Thanksgiving 2012

No turkey.

No stuffing.

No pumpkin.

No cranberry.

I know, am a tradition killer.

Thanksgiving Alternative Menu

Turkish Puff pastry

layered with spiced meat and pistachios

Slow roast Beef Shoulder

with fennel, lemon and figs

Jeweled Persian rice

Moroccan carrot salad

Apple and almond delight

Puff pastry layered with ground meat and pistachios

600g puff pastry

1kg ground meat

2 chopped onions

1 minced garlic clove

1 tsp. salt

2 tsps. cumin

4 tbsp. chopped up pistachio

1 beaten egg

Egg for brushing

Sesame seeds

1. Sauté onion, until tender and caramelized

2. Knead meat with salt, cinnamon and cumin

3. In a large skillet pan, heat oil and add 1/3 of meat. Mix with a wooden spoon, until the meat cooks and gets to a crumbly texture. Continue the same with rest of the meat. drain the meat liquid that accumulate throughout the process.

4. mix meat with sautéed onion, minced garlic, chopped pistachio and the beaten egg.

5. Roll out 2 squares of puff pastry dough sized 24cm by 24cm.  Lay baking paper inside a 28cm by 28cm Pyrex pan.

On the baking paper, lay one square and pour the filling on top. Add the 2^nd square on top and secure tightly around the edges.

Using a sharp knife, gently mark the dough to 16 pieces. Brush with egg, and sprinkle with sesame seed.

6. Bake at 180c pre heated oven for 45 minutes, until the puff pastry gets a nice golden color. Let cool, and cut according to the marks made before baking. Serve hot.

Slow roast Beef Shoulder with fennel, lemon and figs

3-4kg top blade roast

(http://bovine.unl.edu/eng/ShowSubPrimal.jsp?primal_id=966277971&subprimal_id=15)

Fresh rosemary twigs

Kosher salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

1 garlic bulb cut horizontally

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 120c.

Rub the chunk of beef, with olive oil and Season well with salt and pepper. Place the chunk on a baking sheet covered with baking paper, place few of the fresh rosemary twigs and the garlic. Roll the baking paper, so the beef, rosemary and garlic will be completely sealed inside the baking paper. Place the piece of beef we just wrapped on foil paper and seal tightly.

Place in the oven for 6 hours.

For the roasted veg:

2 red peeled red onions cut into quarters.

5 fennel bulbs cut into quarters

2 lemons cut into o.5cm slices

Olive oil

Kosher salt

¼ cup date molasses

(Honey can substitute if you can’t find date molasses)

5 ripe figs

mix all ingredient besides the figs in a large bowl. Place on a baking sheet and roast in a 200c oven for 20 minutes until all vegetables gets a nice golden color.

Assembly:

On a serving plate, place the chunk of meat with the roasted vegetables on the sides. Drizzle the dish with the remaining meat liquid. garnish with the figs and fresh rosemary twigs.

Jeweled Persian rice

3 cups of rice

1 chopped handfull of coriander

1 chopped handful of dill

1 chopped handful of parsley

2 tsps. Of minced garlic

oil

salt

a handful of chopped pistachios

a handful of green raisins

a handful of blueberry raisins

a handful of roasted sliced almonds

seeds from ½ a pomegranate

1. Wash rice several times, until the water is completely clear.

2. Soak the rice in cold water for an hour. Drain.

3. Boil 6 cups of salted water, add rice and cook for 10 minute on medium heat. Drain.

4. In the same pot we just boiled the water, add oil and lightly sauté the garlic until fragrant. Add the drained rice and all the chopped greens (coriander, dill and parsley)and mix well.

5. Add one cup of boiled salted water, mix and cover with a towel and then the lid. Cook for 15 minutes on low heat.

6. Assembly- place rice on a serving plate and sprinkle the pistachios, raisins, almond and the pomegranate seeds.

Moroccan carrot salad

600g carrots (small or large cut into 0.5cm small rounds)

for the dressing:

½ cup olive oil

Lemon juice from 2 lemons

2 tsps. salt

2 tsps. cumin

2 tsps. minced garlic

2 tsps. sweet paprika

2 tbsps. Harrisa

Cook carrot in boiling water, until tender.

Drain water. Let cool

In a bowl, Whisk all dressing ingredients

and mix well with carrots.

Garnish with chopped parsley.

Apple and almond delight

300g tart dough

apple layer:

5 granny smith apples

5 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon powder

50g butter

½ tbsp. cornstarch

almond layer:

50g almonds (the thinly sliced ones)

½ tbsp. sugar

egg white from ½ an egg

1.roll the tart dough (about 0.25cm thickness) and place on a baking sheet with baking paper. Bake in a 160c-preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the dough gets a light golden color.

2. Once you take the sheet tray out of the oven, take 8 cake ring molds (5cm diameter), and cut the dough.(make sure you leave the ring around the tart crust.) Then, using a wide enough palette transfer both the ring and the crust to a new baking sheet,

which is covered with baking paper.

3. Apple filling: peel, cut and dice the apples into small cubes. Cook the apples with the sugar and cinnamon for 15 minutes on medium heat. Stir as you go, for the apples not to stick to the pan. Once the apples get soft and a nice golden color add the butter, continue stirring until the liquid in the pan thickens. Take off the heat and mix in the cornstarch. Divide the apple mixture between the 8 rings, and make sure you use a spoon to press on the apples.

4. Almond layer: in a bowl mix the almonds, egg white and sugar. Lay a thin layer of the almond mixture on top of the apple layer, in each ring.

5. Bake for 20 minutes in a 180c oven until the almond layer get a nice golden color. While the rings are still hot, insert a sharp knife to the sides of the ring, to make sure the ring is not sticking to any of the layers. Slowly remove the ring. 
serve while warm. serve with freshly whipped cream or a little scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

i promise you pleasure.