Thanksgiving 2012

Very different from Thanksgiving 2011 that was just my hubby and me, this year I had 10 people (and two little people!) over to celebrate this amazing date!

Preparations began on the previous week doing the decor (and a great excuse to chat with friends, eat and drink!)

Each one was responsible for one or more dishes and I got the turkey.
I did the same process of brining and preparing the turkey. I also made cranberry sauce (this one was better than last year: I got a recipe with Porto wine!) and farofa (a Brazilian version of stuffing)
The menu included: caramelized root vegetables, mashed potatoes, rice with almonds, arugula salad with beets, goat cheese and hazelnuts.

As starters, we had a better version of my baked brie (with peach jam!), prosciutto, salami, fresh-baked breads and burrata.

Nobody cared much for dessert but we had fruits, ice cream, pie and I made a mint brownie that was very good!

We also gave special attention to drinks and prepared several cocktails, and sparkling wine which is a must in all my celebrations!

They were delicious hours surrounded by people we care. While away - geographically - from our families, we have friends we can count on. And because of that and all the other good things that happen everyday in our lives that hubby and I couldn't pass on this date, celebrate and give thanks!

Good ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers

When I said I would roast a turkey for Thanksgiving just for me and hubby, everyone told us we would eat turkey for months, but we ate almost everything during the holiday (4 days). What did I do? I shredded the turkey and made a frittata one day, and a picnic in the park in the other!

For the frittata, I added potatoes. You can also make it with sausage, ham, vegetables, and add onions, tomatoes etc..

As for the picnic in the park, we took the leftovers, bought a fresh baguette, made a tomatoes salad and voilà!

A different turkey for each day of Thanksgiving! I can't wait fot the next one...

Nutella Panna Cotta

Here is the delicious Nutella Panna Cotta that I made for Thanksgiving. Easy to make, even with the heavy cream and the Nutella, it is still light and not too sweet. It's a perfect dessert for a casual or formal dinner (you will only need to change presentantion a little bit). It will please everyone for sure!

My comments: I used fat free milk and it worked really well. The texture is similar to a flan, and the good thing is that you don't need to use the oven. The recipe yielded 5 full cups but you can make smaller portions.
I think that using cups is very charming, but you can use ramekins as well (I didn't have them at the time, but now I got them for the next recipes!)

Thanksgiving Diary - Corn Muffins and Turkey

My corn muffins were wonderful. I will definitely make them other times since they're a great side dish for salads and meats. And they are very simple to make! The original recipe is from Giada de Laurentiis. I love her recipes. They are simple and delicious (click here to check out the recipe)

My comments: instead of buttermilk, I used normal milk (fat free) and it worked very well. But if you want to use buttermilk, you can make yours just by adding one tbsp of white vinegar to one cup of milk. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes and you're good to go!
The dried tomatoes and garlic added a special flavor to the muffins. I also think that using the sour cream made a difference because the muffin was moisty.
For those unaware, American corn muffins crumble a little bit and the batter can go from a bit sweet to savory. In this case, it is right in the middle with the batter a bit savory, but the sun dried tomatoes and corn are on the sweet side. I made half recipe and it yielded 6 large muffins.
If you do not find the corn muffin mix - it's much easier! - just search on the internet. There are many recipes that teach you how to make it from scratch.

About the turkey: after leaving it brining for hours, rinse the turkey with cold water and pat dry with paper towel. I placed a cooler rack inside a big sheet so the result would be the same if using a roasting pan (which I don't have). I filled the cavity with rosemary and thyme (be generous. They make a huge difference!), onion and lemon cutted into quarters. Then I tucked the wings underneath the turkey and coated the skin with about 2 tbsp of butter (you can use oil or even cover it with slices of bacon). I covered it with foil and put it in the oven (high temperature / lowest rack)

After 1 1/2  hour in the oven, I checked the meat and it was cooked. Since I have no food thermometer, my sister taught me a trick: insert a knife in the breast of the turkey until gets to the bottom. When taking it out, you should see not too much of a transparent liquid. If the liquid is pink, it's undercooked.
I took out the foil so the turkey could get that beautiful golden brown color.
I turned off the oven and let the turkey rest for about 15 minutes before carving it (so the meat doesn't loose its juices). Do that every time you're cooking/roasting a meat.
I think brining helps a lot the cooking process, because in 2 hours the turkey (10 lbs) was ready, the meat had the right amount of salt and it was very, very, soft!
The Thanksgiving Dairy is coming to an end. Tomorrow, the dessert...

Thanksgiving Diary - Dinner

Are you guys curious to know how was my Thanksgiving dinner? Well, to my greatest joy it was amazing! All went really well: the turkey was moisty, the corn muffins were delicious, the cranberry sauce added a kick, and the dessert was so good that we should have eaten it on our knees! I'll post the rest of the recipes in the following days and I suggest that you make them all!

Here are some pictures of the table. And for those who didn't know, yes, I made all this, including a whole turkey, just for hubby and I! And I'd do it all over again! Now the leaftovers are in the refrigerator and will be used for sandwiches, pie fillings etc..

It's a great feeling when you make a delicious meal for a special person in an important occasion! I totally recommend!

And, stay tuned, next week I begin a new - and tasty - saga and then comes the preparation for Christmas (I have already the entire menu figured out!)

A wonderful weekend, everyone!

Thanksgiving Diary: Cranberry Sauce

It's very easy to make Cranberry Sauce: 1 lb cranberries (fresh or frozen); 1 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Mix everything together in a sauce pan and let it simmer until it gets to the thickness you desire.
For those unaware, cranberry is a little bit bitter. And by adding the orange juice, its bitterness will be even more pronounced. So, if you prefer a sweeter sauce, add more sugar. I used light brown sugar. And I also like it thick. So I let it simmer even more.

You can also substitute the cranberries for any other berry, or make a different version with mango or fig. It is perfect not only with turkey, but also with pork meat and chicken. And the best thing is that you can also eat it as jam with bread, toast and cheese.

Thanksgiving Diary - Brining the turkey

It's here!! And since today is day to give thanks, I start my post thanking you all for your support, strength, inspiration and participation!

Now, to the report:
I ended up leaving everything for today and, for now, everything is under control. I started opening the turkey, removing the giblets and neck, and preparing the brining.
Brining duration depends on the size of the turkey. If it is too big, you can brine it the night before and leave it until roasting time. My turkey is about 10 lbs so I started today morning and it will be like this for about 6 hours.
As I said yesterday, this process is widely used here, and people say it makes the meat more tender. Some people prepare a more complete brine by seasoning it and adding herbs, but just salty water works too. (basic brine: 1 cup of salt to 1 gallon of cold water).

As you can see, I used a bucket, because I don't have a very large pot, and used a plastic bag so the turkey doesn't stay in contact with the bucket. You can leave it out of the refrigerator (keeping the water always cold) or in the refrigerator. I made room by taking out the vegetable drawer.

If you would like more information on how to brine a turkey, which other spices to use etc, just search "how to brine a turkey" or "brining the turkey" on the internet and you will find tons of tips.

Following chapters: cranberry sauce, Nutella pana cotta, corn muffins and the turkey!

Thanksgiving Diary - Part 2

Continuing our Thanksgiving saga, yesterday I finished buying all the ingredients and I've already got an idea of how I'll set up the table.
The turkey is practically thawed in the refrigerator, and tomorrow morning I will begin the preparation by brining it (soaking the turkey in a cold salty water for a few hours - it's said that the salt breaks down the protein particles leaving the meat more tender)
Today I'm making the cranberry sauce (super simple) and the dessert: a Nutella Pana Cotta (a very light Italian dessert - not in this case since I'm using Nutella, but the original version is very light).
Tomorrow I will make the corn muffins (easy and fast); put the turkey in the oven; set the table and voila!
I'll post the recipes later, because as I've never prepared they, I want to know how they turn out first then I can give you all the details. See you tomorrow!

Thanksgiving Diary

On Thursday (Nov 24), here in the U.S., we celebrate Thanksgiving. I've always loved this holiday, because people get together with their family and friends, usually around the table with lots of foods and drinks, and give thanks to all the graces received in the year.
This year I decided to celebrate it by making a dinner at home with the typical dishes: turkey, cranberry sauce and corn muffins. I'm not making the traditional dessert (pumpkin or pecan pie), but a lighter option that I think will be great as well (tell you later!).
Throughout the week, I'll post here everything on the preparation, assembly and recipes so you can use this for Christmas, New Year or any other opportunity.

This is my first time roasting a turkey, so I researched online and talked to friends and relatives about the best way to roast it, which size to buy, which spices and herbs to use and so on.
With this information in hand, i went out shopping and start the week with 90% of the ingredients. I also transfer the turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw naturally until Thursday.
Tomorrow I will buy the remaining ingredients, and think about the table decoration (which should be simple, because apart from being a small table, I want the turkey to be the main attraction!)