First Thanksgiving + Belated Anniversary Celebration
The holidays are really special for us. & pretty much I like to pride myself on thinking my husband go big for the holidays. Particularly Christmas, but Hallowen + Thanksgiving sneak in to get us feeling a little festive. What warms my heat, + what I look forward to so so much, is having our own at-home celebrations. I don’t know if it’s because putting together a holiday spread for just us is the most low stress or because I feel like I have total autonomy to do it just how I want it, but it’s always the most fun. So in the spirit of prioritizing fun this holiday season, putting together a Thanksgiving spread for just us two was high on the priority list, and that task made it’s way onto my priority list like as soon Halloween came + went.
Every year I do it - just pick a day to do our Thanksgiving, dive in to the sides that make my mouth water, & do it up for just us two. I feel like I’m self aware enough to recognize that hosting the Zehner gang at my house is a fat chance. Our house is kinda small + we don’t have kids, so getting everyone to our house is bit of an uphill battle. And one I just don’t even attempt to fight anymore. It used to kind of bum me out - I LOVE a good hosting effort. But I’ve taken the route of taking a lot of enjoyment in our Thanksgiving For Just Us Two tradition (no matter what day it actually occurs), and this year might have been our best pseudo Thanksgiving yet.
On the menu - the best brussels, the best roasted beet + carrot dish, and the best cranberry sauce. Three very homemade + very delish sides that felt very Fall.
The “no turkey” approach
And as a true act of love, no turkey. No damn turkey & let me tell you - it still felt like Thanksgiving! For my vegetarian enthusiast husband, I swapped my usual turkey for a baked cauliflower dish. I did my research + found a turkey glaze that looked pretty good, and opted to slather it on some cauliflower instead. A blend of mustard + maple + chili powder painted on the cauliflower (all nooks + crannies) before heading the in the oven. The key is to be generous. I men - this sauce is thee flavor x-factor, and I didn’t want it to be subtle. Because the sauce is sticky + thick, it sticks very well and it allows for a thick coating, which I took advantage of. And the whole maple + mustard combo adds some serious Fall flavor. A little vegetarian Thanksgiving, + it turned out great!
Pro-tip: spoon a little bit of the sauce from the baking pan right on top of thee cauliflower. Because a little extra sauce is always a good choice + why let it go to waste?
The sides
If I’m going to do a Thanksgiving for just me + my husband, I’m 100% tailoring it to just us. Forget any semblance of how Thanksgiving should look. You’re literally not pleasing one other person, + it’s kind of the fucking best. And it’s the foray into being real damn selfish. Choosing our favorite seasonal veggies + turning them into foods that feel seasonal - that’s my mindset.
So beets. A go to veggie for me. They’re a favorite for flavor (we even just made a “beet cider” at our bar - not so sure how everyone else liked it but it was fun for us!), and so healthy. Jazz them up a bit - because Thanksgiving is all about jazzed up dishes - with a homemade pesto. Herby + nutty, and just a little something fun with every forkful of veggies.
Then the brussels. That’s where we kind of throw the whole vegetarian concept out the window. These brussels au gratin are the most amazing thanksgiving food I’ve ever had + I just love love love them. And I look forward to chowing down on this cheesy + creamy bake in all it’s glory at least once ever year…..+ that requires the use of bacon. I just can’t stray because they’re so damn good, and it just wouldn’t be the same without the bacon addition. You cook bacon first, & then the onion is cooked in the bacon fat, just really embedding that bacon flavor in the dish. So so tasty! Worth the slight stray from our veggie enthusiast lifestyle.
This brussels dish is so much more than the bacon. The perfect blend of mushrooms + onions + brussels sprouts, and then factor in the parmesan + gruyere. It’s cheesy + savory + I swear I can just eat a plate full of this stuff for a meal. Wouldn’t be made about it!
Cranberry Sauce with almond brittle
I cannot say enough about this cranberry sauce. It’s roasted, making it real easy to prepare. The addition of white wine is super different, and adds a really delish flavor to the whole thing. Just a touch of rosemary is the perfect addition to just perk up the flavor + give a slight slight herbal flare to thee cranberries. And the real deal most amazing part - the cranberry brittle on top. Omg this stuff is so so good. Maple + sea salt + a touch more rosemary quickly roasted to create this delish almond brittle. Not going to lie - I’ve already made just the brittle again for a charcuterie board with company, & it was probably the shining star of the board. And the major takeaway to incorporate in more areas than Thanksgiving cranberry sauce.
Add a little holiday flare
I’ll remember the year of holiday 2020, particularly this little datenight, as a time of Holiday Fusion. I’m officially coining the term! My living room + rest of my house is full Christmas, and my dining room remains Thanksgiving themed. Kind of consolidated all the pumpkins into my dining room just to keep on theme for this datenight, + setting just the right kind of Fall tone for Thanksgiving at home. But I have to admit standing dead center between my dining room + living room, and then looking left to right, does kind of make me chuckle. The stark Christmas vs Thanksgiving vibe is just something.
This whole date night came at the tail end of our anniversary weekend where we got to do a little “staycation” + have some fun around town. Something we haven’t done literally at all since Covid started. There have been a couple “get dressed up in the comfort of your own home” moments, but this weekend felt special. Like that real giddy feeling of celebrating having a partner that I’m so crazy obsessed with + who I love to spend time with. It really was pretty perfect. I’m just glad we had the opportunity to get out + celebrate us, and have a true date night because it kind of made me feel like a kid again. We’ve entered into the 10 year mark (wowza) of being together, + I kind of can’t wrap my mind around the fact that we’ve known each other for a decade. Once the actual date night started, we were able to forget all the stress of work + life’s bull shit, and just focus on each other, and I'm so insanely thankful for that experience. Glad we had the chance to get dressed up, have a couple drinks at one of our favorite spots, + have just a really special date-day // date-night together. Letting it parlay into our first holiday at-home is the most ideal way to enter into the holiday season. And now I’m just hopeful that holiday season 2020 stays one of loverly vibes + fun + insane joy.
For the Cranberry Sauce
1 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries
1/2 c. of sugar
1/4 c. dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
cooking spray
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1 tbsp maple syrup
pinch of salt
For the beets + carrots
4-5 red beets, raw + uncooked
1 c. fresh mint
1 c. fresh parsley
1/4 c. walnuts (genereous 1/4 c.)
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 garlic cloves
5-6 carrots, peeled + cut in half
EVOO
Salt + pepper
For the Brussels Au Gratin
1 stalk of brussel sprouts, removed from the stalk + halved
1/2 lb. bacon, cut into lardons
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2-3 c. chopped mushrooms
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. parmesan
1 tsp fresh sage, minced
1/4 c. gruyere (generous)
EVOO
Salt + pepper
Maple Roasted Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, stem removed + sliced
1/2 c. maple syrup
2 tbsp Dijon
1 tsp chili powder
Salt + pepper
For the cranberry sauce + almonds, preheat the oven to 425. Toss the cranberries with the wine, sugar, & a tablespoon of the rosemary (minced). Transfer to a baking dish & roast for 30 minutes. When done cooking, let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, and then off to the fridge for 2 hours (at least). In a separate bowl, mix the almonds, maple, remaining teaspoon of rosemary (minced), + just a pinch of salt. Place a piece of parchment on a baking sheet + spray with cooking spray. Spread the almonds and bake for 10 minutes (just golden brown). Remove from the oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces. Set aside in an airtight container is making thee night before.
Move to making the brussels. Reduce the oven heat to 400. Toss the brussels with about 2 tbsp EVOO, salt + pepper. Spread on a foil lined baking sheet, and cook for 30 minutes. While they roast, place a skillete over medium heat. Add the bacon, saute until cooked. Use a slotted spoon to take the bacon out of the pan, leaving the fat in the skillet. Add in the onion + garlic, cooking until the onion is translucent (so like 6-7 minutes). Then add in the mushrooms, and cook for another 10 minutes or so. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the cream, sage, + parmesan, stirring to combine. Take your cooked brussel sprouts, + add to the mushroom mixture. Place in a baking dish, sprinkling the cooked bacon + gruyere right over the top. Cover with foil + set aside.
Reduce the oven heat to 375. Wrap the beets in foil (totally enveloped), and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven & let them continue to sit in the sealed foil envelope for 30 minutes until ready to chop.
Meanwhile, make the pesto for the beet dish place herbs, walnuts, lemon zest, + parmesan in a food processor, pulsing until ground up into equal size pieces. Add in a pinch of salt + pepper, and pulse. Add in about 3 tbsp of pesto with the processor running. Set aside.
Make the mustard maple glaze for the cauliflower. Mix the maple + Dijon until combined, then stir in the chili powder.
Keep oven at 375. Line 2 separate baking trays with foil. Toss the carrots with EVOO, and pinch of salt and pepper, and lay on one baking tray. Lay cauliflower pieces on the other tray, painting both sides with with the mustard-maple glaze. Bake each 35 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the brussels dish back to the oven, covered. As they bake, peel & chop beets into segments. At 35 minutes, carrots should be done. Keep the cauliflower + brussels in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, removing the foil from the brussels.
In separate bowls, toss both the beets + carrots with 1-2 tablespoons pesto. Place them on a serving tray, dolloping on a bit more of the pesto if desired. Place the final product back in the oven for 2-3 minutes just to warm up the beets.