Voracious Thanksgiving Recipes: Staff Picks

What are you making for Thanksgiving? The Voracious team has some ideas for you – plus tips on watching football!

 

QUICK CREAMY HUMMUS

30 minutes / Makes 4 cups

INGREDIENTS

In a large saucepan, combine the chickpeas, the reserved chickpea liquid, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the baking soda and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are very tender and their skins begin to fall off, 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain the chickpeas in a colander set in a large bowl; reserve 3/4 cup of the chickpea cooking water. Let drain for about 1 minute. Set aside about 2 tablespoons of the chickpeas for garnish, then transfer the remainder to a food processor. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, then process until completely smooth, about 3 minutes.

Stop the food processor and add the tahini. Process until the mixture has lightened and is very smooth, about 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the processor bowl. With the machine running, add the reserved cooking liquid, the lemon juice and cayenne. Process until combined, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt.

Transfer the hummus to a shallow serving bowl and use a large spoon to swirl a well in the center. Drizzle with the olive oil, then top with the reserved 2 tablespoons chickpeas, the parsley, cumin and paprika.

Excerpted from Milk Street: Cook What You Have by Christopher Kimball. Copyright © 2022. From Voracious Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

BURRATA

Makes 1 pizza

INGREDIENTS

Stretch the dough. Transfer to a floured peel.

Spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the pizza dough to the edge of the raised border, then shave over the garlic, distributing evenly. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 550°F or the hottest your oven can handle with a baking stone or steel placed on a rack 6 to 8 inches from the top of the oven. Close the door and turn on the oven light.

Bake the pizza on the stone or steel for 6 to 7 minutes, checking at the 3-minute mark to inspect the oven spring and rim caramelization. Oven spring should be complete—meaning the rim should be prominently raised. Caramelization should be in progress—meaning the rim will be beginning to brown.

If you see one part is cooking more quickly than another, slide your peel underneath the pizza and use your fingers or tongs to reposition it so the pizza cooks evenly, then close the door quickly. Set the timer for 3 minutes. Use your intuition to tell when the pizza is done

Distribute the burrata in drops evenly over the pizza. Garnish with basil leaves and drizzle with more olive oil. Serve immediately.

Adapted from The Joy of Pizza by Dan Richer with Katie Parla. Copyright © 2021. From Voracious Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

 

TURKISH RED LENTIL SOUP WITH ALEPPO CHILI OIL

45 minutes / Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

In a large saucepan over medium, melt the butter. Once it has stopped foaming, add the onion then cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, paprika and cumin, then sauté for 1 minute. 

Add the lentils, rice, 5 cups of water and 2 teaspoons salt, then bring to a boil. Adjust heat to maintain a steady simmer, cover and cook until the lentils and rice are tender and broken down, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium, heat the oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add the Aleppo pepper and cook until a few bubbles appear and the oil is bright red. Remove from the heat and set aside. 

Serve the soup with Aleppo pepper oil drizzled over each serving. Serve with mint, if using, and lemon wedges.

Excerpted from Milk Street: Tuesday Nights by Christopher Kimball. Copyright © 2018. From Voracious Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

A SLICE OF PIE

Makes 1 serving

In a stirring glass, combine the vodka, apple juice concentrate, brandy, creme de cacao, Licor 43 and bitters. Stir with ice cubes, then strain into a rocks glass with 1 large or 2 standard ice cubes.

Excerpted from Pour Me Another by J.M. Hirsch. Copyright © 2022. From Voracious Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

 

BEET, WALNUT & GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH MAPLE DRESSING

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

In a lidded jar, combine the olive oil, maple syrup, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Cap the jar and shake vigorously to combine. (Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl.)

Put the beets in a small bowl, add half of the dressing, and toss to coat.

Place the arugula in a large salad bowl, add the remaining dressing, and toss gently to coat. Top with the beets, followed by the goat cheese, walnuts, and raisins. Serve immediately.

Excerpted from The Full Plate by Ayesha Curry. Copyright © 2020. From Voracious Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

 

BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

75 minutes / Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Heat the oven to 400°F with racks in the lower-middle and lowest positions. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss half of the squash (about 2 cups) with the oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast on the lowest rack, stirring once about halfway through, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside; leave the oven on.

In a large Dutch oven over medium, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are translucent at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining uncooked squash and the wine; cook, stirring, until the pot is almost dry, about 2 minutes. 

Stir in the broth, rosemary, 1 cup water and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cover and place in the oven on the lower-middle rack. Cook until the rice is tender but has not yet absorbed all the liquid and a skewer inserted into the squash meets no resistance, about 45 minutes. 

Remove from the oven, uncover and stir in the roasted squash. Add half of the cheese and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then stir vigorously until the butter is melted and the risotto is creamy. Let stand uncovered for 5 minutes; the risotto will thicken as it stands. 

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the remaining cheese and additional oil for drizzling. Optional garnish: Chopped fresh chives OR thinly sliced scallions OR chopped fresh sage OR chopped toasted walnuts.

Excerpted from Milk Street: Cook What You Have by Christopher Kimball. Copyright © 2022. From Voracious Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

MANGO & LIME SMOOTHIE

Makes 2 servings

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses.

TIP: Replace the yogurt with 3 ripe bananas for a thick, dairy-free option.

Excerpted from Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen by Zoe Adjonyoh. Copyright © 2021. From Voracious Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

 

AGRODOLCE ACORN SQUASH

1 hour / Makes 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. On a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the squash with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Toss until well coated, then distribute in an even layer. Roast until the squash is browned on both sides and a skewer inserted into a piece meets no resistance, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the vinegar, honey, mustard, rosemary and pepper flakes, then stir in the raisins.

When the squash is done, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Pour the vinegar-raisin mixture onto the squash, distributing the raisins evenly, then roast until the liquid is bubbling and syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes.

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the squash to a platter. Drizzle with the glaze from the baking sheet and sprinkle with the almonds.

Optional garnish: Fresh flat-leaf parsley OR pomegranate seeds OR both.

Excerpted from Milk Street: Cook What You Have by Christopher Kimball. Copyright © 2022. From Voracious Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

Tips for Surviving the Big Game

 

So. You’re spending Thanksgiving with a family that loves football and despite your best efforts, you have absolutely no idea what’s going on. You’re extremely proud of yourself because after seven years, you have finally confirmed that cornerbacks and quarterbacks are different positions. But this small victory does you absolutely no good when “The Big Game” is underway and everything has gone…tribal. Here are some tips for getting through what some might view as the most tense four hours of the holidays.

 

1.Choose your own position wisely. Sit out of the way of any beverages that can be spilled or small pieces of furniture that can be flung. Absolutely do not sit near a bookshelf—when the ref throws his silk kerchief onto the field, books are way too easy to be swept off a shelf in rage. Position yourself somewhere out of the way, preferably near an exit.

2.Measure twice, cheer once. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the minute you think you understand football, you will cheer for the wrong thing/ at the wrong time/ for the wrong team. It’s best to wait for confirmation from at least two fellow viewers that something has actually happened before expressing yourself (just in case your impish nephew is onto your plan).

3.Adopt a player. I have found that if you become a super fan of one player and get extremely worked up over everything they do, it masks the fact that you know the names of not one other player. Choose your man from the front line (someone who plays often) but don’t make it too obvious (ie not the QB).

4.Practice gratitude. Yes, you have to watch a group of grown men chase something they lovingly refer to as a “pig skin” with your day off, but look on the bright side—everyone else in the house is now too anxious to be eating the Thanksgiving leftovers, and now that cornbread stuffing is all. Yours.

5.When in doubt, downs. If the worst should happen and you get cornered in a conversation about the game, nod and say the word “downs,” then quickly excuse yourself. Don’t look back.

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Note: Some, but not all, of these tips apply if you like football, but find yourself watching with a group of fans of an enemy team. Remember, survival is not cowardice. 

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