This warm, creamy dip will keep guests happily occupied while you attend to the rest of the meal. It's also a good candidate for a potluck office party. Simply assemble the dip the night before, and refrigerate; bring to room temperature, and bake just before serving. Toast baguette slices, cool to room temperature, and store in a zip-top plastic bag.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on 2 large baking sheets, and coat bread with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.
Place mayonnaise, garlic, 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, and fat-free cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended and creamy. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, bacon, artichoke hearts, and spinach. Spread mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with toasted baguette slices.
Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2007
The turkey is simple, but truffle oil in the gravy makes the dish holiday-special. Start making the stock for the gravy while the turkey cooks. Garnish the platter with kumquats, roasted garlic, and fresh thyme, sage, and parsley.
Preheat oven to 500°.
To prepare the turkey, remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy. Trim excess fat. Stuff body cavity with 4 thyme sprigs, sage leaves, garlic, and medium onion. Tie legs together with kitchen string.
Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Combine butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub butter mixture under loosened skin over breast and drumsticks. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey. Pour 1 cup water in bottom of a roasting pan. Place roasting rack in pan. Arrange turkey, breast side up, on roasting rack. Bake at 500° for 30 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove turkey from oven).
Bake turkey at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 165°. (Shield turkey with foil if it browns too quickly.) Remove turkey from the oven; let stand 20 minutes. Discard skin before serving. Reserve pan drippings for gravy.
To prepare gravy, while turkey roasts, heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add reserved turkey neck and giblets to pan; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Add 4 cups water and next 7 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 2 1/2 cups (about 1 hour). Strain through a colander over a bowl. Discard solids. Return mixture to the saucepan; stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour turkey pan drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into strained stock in saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Combine 1/2 cup stock mixture and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir flour mixture into stock; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; add oil, stirring with a whisk. Serve gravy with turkey.
Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2007
For a classic stuffing, place the rice mixture in the cavity of a turkey before roasting. Make sure to get an accurate temperature reading on the stuffing as well as the bird--both should reach an internal temperature of 165°. You can also make this to serve alongside a roast or ham.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add celery, onion, wild rice, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth and sage; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in brown rice, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in cherries and remaining ingredients.
Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2007
This simple side is a classic crowd-pleaser. Toss cooked green beans with sauteed shallots, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and top with crumbled bacon.
Cook green beans in boiling water for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge beans into ice water; drain.
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add shallots to drippings in pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add beans, juice, salt, and pepper to pan; toss to combine. Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring often. Remove from heat. Sprinkle bacon over bean mixture; toss.
Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2007
Yukon gold potatoes, parsnips, and rutabagas make a nice alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. Prepare this dish ahead, refrigerate, and add more milk, if necessary, when reheating.
Place first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above vegetables, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes or until rutabaga is very tender; drain. Return pan to heat. Add milk and butter to pan; cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Add rutabaga mixture to pan; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Stir in salt, mustard, and pepper.
Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2007
These savory treats are delicious alongside roast beef, chicken, or ham. They are great for sandwiches, too.
Preheat oven to 450°.
Place potato in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Return potato to pan. Add buttermilk, sour cream, and butter to pan; mash with a potato masher until smooth.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; stir just until moist. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Pat dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter into 15 biscuits. Place biscuits 2 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.
Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2007
This tangy-sweet homemade cranberry sauce is delicious served with turkey, chicken, quail, duck, or ham.
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Discard cinnamon stick; cool completely.
Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2007
Make the tart a day ahead, and store it in the refrigerator. You can use a 9-inch pie plate instead: simply roll the dough to a 13-inch circle, fold the edges under, and flute.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 10 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in pecans. Roll dough into a 13-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray. Trim excess crust using a sharp knife. Spoon sugar mixture into prepared crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over tart.
Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2007
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Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
