Being an autumn enthusiast, Thanksgiving (and socks with stilettos) is the high-note of my November. Gathering with friends and family to fête seasonal gratitude summons an incredible feeling, no? So often life whirls by in an InstaStoried blur and we fail to pause and voice appreciation.
Memories of my family’s Southern feasts and football games married with my husband’s own West Coast tradition of holiday-themed Shabbat dinner have merged to give us a long weekend of festivities – and food. Hence, my holiday menu reflects the mindset that our Day of Rest follows Turkey Day. From a legion of foodies, I enlist choice recipes like sweet potato challah (My son’s favorite!) and Glögg mulled wine (Our Swedish heritage!) that fittingly carry over from one meal to the next. A slew of special Shabbat-specific dishes will indeed surface on Friday, but I always aim to shop and cook smart. Because I love the kitchen, but not that much.
Here, I share the highlights from my Manhattan-made, kosher Thanksgiving dinner including these. This year, as we dine and celebrate, let us remember to count our blessings, contemplating how we can do and share more. Cheers! x
Judd’s Memphis Kitchen Smoked Turkey recipe here.
SWEET POTATO CHALLAH
ingredients
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
1 whole egg plus 2 yolks
2 tbsp salt
4-6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
egg wash, (1 beaten egg plus 1 tbsp water)
preparation
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix in honey, butter, egg and yolks, mashed sweet potatoes and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk. Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Form dough into desired shapes. I formed mine into 6 strand braids. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat one egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush a generous amount over each braid. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing. Recipe via Le Petit Brioche.
KALE DRESSING
ingredients
2 pounds country-style white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp fennel seeds
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or coconut oil
2 sprigs rosemary
1 dried chile de árbol, broken in half
1 1/2 cups minced fennel
1 1/2 cups minced onions
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slow-Cooked Tuscan Kale (recipe here)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
preparation
Preheat oven to 400°. Using your hands, toss bread in a large bowl while drizzling with 1/2 cup oil, squeezing bread to absorb oil. Spread out on 2 rimmed baking sheets, dividing equally; set aside.Toast bread, stirring often and rotating baking sheets halfway through, until croutons are crisp on the outside but still a little soft inside, about 20 minutes. Let cool; return to large bowl. Meanwhile, toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan often, until seeds are fragrant and light gold, 2-3 minutes. Let cool. Using a spice mill or a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind fennel seeds; set aside. Alternatively, crush seeds in a resealable freezer bag with bottom of a heavy skillet. Heat a large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil and butter. When butter is melted, add rosemary sprigs and chile; let sizzle in pan for 1 minute, then add crushed fennel seeds, fennel, onions, thyme, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized, 6-8 minutes. Discard rosemary sprigs and chile. Add vegetable mixture and Slow-Cooked Tuscan Kale to croutons. Boil wine in same skillet over medium-high heat until reduced by 3/4, 1-2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Add to crouton mixture; toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Add eggs; stir to distribute. Transfer to a baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake dressing until heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until bread is golden and crisped on top, 25-30 minutes longer. Recipe via Bon Apetit.
CRANBERRY WITH POMEGRANATE & JALAPEÑO
ingredients
12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 cup fresh orange juice
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1/4 of a pomegranate)
1 jalapeño, quartered, seeded, and thinly sliced
preparation
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, orange juice, and sugar over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened (it will thicken more as it cools) and the cranberries start to break down (you don’t want them to break down completely – a few whole ones here and there is pretty). Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the pomegranate seeds and jalapeño. Let cool to room temperature and serve or refrigerate until ready to use. Recipe via Jessica Seinfeld.
SRIRACHA BRUSSEL SPROUTS
ingredients
1½ pounds Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 tbsp sriracha
3 tbsp honey
1 lime, juiced
sesame seeds optional
preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut off the stem end of the sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Cut large sprouts in half. Place sprouts in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season generously with Kosher salt. Toss to coat. Place in a single layer on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet. Roast for 35-40 minutes, shaking the pan a few times throughout, until crisp and golden brown and tender on the inside. Meanwhile, combine sriracha, honey, and lime in a small bowl. Season with Kosher salt. Remove sprouts from oven, transfer to large bowl, and drizzle with sauce. Toss lightly to coat and serve immediately. Recipe via Shared Appetite.
ROSEMARY GRAVY
ingredients
2 tbsp canola oil
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups water
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
preparation
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté chopped onion until soft. Add nutritional yeast and all-purpose flour, and whisk for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be dry. Add water, soy sauce, minced garlic, and chopped fresh rosemary. Continue to cook, whisking continuously, until mixture is very thick. Transfer gravy to a blender and puree until smooth. Season to taste. Recipe via by CHLOE.
MIXED ROASTED POTATOES
ingredients
2.5-3 lbs. mixed potatoes
3 whole garlic cloves, whole, in peel
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
3 tbsp rosemary
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
zest of one small lemon
preparation
In a large pot, combine the baby red, white, purple potatoes and the larger fingerlings. Bring the water to a gentle boil and cook for 10 minutes, drain and cool to the touch. Preheat the oven to 400′. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into larger 2″ chunks. Leave smaller fingerlings whole and hack larger ones in half or thirds. Cut the remaining baby potatoes into 1″ and 2″ chunks – go for uneven, imperfect chunks for lots of edges. Collect all the potatoes and the garlic cloves on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, pepper and salt and toss everything to coat. The potatoes should be generously coated, add a little more oil if needed. Sprinkle a little more salt on top. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring once, gently, halfway through, until browned on the edges and the largest potato chunk can be easily pierced. While the potatoes roast, chop your rosemary, parsley and lemon zest.
Pull the potatoes and let them cool for a moment. Add the herbs and lemon zest to the baking tray and stir to mix. Taste for salt. Recipe via Sprouted Kitchen.
BEET, ENDIVE & QUINOA SALAD
ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa (any color), rinsed (3 cups cooked)
6 endives or/and fennel, cut in quarters or halves
1 drizzle honey, preferable unheated
1 drizzle extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 handful raw walnuts
2 cups cooked chickpeas/garbamzo beans (if using canned, rinse well and drain)
2 apples, thinly sliced
4 raw chioggia beets, or any color, thinly sliced
4 large tomatoes (we used green ruffle tomatoes), thinly sliced
2 cups mache salad greens or any lettuce of your choice, rinsed
2 avocadoes, stone removed and sliced
Dressing:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice and zest from half an organic lemon
2 tbsp honey, preferable unheated
a pinch sea salt & black pepper
preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan, add 2 cups water, a pinch of salt and bring to boil. Lower the heat immediately to medium/low and let gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Place the divided endives and fennel on a baking sheet (reserve some space for the walnuts), drizzle with honey and olive oil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, depending on the size of the endives and the oven, until soft, golden and with slightly crispy edges. A few minutes before the endives are done, carefully place the walnuts on the baking sheet with some salt on top, toast them, turning halfway. Prepare the rest of the ingredients and stir together the dressing ingredients.Assembling the salad: Place the cooked quinoa, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), apple slices, beet slices, tomato slices, mache greens, avocado slices and dressing in a large serving bowl. Toss well to combine. Tuck in the baked endives and fennel and scatter with toasted walnuts. Recipe via Green Kitchen Stories.
GLOGG MULLED WINE
ingredients
2 bottles dry red wine
1 bottle sweet white wine
1 lemon
1 orange
10 cloves
10 cardamom pods
3 cinnamon sticks
1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 cup raisins
1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup sugar (or to taste)
1 tablespoon bitters
1 cup vodka (optional)
preparation
Combine wines in a large saucepan. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of citrus fruits. Squeeze fruits and add juice to wine. Tie up lemon peel, orange peel and spices in cheesecloth and add to wine. Add raisins, almonds and sugar. Bring wine mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes, or until flavors are well blended and almonds are soft. Skim wine from time to time to remove any foam. Taste glögg (pronounced glook) and add sugar as necessary. Just before serving, add bitters and vodka. Ladle into mugs and provide each guest a spoon for eating the raisins and almonds. / Recipe via The New York Times.
PUMPKIN MERINGUE PIE
ingredients
1 whole store-bought pie dough (or homemade)
All purpose flour for dusting
1 can (15 Oz. Size) pure pumpkin puree
1-1/4 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk / let it sit on your counter for at least 30 minutes so that it settles. Scoop of the cream on top for pareve heavy cream.
2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Meringue:
2 cups granulated sugar
8 large egg whites at room temperature
preparation
Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers. Pierce the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Chill at least 1 hour or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the chilled dough with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to the oven and bake until the edges are golden, 20–25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is golden all over, 10–15 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
Make the filling: Gently whisk the pumpkin, cream, granulated sugar, 2 eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt (do not over-mix). Beat the remaining egg and brush on the crust edge; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Pour the filling into the crust and bake until set around the edges, 50 minutes to 1 hour (the middle will still jiggle slightly). Transfer to a rack; let cool completely. For the meringue: Combine granulated sugar and egg whites in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer, and whisk on medium speed for 3 minutes. Raise speed to high, and whisk until stiff glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes more. Dollop meringue onto pie, and spread using a swirling motion.
Hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 to 4 inches from surface of meringue. Move flame back and forth until meringue starts to brown. Slice and serve. Recipe via The Pioneer Woman.