Sausage, Apple, Onion and Cranberry Dressing

This stuffing is SO good.  I always thought that my Grandma's stuffing was the penultimate. Thought is the operative word.  It has everything : sweetness from the apples and cranberries, a great texture from the different kinds of bread and a wonderful savoriness from the sausage and onions. I believe that using the fresh herbs also gave it a great taste...

Sausage, Apple Onion and Cranberry Dressing
1 pound mild bulk breakfast sausage
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped onions
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
1 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups bread cubes
1 cup cornbread crumbles
1 cup stale french bread cubes
1 cup black bread cubes
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Saute the sausage in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through. Transfer the sausage and drippings to a large bowl. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to the skillet and saute until the leeks are soft, about 8 minutes. Mix in the drained cranberries, sage and rosemary. Add the mixture to the sausage, then mix in the breads and parsley. Next add the heavy cream and the chicken stock a little at a time until the stuffing is very moist. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a casserole dish.
Bake in a 14-inch oval or 9 by 13-inch rectangular casserole dish and place, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is crispy and the center piping hot.

Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry juice should not come in a can.  It shouldn't have marshmallows and it should not be cut with a knife.  Just my thoughts.  This recipe is an amalgamation of 4 or five others that I read and liked parts of.  I get my agar-agar at the health food store in the bulk section but I suppose in a pinch you could use gelatin.

Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce
12 oz fresh cranberries

1 c POM juice
1 1/2 c raw sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp orange peel
1tsp agar-agar
pinch of salt
Place the the cranberries, pom juice and sugar, cinnamon, orange peel and agar-agar and salt in sauce pan. On medium to high heat until sugar has melted and cranberries begin to pop and release their juices. Stir occasionally. Bring the mixture to a boil. once boiling lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thick.
It was fairly thick at this point but I liked it even more once it had a chance to hang out in the fridge over night!


I apologize for the HORRIBLE picture, but it was from my cellphone and I wanted to be able to post all the Thanksgiving recipes before people were finishing up their Thanksgiving plans!
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Sweet Potato Souffles

Sweet Potato Souffle
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled

1/2 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter, melted
8 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp rum flavoring (also maple would be amazing here)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 a cup gingerbread cookies crumbled into fine crumbles (I used my rolling pin)
Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly coat 8 individual ramekins with cooking spray and then a light coating of the gingerbread crumbles. Run your finger 1/4 inch into the ramekins to remove any extra crumbs or oil. This allows the souffles to rise better.
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1 inch squares, cook over medium high about 30 minutes or until tender.
In a stand mixer mixer, beat the sweet potatoes with the brown sugar, butter, eggs, rum, and cinnamon.
Transfer the batter into prepared ramekins.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out cleanly.  Sprinkle with more gingerbread crumbles on top.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Curry

     While I was changing and putting on a bit of makeup for the pre-Thanksgiving potluck dinner we had this past weekend I asked SA to either put the roasted squash into the blender for me or to put it into the food processor.  When I came back down I stopped and stared.  My helpful non kitchen oriented husband was spooning spoonfuls of my squash mixture into a strainer and straining it through. And there was squash on the ceiling. I was gone less than ten minutes!
     Turns out SA had decided to use the blender and instead of adding chicken stock as I had told him to he was using a spatula to push the squash into the blender.  What happens when you do this?!  The blade eats the spatula.  I panicked when I heard this! I couldn't believe he ruined my beautiful roasted vegetables.  I almost lost my cool.  Luckily right as I was about to launch into a full fledged freak out he recovered the piece of plastic and it was the whole piece.  Crisis averted and I could take back over the process!
     I have made several butternut squash based soups before but by far this is my favorite.  The curry adds a depth and a subtle spice to the creaminess of the squash, but my most favorite thing was the condiments we added! I never would of thought to add banana and coconut but they were an unexpected delicious addition!

Recipe Source: Modified from a Barefoot Contessa Recipe

Curry Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
3 to 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 yellow onions
2 McIntosh apples, peeled and cored
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 teaspoon good curry powder*


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the butternut squash, onions and apples in 1-inch cubes. Place them on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Divide the squash and the apples and onions into two different pans and spread it in a single layer. Roast Squash for 45 minutes or until very tender and roast the apples and onions for 20 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock to a simmer. When the vegetables are done either blend them with a little of the chicken stock or put them in a food processor.  When all of the vegetables are processed, place them in a large pot and add enough chicken stock to make a thick soup. Add the curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Reheat and serve hot with condiments either on the side or on top of each serving.

Condiments:
Scallions

Flaked coconut
Roasted cashews, toasted and chopped
Diced banana


* I would recommend starting off with 1/2 a tsp of curry powder and adding it and tasting so you do not put too much in.



Thanksgiving Menu

     Thanksgiving was yesterday.  We sat around and ate till we were stuffed, there was a game going on (from what I hear, haha), everyone left with leftovers and today my poor dishwasher has already born the brunt of three loads of dishes and it's not even three pm. Wait, what you say? Thanksgiving is still almost two weeks away!
     Correct, however, SA and I have very little family out here, I work retail and I close the day before Thanksgiving and then open pretty early the day after so those things combine to make having a big Thanksgiving dinner/celebration on the actual day pretty damn impossible. So we had it last night!  The great thing about having it last night is I get to share the recipes with you guys.  All of the recipes I tried last night I had never made before so I was having intense anxiety over it, plus we had more people over than we have ever had in our house!
During the following week I will devote a post to each recipe with my recommendations and also the things I changed except for the turkey and pumpkin pie.  Each was delicious, but both have been blogged about to the point of repetition.

Menu:

Caramelized onion dip

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Curry

Alton Brown's Brined Roast Turkey: Good EATS!
Sausage Apple, Onion and Cranberry Stuffing
Individual Sweet Potato Souffles
Spinach Gratin
Pomegranate cranberry sauce
Rosemary Rolls
&  pumpkin pie