Category: Thanksgiving

Stuffing Waffles With Caramelized Onions and (Beef) Bacon

Stuffing WafflesAs I was trying to come up with a recipe for the Thanksgiving season, I was listening one of the Thanksgiving episodes of one of my new favorite podcasts BBQ Radio Network, when one of the hosts, Andy Groneman mentioned two magical words: “stuffing waffles”. Andy Groneman is a second generation pitmaster who won hundreds of awards including 25 grand champions and was named the reserve grand champion at 2008 American Royal, which is considered by many to be the World Series of BBQ.

As many of you know, I am the pitmaster of the kosher BBQ team 5 Dudes and A Vegetarian. I had the privilege of cooking next to Andy at the KC Kosher BBQ Festival. Not only is he a great cook, but he is an all around good guy. Once I heard Andy mention stuffing waffles, I knew I needed to make them so I reached out to Andy to make sure he was OK with me borrowing his idea. I highly recommend his podcast if you are interested in anything BBQ related.  Please check it out, subscribe via your favorite podcast player, and leave them a nice review.

This may reach you a little too late for Thanksgiving. That being said, there is no rule that says you can’t have stuffing the rest of the year.  Also, making your stuffing into waffles is a great way to use up leftover stuffing that maybe didn’t sell so well at your dinner table.  Stuffing waffles can also be used as bread for leftover turkey sandwiches. Finally, if you don’t have a waffle iron, you can form these into patties and fry them. Sort of like a Thanksgiving latke.

Don’t forget to check out some of out other Thanksgiving recipes:

Maple Pecan Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cornbread

Peking Duck For Thanksgiving

Ginger Lime Cranberry Sauce

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Stuffing Waffles
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 Stuffing Waffles With Caramelized Onions and (Beef) Bacon
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Hydration time
2 hrs
 

A crispy take on a holiday classic

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Holiday, Thanksgiving
Keyword: Bacon, mushroom, Stuffing, Thanksgiving
Servings: 12 Mini Waffles
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 6 Slices (Beef) Bacon
  • 6 Large Onions Diced
  • 3 Ribs Celery Sliced
  • 8 oz Sliced Mushrooms Washed and Stems Removed
  • 3 Cloves Garlic minced
  • 3 Cups 1" Bread Cubes Left out to stale for a day and lightly toasted in the oven
  • 3 Large Eggs Beaten
  • 2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
  • 2 tbsp Dried Sage
  • Vegetable Oil For sauteing
  • Cooking Spray To stop your waffles from sticking to the waffle iron
Instructions

  1. Place your (beef) bacon on a parchment lined sheet pan and place in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 400°F. The bacon should be crispy roughly when the oven reaches temperature. Allow the bacon to cool and chop in to small pieces and put to the side.

  2. In a large sauté pan add about a ½ inch of vegetable oil and add your onions. Sauté the onions over low heat until they are dark brown.

  3. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and celery to the pan with the onions and continue to cook until the celery and mushrooms begin to brown.

  4. In a large mixing bowl add the bread, vegetables, bacon, eggs, stock and sage. Stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit covered in the refrigerator to hydrate for two hours to overnight.

  5. Place enough stuffing to fill your waffle iron to fill it up and cook until crispy. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200°F oven. Top with your favorite gravy and enjoy.

 

Maple Pecan Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Maple Pecan Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and one thing I like to do is try and elevate some of my dishes.  I take a dish that I would make for any Friday night and give it a little more pizzazz. Sweet potatoes are a classic fall side dish. They have so more potential than being simply roasted or mashed and baked in a casserole with marshmallows on top. 

First thing you can do is a add some warm fall spices to your mash. Flavors such as cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg will give your sweet potatoes a nice zing. If you really like it you also add some clove, but use it sparingly as it can easily overtake a dish.  Adding a bit of maple syrup for some complex sweetness wouldn’t be a bad thing either. Just please do not use “pancake syrup.” If you don’t have real maple syrup you can use honey in a pinch. The pecans also give some nice textural contrast to what is otherwise a fairly mushy dish.

By piping the sweet potato back in to the skin you get a fun presentation.  When you make individual portions as opposed to a large casserole, it seems a little more special and brings a little bit extra to your holiday table. This will be a dish that deserves a place right next to your beautifully  cooked turkey (or duck if you want to do something a little different). Just don’t let me catch you putting them next to the cranberry sauce that still looks like the can.

Also, please don’t call them yams. Sweet potatoes and yams are two different things. Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s latest Thanksgiving recipe: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cornbread or our other Thanksgiving recipes. Finally, let us know how you make Thanksgiving special or just something are thankful for in the comments.

 

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Maple Pecan Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
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Maple Pecan Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Cooling Time
4 hrs
 

A tasty side dish for your Thanksgiving table

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Holiday, Kosher, Thanksgiving
Keyword: Holiday, Sweet Potatoes, Thanksgiving
Servings: 6 People
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 6 Large Sweet Potatoes
  • 1 Stick Butter or Margarine
  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp Ginger
  • 1 tbsp Nutmeg
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
  • Real Maple Syrup For brushing on top of your sweet potatoes
  • 48 Whole Pecans
Instructions

  1. Position a rack in your oven in the farthest position from the heat source that still allows you to enough space for a baking sheet loaded with sweet potatoes. If the heating element is on the bottom place your rack towards the top, and if the heating element is on the bottom then place the rack towards the bottom. This helps the sweet potatoes bake more evenly.

  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

  3. Wash the outside of your sweet potatoes and place them whole on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

  4. Bake until a paring knife easily goes through your largest potato, about a 1 ½ hours. Be careful to try and pierce the sweet potato as close to center as possible as you will be splitting the potato and reusing the skin later.

  5. Allow your sweet potatoes to cool completely. Then cut them in half the long way and scoop out the flesh, being careful not tear the skin, and add it to a large mixing bowl.

  6. Preheat the oven to 350°F again.

  7. Add the butter (or margarine), cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and pepper to the sweet potato flesh and mash until smooth.

  8. Place the sweet potato mixture in a piping bag. Place the skins on parchment lined baking sheet and and use the piping bag to refill the skins. It should fill about 6 skins. If you are feeling fancy, use different tips to a cool design.

  9. Brush the top of each sweet potato with maple syrup and artfully place 8 pecans on each sweet potato . Then brush the pecans with maple syrup.

  10. Bake until the the top starts to brown, about 30 minutes, and serve immediately.

 

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cornbread

As promised, here’s a new recipe to add to your Thanksgiving collection! What better way to ring in a Thanksgiving feast then pulling out a cast iron pan to make my (gluten-free) Pumpkin Cornbread! And it just feels so right to marry these two together. Just a disclaimer here, I didn’t end up using a full can of pumpkin puree because it made the cornbread a bit dense. But if you like that or you don’t want to save the excess pumpkin in your fridge, by all means, go for it.

And since usually when we all look up recipes online, we skip the text and scroll right to the recipe, so here ya go! Keeping this short and sweet, because well, pumpkin cornbread doesn’t need all the extra fanfare. We all know it’s delish. Just add some honey (or honey butter) on top, and it’s autumn perfection.

Enjoy!

Check out some other MYV Thanksgiving recipes here! And one of my personal favorites…

Ginger Lime Cranberry Sauce

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cornbread
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
 
Course: Side
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups Cornmeal
  • 1 cup Almond Flour
  • 1 tbsp Baking Powder
  • 3/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • Dash of Cinnamon I didn't measure here, I just sprinkled some in! You could also add in some ginger too for a kick!
  • 1 cup Pumpkin Puree Not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 cup Almond Milk
  • 1/3 cup Oil I used Avocado oil for its neutral flavor but you can also use olive oil or (refined) coconut oil. The refined coconut oil tastes less "coconutty". Or you could use butter if you're making this dairy
  • 1/3 cup Honey
  • 2 Eggs
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

  2. In a large bowl, mix all of of the dry ingredients together

  3. In a separate large bowl, mix the wet ingredients together

  4. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and make sure not to overmix

  5. Lightly grease a cast iron pan and pour in the batter and smooth around the pan using your hands or the back of a spoon

  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes

  7. Cut into slices and drizzle with honey if desired. I like it best served warm, especially because the honey sinks into the cornbread, YUM! Or, if you're making this dairy, you could mix a little softened butter with honey and add a pat of honey butter to the top of your slice!

Ginger Lime Cranberry Sauce

Ginger Lime Cranberry Sauce

BONUS RECIPE!

Yup, BONUS for ya’ll! I get it, we’re all busy with a million things, even if we’re not having company over for Thanksgiving this year. But don’t worry, the team here at MYV has you covered so there’s one less thing to stress about. So here’s an extra recipe for your holiday meal – Ginger Lime Cranberry Sauce!

Inspiration

The inspiration for this recipe came from a couple places. My husband Elliott was drinking a cranberry lime flavored sparkling water and I thought “wait, this could be a great pairing for a Thanksgiving-esque cranberry sauce”! I added in the ginger and all-spice from some recipes I read in Bon Appetit (those flavors are a perfect pairing) and that’s how this recipe was born.

I have to also give a shoutout to my mother-in-law, Suzanne Fliegelman, who is a big fan of the canned cranberry sauce. On many Shabbat lunches, there would no doubt be an opened can of jelled cranberry sauce, scooped onto a platter. And yes, it was served in the inevitable “can shape”, those nostalgic indents making way into our hearts and stomachs. So thanks, mom, for sticking true to what you love, and for inspiring me to update a classic!

What makes this sauce so perfect is the combo of ginger, allspice, sweet cranberries and tart lime. The ginger brings a subtle heat and spice. The allspice adds that “can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it” warming aromatic and the tartness from the lime just pulls it all together. A tart, sweet but balanced condiment that can accompany any protein – from turkey to tofu!

It’s so ridiculously good, I just MAY have licked the pot clean when I scooped this out into a bowl. Don’t worry, I waited until it was cool. 🙂 This sauce is a crowd-pleaser and maybe, just MAYBE, it won’t be the side-kick to your turkey, but the shining star that is it.

We got Thanksgiving covered

Be sure to check out some more Thanksgiving recipes from Meat Your Vegetables. Happy Holidays!

Peking Duck

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies

PSL: Pumpkin Spice Latkes

Grandma Janie’s Hot Mushroom Dip

 

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Ginger Lime Cranberry Sauce
Prep Time
3 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
 

A zesty twist on a Thanksgiving favorite

Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American, Holiday, Thanksgiving
Keyword: Cranberry
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 4 tbsp. Coconut Oil
  • 1 12oz. bag Frozen cranberries No need to thaw, but you can if you want to 🙂
  • 1/4 tsp Ginger powder You can use real ginger, but I find that you'd have to mince them so small, otherwise you'll end up chewing on a piece of ginger, instead of the ginger flavor mixing in throughout. You can definitely use the frozen ginger cubes if you have, or just use powdered
  • 1/4 tsp Allspice
  • 1/2 cup Light brown sugar I like to use the brand "Swerve", as a sugar alternative. Their brown sugar is amazing!
  • 1 Lime (zest) and cut in half
  • Pinch Salt
Instructions

  1. Melt coconut oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat

  2. Add in the ginger and allspice and cook on low-medium and cook, about 2-3 minutes until the spices are warmed (you'll smell it, it'll be amazing)

  3. Add in the cranberries, light brown sugar (or Swerve, if using)

  4. Cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes until the cranberries burst (be careful, they might splatter)

  5. Uncover cranberries, mix thoroughly and add in the salt and lime zest. Squeeze lime juice from half of the lime and taste

  6. If you prefer a bit more lime/tart flavor, squeeze in the other half of the lime (I LOVE acidity so I used the whole lime and it was perfect for me)

  7. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring until the cranberry sauce is glossy and has thickened

  8. Remove from heat and let cool slightly

  9. You can make this sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. It's great served cold, room temp or warmed up and it will thicken even more once it's cooled. Just depends on how you like it and how you want it served. Serve atop EVERYTHING on your plate and devour

Peking Duck For Thanksgiving

Peking Duck

Like many people, it looks like we are going to be a small crowd for Thanksgiving this year, but I still wanted to do something special. I came across a duck on sale at my local grocery store and I figured it would be the perfect thing. Nicer than the average chicken and small enough to feed the family without too much left over.  Peking duck has been on my list to make for a while so I figured this was the perfect excuse. Similarly to turkey, Peking duck is often carved tableside. Peking duck is named after the city it comes from, the capital of China. Peking is more commonly known as Beijing. It got the name Peking due to the translation  by postal authorities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Peking Process

Peking duck was originally considered food for royalty, and was regularly on the menu in the Chinese Imperial court. Traditionally it was was cooked over peach or pear wood. To honor this tradition I have included instructions for cooking this the duck in the smoker as well as a traditional oven. One of the key parts making Peking duck is separating the skin from the fat. This helps the fat render and the skin crisp. You can do this by sliding your fingers between the skin and the fat, but the best (and most fun) way to do this is inflate the duck with an air compressor.  Luckily, a friend recently gave me a spare compressor. (Thanks Amitai). Also, the duck really benefits from being cooked vertically. This prevents the bottom of the duck from stewing in its own juices. If you can hang your duck when cooking or use a vertical roasting rack.  In a pinch, you use an empty beer can inserted into the bottom of the cavity to prop your duck up.

Adding Thanksgiving Flavor

Most recipes for this dish call for red vinegar, but I know that can be hard to find, and even harder to find kosher. Instead of using red vinegar I used apple cider vinegar mixed with jelled cranberry sauce right out of the can.  This provided the red color, along with the added benefit of infusing some traditional Thanksgiving flavor. Also, the primary seasoning for Peking duck is Chinese five spice, which includes many traditional fall and winter holiday flavors like anise, cinnamon, and clove. 

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Peking Duck
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Thanksgiving Peking Duck
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
 

An American twist on a Chinese classic. A great dish when you are looking for something special for the holidays and you have a small crowd.

Course: Main Course, Poultry
Cuisine: American, Asian, Chinese, Holiday
Keyword: Chinese, Duck, Peking, Peking Duck
Servings: 4 People
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 Duck
  • 1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce
  • 1/2 Cup Chinese Five Spice Mix-Divided See recipe below. Store bought will work in a pinch.
  • 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Jelled Cranberry Sauce Straight from the can.
  • 1/2 Cup Honey
  • 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 Scallion Sliced Thinly
  • 1 Cubic Inch Ginger Peeled and sliced into planks
  • Water Enough to fill a large pot or wok
Instructions

  1. Remove any feathers that that remain on the duck, being carefully not to tear the skin. Trim any excess fat from both ends of the cavity. Tip: Don't throw out that fat. Render it and use it to cook potatoes (or latkes!). Duck fat is one of the tastiest fats out there.

  2. In a small bowl, combine all of the hoisin sauce, kosher salt, and half of the Chinese Five Spice mix. Spoon all of the mixture into the bottom of the cavity of the duck. Using your fingers, spread the hoisin and five spice mixture. Then add the ginger and scallions to the cavity and close the cavity up using the skewer to pin the two sides of cavity shut.

  3. Next separate the skin from the fat. You can you this by inserting your fingers between the skin and meat. Alternatively you can do this by inflating the duck with an air pump or an air compressor, inserting the air hose under the skin of the duck's neck.

  4. Fill a large pot or wok with water and two tablespoons of Chinese five spice. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, ladle it over all parts of the duck being careful not to get any in the cavity. This should cause the skin to tighten up.

  5. In a small sauce pot, combine the apple cider vinegar, honey, cranberry sauce, soy sauce, and the remainder of the Chinese five spice. Place over medium heat and stir until the cranberry sauce is dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool slightly and brush the skin of the duck with the mixture.

  6. Place the duck on a wire rack over a lined sheet pan. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered to allow the skin to dry for a minimum of 8 hours.

  7. Roast the duck vertically at 275°F for about 45 minutes. If you are using a vertical roasting rack you will need to open up the bottom of the cavity that you sewed shut with the skewer. Then raise the heat to 400°F and cook until the skin crisps up, about another 10 minutes.

    If roasting vertically is not an option put the duck back on the wire rack over the sheet pan that you used when you put the duck in the refrigerator to dry the skin. Just make sure to drain the fat out of cavity about every 15 minutes when cooking by picking it up vertically for a minute.

  8. Alternatively you can smoke the duck using the same times and temperatures stated above by hanging it by its wings with stainless steel hooks from the grates in your smoker over fruit wood. (Peach or pear wood be best but apple will work just fine and is much easier to find). Be careful not to let the the duck to get too close to fire or it will burn.

  9. Allow the the duck to rest for about 10 minutes or until it is cool enough to handle. Remove the leg quarter from the breast by cutting the joint between them. Remove the wings by cutting around the joint that attaches it to the breast. Then remove the breast meat by cutting down along the breast bone. Slice the breast meat in to 1/2" pieces and serve. Pro tip: The skin off the the back bone is delicious. Keep it a cooks treat, you've earned it. Serve alongside some plum sauce or hoisin sauce.

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Moscow Mule
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Chinese Five Spice Powder
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
 
Course: Seasoning
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Keyword: Chinese, Chinese Five Spice, Chinese Five Spice Powder, Chinese Spice, Five Spice, Spice
Servings: 1 Cup
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 4 tbsp Whole Cloves
  • 4 tbsp Fennel Seed
  • 4 Whole Star Anise
  • 1 Soft Cinnamon Stick
  • 4 tbsp Sichuan Peppercorns
Instructions

  1. Put all the spices in a dry skillet over low heat. Toast the spices until fragrant, making sure to keep them moving in the skillet so they don't burn.

  2. Break up the cinnamon stick and add the spices your electric grinder or mortar and grind to a powder. Store in an airtight container.

 

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s latest Thanksgiving recipe:

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies

 

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
The leaves have turned a bright orange color and have covered the streets (and mostly on top of my car) . So obviously we know it’s been PUMPKIN season for a while! The PSL (pumpkin spice latte) trend starts probably just after Labor Day, but since Thanksgiving is next week (seriously, right?), a pumpkin recipe just feels oh so appropriate. So, without further ado, let’s dive into these Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies!
I know, I always say my recipes are “easy”, but I can promise you, that THIS recipe is really just that. It’s only a handful of ingredients. No eggs, no flours. 100% vegan and totally delicious. It’s thick, rich and decadent, yet somehow these brownies don’t feel too heavy. The almond butter give these  treats a smooth, almost buttery (well, thank you almond butter) texture and the pumpkin puree acts like a binder, so no eggs were harmed in the making of this dessert.

Almond BUTTER?!?

Okay, but first, I have to share this funny story in regards to these brownies.
I made these on a whim last Sukkot and brought them to my parents house to share with my family. Remember those days, when we all spent holidays together? Oh, how pre-COVID seems like a lifetime ago. I took these out of the fridge and ate a few bites. Yes, be sure to keep them cold since there’s no preservatives, but they freeze well.
My sister Melissa saw me sneaking a few bites of this chocolatey goodness and immediately came right over and asked what was in them, because obviously she wanted to take a bite. Quality control, right? 🙂 I told her, “Pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, almond butter…” And well, she looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. “Almond BUTTER,” she asked quizzically. “Yea, you know, almond butter.”
And after about a 15-20 second pause and a funny slow-motion stare-off, her brain clicked and she said “oh, oh my gosh, almond butter. DUH.” It’s almost as if her brain wasn’t computing the two words “almond” and “butter” and was probably imagining a stick of butter and a bag of almonds. In her defense, yes that does seem like an odd combo. Oh but what a world we live in – with “butters” and “milks” made out of every nut and seed imaginable!

A spin on tradition

All kidding aside (love you Minty), this recipe is beyond easy, and yet it’s so versatile. I like the addition of the chocolate chips since it gives it a bit of texture throughout, and the sprinkle of sea salt just brings out all of the rich chocolatey flavors.
This is a great dessert for a Shabbat table, or even for your Thanksgiving meal. If you want to go the traditional way and still make pumpkin pie, hey, who am I to mess with tradition? I’m just a big fan of whipping up a crowd-pleasing dessert in under 45 min, start to finish. But you know me, I just love to put spins on traditional food – my way!
A quick tip for making these brownies: since the cocoa powder has a tendency to just fly everywhere, you can add all the ingredients into a blender or food processor, instead of hand-mixing. It’ll also give your brownies a smooth texture, if you prefer that. But make sure to add in the chocolate chips after you blend the batter.
Hope ya’ll are staying healthy and safe! And even if you’re Thanksgiving plans are just set for a table for 2 (like they will be at my house), that means we can keep these brownies all to ourselves, HA!
Happy holidays!

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Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 2 15 oz. Cans of Pumpkin Puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 1/2 cups Cocoa Powder
  • 1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Almond Butter Cashew Butter would be good in this too. I like almond butter for this because it's a mild flavor and pairs well with pumpkin and chocolate
  • 1 cup Sugar, or sugar substitute I prefer Swerve sugar substitute brand, or the Monkfruit from Thrive Market
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt Optional, but will help bring out all of the flavors, plus it looks pretty 🙂
  • 1 cup Chocolate chips Optional, for extra chocolatey goodness
Instructions

  1. Pre heat oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper

  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, almond butter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Using a hand mixer, mix all ingredients together until smooth and fully combined

  3. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter

  4. Transfer the batter to prepared pan and sprinkle sea salt on top, if using

  5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 min

  6. Let cool, slice into squares and serve, maybe with some vanilla ice cream!

Don’t forget to check out some of our other gluten free dessert recipes:

Sea Salt Caramel Crème Brulee

Cocoa Nib Biscotti

Dairy-Free Maple Cinnamon Custard

Lemon Bars