin basting the bird at 30 minute intervals, using the juices which build up on the bottom of the roasting pan. About halfway through the cooking process, pour a little red or pink wine over the bird. This will produce a better tasting gravy. About ½ hour before the bird is done, remove the cover and allow the skin to brown. At this time you may also begin baking any addition dressing.

Once the bird is done, remove from the oven and let sit for approximately 15 minutes. This part of the process is essential so that the juices may be reabsorbed into the meat as the temperature of the bird decreases.

Finally, spoon out the dressing into a serving bowl. The turkey may now be sliced in preparation for serving.

• Yields: 12 or more servings
• Preparation Time: 2 to 4 hours

• 1 pkg. cornbread stuffing mix
• 1 cup brown and wild rice mix, cooked
• ½ cup diced celery
• 1 can water chestnuts, diced
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp. summer savory
• ½ tsp. tarragon leaves
• ¼ tsp. basil
• ¼ tsp. thyme leaves
• Dash of sage
• 5 fresh mushrooms, diced
• 6 T. chopped walnuts

First, remove the giblets and neck from the turkey, rinse, and put them into a small pot with enough water to cover, plus a little more. Salt the water lightly and bring to a boil. Simmer the giblets for about 1 hour. In another small pot, cook 1 cup of wild/brown rice mix.

When the giblets are done, remove from the liquid, allow to cool and chop up the giblets into small pieces. Remove the meat from the neck and chop this meat also. This meat will be used in the stuffing.

To prepare the stuffing, put the cornbread mix into a large bowl. Add the chopped giblets and neck meat. Also add 1 cup of the cooked rice and mix well. Add the walnuts, herbs and mushrooms. Continue to mix and add the eggs. Blend well and add a little of the broth from the giblets until the mixture is moist, but not wet. Stuff this mixture into the body and neck cavities of the turkey. Any remaining dressing can be put into a casserole dish for baking.

• Yields: 12 servings
• Preparation Time: 2 hours

• 2 T. butter
• 3 T. flour
• Pan drippings and juices from turkey
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux (see the Seasoned Cooking archives for more details on making a roux). Brown and slowly add the pan drippings, stirring well to minimize lumps. If necessary, add another tablespoon of flour dissolved in a little cold water to thicken the gravy more. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with mashed potatoes, and pour over the turkey and dressing if you like.

• Yields: 12 servings
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes

• Potatoes (3 lbs.)
• Elephant garlic (1 clove)

Prepare the potatoes for cooking by cutting into cubes approximately 3/4 inches square and put them into a pot for boiling. Cover them with water, add one clove of elephant garlic, and bring to a boil.

Cook the potatoes until they are tender by the pierce of a fork (about 40 minutes). Pour off the excess water, and begin mashing with a potato masher or whip with a mixer. Add milk in the process until the potatoes have reached the desired thickness.

Regular garlic may be used in place of elephant garlic, but it will have a stronger flavor as the elephant garlic is mild. If using regular garlic, use one small clove, or use ¼ tsp. of garlic powder as a substitute.

• Yields: 12 servings
• Preparation Time: 45 minutes