Many moons ago, I made a wild rice stuffing for my turkey that was delicious. However, this post is not about that. It’s about the leftover box of wild rice I’ve had sitting in my cupboard for those many moons (7 years!). While rice going bad isn’t something that I had ever really thought of, I was kind of surprised when I opened it and no weird odors or growths appeared. Then I moved onward with my plans to make a delectable rice laced with crisp green veggie slivers.

California wild rice is black, with a somewhat nutty, somewhat earthy flavor, and a texture that is the epitome of “toothsome”. And it’s fuss-free. “Add water to pot with rice. Boil. Drain.” are pretty much the instructions on the box. As a girl who often burned pots of rice dry, I can get on board with these directions. (more…)

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

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…)

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Dairy free, Gluten free, Italian, Salad, Thanksgiving by Courtney

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