Thanksgiving Menu Guide
November 15, 2012
With Halloween behind us, we are officially hurtling towards the Thanksgiving. For me that means it is time to get serious about meal planning. While Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy time-honored dishes, each year I like to try something new as well. Here a a collection of special occasion-worthy recipes from My Pantry Shelf that my family loves. What is your favorite dish to make for Thanksgiving? Tell us in the comments below. Feel free to add a link to your recipes.
appetizers
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Blue Cheese Yogurt Dip
sides and salads
Acorn Squash Rings with Apple Glaze
Brussels Sprouts with Garlicky Bread Crumbs
Chipotle Black Bean and Butternut Squash Salad
Forbidden Rice and Green Onion Hearth Bread
Orange Quinoa with Almonds, Olives, and Feta
Roasted Beet and Hazelnut Salad with Feta
Stuffed Winter Squash with Rice and Sausage
dessert
drinks
brunch
Dark Chocolate Bark with Chile-Spiced Mango and Pepitas
December 23, 2011
The darkest night of the year has come and passed and the holidays are well underway, but I would be remiss to not share with you this one last edible gift.Chocolate Bark with Chile-Spiced Mango and Pepitas is everything I want in a chocolate bar. Dark chocolate (first and most important ingredient), sweet dried mango, spicy chile pepper, crunchy pepitas, and of course the sparkling salt dancing across the top. This combination is unexpected and delightful.
Chocolate Bark makes an excellent gift, wrapped up with a tag and a bow. It would also be a delicious way to encourage your guest to linger at the table after their dinner. Put out a plate of chocolate bark and let everyone break off their own piece. It is delicious with wine or coffee.
You can find chile-spiced mango at Mexican markets and Trader Joe’s. If you have a different taste sensation in mind, go for it! This recipe is incredibly adaptable, just keep the proportions of chocolate to chunks the same. Other ideas I would like to try are Dried apricot and pistachio and dried cherry and almond. If you want chunks of another type of chocolate (white chocolate or milk chocolate in the bark, simply chop them up and add with the nuts and fruit (do not melt). The possibilities are endless!
Read the rest of this entry »
Easy Cranberry Bread
December 23, 2010
How is it that cranberries have become the icon of the holidays? Is it their crimson color or their relative scarcity throughout the rest of the year? Whatever it is, they play a special role during this season. For some reason, I have been craving cranberry bread. When I set out to find a recipe, I was surprised that there are very few out there. The recipe that follows is generously adapted from one posted on Everyday Food (that received mediocre reviews).
I was craving a bread that would celebrate cranberries rich color and tart flavor without distractions from nuts, citrus, etc. To boost the flavor, I swapped out the whole milk for buttermilk. The cranberries are chopped and sprinkled with sugar before folding them into the dough. This sweetens the berries and prevents an overwhelmingly sour pop of cranberry when you bite into a piece. The result is a quick bread that is perfect for breakfast or brunch during the holidays or any time of year. (Now is the best time to buy cranberries. They freeze well!)
My Pantry Shelf 