This year’s Turkey Day was a true first for me. My parents from the south decided to visit this year, and I insisted that I would make everything for them. Having just read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, I literally made everything from scratch excluding the stuffing. We had a wonderful time despite the exhaustion afterwards, for it almost felt like a cardio workout.
I was so tired of doing the same thing for Turkey Day this year that I decided to go on a detour and take a different approach to some dishes. For instance, we had roast chicken instead of turkey which was a nice change in routine. I can cook my family’s butterscotch pie with my eyes closed now so I knew it was time to change the dessert option. I eat cheese like it is my second job, so I knew I had to change the cheese ball appetizer to something a little more appealing.
Therefore, I took some foods I have been craving lately and added them to my personal menu for Turkey Day. The following recipes are some foods that were popular hits that are worth sharing. Enjoy!
Zucchini Bread
This was a great breakfast option from the The New York Times if you are tired of the old coffee cake, pastry, or bagel tradition before the cooking marathon. This bread goes great with cream cheese or lemon curd if you are not into butter. This recipe also makes two 8 x 4 inch loaves so you can half it if you only want to make one loaf.
2 cups wheat, cake, or regular flour (any will work just fine)
3 large eggs
¾ cups granulated sugar
¾ cups light brown sugar
¼ lb (1 stick) butter, melted
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
2 cups grated zucchini (one small-medium zucchini will do)
1 cup of pistachios, chopped
Extra butter for greasing pans
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans and dust with a little flour. Set aside.
- Beat eggs until light and foamy, 2 – 3 minutes with electric mixer. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and remaining flour. Mix until blended. Stir grated zucchini and chopped pistachios.
- Divide batter between the two 8 x 4 inch pans. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For original recipe from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/dining/101wrex.html?ei=5070&emc=eta1
I was so tired of doing the same thing for Turkey Day this year that I decided to go on a detour and take a different approach to some dishes. For instance, we had roast chicken instead of turkey which was a nice change in routine. I can cook my family’s butterscotch pie with my eyes closed now so I knew it was time to change the dessert option. I eat cheese like it is my second job, so I knew I had to change the cheese ball appetizer to something a little more appealing.
Therefore, I took some foods I have been craving lately and added them to my personal menu for Turkey Day. The following recipes are some foods that were popular hits that are worth sharing. Enjoy!
Zucchini Bread
This was a great breakfast option from the The New York Times if you are tired of the old coffee cake, pastry, or bagel tradition before the cooking marathon. This bread goes great with cream cheese or lemon curd if you are not into butter. This recipe also makes two 8 x 4 inch loaves so you can half it if you only want to make one loaf.
2 cups wheat, cake, or regular flour (any will work just fine)
3 large eggs
¾ cups granulated sugar
¾ cups light brown sugar
¼ lb (1 stick) butter, melted
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
2 cups grated zucchini (one small-medium zucchini will do)
1 cup of pistachios, chopped
Extra butter for greasing pans
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans and dust with a little flour. Set aside.
- Beat eggs until light and foamy, 2 – 3 minutes with electric mixer. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and remaining flour. Mix until blended. Stir grated zucchini and chopped pistachios.
- Divide batter between the two 8 x 4 inch pans. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For original recipe from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/dining/101wrex.html?ei=5070&emc=eta1