Last year I struggled and struggled with what type of stuffing (or dressing, as I don’t generally stuff my turkey) to fix. After digging through many recipes, I decided the winter fruit and nut stuffing would be a perfect addition to the table. Filled with dried fruits and sweetened with a bit of Sauternes, it lacked an overly-sweet flavor that I had feared other fruit stuffings would bring to the overall menu.

One word to the wise: always read through a few of the comments on websites that have them. While reading through the comments on this particular recipe, I realized there was a misprint on the website, and the recipe should contain some chicken stock as well. So I made the necessary changes, and this recipe turned out perfectly. (more…)

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Gourmet, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian by Courtney

You may remember this post that talks about why I now make sure I have appetizers on hand at Thanksgiving dinner. Long story short, if you don’t get the turkey to the table at the appointed time, people can still have something to nosh on instead of having grumbling tummies.

Crudite is one of the easiest things to toss out as a pre-dinner nibble. All you need to do is stop by any grocery store, and you’re bound to find a tray with hard-as-rock baby carrots, chunks of celery, and yummy broccoli, all well-organized around a dish of ranch. There’s nothing wrong with this. It’s easy, everyone has their favorite veg (mine was always potato chips dipped in the ranch, though these days obviously I like the broccoli). Last year I stumbled upon a wonderful idea that I decided to try – roasting crudite. (more…)

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Appetizers, Dairy free, Gluten free, Italian, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian 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…)

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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…)

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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…)

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Dairy free, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian by Courtney