for thanksgiving this year, i wanted to make sure i brought something extra delicious so i wouldn't feel left out while my dining companions were munching on turkey and roast beef. this brown rice casserole with mushrooms and brussels sprouts was the perfect choice. and i'm sharing it after the holiday because it's also something you could make on a rainy sunday and eat all throughout the week.
3 cups cooked brown rice 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced thin 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, quartered 1 yellow onion 3 gloves garlic, minced 2 eggs 1 cup creme fraiche 1/2 cup goat cheese 1/3 cup grated parm 2 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper juice of 1 small lemon chopped fresh herbs (thyme, sage, parsley)
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and brussels sprouts on medium heat in olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and browned a bit. add onion, saute until translucent, then add garlic and cook for one more minute. remove skillet from heat and stir in brown rice.
next, mix eggs, creme fraiche, goat cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper, and lemon juice. add wet ingredients to the rice and pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. sprinkle with the grated parm, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. remove foil, add chopped fresh herbs and bake for another 30 minutes, until edges are brown and crispy.
this year, all of us transplants from uconn spent the holiday together. though friendsgiving is a bit more unconventional than thanksgiving with family, i actually felt like this was the most traditional thanksgiving i've had in a while (in my family, every holiday calls for sushi). we cozied up with food, football and a lot of alcohol for about eleven straight hours. everyone got a little sloppy by the end, but isn't that what holidays are for?
happy thanksgiving! just in case you're a procrastinator and haven't figured out a dessert to make for thanksgiving yet, make this pie. i'm trying very hard not to eat half of it now before i bring it over to jill and jeremy's. we all know my willpower isn't very strong.
chocolate pumpkin pecan pie
frozen whole wheat pie crust from whole foods 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped 1 cup half + half 1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin 3 eggs 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground clove 1/2 tsp salt 14 pecans
for the chocolate bottom:in a small saucepan, on medium heat, bring 1/2 cup of half + half just up to a boil. remove from heat immediately and whisk in chocolate until completely melted. pour mixture into pie crust and let cool so it can partially set.
for the pumpkin filling: preheat oven to 350 degrees. in a large bowl, whisk the eggs. then, add remaining 1/2 cup of the half + half, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, and all spices and stir until all ingredients are incorporated. pour mixture over the partially set chocolate bottom and bake pie for about 55 minutes (or until a knife inserted about 1 inch from the outside comes out clean). place pecans along the rim of the pie for the last 10 minutes of baking. remove from oven, cool completely, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
this is the wine i bought to have on thanksgiving. i wasn't home for more than seven minutes before drew asked if we could crack it open. who am i to say no? speaking of thanksgiving, still on the agenda: make my brown rice casserole with goat cheese, brussels sprouts and mushrooms and my pumpkin pie with dark chocolate ganache and a pecan topping (recipes to come). oh, and buy a new bottle of wine.
one of my most favorite things in life is when people talk in their sleep. something about the random, incoherent things they mutter while lost in dreamland cracks me up every single time. luckily, i'm dating someone who talks in his sleep quite frequently. usually, i'm asleep too, and only wake up for a moment after hearing his crazy chatter and therefore cannot document (or remember the next day) the hilarity of it all. the other night, however, i was wide awake and able to capture this little gem of an exchange...
d: babe, can you please call for the sheets? l: what? what does that even mean?
d: ughhh!!! you know what it means!!! call.. for.. the.. sheets!!!
l: i actually don't know what that means (dying of laughter). d: ugh fine!!! just ring downstairs.. they'll do it..
obviously, the next morning he had no idea what he was talking about or why he got so sassy with me when i didn't understand, but i'm still laughing about it.
today's song is one that makes me happy because i'm trying to stay positive! i called the vet yesterday out of concern for penny's worsening asthma attacks and we have to bring her back in today. they are concerned about fluid in her lungs, which they referred to as a "death sentence". they also warned me that the visit is projected to cost around $500. at the risk of sounding dramatic, penny is truly the love of my life, and i want her to outlive me so i never have to know what it's like to lose her! yep, definitely just reached crazy cat lady status.
though i loved the rural area where i went to school, i now see why living in a city is where it's at. there are always wonderful things happening, too many to take advantage of really, which isn't the worst problem to have.
my obsession with design*sponge grows, as grace bonney has orchestrated one of the most fabulous events to happen right here in portland. handmade wares, food trucks, live music, vintage clothing! i could go on and on about it, but this website does a better job of explaining it. needless to say, i'm ecstatic and can't wait to attend!
