Tired of serving turkey for your traditional Canadian Thanksgiving dinner? Then, cookbook author Sloane Taylor has prepared an amazingly good down-home type
menu that’s finger lickin’ good and doesn’t splatter grease all over your
stove. So, whether you're in the midst of closing the cottage, winterizing the camper, or at home with the family, gather the troops to help you prep this meal so everyone can get back to visiting with loved ones on this special Canadian holiday.
MENU:
Oven-Fried Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Corn
Spiked Watermelon
White Wine – Chablis
3 chicken breasts, boneless and
skinless – legs and thighs work great, too
Milk
½ cup (50g) flour
1 tsp. (5ml) dried thyme
1 tsp. (5ml) dried marjoram
½ tsp. (2.5ml) garlic powder, not
salt
1 tsp. (5ml) paprika
¼ cup ((52g) shortening or lard
¼ cup (57g) butter or margarine
3 tbsp. (45ml) fresh parsley,
chopped or 1½ tbsp. (20ml) dried
Place chicken in a glass dish, cover with milk, and
let sit for a minimum of 3 hours. This is a perfect way to use up milk when it
is close to its expiration date. You can also marinade the pieces overnight. If
you choose to go longer than 3 hours be sure to refrigerate the dish. I learned
this tenderizing trick from a talented chef in Salzburg, Austria.
Combine flour, thyme, marjoram, garlic, and paprika in
a plastic or paper bag.
Drain and pat chicken dry. Place pieces one at a time
in bag and gently shake to thoroughly coat them. Lay chicken on a plate as you
coat the remaining pieces. Set chicken in fridge for at least 20 minutes to set
the coating.
Preheat oven to 425° F (220°C).
Add shortening and butter to a metal baking pan just
large enough to hold the chicken. Place dish in oven until mixture is melted.
Add chicken. Bake 15 minutes and then turn pieces over. Cook another 20 minutes
or until juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife.
REMEMBER – all meat continues to cook for 5
minutes or so after it is removed from the oven.
Remove chicken from baking dish to a plate lined with
paper towels to absorb any oil. Transfer pieces to a clean plate. Sprinkle with
parsley and serve.
You can also make this dish on your grill. Set the
grill on medium-high. Watch carefully so the chicken doesn’t burn.
Mashed Potatoes
1 small russet potato per person,
peeled and quartered
3 tbsp. (43g) butter
Sour cream, a very large dollop
¼ cup (60ml) milk, at room
temperature
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Parsley, snipped or chopped for
garnish
Preheat oven to 220° F (100°C).
Pour one-inch (2.5cm) chicken stock into saucepan.
Place potatoes in saucepan. Add tap water to cover by at least one inch
(2.5cm). Cover pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower temperature to a
strong simmer. Cook approximately 20 - 25 minutes. Potatoes are done when a
fork inserts easily into a section.
Drain potatoes. Stir in butter, sour cream, and
pepper. Mash well. Drizzle in milk. Mash and continue to add milk until you
achieve the consistency you prefer.
Keep the saucepan warm in the oven while you finish
preparing dinner.
Canned Corn
Sometimes it’s good to go easy and nothing is easier than
canned veggies.
1
can of corn per 4 people
¼
tsp. (1.25ml) dried thyme
Pinch
of salt
Freshly
ground pepper to taste
Butter
Drain corn, then pour into micro wave safe bowl.
Sprinkle on thyme, salt, and pepper. Lay pats of butter across the top. Micro
wave for 3 minutes, stir and serve.
Spiked Watermelon
An adult pleasure that tops off any dinner.
½ watermelon
2 – 3 cups (450 – 750ml) vodka
Remove the seeds from the watermelon. Cut fruit into
chunks or use a melon scooper to form balls. Place the cut pieces into a glass
bowl.
Pour vodka over the melon. No need to cover the fruit.
You just want enough so all the pieces contact with the vodka. Stir gently.
Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for several hours.
Serve melon from the bowl along with forks or long
spoons.
Once the holiday plates and cutlery are put away, and your thoughts turn to cooler temperatures, may I suggest Sloane Taylor's latest cookbook featuring Italian cuisine and menus to warm your tummy and heat up your relationships...
The
perfect date night at home—course by course.
From antipasti
to dolci, everything you need to create a unique dining experience for
an intimate date night in!
- All
recipes are proportioned for two.
- No
exotic or hard-to-find ingredients.
- Easy recipes, from prep to presentation.
- Mix-and-match
courses to create a unique dining experience.
- Wine
pairing suggestions to complement each dish.
- Cooking
tips to effortlessly move your date-night agenda from the kitchen
to…wherever you’ll most enjoy dessert!
Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her
blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.
Taylor's cookbooks, Date Night Dinners, Sizzling Summer, Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire, and Date Night Dinners Italian Style are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available at all book vendors.
Excerpts from her books and free reads can be found on her website, blog, and her Amazon Author Page. Connect with Taylor on Facebook and Twitter.
