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I got this dressing from Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook and it is very easy and very tasty.  Everyone is always looking for new dressing for their salad. The reason I was attracted to this one was because I had never used maple syrup in a salad dressing before. How bad can it be if it has maple syrup in it??? It’s delicious. This recipe was originally posted in 2011 when I discovered the recipe and has gone on to be an absolute staple in our house. Make it your new “go to ” salad dressing and you won’t be sorry. Using all staples that we all should have in our pantry.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon and probably heap those teaspoons)

2 teaspoons real Vermont Maple Syrup

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Canola or Vegetable oil

1/2 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper…

It’s so hard to make a choice of Thanksgiving desserts. Usually by the time dessert rolls around everyone is so full . Somehow though everyone seems to rally for dessert, no matter how full. It’s been on my mind what to bake? I already baked my apple pie which is in my freezer from my Baking Class at ICE.  I know so nice and light right??? Well it’s Thanksgiving, and no one is eating the whole cake, so don’t moan and groan. This is an easy one to do. Pumpkin Cheesecake, not so easy. So if you haven’t finalized your decision, this is a great way to go.  I got this recipe from Barefoot Contessa. (Ina Garten). How easy is that? cookbook. This is a wonderful recipe to make for as long as you have those wonderful cranberries, so stock up in the freezer while they’re around.

Ingredients:

10″ glass (Pyrex)…

I always have a fresh cranberry sauce on my Thanksgiving table, and I buy extra bags of fresh cranberries and throw them in the freezer so I can make it whenever I want to. It’s tart and sweet at the same time, and why would you buy the canned stuff when you can do this so quickly and easily. It’s delicious with all poultry. Buy a few bags of fresh cranberries, they are all over the place now. If you have the room throw a few bags in the freezer.

Ingredients:

12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Directions:

Bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil, dump in whole bag of cranberries (12 oz) bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. I let it sit a little off the heat and then refrigerate, this is so…

I made this recipe for the first time Thanksgiving 2011 and it is now the only Stuffing I make.  I found it in a Barefoot Contessa cookbook, loved all of the ingredients and thought it was delicious. I know there a lot of stuffings out there and unfortunately they are not vegetarian (I am still on the lookout for a very tasty vegetarian one, so please feel free to send it to me if you have a great veggie one.) I don’t cook my stuffing in the turkey. I make it ahead of time and cook it in a buttered gratin dish the day of. This is the stuffing that won out this year.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup diced dried figs, stems removed

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup Calvados or brandy (I used Calvados, bought the bottle last year)

2  yellow onions, diced (approx. 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 cup…

This recipe has been around pretty much my whole married life. If there is a turkey on the table, there is cranberry crisp next to it.  It originated from my friend Karyn, and we even make it for Passover with matzoh farfel.  It’s so sweet and delicious that it could really be a dessert. We love it with our meal; love the sweet and savory thing. You can’t eat too much of it, it is so rich. It is also very dangerous to have in the fridge the next day, so try to give it to everyone who wants to take home leftovers. This tastes good either hot out of the oven or at room temperature. Some people may even want to make it as dessert and serve with vanilla ice cream, but the Kolens don’t. We always serve it as a side dish, but it is awesome however you serve it…

Pumpkin Roux

My daughter, Kerri, has been a vegetarian (not vegan) since she was about twelve. It is always a challenge, especially on holidays, to make delicious and savory food for her to choose from that she will like. While she loves all the sides, I wanted to give her something that would always be on our table and be a tradition for her. She’s not a huge mushroom eater which is why I use cremini. They are somehow less “mushroomy” for her, and she hates anything like “fake meat.” This lasagna is sort of my own concoction. There are a lot of recipes out there, but I find this one works for me. I also need to explain a basic Bechamel (white) sauce or Roux which is at the heart of this recipe.  It consists of butter, flour, salt, pepper, and milk.  Sometimes it takes nutmeg; and in this recipe I add pumpkin, but the 5 basic ingredients are…

My friend Audrey gave this to me many years ago, and it has become a staple on our thanksgiving table ever since. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it. It is a favorite in the Kolen household. Can be doubled easily.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (unsalted) 1 stick

8 oz. sour cream (lite ok but not fat-free)

8 oz.  can sweet corn (drained)

8 oz. can creamed corn

8 oz. pkg. corn muffin mix

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter, mix in beaten eggs, then add the rest of the ingredients.

Pour into glass baking dish (Pyrex is good and I spray it first.) 9 x 12 works fine, it’s not a very deep pudding.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.