Gimme five nights of dinners

Here's your week's dinner plan. Nothing too hard, nothing too expensive.

Monday: Taco night
Make tacos with ground beef and a packet of taco seasonings. Offer toppers like ripe tomatoes, ice cold lettuce, Vidalia onions, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro leaves and lime wedges for punch. Rice and beans on the side. Sliced melon, too.

Tuesday: Stuff 'em
During the low-fat diet craze, I often ate a baked potato loaded with black beans and salsa for dinner. High fiber, low fat and, of course, lots of carbs. Current diet trends are all over the place, and Stuffed Baked Potatoes can be too. Serve them for dinner to suit your own tastes: chili, onions and Jack cheese; steamed broccoli florets and cheddar; low-fat cottage cheese and chopped green onion; chopped cooked ham and Swiss.

Wednesday: Rotisserie chicken
How about a big, messy bowl of chicken Alfredo tonight? Heat store-bought Alfredo sauce and add shredded chicken from the rotisserie bird. Throw in a handful of frozen peas. Serve over fettuccine and garnish with big curls of Parmesan and fresh parsley.

Thursday: We’re broke stew
Rice and Bean Soup is easy on the wallet. Saute onion and garlic in oil, add 1 cup of rice and brown slightly. Pour in 2 cups water and 4 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add 2 teaspoons of dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme or a mixture), diced carrots, a can each of diced tomatoes and Great Northern beans and cook 20 minutes. Serve with bread and butter.

Friday:  Eat your veggies
Grill a mess of marinated vegetables such as eggplant, peppers of all colors (if the red and yellows are on sale), onions, tomatoes on the indoor or outdoor grill. Season liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and serve over brown rice. For carnivores, grill shrimp or chicken to go with.

Photos from iStock and National Harvest

Thanksgiving cooking boot camp

It’s time to apply for Wishbone U., the St. Petersburg Times' annual holiday cooking class for people who haven’t had much luck preparing the big feast. We always have lots of fun . . . look at these two guys from last year! Bring your own apron!

This year’s class will take on desserts. Anybody can buy a pumpkin pie, but the oohs and aahs will really come your way when you prepare something the Pilgrims never dreamed of. The class will tackle five desserts, some traditional, some completely new.

To gain admittance, you’ll have to plead your case by sending a brief note about why you need help. We’re suckers for a sob story, especially when it involves disapproving mothers-in-law and dry turkey.

The 12 most desperate students will be selected to attend a hands-on class Oct. 19 at Apron’s Cooking School at Publix supermarket at Shoppes of Citrus Park in Tampa. Apron’s resident chef Bil Mitchell will share his expertise and recipes.

E-mail your entry to features@sptimes.com. Put THANKSGIVING in the subject line.
Deadline is Oct. 8. Nominations of bad cooks by good cooks will be accepted, but they cannot be submitted anonymously. Participants must be willing to be photographed during the class, because it’s not just their skills we want to improve. The experience — and recipes — will be shared on Tampabay.com (and in the Times' food section) in mid November. That's plenty of time to practice!

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One last recipe

If you're still casting about for a delicious pie recipe, consider this one. There's time to run to the store today. Go on your lunch break! Make it tonight and refrigerate after it cools. Let it sit for 30 minutes at room temp before serving.

While you're at the store, get some nice rolls for leftover turkey sandwiches. Also, look in the refrigerated case where the cold pickles are for cranberrry-horseradish. Delish on sandwiches.

That's what Stir Crazy will be eating on Friday. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving. I'll see you back on Monday for dinner ideas that'll sustain a long month of shopping.

Sour Cream Orange Pumpkin Pie
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (4-cup volume)
Filling:
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups (15-ounce can) solid-pack pumpkin
1 1/4 cups (14-ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sour-Cream Topping:
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons thawed frozen orange-juice concentrate (or orange-flavored liqueur)
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine eggs, pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin-pie spice, orange peel and salt in a medium bowl; mix well. Pour into prepared pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes more or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack, leaving the oven on.

Meanwhile, combine ingredients for sour-cream topping. Spread topping over partially cooled pie. Return to the 350-degree oven and bake for another 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serves 8.

Source: Baltimore Sun.

T-Day, minus 2

The year's biggest family dinner is just two days away. Like many people, you may be buying the entire dinner, save for a few things, from a grocery store, deli or other source. This is a great alternative to making the entire meal yourself.

If you are buying dinner fully cooked, consider using fresh herbs or toased nuts to liven up the offerings. Here are some suggestions gleaned from various Internet sources:

Mashed Potatoes
* Heat on the stove and add lower-fat sour cream and freshly chopped chives or
* Stir in roasted garlic cloves and fresh, finely chopped parsley.

Cranberry Sauce
Warm up a can (or two) of whole cranberry sauce and add:
* Some orange zest and 1 to 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or
* A few tablespoons of less-sugar raspberry preserves and 1/3 cup of dried cherries or craisins.
Let chill after you make your additions.

Stuffing
* If it's dry, add a little warmed chicken broth.
* Browned crumbled sausage and fold in or
* Add chopped fresh herbs, especially flat-leaf parsley, sage and thyme.

Gravy
Jazz up prepared gravy by sauteing garlic, onion and finely diced mushrooms then adding it in.

Rolls
Make an herbed compound butter to serve with rolls by blending softened butter or margarine with finely choppped herbs (flat leaf-parsley and sage would be a great combo. Stay away from woody rosemary for this.)

Vegetables
Almost all vegetables, especially green beans and brussels sprouts, benefit from fresh chopped herbs and toased pecans.

Pumpkin pie
Place toasted pecans around the edge and add a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream to each slice. If you're using prepared whipped cream from tub or can, sprinkle cinnamon over the cream.

The big countdown

I know there is a lot of debate over whether to set out nibbles and snacks before Thanksgiving. The meal is often at an awkward time, like 3 or 4 in the afternoon. You don't want to load up on too much food at lunch but it's hard to make it from breakfast until the meal.

I think some dips with veggie crudite or ice-cold shrimp are a good idea. They aren't really heavy but will keep people satisfied until it's time to eat. These are two of my favorite dip recipes, both really simple. I think the onion one rivals the Lipton soup mix standard. The Greek dip is great with shrimp or pita chips.

There are only two days left of Turkey with Benefits week ... Come back tomorrow for ideas on how to jazz up store-bought dishes.

Onion Dip
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
2 medium garlic gloves, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced scallions for garnish

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise and cream cheese until smooth. Add onion flakes, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate.

Refrigerate for at least one hour; overnight is better. Before serving, stir thoroughly. Sprinkle with sliced scallions.

Source: Janet K. Keeler, Times food editor

Greek Feta Dip
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove minced
2 tablespoons McCormick Greek seasoning blend
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
Thinly sliced scallions for garnish

Blend sour cream and mayonnaise. Incorporate garlic and seasoning blend. Add in feta crumbles and kalamata olives.

Refrigerate for at least one hour; overnight is better. Before serving, stir thoroughly. Sprinkle with sliced scallions.

Note: Taste the dip and adjust for personal preference. You may want more feta or olives.

Source: Janet K. Keeler, Times food editor

Look, Ma, no can!

Who knew it was possible to make the required green bean casserole without a can of condensed soup and frozen green beans? Well, chef Bil Mitchell at Apron's Cooking School in Tampa for one. This is his Wishbone U. recipe from last year and it's a keeper. There is so much flavor and it's just gorgeous with the bright green beans and luxe sauce. Everyone will rave.

If you're a make-ahead kind of person, assemble the casserole to the point before adding the french-fried onions. (Yes, you can use the ones in the can.) Refrigerate. Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before the turkey is done and let it come to room temp. Top with the onions and bake after the bird comes out of the oven.

Okay, let's be careful out there this weekend. The grocery store parking lots are like pinball machines ... don't let your car become one of the silver balls!!!

See you back Monday for three more days of Thanksgiving recipes. I've got some ideas ... do you have any requests?

Fresh Green Bean Casserole
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans (trimmed)
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
2 onions, halved and sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart milk
Fresh nutmeg, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small can french-fried onions, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Blanch green beans in boiling water until they are a vibrant green, about 3 minutes. Remove beans from boiling water with slotted utensil and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice and water to stop cooking. Leave in the ice bath the same amount of time the beans were in the boiling water. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Render the fat from the bacon in a large sauce pot. When the bacon starts to crisp, remove the bacon from the pot and drain on paper towels; set aside.

Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in a bowl and, with the remaining bacon fat, saute the onions and mushrooms until soft and the mushrooms have released their liquid. Set the onions and mushrooms aside, and drain the pot of any excess fat and liquid.

Return the 3 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat to the pot and add the flour. Cook this over low heat and stir constantly to form a roux (a thickening paste of fat and flour).

When this no longer smells of raw flour, slowly whisk in the milk to make a bechamel sauce. Raise the temperature until the sauce starts to thicken, and then lower it to a simmer. Season with nutmeg, and then add the onions, mushrooms, bacon pieces and green beans back to the pot.

Stir to coat and pour this into a greased casserole dish. Top with the crumbled french-fried onions and bake, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes.

Serves 8.

Source: Apron's Cooking School, Publix Super Markets

Isn't it all about stuffing anyway?

Who cares if the turkey is dry if you've got a boatload of stuffing to go with? This recipe will feed at least 20, and though it is labor intensive, it's worth it.

A few years ago, I got this crazy idea to start a Thanksgiving cooking class that a clever colleague named Wishbone U. We paired struggling cooks with good home cooks to learn the art of Thanksgiving and the novices gathered in the kitchens of experts for lessons. (We've since moved Wishbone U. to Publix's Apron's Cooking School in Tampa. Read about this year's class Nov. 18 and get the recipes at www.dining.tampabay.com.)

Lisa Smith of St. Petersburg, who is a fantastic cook, taught a class on side dishes and this is her recipe. It starts with several boxes of Jiffy corn bread mix but Lisa ramps it up with canned creamed corn and sour cream. The results are delicious.

Timing alert: Stuffing needs to be refrigerated overnight before cooking and corn bread needs to be made at least 8 hours before stuffing to give it time to cool and dry slightly. For Thanksgiving, start this dish on Tuesday night.   

Corn Bread Sausage Stuffing for a Crowd
Corn bread:
6 eggs
3/4 cup oil
2 1/2 cups canned creamed corn
3 cups regular sour cream (see note)
3 boxes Jiffy corn bread mix
Stuffing:
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds Jimmy Dean maple sausage, cooked and well drained
1 celery heart, thinly sliced (see note)
3 medium white onions, diced
1 pound carrots, trimmed, washed and grated
2 Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and diced
8 eggs, well-beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons sage
1 1/2 teaspoons marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
3 tablespoons dried chives
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup chicken stock, divided use

To make corn bread: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium bowl, beat eggs with mixer. Add oil, corn and sour cream, incorporating on low speed. Add Jiffy mix and blend. Do not overmix; there should still be some lumps.

Heavily butter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. (If you have too much batter, butter an 8- by 8- baking dish to use for the excess.) Pour batter in pan (or pans) and bake 25 to 30 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Let cool and sit for at least 8 hours to draw out moisture.

To make stuffing: Melt butter in large saute pan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and carrots. Stir. Cook covered on medium heat until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Veggies will become soft but not brown. Put in a bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, crumble corn bread. Add sausage, cooked vegetables, eggs and seasonings, including salt. Add diced apples. With well-washed hands, mix thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup of stock. Blend well.

Heavily butter a 9- by 13-inch pan and one 8- by 8-inch pan. Spoon stuffing into pans. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle leftover 1/4 cup of chicken stock over both pans. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Raise heat to 375 and bake another 30 to 35 minutes or until golden.

Note: Low-fat or fat-free sour cream will add too much moisture to the corn bread. Celery hearts usually come three to a package and look like a skinny bunch of celery. Use one whole bunch (or heart) including leaves, but trim tops and bottoms.

The larger pan will feed 12 to 15; the smaller one 4 to 6.

Source: Lisa Smith of St. Petersburg

You've got to make this for Turkey Day

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Pears is my all-time favorite Thanksgiving recipe. If you make nothing else, make this. You'll be the belle of the potluck if you waltz in with this tasty dish. For just regular eating, it serves great with a rotisserie or home-roasted chicken or even pork tenderloin. One of my colleagues, who has adopted this as her signature fall dish, freezes it and says it thaws and reheats beautifully.

Every time I've made this, people wonder what's in it. The cooked pears disappear into the whipped sweet potatoes so only their flavor remains. The key is to use ripe pears. Hard pears will not fall apart as they cook and mixture will be lumpy. It still tastes good but it's not as rich. You could substitute canned pears if they are packed in their own juice, not syrup. Also, if you want to tone down the fat content, use non-fat evaporated milk.

Come back tomorrow for a corn bread stuffing that'll feed a crowd.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Pears
8 medium sweet potatoes
4 pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake 1 hour, or until tender.

Peel the baked sweet potatoes. Place in a medium bowl and whip with electric beater until smooth.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, gently cook the pears 10 minutes, or until tender. (The pears will emit enough juice; you won't need water.) Process the pears in a food processor or blender until smooth.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix the evaporated milk, vanilla, brown sugar and butter. Heat until scalded. Blend into the sweet potatoes.

Mix the pear puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice and pecans into the sweet potato mixture. Transfer to a large baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Makes 8 servings.

Note: You can skip the oven browning and serve just heated. The dish is delicious both ways.

Source: Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

How sweet potato pie it is

Of all the food magazines that I see regularly, I am most inspired by the recipes in Bon Appetit. They are innovative and interesting but still doable. Plus, the editors aren't above running a recipe that calls for a jar of Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme, though they do seem a little apologetic when they do.

The November issue has some lovely Thanksgiving desserts that aren't pumpkin pie. This one is a dessert play on the traditional sweet potato/marshmallow side dish, which I always thought seemed like a dessert anyway.

If you don't mind serving the pie in a foil pan, buy a pre-baked graham cracker crust. It'll save time and money. This is the easiest type of crust to make, though, if you want to do it all from scratch.

When I tested the recipe, I made the pie the day before but baked the meringue on top the day I served it. I think this may become my signature Thanksgiving dessert.

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (made from about 7 1/2 ounces graham crackers, finely ground in processor)
3 tablespoons sugar
6 to 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
3 pounds medium sweet potatoes
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Marshmallow Meringue:
1 7-ounce jar Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
3 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add 6 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding 1 tablespoon melted butter if crumb mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish, building up sides 1/4 inch above rim of dish. Bake crust until set and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack. DO AHEAD: Pie crust can be made 2 days ahead. Cover pie crust and let stand at room temperature.

For filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce sweet potatoes all over with fork; place potatoes on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are very tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut potatoes open and scoop out pulp. Transfer pulp to processor and puree until smooth. Set aside 2 cups sweet potato puree for filling; cool completely (reserve any remaining puree for another use). DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 2 cups sweet potato puree, sweetened condensed milk, and all remaining ingredients in large bowl; whisk until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into crust. Bake pie until puffed around edges and set in center, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool. Refrigerate pie at least 4 hours or overnight.

For marshmallow meringue:
Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Using rubber spatula, scrape marshmallow creme into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form. Add 1/2 cup beaten egg whites to marshmallow creme and stir with rubber spatula or spoon just until incorporated to lighten (marshmallow creme is very sticky and will be difficult to blend at first, but blending will become easier as remaining whites are folded in). Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions just until incorporated. Spread meringue over top of cold pie, mounding slightly in center and swirling with knife to create peaks.

Bake pie just until peaks and ridges of marshmallow meringue are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until meringue is cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let pie stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Makes 10 servings

Source: Bon Appétit, November

Turkey with Benefits Week!

From today until next Wednesday, I'm happily handing out the most smashing Thanksgiving recipes that we've printed in the Taste section over the last few years. I've made them all myself so I can attest to their inherent goodness, and their general ease of preparation.

If you're doing all the cooking for the big day, my condolences. I think it's way too much work for one person. I'm a fan of the potluck, or at least a modified potluck where people who really know how to cook bring good food. The others can provide wine, rolls and paper products. So if you only have to make one dish, spend the time and make it great.

We're going to start off the week nice and easy with a cranberry relish recipe that makes a big impact for very little effort. If you've not made fresh cranberry sauce, give this recipe a try. You can always bring along the canned version to satisfy the picky traditionalists.

Do not panic if the mixture seems soupy after it's done cooking. It thickens as it cools in the refrigerator. Another bonus: Make it four days ahead. Something else to cross off your list!

See you back tomorrow for a killer sweet potato pie recipe.

Cranberry Sauce With Dried Cherries
2 1/2 cups cherry cider or black cherry cider or cranberry juice cocktail
1 8-ounce package dried tart cherries (about 2 cups)
1 cup sugar
1 12-ounce package cranberries
1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cloves

Bring cider to simmer in heavy, large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cherries and let stand 8 minutes. Mix in sugar, then cranberries and cloves. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes.

Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours (sauce will thicken as it cools).

Note: Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

Source: Bon Appetit magazine