Happy Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving! It’s a holiday centered around food and family, my two favorite things. When I was a child, the only time we ever had turkey for dinner was on this holiday — and it was always special. Our family would gather at our house or one of my aunt’s houses. The bird would always be the star of the show, and its size varied depending on the number of people seated around the table. We feasted on turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, yams and — oh! — the desserts.

This year I’m making baby Lima butternut squash soup, blackeye bean brown rice Italian sausage stuffing and navy bean pie. The soup is flavorful, lightly seasoned and creamy. You can make it ahead and reheat it Thanksgiving Day to save time.

The blackeye stuffing is a meal in itself, so don’t feel you have to save it for Thanksgiving! If you don’t like spicy food, just swap mild Italian sausage for the hot.

And for dessert: bean pie! If you have never tried a bean pie, this is your chance. The subtle sweetness, mild flavor and smooth texture might be a surprise. It’s delicious!

 

 

Baby Lima Butternut Squash Soup  

6 cups butternut squash, cubed

4 cups baby lima beans, cooked

28 ounces vegetable broth

2 teaspoons dried sage, crushed

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

Salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons butter

Put butternut squash in saucepan and cover with water. Cook until tender, then drain. Put cooked squash, baby limas and broth in blender and blend until smooth. Run mixture through sieve to remove bits of skin from the beans. Place strained mixture in saucepan and add herbs, butter, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat until heated through. Sprinkle on a little thyme for decoration before you serve.

Serves approximately 6-8.

 

 

Blackeye Brown Rice and Italian Sausage Stuffing

4 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups cooked blackeyes

19 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup diced bell pepper (I used a combination of red, yellow and orange bell peppers for more color)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups chopped mushrooms

Brown sausage in skillet. (Make sure you break up the sausage when you cook.) Drain fat from sausage, then add the onions, celery, peppers and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are tender.

In another skillet, cook the mushrooms with the butter about 2 to 4 minutes, or until done.

Add the herbs to the sausage mixture, then add mushrooms and rice. Place stuffing in a casserole dish and heat before serving. This stuffing can also be made ahead. Serves 6 to 8.

Navy Bean Pie

1 unbaked piecrust

2 cups cooked navy beans

6 ounces evaporated milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a food processor or blender, add the navy beans, milk, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, sugar and extract. Blend until smooth.

Add the egg and egg yolk to the bean mixture and blend again.

Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake until top is golden brown, around 35 minutes. Cool before eating. This pie is great with whipped cream and a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

 Enjoy!