Once again, Thanksgiving is in the air. This is a time when we enjoy sharing food and fellowship with family and friends. We are thankful that another year has gone by with the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us.
Most of us follow turkey roasting traditions that were established many years ago, maybe even in our parent's and grandparent's homes. Others like to experiment with new recipes every year. Whatever your choice, it works for you and everyone will rave at the results.
I have always loved to try new recipes and add them to our traditional menu. The only problem with this was that back in the days when I cooked for a large family, if a new recipe was liked by at least one person, it had to be added to the menu every year or else I would hear complaints. It was not unusual to have quite a large assortment of side dishes along with the turkey and dressing.
Of course, there had to be jellied cranberry, from the can, because it was someone's favorite and also the orange and fresh cranberry relish my son Anthony makes every year. For local flavor, he also adds chopped and toasted macnuts (*).
The sweet potatoes and orange souffle was also a must along with the green beans with cream and macnuts, except when I lived on the mainland I used filberts (hazelnuts).
There was the oyster casserole I tried one year and my daughter Knight insisted I prepare every year and the corn pudding that was my daughter Marion's favorite. By the time everyone's favorite food was on the table we could have fed an army, and did many times. It was not unusual to have over 30 family members for a sit down dinner.
This year we have decided to host a Thanksgiving dinner inviting our friends who, like us, have no other family living near, and we are hosting it at the nearby beach park that has become our favorite picnic place. We will be providing the turkey, dressing, gravy and I am planning on making Chef Kurt's Grandma Friese's whole cranberry dish that he shared in his latest article.
We usually finish the meal with a favorite dessert, pie or maybe even a fruit and cheese tray. I like to serve a combination of green or flame seedless grapes, slices of carambola (starfruit), apples and pears. For the cheese choices I like to keep it simple and select a good quality Brie, Gouda and a good blue like
English Stilton.
We usually finish the meal with a favorite dessert, pie or maybe even a fruit and cheese tray. I like to serve a combination of green or flame seedless grapes, slices of carambola (starfruit), apples and pears. For the cheese choices I like to keep it simple and select a good quality Brie, Gouda and a good blue like
English Stilton.
I won't be making the following recipe this year, but it is one of our Thanksgiving favorites!
SWEET POTATO AND ORANGE SOUFFLE
This is one of those side dishes I had to make every year under peril to life and limbs. Since moving to Hawaii, I have been making this dish using the local purple sweet potatoes. A funny thing happens though; you know what happens when you mix purple (or blue) with yellow? It turns green, right? It was really weird to see the purple sweet potatoes turn green when the eggs were mixed in! Keep on stirring and mixing....it will turn purple again!
SWEET POTATO AND ORANGE SOUFFLE
This is one of those side dishes I had to make every year under peril to life and limbs. Since moving to Hawaii, I have been making this dish using the local purple sweet potatoes. A funny thing happens though; you know what happens when you mix purple (or blue) with yellow? It turns green, right? It was really weird to see the purple sweet potatoes turn green when the eggs were mixed in! Keep on stirring and mixing....it will turn purple again!
Yield 12 half-shell servings
6 oranges
3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice and pulp
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
Or a few drops of orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup butter, softened, divided
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped and toasted macadamia nuts (*)
1/2 cup coconut flakes
Preheat oven to 350oF
Prepare oranges by cutting in half and then a very small piece off the ends, just enough that they can sit flat on a dish without making a hole in the bottom. Cut out the pulp, leaving a complete half shell.
In a large bowl combine sweet potatoes, sugar, orange juice and pulp, eggs, vanilla, 1/2 cup butter and grated orange peel or orange extract.
Spoon mixture into orange shells. Place in a deep baking dish or casserole.
Combine remaining 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, macadamia nuts and coconut flakes. Mix well and spoon over oranges.
6 oranges
3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice and pulp
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
Or a few drops of orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup butter, softened, divided
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped and toasted macadamia nuts (*)
1/2 cup coconut flakes
Preheat oven to 350oF
Prepare oranges by cutting in half and then a very small piece off the ends, just enough that they can sit flat on a dish without making a hole in the bottom. Cut out the pulp, leaving a complete half shell.
In a large bowl combine sweet potatoes, sugar, orange juice and pulp, eggs, vanilla, 1/2 cup butter and grated orange peel or orange extract.
Spoon mixture into orange shells. Place in a deep baking dish or casserole.
Combine remaining 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, macadamia nuts and coconut flakes. Mix well and spoon over oranges.
Fill an oven roasting pan with about 1/2 inch of boiling water and place the baking dish or casserole holding the orange shells in it. Do not overfill so as not to get water in the baking dish when the water boils.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
(*) Toasting the nuts
To get a more intense flavor from the nuts you need to toast them first. Use unsalted chopped raw macadamia or other nuts. The easiest way to toast is using a very dry, heavy skillet (I use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet) and place on stove at medium-high heat.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
(*) Toasting the nuts
To get a more intense flavor from the nuts you need to toast them first. Use unsalted chopped raw macadamia or other nuts. The easiest way to toast is using a very dry, heavy skillet (I use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet) and place on stove at medium-high heat.
Add the chopped nuts AFTER the skillet is hot. And stir constantly until they start showing a nice toasty color. You have to be vigilant, as they can go from nice and toasty to burned in the blink of an eye!
You can catch up on some of my other Thanksgiving Holiday and entertaining articles by clicking on the links below
Hauoli La Ho'omaika'i! (Happy Thanksgiving!)
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Comments: 24
Janelle.....you are welcome.....I'm very excited about our little Thanksgiving party at the beach park. My son rented one of the little pavillions and there is electricity to connect things to keep food hot....
I can hardly wait to see what the others will be bringing!
........and don't worry, I will stop by your cyber refrigerator for late snack that evening...leave me a bit of everything and just put a name on my plate.....don't worry about leaving me any of the Pumpkin Souffle that I will be dropping off since I'm making some for us!!!! ;-))))))
I used to get a kick out of students' reactions in my cooking classes, since I would not warn them beforehand!
Thanks!
Donna, I will love to see the pics!!!
Liz, you are a doll.........thank you!!!!
Enjoy!
This group of friends is what we consider our "family of choice" - some have already made other plans and joined other friends, but the core group will be together.....I know it will be fun!
Thanks Nancy!
Hi Jenna! The purple sweet potatoes are called either Hawaiian or Okinawan sweet potatoes here.
May your day be full of blessings, Amanda.............