Eatables

I can’t believe it’s already this time of year again—when feasting and enjoying the company of family and friends is upon us! While I’m still building up my repertoire of holiday recipes, here’s a few I’ve posted so far:

• Cranberry, sausage, and apple dressing
• Creamy homemade mashed potatoes
• Cinnamon apple crisp

Hope you all have a happy, safe Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

What are holiday meals without stuffing/dressing? I have to say, for my first time making homemade stuffing, this particular recipe came out great! The flavours mixed well together and was quite moist but not mushy. Since my turkey was in the oven all day I wanted to make this on the stove top so I could make it while the turkey was roasting. It only took about an hour and half to make total so it worked out well. Feel free to leave your comments/suggestions in the comments.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: approx. 1 hour
Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

• Approximately 8-10 cups french bread, cubed
• 1-1 1/2 cups sausage meat (I used Little Smokies, but turkey or pork work well here)
• 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries or raisins
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cubed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1-1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Cubed and chop all ingredients.
2. Toast walnuts in microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes (or until you can smell them).
3. In a large saute pan or skillet, melt 3 Tbsp butter in the pan and add cubed bread, coating in the butter. Brown them on each side, but make sure not to burn them. The bread should preferably be at least a day old to dry the bread out; this will help them to toast better and keep from becoming mushy.
4. In a stock pot, saute onions and celery on medium high heat with 3 Tbsp butter. Saute for around five minutes or until onions are translucent.
5. In separate pan, brown sausage. Once onions are cooked through, add sausage to the stock pot.
6. Add bread cubes, pieces, walnuts, cranberries (or raisins), and apples cubes. Once mixed, add the stock. You want to keep the stuffing moist but not too mushy. Mix in spices and seasonings.
7. Cover with a lid and turn down the heat to low. Let the stuffing simmer for an hour or so. Continually check to see if it needs more stock, and stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Change it up! This recipe is highly flexible. Add, subtract, or substitute to your likely. Try out different breads, such as wheat, sourdough, or potato bread. You can also add a splash of Chardonnay or other wines to add a little extra flavour. Another way to change up the flavour is with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice. You can also add rosemary or garlic. The list goes on for how to change the flavourings in the recipe.

How about you? What’s your favourite ingredient in your holiday stuffing/dressing? What kind of stuffing does your family make? Share your thoughts in the comments.

This year for Thanksgiving I made traditional mashed potatoes with Yukon Gold potatoes. They have a rich buttery taste and work well for mashed potatoes since they brake apart easily. This dish turned out so smooth and creamy, absolutely delicious!

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed (and peeled if you like)
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• Dash of pepper
• A potato masher (or a mixer if you don’t have a masher)

Steps

1. Cube the potatoes. Put cubed potatoes in a large stock pot and fill with water until potatoes are covered. Add in 1/2 of teaspoon of salt to the water. Cover the potatoes and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiled, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until very tender (a fork can poke through easily).
3. Drain potatoes and place into large mixing bowl. Melt the butter and warm the milk, then add to potatoes along with the salt and pepper. With a potato masher, mash the potato mixture until it is light and fluffy. Make sure not to over beat your potatoes.

• Change it up! You can also add a garlic twist to this recipe by adding 1-2 minced cloves of garlic (depending on how garlicky you like it) and substituting the salt for a dash of garlic salt.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! As we celebrate this day of giving thanks I hope your day of cooking and sharing went well and safely. Cheers!