No Turkey Menu for 8
The Menu
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Seasonal French Pears, Mesclun, Toasted Pine nuts and Gorgonzola
Beef Pot Roast with Maple Sweet Potatoes and Cider Gravy
Roasted Brussels sprouts with Wild Mushrooms and Cream
Chicago Style Cheesecake
The Recipes
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/soup-recipes/creamy-pumpkin-soup-recip
e/
Should serve 12
This is a rich, very flavorful soup that can be served as a meal by itself with a loaf of French bread on a cool fall night.
1/2 cup butter = 1quarter pound stick
2 gloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
5 cups of chicken stock
1 cup white wine
2 pounds roasted pumpkin or substitute canned pumpkin
2 cups half & half
salt and white pepper, to taste
chives to garnish with
Get all your ingredients together. I made the chicken stock in the morning but I also had some in the freezer and low salt canned in the pantry if I needed more. Mince the garlic, chop the onion, and get the spices in order.
Heat up your soup pot and melt the butter, but be careful not to let it brown. Sauté the garlic and onion until the onion is translucent. Stir in the curry powder and let it cook for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken stock and white wine and bring them to a GENTLE boil - not a rolling boil. That means the bubbles should be very small, just above a simmer. Let this cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
Next, add the roasted pumpkin and cook for 5 minutes. I used a hand blender but you could transfer everything to a bender in batches and puree it to a smooth consistency.
I stopped here knowing I would be adding the half & half and salt & white pepper just before serving later that evening but you can finish the soup right now. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve in soup bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh snipped chives.
Seasonal French Pears, Mesclun, Toasted Pine nuts and Gorgonzola
http://www.r eluctantgourmet.com/mesclun_gorgonzola_salad.htm
mesclun (MEHS-kluhn) A combination of fancy, young salad greens once hard to find but now popular and available prewashed in the produce section of your supermarket in the Bag O Salad section. The mix usually contains a combination of arugula, dandelion, frisee, mizuma, oak leaf, radicchio and sorrel.
Gorgonzola - (gohr-guhn-ZOH-lah) Named for the Italian city where it is made, this cow's milk cheese is rich and creamy with a slightly pungent flavor. When aged over 6 months, both the flavor and the aroma become stronger....much stronger.
Some people think its stinky, but if you like strong cheese, you will love Gorgonzola.
The salad dressing is a simple tarragon mustard vinaigrette.
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (also called pignoli)
• 2 French pears, thinly sliced
• 1 pound mesclun
• 1/4 lb. Gorgonzola
Dressing
• 1 tablespoon shallots, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup chopped tarragon
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• 2/3 cup olive oil
Chop the shallots and tarragon. Get the rest of the ingredients together and you are ready to go.
Dressing
1. Combine all the ingredients except the oil into a small mixing bowl.
2. Slowing drizzle in the oil while whisking until you have a smooth consistency.
Salad
1. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat. The pine nuts have a high fat content so be careful not to burn them.
2. Combine the mesclun, pine nuts, Gorgonzola and dressing in a large salad bowl and mix.
3. Serve on individual salad plates and top the each plate with slices of pear.
Beef Pot Roast with Maple Sweet Potatoes and Cider Gravy
Total recipe time: 3-1/2 hours
Serves 8
http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com
Recipe as seen in The Healthy Beef Cookbook, published by John Wiley & Sons
1 boneless beef chuck shoulder roast (3 to 3-1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1-3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup ready-to-serve beef broth
3/4 cup apple cider
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut crosswise into 1 to 1-1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons brandy or water
1. Heat oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Place beef pot roast in stockpot; brown evenly. Remove pot roast; pour off drippings and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
2. Add onion and thyme to stockpot; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add broth and cider; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until browned bits attached to stockpot are dissolved. Return pot roast to stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 2-1/2 hours.
3. Add sweet potatoes and garlic to stockpot; continue simmering, covered, 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes and pot roast are fork-tender.
4. Remove pot roast; keep warm. Remove sweet potatoes and garlic with slotted spoon to large bowl, leaving cooking liquid in stockpot.
5. Add maple syrup, ginger, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to sweet potatoes. Beat until sweet potatoes and garlic are mashed and smooth; keep warm.
6. Skim fat from cooking liquid; stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened.
7. Carve pot roast into slices; serve with mashed sweet potatoes and gravy.
Per Serving
342 calories; 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat); 60 mg cholesterol;
511 mg sodium; 42 g carbohydrate; 5.3 g fiber; 26 g protein
Roasted Brussels sprouts with Wild Mushrooms and Cream
Servings 6
http://www.finecooking.com
1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts -- trimmed and halved lengthwise (5 cups)
5 Tbs olive oil
Kosher salt
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3/4 lb wild mushrooms -- such as chanterelles or hedgehogs, halved if small or cut into 1-inch wedges (about 4-1/2 cups)
1 large shallot -- thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.
Put the Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil; toss to coat. Spread the Brussels sprouts in an even layer and season generously with salt. Roast until tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbs. of the olive oil and 2 Tbs. of the butter. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown and tender and the mushroom liquid (if any) has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and transfer to a plate.
Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and 1 Tbs. butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallot, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute.
Return the mushrooms to the pan and add the Brussels sprouts and cream. Stir in a few grinds of pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens and coats the vegetables nicely, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Make Ahead Tips:
The Brussels sprouts can be roasted and the mushroom seared up to 8 hours ahead. Make the sauce and finish the dish just before serving.
(Per serving):
Calories (kcal): 360; Fat (g): 32; Fat Calories (kcal): 290; Saturated Fat (g): 14;
Protein (g): 5; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 14; Carbohydrates (g): 15;
Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2; Sodium (mg): 190; Cholesterol (mg): 70; Fiber (g): 6;
Chicago Style Cheesecake
Recipe by: Marcy Goldman - Marcy's Kosher Cuisine
http://www.clabbergirl.com
Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter - melted
Filling
2 pounds cream cheese - room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
Scant pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Boyajian lemon oil (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon zest - finely minced
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup heavy cream or sour cream Sour cream topping
2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar Cherry topping
1 can 19 oz sour cherries
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Cornstarch
For crust,
Mix ingredients together and press into the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
For filling,
Cream the cheese with the sugar. Add flour, salt, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon oil, eggs, egg yolks, cream or sour cream. Blend on low speed until smooth, scraping sides and bottom often to ensure mixture is homogeneous.
Spoon into prepared pan. Place baking pan in a roasting pan, which has an inch or two of water on bottom. This is optional, but it makes for a very creamy cake. Make sure your spring-form exterior is nicely covered with aluminum foil if you choose to use the water bath.
Bake 15 minutes at 450ºF. Reduce heat and bake at 300ºF. for another 35-40 minutes. Cake should not jiggle too much at this point and it should barely be browned.
Stir sour cream topping ingredients together.
Increase heat to 350ºF. Spoon sour cream topping over cake. Bake another 8 minutes. Turn off oven. Let cake sit in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove to refrigerator covered lightly with foil. Chill overnight or several hours.
For cherry topping,
Reserve 1/2 cup of liquid from fruit, make a slurry with a couple of tablespoons of liquid and cornstarch, drain the rest. Heat 1/2 of liquid, almond extract and lemon juice in a saucepan until it begins to bubble. Stir in cornstarch slurry and heat until mixture thickens. Remove from stove. Cool well. Refrigerate. Spread on baked cake.
The Menu
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Seasonal French Pears, Mesclun, Toasted Pine nuts and Gorgonzola
Beef Pot Roast with Maple Sweet Potatoes and Cider Gravy
Roasted Brussels sprouts with Wild Mushrooms and Cream
Chicago Style Cheesecake
The Recipes
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/soup-recipes/creamy-pumpkin-soup-recip
e/
Should serve 12
This is a rich, very flavorful soup that can be served as a meal by itself with a loaf of French bread on a cool fall night.
1/2 cup butter = 1quarter pound stick
2 gloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
5 cups of chicken stock
1 cup white wine
2 pounds roasted pumpkin or substitute canned pumpkin
2 cups half & half
salt and white pepper, to taste
chives to garnish with
Get all your ingredients together. I made the chicken stock in the morning but I also had some in the freezer and low salt canned in the pantry if I needed more. Mince the garlic, chop the onion, and get the spices in order.
Heat up your soup pot and melt the butter, but be careful not to let it brown. Sauté the garlic and onion until the onion is translucent. Stir in the curry powder and let it cook for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken stock and white wine and bring them to a GENTLE boil - not a rolling boil. That means the bubbles should be very small, just above a simmer. Let this cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
Next, add the roasted pumpkin and cook for 5 minutes. I used a hand blender but you could transfer everything to a bender in batches and puree it to a smooth consistency.
I stopped here knowing I would be adding the half & half and salt & white pepper just before serving later that evening but you can finish the soup right now. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve in soup bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh snipped chives.
Seasonal French Pears, Mesclun, Toasted Pine nuts and Gorgonzola
http://www.r eluctantgourmet.com/mesclun_gorgonzola_salad.htm
mesclun (MEHS-kluhn) A combination of fancy, young salad greens once hard to find but now popular and available prewashed in the produce section of your supermarket in the Bag O Salad section. The mix usually contains a combination of arugula, dandelion, frisee, mizuma, oak leaf, radicchio and sorrel.
Gorgonzola - (gohr-guhn-ZOH-lah) Named for the Italian city where it is made, this cow's milk cheese is rich and creamy with a slightly pungent flavor. When aged over 6 months, both the flavor and the aroma become stronger....much stronger.
Some people think its stinky, but if you like strong cheese, you will love Gorgonzola.
The salad dressing is a simple tarragon mustard vinaigrette.
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (also called pignoli)
• 2 French pears, thinly sliced
• 1 pound mesclun
• 1/4 lb. Gorgonzola
Dressing
• 1 tablespoon shallots, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup chopped tarragon
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• 2/3 cup olive oil
Chop the shallots and tarragon. Get the rest of the ingredients together and you are ready to go.
Dressing
1. Combine all the ingredients except the oil into a small mixing bowl.
2. Slowing drizzle in the oil while whisking until you have a smooth consistency.
Salad
1. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat. The pine nuts have a high fat content so be careful not to burn them.
2. Combine the mesclun, pine nuts, Gorgonzola and dressing in a large salad bowl and mix.
3. Serve on individual salad plates and top the each plate with slices of pear.
Beef Pot Roast with Maple Sweet Potatoes and Cider Gravy
Total recipe time: 3-1/2 hours
Serves 8
http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com
Recipe as seen in The Healthy Beef Cookbook, published by John Wiley & Sons
1 boneless beef chuck shoulder roast (3 to 3-1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1-3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup ready-to-serve beef broth
3/4 cup apple cider
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut crosswise into 1 to 1-1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons brandy or water
1. Heat oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Place beef pot roast in stockpot; brown evenly. Remove pot roast; pour off drippings and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
2. Add onion and thyme to stockpot; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add broth and cider; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until browned bits attached to stockpot are dissolved. Return pot roast to stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 2-1/2 hours.
3. Add sweet potatoes and garlic to stockpot; continue simmering, covered, 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes and pot roast are fork-tender.
4. Remove pot roast; keep warm. Remove sweet potatoes and garlic with slotted spoon to large bowl, leaving cooking liquid in stockpot.
5. Add maple syrup, ginger, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to sweet potatoes. Beat until sweet potatoes and garlic are mashed and smooth; keep warm.
6. Skim fat from cooking liquid; stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened.
7. Carve pot roast into slices; serve with mashed sweet potatoes and gravy.
Per Serving
342 calories; 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat); 60 mg cholesterol;
511 mg sodium; 42 g carbohydrate; 5.3 g fiber; 26 g protein
Roasted Brussels sprouts with Wild Mushrooms and Cream
Servings 6
http://www.finecooking.com
1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts -- trimmed and halved lengthwise (5 cups)
5 Tbs olive oil
Kosher salt
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3/4 lb wild mushrooms -- such as chanterelles or hedgehogs, halved if small or cut into 1-inch wedges (about 4-1/2 cups)
1 large shallot -- thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.
Put the Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil; toss to coat. Spread the Brussels sprouts in an even layer and season generously with salt. Roast until tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbs. of the olive oil and 2 Tbs. of the butter. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown and tender and the mushroom liquid (if any) has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and transfer to a plate.
Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and 1 Tbs. butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallot, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute.
Return the mushrooms to the pan and add the Brussels sprouts and cream. Stir in a few grinds of pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens and coats the vegetables nicely, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Make Ahead Tips:
The Brussels sprouts can be roasted and the mushroom seared up to 8 hours ahead. Make the sauce and finish the dish just before serving.
(Per serving):
Calories (kcal): 360; Fat (g): 32; Fat Calories (kcal): 290; Saturated Fat (g): 14;
Protein (g): 5; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 14; Carbohydrates (g): 15;
Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2; Sodium (mg): 190; Cholesterol (mg): 70; Fiber (g): 6;
Chicago Style Cheesecake
Recipe by: Marcy Goldman - Marcy's Kosher Cuisine
http://www.clabbergirl.com
Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter - melted
Filling
2 pounds cream cheese - room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
Scant pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Boyajian lemon oil (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon zest - finely minced
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup heavy cream or sour cream Sour cream topping
2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar Cherry topping
1 can 19 oz sour cherries
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Cornstarch
For crust,
Mix ingredients together and press into the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
For filling,
Cream the cheese with the sugar. Add flour, salt, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon oil, eggs, egg yolks, cream or sour cream. Blend on low speed until smooth, scraping sides and bottom often to ensure mixture is homogeneous.
Spoon into prepared pan. Place baking pan in a roasting pan, which has an inch or two of water on bottom. This is optional, but it makes for a very creamy cake. Make sure your spring-form exterior is nicely covered with aluminum foil if you choose to use the water bath.
Bake 15 minutes at 450ºF. Reduce heat and bake at 300ºF. for another 35-40 minutes. Cake should not jiggle too much at this point and it should barely be browned.
Stir sour cream topping ingredients together.
Increase heat to 350ºF. Spoon sour cream topping over cake. Bake another 8 minutes. Turn off oven. Let cake sit in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove to refrigerator covered lightly with foil. Chill overnight or several hours.
For cherry topping,
Reserve 1/2 cup of liquid from fruit, make a slurry with a couple of tablespoons of liquid and cornstarch, drain the rest. Heat 1/2 of liquid, almond extract and lemon juice in a saucepan until it begins to bubble. Stir in cornstarch slurry and heat until mixture thickens. Remove from stove. Cool well. Refrigerate. Spread on baked cake.
