A Sky Valley Table

Some of the Sky Valley’s best cooks this year shared the recipes they love the most for Thanksgiving dinner.

 

Pumpkin Praline Parfaits

Contributed by Coryanne Ettiene

These creamy, crunchy desserts are all the sweeter because they are low-carb and gluten-free.

Pumpkin Pastry Cream:

1 1/4 cup whipping cream

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

3 egg yolks

1/3 cup Swerve Sweetener

pinch salt

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp butter, cut into two pieces

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pralines:

1 cup Swerve Sweetener

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp molasses

pinch salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups pecan halves

For the pastry cream, whisk together whipping cream, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with Swerve sweetener and salt, then whisk in cornstarch until the mixture becomes pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

Slowly whisk about half of the hot cream into the yolks to temper, then return the yolk/cream mixture back to the saucepan and cook until thick and glossy, about 1 1/2 minutes, whisking continuously. It thickens up suddenly and quickly, so watch carefully!

Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer to a small bowl and press plastic wrap flush to the surface. Chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours.

For the pralines, combine Swerve with the cream, butter, molasses and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until Swerve dissolves and mixture boils. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 280F on a candy thermometer and just begins to darken. Remove from heat.

Stir in vanilla extract and let cool 5 minutes. Stir in pecans and mix vigorously, then pour into a parchment lined baking pan. Let cool and harden.

To assemble parfaits, take about a quarter of the pralines and place in a heavy-duty plastic Ziploc bag. Crush with a heavy kitchen mallet until broken into small pieces. Set aside.

Divide half of pumpkin pastry cream into 6 dessert dishes or ramekins. Sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon of crushed pralines, then top with remaining pastry cream and sprinkle each with 1 more tablespoon of crushed pralines.

Garnish with lightly sweetened whipping cream, if desired, and 1 pecan half.

Serves 6. Each serving has 8.1 g of carbs and 2.2 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 5.9 g.

Pumpkin Pie (8 Servings)

Contributed by Reshu Kandari Pearson

Ingredients

1 egg

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2. Add sugar gradually to the pumpkin puree. Beat well and stir in the flour, salt and spices. Stir in the corn syrup and beat well. Stir in the slightly beaten egg, then slowly add the evaporated milk, mixing until well blended. Pour the batter into the unbaked pie shell.

3. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees F) and continue baking pie for an additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the mixture comes out clean.

Alton Brown’s Cranberry Sauce 

Contributed by Jon Levesque

“I add 1/4 cup brandy to this recipe,” said Levesque. “It adds a little oomph.”

Ingredients

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup 100 percent cranberry juice, not cocktail

1 cup honey

1 pound fresh cranberries, approximately 4 cups

Directions

Wash the cranberries and discard any soft or wrinkled ones.

Combine the orange juice, cranberry juice and honey in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. Do not cook for more than 15 minutes as the pectin will start to break down and the sauce will not set as well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Carefully spoon the cranberry sauce into a 3 cup mold. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator, overturn the mold and slide out the sauce. Slice and serve.

My favorite cranberry relish

Contributed by Kit Vanessa Lund

Ingredients

3/4 cup apple Juice

1/2 to 2/3 cup raw sugar (to taste)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

A dash of ground cloves

1 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries.

1/2 c. golden raisins

1/2 c. chopped pecans

In medium saucepan combine juice and spices. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add fruits, bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until cranberries pop. Remove from heat and stir in nuts. Cover and chill 2 hours before serving. The rest will stay in the fridge for about 2 days.

Mashed Potatoes (8 Servings)

Contributed by Reshu Kandari Pearson

Ingredients

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed

1/2 cup butter

8 ounces cream cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill with enough lightly-salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork (about 10 minutes). Drain and mash partially, then add the butter and milk. Continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the cream cheese, chives and dill.

Alex’s Perfect Gravy

Contributed by Coryanne Ettiene

The trick with great gravy is that it takes time, love and, like the cook looking for courage, plenty of wine. It is best made while your bird rests on a carving board and prepared in the same roasting pan to ensure that every last molecule of flavor infuses your gravy. Ideally roasted celery, bacon, carrots, potatoes, garlic and onions make for a great base, but anything that you are roasting your bird with will work as a starting point for the gravy. Generally there are no rules to measuring or ingredients except that you keep the flour in your pantry and save it for your baking needs. It is all about instinct, so be creative and keep tasting until you have a delicious spoonful.

Ingredients

Wine (plenty of it, I prefer to use white wine with poultry but if you have red on hand, use that);

Chicken or turkey stock (at least a pint, more if you like thinner gravy);

Salt and crushed black pepper (be mindful of the salt, most store-bought stock will have plenty of it; taste as you go, but be generous with the crushed black pepper);

Herbs (we often use a bay leaf and a small sprig of thyme. Rosemary can be heavy so use it sparingly);

Roasting pan (with all the leftover bits of roasted vegetables, bacon, onion, garlic and chicken drippings that glisten with caramelized glory)

Directions

Place your roasting pan on the stovetop or hob of your oven and pour in your glass (or 2) of wine and the pint of stock, bringing it to a rolling boil and taking care to use a wooden spatula to scrape all the browning at the bottom of the pan. Then add your herbs and salt and pepper accents. As you stir, your gravy will start to darken and thicken. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and using a masher to reduce your excess vegetables to add volume to the sauce. The result will be gravy so aromatic, so rich with flavor and color that you will hang your head in shame for all the times you added flour to your gravy.

Note: Not using flour means that everyone at the table can enjoy it (rejoice, it is gluten-free), and you can store it for up to three days in your fridge and reuse in a soup or stew. Also, if you are using an enamel roasting pan, you cannot cook your gravy pan on a glass cooking surface, so check your pots before you start firing up the stovetop.