TWEETY FINE JEWELRY

Thanksgiving Feast: Part III

With turkey day rapidly approaching, we bring you the last installment of Tweety’s favorite recipes for a tasty thanksgiving feast, with out any mention – of dare we say it – fowl consumption. So here are Tweety’s favorite yellow side dishes to pair with a Tweety inspired meal that the whole family will enjoy.

Mashed Sweet Potatoe with Netmeg and Sour Cream (Emeril Lagasse)

4 large sweet potatoes. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg. 4 tablespoons sour cream. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the sweet potatoes with the oil and place in an ovenproof baking dish and roast potatoes until tender, about 1 hour, turning once after 30 minutes. When potatoes are cooked, set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Cut the potatoes in half and squeeze the potato pulp into a 3 quart saucepan. Set the flame to medium-low and mash gently until smooth with a potato masher. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, sour cream, and butter and fold together until thoroughly combined. Remove from the heat and serve immediately, or keep warm, covered, until ready to serve.

Baked Acorn Sqush with Mustard and Honey (Sara Moulton)

3 acorn squash, about 1 1/2 pounds each, stems cut off. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard. 6 tablespoons honey.

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Set the squash on its side and, with a large knife, cut in half vertically. Trim a piece off the bottom of each squash half so they will lie flat in the pan. Scrape out the seeds and stringy membranes with a large spoon. Place cavity side up in a large roasting pan. Mix the butter, mustard, and honey in a small bowl until blended. Fill each squash cavity with 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until the squash is very tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Caramilzed Onion and Cornbread Stuffing (Tyler Florence)

2 tablespoons butter. 2 onions, chopped. 6 large cornmeal muffins, cubed. Handful fresh sage leaves, chopped. 1 egg. 1/4 cup heavy cream. 1/4 cup chicken stock. Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Add sage and scrape into a large mixing bowl. Add the cornbread pieces, season well with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss until it's well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and stuff the cavity of the turkey. You could also spoon it into a buttered baking dish and put it in the oven along with the turkey. Bake until hot and crusty on top, about 30 minutes.

As we break for Thanksgivng, we want to wish all of you joy and happiness in the year to come! Happy Thanksgiving! (Check back on Friday to find out great ways to turn leftovers into wonderful new treats.)

Thanksgiving Feast: Part II

We continue to share Tweety’s favorite Thanksgiving Day recipes through out this week, moving from yesterday’s yellow cheddar hors’doeuvre to a second course of hot yellow soup. Of course, since these are Tweety’s recipes, they are all cooked up in the lovely yellow hue, and are completely vegetarian. The idea of feasting on a bird is a little too close for comfort for our yellow feather friend.

This Emeril Lagasse Roasted Butter Nut squash soup can be made early Thursday morning, or even the night before, and heated up when dinner is served. The recipe is courtesy of Food Network and recommended by Tweety.

Ingredients:

1 (1 1/2 pound) butternut squash, peeled seeded and rough chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Italian sausage, removed from the casing
1 cup small dice onion
1/2 cup small dice carrot
1/2 cup small dice celery
1/2 cup small dice leeks
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
11/2 quarts chicken stock
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage leaves

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the chopped squash in a medium-size mixing bowl. Drizzle the squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the squash on top of the sheet pan. Set the sheet pan into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until the squash is lightly caramelized and tender.

Remove the squash from the oven and set aside. Place a 1-gallon saucepan over medium high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and render the Italian sausage. Cook, stirring often until the meat is caramelized and has released most of its fat, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery and leeks in the pan and sweat, stirring often for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and sweat for 1 minute stirring continuously. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and add the chicken stock to the pan. Place the squash in the pan with the maple syrup and sage.

Bring the pan to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook the soup for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are all tender. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to a smooth consistency and velvety texture. Alternately, you can puree the soup in batches using a blender. Taste the soup and re-season if necessary with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Keep warm until serving.

Thanksgiving Feast: Part I

Even if you normally eat like a little bird, you can't help but let loose and savor the flavor that a Thanksgiving dinner brings.  In celebration of the upcoming fowl festivities, this week we will be bringing you our favorite thanksgiving foods in the bright and bubbly hue-of-the-moment: yellow! 

Today, we start with a fabulous hors'doeuvre, White Cheddar Puffs with Green Onion, from cooking blog epicurious.com.  Not only are they quick and easy to make, but this fabulous finger food can be made in advance and popped in the oven as guests arrive.

Ingredients
1 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (packed) grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
2/3 cup minced green onions

Preparation
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 1 cup water, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; mix in flour. Stir over medium heat until mixture becomes slightly shiny and pulls away from sides of pan, about 3 minutes; transfer to stand mixer fitted with paddle. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition to form sticky dough. Mix in cheese and green onions.

Using 2 teaspoons, form dough into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch ovals; drop onto baking sheet 1 inch apart. (Can be made ahead. Wrap in plastic, then foil. Refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cheese puffs until golden, about 30 minutes if at room temperature and 35 minutes if chilled or frozen. Serve immediately.