Non-Traditional Additions to Your Holiday Meal
Cheryl Tallman
Adding a warm cup of delicious soup to your holiday menu can help to stimulate the appetite without filling you up. Homemade soups are a great way to kick off your holiday meal, and they make great leftovers for a light lunch. And while pies are the norm at the Thanksgiving table, starting your own tradition with a unique dessert can create a memorable finish with annual requests for more. Delight in the flavors of the season with these yummy recipes.
Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic Soup
The bright orange color of butternut squash is a seasonal addition to your holiday meal. For families with babies over 8 months old, this soup can be easily made into baby food by thickening it with mashed rice, potato, or baby cereal. Ingredients:
- 1 Large or 2 small butternut squash (4 lb)
- 20 garlic cloves ,peeled
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- 4 cups (32oz.) chicken broth
- 1 can (12oz.) coconut milk or 1 cup half & half
- 1 tsp. tarragon
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
- Chives or Parsley, chopped as garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and fibers. Using a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, remove the skin from the squash and cut the flesh into 1-inch thick slices.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
A nice alternative to pumpkin pie, these soft cookies are a delightful treat. The little ones can help with this easy recipe. Make them in advance and freeze them to seal in freshness. The cookies will thaw in one hour at room temperature. You are sure to create smiles with this dessert. - 2-1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- Orange Glaze (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.
Combine 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel in medium bowl until smooth.
Fall Favorite Potato Hash
As a distant cousin to the potato, sweet potatoes have a flavor all their own plus Vitamin A and beta-carotene for added goodness. Try cooking with a combination of potatoes for a comforting winter meal. Here's a simple hash recipe using Yukon Gold (Yellow) and Sweet Potatoes.- 1 lb (about 10 small or 5 medium) Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced
- 1 large or 2 medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
- 4 oz. package Shitake Mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- 3 Tbsp. cooking oil
- 1/3 -1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Heat cooking oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, toss the mixture to coat it with the oil.
Add the stock to the mixture and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until potatoes are done, about 7 minutes. Remove the lid and test potatoes with a fork. They are done if the fork slides easily into the potato.
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