A Tart for Thanksgiving

Canadian Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  What I wouldn't give to head back to my youth for my mom's Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings and the beautifully decorated table, extended family gathered together, eating off the fancy china and everything.  Not that it couldn't happen now - it's just harder to get everyone together.  For one, it's a bit of a boat ride to head back for one dinner.  Not that time travel is any more of a possibility.

In looking for something to make with sweet potatoes other than the traditional sweetened version from my mom's recipe files or this more American version with marshmallows (don't knock it 'fore you try it!) I came across this recipe for a galette made with sweet potatoes, caramelised onions and goat's cheese.  And the star ingredient - balsamic vinegar.  The onions were caramelised with a little sugar and vinegar which I felt gave the dish a deeper flavour and the whole thing was absolutely delicious.

 

OK.  Not the whoooole thing.  And it had nothing to do with the recipe.  Having followed the recipe for the filling exactly, which turned out perfectly, I went severely wrong when I lacked some of the ingredients to make the pastry and decided to wing it.  Winging pastry results in, well, not so good results.  When making this again I will follow the recipe to the letter buy a puff pastry base. 

If I knew how to put a big red cross over this image I would.  No no no - don't wing pastry.

I did discover, however, that balsamic vinegar gives boring, old sauteed spinach a bit of a kick when I splashed a little in the pan thinking the side might complement the tart.  It really did.  So a minor disaster with pastry turned into victory dance for spinach.  And not just the metaphorical kind - I might have actually danced a little.

I think individual versions of this tart on a puff pastry base would make a great starter to Thanksgiving dinner.  Might be on the menu this weekend!  With a side dish of balsamic spinach.  If you're celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, what's on your menu? 

Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry

Maybe it's because we've eaten them at Thanksgiving every October since I was small - though not my first Thanksgiving - that year my Grandma fed me spoonfuls of cranberry sauce - but I've always known what a sweet potato looks like.  A few of the younger folks at my local grocery store are still unsure as I have been asked several times "what is this?" as they put it through the checkout.  I'm a little worried that this could be the most exotic vegetable some of our young people have seen - or not seen as the case may be.

My friend Gail was over a couple of weeks ago and I whipped up a quick curry for us to enjoy.  I love a good takeaway but sometimes I just fancy something a little fresher and a little less greasy, this was it.  Very simple and quick, you can have your Friday night treat and not feel guilty about it.

 Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry 

Serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 red chilli

2 cups of fresh spinach

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon each cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, coriander

1/4 cup of water or stock

Cut the sweet potato into cubes and steam it in the microwave (can also be boiled) until a knife slides easily into the vegetable.  Mix the spices together in a small dish.  Fry the finely chopped onions in a little oil.  Once softened, add the garlic, chilli and then the spices and cook for a further 2 minutes.  Add a can of chopped tomatoes and the cooked sweet potato.  Add a little water or stock to ensure the potatoes are covered and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce thickens up.  Stir in the spinach in the last minute or so of cooking.  Serve over brown rice (or basmati if you're fancy) with a big glass of wine and let the weekend begin!

*Add a can of chickpeas for extra protein (to the curry not the wine)

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Roasted root vegetables are a lovely accompaniment to any meal.  They are a winter favourite of mine, very simple to prepare and incredibly versatile.  I often make a large tray to ensure I have leftovers to get creative with long after the meal is over (well not too long).  I live for leftovers.  Before the original meal is finished, I'm already excited about what I can make with the leftovers.  How times have changed; from boys and clothes to leftovers and finding out sparkling water gets the red wine out of my brand new carpet.  I was also pretty thrilled when new french doors and windows were installed this week and every time I walk past I open the curtains and beam a little smile.  My new joys.  It sounds sad, but I swear, I'm fulfilled.

Anyway, back to root vegetables.  Like I said, they're easy.  I usually go with carrots, parsnip, sweet potato, red onion, beetroot (par boiled or the pre-prepared ones in the plastic packet) and whole cloves of garlic roasted right in the skins.  Swede and butternut squash or pumpkin would work nicely too.  I chop everything up to roughly the same size (large-ish chunks),  drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  I roast a large tray for about 45 minutes in a 200°C oven.  Use them as a side dish, in pasta dishes (if you learned anything this week it's that I love pasta!), soups and salads.

I spent last year eating a lot of salads (nothing gets you motivated to trim up a little than a wedding dress) and feeding salads to my poor brother, who had to supplement his meals with sandwiches (or he was going to fit better into my dress than I was!).  This is a salad combination I came up with when living in New Zealand and I just threw what I had in the fridge into a bowl.  Sometimes this method works and, well, sometimes it doesn't - this time it had.  Simple: rocket and spinach salad leaves, topped with roasted vegetables, topped with cottage cheese, drizzled with a balsamic glaze (or dressing).  This salad has sundried tomatoes because I happened to have some and also a side pf pork chop because according to the men, a meal isn't a meal without meat.

Any specials meals planned this weekend?  Starting your Christmas baking?  Tree decorating?  (I have to wait till the puppies go first)  I've just convinced the fella to have fish and chips from the takeaway tonight.  An English Friday must have!  I'll tell you all about it next week.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Gobble gobble!

I hope my Canadian peeps had a great Thanksgiving!  It's one of my favorite holidays.  I love the chance to get everyone together but I especially love the food!  Since moving to England I have always made a big Thanksgiving meal.  And this year was no different.  Apart from one thing - we actually had a turkey!!!  The last few years we have had chicken and once we also had a ham because I could not get my hands on a whole turkey this far from Christmas.  This year I found a whole freezer full at Aldi.  Very exciting for me-doesn't take much! So along with turkey we had mashed potato, mashed sweet potato, homemade stuffing, cabbage and bacon, and green beans with toasted almonds.  For starters we had parsnip soup and beetroot and goat's cheese tarts and dessert was a delicious pecan pie with maple whipped cream.  I couldn't get my hands on a tin of pumpkin pie filling this year but word on the street is Whole Foods or Sainsbury's might have them so I will check that out!

The weekend before turkey day I made a roast dinner - as you do on Sunday in England.  This one had a twist.  I have always wanted to try the American Thanksgiving sweet potato side dish (or is it a dessert?!!)  and had the fixings in the cupboard - sweet potatoes and a whole bag of "American" marshmallows (it said so on the bag).  I thought it was going to be pretty bad - disgusting even - but it was heavenly!  W didn't agree but he doesn't have a sweet tooth.  He also was a bit confused with the whole marshmallow topping thing and thought it was dessert.  The slight sweetness of the mash and the gooey marshmallow with a crispy top is a fantastic combo! 

Sweet Potato Casserole

6 sweet potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed with the following:
1 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
juice from an orange
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup butter

Spread the mash in an oven proof casserole dish.  Use large or mini white marshmallows and spread evenly across the mash.  Bake in a preheated (180°C/350°F) for about 15-20 minutes.  Keep an eye on the marshmallow layer so it doesn't burn.

I didn't make this for Thanksgiving dinner only because I spent all last week eating it for dinner.  I was all marshmallowed out by then!  I would certainly try it again though - but maybe with more people around to help me eat it - if I could convince them!