Best-Tested Thanksgiving Recipes

My favorite Recipes for Thanksgiving – bursting with flavor and creativity

Here are my favorite Thanksgiving Recipes!
Any questions… just write to me.

When choosing a menu for Thanksgiving, think about your guests and their tastes, and any dietary restrictions.
Try not to duplicate too many flavors/ingredients.

I like to start with a soup… but not the largest bowl! (This you can make a week ahead and freeze!) Garnishes matter ~ adds an extra element of taste, and looks gorgeous.
Following – I love salads, so I serve a light and tasty one with fall ingredients.
The turkey is the star of the meal – so here is your chance to upgrade the quality of the bird … organic is great… a Heritage bird is divine.
Side dishes also round out the meal and can show some creativity.
Shop at your local farmers’ market for vegetables, herbs, salads and potatoes.
I make two potatoes – a mashed yukon gold, and a caramelized yam.
Choose Fall Desserts with complimentary flavors… one apple, one nut, definitely one pumpkin, one chocolate … and a seasonal ice cream.
Textures matter too! Creamy – chunky – smooth – crunchy – flaky…
If the gravy is not great, the whole meal suffers in my opinion ~ So please make my Marsala Gravy – it’s deeply colored with a rich flavor.

Wishing all a joyous and tasty Thanksgiving,
Karen

           Soups & Salads:

• Kabocha Squash Soup with Apples and Cashew Crema – Vegan
• Thanksgiving Squash and Celeriac Soup with Harissa
• Fall Salad with Pears, Pomegranate Seeds and Zesty Garlic Confit Vinaigrette
• Winter Salad with Grilled Radicchio and Pomegranate-Macadamia Vinaigrette
• Radicchio, Spinach and Kale Salad with Raspberry & Home Made Almond Oil Dressing
• Fall Salad ~ Greens, Nuts and Fruits with a Pickled Radish and Apple Vinaigrette
  

  Breads & Appetizers:

• Karen’s Cornbread
• Blue Corn Madeleines with Cheddar, Fresh Corn and Scallions
• Goat Cheese and Garlic Pâté with Walnuts and Chives ~ Balsamic-Honey Drizzle
• Lebneh Balls – Yogurt Cheese with Herbs, Spices, Walnuts and Olive Oil
• Karen’s Cornbread
  
• Tuscan Stuffed Mushrooms
  

  The Main Course:

• Roast Thanksgiving Turkey Basted with Fruit Juices and Marsala Gravy
  
• Thanksgiving Turkey Marsala Gravy – the best, richest and most delicious!
• Chunky Cranberry Sauce with Pineapple and Ginger
• Chestnut Stuffing with Shiitake Mushrooms, Apricots and Fresh Herbs
• Sticky Glazed Onions with Butter, Honey and Pomegranate Molasses

• Roasted Carrots with Fresh Figs ~ Pomegranate Glaze and Pistachios
  Karen’s Skillet Succotash
  Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Aged Gouda – Maple Syrup Glaze
  
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Spiced Candied Pecans
  

            Sweets:

• Karen’s Fall Apple Cake with Streusel and Caramelized Apples
  Poached Pears in Spiced Red Wine & Pomegranate Juice (with Caramel Zabaglione)
• Vegan Apple Raspberry Crisp
  Pumpkin Cider Pie with Shortbread Cookie Crust
  Caramel Vanilla Bean Vegan Ice Cream
  Caramelized Apple Deep Dish Cheesecake Pie
   Caramel Vanilla Bean Vegan Ice Cream
  Chocolate Lava Cakes with Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles
  Cashew Caramel Lace Cookies