Typical Thanksgiving

Here's the thing about Thanksgiving at my house. It's not your typical, all-American, brown-gravy-and-mashed-potatoes kind of Thanksgiving. It's Thanksgiving...with a twist. A very Italian twist. 

We usually start off with the antipasto, meaning, of course, that it's before the pasta.  And believe me, it does come before the pasta...but we'll get to that in a second.  The antipasto includes roasted peppers, eggplants, cold cuts, cheeses, mini meatballs, artichoke, olives.

You eat all of this with bread; bread is a very important part of any Italian holiday meal. It goes with every course.  Italians really do love their carbs!

Cold cuts, olives, and cheese...and I don't even like olives.

 The second course is always my favorite...the pasta. This year, we forewent the manicotti or the lasagna for a simple baked ziti.  Well, maybe not so simple.  There were mini meatballs, and ricotta, and layers of mozzarella cheese.

And let's not forget the meatballs. Because what Italian pasta dish would be complete without Grandma's meatballs?  If you remember, I attempted to make these a few weeks ago. After eating Grandma's meatballs again, though, I realize how much more work I have to do in perfecting them.  The texture, the taste, the subtle combinations of ingredients...it's a recipe I need to continue to cultivate. 

Then, finally, we get to the "Thanksgiving" part of the meal.  We make a turkey, but we don't have a brown gravy. We have potatoes, but they are sweet potatoes, cut into slices, smothered in maple syrup (it sounds weird, but it's delicious).  We have stuffed mushrooms, filled with breadcrumbs.  In the last three years, we've added something "American" as a concession to the friends who have joined us at the holiday: a green bean casserole. Except I think I'm the only one in my family who will actually eat it.

The stuffing deserves its own paragraph. I'm not even sure what "real" stuffing is supposed to be...some concoction with croutons? But our stuffing is a meal unto itself. Ground beef, spinach, salami, sausage, cheese...I don't even know what else is in there.  But. It. Is. So. Good.

Tres leches and cheesecake

Somewhere in there, there's a fruit course. Pineapples, grapes...I get excited when there is pomegranates.  

We always end on dessert.  My favorite part (even though it kills me a little bit every time I eat it) is this tres leches cake that one of my mother's clients gives to her every year. Three milks.  Not great for lactose intolerance.  But so delicious.

Is there any wonder why Thanksgiving is my favorite (food) holiday?

Bruschetta

If there is one part of an Italian antipasto that I absolutely love, it is bruschetta...a tomato salad on top of crispy bread. It's so easy to make, but sinfully delicious.

(Beware, this is one of those recipes that I don't use exact measurements...just do it to taste).

Ingredients

1 loaf of Italian bread (day-old bread is best)
3 tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Pecorino Romano (I prefer the saltiness of this cheese to Parmesan)

1. Slice the bread on a diagonal, to get the most surface area. Lightly coat each side of the slices with olive oil and garlic powder. Toast in oven (directly on rack is best) until golden and crispy. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the bowl) and 1 clove of garlic (minced).

3. Chop tomato into cubes. Combine with the olive oil and garlic, chopped onion and chopped basil leaves.

4. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle some more olive oil . Add a second clove of minced garlic.  Then, add a splash (just a splash!) of balsamic vinegar to the bowl.  Mix well.  Refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the flavors to mix together.

5. After two hours, spoon some of the tomato salad on to the toasted bread. Drizzle with a balsamic vinegar reduction glaze (see balasamic glaze recipe here).  Sprinkle some grated Pecorino Romano cheese on top.

Viola!  Bruschetta, a safe bet for any true Italian. 

 

By the way, basil is one of my favorite tastes. Ever!

Going Greek

I think that secretly, I want to be Greek.  I have always loved the culture and the history and the myths...but mostly I have loved the food.  The first time I tried Greek cuisine, I was in New York, visiting my uncle. I can't remember everything we ate, but I do remember two things: avgolemono and tzatziki. Since then, I've been in love with the two of them.  Whenever I go for Greek, I always get avgolemono and tzatziki.

I love them so much that I decided it was time for me to make them. 

Tzatziki

I tackled tzatziki first.  Tzatziki is a cucumber and Greek yogurt-based condiment.  It's used as the sauce in a gyro or souvlaki.  But it's also excellent as just a dip with pita. And the best part of tzatziki? It's incredibly easy to make.

Ingredients
Greek yogurt (I prefer Chobani, plain...get the big tub, fat-free)
2 cucumbers
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp. freshly chopped dill
Salt
Lemon juice
Pita (I like the pitettes...the are the perfect dipping size)

1. Peel the cucumbers. Slice them in half, length-wise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds.

2. Chop the cucumber into small pieces. Use a paper towel to pat the cucumber and soak up extra water. Leave the cucumber pieces in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let it drain out for about 30 minutes. The more water you can eke out of the cucumber, the better.

3. In a food processor, combine the cucumber, the minced garlic, the lemon juice, the olive oil, and the dill. Process until the ingredients are well blended. The ingredients should be thick if you have properly drained the cucumber (I did not the first time I made it).

4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ingredients from the food processor with the Greek yogurt.  Mix until well-blended.  

5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, to allow the flavors to blend together.  Serve with warm pitas and vegetables for dipping.

PointsPlus value: 2 (1/2 cup per serving)

 Avgolemono

Avoglemono is kind of like a Greek version of chicken soup...infused with lemon and dill.  The egg makes it thicker. It's perfect when the weather is starting to get cooler, or when you are getting a cold...or for both, which is what happened to me last week.  This is a recipe adapted from "Just 5: 125 Recipes with 5 Ingredients" from Weight Watchers.

Ingredients

1 large chicken breast, cubed

1 carton of vegetable broth (32 ounces)

1 cup orzo

4 large eggs (or the equivalent in egg whites)

1 lemon, juiced

2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

 1. Cook the chicken thoroughly.

2. Bring 2 cups of water and the carton of vegetable broth to a boil.  Once the liquid has boiled, add the orzo and return to a rapid boil.  Lower heat and cook until orzo are tender.

3. While the orzo is cooking, add the egg, lemon juice, and black pepper to a bowl.  Whisk lightly.  Stir 2 tablespoons of hot broth into the mixture. Pour the egg mixture slowly into the simmering soup. Stir constantly until the egg is cooked thoroughly, and forms thin strands. Use dill as a garnish. 

PointsPlus value: 5 (makes 4 servings)

...and that's all. They're two delicious but totally simple recipes. So what are you waiting for? Go make them! Opa!