Molly O'Neill: Glazed Shallots

Each year I have gotten into the habit of trying a new side dish for Thanksgiving.  Something outside of the usual rotation.  Because sweet potatoes with marshmallows and green beans only go so far.  I feel like there needs to be one new thing on the menu to keep things interesting.  This year I decided to play with some shallots, which I don't think would normally be considered a side dish, but more of an ingredient in some other creation.  But these shallots turn out soft and sweet, with a delicious umami background from the chicken stock and a slight tang from the wine.  And they play perfectly with that roast turkey.

Glazed Shallots
From Molly O'Neill, as seen at NYT Cooking

1¼ pounds (about 36) small shallots, peeled
½ cup white wine
1 cup homemade or low-sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
A few grinds of black pepper

In a skillet just large enough to hold the shallots in a single layer, combine the shallots, wine, stock, sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the liquid evaporates and the shallots are very tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Raise heat to medium high and cook, shaking the pan frequently, until the shallots begin to brown and are coated with a thick syrup. Remove from heat and add the final tablespoon of butter, shaking the pan until it is melted and incorporated. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Cuisine at Home: Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

When you're a bit worn out on the traditional pumpkin pie, but you still want pumpkin in your life, what are you to do?  Make a fantastic pumpkin cheesecake, of course.  Cheesecake makes everything better, right?  Even if you're bursting at the seams from all that turkey and stuffing.  And a cheesecake with a touch of maple in just the right places is even better.  This was the hit of our Thanksgiving; what will be yours?

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
Adapted from Cuisine at Home magazine

For the Crust:

1 cup gingersnap-cookie crumbs (24 small cookies)
1⁄2 cup graham cracker crumbs (4 graham crackers)
1⁄2 cup toasted pecan halves, pulsed in a food processor
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

For the Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

1⁄2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves

For the topping:

11⁄2 cups sour cream
⅓ cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 325°F; coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.

Combine gingersnap crumbs and graham-cracker crumbs for the crust in a bowl. Add pecans; stir in butter, the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and salt until mixture is sandy. Press crumbs into bottom and 1 inch up sides of the prepared pan. Bake crust until it’s slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from the oven; cool slightly.

Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and the granulated and dark brown sugar in a bowl until mixture is fluffy. Add pumpkin, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Beat mixture until smooth, scraping sides of the bowl. Pour filling into crust; place springform pan on a baking sheet.

Bake cheesecake until sides are set but center still is jiggly, about 50 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven. (Leave oven on.)

Whisk together sour cream and maple syrup in a bowl. Spread topping over cheesecake. Return cheesecake to the oven; bake until it’s set, 15 minutes more. Turn off oven and crack open the door; leave cheesecake in the oven for 20 minutes more.

Remove cheesecake from oven. Allow cheesecake to cool in pan on a rack for about 1 hour. Loosely cover cheesecake in pan with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

To serve, remove ring from the springform pan. Slice cheesecake with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry before each cut. Garnish individual servings with whipped cream and sugared pecans, if desired.

Mom on Timeout: "Turkey and Stuffing" Meatballs with Herbed Gravy

I don't normally like turkey meatballs.  Mainly because they're tasteless.  Ground turkey just doesn't have much flavor, mostly due to the fact that it's low in fat.  And fat = deliciousness.  So how to bump up the flavor profile?  Dump in a packet of sodium.  I'm sorta not even kidding.  I used an entire package of stuffing for these meatballs, and they were fantastic.  Serve them with mashed potatoes and gravy?  Even better.

Note: Try to get regular ground turkey, not ground turkey breast.  Regular ground turkey will include some dark meat, and that's the part that has a little more flavor.  You can also use turkey-flavored stuffing mix; I'm just partial to the chicken version.

"Turkey and Stuffing" Meatballs with Gravy
Adapted from Mom on Timeout blog

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6-ounce) box Stove Top chicken-flavored stuffing mix
¾ cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
1 large yolk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (16-ounce) package ground turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil
Herbed Gravy

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook until tender, about 6 minutes.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Place stuffing mix in a resealable Ziploc bag and crush lightly with a rolling pin or mallet. In a large bowl, combine stuffing crumbs and half-and-half and stir to combine. Mix in cooked onion and celery mixture, parsley, egg and egg yolk, salt, and pepper.  Add ground turkey and mix gently just until combined.

Using a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop, form meatballs from the mixture. Use your hands to gently form into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or just until cooked through.

Makes about 32 meatballs

Herbed Gravy

1 (12-ounce) jar turkey gravy

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
¼ teaspoon rubbed sage
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary

In a small bowl, combine gravy and herbs.  Heat according to package instructions.  Serve with meatballs and mashed potatoes.

The Bun Shop: Ba'Corn Cheese

When I saw the chef making this skillet of deliciousness one weekend while I was half-watching the TV, I dropped what I was doing.  I mean, this is sweet corn, smothered in bacon and cheese.  That is right up there with brownies and perfect mashed potatoes.  The chef claimed this was some sort of Korean bar food, but I never saw this when I lived in Seoul.  If I had, it would have been my dinner EVERY NIGHT.  If you want to bump up the spice level a bit, I think you could hit this with some sriracha and all would be right with the world.

Ba'Corn Cheese
From The Bun Shop, as seen on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 strips bacon, chopped
½ jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 cups sweet corn, fresh or canned
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ cup mozzarella cheese

Place a 5- or 6-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven; preheat the oven to broil.

Heat a wok or sauté pan over high heat. Add the butter and bacon and cook until the bacon is crisp, about 20 seconds. Toss in the jalapeño and corn, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the corn kernels start to char a little bit, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the garlic and half of the scallions. Add the sweetened condensed milk, mayonnaise, and ¼ cup of the mozzarella and cook until the cheese is melted and the ingredients are well mixed, another 20 seconds.

With a towel, grab your hot skillet from the broiler and carefully pour in the corn-cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup mozzarella over the top and set under the broiler until golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Garnish with the remaining scallions.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Sweet Little Bluebird: Maple Honey-Mustard Pecan Pork Chops

I'm really trying to work through the items in my freezer, mostly because I've hidden some delicious delicacies in the back somewhere.  So I need to cook my way through the packages in front to get to them.  Which means the pack of pork chops I through in last week was sitting right on top.  Now, I've done pork chops with breading, stuffed pork chops, and pork chops in cream sauces.  I wanted something different.  Well, this is definitely different.  I think the mustard really helps keep the sauce from being overly sweet and gives it a bit of a tang.  And who doesn't like something smothered in pecans?

Maple Honey-Mustard Pecan Pork Chops
Adapted from Sweet Little Bluebird blog

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon granulated onion
½ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 pork chops

Pecan Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup roughly chopped pecans, lightly toasted
¼ cup honey
¼ cup real maple syrup
¼ cup whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon praline liqueur (optional)
Sea salt, to taste

In a shallow dish, mix flour and spices. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt butter with oil. Dredge pork chops in seasoned flour, shake off excess, and place in skillet. Brown both sides and cook until pork chops are cooked through. Once ready, move chops to a serving plate.

Clean out the skillet and then return to the heat.  Reduce heat to medium and add the butter. Toss the pecans in the melted butter, then add remaining sauce ingredients.  Cook until slightly thickened and syrupy, about eight minutes. Once heated through, spoon mixture over pork chops and serve.

Makes 4 servings