Curried Cauliflower-Pumpkin-Black Bean Warming Stew

As we head into the holiday season, here is a recipe to keep you eating nutritiously in between all the excesses of this time of year.  Chock full of veggies and warming spices, this is a thick stew-like soup that will fuel you with loads of antioxidants, protein, vitamins and minerals,  great fiber and wonderful flavor.   It will keep you satisfied and energized throughout the holidays.  It can be frozen in smaller portions. Substantial enough to enjoy as a meal, it is a fragrant bowl of goodness to keep you nourished during this stressful time of year.  Top it off with shredded coconut, pomegranate arils, toasted pumpkin seeds or big dollops of yogurt.

Stuffing in a Bundt

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” John F Kennedy

Although I can roast a gorgeous herb turkey, for me Thanksgiving is all about the sides.  Stuffing and cranberry sauce are personal favorites.  Our family likes stuffing baked inside the bird.  When it comes out, it doesn’t look so pretty.  I saw a picture of stuffing baked inside a Bundt pan and thought I’d try it.  To make it, make your favorite stuffing as usual ( ours was a cornbread, sausage and apple stuffing) and save about 10 cups.  Whisk 4 large eggs in a cup of chicken or turkey broth and mix into your stuffing.  This will be the binder of the ingredients.  If it seems dry, add a little more broth.  Transfer to a generously buttered or oiled Bundt pan and press down with your hands to get a uniform density.  Bake at 350F, middle rack, uncovered,  for 25 minutes.  Invert on a platter and serve cut into slices.  Presentation dilemma solved!  This stuffing will command the attention at your Thanksgiving table, as it should!  This stuffing pleases both sides of the stuffing debate:  it is moist enough to please those who like the stuffing cooked inside the bird yet will appeal to those who swear by stuffing cooked outside the bird.  Great as a leftovers too.

One section of my stuffing broke off and had to be pieced back in, showcasing the importance of really greasing up the Bundt pan before baking the stuffing.  Sorry for the blurry picture!

I made the stuffing in a Bundt a second time with a leek-pecan-sausage-apple white bread stuffing using Uncle Ben’s stuffing mix. I made it a little drier this time.  It did not stick to the pan and was so beautiful on the Thanksgiving buffet table.

Coming out of the oven.

Inverted on the serving platter.

Show time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Garlicky Green Bean Bundles with Caramelized Bacon

For me, Thanksgiving is all about the sides and these green beans are so good, they might steal the show.  Barely cooked green beans are enveloped in a strip of bacon sprinkled with a bit of brown sugar then drizzled with garlic butter.  Do I need to say more?  When I made these in the test kitchen they vanished.  Plan for more than 1 bundle per person as your guests will come back for more.  This is Williams Sonoma’s top reader recipe and there is a reason why!  The original recipe appears here.  When I made them a second time, I used fresh garlic instead of garlic powder in the butter and a generous sprinkle of freshly ground pepper on the finished beans.  Even better! To ease the frantic Thanksgiving meal preparation,  you could precook the bacon, have the green beans trimmed and blanched and assembled on the baking sheet until ready to bake.  Sprinkle the brown sugar and the garlic butter just before putting in the oven.  

• Servings: 16
• Print

8 thick bacon slices
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. roasted garlic powder
1 1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and blanched
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat, cook the bacon in batches until the slices are just beginning to brown along the edges but are still very underdone and pliable, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool, then cut each slice in half crosswise.

In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, salt and garlic powder.

Divide the green beans into 16 equal portions, about 6 beans each. Gather each portion into a neat bunch and wrap a half slice of bacon around the center to hold the beans together. Place the bundles on the prepared baking sheet with the loose ends of the bacon underneath. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bundles and drizzle with the butter mixture.

Roast until the bacon is cooked through and browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the green bean bundles to a serving platter.