Cash and Carried in the City

This is what Thanksgiving Dinner 2006 looked like...our first holiday in the UK! No turkey...instead a poussin and salad!

So it has been a minor struggle to get to this point but today is Thanksgiving and I'm insistent on having a nice dinner with Matt to celebrate with our families...as they should be eating Thanksgiving lunch about that time (I just thought of that...). I have never made any of the things listed below while here in the UK and it seems a couple of the ingredients were harder to find than I expected. Of course I ordered everything online and was hoping I could have them delivered earlier, but the spots were all taken and I had to settle for 11am today. Now that I look through it all I did forget a couple of things and will be making a trip across the street (fingers crossed!) and pick up the remaining items. Anyway, here's to you family and friends near and far and may you be blessed with as much as I have been.

I've just finished watching Julia & Julie and what an inspiration...haha! Here's what is on the menu today...

Baked Turkey
turkey breasts (yes I got actualy turkey...turkey breasts, but nonetheless!)
1 c bread crumbs
2 T melted butter
salt & pepper to tast

1. Rub salt and pepper over turkey breast. Dip turkey breast in melted butter and roll in bread crumbs.
2. Place them in foil. Pour rest of melted butter over turkey and seal foil. (tightly sealed)
3. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
4. Turn back foil and bake for 30 minutes more.

Pumpkin Pie
with Pecan & Maple Cream

For the Pie:
550g of pumpkin, peeled & sliced and baked in the oven (we used the Halloween pumpkin I never got a chance to carve)
500g shortcrust pastry
175g light muscovado sugar (I could only find dark brown sugar, typical British style)
2 eggs
142ml pot double cream
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice (I can only find the granules and have to jamie oliver smash it...not really ideal!)
1 tsp ground ginger
small grating of nutmeg (this I only had in ground form, so used a pinch)

1. Place the pumpkin pieces in a large microwaveable bowl. Cover, then cook on High (850W) for 15 mins or until soft. Tip into a colander to drain, then leave to cool. (We don't own a microwave, so I baked the pumpkin!)

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin so it's wide enough to line a 25cm tart tin. Ease the pastry into the case, making sure there's an overhang, then chill for 30 mins. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line the case with foil and baking beans, then bake for 15-20 mins. Remove foil and beans, then cook for a further 10 mins until the pastry is golden. Turn oven down to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. ( we don't have baking beans so I'm going for the bean substitute instead)

3. Meanwhile, place pumpkin, sugar, eggs, cream and spices in a food processor, then blend until smooth. Pour into the baked pastry case, then bake for 1 hr until the filling has puffed up in the centre (it will sink as it cools). Remove from tin, then leave to cool.

For the Cream:
142ml tub double cream
5T maple syrup
25g pecans, finely chopped

4. Whip the cream with the maple syrup until thickened, then fold in the pecans. Serve spoonfuls of the cream with slices of the pie.

Pecan Pie (non-corn syrup)
1 c light brown sugar (as above, i've used dark)
1/4 c white sugar
1/2 c butter
2 eggs
1 T all-purpose flour
1 T milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts.

3. Pour into an unbaked 9-in pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.

Corn Bread Dressing
1 package dry corn bread mix (this may be tricky as I haven't found corn meal...)
2 T butter
1/2 c chopped celery
1 small onion
2 eggs, beaten
2 c chicken stock
2 T dried sage
salt & pepper to taste

1. Prepare the dry corn bread mix according to package directions. Cool and crumble.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the celery and onion until soft.

4. In a large bowl, combine the celery, onions, 3 cups crumbled corn bread, eggs, chicken stock, sage and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.

5. Place into prepared dish and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce) cans French style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1 tablespoon butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat.

3. Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese.

4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

If we don't kill ourselves with overfull bellies I'll be sure to post some photos later of the successes and failures....