My husband and I are hosting Thanksgiving dinner again this year, and there will be over thirty people attending! With such a huge crowd, we have to be strategic in our dinner planning. We love to cook and entertain, so we find this totally fun!We keep a kosher-style house, so none of the dinner recipes contain any dairy, pork or shellfish. (If the linked recipes indicate a dairy product, modifications will be made.)
Here's our menu for Thanksgiving 2009:
- Turkey, of course! The bird pictured here is the one my husband prepared last year. He was so proud of it (and it was delicious!). He is a huge fan of brining the turkey, which he will do again this year.
- Brisket, prepared by my mother-in-law. She will be using a traditional recipe, but my husband has used Emeril's Passover Brisket recipe in the past with huge success.
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup. I made this last year, too, even though my husband was skeptical ... and everybody loved it! This soup is great because it incorporates harvest-time flavors, is warm and filling and can be prepared in advance (I made ours today). The curry gives it a modern flair.
- Fennel Salad with Toasted Walnuts. I like Rachael Ray's recipes because they are easy and quick to make, and packed with flavor.
- Edamame Succotash. I hate lima beans, so I was totally psyched when I saw this succotash recipe. I predict this will be a beautiful dish with all the colors, and a nice change from some of the traditional vegetable side dishes.
- Brussel Sprouts. We love brussel sprouts, but this can be kind of a tough dish to prepare in our house since most recipes call for some kind of bacon or pancetta. My husband actually bought a deep fryer this year, and is deep frying the brussel sprouts with peanut oil. So there you go.
- Stuffing, a traditional favorite. My husband uses Tyler Florence's version containing chicken andouille sausage and roasted chestnuts.
- Cranberry relish. My husband uses a Tyler Florence recipe for this also, a fresh citrusy version with orange. My mom will be bringing a more traditional cranberry sauce as well.
- Potato, Thyme & Olive Oil Gratin. We were thrilled to find this dairy-free potato gratin recipe in Fine Cooking magazine! It seems a little labor-intensive, but it will be fun to try something new!
- Green beans, brought by our aunt and uncle. They are fantastic cooks, so I am sure the dish will be delicious.
- Desserts - Our cousin will be bringing two pies of her own choosing and I have placed an order for brownies from the fabulous Sugardaddy's.
Today's workout:
65 min. run (7.65 mi)
20 min. resistance training
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I will have to try the squash soup. I am always in search of a good one. A couple of years ago I did sauteed shredded brussels sprouts with toasted hazelnuts out of the Cooking Light magazine. It was delicious! It did have bacon, but it really doesn't need it. I will track down the recipe if you are interested in using it sometime.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother will be making the turkey this year, as well as green beans with new potatoes and cornbread stuffing with sausage. I will be baking a pumpkin pie and possibly an additional dessert, along with mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, rolls, and corn.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!