Sop14's Mom

I was 21 before I first tasted Brussels sprouts and I loved them. One year a guest brought Brussels sprouts and chestnuts for Thanksgiving, and I was in heaven. Every couple of years I make my family suffer through them, including this year, because I adore them.

Threekids, what about roasted green beans with olive oil, brown sugar, and garlic slivers? This gets rave reviews from my guests.

Threekids

Perfect! Thanks, I'll let you know how they turn out. Hope they aren't too sweet with the sweet potatoes on the menu. Can you tell me what to do please? How much of each do you use? Drizzle the olive oil over the green beans on a cookie sheet, or toss in a casserole dish? I also like the candied carrots idea from colorado_mom.

SteveMA

I am making these beans this year:

2 lb. fresh green beans
1 medium red onion, sliced ½ inch thick
3 cloves fresh garlic (whole)
3 TBS canola or vegetable oil
2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
2 TBS granulated sugar
½ tsp Kosher salt
To Taste - fresh ground black pepper
1 lb. bacon, crispy, crumbled
Method
1. Wash green beans in cold water. Snip both ends and break in half.

2. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add beans and blanch for 1 minute. Strain.

3. Heat a wok or fry pan over medium high heat. Add oil, then add garlic and sliced onions and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

4. Add green beans and stir-fry for 2-4 minutes depending on how well done you prefer your beans cooked.

5. Add soy, seasonings and continue to stir-fry for 1 more minute.

6. Adjust seasonings if desired.

7. Garnish with crispy crumbled bacon pieces

Sop14's Mom

Threekids, the recipe isn't exact, but for every lb. of green beans, I use a couple of T of olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic (slivered), and about 2 T brown sugar. Fresh thyme is a great addition, but not necessary. The sugar caramelizes, but the garlic makes it savory, so IMHO it complements rather joins the sweet potatoes.

On broiler pan covered with aluminum foil, toss together the beans with the olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, and thyme. Spread the beans and seasonings in a single layer and broil about 10-15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender and browned.

boysx3

Here's a new spin....we all love Thanksgiving with all of the savory foods.

My vegetarian DIL has offered to "spice things up" this year ...she is making one of my favorite Indian dishes, aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes with a spicy kick). It is a pretty, colorful dish, and I bet the extended family will love it.

SteveMA

Sop14's Mom--those sound really good too--and easier to do last minute. I might make those instead now .

sewhappy

Bunsen, I love fennel and am drawn to your roasted veggies recipe but I also like to have deep contrast color in a dish on the table so may try the recipe in this months "Better Homes & Garden" from the guys at Stonewall Kitchen:

Roasted Acorn Squash and Beet Salad

It can be mostly made ahead and refrigerated the day before, then allowed to warm up to room temp for serving.


Dragonmom, I hear ya on the truffle butter. I like a mushroom but so much earthiness with turkey just isn't working for me. May go back to the Martha Stewart cheesecloth approach but we find it almost too moist and the dressing yuck.

For mashed potatoes, I don't think you can do better than the very low-brow and caloric crock pot method involving cream cheese and sour cream. I have an old neighbor who still calls me "Mashed Potato Goddess" for serving these:

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe - Allrecipes.com

jym626

Just made these. Very yummy!!! Fresh Pumpkin Muffins | Pies and Plots

lookingforward

^ Jym, I'm roasting my pumpkins soon. (DH loves to roast the seeds.) So, are the muffins sweet enough that I could possibly make them a dessert? Doctor them up, maybe add a sauce? It might be just what I'm looking for.

BunsenBurner

Nice recipe, jym! I liked the one linked to it, and I'm tempted to use my not so sweet for fresh eating strawberries in it:

Roasted Strawberry Muffins | Pies and Plots

Oh, boy, with so many yummy and tempting carbs around me, I need to start training for a marathon!

SteveMA

sewhappy--I make those potatoes all the time but never in the crock pot. I usually make mashed potatoes the old fashioned way, boiled on the stove and then mix the ingredients together and put in the fridge for a day or two. They taste a lot better after sitting overnight so I make them on the day before. Then you just plop some pats of butter on top, cover and warm in the oven the day of. These are a family favorite of ours. I use chopped green onions vs the garlic though and make them a bit on the soupy side if you let them sit overnight.

sewhappy

SteveMA,

I actually do pretty much the same -- make them stove top the day before and then late morning or early afternoon put them on low in the crockpot. Just takes some stress out to know they won't burn up.

Jym's pumpking muffins look to be fantastic. We are watching carbs here so I hesitate but my they look good.

For dessert I was thinking of making homemade pumpkin ice cream with this oldie but goodie apple cake recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...le-Cake-362089

MD Mom

MommaJ, thank you for linking the gravy recipe. I think I will make the potatoes and gravy ahead and simplify my life.

SteveMA

sewhappy--I don't think my crock pot is big enough to hold all the potatoes we go through .

jym626

I think the muffins could easily be a dessert- especially if you made a carrot cake-like topping to drizzle on top, or simply put some fresh fruit around them

I am off to buy more cinnamon as I am going to make 2 more batches. They made more than a dozen, btw.

And also, I used the splenda blend (half sugar half splenda) instead of all sugar.

*** forgot to mention, lookingforward-- we are also roasting the seeds and bringing them to our son for Thanksgiving. They are a tradition.


** and BB-- I didn't see the strawberry muffin recipe. They look great too!


I accidentally shredded my knuckle when shredding a piece of the pumpkin. Oweee.