A Holiday Menu

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, the holidays have officially arrived.  I haven't quite been ready to call it until this week, but the consistently cooler weather has put me in the holiday spirit.  That and my dear friend and former roomie, Sarah Cook, married her lifemate, Steven, last Friday and became Sarah Holliday.  Let us pause a moment for the last name envy... I mean, their wedding hashtag was #HappyHollidays.  What?!  Just adorable. ​

Needless to say, the hol(l)idays have been on the mind, and I'm sure you can relate.  What to serve on Thanksgiving is something we're all thinking about, whether you're responsible for hosting and providing the whole meal — bless you, all you hosts, for taking that on — or just taking a dish to someone else's gathering. 

In the spirit of giving thanks, I thought it would be nice to share a holiday menu with you guys.  The idea behind this was to offer a glimpse of what will be on our table and hopefully leave you inspired with a fresh take on what to serve at your table.  These dishes don't take a ton of time to make (and can be made well-ahead), so you can enjoy the day, be present with loved ones, and mindfully practice gratitude on this day of Thanksgiving: 

— soup --
white bean + rosemary soup

— salald --
tuscan kale + champagne vinaigrette

— main --
citrus pork tenderloin over caramelized fennel

— sides --
sorghum brussels sprouts
beets + sweets

— dessert --
rustic apple galette

WHITE BEAN + ROSEMARY SOUP

Ingredients:​
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 cans low sodium cannellini or great northern beans
3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock 
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
​  
Method:

1. Sauté onion with olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add garlic and rosemary, stirring about 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant. 
2. Drain liquid from beans and pour into pot, along with chicken stock.  Bring to simmer, stirring frequently to avoid beans from sticking. 
3. When consistency is thick enough to coat back of spoon, remove 2 cups of soup from the pot and puree in a glass bowl using an immersion blender; add puree back into pot.
4. Stir in salt and pepper and enjoy!

​Serves 5-6

TUSCAN KALE SALAD  + CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:​
SALAD
Tuscan (lacinato) kale (*regular kale will work fine too)
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1 pear, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, dry roasted over stovetop
DRESSING
1 clove garlic
1 small shallot
1/4 cup champagne vinegar (sherry or red wine can sub)
1 tablespoon coarse grain mustard
2/3 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
​freshly ground pepper to taste

Method:

1. Wash kale and remove stems by tearing leaves away from rib. 
2. Place dressing ingredients in processor or blender and emulsify until vinaigrette is smooth. 
3. Drizzle vinaigrette over kale, massaging dressing into the greens with hands until kale begins to soften.  Top with blue cheese, hazelnuts, and pear before serving. 

​Serves 6

CITRUS PORK TENDERLOIN + CARAMELIZED FENNEL

​Ingredients:​
PORK LOIN
juice from 2 oranges
zest from 1 orange
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (to marinate) + 2 tablespoons (to later sear)
24 ounce pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon salt + freshly ground pepper to taste
CARAMELIZED FENNEL
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt + pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a bowl, whisk orange juice and zest with garlic, rosemary, 1/2 cup olive oil, and salt + pepp until well combined.  Pour over tenderloin in ziplock bag or container, marinate for 2-48 hours. 
2. To cook the meat, preheat oven to 375°F.  Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan and sear each side of the tenderloin for 2.5 minutes (10 minutes total for all 4 sides).
3. Once seared,  transfer skillet to the oven to finish cooking until tenderloin reaches internal temp. of 150°F (about 15 minutes). 
4. Meanwhile, add thinly sliced fennel, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil to another large sauté pan heated to medium-high heat on stove.  Cook until fennel turns golden brown and caramelizes. 
5. Once tenderloin is finished cooking, remove from cast iron skillet and set aside; scrape fennel into the bottom of the skillet and stir to combine with tenderloin drippings.  Place tenderloin back into the skillet over caramelized fennel and serve. 

​​Serves 4-6

SORGHUM BRUSSELS SPROUTS 

Ingredients:​
1.5 pounds Brussels sprouts, washed and halved
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sorghum or molasses
​salt + pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 415°F.
2. Place sprouts on roasting pan, add olive oil, tossing to evenly coat. Drizzle sorghum over Brussels sprouts; toss to coat, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
3. Roast in oven for 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow even roasting.  Remove when sprouts have crispy, golden brown edges. 

​​Serves 8-10

BEETS + SWEETS

Ingredients:​
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 1" square chunks
2-3 beets, washed and cut into 1" square chunks 
1.5 tablespoons olive oil (coconut also works nicely)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt + pepper to taste

Method:

1. Put veggies onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or prepped with cooking spray. 
2. Stir together oil and spices in a small bowl; drizzle over root veggies, toss, then add salt and pepper.
3. Roast at 415°F for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to allow even roasting, until edges are crispy and golden brown. 

​Serves 8-12

Image by: Houston Bass

RUSTIC APPLE GALETTE

​Ingredients:​
CRUST
1/2 cup (1 stick) grass-fed butter
1.5 cups flour (half All-Purpose, half spelt or whole-wheat)
1/4 cup organic turbinado sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
​1/3 cup ice water
FILLING
2-3 red apples, thinly sliced
1/4 cup organic turbinado sugar
1.5 tablespoons All-Purpose flour
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce
egg wash:  1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

Method:

1. Slice 1 stick of butter into 1/8" thick slices and chill in freezer (at least 30 mins).  Place flour, sugar, and salt in food processor, pulsing a few times to combine.   Add butter slices to flour mixture; pulse 3-4 times or until butter breaks down into pea-sized pieces.  Next, begin to pulse again while simultaneously drizzling in ice water through the pour spout.  Check moisture level of dough; if you can pinch and it holds together, it's ready to shape. If not, add 1 more tablespoon of ice water at a time (it will still be crumbly). 
   
2. Gently knead dough on lightly floured surface until shaped into a disk; cover in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour (up to 3 days)
3. While dough is chilling, combine apple slices with turbinado, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts in a medium bowl (holding off on the caramel). 
4. Preheat oven to 425°F and remove dough from fridge.  On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll into a 12" circle.  Place dough in the center of a parchment-lined baking sheet (one with a lip helps avoid oven spills).  
   
5. Pile filling into the center of the dough, leaving a 2" border all the way around, then drizzle caramel on top of the apples.  Fold crust up onto the apples, gently tucking and overlapping the edges.  Brush crust with egg wash and finish with another drizzle of caramel on the dough. 
   
6. Bake for 35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown. 
   

Serves 8 

LAST BITE

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?  Leave a remark below in the comment section below.  Wherever you are this Thanksgiving, I sincerely hope you are filled with gratitude and left nourished, warm, and uplifted in spirit.   

Have thanks, be giving. 
Hope