Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day Inspiration

I love doing these holiday round up posts because they give me a chance to look back through everything I have posted on Lemon & Mocha. About 97% of the time I am so busy trying new recipes from my endless stream of cooking magazines, cookbooks and Pinterest that years go by between making the same dish twice. Looking through this list here today though made me want to start December by re-making each and every single one of these. I may or may not have been drooling in anticipation as omg-this-is-so-freakin-delicious food memories came flooding back. So here is some inspiration for you for Thanksgiving or really anytime you’re looking for something out of this world to eat. Enjoy!

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip  |  Lemon & Mocha

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip. Start the big day off right with an indulgent dip to tide your guests over until the turkey is ready.

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup  |  Lemon & Mocha

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup. The curry butter adds a unique twist to this fall soup.

Greek Yogurt Cornbread  |  Lemon & Mocha

Greek Yogurt Cornbread. The most moist and delicious cornbread you will ever eat.

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms  |  Lemon & Mocha

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms. Free up some room in your oven with this outrageously delicious dish.

Lemon, Garlic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower  |  Lemon & Mocha

Lemon, Garlic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower. Add some healthy and flavor-packed veggies to your Thanksgiving table.

Pineapple Bread Pudding  |  Lemon & Mocha

Pineapple Bread Pudding. It sounds unusual, but this is the most life-changing side dish. Warning: you may not want to share.

French Onion Green Beans  |  Lemon & Mocha

French Onion Green Beans. A light take on an old classic.

Stracciatella Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato Pie  |  Lemon & Mocha

Stracciatella Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato Pie. Delight your guests with an out-of-this-world showstopper dessert.

Turkey & Manchego Panini with Sun-dried Tomato Mayo  |  Lemon & Mocha

Turkey Manchego Panini with Sun-dried Tomato Mayo. Perfect sandwich for leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Fresh Rolls with Cranberry Dipping Sauce  |  Lemon & Mocha

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Fresh Rolls with Cranberry Dipping Sauce. A unique way and light way to use up your leftovers.

Mini Molten Chocolate Pecan Pies

Mini Molten Chocolate Pecan Pies  |  Lemon & Mocha

Thanksgiving is almost here! Only a few more days until we get to say thanks for all the good events and people that graced our lives over the past year. Of course, our thanks would not be complete without an all-day marathon gorge fest.

Mini Molten Chocolate Pecan Pies  |  Lemon & Mocha

After the glorious turkey, mashed potatoes lathered with gravy, piping hot biscuits, tart cranberry sauce and 23 other dishes, the great finale of any traditional Thanksgiving meal are the pies. Along with the pies comes the great pie debate. Apple pie or cherry pie? Pumpkin pie or lemon meringue pie? Blueberry pie or the ever mysterious chess pie?

Mini Molten Chocolate Pecan Pies  |  Lemon & Mocha

One of my favorites is the classic pecan pie, although it is usually missing a very important key ingredient. Chocolate! Once you experience pecan pie loaded up with chocolately chip goodness you will never want to settle for regular, plain old, chocolate-lacking pecan pie again.

Mini Molten Chocolate Pecan Pies  |  Lemon & Mocha

How pecan pie minus chocolate chips is the standard completely boggles my mind. I found a mini pie pan at Christmas Tree Shop last year and have been itching to bake up some cuteness.

Mini Molten Chocolate Pecan Pies  |  Lemon & Mocha

Mini pies are fantastic because they take less time in the oven, are adorable and you can have a whole pie all to yourself! Thanksgiving is all about sharing, but when it comes to dessert… just don’t get your fork too close to my pie…

Mini Molten Chocolate Pecan Pies  |  Lemon & Mocha

Mini Molten Chocolate Pecan Pies
 
Yield: 5 mini pies
Ingredients
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup dark corn syrup
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1¼ cups pecan halves
  • ¾ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 sheet unbaked pie crust, pressed into mini pie pans
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pre-bake the pie shells, making sure to use pie weights, for 7 minutes.
  2. Combine the eggs, brown sugar, flour, vanilla extract and corn syrup in a medium mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and stir. Add the pecans and chocolate chips then stir. Distribute evenly into the prepared mini pie shells.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes with a sheet pan underneath to catch any dripping.
Notes
To make one pie instead of mini pies, press the pie crust into a 9" pan. Pour all the filling into the pie shell then bake for 50-60 minutes. Cover the crust with aluminum foil partway through baking so the crust doesn't get burnt.

Recipe slightly adapted from Patrick & Gina Neely.

Sautéed Snow Peas with Cranberries & Walnuts

Sautéed Snow Peas with Cranberries & Walnuts  |  Lemon & Mocha

I love discovering new ways to cook up my favorite vegetables instead of my usual steaming or roasting methods. When I came across these snow peas with toasted walnuts and dried cranberries I knew I had to make them. The flavor profile screams fall and nicely complements the dry rubbed roast pork tenderloin I posted last week.

Sautéed Snow Peas with Cranberries & Walnuts  |  Lemon & Mocha

I like to cook the snow peas until they are just tender, but still have plenty of crunch so the little peas pop out of the pods when you bite into them. It’s the little things, folks. This side dish can be made in less than 10 minutes making it a huge keeper in my book.

Sautéed Snow Peas with Cranberries & Walnuts  |  Lemon & Mocha

The tartness of the dried cranberries and lemon juice pairs well with the nutty earthiness of the toasted walnuts.

Sautéed Snow Peas with Cranberries & Walnuts  |  Lemon & Mocha

I used the same dried orange cranberries I bought from Trader Joe’s that I used in my fall trail mix and that hint of orange seemed to make the dish even more flavorful. If you aren’t able to find orange cranberries you could try substituting half the lemon juice for orange juice or adding just the faintest amount of orange zest to the finished peas.

Sautéed Snow Peas with Cranberries & Walnuts  |  Lemon & Mocha

 
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces snow peas
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ⅓ cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped dried cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the snow peas and sauté until bright green, but not floppy, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Recipe from Vegetarian for a New Generation:  Seasonal Vegetable Dishes for Vegetarians, Vegans, and the Rest of Us.

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup  |  Lemon & Mocha

Five minutes into making this soup I knew I had a winner sitting on the stovetop in front of me. Intense smells swirled around me while the softening onions took on a rich color from all the spices. I don’t get cravings for soups unless they pack a lot of flavor and this sweet potato and apple soup hits the mark so I am extremely pleased to be posting it for as the second post in my fall apple series.

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup  |  Lemon & Mocha

This soup does take a shortcut by using applesauce instead of whole fresh apples, but you could easily turn your apple picking finds into an impromptu applesauce by peeling, coring then crushing them. And then making this soup of course.

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup  |  Lemon & Mocha

The original recipe uses curry powder, but since I didn’t have any on hand I substituted with what was in my cabinet. Feel free to use my version or substitute with curry powder according to the notes in the recipe. The soup has that delicious warming quality that all fall soups should have as well as an exciting complexity of taste.

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup  |  Lemon & Mocha

Finishing the soup with a splash of curry butter really deepens this complexity. You might think, “Oh, it’s just a garnish, I’m going to skip the curry butter,” but do not make this mistake my friends! Although it’s just a simple concoction of butter, spices and apple cider vinegar, it adds a final richness and tang to the soup.

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup  |  Lemon & Mocha

The apple chip pictured in the soup photos is the perfect crunchy texture addition and I’ll be sharing the recipe later this week in my third apple post.

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup  |  Lemon & Mocha

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup
 
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1¼ cups applesauce
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions
  1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl then set aside.
  2. Place the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once warm add the onions and garlic then cook until the onions are soft, about 6 minutes.
  3. Add the ginger, additional nutmeg and 1¼ teaspoons of the spice mixture that was set aside in the first step. Cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the sweet potatoes and vegetable broth then cover and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the applesauce then let simmer, covered, on medium-low for 20 minutes.
  5. When the potatoes are tender, puree the mixture until smooth with an immersion blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm while you prepare the spiced butter.
  6. In a small skillet over medium heat melt the butter then add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of the spice mixture. Stir over the heat until browned, just a couple minutes, then remove from the heat. Mix in the apple cider vinegar then drizzle over each serving of soup.
Notes
If you are using curry powder instead, substitute 1.5 teaspoons curry powder for the first 5 ingredients.

Recipe adapted from September 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine.

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip  |  Lemon & Mocha

To celebrate fall I am doing a series of four posts featuring a quintessential fall ingredient: apples! Every year Matt and I go apple picking with his parents at an orchard near their house. For us, this annual ritual signifies the official transition out of summer. In typical New England fashion, some years it is still sunny shorts-weather while other years we have three different layers on trying to stay warm. But what is always the same is the overwhelming fresh smell of apples.

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip  |  Lemon & Mocha

Although we haven’t had a chance to go yet this year between other people’s weddings and our own exciting planning, I wanted to provide some inspired recipes for all you fall apple-pickers out there. Whether you’re an apple-picker, seasonal farmers’ market shopper or price-savvy grocery store buyer, this caramelized onion and apple dip is a mouthwatering start to the season’s freshest produce.

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip  |  Lemon & Mocha

Caramelizing onions mellows their taste while breaking down the natural sugars leading to a browned and slightly sweetened result. True onion caramelization takes around 35-40 minutes, however I used a semi-caramelized quick version in this recipe. The end result is just as delicious.

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip  |  Lemon & Mocha

The onions are combined with tart Pink Lady apples, creamy herb cheese, salty shredded Parmesan and Gruyere before baked until bubbly. This hot dip is addictive on warm baguette slices, salty pretzel chips or grilled pork chops.

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip  |  Lemon & Mocha

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip
 
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 medium sweet onions, diced small
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
  • 2 sweet-tart apples, such as Pink Lady, peeled and diced
  • 2 ounces soft herb cheese, such as Boursin or herb goat cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Gruyere
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan
  • Salt and pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Place a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet then add the onions and chives. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and have started to brown about 10-15 minutes.
  3. Add the apples. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
  4. Stir in the soft herb cheese then season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Evenly sprinkle the shredded cheeses over top then bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until cheeses are bubbly and browned. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before eating.

Recipe slightly adapted from October 2014 Issue 107 of Cuisine at Home.