More Thanksgiving Sides

Here are some More Thanksgiving Sides for the upcoming holiday (next Thursday, here in the U.S.). Check out the Onion Supreme, the Ultimate Stuffed Acorn Squash, and more. Enjoy!

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS SKEWERS WITH LEMON-THYME DIPPING SAUCE

This was in the November 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 36). It begins, "Roasting Brussels sprouts produces a tender, juicy interior encapsulated by a crispy, caramelized exterior. Hemp oil lends a nutritious element to the light sauce, but you could substitute olive oil or walnut oil." Makes 8 servings Great for the holiday table.

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/roasted-brussels-sprouts-skewers-with-lemon-thyme-dipping-sauce-recipe/.

Ingredients

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. hemp oil

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, whole (if small and tender), or finely chopped

32 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (about 2 lb.)

2 Tbs. safflower oil, or other high-heat oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 500°F. Whisk together lemon juice, maple syrup, hemp oil, and thyme in small bowl. Set aside.

Toss Brussels sprouts with safflower oil on large, rimmed baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add 1 Tbs. water to pan, and arrange Brussels sprouts cut side down. Cover tightly with foil. Roast 10 minutes, remove foil, then roast 10 to 15 minutes more, or until Brussels sprouts are heavily browned. Toss with 2 Tbs. dipping sauce, and let rest until cool enough to handle but still warm.

Thread 4 Brussels sprout halves onto each skewer, and arrange on platter. Serve warm, with remaining dipping sauce on side.

ULTIMATE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

This comes from Vegetarian Times (November 2013, page 53), and begins, "The Native American “three sisters”—corn, beans, and squash—come together in these individual holiday entrées stuffed with corn pudding and black beans." Makes 8 servings. Great for holiday meals

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/ultimate-stuffed-acorn-squash/.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.), divided

4 acorn squash, halved and seeded

1/2 tsp. ancho chile powder, plus more for sprinkling squash

1/2 tsp. ground coriander, plus more for sprinkling squash

3 cups fresh or frozen organic corn kernels, divided

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 large eggs

4 Tbs. melted butter or olive oil

3 oz. soft goat cheese or low-fat cream cheese (1/3 cup)

3 oz. grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (3/4 cup), plus more for sprinkling tops, optional

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large poblano chile or 1 small red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

8 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced (1 cup), plus more for sprinkling tops

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine oil and 2 tsp. minced garlic in small bowl. Brush squash halves with garlic oil, and sprinkle lightly with ancho chile powder and coriander. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and place on large baking sheet.

Pulse 2 cups corn kernels in food processor until finely chopped and milky. Set aside.

Whisk 1/2 tsp. each coriander and ancho chile powder into cornmeal, along with sugar, baking soda, salt, and cayenne (if using) in medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together buttermilk and eggs in separate bowl. Whisk in butter, then puréed corn, remaining 1 cup corn kernels, goat cheese, Cheddar, and remaining 2 tsp. garlic. Fold in cornmeal mixture with spatula, then fold in black beans, poblano chile, and green onions.

Divide filling among squash halves. Sprinkle each squash with extra Cheddar (if using).

Bake squash halves 30 to 45 minutes, or until squash are tender and filling is set. Sprinkle with green onions. Squash can be prepared 24 hours ahead, then reheated 20 minutes at 325°F.

BASIC ROLLS

This was from Fr. Dominic Garramone (aka The Bread Monk). I first ran across his show, Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, years ago on PBS. The show has since left television (at least, as far as I can tell), but you can still check out his recipes and books on his website (above).

This recipe makes about 30 rolls.

Ingredients

1 package FLEISCHMANN's Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs, beaten

5 to 5 1/2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, divided

Directions

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in small bowl; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Heat milk in a saucepan until lukewarm; do not boil. Add butter, sugar and milk; mix well.

Combine milk mixture, yeast mixture and eggs in large bowl of electric mixer fitted with dough hook. Add 2 cups of the flour; mix with dough hook until blended. Add 2 cups flour and mix until blended. Add 1 cup flour and mix on medium speed 2 minutes.

Remove dough from mixing bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead, adding as much of the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed to form a smooth, elastic dough. Place dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead 2 minutes to work out air bubbles. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Shape dough into desired rolls. (For shape variations, visit Tips & Techniques.) Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes, or until doubled.

When dough is nearly finished rising, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake rolls 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

CHESTNUT-AND-APPLE STUFFING

This was in the November/December 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 86. It begins, "You can assemble the ingredients for this holiday stuffing up to two days ahead to save time (and stress!) on the big day. Look for peeled and roasted chestnuts in glass jars and foil packets." Makes 12 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/chestnut-and-apple-stuffing/.

Ingredients

10 slices whole-wheat bread, cubed

10 slices hearty white bread, cubed

1 14-oz. tube soy "sausage" crumbled

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large white onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

5 ribs celery, sliced (1 1/2 cups)

4 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

2 tart apples, peeled and diced

1 cup peeled and ready-to-eat roasted chestnuts, halved

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

1 1/2 cups no-chicken broth

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread bread cubes in roasting pan, and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until toasted.

Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add soy sausage, and cook 5 minutes, or until browned. Toss sausage with bread cubes in bowl.

Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 7 minutes more. Stir in apples, chestnuts, and sage. Cover, and cook 5 minutes, or until apples are crisp-tender. Add to bread mixture. Stuffing can be prepared up to this point, sealed in a food storage bag, and refrigerated up to 2 days.

Increase oven heat to 350°F. Coat 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Toss stuffing mixture with broth, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more, or until top is browned and crisp.

ONION SUPREME

My dad came for a week at Christmas, 1987. He fixed this to go with Christmas dinner, along with several other veggies. The day I drove him to Tampa International to fly back to New York, we went for coffee at a shop in the airport. When I asked for a copy of this, he grabbed a paper napkin and wrote down the recipe. It’s a great way to fix onions; I’ve always had onions in things, but never as a side dish. However, this is incredibly easy, as well as fantastic.

Ingredients

2 leeks (discard green), sliced thin

3 - 4 yellow onions, sliced thin

4 bunches scallions (discard green), sliced thin

20 small white onions

1 stick butter or margarine

1 1/2 C half & half

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

Directions

Melt butter over low heat and sauté leeks, scallions, garlic, and yellow onions for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook white onions in enough water to just barely cover. Add white onions (after 45 minutes) to skillet and pour in half & half. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes more & serve.

CRANBERRY CORNBREAD

This is from Vallery Lomas in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. It begins, "Cranberries meet cornbread in this one-bowl fall mashup. A crunchy golden edge forms around the cornbread thanks to the hot skillet the batter is poured into. The mixture crisps in the oven-melted butter that coats the pan, resulting in browning and caramelization that delivers maximum flavor. While baking, the fresh cranberries soften, ensuring a burst of juicy tartness with each bite. Use either fine- or medium-grind cornmeal, as coarse varieties make for an overly gritty bite."

Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022718-cranberry-cornbread.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving

1-1/4 cups fine- or medium-grind yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

Directions

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and place the skillet in the oven to melt the butter.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the eggs and buttermilk, and whisk until combined.

Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. The butter should be completely melted. Pour about three-quarters of the melted butter into the cornmeal batter, and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the hot skillet, and sprinkle the cranberries evenly over the top.

Bake until the cornbread is browned around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot with butter.