Uber Thanksgiving Veggies (V)

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, cut into 1" thick rings and insides cleaned out
1 t olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

4 carrots, cut uniform & bite-sized
1 t olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

2 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 bu kale, ribs removed & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C water

1/2 C pumpkin seeds
1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rub the acorn squash with the first 1 t olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until well-browned and tender. Set aside.
3. Toss the carrots with the last of the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl.
4. Reduce the oven to 325 degrees.
5. Remove the peel from the squash and cut into large chunks. Add to the carrots in the bowl.
6. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the 2 T cooking oil. Heat up the oil, then add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Then add the kale & season with salt & pepper. Cook another 7-8 minutes, add the 1/2 C water and cook the water down.
7. Roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until browned.
8. Add the lemon juice, combine with everything and serve.

Delicious Braised Turkey Legs

Ingredients:
1 T cooking oil
2 turkey legs, scored (cut some slits in the meat down to the bone)
2 turkey thighs, scored
4 shallots, peeled and quartered
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and cut in half
4 stalks celery, peeled & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
2/3 C water

1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Brown the turkey legs in batches; don't overcrowd the pan. When all the turkey is well-browned, move it to a deep baking dish.
3. Heat the saute pan again over high heat and add more cooking oil if there isn't some left. Add the shallots, garlic and celery and brown them for 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn the bottom of the pan if you can help it, because you'll be deglazing it later. Add the vegetables to the turkey in the baking dish, season with salt and pepper and stir.
4. Heat the saute pan over low heat, add the 2/3 C water and scrape the brown goodness off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the flavored water to the baking dish.
5. Cover the dish and braise for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat falls off the bone. Pull the meat off the bones, combine with the veggies, add the lemon juice, taste for seasoning and serve.

Cauliflower-Kale Pasta with Sausage

This one is for those with some confidence, since you'll be sauteeing two things at a time. Which also means it's lots of fun to cook. Shawni and I made this up together and we had this locked down no problem, of course. :)


Ingredients:

1 T cooking oil
4 precooked sausages, sliced in half lengthwise and cut 1/2" thick

2 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, medium diced (1/2" on a side)
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
1 bu kale ribs removed & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C water

2 C walnuts, chopped coarsely

1 lb. fresh pasta (linguine or fettuccine would work well)

1 lemon, juiced.

Instructions: (read these through a couple of times before you start)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Start a large pot of salted (ocean salty) water boiling over high heat. Start two large saute pans heating over hight heat and add 1 T cooking oil to one pan and 2 T to the other. To the pan with 1 T oil, add the sausage; to the other, add the cauliflower.
3. Brown the sausage and the cauliflower each for about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage and set aside. Reduce the cauliflower's heat to medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. If both saute pans are unburned (no black stuff on the bottom, just brown stuff), deglaze one and add to the sausage or cauliflower (doesn't matter). Heat the other one (or the unburned one, if one got scorched) over medium-high heat and add the last 2 T cooking oil. Add the onion and cook 3- minutes, then add the garlic and kale, and season with salt & pepper. Cook another 7-8 minutes, add 1/2 C water and cook until the water is cooked out.
5. Roast the walnuts for 5-7 minutes or until browned & aromatic.
6. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package, drain and combine with all the other & remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning & serve.

Black Pepper Cranberries (v)

Ingredients:
1 T butter
1 bag fresh cranberries

1/2 C water
1 T raw sugar
small pinch kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t vanilla extract
1 T butter

Instructions:
1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the first 1 T butter and melt it, then add the cranberries.
2. Cook the cranberries for 10 minutes or until well broken down, stirring occasionally. Then add the water, sugar, salt & pepper and cook for 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in the vanilla and the last of the butter. Taste, add more sugar if needed. Serve in a tart, over ice cream or over a pastry.

Braised Chicken, Kale and Potato Sandwiches

Cooking skills focus: Braising, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1/2 t oil
1 yellow onion, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 head garlic, peeled & sliced
4 whole chicken legs (or 8 each drumsticks/thighs), meat scored with a knife so heat can penetrate and cook it faster
2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small dice (1/4” on a side)
1 bu lacinato kale (also called "dinosaur" kale because of its cool bumpy texture), cut into ½: slices

½ C water
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute 5-6 minutes. Remove to a baking dish and heat the pan again, over high heat.
3. Brown the chicken in the hot pan until well browned and remove to the baking dish. Add the onions, potatoes and kale, and season everything with salt and pepper. Cover the dish and start to braise for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.
4. When the chicken's done, let it cool for a little bit so you don't kill yourself doing the following:
6. Pull the meat off the bones (the bones can still be used for stock), toss with the potatoes and kale, and use the mixture to fill sandwiches or wraps.

Broccoli Madness Naked Casserole (V)

Cooking skills focus: Sauteeing, baking, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

2 T cooking oil

1 onion, sliced thinly

½ head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced thickly

5 broccoli crowns, quartered and sliced ½” thick

4 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into medium dice (1/2” on a side)

5 carrots, cut into half moons ¼” thick

4 T olive oil

½ C water

Salt & pepper TT (lots)

1 T besar spice blend

2 lemons, juiced

½ bu parsley, chopped fine

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat, then add the 2 T cooking oil. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the onions and garlic with all the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt, pepper and besar spice blend. Transfer to a baking dish, add the water, cover and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

4. Top with the lemon juice and parsley and serve.

Note: You can get besar spice blend in Seattle at World Spice Merchants.

Green Bean, Caramelized Onion & Apple Salad (V)

Cooking skills focus: Knife skills, sauteeing, blanching, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

2 T cooking oil

2 yellow onions, sliced thinly

1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced thickly

salt & pepper TT

½ C water

1 1/2 # green beans, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces

3 carrots, trimmed & cut into half moons ¼” thick

1 head romesco cauliflower (a.k.a. broccoflower), diced ½” on a side

2 Fuji apples, cut into large dice (1/2” on a side)

3 T olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

salt & pepper TT

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. The water should taste salty like the ocean.

2. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the 2 T cooking oil. Add the onions and saute on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic. Drop the heat to low and season with salt and pepper. Cook over low, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add the ½ C water and cook another 10 minutes. The onions and garlic should be dark and gooey. Set them aside.

3. When the water’s boiling, drop the green beans in and get ready to pull them out again after 2 minutes. Spread them on a sheet pan to dry and cool.

4. Combine all remaining ingredients.

Berbere Broccoflower & Mushroom Chips (V)

Ingredients:
2/3 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced about 1/4" thick
3 T cooking oil
salt & pepper TT

1 T cooking oil
1/2 red onion, diced small
1 head broccoflower, core removed and cut about 1/2" on a side
salt & pepper TT
1 lemon, juiced
1 t berbere spice blend, or more TT

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the mushrooms with the first 3 T cooking oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until well-browned and crispy. When they dry, they should be like thick chips in texture.
3. While the mushrooms are roasting, heat a large saute pan over high heat and add the last of the cooking oil. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, then drop the heat to medium-high, add the broccoflower and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes more, then add the lemon juice and berbere. Add the mushroom chips. Serve as a salad by itself or as a topping for something else.

Redbor Kale & Pomegranate Salad (V)

Ingredients:
2 T cooking oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 bu redbor kale, ribs removed and leaves cut bite-sized
salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil

1 pomegranate, seeds removed
1 orange, juiced

Instructions:
1. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the first 2 T oil and then half of the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the first half of the kale leaves. Cook for 7-8 minutes more, stirring occasionally and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup or so water, stir, and cook until the water evaporates. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the oil, onion and kale. Allow to cool slightly and then add the pomegranate seeds and orange juice. Serve as a salad by itself or on top of other vegetables, meat or eggs.

Togarashi Braised Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 T cooking oil
6 chicken thighs or drumsticks

1/2 red onion, julienned
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and thickly sliced
1 bunch rainbow card, ribs and stems removed and leaves cut bite-sized

1/2 grapefruit, juiced
2 t togarashi shichimi powder (Japanese 7-spice), or to taste
1 t soy sauce, or to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the oil when the pan is hot, then add the chicken and brown well. Remove to a small baking dish.
3. Heat the same pan again over medium-high heat, then add the onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and chard. Cook for 7 minutes more, then mix in with the chicken.
4. Cover the baking dish and braise the chicken and veggies for one hour. Pull the meat off the bones when they're cool enough to handle, then add the remaining ingredients and taste for seasoning. Make some sandwiches with this filling and some shredded carrots. Delicious!