SAUTEED SQUASH AND CARROTS
SERVES 4

2 T. butter or margarine
½ lb. zucchini, sliced
½ lb. yellow squash, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
½ t. seasoned salt
¼ t. pepper
¼ c. fresh chopped parsley

Melt butter; add zucchini, squash, carrots, slat and pepper. Saute 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in parsley.



SQUASH STROGANOFF
SERVES 4 TO 6

3 T. unsalted butter
2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 med. onion, sliced
4 c. butternut squash, ½-inch pieces
¾ c. chicken broth
½ t. tarragon
½ t. salt
Pinch pepper
½ c. sour cream
Cooked rice for serving

Melt butter; add mushrooms and onion; cook until browned - about 8 minutes. Add squash, broth and seasonings. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Serve hot with rice.



SWEET POTATOES WITH MAPLE SYRUP

Bake or boil sweet potatoes until very soft. Mash with butter, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Spoon into a buttered baking dish. Bake 20 minutes, covered. Sprinkle with toasted chopped pecans and mini marshmallows; bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes until marshmallows are slightly toasted.

Man oh man that Cranapple Crumble Mock Pie sounds delicious MamaM!!! Wow with all these neat recipes I am going to have a very different menu this year:D

Hey CanMan where's your favorite Thanksgiving recipe?

And MrsJimmyP?

And Mapiva?

And Jfain?

And Kev?

And Jafo?

And Nan?

And all youz guyz come on now & post away!!!!!

I've already posted some of my favorites in a previous thread. I love corn pudding and also my sweet potato & banana casserole with pecan streusel. Last year I also love to roast a medley of root vegetables rutabega, turnip, beet, parsnip, carrot, potato cut into cubes then tossed with olive oil, garlic, salt pepper and rosemary. It's beautiful and delicious. Then of course I always have to have cranberry sauce. As much as I think I want to try a new one I always make just the simple one because I can't bear the thought of Thanksgiving with out it.

We just had a test dinner a couple weeks ago. My Aunt and I. I was reading in Bon Appetit about salting a turkey the night before (not brining, but salting)..

I was intrigued, so I tried it out and wow, that really does work. Anyway, I will copy it here from the mag:

Herbed salt:

1/3 cup kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

3 small bay leaves, coarsely torn

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel.

Mix all ingredients together. If you make ahead of time, then put lemon in only before using.

Rinse the turkey inside and out but DO NOT pat dry. Put Turkey into a roasting bag or pan that you can cover. Rub all over, inside and out with the salt mixture. Refrigerate for about 18 - 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 and put the rack in your oven to the lowest position.

Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry. Continue the way you would normally make your turkey.

So what happens here with the salt you are wondering?

Overnight the salt draws the moisture from the interior of the bird to the surface where it combines with the salt and seasonings. Eventually, that liquid is reabsorbed into the meat, seasoning it throughout.

I was completely amazed at how well this worked. Probably the most flavorful meat I have ever had off a turkey.

Cathy, your sweet potato/pineapple casserole sounds absolutely delish! jfain- yours with bananas sound heavenly as well! And mama- I make my cranberry sauce like your 'old' recipe- but in yours you add baking soda- I wonder what different result that brings about, since I don't add it to mine? Hmmm? I wonder...

janie- your fancy roasted turnips sound yummy- I always do a blanch of carrots/parsnips/turnips and toss them together with a dab of whole butter and chopped parsley- this trio along with brussels sprouts and corn pudding are my FAVORITE Fall veggie preparations, ever.

For Thanksgiving I stay pretty traditional- I think most folks do.

To keep the gang from starving whilst the birds roasts I put out a tray of olives/sweet gherkins/cherry peppers and such, some spiced pecans, and some walnut fudge (and of course- a CHEESEBALL!).

I always brine my turkey overnight in a salted apple juice, then roast the next morning under a rub of kosher salt and pepper- with celery and split lemons stuffed inside bird's belly. Jafo- salting the night before sounds neat- what does it do, make a nice crusty skin?

My stuffing (which is actually just dressing 'cause I don't fill the bird with it- I prefer cooking seperately in a buttered casserole) is made from half stale white bread and half stale cornbread with broth, lotsa sage, onions, celery and giblets.

I serve a 'sweet potatoes royale' which is basically candied sweet pots. with orange zest, mandarin oranges, cranberries, pecans and marshmallows added. And of course mashed spuds too- with gravy.

In addition to blanched carrots/parsnips/turnips we also do the Campbells Soup green bean casserole and a corn pudding- or scalloped corn- as my sister's recipe calls it.

Someone usually brings dinner rolls. Someone else always brings a jello-mold of some sort. And dessert is always 2-3 kinds of pie. Pumpkin and pecan are my favs, but I also like a cranberry eggnog custard pie, and this year for the first time in many years, I hope to do a mincemeat pie like my Mom and Grandma always used to make.