* Rose says this turkey doesn’t at all resemble the gorgeous brown centerpiece turkey that wives carry out and place on the table for their husbands to carve. This turkey must be carved in the kitchen, and you’ll find the meat practically falls off the bone. You’ll also find that the meat is moist and delicious and much better than meat from a bird that looks gorgeous.
SALMON LOAF
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
This recipe is from Stan Kramer’s sister Kitty. (When they were growing up. Stan used to tease that she was fated to marry a man named Katz.) Kitty says you can use pink salmon, but the loaf turns out looking a little gray. Red salmon’s more expensive, but it’s worth it if you’re serving this for company.
2 cans (14.75 ounces each) red salmon
1 cup finely ground bread crumbs (or cracker crumbs or matzo meal)
1 cup evaporated milk (or light cream)
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
? teaspoon pepper
? teaspoon onion powder
? teaspoon sage
? teaspoon ground oregano
? cup butter, melted
? cup dried chopped onions (or ? small onion, finely chopped)
8-ounce package frozen green peas
Coat a bread pan with nonstick cooking spray. (The one Kitty uses is glass, and the bottom measures 4 x 8 inches.)
Drain the salmon in a strainer. Prepare it by taking out the bones and removing most of the silver skin. Let it continue to drain while you mix up the rest of the loaf.
In a large bowl, mix the ground bread crumbs, evaporated milk, beaten eggs, and seasonings. Add the melted butter and chopped onions, and mix well.
Add the salmon and the frozen peas, and mix it all up with a big wooden spoon. (You may have to get in there with your hands to make sure it’s thoroughly mixed.)
Transfer the salmon mixture to the pan you’ve prepared, filling it to within a half-inch of the top. If you have any salmon mixture left over, shape it into patties, separate the patties with wax paper, stick them in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. They make wonderful salmon patties. Just thaw them an fry them in butter.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1-1 ? hours. If the top starts browning too rapidly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top.
Let cool for ten minutes and then slice and serve. This is especially good with dill sauce.
Dill Sauce
This sauce must be made at least 4 hours in advance (overnight is even better).
2 tablespoons heavy cream
? cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon crushed fresh baby dill (you can use with ? teaspoon dried dill weed, but it won’t be as good)
Mix the cream with the mayonnaise until it’s smooth, and then mix in the dill. Put the sauce in a small bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours.
A note from Stan’s wife, Lolly: This looks really pretty if you make a double batch of piecrust dough, roll half in an oval for the bottom, and hand-shape the salmon mixture on top of that, leaving 2 inches of cough uncovered around the outside. Roll out the other half of the dough, drape it over the top, and tuck up the bottom edges, crimping them as you would for a pie. Cut slits in the top entire surface of the dough with egg yolk mixed with a bit of water. Bake it the same as you would for a regular salmon loaf and serve it as a “company dish.”
SAUERBRATEN
THIS RECIP MUST BE STARTED 3 DAYS IN ADVANCE!
Marguerite and Clara Hollenbeck bring this to every Lake Eden potluck dinner. People start lignin up early so they’re sure to get some.
3 ? - 4 pound boneless beef roast (rump or sirloin tip preferred)
Marinade:
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
2 limes, sliced with peels (or 1 lemon)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
10 whole green peppercorns
2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground Mexican oregano
For later:
1 cup onion, chopped
16 ounces canned mushrooms with the liquid
one packet (.88 ounce) beef gravy mix
12 gingersnaps, crushed
16-ounce package wide egg noodles
Place meat in a glass or ceramic bowl that’s deep enough to hold it and leave 2 inches at the top.
Mix marinade ingredients together in a large saucepan. Heat until almost boiling.
Pour marinade over the meat, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24-36 hours, turning the meat every 6 hours or so. (Nobody’s going to time you — you don’t have to be exact.) Or, you can borrow Clara’s trick and make double the marinade so it covers the meat entirely and you don’t have to turn it.
When the meat has marinated, place it in a greased Crock-Pot. Stir the marinade in the bowl and remove one cup of the liquid (no lime slices.) Pour this cup of marinade over the meat.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
Remove the meat from the Crock-Pot and toss out the marinade. Put in one cup of chopped onions, and canned mushrooms including the mushroom liquid. (You can also use 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup diluted with 1 can of water.)
Sprinkle in half of the packet of beef gravy mix, reserving the rest for later, and stir it all up. Then place the meat in the Crock-Pot, pour in enough water to just cover it, and cook it on LOW for an additional 2 hours.
Remove meat to a carving platter. Stir the juice in the crock and turn the control to HIGH. Crush the ginger-snaps and add them to the juice. Stir, cover, and let the “gravy” cook for 10-15 minutes. (If it’s not thick enough, add the rest of the beef gravy mix, whisk it briskly, and cook it for another minute.)
While the gravy is cooking, boil salted water and cook the egg noodles, according to the package directions. Drain them, butter them, and serve them with the meat.
Carve the meat (if it needs carving — it may just fall apart and that’s fine), arrange it on a serving platter, and pour some of the gravy over the top. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve the remainder of the gravy in a gravy boat or bowl.
Most people like to put the meat on top of the egg noodles and then pour on a bit more gravy.
SMOTHERED CHICKEN
Laura Jorgensen got his recipe from her friend. Dee Appleton, who lives in Texas. It’s wonderful.
7-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
? cup flour
? cup butter
1 tablespoon Mrs. Knudson’s Season Salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
? teaspoon ground oregano
? teaspoon ground thyme
? teaspoon garlic powder
? cup dried chopped onion
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon sweet basil (not absolutely necessary, but adds a lot)
1 teaspoon chervil (not absolutely necessary, but adds a lot)
1 cup dry white wine (or water with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar)
Take out your largest frying pan and melt the butter on medium heat. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme and garlic powder in a bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and brown it in the butter. (If there’s any flour left in the bowl, just dump it in on top.) Do the underside of the chicken breasts first, so that when you’re finished browning both sides, the right side is up. (This should take about 5 minutes per side.) When the chicken is browned, sprinkle the dried onion, parsley, sweet basil, and chervil over the top. Then dump in the wine, turn the heat down to simmer, and cover the pan. Let it cook for 45 minutes or until the chicken breasts are fully cooked.
Laura serves this with egg noodles and makes a sauce. After removing the chicken to a platter with sides, she pours in a little more white wine or water and cooks the pan drippings for 2-3 minutes until they’re the right consistency. Laura serves this separately so folks can pour it over their noodles and chicken.
SIDES
APPLE ‘N ONION DRESSING BALLS
Lisa’s Aunt Ida used to say that if it was inside the turkey, it was stuffing. If it was outside the turkey, it was dressing. This dressing recipe is from her.
1 cup onion, minced
1 cup cored finely chopped apple with the peel on
? cup chicken broth
? teaspoon sage
? teaspoon ground Mexican oregano
? teaspoon thyme
? teaspoon ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 (6 ounces) package herb seasoned stuffing mix
? cup butter
Grease or coat with nonstick cooking spray the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker.
In a large mixing bowl combine the onion and apple.
In a small bowl, combine chicken broth, sage, oregano, thyme, and black pepper. Mix everything up and then add it to the onion and apple in the large bowl. Mix well.
Add the eggs and then the stuffing mix, stirring until everything is moistened.
Shape the mixture into 8 balls and place them in the crock. Melt the butter and pour it over the top.
Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours.
Sprinkle the stuffing balls with paprika or chopped parsley before serving.
You can use the Crock-Pot for any dressing. Just grease it, turn it to LOW, sprinkle the top with parsley or paprika and dot it with butter, and it’ll be ready in 3-4 hours.
If your guests are late, the way Aunt Ida’s grandchildren always are, she says to tell you that the dressing balls will hold for at least an hour longer.
CORN PUDDING
Kathy Purvis gave us this recipe. She says her family has been serving it for Thanksgiving dinners for as long as she can remember. She also says there’s probably a way to make it in the oven, but no one remembers how to do it.
One package (8 ? ounces) corn muffin or cornbread mix
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup brown sugar
8-ounce package cream cheese (regular, not whipped)
16-ounce can cream-style corn (14.5-ounce can will work, too)
2 1/3 cups frozen tricolor peppers, chopped
1 cup whole milk (evaporated will do fine, or light cream will work also)
? cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon Mrs. Knudson’s Season Salt
1 teaspoon pepper (freshly ground is best)
? teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
Soften the cream cheese in the bottom of a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir it up with a spoon. Let it cool until it’s warm to the touch.
Add the beaten eggs and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
Add the corn muffin or corn bread mix. Stir to incorporate.
Add the can of cream-style corn, the frozen corn kernels, and the tricolor peppers.
Stir everything up and add the milk and the melted butter. Stir in the Season Salt and the pepper.
Coat the crock of a 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Put in the corn pudding mixture. Grate ? teaspoon of nutmeg on the top.
Put the cover on the slow cooker, turn it to HIGH, and let the corn pudding cook for 3-4 hours.
Yield: Serves 10-12 people as a side dish.
GREEN BEAN CLASSIC WITH A TWIST
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Eleanor Cox made up this variation on the classic green bean casserole. She always brings two casseroles to our potluck dinners, and they’re gone in a big hurry.
16-ounce bag frozen cut green beans
16-ounce bag frozen yellow wax beans
one can (10 ? ounces) cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)
one can (10 ? ounces) cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack)
? cup dried chopped onions
? teaspoon garlic powder
6 ounce can French-fried onions ( used French’s)
salt and pepper to taste (I Used 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper)
Spray a disposable half-size steam table pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set it on a cookie sheet so the bottom will be supported.
Thaw the beans in the microwave, but don’t cook them. Dump them in the pan. Pour the two soups over the top, add the cheese, dried onions, and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper, and half of the French-fried onions. Mix it all up right there in the pan.
Cover the pan tightly with two layers of foil, and bake it at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour. (Another ? hour is fine, too — this dish holds well for guests who come late.)
Take the foil off the top and sprinkle on the other half of the French-fried onions. Bake uncovered for a an additional half hour or until the onions are brown and crispy.