Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Every family has traditions that surround a celebration such as Thanksgiving. This can include both the centerpiece entree and the side dishes. For most North American families, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner features a turkey roasted to perfection. But for some families, a special roast such as standing rib may be the focal point.
Mashed potatoes
Those delicious mashed potatoes are usually a required addition to the Thanksgiving table. To get lovely, lump-free potatoes, start with your preferences. If you prefer fluffy potatoes, use a high starch variety such as russet or Yukon Gold. For more potato taste, try a low starch variety like round whites.
Scrub your potatoes, cut them to a uniform size, and cover with cold water. Add salt as desired. Rub a little butter around the top of the pot to help keep the potatoes from boiling over. Bring the pot to a boil, and add a teaspoon of white vinegar. This will help the potatoes retain their color.
When you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork, remove them from the stove and drain immediately. Put the potatoes back in the hot pan, and put them on low heat for just a few minutes to remove excess moisture, which can make them gummy. Don’t leave them on very long.
For really creamy texture, use whole milk, or even a little half and half. Heat the milk before adding. A bit of cream cheese will also make the potatoes creamier. Mash with a hand masher for best results, adding a bare pinch of baking soda.
If you will need to hold the potatoes while preparing other dishes, set the pan into a larger one. Fill the bottom pan with hot water to about half way up the side of the potato pan. Cover the potatoes with a clean damp cloth that barely covers the pan. Keep on a burner set to low heat.
Gravy
The dishes that accompany the meat usually include gravy made from the drippings. A good gravy begins with the drippings poured through a sieve into a cup or small bowl. Set this aside and pour a cup of stock into the roasting pan. Stir to loosen the brown bits, and then pour this into the drippings. Let the mixture sit until the fat rises to the top.
Pour off the fat. Reserve about 3-4 tablespoons and discard the rest. Put the reserved fat into a 2 quart or larger saucepan. Over medium heat, whisk in an equal amount of flour. Cook the flour until it turns golden. It is important to keep the fat and flour to ensure a flavorful sauce.
Gradually whisk in the mixture of drippings and stock. You want about a cup of liquid for every 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook and stir until the gravy thickens slightly. It will get thicker after you remove it from heat, so don’t overdo this step.
If you didn’t get enough drippings for the amount of gravy desired, add a little butter and some warmed chicken stock to extend the gravy.
Salads
A crisp lettuce salad will be a welcome addition for the health and weight conscious guest. Buy the freshest salad green you can find, perhaps at the Farmers Market. Use some Treviso Radicchio for color and full flavor. As soon as you get your salad greens home, wash them in a basin of cold water. Then dry them in a salad spinner, or on a clean kitchen towel. Wrap the greens up in a kitchen towel and store them in a plastic bag in crisper section of the refrigerator. They will stay nice for about a week.
Make your vinaigrette by using 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. A good basic dressing can be made with 1 T olive oil to 3 T red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon Dijon-style mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Wisk together and pour onto the salad. Hand toss to distribute the dressing well.
Experiment with various herbs, acids and flavorings to come up with an endless variety of choices. Try balsamic honey for a sweet/tart flavor, or lemon garlic for a different twist.
Salads can be either savory or fruity. Don’t try to mix the two types.
Other vegetable sides
From Delish.com get easy to prepare vegetable sides that will also be welcomed by the health conscious person. Try their Green and Yellow Beans with Wild Mushrooms, or Maple- Ginger Glazed Carrots. The full link is provided below.
Fruit side dishes
Canned cranberry sauce is loaded with sugar. Instead, try a simple recipe that dresses up fresh cranberries without too much sweetening. Readers Digest offers a great cranberry-lemon-pear combo that will take only minutes to prepare. Find it atwww.rd.com(full link in References).
Also from Readers Digest, try apple-walnut slaw to liven up this traditional side dish.
Dessert
To top off the meal, check outwww.allrecipes.com. Their 270 choices, all with reviews and ratings, will surely provide you with a great choice.
That Thanksgiving feast will be well in hand with a little planning and some help from these fabulous web sites.
References and further information:
http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/thanksgiving/vegetable-side-dishes
http://www.rd.com/home-garden/cranberry-lemon-pear-relish/article19027.html
http://allrecipes.com//Recipes/holidays-and-events/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-dessert/Main.aspx
