Recipes

Chipotle Corn Chowder

November 21, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

This is not the typical creamy corn chowder but a spicier, smokier corn stew. Unfortunately the season for good, fresh ears of corn has passed so I settled with store-bought bags of sweet corn. This recipe is perfect for sweet corn season and makes a great summer/fall soup. A fresh jalapeno is a good flavor addition to the smokey chipotle chili powder. I had some green bell peppers so I added those in for some extra veggies. I balanced the spiciness by adding sour cream and cilantro for garnish.

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Garlic Mashed Potatoes

November 20, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

Another turkey day must have: mashed potatoes. While most recipes call for yellow or brown potatoes (they have a smoother texture for mashing) I like to use red potatoes. I just really like the flavor of these potatoes and their skins. I like mashed potatoes a little chunkier and with the skins mixed in. If you prefer it smoother add more milk and remove the skins. The garlic adds just enough flavor but does not over power the potatoes.

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Pumpkin Pie

November 20, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

You just can’t get any more classic than a pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. I had never made pumpkin pie before but I was very happy with the results. The pie was so flavorful and the texture was nice and smooth. The crust was good and a little bit flaky. The recipe wasn’t too difficult to follow either. I topped the slice with a little fresh whipped cream.

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts

November 20, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

I’ve never understood why brussel sprouts have such a bad reputation. It’s like the dark horse at every thanksgiving and people take 1 brussel and put it on their plate just to be polite. Anyway I like brussels a lot, especially when they are roasted with great flavors. Roasting them on a baking sheet gives the brussels a sweeter flavor and mellows some of their bitterness. You can roast them with pine nuts, chestnuts, cider, or other herbs. There is a lot of variation you can do with brussels and I think I will be making these more for regular dinners, and not just the holidays.

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Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

November 20, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

While I love cooking a huge whole turkey for the holidays, there is no need to get a whole turkey when you’re cooking for two. Instead, I picked up a turkey breast from the store which weighed in at about 7 pounds with the bones so that was more than enough for two. Of course one of the best things about thanksgiving is the leftovers for turkey sandwiches! This turkey was so tender and juicy–I was very happy with how it turned out.

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Roasted Beets

November 20, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

Roasted Beets are both beautiful and delicious. I used to eat them like candy when I was a kid. Roasting the beets concentrates their flavor so they’re great to eat as is. You can also add spices like ground clove and allspice for a little different flavor.

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Gingered Cranberry Sauce

November 19, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

Hurray for cranberries! Every turkey needs its cranberry sauce. While the canned stuff does make me a little nostalgic, I have to say that this recipe brings cranberries to another level. The fresh ginger and orange zest liven up the flavors, and I love the chunkier texture of this sauce.

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Pie Crust

November 19, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

I really like this buttery and flaky all-purpose pie crust. It’s great for pumpkin and fruit pies. Servings: makes 1 crust, enough for one tart. If you are making a pie with a bottom and top crust, double this recipe and form two discs of dough instead of one.

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Italian Sausage with Roasted Potatoes and Peppers

November 14, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

This is one of those meals where all the flavors perfectly compliment each other. The peppers and onions are sweet and a little spicy, as is the sausage, while the roasted potatoes provide a counterpoint to the spicier flavors. The key to this dish is to get quality italian sausage, preferably on the spicy side. If it says grass fed/free range on the label the quality will likely be a bit better.

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Chicken Fajitas

November 13, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

What can be said about chicken fajitas besides the fact they are so good? Well, apparently the name ‘chicken fajita’ makes no sense. I learned today that the word ‘fajita’ actually refers to a cut of beef called a skirt steak. So, what else can be said about chicken steaks? Well, they are versatile and a bit different than burritos, which usually do not have the grilled peppers and onions. To me that is what makes a fajita, not what kind of meat is in it (said the gringo). I usually grill the chicken but this time I decided to broil it and I was pretty happy with the results. The chicken was extra tender since I only broiled it for maybe 7 minutes. Next time I will try this out with the more linguistically correct grilled skirt steak.

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