Thanksgiving 2014 ideas~

It was Thanksgiving in Canada yesterday and in the Lechler households it is today.  Glenda, my sister-in-law, had great news from the doctor after months of pain and suffering.  She is healed and able to go to Florida with us in January. Andy and I are beside ourselves thinking of the company and the beach. I am mentally packing as I write. LOL

  Mennonite Girls Can Cook has many ideas and here they are, with pleasure and thanks to their bloggers for the recipes and pictures. Visit their site.  They also have cookbooks which I intend to look in to.

   
This TART just came out of the oven...unlike the so called tart from Whole Foods which was really a coffee cake. 

Now that I know it works I will arrange the apples or pears more artfully next time.  The apples were tossed with the above fig preserves with no sugar.  Preserves on the base crust and warmed with the apples for a  bit on the stove,  When everything was cool again, into the oven at 400 for 10-15 minutes and 350 until done...about 30 minutes more.

Now to the Thanksgiving ideas.

I am glad I thought to go to Mennonite Girls Can Cook's blog.  These ideas and pictures are from that blog.  I had not visited it in a while and those creative women have been busy! Isn't this an nice idea for the holiday meal. (Tied with wilted green onion strips or leek strips.) Think of these caramelized maybe with a bit of sugar under the broiler. Just a thought.

Yeast Dough for onion rolls:

• 2 cups very warm water
• 1/4 cup potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons yeast (instant, fast rising)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
• 6 - 6 1/2 cups flour

1. Stir together the water, potato flakes and sugar. 
2. Add eggs, softened butter, and yeast mixed with 3 cups flour. 
3. Beat with mixer on high speed. 
4. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft but knead-able dough is formed. 
5. Knead well. 
6. Place in a greased bowl.
7. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. (About an hour in a warm place.)

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

 Directions:

1. Punch down dough, and divide in half.
2. Roll each half out to form a 16 x 12 inch rectangle.
3. Brush each piece with half the melted butter; sprinkle each rectangle with half the cheese and poppy seeds.
4. Beat egg, and brush lightly over long edges.
5. Starting at one long side, roll up tightly, pinching seam to seal.
6. Cut thick slices (about 1 1/2") and place on parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. 
7. Press buns to flatten to about 3/4" thick.
8. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
9. Brush lightly with beaten egg.
10. Top each roll with onion slices. 
11. Add a dollop of mayonnaise on top of each bun (about 1 teaspoon).
12. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Cool on racks.

Yield: 20 large cheesy onion rolls.

*  It is a wonderful refrigerator dough...and keeps well for several days in the fridge in a sealed container.  It is a simple thing to use half the dough for cheesy onion rolls today...and refrigerate the rest to use for cinnamon buns or more onion buns tomorrow (or the tomorrow after that!). 

I need to keep the turkey(s) wrestler happy, so I may serve George this for staying power: avocado egg salad on dark bread.

Here's a delicious way to dress up mashed potatoes.

• four medium potatoes (Of course more for a crowd with all the ingredients.)
• 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces and fried until crisp
• 1 large leek, white and pale green part only, washed, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced 
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• warm milk
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Partially peel potatoes. ( I like having a bit of the potato skins peeping through the creamy white.)
2. Place in a pan with cold water and salt to taste, bring to a boil and simmer until tender.
3. While potatoes are cooking, place bacon pieces in a fry pan and cook until crisp.
4. Remove bacon to a paper towel with a slotted spoon.
5. Add sliced leeks and minced garlic to bacon fat and saute over medium heat until leeks are soft and beginning to brown.
6. Drain potatoes and mash, add sour cream and butter and enough warm milk to make a rough mash.  For these potatoes, a rougher mash with a few lumps is desirable.
7. Add bacon, leeks, garlic and some of the bacon fat to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve. Serves 3-4

Apple raisin bread 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon or rind of 1 lemon
• 4 – 4 ¼ cups flour, divided
• 2 Tbsp instant yeast*
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups raisins (rinsed with hot water) 

* about the yeast - the original recipe calls for 1 pkg yeast, letting it proof in warm water first. If you use water, adjust the milk or flour. 

Method:

1. Melt butter and add milk to a combined warm temperature.
2. Beat eggs and sugar, adding salt, cinnamon (or zest) and gradually the liquids.
3. Stir in 2 cups flour mixed with instant yeast.
4. Add rinsed raisins and then the rest of the flour, mixing until dough comes together. This works best with the dough hook attachment if you are doing it in a mixer.
5. Dust with extra flour if necessary to shape. Cover with tea towel and plastic bag and let rise at room temperature for about 1 –1 ½ hours.
6. Divide into two or three parts. If you are only making raisin bread, simply shape each part into a loaf. This will make two medium or three small loaves.
7. Cover and let rise until dough comes near the top of the loaf pan, about 45 – 60 minutes.
8. For a glossy look, beat an egg white with a fork and brush it over the tops, just before baking.
9. Bake in pre-heated 325 F oven for 30 – 45 minutes depending on size of loaf pan. Remove from pan to cooling rack while hot.