Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
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Knackerbrod w/Crabmeat Dip
Roast turkey (nearly 12#), with sage, pepper, and salt patted on skin
Turkey Gravy (w/a little scotch and dill for flavor)
Rice Dressing
Very Berry Cranberry Sauce
Roasted New Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic
Steamed fresh broccoli
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll
Knackerbrod (Swedish Oatmeal Crackers)
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1/2 c. margarine, room temperature
1/4 c. butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 c. uncooked rolled oats
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 c. buttermilk
In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, salt, and baking soda.
Set aside.
In another large bowl, cream the shortening, butter, and sugar
until smooth. Alternately add flour and buttermilk to the creamed
mixture, blending until stiff like cookie dough.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour (or more) to stiffen.
Prepare a large baking sheet with an edge (I use an 18"x26" sheet
that fits perfectly into my Viking oven) by lightly spraying with
vegetable (or olive) oil and sprinkling with oatmeal. Use the
largest baking sheet your oven will accommodate.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (if using convection, lower
temperature by 40 degrees).
Divide the dough into 4, 6, or 8 portions, depending on the size of
the baking sheet (my sheet takes the whole batch of dough). Shape
each portion into a ball. Return all but one ball to the chill in
the refrigerator.
Place the ball of dough on the baking sheet and flatten out on the
sheet, spreading as much as possible by hand. Use a rolling pin to
roll the dough out to the edges, as thinly as possible.
NOTE: my original recipe says not to leave the dough more than 1/8",
but I had excellent results with 1/4".
Prick the sheet of dough evenly with the tines of a fork. Using a
pastry wheel, knife, or pizza cutter, score the dough into 2" (approx)
squares.
Bake for 10-20 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. As they
bake, remove the crackers along the edges of the pan that are
browning faster than the others.
Allow the crackers to cool slightly on the baking sheet before
transferring them to a rack to cool completely. When cooled, break
the crackers where scored.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
Store in an airtight container.
NOTE: these were delicious served slightly warm, too! They have a slightly sweet,
nutty flavor, and were wonderfully crunchy. It was a good combination with the
crabmeat dip (see below).
Crabmeat Dip
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1/2 c. low-fat sour cream
1/2 c. plain low-fat yogurt
1 4-1/2 ounce can crabmeat
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives (or onion tops, etc.)
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. tarragon leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients except salt and pepper; mix well. Season with
salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled (at least 2 hours).
Very Berry Cranberry Sauce
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2 12-ounce bags of fresh cranberries
1 20-ounce bag whole frozen strawberries
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. Grand Marnier
1/2 c. OJ
1/3 c. water
2 Tbsp. orange zest
3/4-1 c. walnut pieces
In a large Dutch oven, combine all ingredients. Heat to boiling. Lower
heat; simmer for 10-15 minutes, using a potato masher to gently crush
the berries. Mixture will thicken slightly. Remove from heat to cool
slightly. Place in covered container and refrigerate at least 6 hours.
When ready to serve, stir in walnut pieces.
Roasted New Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic
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8-10 red new potatoes, about 2" in diameter, halved
(quarter them if they are slightly larger, so that
you have pieces that are relatively uniform in size)
1/4 to 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 heads of garlic, peeled
2 T. dried parsley
2 T. dried rosemary
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t. salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (400 convection).
Thinly slice 6-7 cloves of garlic; combine with oil and
herbs in shallow roasting pan. Mix gently to combine.
Toss potatoes with mixture in pan, coating evenly. Salt
lightly if desired. Bake 35-50 minutes, turning twice
with spatula, until potatoes test done and are light
golden brown.
Rice Dressing
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Basmati rice, already cooked and chilled (about 6 servings)
1 medium onion, diced
1-1/2 c. celery, diced
1 small can sliced button mushrooms
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
3/4 c. raisins
1 c. chicken broth (approx)
parsley, sage, marjoram to taste
2 small red delicious apples, diced
saffron to color dish (approx 2-3 Tbsp.)
Cook rice ahead of time; place in covered container and chill at least
4 hours (I make it the night before).
In a large Dutch oven, saute onion and celery in olive oil and butter.
When onions are translucent, add mushrooms and saute an additional 2
minutes.
Add chilled rice, raisins, and apples; mix well. Blend in parsley,
sage, and marjoram to taste. Add enough chicken broth to moisten
mixture. Blend in enough saffron so that dish becomes a nice yellow
color. Set aside until ready to serve.
NOTE: this dish can be made ahead and re-heated when ready for serving.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll
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3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 + 1/8 t. nutmeg
1/4 + 1/8 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. allspice
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
2/3 c. canned pumpkin
3 eggs
Cream Cheese Filling (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 15x10x1 jelly roll pan
with waxed paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In large food processor bowl, mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Add
pumpkin and eggs, mixing until smooth. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
Bake approximately 15 minutes (DO NOT OVERBAKE). Generously sprinkle
cloth towel with powdered sugar. Invert cake onto towel. Starting
with short side, roll up cake in towel; cool completely on wire rack.
Prepare cream cheese filling. Unroll cake; spread with filling; reroll.
Wrap with plastic wrap; freeze 3 hours or until firm. When ready to
serve, let stand at room temperature 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Makes: 10 servings
VARIATION #1:
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May be served with powdered sugar sprinkled over top of slices.
VARIATION #2:
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May be served with rum sauce lightly drizzled over top of cake slices.
Cream Cheese Filling
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1 pkg. (8 oz.) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 t. vanilla (may substitute rum flavoring)
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing just until
blended.
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