Roasted Squash with Orange and Ginger

We like a lot of veggie side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. That means I have to cook most of them in advance because there’s no way I can fuss with multiple recipes at the last minute.

Here are some of the make-ahead dishes that we’ve loved with traditional roasted turkey:

Baked beans

Baked cranberries

Brussels Sprouts with Tangerine and Hazelnuts

Roasted Parsnips

Cornbread Stuffing

Roasted Beet and Winter Squash Salad

This is one of the dishes I’ll be serving this year. It’s easy, make-ahead, colorful and delicious:

ORANGE-AND-GINGER ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

• 1 medium butternut squash

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or a mixture of vegetable oil and coconut oil

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop the seeds and peel the outside. Slice the squash into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the vegetable oil, orange peel and ginger in a bowl. Add the squash slices and toss them around to coat all sides. Place the slices in a single layer on the parchment paper. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the slices over. Roast for another 15 minutes or until tender and lightly crispy.

Makes 4 servings

Turkey Chili

Turkey Chili

When the weather starts to get cold I make hot, filling food. Like chili. I have lots of recipes because the basics are the same but the the recipe is so versatile that I can change it depending on my mood and on what ingredients I have.

For example:

1. the beans: red kidney, white cannelini, black beans are all fine — or any other. Dried and reconstituted or canned.

2. I usually choose ground turkey but you can use any ground meat (or chopped meat); best are: beef, veal or poultry. But you can make it meatless: try firm tofu or just use more beans, maybe two kinds.

3. make it spicier with chopped fresh chili pepper or less spicy with a mild chili powder

4. serve it with chips or mashed avocado (or sour cream for meatless)

Have it your way. It’s all good. Also — it lasts, so you can make it 2-3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge.

Note: a version of this recipe was originally published in The Jewish Week Food & Wine.

Turkey Chili

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 serrano (or other hot) pepper, deseeded and chopped, optional

• 16-20 ounces ground turkey

• 28 ounce can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, undrained

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 15-19 ounce can white beans, drained

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and serrano pepper and cook briefly. Add the turkey and cook, stirring to break up the pieces, for 3-5 minutes, until the meat has turned color. Add the tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, water, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Stir in the beans. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Pumpkin Bread with Raisins

With all these pumpkins, where’s the bread?

Fact is, I always buy a medium size “show pumpkin” and a couple of small sugar pumpkins before Hallowe’en, just as tokens to the season. I no longer carve the pumpkins (nor do I have Hallowe’en hot chocolate for after trick-or-treating) — my kids are grown up and in homes of their own. I just like having the pumpkins until it’s time to use them.

I do use those pumpkins.

I cut them, bake the pieces and use the flesh for all sorts of pumpkin items.

Muffins. Pie. Soup. Cake. Coffee Cake. Even Ice Cream.

This coming week will be pumpkin bread time. I have lots of recipes for pumpkin bread. The one here is just the latest version.

Pumpkin Bread with Raisins 

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup mashed or pureed pumpkin

• 1/3 cup milk, dairy or nondairy

• 2 large eggs

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 cup raisins (or use dried cranberries or cherries)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3”loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the white and brown sugars, vegetable oil, pumpkin and milk until thoroughly blended. whisk in the eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and whisk until evenly blended. Stir in the pumpkin mixture until the batter is smooth and uniform. Fold in the raisins. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Makes one loaf

Sweet-Sour Short Ribs

When it came to recipes, my mother always said “why change a winner?!” And I agree with her — sometimes. There are some recipes that I never change: my mother’s apple pie, my grandma’s challah, almond chicken nugget hors d’oeuvres and a few others. They’re too good to mess with.

But most of the time I tinker with ingredients, change seasonings, patchke a little. Or a lot.

Most of the time it works out delightfully.

Like the other day, when I went to make short ribs. I thought I had the appropriate wine, but I didn’t. I wasn’t in the mood for beer. Stock — to me it’s just a so-so flavor for short ribs, especially when you want them sweet-and-sour.

I did have a large container of pineapple juice though, so I decided on that!

As it turns out, pineapple juice contributes both sweet AND sour.

The short ribs were perfect.

I had added fresh ginger to the dish to give it a flash of citrusy-heat. The second time I made the recipe I used chili pepper instead of ginger. The dish was equally good.

My husband said both versions, similar in taste (but one slightly spicier) were the best short ribs he ever tasted.

Sweet-Sour Short Ribs

• 4 pounds boneless short ribs

• all-purpose flour

• 5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced

• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger (or one teaspoon chopped fresh chili pepper)

• 1 cup bottled chili sauce

• 1 cup pineapple juice

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup honey

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Coat the meat with a film of flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pan or Dutch oven and cook the meat for 8-10 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, or until they are lightly browned. Add 1-2 tablespoons more vegetable oil to the pan as needed to prevent sticking. Remove the meat and set it aside. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to the pan. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Return the meat to the pan. Pour in the chili sauce, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar and honey, stir to combine the ingredients, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Makes 6-8 servings

Crumb Cake

Recently I bought a whole load of apples and have almost completed my yearly activity of making all sorts of apple desserts to put away in the freezer. I made pie, crisp, cake, my mother’s recipe for Raisin Bran crusted apples.

I also wanted to make apple sauce, but when I looked around I realized that in addition to all those apples, I had several plums and nectarines that were past their prime.

I hate to throw out food, so I made sauce, but only used two apples. The rest: 5 nectarines, 5 plums. A teaspoon of cinnamon. A tablespoon or two of sugar. All boiled down, just like applesauce, which we ate with roasted chicken.

But I had some left so I decided to use it to bake one of the recipes I have for applesauce coffee cake. I changed the formula a bit so that the seasonings would go better with mixed fruit, and I changed the streusel top to be nut-free (I used old fashioned oats).

The result: tender, moist, delicious coffee cake.

FRUIT SAUCE Crumb Cake:

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/2 cup applesauce or other fruit sauce

• 1/3 cup sour cream

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/3 cup milk

• streusel topping

 streusel topping: 

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons cold butter cut into small chunks

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 9-inch cake pan. Beat the sugar and butter together with a hand mixer or electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the applesauce, sour cream, egg and orange peel and beat the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until well blended. Add half the milk and beat until well blended. Repeat until all the flour and milk have been used up. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes then carefully invert the cake twice onto a cake rack to cool completely. Turn the cake right side up to cool completely.

To make the streusel: mix the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl until they are well combined. Add the butter and mix the pieces into the dry ingredients with your fingers, a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is mealy.

Makes 8-10 servings

Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemongrass and Ginger

Ever since Ed and I travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia several years ago, I have been trying to prepare some Vietnamese/Cambodian specialties.

I’ve cooked Pho many times (it’s one of my favorite soups) but mostly have made lots of recipes using lemongrass and fresh ginger, which are ubiquitous in Southeast Asian cuisine.

The combination of these two ingredients, (which are easy to find these days), is refreshing, vibrant, citrusy, and they give a real boost of flavor, especially to mild foods such as chicken. Just a few teaspoons of seasoning makes a plain old chicken dinner really easy and yet so interesting and definitely not plain old.

Roast Chicken Breast with Lemongrass and Ginger

• 2 whole chicken breasts (or use 4-6 whole legs)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh lemongrass

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives (or green scallion tops)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• sprinkle of cayenne pepper

• 1/4 cup white wine

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan. Brush the chicken with the vegetable oil. Scatter the garlic, lemongrass, ginger and chives over the chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees. Roast for another 40-45 minutes or until cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast will register 160 degrees), basting once or twice with the white wine. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Apple and Green Tomato Chutney

So, summer’s over and the nights are cooler and I harvested all the remaining fruits and vegetables left in the garden before they either would rot or become frosted over or eaten by hungry animals that roam around the backyard.

I actually had a lot of unripe produce this year. So I made some pepper jam using the recipe I posted a few weeks ago except this time I added a few cups of green mini tomatoes and some chopped up fresh ginger.

I also made chutney using the recipe below. I’ve made this recipe several times using different vinegars. This version includes coconut vinegar, but any old kind of fruit vinegar will do.

We like chutney as a side relish for grilled or roasted meat or poultry— keep this in mind for Thanksgiving. It’s also nice in small amounts as a topping for cheese and crackers.

Apple and Green Tomato Chutney 

• 6 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

• 2 pounds green tomatoes, chopped

• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

• 2 small chili peppers such as serrano, deseeded and chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 1 cup chopped dates (about 12 large)

• 1 cup golden raisins

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 2-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar or other fruit vinegar

• 2 cups brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon ras el hanout

• kosher salt

Place the apples, tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, garlic, dates, raisins, ginger, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ras el hanout and some kosher salt (about one teaspoon) in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 2-1/2 hours or until very thick.  

Makes about 6 cups

Meat Kreplach

Although it is an Ashkenazic tradition to eat filled kreplach on Simchat Torah, I don’t need any reason to eat kreplach. It’s one of my favorite foods of all time.

Meat Kreplach

dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 2-3 tablespoons cold water, approximately

• chicken soup or a saute pan and vegetable oil

Place the flour, salt and eggs in a food processor. Process, gradually adding just enough water for a ball of dough to form. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for at least one hour. Roll the dough, a portion at a time, on a floured surface until the dough is very thin (less than 1/8-inch). Cut dough into 2-1/2 to 3-inch squares. Place one heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Fold the dough over the filling to make a triangle. Pinch the dough together to seal the edges (if necessary wet two edges of the square before folding). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kreplach about a dozen at a time, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender. To serve, place the cooked kreplach in chicken soup and cook for 4-5 minutes. You may also fry the kreplach (on one side until golden brown) in vegetable oil.

filling:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 medium clove garlic, finely chopped (optional)

• 12 ounces chopped, cooked beef

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Place the meat in a bowl. Add the softened onion (and garlic), egg, paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

I love September. I love seeing bins of fresh pumpkins at the market. The pumpkins remind me that we’re in the midst of the Jewish holidays, which signal a new year and new beginnings, so that even while the trees will soon be bare and it will get cold and snowy and nighttime will come more quickly and the long sunshiny days of summer are ending, there’s a new harvest, a new season. Life continues and thrives and I know that in Connecticut, where I live, we will soon see nature’s spectacular colors along the roads, fields and highways.

In case I wasn’t clear —I love this time of year.

I also love using fresh pumpkin for recipes. Ravioli filling. Soup. Sauce. Pie. Cake. Quickbread. Even ice cream.

This is my latest pumpkin special: muffins that are perfect for Sukkot as breakfast (or snack) or to tote to a Sukkah to eat with dinner. I add raisins but you can leave them out or substitute any dried fruit or chopped nuts.

P.S. These muffins would also be a nice treat for Thanksgiving dinner.

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine; NOT pumpkin pie mix)

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup milk (non-dairy or dairy)

• 2 large eggs

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 cup raisins (or use dried cranberries or chopped nuts)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin tin cups. Combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, vegetable oil and milk in a large bowl and whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Whisk in the eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and add them to the pumpkin mixture. Whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Fold in the raisins. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the prepared cups. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Makes 10 muffins

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Mushroom Gratin

Because of allergies, we don’t have a traditional smoked-fish feast at our annual Yom Kippur break-the-fast. It’s always a vegetarian/dairy meal. I always make mujadarah, my friend Susan always brings her most fabulous kugel in the world and there’s always a salad — usually tomato, also egg salad.

The rest changes from time to time. Once I served spinach gnocchi. Often, spinach pie.

This year I am serving this Eggplant, Tomato and Mushroom Gratin. I’ve made it several times this summer because I planted eggplants and tomatoes in my garden and there was a bounty!

So, with the last of my crop — this wonderful dish. It’s perfect for the occasion. I can make it two days ahead. It’s suitable for any dairy meal but looks festive enough for the holiday.

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato, Mushroom Gratin

•  1 medium eggplant

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 2-3 tomatoes, sliced (or about 2 dozen cherry tomatoes cut in half)

• 4-6 ounces mushrooms, sliced

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the eggplant into slices about 3/8- inch thick. Brush the slices lightly, using about 3-4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 16-18 minutes or until the eggplant is softened and slightly browned, turning the slices once. Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees. Use any remaining olive oil to place a film of oil in a baking dish and place the eggplant slices in the baking dish. Cover with the tomato slices and mushrooms. Scatter the top with the basil, parsley, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake for about 25 minutes or until top is golden brown. 

Makes 4-6 servings