Sweet Potato Dressing

This is a family recipe from my Dad's side of the family. It was always on the table with the Turkey when we were in Reserve, LA.  My mother has to make two dressings each year so my father can have his favorite. It is a delicious and savory way to serve sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Dressing

 

1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 large bell pepper, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

3 very large sweet potatoes

1 cup firmly packed shredded lettuce

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped

salt

black pepper

red pepper flakes

Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning

Bake sweet potatoes until soft. I use my microwave’s potato setting.

Brown pork and beef. Add onion, bell pepper and celery. When vegetables are soft season to taste. Then add shredded lettuce. When lettuce almost disappears add green onions and parsley. Peel sweet potatoes. Then stir in sweet potatoes one at a time until well incorporated. Check seasoning again. Serve.

Variations:

If you like your sweet potatoes sweet you can add sugar to taste.

If you like your dressing more savory add one baked Idaho potato peeled.

Linking to:
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - LOUISIANA and Link Party
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Tumbleweed Contessa: Thanksgiving Saturday Linky Party

A Thanksgiving Menu

I love Thanksgiving. It may just be one of my favorite holidays.  My favorite person in the whole world comes to stay with me, there is great food, family and friends. I have decided rather than waiting for the Thanksgiving meal to be prepared and photographed to post our family recipes. I will post the recipes and update the post with photos later.

Our family Thanksgiving is a mix of old south Louisiana family recipes and new family traditions. The two traditional south Louisiana family recipes you might like to know about are Oyster Dressing and Sweet Potato Dressing. It was not Thanksgiving or Christmas without these sides on the table with the Turkey. Oyster Dressing is a traditional side on my Mom’s side of the family.  I guess it could be called Rice Dressing or Dirty Rice. It was served at every Norco, LA holiday meal. Sweet Potato Dressing is a traditional side on Dad’s side of the family. It was always on the table with the Turkey when we were in Reserve, LA.  My mother (and now me) has to make two dressings each year so my father can have his favorite too. The rest of the menu is considered new traditions. I have been brining and roasting the Turkey for years. Brining really delivers a very moist turkey. The only item that seems to change from year to year is the green vegetable side. We just have not settled on one recipe. Even as I type this we are still debating. It all depends on how pretty the fresh green beans are this year. Below is our menu this year. I will post photos as the dishes are prepared. I hope you and yours have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Nibbles

Deviled Pecans

Beverages

Cable Car Martini

Pinot Noir

Starter

Butternut Squash Parsnip Soup

Dinner

Turkey with Herbs de Provence

Oyster Dressing

Sweet Potato Dressing

Steamed Green Beans or Italian Artichoke Casserole

Cranberry Sauce

Dessert

Almond Cheesecake

Fun with Coffee

I grew up on Community Coffee a Louisiana original. My family always brews Community Dark Roast. I keep Dark Roast and Cafe Special in my house. Cafe Special is a little smoother than the Dark Roast. When it starts to get cold outside, my coffee consumption goes up. In fact, I am drinking Spiced Coffee made with Dark Roast Community right now. Here are a few things I like to do with coffee.

Coffee Tip

Sprinkle ground cinnamon over your coffee grounds when you brew your morning coffee. It is delicious! You may never make a pot without it again.

This Spiced Coffee is amazing. I got this recipe from Anne Thornton's show Dessert First. It makes the house smell like the holidays. It fits just perfectly in a half pint jar for giving too. Wrap the entire jar in a holiday tea towel, tie with a ribbon and the recipe. Makes the perfect hostess gift.

                       
 

Spiced Coffee
Serves: 8

8 Tbsp. Ground Coffee
1 Tbsp. Orange Zest
2 tsp. Cinnamon, ground
1 tsp. Nutmeg, ground
1 tsp. Cloves, ground
8 cups of Water

Combine all ingredients breaking up any clumps. Place mix in filter basket of coffee pot and brew with 8 cups water.

Note: Use dried orange zest if giving as a gift. You don't know when the recipient will be using the coffee and fresh may spoil the batch. Microwave the grated zest of orange on a paper towel-lined plate, tossing every 30 seconds, until dry, about 1 1/2 minutes. 

Diet Coke Blāk

Do you remember Coke Blāk?

It was a coke product with a slight flavor of coffee that was discontinued in the states.

Well .... I started freezing left over coffee in ice cube trays for iced coffee and blended coffee drinks. My sister reminded me of Coke Blāk. She suggest adding an ice cube to Diet Coke.

I tried it, and it is so good. It works best if you place the coffee ice cube on top of regular ice and pour a room temperature diet coke over the top. 1-1/2 Tbsp of black coffee added to 12 oz diet coke works too. I hope you enjoy this tip.

Linking to:
See Ya in the Gumbo
It's Fall Y'all
Fall Into the Holidays
The Tumbleweed Contessa: Cinnamon Saturday Dishes

 

Almond Cheesecake

This is one of the new traditions at Thanksgiving. I made it for the first time last Thanksgiving. It was such a hit I had to make it again for Christmas. It is an amazing cheesecake from George Geary's cookbook called 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes. The almonds create such a rich flavor you won’t believe this is a lower-calorie cheesecake.

Almond Cheesecake

Serves 10 to 12

Crust:             1-1/2 cups almond cookie crumbs

                        3 Tbsp margarine, melted

Filling:             2 (8 oz) packages Neufchatel cheese or light cream cheese, softened

                        1 cup lower-fat sour cream

                        1 cup granulated sugar

                        3 eggs

                        3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

                        1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

                        1 tsp vanilla

                        1/4 tsp ground allspice

Decoration:  8 oz lower-fat whipped topping

                        1/4 cup ground almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Use a 9-inch springform pan with 3” sides.

Crust: In a medium bowl, combine almond cookie crumbs and margarine. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.

Filling: In a large mixer bowl, beat cheese, sour cream and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Fold in flour, almonds, vanilla and allspice. Pour over frozen crust. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is light brown and the center has a slight jiggle to it. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating.

Decoration: Top with whipped topping and dust with a sprinkling of ground almonds.

Variation: Spike the almond flavor with 2 Tbsp almond liqueur.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:  Calories 336.1; Total Fat 19.7 g; Saturated Fat 9.2 g; Polyunsaturated Fat 3.1 g; Monounsaturated Fat 6.4 g; Cholesterol 83.0 mg; Sodium 285.1 mg; Potassium 144.7 mg; Total Carbohydrate 31.3 g; Dietary Fiber 0.8 g; Sugars 23.1 g; Protein 8.0 g. 9 WW PointsPlus.

Notes: I used Italian amaretti cookies for the crumbs. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. This will prevent the cheesecake from cracking. Definitely use the almond liqueur. I used amaretto and added it with the vanilla. This cheesecake can be frozen too. Remove springform ring, wrap in plastic wrap and then foil and place in the freezer. Just allow 24 hours for it to defrost in the refrigerator and wait to decorate just before serving.

NI includes amaretto; however it is calculated with graham crackers not almond cookie. Sparkrecipes did not have a listing for almond cookie.

Brining a Turkey

I have been brining a Turkey for years now. It makes for a very moist Turkey. I could not do it without the help of a friend who always lifts the container with brine and Turkey into the refrigerator.

Brining a Turkey 

Source: Tyler Florence 

Ingredients

3 gallons water

1 cup sugar

2 cup salt, kosher (will reduce to 1 cup this year)

Palmful (1 Tbsp) black peppercorns

Palmful (1 Tbsp) Juniper berries

Palmful (1 Tbsp) Allspice

1 head of garlic, cut in half

3 sprigs Rosemary

3 sprigs Thyme

Bay leaf

1   frozen whole turkey (14 lb.), thawed

Directions

Combine all ingredients except turkey, stir until  sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour into plastic container large enough to hold brining liquid and turkey.

Remove and discard neck and giblets from turkey cavities. Rinse turkey; drain well.

Add turkey to brining liquid; cover. Refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight. Remove turkey from liquid; rinse well with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Cook as desired.

Tips: When choosing the container used to brine the turkey, be sure to select one that will fit in your refrigerator. The turkey needs to be completely submerged in the brining liquid. If turkey is not covered, prepare enough additional brining liquid to completely cover turkey. Another brining method is to brine the turkey in an oven-roasting bag or large brining bag. Place turkey and brining liquid in bag; close bag tightly. Place in 16-qt. stockpot or container. Brine in refrigerator, occasionally turning bag to ensure even brining.

Food Facts: Turkey neck and giblets can be used to make soup stock or gravy. If unable to use within a few days, freeze until ready to use.

How to Thaw Frozen Turkey: Place frozen turkey, breast-side up, in its unopened wrapper on tray in refrigerator. Allow 5 hours per pound to completely thaw the turkey. Never thaw frozen meat on the countertop at room temperature.

Beef Stroganoff Soup

Years ago, I went on a day trip to Asheville, North Carolina to visit a chapel for a client. No, I did not get to visit the Biltmore Estate. I still mourn that fact a little. We did stop at a little bistro and had a great meal. The soup of the day was Beef Stroganoff Soup. It was creamy and delicious. I had never had anything like it before. So when I returned home I began researching recipes. I found one [original recipe] that was great but loaded with butter and heavy cream. Believe it or not it had a cup of butter and two cups of heavy whipping cream. Last night I tried to lighten the recipe a bit. It is still very creamy and loaded with flavor. If you like beef with mushrooms or mushroom soup you will enjoy this recipe.

Beef Stroganoff Soup

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. light butter

1 lb. tenderloin tips, cubed

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion diced

1 cup shredded carrots

2 Tbsp. flour

2 cups water

1 Tbsp. beef base

Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

1 cup of half and half

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup chopped chives for garnish

Directions

Season the beef with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. In a 3.5 qt. pot, melt the butter and add tips, garlic. Cook until meat is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms, onions and carrots. Sauté until onion is translucent.

Add flour, cook and stir 2 minutes. Add water and beef base, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add half and half and taste to adjust seasonings. Remove from heat and add sour cream.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with chives.

Linking to:
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - North Carolina and Linky Party

Grilled Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Tonight I fought the chilly temperatures by firing up the grill. The grocery store has beautiful poblano peppers right now. So I bought a few to stuff and grilled. Tonight I stuffed them with grilled flank steak and Mexican Quesadilla cheese. They were so good. This is definetly a tried and true recipe. We have made it several times now, with chicken, beef and shrimp. It is a great recipe to make with friends or family. The extra hands make it faster to prepare. My sister was the sous chef today. She grated the cheese and peeled the poblanos. We only encountered one spicy poblano this time. See the large pepper without a stem on this plate. It was the "devilish" pepper, very spicy but still delicious. They say the peppers with a curved stem are spicy. There is some truth to that but its not foolproof. So be selective when purchasing your peppers. I am already looking forward to purchasing a few more myself.

Grilled Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Serves 4

8 poblano peppers

1 lb chicken, beef, pork or shrimp, marinated or seasoned

8 oz Quesadilla, Monterey Jack or Mexican Blend cheese, shredded

1 onion

1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper

Marinate or season meat of choice 30 minutes and bring to room temperature before ready to cook. Meanwhile, slice bell pepper in half or thirds and remove the stem, ribs and seeds. Slice onion into three slices. Rub all vegetables including poblano peppers with a little olive oil. Poblanos should be left whole. Place everything meat and veggies on the grill. Grill for five minutes on each side on high heat. Remove poblanos and cover with plastic wrap. Check meat and other veggies for doneness and remove from grill. Let meat rest for 10 minutes. Peel off the skin of poblanos. Make a slit in the poblano from stem to tip, remove seeds and veins being careful not to split open the sides of the pepper. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Chop onions, bell pepper and meat into bit size pieces, combine with cheese. This is your stuffing for the poblanos. Distribute stuffing between poblanos. Place sheet of foil with peppers back on the grill. Grill until cheese melts and brings to brown a little about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve.

Tips:     Poblanos peppers with straight stems are “usually” (not always) less spicy than peppers with curved or bent stems. Be sure to remove all seeds and veins to have a milder pepper.

            Marinate the shrimp in the marinade given below. Or season the beef, pork and chicken with fajita seasoning also below.

Shrimp Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup salsa 

3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp horseradish

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp cilantro

Combine everything in a jar and shake to combine. Let marinade at least 30 min before grilling.

Fajita Seasoning

1/4 cup paprika

3 tablespoons coarse salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon dried cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all ingredients and mix with your fingers or a fork. Store in an airtight container.

Linking to:
Carole's Chatter - Food on Fridays: Mexican Food