Easy Southern Cooking

In this issue:

•My Thanksgiving Menu
•Blessings for Your Thanksgiving Feast
•Cooking Tips: Smoked Turkey
•Heavenly Ambrosia
•Lemon-Rosemary Green Beans
•Creamed New Potatoes
•Giblet Gravy
•Baked Squash Casserole
•Featured Cookbook
•New At EasySouthernCooking.com

Thanksgiving has always been a big traditional holiday. Friends and family from far and near gather to give thanks for all of God's gifts. My family has always celebrated with a big feast. My memories of thanksgiving center around the time I spend in the kitchen cooking with my mother. We worked all day to create the feast, but the conversations we shared were more important than the food.

It is so many times easier to do the cooking yourself, rather than ask for "help" from children. However, I would encourage you to not take the easy way out. Cook alongside your children, teach them not only to cook, but also to love.

I hope this issue helps you plan an easier traditional feast. Enjoy! Diane

My Thanksgiving Menu

Toasted Pecans / Deviled Eggs
Smoked Turkey
Giblet Gravy or Turkey Gravy
Sausage Apple Pecan Stuffing
Creamed New Potatoes
Grated Sweet Potato Pudding
Lemon-Rosemary Green Beans
Easy Overnight Vegetable Salad
Baked Squash Casserole
Cranberry Sauce / Holiday Cranberry Salad
Heavenly Ambrosia
Sweet Potato Pie / Pecan Pie
Iced Tea

Linked recipes are found on Easy Southern Cooking. Non linked recipes are below:

• Recipes

Heavenly Ambrosia

This ambrosia can be made the night before to allow the flavors to mingle. Add the coconut and pecans just before serving. If added early they will soften and discolor, but still taste good. You can use whatever fruits you desire for this recipe. You need enough citrus and pineapple juice to coat the apple and pear pieces. I like mine juicy.

6 naval oranges
2 tangarines
1 red grapefruit
1 15 ounce can of pineapple tidbits in juice
4 apples
2 pears
1 bunch seedless grapes
1 jar maraschino cherries
1 cup coconut (optional)
1 cup pecan halves (optional)
2 Tablespoons sugar (optional- taste before adding)

1. Remove peel, seeds, and membranes from oranges and grapefruit. Work over a large non-metal bowl so that juice is not lost. Cut pulp into bite size pieces.
2. Add pineapple and its juice. Core and dice apples and pears. Peel can be left on or off according to your preference.
3. Mix apples and pears into the juice of the oranges to coat. This prevents browning.
4. Halve grapes and add.
5. Add cherries and enough of the liquid to add a little color to the juices.
6. Mix all together and taste. If the juices are tart, add enough sugar just to sweeten slightly. It should not be very sweet.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve. At serving time, mix in the coconut and/or pecans, or sprinkle on top of each serving for garnish.

Lemon-Rosemary Green Beans

2 pounds small fresh green beans
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Wash and trim beans. Cook beans in boiling water to cover until just tender, approximately 8 minutes.
2. Drain and plunge quickly into ice water to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry. Transfer to a serving bowl.
3. Combine remaining ingredients and cook over low heat until butter melts, stirring occassionally.
4. Pour butter over beans, toss gently, and serve.

Creamed New Potatoes
You can use any potatoes in this recipe. You want some mashing to occur, but most of the potatoes should remain in whole chunks.

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes
4 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup whole milk, more or less as desired
salt and white pepper to taste

1. Scrub and dice potatoes. You want the chunks to be large bite size. Cover potatoes with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until done.
2. When potatoes are done, drain well. Add 4 tablespoons butter and put back onto low heat. Add just enough milk so that it covers the bottom of the pan and comes up halfway through the potatoes.
3. Simmer and stir until the butter is melted and all is mixed. The potatoes will mash slightly into the milk and butter. You can add more milk if desired to get the amount of creamyness desired.
4. Remove from heat and season with salt and white pepper to taste.

I use this recipe, adding chicken stock to make a delicious potato soup as well.

Giblet Gravy

Giblets from turkey
8 cups cold water
1 onion
4 stalks celery, plus tops, leaves and trimmings
handful of fresh parsley or 1 Tablespoon dried
2 boiled eggs
drippings from turkey
flour
additional chicken broth may be needed

1. While the turkey is cooking, cover the giblets and neck bone with 8 cups cold water.
2. Add 1 onion, celery and parsley and simmer for 2 hours.
3. Strain, and set aside until turkey is done and you're ready to make gravy.
4. Pick the meat off the turkey neck and chop the giblets, if desired.
5. When the turkey is done, remove it to serving platter and drain all juices from the roasting pan into a cup or bowl to separate fat from broth.
6. Skim the fat from the pan, measure and place into the roasting pan with an equal measure of flour.
7. Put the roasting pan on the burner, cook and stir to brown the flour.
8. Measure 1 cup of broth for each tablespoon of flour used. Add chicken broth if needed to make full amount. Add the turkey drippings and measured broth to the flour in the roasting pan. Cook, stirring to loosten any browned bits in the bottom of the roasting pan.
9. Add salt and pepper and a pinch of oregano. Simmer gravy until thickened.
10. Add the meat and giblets back to the gravy. My mother always adds 2 chopped boiled eggs as well.

Baked Squash Casserole

1 lb diced yellow squash
1 large onion chopped
1 c. grated cheese
1/2 teas. salt
1/4 c. milk
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 c. cracker crumbs

1. Cook squash and onion in salted water untill tender, drain.
2. Add butter, milk and 1/4 c. of cheese. Mix well, and spread remaining cheese on top.
3. Add cracker crumbs, then dot with butter on top. Bake at 450 degrees until crackers brown.

More Turkey Help
For help in roasting a moist and tasty turkey, check out my article here. Also check out the turkey glaze recipes and turkey basting sauces.

Featured Cookbook

Willie Crawford's Soul Food Cookbook

"Discover the Amazing, Mouth-Watering, Old-Fashioned Soul Food and Southern Recipes Learned While Growing Up on My 96 Year Old Grandmother's North Carolina Tobacco Farm"