Thanksgiving is one of the best times of the year! As one of my best friends put it, “It’s all the good about Christmas without all the pressure” and I couldn’t agree more. So in honored of turkey day, I wanted to highlight some traditional and not so traditional Thanksgiving recipes from some of my super DOPE chefs from around the D for you to try out this holiday season!
Chef Nik Cole’s (@kitchen_Nik) Butter Pecan Pound Cake
Ingredients
- Pound Cake
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups pecans chopped
Butter Pecan Glaze
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Pound Cake
Cream butter and all the sugars together. Add eggs (one at a time), vanilla, baking powder and blend together again. Then add all the flour and mix until smooth. Fold in finely chopped pecans and pour into a greased Bundt pan. Bake cake at 350 °F for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Butter Pecan Glaze
Melt butter and brown sugar in a small pot over medium heat. Take off heat and stir in extract, keep warm. When cake is baked, take out of oven and put on wire rack. Keep the cake in the baking pan. Poke holes into the top of cake (but not all the way through) and slowly pour melted butter-sugar mixture on top. Let mixture soak through holes and cake. Try to keep the mixture from pouring into the sides of the cake. Let the cake cool in pan and then remove.
Chef Max Hardy’s (@chefmaxhardy) Corn Fritters
For the remoulade:
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons stemmed, chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons Blackened Spice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce
For the fritters:
- 1lb Corn
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 scallions, sliced (white and light green part)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, stemmed and chopped
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions:
Prepare the remoulade: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, Blackened Spice, garlic, and hot sauce. Mix very well. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for 1 minute or until very hot. Add the coconut oil, onion, scallion, Corn, garlic, bell pepper, thyme, and cilantro. Sauté for 2 minutes or until the vegetables start to color. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add the eggs and 2 1/2 cups of ice-cold water. Whisk until very smooth. Add vegetable mixture and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
Using a spoon, scoop dollar size amount in medium heat sauté pan. Cook on both sides for two minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with remoulade and scallions
Chef Chris McClendon’s (@chefmcclendon)
Autumn Apple Breakfast Cookies (Sexy Breakfast Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup quick cook steel-cut oats
- 1/2 cup Unshelled Pumpkin Seed
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup apple sauce unsweetened
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2 small apples peeled and chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together first 7 dry ingredients. In a small bowl, beat eggs. Add apple sauce, maple syrup, and vanilla. In a small bowl, heat coconut on low power in the microwave until just melted but not hot. Slowly pour into wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir just to combine. Fold in dried cranberries and apples. Using a large ice cream scoop, place batter on a greased cookie sheet. Gently flatten with a spatula. Bake 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Chef Davante Burnley (@chef_davanteb) Collard Greens
Ingredients:
- 3 bags of collard greens
- 1 large onion
- 2 smoke turkey legs
- ¼ cup of Sugar
- ½ cup Red Hot, hot Sauce
- 2 gallons of water
- ¼ cup smokey grill seasoning
- ¼ cup salt
- ¼ cup garlic powder
- ¼ cup onion powder
- ½ lb butter
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions:
Roast smoked turkey legs for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Place turkey legs and 2 gallons of water in a pot and let reduce for 30 minutes. Sauté onions and dry spices until onions become translucent. Add vinegar, hot sauce, turkey, stock and greens. Cook for 2 hours until greens are tender, and turkey falls off the bone.