The Emporia Gazette

November 8, 2009

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Is the turkey thawed? Are the wood chips soaking? Ready for the best meal of the year?

There’s so much to choose from, yet we tend to fall into a “Thanksgiving rut.” Aunt Betty always makes the dressing. Aunt Johnnie always makes the sausage and cheese balls. My mom always made the chocolate pie, and my papaw always made the pecan pie (that’s my job now!).

I think it’s good to take a risk every now and then. You could always have that green bean casserole next week — it’s not going anywhere! If you feel like a change, or are new to the family and trying to carve your niche, check these delicious recipes over.

I admit that my cranberry sauce had always come out of an Ocean Spray can until two years ago, when Andrea Garritano Freeze showed me the light! This isn’t her recipe, but one I developed last year that’s almost as good a s hers. You can get double-duty out of your orange if you zest it first, then squeeze the juice.

FRESH CRANBERRY COMPOTE

6 oz. fresh cranberries, rinsed

1 Tbsp. orange zest

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/4 tsp. of salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup orange juice

Bring the cranberries, orange zest, sugar and water to a boil in a non reactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 8 minutes.

Dissolve the salt, cinnamon and cornstarch in the orange juice and add to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, then stir constantly until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and cool completely before serving.

The orange carrots and white, peppery turnips are a great combination in this next dish. You can adjust the quantity of sugar to taste.

GLAZED CARROTS

AND TURNIPS

1/2 lb. turnips

1/2 lb. carrots

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or skillet and dissolve the sugar. Toss in the vegetables and add enough vegetable stock, chicken stock or water so that they’re almost covered. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover with a vented lid, or put the lid on a little crooked to let some vapor out, and simmer until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

To finish the dish, remove the lid and return to high heat. Toss and stir the vegetables around to help the remaining liquid reduce to a glaze. Once everything is well coated, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

My new love in life is risotto. Myrna Comstock made a creamy butternut squash risotto a year back for our supper club and I was hooked. I came across a baked risotto recipe in a magazine (which was fortuitous since it takes 20 to 30 minutes of constant stirring the traditional way) and now Andy and I have risotto on a regular basis. It’s a great change from regular rice or potatoes, and you can get it in most of our stores here.

MURPHY’S

MUSHROOM RISOTTO

1 cup risotto (arborio rice)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup (4 oz.) fresh parmesan, grated

Preheat the broth to just below a simmer. For extra flavor, you can substitute 1/2 cup white wine for 1/2 cup of broth. Sauté the mushrooms and onion in oil and butter in a large, lidded, oven-proof skillet for 3 minutes. Add the rice and sauté, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Stir in 3 cups of hot chicken broth (you can use any kind of broth), salt and pepper to taste, cover, and place in an oven at 350º F for 30 to 40 minutes. All liquid should be absorbed by the rice. Remove from the oven, stir in 1/2 cup shredded fresh parmesan and serve immediately. You can vary the vegetable that you use, from broccoli to winter squash to tomatoes!

This next one is so tasty. You could make it without the meat if you wanted, or use bacon instead of pancetta. Pancetta is leaner and has a smoky flavor. I’ve gotten into using the low-sodium, 99% fat free chicken broth for all of my cooking. You can’t tell the difference, and it’s so much better for you.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

WITH ITALIAN HAM

1 lb. Brussels sprouts

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 oz. paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup chicken broth

Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling water, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until it begins to crisp. Add the garlic and sauté until golden. Add the well-drained Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and sauté until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the broth and simmer until it reduces just enough to coat the sprouts (about 3 minutes). Serve nice and hot.

Now, I just couldn’t resist putting in this recipe. I love buttermilk biscuits with a passion, especially piping hot with strawberry butter on them. They’re the first thing my mother taught me to bake. Try these for a change from dinner rolls: Biscuits, they’re not just for breakfast anymore!

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (Mom always used a fork to do this). Make a well in the center and add 1 cup buttermilk. Using your hands, quickly fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk until a sticky dough forms. Add a little more buttermilk if you need to.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Gently pat it out to 1 1/2-inches thick and cut with a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter (Mom always used a juice glass!). Lay the biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with buttermilk or a little bacon grease if you’ve been frying any. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.

Now for an important correction. The Almond Joy Cake from Peggy Lane that we ran November 1 called for Pet milk, which is EVAPORATED, not condensed. Rita Solorio asked about that and it’s all my fault! Don’t use the Eagle Brand, use the Pet. My apologies!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Next week I have a special column on feeding the masses during W.W.II. Your challenge for the week after that is very timely: Cookies! They’re so easy to box up and give for the holidays. What great cookie recipes are you willing to share with us? Send that fabulous recipe to murphysmenu@yahoo.com or Murphy’s Menu, PO Drawer C, Emporia by 5 p.m. Monday. Let’s get cooking!

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