Although their dishes range from German to Egyptian, the winners of our “One Dish” contest share a reverence for family tradition. Our cooks thanked aunts, moms, even an ex-mother-in-law, for the Thanksgiving recipes that make their meal. Susan Connelly of Lafayette, who sent us her Cranberry Casserole, said it best: “This dish tastes like family to me no matter what time of year I make it!”
Healthy Apricot-Wild Rice Pilaf
Former chef Earl Pettet created this recipe after a serious health scare caused him to change his diet. Look for the rice in the bulk section of health-food stores.
Ingredients
8 cups salt-free organic chicken stock
2-3 bay leaves
5-6 whole peppercorns
2 cups organic wild rice
2 cups short grain brown rice mix
2-3 cups walnuts
4 teaspoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 tablespoons cold pressed canola oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped organic Vidalia onions
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 cup dried organic apricots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped organic dried prunes
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
1/4- 1/2 cup cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped sweet red peppers
(use the roasted marinated peppers that come in a jar)
Kosher salt to taste
1 cup finely chopped green onions (optional)
1 cup finely ground walnuts (optional)
Directions
For the rice: Bring 8 cups chicken stock to boil with bay leaves and whole peppercorns. Add wild rice and brown rice to stock. Reduce heat to low and cover pot. Cook 40-43 minutes until rice has absorbed stock.
Remove rice from pot immediately to mixing bowl. Keep a little stock to moisten dish later as rice will continue to absorb liquids while it cools.
For the candied walnuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly toss walnuts in blue agave nectar, just to coat, and sprinkle with salt. Spread on baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes until caramelized. Check every 5 minutes or so, as nuts tend to burn quickly due to their high oil content. Remove from oven and cool.
For fruit/onion mix: Heat a large sauté pan on medium-high. Add canola oil, heat, then add garlic, chopped onions and shallots. Cook, stirring, until golden. Add apricots, prunes, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and curry powder. Stir and add rice wine vinegar. Reduce liquid by 1/4. Lower heat and add red peppers. Remove from heat.
Heat oven to 225 degrees. Add fruit/onion mix to rice. Stir in candied walnuts and season with salt to taste. If the rice has become gummy, add chicken stock to moisten. Place bowl in oven to keep warm until serving.
To serve: Check moisture prior to placing in serving bowl. Add a little more stock if necessary. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and ground walnuts to garnish if desired. You could also use small ring molds to mold the rice mix on the plates and serve turkey slices on top.
Wine ideas: This rice pilaf is so chock full of nuts and fruit that it could be a meal in a bowl. To make it feel more official as a main course, pour a rich white to accompany: The roasted grain, broad pear flavors of a pinot gris such as Handley from California’s Anderson Valley (about $17) would be delicious.
-Tara Q. Thomas
Aida’s Freekeh Stuffing
Sherry Metzger of Westminster says Thanksgiving would not be the same without her mother Aida’s freekeh (cracked wheat) stuffing. A traditional stuffing recipe in her native country, Egypt, it has a texture similar to couscous, but the flavor is nuttier, yet creamy.
Ingredients
2 cups freekeh (cracked wheat found in Mediterranean markets and some supermarkets)
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
Giblets (gizzards, liver, heart) from turkey, chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
Directions
Rinse freekeh in hot water. Cover with water and and soak for 2 hours.
In a large skillet, sauté onion, celery and giblets in butter until vegetables are tender. Add 1 cup water to vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Add drained freekeh and simmer until most of the water is absorbed. Toss with pine nuts.
Stuff turkey, close and roast as desired, or serve on the side.
Wine ideas: I first encountered freekeh in Australia, and Australia also introduced me to sparkling red wines, which are the traditional accompaniment to turkey with all the trimmings Down Under. So I’d look for a sparkling shiraz (a grape that’s said to take its name from ancient Persia – another fitting connection for this pairing) such as Fox Creek “The Vixen,” Black Chook or Hardys. All run a reasonable $20, considering their deep, spicy plum flavors and festive bubbles.-Tara Q. Thomas
Selleriesalat
The daughter of German immigrants, Eleanore Snogren of Littleton makes this celeriac (celery root) salad for every Thanksgiving. It has a texture similar to parsnips and a delicate celery flavor. Serves 12.
Ingredients
6 medium-size celery roots
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 large red onion, chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
3 heaping tablespoons sour cream
Chopped parsely, for garnish
Directions
Wash celery roots, cover with water and boil 1 hour or until fork tender. Do not overcook. Drain. When cool, peel and slice as for American potato salad. As you chop each piece, drizzle with a little olive oil and vinegar. Add chopped onion and season with sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, adjust seasonings. Add more vinegar, to taste. Stir in sour cream. Garnish with parsley.
Wine ideas: Crisp and yet creamy, nutty yet piquant, celery root salad is one of those dishes you can easily find yourself sneaking bites of all day long. We often serve it as a first-course salad with a glass of riesling – German riesling would be the most fitting here. The 2005 vintage is burgeoning with great deals, like Dr. Loosen Dr. L for $11 or a Baron Knyphausen Qba at $12.-Tara Q. Thomas
Sweet Brown-Green Beans
Roselan Carr drove all the way from Glenwood Springs to share this dish with us. Serves 8-10.
Ingredients
3 cans whole green beans
1 pound bacon
1/3 cup brown sugar
Directions
Roll a strip of bacon around 8-10 beans. Place in a pie plate. Top with brown sugar. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Serve as an appetizer or side dish.
Hungarian Appetizer Plate
Charlotte Nagy Miller of Littleton carries on her ex-mother-in-law’s Hungarian tradition of serving this appetizer platter at family gatherings. She gets the kolbasz at Takacs Grocery in Toledo, Ohio, takacsgro ceryandmeats.com, but says Continental Sausage (250 Steele St., 303-388-3354) sells a kolbasa ring that comes close. Serves about 10.
Ingredients
Smoked kolbasz, cooked, chilled and sliced
Boiled ham, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 hard-cooked eggs, cut into 6 segments lengthwise
Directions
Arrange in a sunburst pattern on a round platter. Serve with bread and raw veggies.
Wine ideas: Hungarian wine brings to mind hearty “bulls’ blood” reds, but a thick red could put you out before dinner hits the table. Try a dry white from the Tokaj region: made mostly from the furmint grape, these wines are crisp and firm, with apple-like flavor to match the ham and yet the acidity to keep the appetite keen. The Royal Tokaji Company makes an exemplary version for about $14.
-Tara Q. Thomas
Mexican “Gravy”
Teresa Duran of Littleton inherited this tradition from her mom, who made red pork chile for holidays. Serves 10-12.
Ingredients
2 pounds diced pork (with extra bones if you have them)
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups water
1 tablespoon red chile powder
2 dashes cumin
1 tablespoon crushed oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown pork and bones in oil. Add flour, and cook, stirring. Add onion and garlic, cook until golden. Add 3 cups water and mix in chile powder, cumin, oregano and salt to taste. Simmer at least 1 hour.
Sauerkraut for Turkey
Judith Liebman scared her husband 48 years ago when she told him she planned to serve sauerkraut with the turkey, just like her mother did. He came around, though, and she has been making this dish ever since. Serves 6.
Ingredients
2 pounds refrigerated sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
6 juniper berries
1 bay leaf
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 8 wedges
1 medium onion, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced thinly
1 turkey neck
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth or turkey broth
Turkey drippings, if available
Directions
Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the cooker with a 1/3 of the sauerkraut. In next layer place 3 juniper berries, the bay leaf, 1/2 of the apple and 1/2 of the onion. Add the turkey neck, pushing neck down into the sauerkraut. Add 1/3 of the sauerkraut and the remaining apple, onion and juniper berries. Top with remaining sauerkraut and pour over the wine or broth. Cover and simmer at low setting for 6 to 8 hours, basting the sauerkraut with turkey drippings each time you baste the turkey.
Corn Bake
Marcia Wolf’s Aunt Evie gave her this recipe from the Junior League of El Paso’s “Seasoned with Sun” cookbook. It transports well to Thanksgivings in Boulder.
Ingredients
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 8 1/2-ounce Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 8-ounce can cream style corn
2 16-ounce cans whole kernel corn, drained
l cup sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup shredded cheese
1 4-ounce can chopped green chile (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients except cheese. Spread in a buttered 8-by-10-inch pan. Bake 1 hour. Put cheese on top for the last 15 minutes of baking. If you have any leftovers, it freezes well.
Cranberry Casserole
Susan Connelly of Lafayette is part of a large extended family that gathers every year in Siesta Key, Fla. This is the one dish they cannot live without, she says. Leftovers are good warmed for breakfast. Makes 8-10 servings.
Ingredients
6-8 tart apples, unpeeled, cored and roughly chopped
2 cups raw cranberries, whole
1 1/2 cups sugar
Topping:
1 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup light brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine apples, cranberries and 1 1/2 cups sugar and place in buttered rectangular glass baking dish. Mix together the oatmeal, flour, chopped pecans, light brown sugar, melted butter and salt and spread on top of cranberry apple mixture. Bake for one hour. Serve warm, or at room temperature if you must.
