To celebrate Thanksgiving here at Food Safety News we’re hosting our fourth virtual potluck (we’ve also held virtual picnics on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day).
We’ll be having turkey, of course, and for tips on how to cook a turkey, you can’t beat the Food and Drug Administration’s Keep Food Safe Blog. For instance, did you procrastinators know it’s safe to cook a frozen turkey? It will just take 50 percent longer than a fully thawed turkey. Check out the FDA’s helpful Turkey Roasting Chart and reminders that no matter what method you use — roasting, brining, deep frying or smoking — the bird isn’t safe until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees (and that goes for the stuffing).
In addition to the turkey, we’ve got two soups–Dan’s lentil and Marijke’s curry kale. Claire has contributed corn pudding, Gretchen made Brussels sprouts, and Helena suggests roasted squash and veggies. Alexa has shared Parmesan-rosemary potatoes and cranberry Waldorf salad. For dessert there’s Michelle’s “that blueberry thing,” a variation on a crisp, and Suzanne is bringing an unusual-but-delicious concoction involving butternut squash and pretzels.
We’re sharing the recipes here, so you can join in our virtual potluck or use them at your next one.
Have a happy and food-safe Thanksgiving Day.
The Food Safety News team
Gretchen’s Brussels Sprouts
Maple syrup, a key ingredient in this recipe, may well have been present on the first Thanksgiving table, since Native Americans and First Nations had been producing it since before European settlers arrived.
This recipe is fast and easy, but adds a little sweet holiday twist to your standard brussels sprouts.
Ingredients
— 3 cups chopped (quartered) brussels sprouts
— 1/2 cup caramelized walnut pieces (broken but not chopped)
— 2 Tbsp butter
— 4 Tbsp maple syrup
— 4 Tsp cider vinegar
— Salt to taste
Instructions
Steam chopped brussels sprouts for 5 minutes.
Heat pan to medium. Add butter and spread evenly around pan until it melts. Add brussel sprouts to pan. Sautee 3 minutes, tossing occasionally with a spatula. Add maple syrup, cider vinegar, and nuts. Turn pan to medium high and sautee 2 more minute, again tossing occasionally. Salt as desired.
This recipe feeds 6, but can be expanded as needed. Enjoy!