table for two please

This was the first holiday that my husband and I celebrated by ourselves. Our children spent the day with their in-laws and soon-to-be in-laws and my brother and his wife stopped by on their way home. We maintained the family tradition of Great Grandma Freid's turkey dressing, my late mother-in-law's turkey candle as a centerpiece and started a new tradition. Using chair place card holders, they represent a chair where loved ones once sat at our dining table. Overall we had an enjoyable day to ourselves.

Although we were just two, I didn't scrimp on the fuss. Our thanks to Alexian Pâtè for the delicious vegetable pâtè. I served the pâtè with toasted bruschetta that purchased at the Shop Rite at the Wall Towne Center. I placed the bruschetta on a cookie sheet, sprayed with EVOO and toasted them in a 400° oven for approximatley 10  minutes. Hors' d'oeuvresI included Swiss cheese and crab spread from Mr. Shrimp.

Dinner started with butternut squash and apple soup, which was delightful yesterday. It needs to be thinned a bit with some additional chicken stock. The turkey and sides were scrumptious. I recommend that you give Amanda Hesser's Brussel sprouts recipe a try. The addition of the balsamic vinegar gave them a splash of brightness.

Our dessert was frozen pumpkin cheese crumble squares. My brother and sister-in-law had coffee and dessert with us and they too enjoyed them frozen. 

I have enough leftovers for another meal, but I found a recipe in a Williams-Sonoma catalog several years ago for Thanksgiving leftovers panini. Unfortunately, the Williams-Sonoma Cranberry Fig Chutney is no longer sold at the store. You may want to substitute regular cranberry sauce or Stonewall Kitchens Apple Cranberry Chutney. I have  never tried the Stonewall product. You may want to check Wegmans in Ocean Township as they carry products by Stonewall Kitchens. 

Now if you don't have a panini press, no fear there's an affordable alternative. You can toast up the sandwich in a frying pan and place a plate on top of the sandwich and then place a 28 ounce can of tomatoes (or something of similar weight) to press the sandwich down. When one side is brown, turn the sandwich over and do the same thing. I've made this in the past and was very tasty. Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend, I'll be working.

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Butternut Squash-Apple Soup
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen
 
 
Donna’s Notes: I found this recipe on the back of a jar of pureed butternut squash that Williams-Sonoma used to carry. As it’s no longer available, I now purchase a medium butternut squash (enough to yield two pounds cooked) and cook it in my pressure cooker until tender. You can also roast  or steam peeled and cubed squash. Before adding to the soup, I mash it in a bowl. Once the soup is done cooking, I use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth.
 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
 
Ingredients
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 finely peeled, diced Granny Smith apple
3 teaspoons dry white wine
1/3 cup minced shallots
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jar (2 lb.) butternut squash puree*
2 to 2-1/2 cups chicken stock, warmed
½ teaspoon chopped fresh sage
 
Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add the apple and shall and sauté, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the wine, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the butternut squash puree, 2 cups of the stock and the sage. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Add more stock if you find soup too thick. 

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