Thanksgiving Virgin

Believe or not, but tomorrow will be the first time I have ever cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the family.  Salt and I decided to stay in Lansing this holiday, partly because we didn't want to schlep down to central Indiana for one day and partly because we have some dear friends here originally from Hawaii who can't go home for the holiday. Once we decided on staying, we casually invited my parents to come up from Indianapolis.  Since they have never visited us in the two-plus years that we've been here, we figured they'd pass as usual and take the easy hour drive down to Bloomington to have turkey with my sister and her family.  Surprise!  They decided to visit us this year.

So a-cookin' we will go. We're going mostly traditional as one might expect, but with a few non-traditional items thrown in to keep everyone on their toes.

Menu
Amuse bouche
I haven't decided yet...TBD

Soup
Mussel Chowder
Caramelized onion, mushroom and goat cheese crostini

Main
Herb Roast Turkey
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze
Candied Sweet Potatoes (from our friends M and JC)
Cranberry relish (from Grandpa and Grandma)

Salad
Greens with cranberries and goat's cheese

Dessert
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Mocha Pie
Lemon Cookies
Pecan Tartlets (from Grandpa and Grandma)

Chillin' & Grillin'

You'll have to excuse me for a moment as I just got a new gas grill and I now have to do my "I've got a new gas grill" dance.

--Please wait while Pepper does a little shimmy--

OK, all better now.

No but really...I am so loving my new grill.

Since putting it together, there has hardly been a dinner that we have not used the grill.
First up was a couple of NY Strip steaks and some grilled asparagus. Classic, simple...delicious.

Also done up some chicken legs with an Asian spice rub, a tri-tip roast, some burgers and last night we did chicken kebabs.

Grilled Chicken Kebabs

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
a marinade of your choice (we used a spicy bbq marinade)
2 cups of fruits and veggies of your choice (we used peppers, yellow squash, mushrooms and pineapple.)
A couple tablespoons of olive oil to coat the veggies
Salt and Pepper

1. Mix marinade and chicken in gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag; seal bag and refrigerate, turning once or twice, until chicken has marinated fully, at least 3 and up to 24 hours.

2. Build a medium-low fire in grill (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill surface for 5 seconds).

3. Meanwhile, lightly coat vegetables and/or fruit by tossing in medium bowl with oil and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Remove chicken chunks from bag; discard marinade. Thread a portion of chicken and vegetables and/or fruit onto skewers. Grill, turning each kebab one quarter turn every 2 minutes, until chicken and vegetables and/or fruit are lightly browned and meat is fully cooked, about 8 minutes total for white meat and 9 minutes total for dark meat. Check for doneness by cutting into one piece when it looks opaque on all sides. Remove kebabs from grill when there is no pink at the center. Serve immediately.

Game Hens with Apricot Ginger Glaze

Here's an easy and very tasty recipe that we had last night. I love game hens. They are somehow more sophisticated than chicken I suppose because they aren't nearly as popular. And they come in those convenient single servings...or for a lighter meal, save one hen for leftovers and split one hen for two people.

Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Apricot-Ginger Glaze for 2

2 Cornish game hens, backs removed and split in half lengthwise
salt and pepper
oil

Glaze
2 T. sesame oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
1 T. freshly grated ginger
1 t. Siracha (Asian chili sauce)
2/3 cup apricot jam

Set oven at 350.
Set the hens on a roasting rack skin side up and brush with oil. Season with s and p and pop it into the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until skin is golden brown.

Combine the glaze ingredients until smooth. Brush glaze onto hens and roast an additional 10 to 15 minutes.