l Planning aThanksgiving menuused to be so simple.
Turkey, stuffing, cranberries, green bean casserole, candied yams, pumpkin pie and voila!
Those were the days.
Now, so many guests have dietary restrictions and food allergies, the task has gotten a lot harder.
That green bean casserole?
Too high in sodium.
Yikes, nut allergies.
And no way the gluten-free folks are going to eat stuffing.
Select amounts appropriate to the number of people you’re feeding.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Pour a little olive oil into a large mixing bowl.
Peel the root vegetables and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Skin the shallots and, if large, cut them in two or divide into segments.
Remove the papery skins from the garlic cloves.
Mix the vegetables with the oil so that each piece is thinly coated.
Add a shake of black pepper and salt.
Add plenty of spikes of fresh or dried rosemary.
Add the vegetable mixture to the hot oil in a single layer and return to the oven.
(If you’re feeding a lot of people, use more than one tray.)
Roast for an hour altogether.
But after 40 minutes, remove from the oven and turn the vegetables to brown them evenly.
Serve hot, with a scattering of chopped parsley.
Here’s how to indulge and feel good about yourself the next day.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
2.
Boil pasta according to the package directions, with a pinch of sea salt.
Drain and place in casserole dish.
Melt a teaspoon of butter spread in a saucepan on medium heat.
Add flour (enough to make a paste; add a little more if necessary).
Add the can of evaporated milk and stir until warm.
Add the yellow cheddar cheese to the saucepan to make a cheese sauce.
Add pepper to taste and stir well.
Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles in the casserole dish and mix well.
Stir in the egg whites.
Stir in the remaining shredded cheese, reserving one layer to sprinkle over the top.
This recipe calls for avocado and tomato, but feel free to add your own favorites.
Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.
Cook the black rice according to the package directions.
Toast the pine nuts in a 350 F oven for 5 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and onion, and saute until the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the cooked quinoa and rice to the onion mixture, along with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Mix well, then stir in the cumin, cilantro and chives.
Remove from the heat.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Squeeze lemon juice over all.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Mashed Cauliflower
Contributed by Yolanda Taylor
Love mashed potatoes but aren’t crazy about white potatoes?
Cauliflower has much the same texture and boasts a slew of antiaging, cancer-fighting antioxidants.
When soft, drain and place in blender with butter, salt and pepper.
When fully mashed, place in bowl and stir in rosemary and Parmesan cheese.
Here, we’ve adapted a fresher, healthier, BPA-free vegetarian version from blogger Plum Pie at Food52.
Wash and trim green beans.
Blanch in boiling, well-salted water.
Immediately transfer to ice water bath and set aside.
Heat 1 to 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep, medium skillet.
Pat shallots dry, then toss with 1 tablespoon flour.
Season with salt and pepper.
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium pan or cast iron skillet.
Add mushrooms and saute until mushrooms are golden brown.
Add garlic and nutmeg and cook for another minute or two.
Add 2 tablespoons flour and cook for a minute.
Slowly add white wine, cook for a minute, stirring to break up any flour lumps.
Slowly add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
Boil the mixture for another 2 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium-low.
Add half-and-half and cook, stirring, until mixture begins to thicken.
Add green beans to mushroom mixture.
Add 1/4 cup of the fried shallots.
Mix to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer green bean casserole to a 9-by-9-inch baking dish or bake in cast iron skillet.
Sprinkle remaining shallots on top or around edges of casserole.
Bake for 20 minutes until green beans are warmed and mixture is a little bubbly.
