Thanksgiving has come and gone but the lessons from this years thanksgiving feast still remain with me as I begin this new adventure.
Life has some interesting turning points. Mine began the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Now living in Israel it is not a legal holiday and it doesn't hold historical importance in the grand scheme of things. And yet I continue to love the message behind it.
“Thankfulness is not only about what you get to give but also how you welcome being the receiver .” This idea is one that rings true in all aspects of life.
Life has mysterious ways of working out sometimes in ways you least expect to have an affect on others. It started with a simple message to another mom suggesting having her son sleepover for the weekend. Her response was a gentle decline with the suggestion to celebrate a Thanksgiving feast together.
In Life, you never know how a message or suggestion will effect a person, my text message was no exception. Somehow it snowballed into a single mother of five deciding to make her very first Thanksgiving feast with absolutely no prior experience making a whole turkey or any of the other decadent dishes including stuffing. Despite this she researched and prepared a festival of giving like no other I have ever participated in before.
Now I wasn't sure how to react to the invite initially, wasn't sure what inspired her to take on this overwhelming task that I had been anxious about taking on myself for weeks and still couldn't commit to, was it my knowledge of the amount of work that goes into a meal of this magnitude? No, its all about perspective. She explained when I arrived that it was all about committing to the opportunity to host and take on a meal that enticed her to make her own.
I realized at that moment it wasn't about the cranberry sauce or cornbread I offered to make that added to the meal it was about giving her the opportunity to prepare something special for her family and her guests. As exhausting as it might be to prepare that drive to succeed in making dishes she never heard of before empowered her and inspired all
of us who sat around that table.
While sitting and feasting on the moist roasted turkey and the many side dishes that complimented it perfectly we managed to take a moment to acknowledge the many different things we are so very grateful for. And then one of the teens at the table acknowledged the concept behind giving and how in order to give how someone else needs to be on the receiving end. And based on that balance we learn to take on both rolls with a whole heart and make room for others in our heart and allow for more giving to take place. This made the wheels in my brain turn to the vibrant generosity of my dear Bubbie- the Yiddish name sake for grandmother.
My Bubbie is the essence of a giver. She is always busy giving to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her giving goes beyond our family and as a result she is known by many as the "Bubbie of the block". Sharing her chicken soup with her neighbors and always baking up a storm to share with others. I am blessed to have her in my life and she has a constant influence on me and the way I live my life. We as her family have had our challenges as a result though with receiving. Slowly seeing the light and the importance in that roll but it takes time to master. And as the young lady at the table spoke I realized how the source she was quoting had a timeless message to absorb. As I returned back to listening to her speak the underlining importance of her message was just coming into focus. The giver of her nuclear family, her mother who she acknowledged her gratefulness and her appreciation for all she gives and provides for their family. Hearing her say that was the greatest proof of how much this one mother is doing right for her children. It also was the perfect reminder of how important the act of acknowledging our appreciation, to our loved ones & the people around us on a daily basis, is the key to the way we can give back.
You might think the title of this post is misleading, it really isn't though because the hostess's stuffing was the message that hit it home. The lessons that I gained from a meal that is most famously known to cause sleepiness due to the magic components in turkey and yet I felt so alive. And of all the lessons that night the one I gained the most from was her stuffing. Why? Because the hostess took a component she had past experience using to make stuffing and through her research decided to incorporate it into the stuffing recipes she read online and made it authentically her own absolutely divine dish. She incorporated a common starch that is used in many homes in Israel called couscous and sauteed onions and slivered almonds and cranberries to make a wholesome side to the turkey. It was a taste of her classic family cuisine incorporated into the traditional dish that she made into her very own. That secret method of authenticity she used in her cooking is the same concept I hope to infuse in this blog. I hope that you will enjoy driving along side with me on this new journey.
After all that talk about stuffing I wanted to share with you both recipes that are a wonderful addition to any roasted chicken or turkey dish.
Shomit's Couscous Stuffing
1 bag of large size couscous
1 Tbsp soup mix or cube of bullion
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
1-2 medium size onions chopped
1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp Silan or Honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp course pepper
Directions:
1. Place couscous into a bowl that has an airtight lid ready and available. Add soup mix to the couscous and prepare according to the package directions.
2. In the meantime heat up the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat and saute onions until golden and then add garlic to the pan and saute for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Add the almonds and cranberries to the frying pan to roast for 3-4 minutes.
4. Mix together with the couscous and add Silan or honey and salt and pepper.
5. Stuff the mixture into the cavity of the poultry and Bake in preheated oven at 350°F according to size of the bird.
*** It is recommended to Add 15 to 30 minutes for stuffed birds. The internal temperature should reach 165 °F in the center of the stuffing.
Yasmine's Classic Stuffing
Over the years I have adapted my recipe based on the one my mother and mother-in-law shared with me when I was just learning the tricks of the trade and hosted our very first Thanksgiving meal. I have tinkered the recipe over time to find the perfect balance. There are many variations of stuffing and each person has there unique method and secrete ingredient they add to making this delicious pan of wholesome goodness. This recipe will be sure to have your guests raving and your pan wiped clean!
To get started you will need aprox. 10-12 slices of bread to make croutons. I prefer using leftover challah bread that usually goes to waste otherwise. Use a bread knife to cute square 1x1 inch cubes and place on cookie sheet and bake for about 40 mins on 180°F until dried out and slightly golden. Once cooled store in a zip-lock bag for easy storage. Best stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. This is something great to keep handy for meatloaf as well.
For this recipe you will need 4 cups of the croutons to be placed in a 9 x 11 inch baking pan.
Ingriedients
4 cups of dry croutons
2 cups coarsely chopped onion (approx. 2-3 onions)
2 cups celery sliced to half inch chunks (approx. 3-5 stalks)
2 cups sliced mushrooms (approx. 12-16 mushroom heads)
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated on microplane
4-5 fresh sage leaves finely sliced (or 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves)
2 Tbsp margarine
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp poultry seasoning ( Recommend: Montreal Chicken spice)
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp Cayenne Paprika
Salt and course ground pepper to taste
3-4 cups warm consume or turkey or chicken stock ( short on time add 2 tbsp soup mix to boiling water and set aside to cool)
2 whole eggs
Directions
1. With your 9 x 11 inch pan of croutons off to side at the moment, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. In a large wide rimmed frying pan melt 2 tablespoons margarine & 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat until foaming subsides, about 2 minutes. Add onions, and allow them to start to golden in color and then add gradually celery, mushrooms, garlic, parsley (leave 1 tbsp aside to be added later) and sage and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes until all vegetables are sauted completely . Remove from heat and add 1 cup of chicken stock.
2.Whisk remaining chicken stock, eggs, and 3 tablespoons parsley in medium bowl until homogeneous. Stirring constantly with wisk, slowly add vegetable mixture to pan of croutons & then pour egg mixture all over pan of croutons. Use a wooden spoon to fold gently until evenly mix
3. Place stuffing into the oven to bake for 35-45 minutes until top croutons are golden and and completely crisped. After you bake your turkey your turkey gently pour 2-3 tablespoons of the exuded juices over the stuffing. Return stuffing to oven to warm up at 220°F about 15 minutes. If you want to keep it warm in the oven until serving you can cover it with tinfoil to prevent it from drying out. Just before serving uncover for 3 minutes to insure a crispy top layer.
The photo I managed to snap before it was devoured....
Let me know if you have any questions or additional suggestions by commenting below.