I made this last weekend for a dinner at a friend’s house. I used my favorite apples- honey crisp but any kind of apples can be used-whatever you like.

I used a very typical crisp topping including flour- I used my usual white whole wheat flour and oats. I paired it with walnuts and cinnamon- and butter, of course. You can’t really go wrong with any of these ingredients.

The apples are mixed with orange and lemon zests giving the filling a wonderful citrusy, fresh taste. Everyone enjoyed the dessert. I served it with pumpkin gelato- which I made a few days ago. It came out really well- if I do say so myself.

The whole combination was a very successful one. This is another great idea for Thanksgiving. I will post the gelato recipe soon.

• 2 pounds variety of apples (about 4 – 5 medium), cut into 2 inch pieces
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• Zest and juice of one orange
• 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all the ingredients in a medium sized baking dish. An 8 X 8 square or an oval shaped will be fine.

Topping

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
• ½ cup toasted oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a mixer, add the flour, sugars, and butter. Using the paddle attachment, incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks mealy or crumbly. Stir in the oats and nuts.
Distribute the topping over the apples. Bake for an hour, or until the topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling. Cool slightly and serve warm.

I have made this rice dish in the past but with chicken. It really tastes different with goat though- which is really my favorite. I love the flavor and the texture- it’s very much like lamb. 

The goat meat is cooked with lots of whole spices, onion, garlic and chicken broth. The pieces are then taken out, cooled and sauteed in oil and cumin seeds. The rich and flavorful broth is used to cook the goat and the rice. The flavor is unbelievable- some people really like biryani- which is a dish of rice layered with a meat curry and then the whole thing is baked. This is better because the rice is cooked in the rich broth full of spices- a lot better!

Definitely try this dish- it is a bit labor intensive but so worth the extra work. I would recommend it for the weekend or even a Sunday dinner. You will end up creating the same memories I have of this delicious dish!

• 1½ pounds goat meat (chicken thighs, pork or beef can be used as well)
• 1 whole onion, washed with skin on, cut in half
• 1 whole garlic head, washed with skin on, cut in half
• 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds (powder is fine)
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 2 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamom
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups chicken broth

Add the ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes. If not using a pressure cooker, then, add all the ingredients in a heavy and deep saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for at least an hour or till meat is tender.
Take the meat out and let cool. Strain the mutton broth in a large measuring cup, pressing the soft onion, garlic and spices down to get all the goodness into the broth- the broth should be 3 cups- if you don’t have enough- top it off with extra chicken broth. Keep aside.

• 1½ cup basmati rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• ¼ to ½ cup golden raisins- optional

In the same pressure cooker or a deep saucepan, heat the oil on a high flame. Add the cooled mutton pieces and brown on all sides. About 5-6 minutes, turning periodically. Add the cumin seeds, sauté for 30 seconds. Add the rice and salt and sauté for a minute. Add 3 cups of the mutton/chicken broth and bring to a boil. Taste for seasonings. Once holes have formed on the surface, add the raisins and lower the heat and cover to cook for 20 minutes or till rice is done.

I don’t end up making the same things every year. I come up with a menu by perusing all kinds of magazines the first or second week of November. The menu usually doesn’t have a flavor theme- I pick the dishes that look delicious and are fairly easy to make with ingredients that are some what readily available. I remember last year there was a recipe for a mango avocado salsa and for some reason I had a very had time finding mangoes. I finally did get them but after a lot of searching and running around. So, I think this year I will try to avoid that if I can.

I do try to plan ahead and try to do as many things in advance. That includes making a rich turkey stock for the gravy. To me the gravy flavor is quite standard, regardless of what is on the turkey. Once my turkey is done, I do add some of it’s juices to the already prepared gravy- so the turkey and the gravy speak the same language.

By this time of year, most grocery stores have turkey necks and backs for just a few bucks. I buy a pack and roast them simply with olive oil, salt and pepper. I let them hang out in the oven till the pieces are golden brown and delicious looking. I then add them to a big pot full of chicken broth, and lots of vegetables and aromatics. For me garlic and fresh herbs are a must- like thyme, rosemary, etc. I like my gravy dark brown and so use a box of beef broth to richen the color. The stock cooks for at least an hour or two until the liquid is reduced quite a bit- in this case I reduced it to 3 cups. From here you have an option to continue the process and make the gravy and freeze for later. I find the gravy consistency compromised after it is frozen- so I stop at this point and freeze the stock.

I will take it out two days before thanksgiving. Will let it thaw in the fridge and make the gravy the morning of.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story….

• About a pound or a pound and a half turkey neck and back
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.

On a lined baking pan, place the turkey parts. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper. Roast for an hour or till the parts are golden brown. Take out of the oven and keep aside.

• Two boxes of 32 oz chicken stock
• One box of 32 oz beef stock
• 1 large onion, cut in half
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half
• 1 cup carrots, roughly cut up
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

In a large stockpot add the chicken stock, beef stock, onion, garlic, carrots, thyme and rosemary. Add the roasted turkey parts and bring to a boil. Once the liquid comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 2-3 hours or till the liquid is reduced to about 3 cups. Strain the liquid out by pressing all the goodness out of the cooked vegetables. Take out in a container and refrigerate over night. Skim the excess fat off and freeze till needed.

I started thinking how to make them since I wanted to do something different with them. 

I went to Whole Foods to look for some dark meat turkey meat and maybe some pork as well. I found the turkey meat but couldn’t get the pork- so I decided to just use the turkey. I also saw lots of zucchini and squash piled up everywhere. I decided to add some grated zucchini to the meatballs.

I came home and mixed the meat with the usual meatball ingredients- eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and my secret ingredient- pesto. I love using pesto in everything- it is an instant flavor booster. It already has the garlic, basil, cheese and the pine nuts. I also added the grated zucchini in there and crossed my fingers. I formed the meatballs and added them gently into the bubbling tomato sauce. I like cooking my meatballs in the sauce- the meat flavor gets into the sauce and makes it delicious. The meatballs had perfect texture- soft on the inside, firm on the outside. They were delicious but there was some evidence of the green stuff- I thought the kids will look at them and say, “what did you put in them”??

Well, I was asked no such question- they loved it. They ate up everything I gave them and asked for seconds. I was thrilled- definitely make this for you kids- they won’t know what is lurking in the delicious meatballs…

• 1 pound ground dark meat turkey
• 1/3 cup prepared pesto
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons salt

• 3 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ pound whole-wheat spaghetti, al dente

In a large mixing bowl, add the turkey meat, pesto, zucchini, eggs, breadcrumbs and salt. Mix well with fingertips and keep aside for an hour.

In the meantime, in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes and add the tomato sauce. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes and turn it down to a simmer.
Form medium sized meatballs and begin adding to the simmering sauce. Once all the meatballs are formed, cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Serve on top of al dente spaghetti.

Every Indian household has a very different way of cooking dal makhani. In my family most dishes are made by adding all the ingredients in one pot and letting them cook in their own juices instead of sauteing and frying- so it’s a lot easier and healthier.

This one is cooked the same way- in a pressure cooker though or even a slow cooker. The black lentils are cooked with a bit of kidney beans and gram lentils which add extra creaminess. Tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic are added to create a delicious dish. I add a bit of butter or ghee and finish it off with some half and half.

In the restaurants this dal is full of lots of butter and cream. It does taste really good but it is definitely not good for you. I prefer the home made version- it’s easy to make; delicious and not full of fat. My daughter loves it with rice or roti. 

I usually serve this dish for a party. The great thing about making Indian food is that most of the dishes taste more delicious the next day. I make this in advance and just heat it in the oven the day of the party and it is always a big hit. It freezes really well too- so it’s definitely worth getting all the ingredients together and making a big batch- especially for this time of year!

• 1 cup whole urad dal (black lentils)
• ¼ cup rajma (red kidney beans)
• ¼ cup channa dal (gram lentils)
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 inch piece of ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
• 2 teaspoon garam masala
• 3 tablespoons half and half

In a pressure cooker or sauce-pan, add the urad dal, rajma, channa dal, water, crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, salt, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, turmeric and ghee. If using a pressure cooker, then close the lid and cook on high till the pressure is built, then turn the heat on low and cook for an hour. Turn the heat off, and take the lid off- check the consistency. The dal should be like a thick soup or a think stew. If there is excess liquid, then turn the heat on high and begin to evaporate the liquid. Add the garam masala and half and half. Cook till the dal reaches desired consistency. Taste for seasonings.
If using a sauce-pan, then bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat, cook for at least 2 hours or till the lentils are soft and mushy. Add the garam masals and half and half. Cook till the dal reaches desired consistency. Taste for seasonings.