Thanksgiving is the best day of the year to show off your at-home chef skills and introduce your loved ones to your favorite holiday flavors. While most of us will enjoy classics like turkey, dressing, and sweet potato casserole, we love trying new dishes and switching up the routine to create new seasonal traditions. Fortunately for us, Casey Easton of Food Lab Boulder has once again shared some of her fantastic recipes, fit for your Boulder Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy!
Beets and Cotija
Serves 4
2 beets, peeled, cooked and quartered.
1/2 cup farro, cooked
2 TBSP cotija cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/4 fennel bulb, sliced thin
olive oil
lemon
honey
salt
Place all ingredients on a plate and sprinkle with salt, pepper, oil, honey and a squeeze of lemon. Serve and enjoy!
Sweet Potato Wedges with Chili Aioli
Serves 4
2 sweet potatoes, cut lengthwise into wedges
olive oil
sea salt
fried rosemary
1 egg yolk
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
lime juice of 1/2 lime
salt
2 tsp red chili powder
Pre-heat oven to 425°. Place the wedges on a baking sheet and coat them with salt and olive oil. Bake 15 minutes, open and flip, bake 15 more minutes. Remove.
In a food processor, blend egg, garlic and salt. Slowly add the oil in a very slow stream until you have a silky mayonnaise-like consistency. Fold in chili powder and a squeeze of lime. Serve with hot sweet potato wedges.
Stuffing Poblanos
Serves 4
4 poblano peppers
2 cups dried cubed bread for stuffing
1 onion, diced small
3 stalks celery, diced small
1 tsp each dried oregano, rosemary, thyme and sage
1 cup broth
Splash of white wine
1 TBPS olive oil
2 TBSP butter
salt
pepper
Pre-heat oven to 425°.
Heat a pan to medium high and add butter and oil. Place onion in and cook for 5 minutes. Add celery and herbs. Cook a few minutes and add the bread. Stir until bread is fully coated. Stir in wine, then let the wine cook off. Add broth, then cook 5 minutes.
Cut tops off of poblanos and remove seeds. Stuff the peppers evenly with the stuffing and replace the top (it will just rest on the stuffed pepper). Place on a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with turkey gravy or red chili sauce. Better yet, both. 😎
I also would serve a cilantro pesto for some bright green acidic goodness and a deep mole for the turkey. Los Chileros makes a decent dried mole mix.
Cilantro Pesto
1 bunch cilantro, stems and all
½ cup olive oil
½ cup pumpkin seeds
2 cloves garlic
1 TBSP agave
1 lime, juiced
salt
Blend oil and garlic in a hand blender or blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend. Season to taste. Serve and enjoy!