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Thanksgiving

Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts

Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts

by liz · Jan 19, 2021

How long have Brussels Sprouts dominated menus? Man, they are delicious…we’ve had them with bacon, reduced balsamic vinegar, blue cheese, garlic, pine nuts, honey-glazed, charred with parmesan, chili flakes, cream and even pomegranate seeds.

But the best way (especially if you are deep-frying a turkey or chicken) is deep-fried Brussels sprouts with sherry vinegar & capers. This is so easy if you already have a deep fryer read to go – as soon as you pull out the bird, just throw in the Brussels Sprouts, follow the directions below, and voila!

To make them, trim the stem off washed Brussels Sprouts and cut them in half. Heat peanut oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees – grapeseed and cottonseed oils also have a high smoke point (olive oil won’t work). Fry them for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown – before they get mushy inside. This all depends on the size – watch for the edges to get golden and crispy-looking, while the bulb is still green.

Remove them onto paper towels to dry up some of the grease and toss them with Sherry vinegar and kosher salt, then finish them with a handful of capers.

It’s important to use the best ingredients, which means Spanish Sherry – the place where Sherry originates – and when it comes to capers, smallest are best.

Print
Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts
Recipe type: side dish
Cuisine: American
Prep time:  10 mins
Cook time:  4 mins
Total time:  14 mins
Serves: 12
 
Best way to cook Brussels sprouts (especially if you are deep-frying a turkey or chicken) is deep-fried with sherry vinegar & capers.
Ingredients
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts
  • Peanut Oil for frying
  • Sherry
  • sea salt
  • capers
Instructions
  1. Trim the stem off washed Brussels Sprouts and cut them in half.
  2. Heat peanut oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees – grapeseed and cottonseed oils also have a high smoke point (olive oil won’t work).
  3. Fry them for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown – before they get mushy inside. This all depends on the size – watch for the edges to get golden and crispy-looking, while the bulb is still green.
  4. Remove them onto paper towels to dry up some of the grease and toss them with Sherry vinegar and kosher salt, then finish them with a handful of capers.
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Filed Under: Holiday Cooking, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: brussels sprouts, fried brussels, holiday meal, holiday side dish, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipe, veggie dish

Pumpkin Pie Deconstructed: 6 New Recipes

Pumpkin Pie Deconstructed: 6 New Recipes

by liz · Oct 25, 2020

Pumpkin Bourbon Pie Recipe
Photo by VeryBestBaking.com

Pumpkin pie, a holiday tradition. Whether you like the classic version or a slightly more flavorful Broubon version (which makes this the favorite for my family), it’s just not the holidays without a pumpkin pie of some kind.

This year, we’ve asked 6 bloggers to help us deconstruct and reinvent pumpkin pie, and create 6 totally new ways to make it. You’ve probably seen Bravo’s Top Chef where contestants are often asked to take whatever ingredients are given to them and create something delicious and spectacular out of it. I do this best with the remnants in my fridge, especially after a party. Well, we’re throwing classic pumpkin pie fixings at our bloggers, and you’re going to like what they’ve cooked up.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Cake recipe

Or baked up in Jessica’s case, from How Sweet It Is, who created the 6-layer Pumpkin Pie Spice cake above (plus another layer cake with more chocolate!):

  • Cake #1 = 2 layers each of peanut butter cake, crunchy cinnamon apple cake and spiced pumpkin cake, each layer sandwiched by a layer of cinnamon sugar butter cream
  • Cake #2 = a center layer of pumpkin spice cheesecake, enveloped by chocolate fudge cake with the outermost layers being peanut butter cake, concealed in a thick layer of dark chocolate fudge chip frosting

Cinnamon Crêpes with Pumpkin Mousse & Graham Crust Crumble recipe

Kelly from Evil Shenanigans created a lighter, elegant pumpkin dessert with the Cinnamon Crêpes with Pumpkin Mousse & Graham Crust Crumble above, something even the pickiest in-laws will love.

Pumpkin Pie Popsicles recipe

Or maybe you don’t especially like pumpkin pie (I know there are some of you out there), and maybe you’d like a refreshing twist like Pumpkin Pie Popsicles above from Damaris’ Kitchen Corners. These are so unique; I love how creamy they look, and also easy to make!

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pizza Pie recipe

Another twist on the original is Knuckle Salad‘s Pumpkin Ice Cream Pizza Pie above, which Kristina re-creates from her childhood memories of ice creams shop goodies and tough love.

Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding recipe

Looking for something delicious, crustless and gluten-free? Then, the Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding recipe above created In Erika’s Kitchen is for you.

Pumpkin Crème Brulée recipe

I don’t know about you, but I love crème brulée, and I love Julie’s (aka Mommie Cooks) Pumpkin Crème Brulée above, although I think I would have loved her pumpkin hand pies and whoopie pies too.

So this holiday season, we hope you’ll be inspired to deconstruct your own pumpkin pie and try something new. It not, there’s always the classic version…and the slightly more tipsy one too.

Recipe Links:

  • Pumpkin Bourbon Pie recipe
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice Cake recipe
  • Cinnamon Crêpes with Pumpkin Mousse & Graham Crust Crumble recipe
  • Pumpkin Pie Popsicles recipe
  • Pumpkin Ice Cream Pizza Pie recipe
  • Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding recipe
  • Pumpkin Crème Brulée recipe

Filed Under: Fall, Holiday Cooking, Recipes, Sweets Tagged With: pie, pumpkin, pumpkin crepe, pumpkin layer cake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin popsicle, pumpkin pudding, Thanksgiving

Make Leftover Mashed Potatoes into Holiday Tapas

Make Leftover Mashed Potatoes into Holiday Tapas

by liz · Dec 5, 2018

Potato Pancakes with Applesauce Recipe

If you’re like my family, you have mashed potatoes at every holiday meal. They are a classic. We like to keep the skins on, then mash them with garlic, cream cheese, milk and butter to make them creamy and tangy…and delicious.

I wanted to find a way to make these favorite mashed potatoes into another dish, with a different flavor. I decided to use this Potato Pancakes with Applesauce recipe as a base, but replace the applesauce with a tapas-meets-middle-east tapenade. You can add diced leftover ham to the tapenade, or serve this alongside the ham. (And of course, you can also serve it with applesauce as in the original recipe – this would be great with ham too!)

For the tapenade, you’ll need:

  • 1 jar Kalamata olives
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • orange zest + orange pieces from 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup orange/tangerine juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • fresh basil, chopped
  • salt & freshly ground pepper
  • cooked ham, diced (optional)

Potato Pancakes with Applesauce Recipe

Chop the olives and cut the orange pieces in half, then combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix. Set aside. Mold leftover mashed potatoes into golf-sized balls.

Potato Pancakes with Applesauce Recipe

Pour enough cooking oil into a large skillet to cover bottom with thick film. Heat to very hot but not smoking, and drop potato balls in. Flatten immediately. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown; flip and brown other side, as shown above.

Potato Pancakes with Applesauce Recipe

Drain on paper towels. Serve with tapenade (photo above). Or, try the original recipe and serve with applesauce and sour cream.

Filed Under: Holiday Cooking, Recipes, Side Dishes, Winter Tagged With: Christmas, holiday recipe, latke, leftovers, potato cake, tapas, Thanksgiving, Vegetable

Oven Roasted Turkey Breasts with Sherry & Garlic

Oven Roasted Turkey Breasts with Sherry & Garlic

by liz · Nov 20, 2018

Oven Roasted Turkey Breasts: Thanksgiving Turkey recipe

When you want an easy way to cook turkey for Thanksgiving, consider cooking only turkey breasts! You can buy whole turkey breasts at most markets and you only have to roast them for about an hour. You’ll have a much more relaxing day, and the turkey will still be delicious and juicy with this marinade of sherry, garlic, white wine and Maggi seasoning (similar to soy sauce).

Oven Roasted Turkey with Sherry & Garlic – by Meals.com

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup Maggi seasoning sauce or soy sauce
  • 4 pounds turkey breasts, uncooked
  • 2 large cloves garlic, sliced

Directions:
COMBINE sherry, wine and seasoning sauce in large bowl. Place turkey in marinade. Cut slits in turkey breast; spoon sherry mixture over turkey. Press garlic into slits. Refrigerate, brushing frequently with marinade, for 1 hour. Transfer turkey to roasting pan; insert meat thermometer in thickest part of breast.

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

BAKE for 60 to 70 minutes or until an internal temperature of 180° F is registered on thermometer.

Print
Oven Roasted Turkey Breasts with Sherry & Garlic
Author: Meals.com
Recipe type: Main
Prep time:  10 mins
Cook time:  1 hour 10 mins
Total time:  1 hour 20 mins
Serves: 8 serings
 
It's easy to cook perfect Thanksgiving turkey with this recipe for marinated turkey breasts with sherry and garlic.
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup dry sherry
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • ¼ cup MAGGI Seasoning Sauce
  • 4 pounds turkey breasts, uncooked
  • 2 large cloves garlic, sliced
Instructions
  1. COMBINE sherry, wine and seasoning sauce in large bowl. Place turkey in marinade. Cut slits in turkey breast; spoon sherry mixture over turkey. Press garlic into slits. Refrigerate, brushing frequently with marinade, for 1 hour. Transfer turkey to roasting pan; insert meat thermometer in thickest part of breast.
  2. PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
  3. BAKE for 60 to 70 minutes or until an internal temperature of 180° F is registered on thermometer.
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Filed Under: Holiday Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes Tagged With: easy turkey, oven roasted turkey, roasted turkey, Thanksgiving, turkey breast

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