Veggies for Thanksgiving and beyond

November? What? Where has this year gone, friends?

I have been really craving veggies lately, which probably is a good thing. At least I'm not craving leftover Trick or Treat candy.

With Thanksgiving coming soon, I thought I'd use this space to publish a couple of recipes that would go well with your holiday feasts. In fact, these two recipes would go well any time in the upcoming holiday season. They're simple as can be and have sharp flavors that accentuate either roast turkey or ham.

I don't know about you, but I love Picadilly Cafeteria - ok, used to before I was gluten free. My Mama used to love this recipe, and she searched high and low for a copy of it to make for us. I was so disappointed when I found out it had flour in it, but I find this does very well with a replacement of Pamela's Baking Mix. The extras in the Pamela's mix give it the lift that taking out the gluten needs.



Picadilly's Carrot Souffle

1 3/4 pounds carrots, chopped up and cooked until very soft. You can use fresh or frozen.
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Pamela's Baking Mix or for you non-GF folks, plain old flour
3 eggs, well-beaten w/electric mixer
1/2 cup butter or margarine (room temperature) Note: you can use light margerine and Egg Beaters instead to make this a low fat and lower calorie dish.

powdered sugar

Microwave for 14 minutes or boil carrots until they're extra soft. Drain well and put into large mixing bowl.

While carrots are still warm, add: sugar, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat with mixer until smooth. *Note. I had to put my carrots in the blender to puree them. You might have to do the same. Either way, it works fine.

Add flour and mix well. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Add butter and mix well.

Pour mixture into baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour or until top is light golden brown. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar over top before serving.

A few years ago, I discovered that if you put curry powder and olive oil on cauliflower and cook it in the over for about 45 minutes, it develops a richer flavor. Roasted curried cauliflower is one of my favorite preps of this simple winter veggie, and if you like cauliflower, you'll LOVE this.

I depend on my sea of Penzeys spices to make this dish, but you can use what you have. I just got a new taste sensation from Penzeys I truly love -- Mural of Flavor, a sprinkling seasoning that combines every single member of the onion family -- shallots, onions, chives, and garlic -- with some lemon and onion peel thrown in for good measure. I fear it will be too much for my dear Randy, but I absolutely love it and will use it generously. If you don't have any, you can use onion powder and garlic powder, or even shallot salt if you have it (I have some my bro GF Steve sent me. I use it a lot, too.)



Roasted Curried Cauliflower (It's spicy, just like Annelle)

2 bags of frozen cauliflower or one generous head (or two cleaned bags -- I got a deal on those on the produce rack marked down to 99 cents each, much cheaper than a head of cauliflower).
One small chopped red onion (or yellow, if you don't have red)
4-5 chopped garlic cloves
1 t. sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
2 T. margarine or butter (to finish)
Curry Powder (hot, mild, Madras, your choice)
Red Pepper Flakes
Mural of Flavor or garlic and onion powder

Put cauliflower in a roasting pan and mix it with chopped onion and garlic. They will roast, too, and become sweet and caramelized. And yes, frozen cauliflower works here too -- just cook it a little longer.

Season with salt and olive oil and mix. Then, liberally season the top with the other seasoning. Give it a quick toss and place in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and toss with 2 T. margarine/butter. Let stand for a few minutes while butter melts.

It occurs to me this would also be good with butternet squash. I'll have to try that soon.

One last thing:

I don't like to talk about politics, because I truly do believe that we ALL have a right to privacy in an election year. That's why there are curtains on those voting machines. But my family knows where I stand, and they know whom I've already voted for this election year.

Some of you are wit me, and some of you are agin me, and we'll settle this like adults come the wee hours Wednesday morning, I'm sure. (Gluten Free Steve, I am expecting a call from you to celebrate!)

But what IS important to me, and what I will say LOUDLY HERE -- VOTE. VOTE. VOTE. PLEASE if you haven't early voted, Don't forget to VOTE TUESDAY. You might have to take a day off for it, but it is essential you ALL VOTE.

If you don't vote, you don't count, and more importantly, if you don't vote, you give up the right to complain for four or six (Senate race) or eight years if it doesn't go your way.

So MUCH love, and GO VOTE!
Ging