Tangy Vegetable Salad

Here is a nice salad recipe that will put a little tang into your Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound small zucchini, cut in 1/2-inch slices
• 1 green bell pepper, cut in chunks
• 4 fresh firm tomatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups cauliflower flowerets, blanched
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• chopped parsley or Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Cook all zucchini and green beans, separately, until tender-crisp. Drain and combine in a large saucepan with green pepper, tomato chunks, and blanched cauliflower. Mix flour, oil, lemon juice, sugar and salt; pour over mixed vegetables in the saucepan. Bring vegetables and sauce to a simmer and simmer for a few minutes, just until the dressing thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve topped with a little chopped parsley or Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serves 8.

Pepper-Vodka Soaked Cherry Tomatoes with Seasoned Sea Salt

A very good appetizer that will get your guests' tastebuds popping!

1 pint vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup pepper-flavored vodka
3 tbsp. coarse or fine sea salt
1 tbsp. lemon pepper

Poke 5 or 6 holes with a wooden pick or skewer in each tomato and put in a shallow bowl. Pour vodka over tomatoes and let stand, covered, tossing occasionally, 1 to 2 hours, or until soaked to desired taste. In a small bowl stir together salt and pepper. Serve tomatoes with seasoned salt for dipping. Makes 2 cups.
From Gourmet Magazine

Cherry Mash Candy

If you like cherries you will love this recipe:

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
Dash of salt
12 large marshmallows
1/2 cup margarine
6 oz. cherry chips
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, milk, salt, marshmallows and margarine in saucepan. Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add cherry chips and vanilla.

Pour into a buttered 9x13 inch pan. Refrigerate.

Topping
2 tablespoons margarine
12 oz. package semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup crushed peanuts

Melt chocolate chips and margarine in double boiler. Simmer until melted. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and peanuts. Spread over cherry layer.

Refrigerate. Cut into bars when firm.
(thatsmyhome.com)

Banana Pudding

An old classic I think you'll love!

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
45 NILLA Wafers, divided
5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided
Additional NILLA Wafers and banana slices, for garnish


1. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

2. Save 10 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2-quart casserole; cover with a layer of wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard.

3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; slowly add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading evenly to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges.

4. Bake at 350°F in top half of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly or refrigerate. Garnish with additional wafers and banana slices just before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Orange-Coconut Ambrosia

A very tasty dish for the festivities.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large navel oranges
• 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/3 cups grated fresh coconut, or 1 can (3 1/2 oz) flaked coconut
• 3 tablespoons orange juice

PREPARATION:

Peel oranges, being careful to remove all outer white membrane. Cut oranges crosswise into thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Layer a third of slices in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the confectioners' sugar, then with 1/3 cup coconut and 1 tablespoon orange juice.

Repeat layers two more times. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Makes 6 servings of Ambrosia

No-Bake Cookies

Great no-bake cookies made with oatmeal, peanut butter and cocoa. Start timing when mixture reaches a rolling boil; this is the trick to successful cookies. If you boil too long the cookies will be dry and crumbly. If you don't boil long enough the cookies won't form properly."

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Chex Party Mix

A perennial party favorite. Great snack for the games!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 3 cups corn chex cereal
• 2 cups wheat chex cereal
• 1-1/2 cups mixed nuts
• 1 cup small pretzels
• 1 cup garlic flavored bagel chips
• 1 cup pretzel rods

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt butter in large roasting pan in oven (5 minutes). Stir in seasonings. Add remaining ingredients and mix until coated. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, and store in airtight container.

Microwave Method: Melt butter in large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH. Stir in seasonings, then remaining ingredients until coated. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, and store in airtight container.

Thanksgiving Stuffed Onions

Here is a recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine. If you love onions, you'll love this!

Stuffed Onions

4 large onions (about 3/4 pound each)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 cup cooked turkey stuffing
6 tablespoons cranberry sauce
2 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup turkey gravy or chicken broth
1 1/3 cups mashed potatoesPreheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the top 1/2-inch from each onion, peel the onions, and with a melon-ball cutter scoop out the centers, reserving the onion pieces, leaving 2 layers of onion or 1/3-inch-thick shells, leave the bottoms slightly thicker. Transfer the reserved onion pieces to a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish. Drizzle the broth over them, and arrange the onion shells, inverted on top. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake the onions in the middle of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the shells are just tender. Remove and reserve the shells. Into the onion pieces, stir the cream, the sugar, and salt and pepper, to taste, and bake the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.
While the onions are baking, in each reserved onion shell layer 1/4 cup of the stuffing, 1 1/2 tablespoons cranberry sauce, and another 1/4 cup of the turkey. Holding each shell in one hand pack the layers lightly. Arrange the stuffed onions on top of the baked creamed onions and pour 2 tablespoons of the gravy into each stuffed onion. Top each stuffed onion with 1/3 cup of mashed potatoes, mound them, and score with a fork. Bake the onions, stirring the creamed onions occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden.

Mashed Potatoes

Everybody needs a plain old fashioned mashed potatoes recipe, right?

Old Fashioned Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
	2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup sour cream salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl.
2. Combine potatoes with butter, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Mash together until smooth and creamy.

Honey Brined Smoked Turkey

Excellent recipe from Alton Brown of The Food Network.

Honey Brined Smoked Turkey

1 gallon hot water
1 pound kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 pound honey
1 (7-pound) bag of ice
1 (15 to 20-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
Vegetable oil, for rubbing turkeyCombine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.

Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.

Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.

After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.

Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

Black Russian Pie

This is from a fantasy football website, it is very delicious.

Black Russian Pie:

Crust:
1 C chocolate wafer crumbs (or chocolate graham crackers)
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
2 tbs kahlua

combine well. press onto bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. chill for 10-15 min.

Filling:
1/2 C milk
2 envelops unflavored gelatin
1/2 C kahlua
2 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/3 C vodka
1 1/2 C heay cream, whipped
shaved chocolate

Heat milk to boiling. add gelatin and kahlua.... stir until dissolved. in a blender, mix eggs, sugar, vodka. with machine running pour in milk mixture and blend well. transfer to a bowl. chill for 15-30 min. fold gelatin mixture into whipped cream. pour into crust. chill until set (about 3 hours). sprinkle shaved chocolate on top right before serving.

Walnut Apple Slaw

Here is a great way to liven up your slaw!

Walnut Apple Slaw

Ingredients:

6 cups shredded cabbage
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
3/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 to 5 tablespoons sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium apples, chopped


Directions

(To decrease the preparation time of Walnut Apple Slaw, use a 16-ounce bag of coleslaw mix for the shredded cabbage and carrots.)

1. In a large salad bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, walnuts, raisins and onion.

2. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

3. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat.

4. Gently fold in apples.

5. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Serves 12