A thanksgiving spread

The thanksgiving dinner table

Amid all the joy, love and cheer at Thanksgiving the one big thing that stuck out for me at my first thanksgiving here in the US was this: it’s an onslaught of food but don’t give up. Just imagine sitting at a large dinner table so full of food, that you can’t even pass the dishes around. The experience was so gastronomically fulfilling that since Thursday, I have not felt the need for a full meal and I and haven’t cooked since.

We were at Kat’s place (of @Logistikat fame 🙂 ) up in Snohomish. She generously extended an open invitation to join her family and friends for a potluck thanksgiving dinner, and five of us; Sam, Jon, Mariana, Flair and I showed up. Everything was homemade and the menu for the night: a spread of 11 dishes, karaoke and 4 desserts (not to forget mulled spice cider, wine and beer). It’s hard to pick a favourite when there is competition bite after bite. Dinner was served at 5:15 and it went on till 7:00pm, before we rolled in to the living room for some karaoke which would help work an appetite for dessert. I suspect the melodious voices coming out of everyone could’ve been due to absolute satisfaction with the food or the fervent anticipation of pumpkin and cheery pie that was to follow. In any case, it was a wonderful night, and with a menu as the one below one couldn’t help but sing its praise.

Dinner

Turkey

Stuffing

Green Bean casserole

Sweet potato casserole

Mushroom risotto

Mashed potatoes and gravy

Cheese sauce

Boiled broccoli

Chicken tikka,

Rice cakes

Deviled eggs

Bread

 

Dessert:

Pumpkin pie

Whipped cream

Cherry pie

Cake pops

Thanks a million Kat! It was a memorable evening…

Lemon Herb Chicken – Happy Thanksgiving.

Lemon Herb Chicken

I distinctly recall seeing a very appetising image of a Lemon herb chicken preparation in a magazine few years ago and the underlying truth about food was reasserted – people eat with their eyes. Every sharp edge on that chicken glistened with the marinade. The lettuce, though out of focus, lightly cradled the chicken fillet. Instantly, I knew that this dish would be among my all time favourites. It also most definitely had to be among the thanksgiving week specials. So, I tried preparing it for the first time. My wife correctly advised me to let the chicken sit in the marinade longer than I had originally planned (aren’t they always right….?), and that really got it all juiced up.

I cooked two breast pieces with the intention of preserving one later for dinner. But once I started eating it, I simply could not resist and ended up having both pieces for lunch.

Try it out, it’s very simple, quick to prepare and has few ingredients.

2 chicken breast pieces – boneless and skinless

1 lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp oregano seasoning

Salt and pepper

Pound the chicken lightly for less than a minute and squeeze half the lemon on it. Season it with salt and pepper and let it sit for about an hour in the refrigerator.

In a skillet heat 2 tbsp olive oil and when hot place the chicken in it. Sprinkle the oregano seasoning  and cook on each side for 5-10 minutes. You’ll notice the juices beginning to run dry. That’s it!

Thanksgiving week specials – 1

Butter garlic shrimp and broccoli

Thanksgiving, this Thursday will be our first ever since we moved here. So I decided that this week would be the one when I cook some of my favourites that came to be over the years. Replicating the dishes as I ate them at various places may not be possible but there are numerous online resources to lean on to.

The first would have to be Butter Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli. It’s something that I ordered without fail at a beach shack in Goa as a pre-meal starter. And, to go with it, some beer and reggae music. This combination never let me down. Much like a favourite movie or song, certain dishes have an effect on you that you can’t quite get over. Which one is yours? Do leave me a comment or two about it.

The name says it all and besides some salt, pepper, red chilli flakes (1 tsp each) and 2 tbsp water you’ll need nothing else.

Just follow these directions and turn on the Reggae station on your media player.

Melt 3-4 tablespoonfuls of butter in a pan. Shell the shrimps (approx ¾ lb) and sauté it for two minutes in the hot butter. Add about 2 tbsp of chopped garlic and let the shrimp cook while stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper and sprinkle the red chilli flakes.

Add the broccoli florets and 2tbsp water, stir and cook for another 3-4 minutes and then ‘Go to 11’ with the Reggae 😉

Happy Thanksgiving…