Thanksgiving Recipes

If we could take a trip back in time to the first Thanksgiving in 1621, which by the way was the only one the Pilgrims had, they did not make it an annual occurrence, we would see a feast quite different from the one we celebrate today. First of all, it would have been held outside. There was no way they could have had a building large enough to hold all the colonists and between 90-100 Native Americans. And the party lasted for three days. Now that is a lot of cooking.

Many of the things we think of as traditional were not at that first meal such as cranberries. And pumpkin pie. Pumpkin yes Pie no. And many of the ingredients in the recipes below would not have been available to them either, but then our tastes are different.

What they did eat was a lot of meat, all kinds of foul, turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese and plenty of venison. That was what the woods were full of, There would also have been a lot of vegetables. Onions were considered special and there were plenty of them Corn too, but the corn was different from the hybrids we are used to and was used only in breads and puddings. And being English, there was plenty of cheese.

Now today. Everyone has their traditional recipes, recipes that are handed down from generation to generation. But if you want to do something different, something you have not tried before, then take a look at these Thanksgiving Recipes. After all, generations before made changes to the traditional recipes, If they did not, we would still be eating venison. Don't be afraid to do something different. Try a different twist on an old favorite. You just might start a new family Thanksgiving recipe that will be talked about for years to come.

There is nothing like being in the kitchen and inhaling the aroma of fresh baked bread.
Why not start with a different type of bread. The Pilgrims would not have had white bread like we have and the Thanksgiving meal is a heavy one, as evidenced by the number of people who can't move afterward, and it needs a sturdier bread to support it. Here are two recipes made from ingredients that the Pilgrims would have had, or at least modern day versions of those ingredients. HINT try these recipes before Thanksgiving. A test run is always a good thing.

First of all a traditional Thanksgiving Corn Bread.
1cup Corn-meal
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Brown sugar
1 teas. Baking powder
3/4 teas. Baking soda
1/4 cup Melted shortening, like Crisco
2 Eggs, well beaten
½ cup Sour milk( sour milk is made by adding lemon juice to regular milk You can use buttermilk if you wish.
1 c Flour
Sift flour, measure, and sift with Baking soda, salt, and Baking powder. Mix with corn-meal. Combine shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add sour Milk and combine with dry ingredients. Beat only until smooth. Fill well-oiled shallow pan 2/3 full. Bake in Hot Oven (435 F) 25-30 minutes. 8 servings. Do not over beat, you want that consistency to be like a good corn muffin.

Or how about Pumpkin Bread Can't get more traditional than Pumpkin in any recipe for Thanksgiving.
½ c Unbleached Flour; Sifted
4 ea Eggs; Lg
1 ½ c Light Brown Sugar; Packed
1 c Salad Oil
1 ½ c Sugar; Granulated
2/3 c Water
2 ts Baking Soda
2 c Pumpkin; Mashed, Canned
1 ½ ts Salt
1 c Raisins
1 ts Cinnamon; Ground
1 c Walnuts; Chopped
½ ts Nutmeg; Ground
Sounds like a lot but it is really easy
Servings: 4 Preheat the Oven to 375 degrees F, and grease 3 medium (8 ½ X 4 ½) loaf pans, sprinkling a little brown Sugar in each. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and fashion a well in the center. Break in the 4 eggs and add the Salad oil, water and pumpkin. Beat thoroughly until well mixed, then add the raisins and nuts. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a Cake tester or wooden pick the wooded skewers used for Shis Ka Bob are perfect, inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pans before turning onto wire racks to cool.

The next one is a favorite of mine that I make all the time. I first tried it at my friends house and forced the recipe out of her. It uses two ingredients that the Pilgrims would not have had for that first Thanksgiving, Cranberries and Oranges. The sweetness of the oranges and the tanginess of the cranberries balance each other out perfectly. And this will definitely add a little sip to your Thanksgiving Feast and be one that is talked about.
Cranberry Relish
3cups cranberries
1¼ - 1&1/3 cups sugar
½ cup water
Grated peel 1 orange

Mix all ingredients in 3 quart casserole. Cover tightly and microwave on high (100%) 5 minute; stir. Cover tightly and microwave on medium (50%) to boiling, 5 minutes to 7 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Fast and easy and you guests will think you spent hours boiling cranberries.

Instead of mashing turnips, which I love, try this recipe.
Glazed Baby Turnips the small white/purple ones Not the regular orange ones, although if you want to experiment, you can try them also Just cut them up in small pieces and if you are going to experiment don't wait till Thanksgiving Day. Experiment in advance
1 lb. Baby turnips, 1-1/2 to 2-in. in diameter
1 oz. butter
1 oz. vinegar
1 oz. honey
1 oz. apple juice
salt and pepper, to taste
chervil, chopped, to taste chervil is a member of the parsley family but is more aromatic. You can get it dried from most spice companies.

Try this one as an alternative to the traditional salad. It is quick easy and good.
Corn, Pea and Tomato Salad
1 cup cooked fresh, thawed frozen or
drained canned whole kernel corn
(about
2 medium ears)
1 cup cooked green peas
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (about
1/2 small)
1/2 cup chopped tomato (about
1 small)
1/3 cup chopped green onions (about
3 medium)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped sun-dried
tomato (not oil-packed)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups or about
½ head bite-size pieces of lettuce
Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. Serve on lettuce. 6 servings