Thanksgiving Leftovers

“There are two kinds of gratitude: the sudden kind we feel for what we take and the larger kind we feel for what we give.”  Edwin Arlington Robinson

For our family, the best part of Thanksgiving is all the leftovers!  With grown men around, they don’t last long.  But by the second or third day, we’re all starting to hanker for something different.  With a fridge still stuffed to the gills with leftovers here are some ways I transformed the leftovers.

Avocado Toast with Leftover Brussel Sprouts:

On  toasted sourdough bread, I spread some smashed avocado with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt.  I fried 2 sunny side up eggs and sat them over the avocado.  In the same pan, I sautée leftover brussel sprouts just to warm them up and scattered them over the eggs.  We had made our brussel sprouts with bits of bacon so they were especially suited to breakfast leftovers!  Prince Charming was a very happy man!

Maple-Orange Cranberry Sauce

Fresh tart red cranberries are sweetened with pure maple syrup and flavored with orange juice and orange zest in this easy cranberry sauce studded with nuts.   The sauce thickens as it cools into a chunky consistency perfect to go alongside your Thanksgiving bird and to spread, of course, on those leftover sandwiches.  I especially enjoy leftovers in my morning oatmeal.  I really like this recipe because the proportions are 1:1:1:1 making it super simple to double or triple the recipe as we always do.  The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept refrigerated or it can be frozen for up to a month. If freezing, add the walnuts or pecans to the finished sauce after thawing, so the nuts don’t soften. Freshly grated ginger can be added for a bit of spice if you like.

Squash! 16 Delicious Recipes

To say I like squash would be an understatement.  I love it and cook it any chance I get.  Butternut, acorn, kuri, I love them all.  There are so many ways to enjoy squash and this post will tempt you to try it stuffed, roasted in wedges, in stews, in pasta, in couscous, in cake, in a quiche, in a fall panzanella salad and even as a mini tureen for soup!  The first recipe is new and inspired by Julie at Hostess at Heart. It is a maple-bacon stuffed acorn squash,  oven roasted to golden perfection.  The maple syrup glazing on the cut surface transforms into a wonderful caramelized texture.  The salty-sweet combination is a winner.  Totally simple but irresistible as a main or as a side dish.  The rest of the recipes are from the archives.  Just click on the highlighted titles to be taken to the recipes.

Sesame-Crusted Salmon with Orange-Tahini Sauce

Years ago Gourmet Magazine had a recipe for a sesame-crusted salmon appetizer with an orange-miso dipping sauce that was my go to party appetizer.  This recipe was inspired by that dish but as a main course and making the sauce with tahini and pomegranate molasses instead of miso.  It was a colorful and delicious change from the usual salmon.  You can substitute honey for the pomegranate molasses.  I added some saffron to the sauce for an additional layer of Middle-Eastern flavor but that is totally optional.

• Servings: 10
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• 1 salmon fillet, about 2 pounds
• 4 tablespoons of black or white sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil(use a citrus infused one if you have it)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons of orange muscat champagne vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses or honey
• 1/8 teaspoon of saffron threads (optional)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils

1. Heat your BBQ grill to high.  Place the salmon skin side down, on a presoaked cedar plank.  Rub the salmon with the olive oil.  Give it a few grinds of the pepper and sea salt mill. Sprinkle evenly with the sesame seeds.  Place on the hot grill and cook about 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet, lid closed. The salmon is done when it easily flakes with a fork. No need to flip fish over while cooking. Discard plank after use.
2. To make the sauce:  whisk together the tahini, orange juice, vinegar, salt, molasses and saffron if using.  Set aside. Can be made a day in advance and brought to room temperature.
3. When the salmon is done, sprinkle with the pomegranate arils and serve with the sauce on the side.

Thanksgiving Table Décor Ideas

“Gratitute unlocks the fullness of life.”  Melody Beattie

Thanksgiving tables are fun to set with all the rich colors of fall and the theme of abundance.  Every year my tables vary with how many people I am hosting.  In this post, I’ll share several ideas for setting your holiday table.

This year I’ve played around with white and gold as a color theme, simply elegant.  Off-white woven placemats were set on a bare table with an off-white and gold runner, repurposed from Christmas.  A beautiful pashmina scarf or a length of fabric you love can stand in as a runner.  I came up with 2 variations of this basic table setting.  In both, I tied a gold organza ribbon around off-white napkins embroidered with gold Fleur-de-Lys.  The Fleur-de-Lys are a nod to my family’s French ancestry.  I added a gold leaf ornaments with a tiny gold acorn on each.  The ornaments can be given to the guests as a favor.   A gold charger was layered with a white dinner plate and topped with a glass amber salad plate.  Amber glassware adds another layer of gold.

In the second version, the plates are left bare.