Thanksgiving 2009

Sen Al Franken and Franni Franken join Mary Lahammer on our holiday cooking set this year. Here's the two recipes they shared with us.

Al's Wild Rice Stuffing

Instead of traditional bread stuffing, Dad always stuffed our Thanksgiving turkeys with wild rice. It's great alone, but I love mixing it up with peas, mashed potatoes and gravy.

Ingredients
1 lb wild rice (Mahnomen)
one stick butter
ten cloves of garlic
3 medium sized yellow onions
4 stalks of celery
2 lbs white button mushrooms
salt to taste

Preparation
1. In a colander, rinse the wild rice
2. Put the rice in a pot, and cover with 3 inches of water. Boil in pot, uncovered, for about 20 to 25 minutes. If you're using Mahnomen wild rice, it will cook more quickly than the paddy variety.
3. While the rice is boiling, slice (do not mince) the onions, garlic and celery.
4. Melt the butter in a skillet, and saute the onions, garlic, and celery until they begin to bleed a little liquid into the butter. Then add the mushrooms. The celery and onions should not be totally soft.
5. Once the rice has cooked, drain it and add to the sauteed vegetables.
6. Add salt to taste, and stuff into the turkey before roasting. The rest can be eaten as side dish at dinner.

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Auntie Carla's Pumpkin Cornbread

The pumpkin in this quick bread makes it moister than most cornbreads, and adds a subtle pumpkiny flavor. Mom makes it the night before Thanksgiving so we can have it for Thanksgiving breakfast. I have a rule that I can eat as much food on Thanksgiving as I want, so if it's available at breakfast time, then I can have as much as I want all day. It is impossible to have just one piece. I feel like I have about seven at breakfast, and seven more at dinner.

Ingredients
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups white flour
1 cup sugar
2 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2-1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup milk

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. On the first speed of a hand or standing mixer, beat together the eggs, oil, pumpkin puree and milk.
4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry in three batches with a rubber spatula. The batter will be smooth, and is more fluffy than liquidy.
5. Pour the batter into a 9 x 13 baking pan (or two loaf pans), and place in the middle rack of the oven.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick stuck in the middle of the cornbread comes out dry.
7. Let the cornbread cool for ten minutes, and then cut into pieces and serve.

Memorial Day 2009 Grilling Recipes

Chef JD Fratzke from The Strip Club Meat and Fish restaurant in St. Paul has sent along this recipe for grilling steaks. 

Grilling 100% Grass Fed Steaks

The key to preparing grass fed beef is to avoid overcooking.  This will cause the steak to be dry and chewy.  The following is Executive Chef JD Fratzke’s recommendation for grilling Thousand Hills Cattle Company 100% Grass Fed Steaks:

1. Add herb rub to both sides of steak, if desired (salt should be applied after, not before, cooking to minimize moisture loss).
2. Let steak warm to room temperature for 30 min.
3. Grill on high heat or over white coals for 1-2 min. per side.
4. Turn heat down or move to a cooler area of the grill and cook for another 2-3 min. on each side or until medium rare (135˚ F internal temp).  DO NOT grill directly over flames.
5. Remove from heat, place on plate, cover loosely with foil and wait 3-5 min. before serving.

For more information about The Strip Club check out their website:
www.domeats.com

For more information about Thousand Hills Cattle Company steaks:
www.thousandhillscattleco.com

And though we didn’t prepare this recipe on our program, here’s another beef recipe from The Strip Club restaurant website:

100% Grass-Fed Beef Chili

Ingredients:

3 lbs 100% Grass fed Ground Beef
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Pinto Beans
1 can Black Beans
2 oz Chili Powder
1 oz Taco Seasoning
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Whole Sour Cream

Preparation:

Brown ground beef, but don't drain (the fat is very nutritious and adds great flavor)
Drain beans and add to browned meat and fat
Add water for desired thickness. Salt to taste.
Add everything to large crockpot, and cook on Low for 12 to 24 hours.

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Recipes 2008

Peggy Hanson is our chef.  She says she is one of the "famous Rhubarb Sisters" of Lanesboro -- who have sung with Garrison Keillor on PHC. 

She writes a column called Real Food for her county newspaper - the FIllmore County Journal - every other week. Peggy includes recipes as well as commentary about a variety of food and life related topics.  She's a cheerleader for people who still are willing to peel, chop, slice, dice and actually cook their own food.

She helped start the Lanesboro Farmers Market -- which has just ended its 5th year.  For the past 17 years she has operated the Cady Hayes House B & B in Lanesboro.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Ingredients:
Fresh butternut squash,  enough to yield about 8 cups of  chunks of approximately 3/4-inch size Eight cups of cut up squash weighs about two pounds prior to roasting and should serve eight generously If you buy two 2 to 2 1/2 pound squashes you should have plenty for 8 cups of chunks, plus extra to bake and mash

3 T. olive or walnut oil
1 T.  balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper
2 t. honey, maple syrup or brown sugar
Fresh or dried herbs optional.  Some possibilities: 1 T. fresh thyme or 1 t. dried thyme; 1 T fresh sage, cut in thin strips; 1 t. Herbes de Provence (a classic dried herb blend)

Peel and seed the squash.  Cut into pieces about 3/4 inch in size.  
( The rounded ends are a little time consuming to peel and cut.  If you want you can bake them upside down for extra squash puree - good plain or in muffins or even pancakes. )

In a large bowl, mix the squash pieces with the remaining ingredients.  Spread into a single layer on a cookie sheet, jelly roll pan or other large baking pan.

Bake at 400 degrees about 30 minutes, or until tender and somewhat browned.  Stir once or twice during cooking to discourage sticking and encourage even browning.

Results will vary depending on the size of the squash pieces, the moisture content of the squash, the type of pan you use and the idiosyncrasies of your oven.  Don't be afraid to cook a bit longer or turn up the temperature to 425 degrees if the squash is not browning to your satisfaction.

This dish can be prepared in advance and reheated just before serving.

CRANBERRY-BLACK WALNUT UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Topping:
3 T. Butter
1/2 cup real maple syrup  (You could also substitute honey, but the flavor will not be as interesting.)
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts (if you have access to black walnuts, by all means use them.  Lightly toast them in the oven first - about 10 minutes at 325 degrees.  They add a lovely complex flavor.) Melt butter in cast iron frying pan or other heavy skillet - Approximately 10 inches in diameter.  Add syrup and sugar and cranberries.  Bring to a boil on top of the stove and simmer 3-4 
minutes, until berries pop.  Set aside while you make cake batter.  
Start preheating the oven now, too.

Cake:
5 T. butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal (preferably whole grain, which includes the germ - and the flavor! Look in refrigerated section of your market.  If you 
cannot locate decent corn meal, substitute whole wheat pastry flour.  
The later ask your grocer to stock decent corn meal.)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
about 2 t. finely grated lemon rind

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs.  Mix dry ingredients. Add to butter-
sugar-egg mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk.  
Mix thoroughly but don't overbeat.

Carefully pour batter over cranberry mixture, using spoon or rubber scraper to smooth batter to the edges.

Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in cake comes out clean and cake is not wobbly in the middle.

Let cool 5 to 10 minutes.  Then carefully put platter or large plate on top of pan and, using oven mitts, flip over the frying pan and the plate at the same time.  Make sure you have firm control of both the cake and the platter at all times.  The cake should slide out on to the plate.  If some cranberry topping remains in the pan, simply scrape it out and spread it on the top of the cake so the topping is uniformly distributed.  No one will ever know you had to make repairs.

Chue's Barbecue (From Mhonpaj's Garden)

Ingredients:
1 lb flank steak, sliced thin against the grain
1/4 cup light soy sauce/fish sauce
3 Tbsp red Thai paste
3-5 green onions chopped
2 or more cloves garlic crushed (optional)
Handful of cilantro
Depending on how spicy you wish the dish to be, add 3-6 Thai peppers thinly sliced

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except beef in large bowl.  Stir well.  Add beef slices and marinade at least 30 minutes (better, several hours!).  Stir fry, broil or grill marinated beef slices

If necessary, add a bit more of other ingredients to cover beef while it marinades!

Chue’s spicy sauce

Ingredients:
Handful of cilantro sliced
2 slices of lime
Fish sauce
3 Thai peppers  (email mhonpaj@gmail.com if you can’t find them!)

Thanksgiving Bundt Cake Recipes

Maple Corn Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1 ear of fresh sweet corn or 1/2 cup canned
I TBSP butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp bourbon
1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 12 cup Bundt pan using butter and flour
Remove the corn from cob and saute in 1 TBSP butter until lightly cooked and set aside
In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add vanilla and bourbon and mix thoroughly.
In a third bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and cornmeal and set aside.
Add this dry mixture, alternating with buttermilk, to the butter-sugar mixture.
Stir in the corn and chopped walnuts
Pour butter into prepared Bundt pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 
Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a oven-safe baking sheet or platter

For glaze, gently heat the maple syrup in microwave until hot, about 20 seconds
Brush the syrup over cake allowing it to soak in before adding more
Cover cake completely and place cake back in cooling-down oven for five minutes

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Cranberry Orange Bundt

Cake
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cut softened butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup sour cream
grated zest one one orange

Filling
8 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup orange juice

Lemon-Orange Glaze
1/4 cup orange juice
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 12 cup Bundt cake using butter and flour
For Filling combine cranberries, sugar, water, almond extract, and orange juice in small saucepan.
Bring to medium boil and cook, stirring constantly until berries pop and sauce thickens. Take off stove.
Set aside 10 to 12 cranberries that are intact.  Allow the mixture to cool at room temp.

For cake combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside
Beat the butter for several seconds in large mixing bowl.  Ad sugar and beat until smooth.
Add eggs and almond extract and beat for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
Add flour mixture and beat until smooth.  Add sour cream and zest and mix well.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan.  Gently spoon about 2/3 of filling into batter taking care not to
let filling touch sides of pan.  Spoon remaining batter on top.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. 
Cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting on a serving platter.

To prepare glaze, place orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar in small saucepan.
Simmer on medium heat, stirring until the mixture thickens.
Remove from heat until the cake is finished baking.

While cake is still warm brush on orange-lemon glaze.  When cake is cool, spoon the remaining filling
in between the flutes of the Cathedral Bundt.  Gently press whole cranberries (set aside from glaze) in
between the "cathedral windows."  If you make the cake with standard fluted Bundt, spoon the filling
over the top and stud with whole cranberries.

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Pumpkin Spice Cake

3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 small can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp bourbon
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 12 cup Bundt pan using butter and flour

Place chopped walnuts in a metal pan in the oven and toast for 10 to 15 minutes taking care not to burn.
Set aside nuts to cool.
Beat together oil, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla and bourbon.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices.
Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix until combined.
Stir in walnuts and pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve with dusting of confectioners' sugar or dollop of whipped cream

Memorial Day Grilling Recipes

These recipes come courtesy of Karl Benson of Cooks of Crocus Hill.  Yum... yum!

Thai Style Chicken Ke-bobs

Ingredients

Marinade
2 cloves Garlic
Pinch of Salt
2 teaspoon black peppercorn
Stems off 1 bunch cilantro
3 tablespoon fish sauce
1 can coconut milk

3 pounds Chicken thighs, cleaned and cut in half

Assorted seasonal Veggies

• Onion
• Peppers
• Eggplants
• Cherry tomatoes

Bamboo skewers soaked for 1 hour in water, before using.

Preparation
Combine garlic salt and peppercorns in a food processor or Mortar and Pestle. Process or pound into a smooth paste. Add cilantro stems and pulse or pound to incorporate into a smooth paste.

Transfer to a larger bowl and mix with fish sauce and coconut milk. Add the chicken pieces and allow to marinate for 2 hours.

While the chicken is marinating, cut the veggies into pieces sized similar to the chicken.

Assemble skewers
Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and thread along the bamboo skewers

You can assemble the skewers to resemble the Ke-bobs we all hold in our minds eye, a combo of meat and veggies on each skewer. Alternatively, you can assemble each skewer with individual ingredients to assure even cooking.

Serve with a heaping bowl of rice and Hot Sweet Dipping Sauce

Hot Sweet Dipping Sauce

This stuff is killer, so be sure to keep the left overs!

½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup sugar
1 or 2 cloves of garlic finely minced
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon chili pepper flakes

Assembly
Place the vinegar in a non-reactive heavy metal saucepan. Bring to boil, add sugar. Reduce the heat and stir continuously until the sugar dissolves.

Smash the garlic and salt into a paste using a Mortar and Pestle or with the back of a spoon on a plastic cutting board. Add the paste and the chili flakes to the vinegar mixture. Mix until well incorporated. Allow to cool to room temperature

Grilled Pineapple and Banana Sundaes

Ingredients

½ Pineapple, cored, peeled and cut into large 1 inch thick pieces
Juice from 2 oranges
Zest from one orange
3 tbs sugar
3 tbs fine chopped tarragon
2 bananas, peeled and cut into large pieces

Assembly
Bring place the orange juice in a non-reactive saucepan. Place the pan over medium and bring juice to a simmer. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Grill the pineapple and bananas over high heat until they show grill marks. Remove from grill.

Add pineapple to a food processor, set aside bananas.

Pulse pineapple a few times, add the orange juice. Pulse until mixture reaches a desired consistence. Add Zest and tarragon and pulse to incorporate.

To Serve
Vanilla Ice Cream into a small bowl. Add a few pieces of banana and top with warm sauce.

 All recipes inspired by our friends Jeff Alford & Naomi Duguid,

Seductions of Rice, Artisan Publishing