Thanksgiving

Thought I'd start a Thanksgiving post, it will be good for future reference. What are you making? What do you make? And will Sonya post her spinach casserole please? ;)
This is the first year we're having it with just our immediate family so I'm keeping it small. Debating about whether to do roasted root vegetables or mashed potatoes.
Also, Jason wants to ditch the turkey concpet and have steak. Maxine wants turkey though.
I'm thinking, if you post a T-day recipe, put a "Thanksgiving" label on it.

Pasta with a Creamy Mushroom Sauce

I made this tonight for supper and oh.my.goodness was it good. The recipe is one I made up, but I'm sure there are a million like it. I'll get as close as I can to actual measurements. The directions look kinda complicated but basically this is a white sauce with mushrooms braised in white wine. Pretty simple. The sauce took 1/3 the time of the pasta to cook!

Boil your favorite pasta al dente.

Sauce:
slice 16 oz mushrooms (we used baby bella's)
saute in 2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic and olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes

add:
1/3 c dry white wine (you could add water if you don't have any wine but you'd be missing out!)
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
cook for 5 -7 minutes on med-high til mushrooms are soft.

In a separate saucepan on med high, melt:
2 Tbs butter, when melted add
2 Tbs flour

Whisk together til smooth. Cook for 2 minutes on high, stirring constantly.

while whisking, add:
1 1/2 -2 c milk or cream (this measurement is a guess, basically you are thinning the sauce to the consistency you like)

When smooth, add:
braised mushrooms
1/4 c parmesan cheese (optional but yummers!)
adjust seasoning and sauce consistency. If sauce is too thick add a touch more cream/milk/wine/water. If it's too thin, cook it a little longer or add a teaspoon of flour to thicken.

Serve sauce over pasta!

Pumpkin biscuits

I love anything pumpkin, especially in Fall, so I was excited to try these. They are very yummy! Like any biscuit, just remember to not overwork the dough. I did because the dough was stickier than I would have liked, maybe because I was out of butter and had to use margarine? Anyway, still tasty-I served mine with a roast chicken dinner.

1 and 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 c. plus 1 and 1/2 tsp cold butter, divided

3/4 c. canned pumpkin

1/3 c. buttermilk

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in 1/2 c. butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine pumpkin and buttermilk; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened.

2. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll out to 1-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. (I used a drinking glass.) Place 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet.

3. Bake at 425 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Melt remaining butter; brush over the biscuits. (I skipped this step.) Serve warm.

*We've been enjoying the leftovers toasted in the morning for breakfast.

Yield: 6 biscuits

Curried Squash with Winter Greens

This soup smells amazing when it cooks and is packed with nutrition. My whole family loves it! A great way to use up the last of the harvest from the garden.

1 T. canola oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger root

1 T. curry powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

4 c. peeled, diced butternut squash (I didn't measure, just used a whole one.)

5 c. water (You could use veg or chick broth for more flavor.)

2-3 c. coarsely chopped spinach, chard, or kale (I didn't measure this either, just used 1 bunch of kale.)

2 carrots, shredded (optional-this was my addition for more nutrition and a little sweetness.)

In a large saucepan (I used my cast iron dutch oven), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute over low heat. Add the squash and water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. (While simmering, I shredded the carrots directly into the pot.)

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the squash is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the greens and cook for 10 minutes.

Transfer to a food processor fitted with a steel blade (or to a blender) and process until smooth, about 10 seconds. (I used my immersion blender.)

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve at once.