Roasted veggies, chutney pair well with feast

(A colorful array of roasted winter veggies makes a wonderful side)

What's a Thanksgiving dinner without plenty of sides?

Side dishes and antipasti are my favorite part of Thanksgiving.

And in a vegetarian household, there won't be any turkey centerpiece (adopt a bird, instead!), so lots of sides are in order to accompany an Italian centerpiece, such as eggplant parmigiana.

Today's Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal offers a different take on the traditional turkey for the holiday, complete with stuffing and chutney. You can find the recipe from Gannett News Service for Cranberry-Golden Raisin Chutney below.

One of the easiest dishes to make for any big meal is a side of roasted winter vegetables.

I recently used beautiful blue and red potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots, beets, brussels sprouts and garlic for a roasted vegetable side dish, many of them still fresh from a late garden harvest. Root vegetables work really well with potatoes and brussels sprouts. You can also use winter squash. The key is to cook all of the vegetables evenly — a mushy veggie will detract from the texture of this toothsome dish.

(If you can find blue potatoes, use them to add color to this roasted veggie dish)

There's no set recipe for this dish; just clean and prep all the vegetables ahead of time.
Cut them into quarters or cubes (keep them all about the same size). Break apart a handful of garlic cloves and peel.
Toss the vegetables with a few tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Mix well and roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes, until they start to brown.

(To prevent beets from drying out while roasting, cover with foil and sprinkle with water)

I roasted the beets separately with a pinch of water and covered the plate in foil so they would steam a little. I also steamed the brussels sprouts for just about a minute.

Add the beets and brussels sprouts to the other vegetables along with some sprigs of fresh lemon thyme or rosemary. Add a dash of Tamari and balsamic vinegar; toss again, and return the vegetables to the oven for another 5 minutes or so, until the flavors marry together.

These vegetables are delicious hot from the oven, but they can also be served cold with a little vinaigrette.

Cranberry-Golden Raisin Chutney

1. 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2. 1/4 cup (1 medium) finely chopped shallot
3. 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
4. 1 cup golden raisins
5. 12 ounces fresh cranberries
6. 2 springs fresh thyme
7. 2 (2-inch) strips lemon zest
8. 1 cup water
9. 1/2 cup sugar
10. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add apple and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
• Stir in raisins, cranberries, thyme, lemon zest, water and sugar.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst, apples are tender and mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
• Let cool to room temperature.
• Discard thyme and lemon zest.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature.
• Makes 3 1/2 cups.
• Serves 10 to 12.
  

Note: Chutney can be made up to 1 week in advance and chilled. Chutney will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Source: Martha Stewart Living Magazine, November 2008 issue


Stay tuned for more holiday favorites as I prep for the big day next week.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!