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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-10-06, Page 9Wednesday, October 6, 1999 Exeter Tbnes-Advocate 9 ThanicsgiVing is a mi., of traditions . We like to get together when we can and s' dinner fare and adventurous food. I must admit I Turnip casserole • Chunky cranberry relish • we have grown in numbers, we are trying like being a person to try the new! Dressing in a crock • Pumpkin Jelly Roll make it as easy as pie - although who ever said Please enjoy the following and try one or two Let me know .how it went and have fun trying pie was easy? . for your holiday times! out a new recipe on the gang! The recipes included here are a mixture of • Roast Turkey and gravy • Crispy potatoes • Enjoy! Debby Wagler what some would call traditional Thanksgiving Easy, dreamy salad • Vegetables made simple • ROAST TURKEY often put a cut up banana in the salad too. Easy and liked by all kids big and small. My mother is an awesome cook and has passed many ideas and recipes on to me! This particular way to cook turkey has evolved over the years and is a no fail recipe for a beautiful, brown, moist bird! • One turkey (whatever size to make sure you have leftovers for turkey sandwiches) salt, pepper, mar- garine, water If necessary, defrost the bird in the refrigerator for a day or two so that you can remove the giblets and liver bag, as well as the neck. Wash the turkey, inside and out. Salt the inner cavity lightly and then place the bird in a large roaster. With margarine on your hands cover the turkey with a light spread of the margarine. Salt and pepper to cover the skin—don't be too heavy on the salt. Cut a paper grocery bag and grease the one side. Tuck the bag into either side of the roas$ng pan to cover the bird loosely, with the greased side down against the turkey. The front and back will not be covered tightly. I place water in the bottom of the roaster to put about 1/2inch in the bottom of the pan - just to get a start on the gravy! You can place the giblets, neck, and liver in this water and your gravy will have extra nutrients. Don't forget to serve the giblets, neck, and liver on your tray of meat -someone will want them! Place in the oven at 325 for the required amount of time according to the size of the bird. Charts for cook- ing turkeys are often in recipe books or ask your butcher. When I cook .a large bird I often add an hour to the time suggested by the book, so I am confident it is well done and I can carve it a bit earlier. GRAVY To make gravy, remove the bird from the roaster. Take the drippings and add vegetable cooking water plus as many cups of water as you think necessary to make enough gravy for the gang! (I add chicken bouil- lon pouches- I for every 1/2. cups of additional water I've added to the drippings). Bring the gravy to a boil on a burner and while stirring frequently mix 3-4 TBSP cornstarch with 1/2 cup water in a separate bowl. When you have a nice boil rolling slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture, This should thicken nicely, but if you are making lots try more cornstarch and water mixed in to make the right thickness for your family There are several gravy thickening products on the shelf by the spices if you have bad luck with gravies. Some people use flour instead of cornstarch but you must be sure to get all flour well blended before you put it into the pot or you get lumps! CRISPY POTATOES Your family's traditional Thanksgiving dinner may be ham or pork roast. The following potatoes are a favourite around our home and are a no -last -minute - fuss potato when you are entertaining a big group! Potatoes -allowing 1-1/2 to 2 per person vegetable oil Breton Vegetable crackers OR Premium Plus crackers Scrub and wash potatoes. Crush crackers into a fine crumb (I place them in a bag and crush them with my rolling pin.) To the plain soda crackers I often add 1 tsp. seasoned salt and 1/2 tsp. garlic salt. Roll potatoes in oil and then shake in bag with crumbs. Put in a sin- gle layer casserole dish and bake along with your meat at 325 for 2-1/2 to 3 hours for –a nice crispy baked potato! EASY, DREAMY SALAD For a kids treat this salad has graced our table on many special occasions. I picked up the recipe from friends that we spent many fun evenings with raising our babies! 2 pkg. dream whip -prepared as, directed 1 pkg. cream cheese, 2 or more apples, washed and chopped, 2 cups miniature marshmallows . Whip the dream whip as package suggests. Add cream cheese and whip in till small bits only. Stir in apples and marshmallows.,Serve shortly! My friend VEGETABLES MADE SIMPLE If you are like me, when preparing a large meal for a large gathering I often run out of stove space! The fol- lowing tip is from a cousin of mine who has made making vegetables a snap. 1 slow cooker 2-3 TBSP. butter or margarine I pinch sugar I pkg. frozen mixed vegetables Place vegetables in slowcooker and pour melted mar- garine over them. Mix. Leave on low all morning - checking one hour before serving to make sure they will be cooked and giving a quick stir. If not cooked turn to high for remaining time. Put on your pinch of sugar, stir and serve! Now is that easy or what! This is a big hit at potlucks and so simple. Try different vegetables and see how they turn out! TURNIP CASSEROLE I have shared this recipe many times around! Although traditional turnip boiled, drained, mashed and seasoned with pepper, brown sugar, and mar- garine— is delightful, many people will venture to eat turnip when it is cooked this way. I also like the ease of using frozen cubed turnips. If you really like to peel and slice and cube those rock hard fresh turnips you can pre-cook the cubes till almost tender, drain and substitute them for the frozen in the recipe that fol- lows. 1 pkg. frozen turnip 1/4cup margarine 3 TBSP flour 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 2 cup milk 1/2cup - I cup shredded cheese croutons or buttered bread crumbs Put turnip in a greased casserole dish. Melt mar- garine. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk slowly and cook till thick. Add cheese. Pour over turnip and mix. Put buttered breadcrumbs or croutons over top and bake at 375 for 60 minutes or till bubbling and nicely browned. CHUNKY CRANBERRY RELISH I have been experimenting with cranberries and try- ing to make a great compliment to a turkey dinner! This particular recipe is similar to one my mother makes although she cooks her relish. If you like an easy, chunky salsa this might be the cranberry twist you are looking for. 2 cups cranberries 1 apple peeled and cored 1 orange, seeded and cut in four 1/2 lemon, seeded and cut into chunks -these seeds can be missed so check carefully 1-1/4cups granulated sugar Put first 4 ingredients, including the rinds of the lemon and orange into a food processor or chopper. Add sugar. Stir well and chill overnight. If you like something with a bit of a zing try adding a few dried chilli pepper flakes -but donct add too much or you might make a relish that only you will end up eating! DRESSING IN.A CROCK I included this recipe in my Christmas recipes that went into the 1998 Christmas Times Advocate edition. Many people commented on looking for a similar one and were anxious to try it out. I hope many of you did. I enclose it again because it is a great alternative to stuffing $he bird -safer and easier. If you missed it the first time, here it is again. 2 large onions chopped 2 stalks celery chopped 1/4cup butter or margarine bread (a mixture of brown, white, buns etc., equal to • at least I loaf -raisin bread works well too) 2-3 tsp. sage 1/2tsp. ginger 1 tsp. pepper 10 oz cream of chicken soup 2 pkg. chicken bouillon 1 cup water liquid as needed (chicken broth from roasting turkey, milk or water) Fry onions, celery in margarine or butter. Add spices and mix with bread. Mix soup with bouillon, water, and mix in with bread mixture. Place in a well -greased slow cooker. If cooking all day cook on high for one hour and low remaining time, stirring occasionally. If eating at lunchtime cook on high all morning, stirring occasionally. If too dry, add broth from cooking bird to moisten. PUMPKIN JELLY ROLL I am not a real pie lover -making them or eating them! So as an alternative to pumpkin pie I have tried this jelly roll and really enjoyed the change. A jelly roll is a lot easier to make than you think. Try it! This recipe is adapted from Company's Coming Desserts, by Jean Pare. (An excellent cookbook with great desserts!!) = 3 eggs 3/4cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup cooked pumpkin 3/4cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon - 1/2tsp. salt 1/2tsp. ginger 1/2 tsp. nutmeg Grease a 10 by 15 inch jelly roll pan. Line with waxed paper. A large cookie sheet with sides works if you don't have a real jelly roll pan. Beat eggs until foamy and then add suga witfllrbeat until think and light colored. Slowly beat in pumpkin. Fold in carefully next 6 ingredients. Pour into pan. Bake in 375 oven for about 15 minutes until an insert- ed toothpick comes out. clean. Have a clean tea towel laid out with icing sugar sprinkled over. Turn cake out onto sugar. Carefully remove wax paper and then roll from the short side, rolling cake and towel together. Cool completely. Fill with the cream cheese filling. Cream Cheese Filling 8 oz. cream cheese softened 1 cup icing sugar 1/4cup butter 1/2 tsp vanilla Beat all together. Spread over cake and re -roll. As an extra touch I often ice the roll with fresh whipped cream sweetened with sugar and then gar- nish it with shavings from an unsweetened chocolate square. Voila -the Debby Touch! Exeter's DebbyWagler has compiled some of her favouriteThanksgiving dinner recipes for Times - Advocate readers.