Turkey Divan for Faye

'Cause Faye love aspergus. I blanched the aspergus first and plunged them in cold water. Wrap a few in some fresh turkey breast meat and lay them in a baking dish.

Make a simple white sauce and add some cheese...3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons flour, melt and cook together sturing constanly for 5 minutes - stop before it gets brown....add 1 cup of warmed milk...keep sturing and add some grated cheese of choice....oh yeah - I add a bay leaf - a clove - maybe a piece of pounded garlic - whatever I'm in the mood for.

 Pour this over the turkey and asperegus and bake for 35 minutes.

Mac and Cheese...a work in progress

This is a recipe I'm still trying to prefect in Holland. No cheddar no Velvita here. What's a girl to do? It's funny how the "stupid" recipes are sometimes the most difficult to get right. I re-heated a batch for William in the oven with Gorgonzola - and he raved about it....but that seems like cheating and changing what a Mac and Cheese is all about. I'll let you know when I get it right.

My version of Duck with prunes

I love duck meat. It's so nice and dark and rich but mild and tender when cooked right. You can't go wrong these days with duck breasts. One big one is enough for 2 people. Score the fat side slightly and brown  in a combination of oil and butter.

I'm a one-pan-man...take the duck out and add some onions and prunes. 

 Brown these babies....add some dark beer - I've got Belgian beer close by but a Mad-Hatter would do just fine. 

 Put it in the oven for about 30 minutes - not too long or the duck with dry out. Pull the breast out and let it rest while your puree what's left in the pan to make a delicious sauce. Toss a salad and make some home-made french fries. Wine or beer goes fine.

Veggie Sandwhiches

When we feel like we've eaten too much meat we take a veggie break. This is a week-night meal for us - and it's wicked hearty. I usually saute brocolli, green and red peppers, and some onions in olive oil. I toast a nice bun or bread and spread it with some hot mustard. Pile the saute mixture on the bread with some grated cooked beets, avacodo and some swiss cheese.

 Grill it for 10-15 minutes. I make a blue cheese dressnig to go over it. Trust me - you don't need anything else. This recipe actually comes from the Moosewood Cookbook. It scares me to think I've been making it for 25 years.

Faye's Thanksgiving Table 2011

When you have company don't forget to set a nice table. This was my mom's table setting for Thanksgiving this year with Richard, Joe William and I. The flowers are from Loraine!

The recipe Dinah gave me for Cranberry Salad

 I don't really have a great picture of the finished product but my taste-testers loved this cranberry salad (William). It's got all the ingredients you might wish for to accompany a heavy turkey dinner...tangy but not too sweet - crunchy and fresh...jell-o at it's best!

 It's got an apple, pineapple, walnuts, cellery, cooked-down cranberries and lemon jell-o.

 You gotta mix everything before the jello sets.

 You can put it in a mold or pretty bowl...it all gets eaten.

Thanks Dinah!

Sweet Potato Butternut Squash Pumpkin Puree

This is a really easy sturdy recipe great with lamb and turkey - let's say roasted meat in general. You can bake almost any root vegetable in the oven- this time it was a small organic pumpkin, a butternut squash and a few sweet potatoes...and puree it!

When all the vegetables are soft and tender add some sour cream, cream and butter - creme fraiche or a bit of cream cheese - you know what I mean....and puree.

It should look like this. I like some fresh grated nutmeg but that's not for everyone.

Put a big glob of butter on the top and pop it in the oven when ever you need it.

Traditional Turkey with Stuffing