Recipes for a festive Thanksgiving and holiday season
A collection of holiday recipes from Morris chefs.
SEE MAIN STORY: >> Thanksgiving 101: Morris chefs share their secrets for festive feasting - http://dailyre.co/1ulnPCt
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SWEET POTATO-TURKEY HASH
2 medium Kings' organic sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium Kings' organic Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup Kings' organic sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups diced, cooked turkey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh organic thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh organic Kings' parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh organic Kings' cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Place sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for three minutes. Add apple and cook until everything is just tender, but not mushy, two to three minutes longer. Drain.
2. Transfer one cup of the mixture to a large bowl; mash. Stir in sour cream and lemon juice. Add the remaining unmashed mixture and stir gently to mix. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, two to three minutes. Add turkey, thyme, parsley, cilantro, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about two minutes.
4. Add the reserved sweet potato mixture to the pan; stir to mix. Press on the hash with a wide metal spatula; cook until the bottom is lightly browned, about three minutes. Cut the hash into several rough sections. Flip and cook until the undersides are browned, about three minutes longer. Serve immediately. (Serves 4-6)
Executive Chef Bill Hedge, Kings Food Market
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ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH SAGE AND CRANBERRIES
1 medium butternut squash
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Fine sea salt and ground black pepper
2 medium onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
4 tablespoons dried cranberries or cherries
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Peel squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds from the center and discard. Cut squash into large chunks. Coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until well caramelized.
Peel onions and cut into large chunks. Coat with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spread on a second lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until well caramelized.
When squash and onions are done, toss with sage and cranberries. Serve immediately. (Serves 4-6)
Whole Foods Market
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BAKED APPLES STUFFED WTH BREAD PUDDING
4 apples, scooped out
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg beaten
¼ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup rum
½ stick butter softened
¼ cup of nuts any kind
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 loaf ShopRite raisin bread cut into ¼ cubes
Mix sugar, egg, cream, vanilla, and rum in a bowl. Add butter, nuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then add the bread and mix together. Stuff apples. Garnish each with a cinnamon stick and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Executive Chef Danny Arturo, The ShopRite of Greater Morristown
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ORANGE-CRANBERRY SAUCE
¾ cup sugar
½ cup water
½ cup orange juice
1 (12-ounce) package fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tablespoon grated orange zest or orange peel cut into very thin strips (no white part)
Combine sugar, water, and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and add cranberries. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in orange zest or peel, cover, and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time. (Makes 2¼ cups)
Whole Foods Market
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BUCHE DE NOEL (YULE LOG CAKE)
CHOCOLATE GENOISE
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
Pinch salt
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
¼ cup cocoa powder
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12x18 or 10x15 inch jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper. Put a few inches of water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Whisk by hand the eggs, yolks, salt and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and place the bowl on top of the saucepan so it's over the simmering water, whisking constantly until the egg mixture feels slightly warm and the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has melted, remove the bowl from the saucepan and place the bowl on the mixer. Whisk at medium high speed until the outside of the bowl feels cool and the eggs have almost tripled in volume.
Meanwhile, sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the eggs in thirds, folding well after each addition. Be careful not to deflate the eggs.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, being careful not to dry out the cake. Loosen the edges of the cake from the pan and cool the cake on a rack. The cake will keep wrapped in plastic for several days in the fridge or one month in the freezer.
SIMPLE SYRUP
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Mix together in a saucepan and heat until boiling. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool and add flavoring.
CHESTNUT BUTTERCREAM
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
½ cup chestnut puree
4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat the butter, the chestnut puree and ½ cup of the sugar on low speed until smooth. Keep adding the sugar until it is absorbed. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time and then add the vanilla. Beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes until light.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
6 tablespoons butter, very soft
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together the cream and the corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cool to lukewarm. Whisk the cream and melted chocolate together until smooth. Add the butter in small pieces and whisk in. Add the vanilla. Cool the icing until it is firm enough to spread.
TO ASSEMBLE:
Turn out the cake onto a clean sheet of parchment paper. Brush with flavored simple syrup. Spread evenly with chestnut buttercream. Turn the cake so the long end is facing you. Fold over about ½ inch and begin rolling by lifting up the parchment paper. The cake will almost roll itself. Once rolled, use a straight edge, like a ruler or the edge of a cookie sheet, and, holding the straight edge at an angle, press against the bottom of the roll and pull the parchment at the same time. Even out the roll. Refrigerate for one hour.
Remove the roll from the refrigerator and slice the edges on a diagonal to trim. From one end, slice off a diagonal piece about 2 inches long. (This will be the "knot.") Spread the chocolate buttercream over the rolled cake, leaving the ends uncovered so it looks like the rings on a tree, with alternating dark chocolate cake and the lighter colored buttercream. Place the "knot" on top. Cover the knot with buttercream.
Make holly leaves and mushrooms out of colored marzipan or fondant and place on top and sides. Dust with confectioners' sugar for "snow". Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. The cake will keep for several days in the refrigerator, with the exposed ends covered in plastic wrap. (Serves 8-10)
[TO MAKE AHEAD: Roll the cake with the chestnut buttercream and freeze the whole thing, wrapped in plastic wrap, for several weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and finish the outside with the chocolate buttercream a day or two before serving.]
Cynthia Triolo, The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
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