Happy Thanksgiving!

We are having a pretty low key Thanksgiving this year and since I only cooked enough for the two of us, I decided to try some new recipes. They are updated versions of the traditional side dishes. Have you ever tried Paula Deen's Sweet Potato Balls? They are wonderful! It was hard giving up my Aunt Jo's sweet potato casserole this year, but it was nice trying something new. I also cooked the turkey breast in the crock pot - a first for me. I made my mom's egg noodles, some glazed carrots, rolls, and we had the leftover Thanksgiving Twofer pie from this week's Tuesday's with Dorie.

Glazed Carrots

16 oz baby carrots

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 packet of ranch dressing

Cook carrots until desired doneness. Drain. In same pot mix butter, brown sugar, and ranch dressing. Add carrots and heat until warm. Serves 4-6.

Sweet Potato Balls (Paula Deen)

4 large sweet potatoes

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbls orange juice

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

8 large marshmallows

Bake the potatoes until tender, then peel and mash them (the potatoes can be baked the day before). Stir in the sugar, orange juice, zest, and nutmeg. Toss the coconut with the sugar and cinnamon. Press mashed potatoes around each marshmallow, then roll the balls in the coconut mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Watch carefully for the last few minutes of cooking; the expanding marshmallows can cause the potato balls to burst open.

Round Steak (posted by the "Real Chef")

This is one of my favorite recipes my Mom always made for me. Anything fried in Crisco has to be good. My mom served it with mashed potatoes and corn.

Round Steak
1 lb of 1/2 inch thick top round steak
2 Tbl of shortening

Cut the meat into serving pieces and remove as much fat as possible. Using a meat mallet pound the meat and dredge in flour, salt, and pepper. Heat shortening in an electric skillet and add the floured meat. Brown the meat on both sides, then reduce heat and cover. Allow meat to cook for 30 minutes, then place on a paper towel to soak up the extra grease.

Buttered Baby Carrots
1/2 lb of baby carrots
Olive Oil
Garlic (minced)
Parsley (finely chopped)
Kosher Salt

Coat the carrots in olive oil and place in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add however much garlic and salt you prefer and cook until the carrots are tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
1/2 lb of fingerling potatoes
1/2 yellow onion (roughly chopped)
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces and coat in olive oil and salt. Place on a large stone pan with the onion and roast for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Some Favorites!

As I was going through some of my cookbooks, I came across a few recipes that I made over a year ago at least! However, they are recipes that I marked with a "make again-favorite" note. I have a lot of cookbooks and receive a cooking magazine each month, so it takes a while for me to go back and make a recipe for the second or third time, as I like trying new recipes! I probably won't make the following dishes anytime soon (and I don't have any pictures), but I thought I would share some of the recipes I found to be good for dinner.

Chicken Monterey
1 boneless skinless chicken breast half
Dash salt and pepper
1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley (although I'm sure I've used dried)
1/8 tsp dried tarragon
1 ounce Monterey Jack cheese (cut into a 2 1/2 x 1/2 inch stick)
2 Tbls all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbls seasoned or plain dry bread crumbs
1 Tbls butter
1 Tbls vegetable oil

Pound chicken to 1/4 inch thickness. Season the inside with salt, pepper, parsley, and tarragon. Place cheese in the center and fold chicken around it. Roll in flour; dip into egg, then roll in crumbs. Place seam side down on a plate; refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a skillet, saute chicken in butter and oil until golden. Place in a small shallow baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until juices run clear. Yield: 1 serving.

Roasted Potatoes
2 Tbls lemon juice
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6 small red potatoes (about 1 lb), quartered

In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, thyme, garlic salt, and pepper. Add potatoes, toss to coat. Place in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Yield: 2 servings

Chive Carrots
1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch julienne strips (I usually just slice into "coins")
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbls vegetable or olive oil
1 Tbls butter
2 Tbls minced fresh chives or parsley

In a large skillet, saute the carrots and garlic in oil and butter for 3 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Sprinkle with chives or parsley. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings