Thanksgiving 2009

Its Turkey Time again!
What is going to be new?

CLASSIC CRANBERRY NUT BREAD


2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups Fresh Cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices).

CRANBERRY ORANGE SAUCE

Cranberry-Orange Sauce
2 c brown sugar (plus more for adjusting)
3 c water
1 c freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)
zest of the oranges
3 12 oz bags of cranberries
1 Tbs or so freshly grated ginger, 1 Cinnamon Stick, a couple whole cloves
Wash cranberries and check them for stems and/or mushy berries. Combine brown sugar, water, orange juice, and zest in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. When boiling, add the cranberries and return to a boil; they will start to pop open. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10-15 min., til they start to thicken. Carefully test sauce for sweet/tartness and add more sugar as necessary (depending on how you like it). Let cool completely and then refrigerate.

TURKEY GRAVY FOR WHEN YOU SMOKE OR GRILL YOUR TURKEY

2 pounds turkey wings
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved
4 carrots, chopped
1 head garlic, smashed
1/2 bunch fresh sage
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
8 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons unsalted margarine or butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the turkey wings (or legs) into a small roasting pan and roast them until they are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, herbs, and peppercorns and cook for 5 minutes. Add the turkey wings. Pour some water into the roasting pan and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom; add this to the pot. Cover everything in the pot with cold

water by 1-inch and bring to the boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain out the solids and discard. Wipe out the pot and put it over medium heat. Melt the margarine or butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the flour. Cook this roux, stirring frequently, until it is golden brown. Slowly whisk in the strained stock being careful to work out any lumps. Cook until the gravy has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

1/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 c. dried cranberries or maraschino cherries if you want
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk (soy milk)
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple over brown sugar. Decorate if desired with dried cranberries or cherries.
2. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries. (you can do this in food processor but the cake will be more pound-cake like)
3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Store cake loosely covered.