All is prepped, including the turkey, which is wiped with olive oil, and slathered with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, with homegrown rosemary underneath the skin, inside the cavity and on top of the legs. It's so nice to have my large floral cooler- makes holidays so easy because I can do everything the day before and stick in the cooler. So now, on to Thanksgiving: day of indulgences; memories of childhood.
Just the mention of
Thanksgiving sends me back to Grandma's old house (the one in which my Mom was
raised, before the highway came through and causes it to be demolished), with
her windows open, great aromas emanating from her kitchen, and me outside
playing with my cousins.
I asked my husband what 1 dish he'd like to
have this year, and he requested Green Bean Casserole. Of all the dishes at TG,
this is one of my least favorite. Green beans cooked til they're limp, drowning
in cream of mushroom soup with canned friend onions on top. Not only is that
incredibly unhealthy, I can't stand the way it looks!
Still,
since I asked him, I think I have to provide that dish, so I've "heathed
it up" a bit.
Step
1. Frozen organic green beans from Costco, lightly steamed til just done
2. Caramelized onions in olive oil-takes about
20 minutes.
3.
In another pan, put about 1" of organic veggie broth (if you made it
yourself, so much the better.)
4.
Wash and slice Cremoni mushrooms, then put into food processor to chop very
finely. Add to the broth; add a little smoked pepper, and sauté until done.
5.
Once done, ladle into blender and puree.
6.
Put back into the pan, and add a little evaporated milk - (I use the lower fat
kind.) Whisk until creamy smooth, add a little smoked salt to taste.
7.
Put the green beans in casserole dish, pour your homemade cream of mushroom
sauce, stir, and top with the caramelized onions. Cover and bake @350 just
until warm.
NOTE- if you do steps 1-6 the day before (and I recommend that you do,) on the day you're serving them, take all from fridge and let come to room temp so they don't take so long in the oven. You don't want to overcook the green beans.
NOTE- if you do steps 1-6 the day before (and I recommend that you do,) on the day you're serving them, take all from fridge and let come to room temp so they don't take so long in the oven. You don't want to overcook the green beans.
As
I write this, I've not yet put them all together and warmed them up, but they
all taste fabulous individually and I think them all mixed together for the
Green Bean Casserole a la Kathi will be sublime. Not nearly so much fat, but
taste galore. I'll let you know how the husband liked them.:)
For
the record, here's our menu:
Appetizers
Chicken
liver pate
Deviled
Eggs
Stuffed
Mushrooms
*****
Mom's
Cranberry Salad (actually combine it with Mark's Mom's recipe & have
something we both like)
Green
Bean Casserole a la Kathi
Cousin
Pam's Sweet Potato Bake
Roasted
Brussels sprouts with Shallots & Parmesan Cheese
Broccoli
& Brown Rice Casserole (made with Asiago cheese rather than Velveeta)
Dressing
(like Momma's, but added in some andouille sausage this year
Aunt
Elaine's Giblet Gravy
Cranberry/Orange
Relish
Roasted
Turkey
Austin
Woman Club Style Rolls (Biscuits dipped in butter and rolled in crushed Rice
Crispies, then cooked)
Mini-pies
of pumpkin and pecan
Rain
Water or Herbal Tea
Be
sure and comment and let me know what your one MUST HAVE dish is for
Thanksgiving.
Bon
appétit, y'all!
