So Edible is a monthly feature with recipes and cooking tips to inspire eating fresh home-made food.
My favorite holiday of the year seems to have surprised me once again. The colder weather and shorter days are an obvious clue, but I still find it hard to get my head around the fact that Thanksgiving will be here next week. If you’re feeling a little caught off-guard too, I have a couple of dishes to share that capture the festive harvest-season flavors, but don’t require extensive prep or complicated lengthy cooking processes.
Roasted Winter Squash with Garam Masala
Both of these dishes are on the lighter leaner side which brings a nice balance to many of the ultra-rich and much-loved recipes that grace most Thanksgiving feasts. Mushroom and Kale Wild Rice Pilaf can easily stand in for traditional turkey dressing and simple wedges of Roasted Winter Squash dressed up with a dusting of Garam Masala can fill the role of mashed potatoes if you’re looking to streamline your menu. Most importantly the pilaf can be made in about an hour and the roasted squash with only about 15 minutes of hands-on work.
Mushroom and Kale Wild Rice Pilaf
The pilaf is prepared in two steps, with the rice being baked in the oven and the veggies sautéed on the stove top. The two are simply stirred together once both parts are cooked. I’ve taken this dish to pot lucks because it holds well and tastes good even if it’s cooled to room temperature.
Onion, mushrooms and kale saute for rice pilaf
With the addition of a roasted chicken and a nice green salad, you’ll have pulled together a low-key but perfectly festive and completely satisfying Thanksgiving meal. It can even be prepared day-of as long as you get your shopping done before the stores close. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a stressful over-indulgent event. Gathering up friends and family, even last minute, to share a simple meal might just end up being one of the most delightful holiday celebrations you’ve ever had. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Carol Peterman
Carol writes the blog feature, So Edible, a monthly post with recipes and cooking tips to inspire eating fresh homemade food. Carol is the owner of TableFare, a company developing unique kitchen products that combine the best of form and function to create superior usability and beauty. As a passionate cook obsessed with spices, she loves to inspire others to cook and share their food experiences. She writes the blog mix, mix...stir, stir on TableFare.com, teaches cooking classes to low-income families as a volunteer with Operation Frontline, and is always ready for a food adventure. Connect with Carol onTwitter @TableFare and Facebook.
* This post is from a Girl Power Hour featured blogger. It is not written, edited or endorsed by Girl Power Hour. The authors are solely responsible for content.
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Thanksgiving Streamlined | Spice Guru Recipes & Tips Blog | TableFare the makers of SpiceCare
11.17.2011
[...] you’re just not ready to take on a big cooking challenge, simplify. Check out my most recent guest blog post for Girl Power Hour where I share a couple of recipes I’ve just added to our site that are easy to make and capture [...]