It’s that time of year again! November. Kickoff to Thanksgiving planning. Kickoff to holiday seasons. For the first time in many years, I find myself not combing through recipes, trying to figure out what I’ll be doing this year, as the rest of my family will be taking the reins. But fear not! I still have last year’s menu to share with you, and I know I won’t be able to resist thinking a bit about new menus and new recipes, which of course, I’ll have to share!

What does all this have to do with salad? Well, last year, this salad was one of the two opening acts for Thanksgiving dinner. A couple of years ago I talked about why I now always make sure my Thanksgiving menu has a couple of appetizers, and this salad keeps the prep work simple while providing an amazing meld of flavors. (more…)

Filed under:
Dairy free, Gluten free, Italian, Salad, Thanksgiving by Courtney

When it comes to making something I’ve never made before, I’m pretty fearless. I figure the worst case scenario is it’s inedible, and I have to serve something else. However, this week I’ve been toying around with the idea of adding truffle salt to the mashed potatoes. I love using it on buttered popcorn, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around whether or not it would be tasty in my potatoes. Since mashed potatoes are pretty easy to whip up, I made a quick batch Friday night to see how they tasted. (more…)

Filed under:
Comfort food, Dinner, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian by Courtney

When the word “vegetarian” pops up in the context of someone coming to dinner, it can sometimes make this Southern girl’s heart skip a beat.

“Whatever will I cook?” I think to myself.

Add that to Thanksgiving dinner, and the heart goes pitter-patter for more than a beat. I mean, I’m the person who puts giblets in the dressing and cooks brussels sprouts with bacon fat. Mashed potatoes are one of the few things meat isn’t added to.

Then I stop, and I realize there are so many meals that I make without the addition of animal fat. I cook with copious amounts of olive oil these days, instead of butter. Hell-o, I even make gravies that don’t start with meat, so making a Thanksgiving dinner that works for both the omnivores and herbivores in my life should be a breeze. But I don’t want it to just work, I want it to be an extra-special meal for everyone coming to dinner. (more…)

Filed under:
Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

While every year I struggle with which favorites to serve and what new things to try, this cranberry sauce has been a staple since I started making it a few years ago. Last year I was tempted to shift to a Pinot Noir-laced cranberry sauce, but at the last minute I decided not to stray from a good thing.

Those last two words should give you a hint of where I found this recipe — in one of my many Martha Stewart magazines. One of my guilty pleasures around this time of year is pulling out all of my November and December issues from years past and combing through recipes, seeing what I’ve missed or what I haven’t made and trying to decide whether it will go with this year’s theme.

But back to the cranberry sauce. This recipe creates 2 versions – one spicy, pepper-jelly-and-herb version, and a sweet-tart orange version. (more…)

Filed under:
Dairy free, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian by Courtney

Can you believe Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away? If you haven’t yet begun to plan what you’re having, now is the time to start thinking about it. Will you do the traditional turkey, a vegetarian main course, or something less than traditional like a prime rib? And the sides, oh the sides! There’s so many ways to serve a potato, decisions to make about the green vegetable(s) to serve, and should there be more starch?

Last year I posted recipes for the Indian-inspired 2009 Thanksgiving dinner we had. This year there’ll be lots of posts about my more traditional menu from 2010 that included many fruit-laced sides. And then there’s what to make this year. I’m going back and forth between my Cajun favorites (oooh, cornbread dressing!) and a more Italian-inspired menu, laced with fresh veggies and hints of cheese and sage and citrus here and there.

What are you planning to serve for Thanksgiving this year?

Filed under:
Thanksgiving by Courtney