Tomato and Mozzeralla Salad

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 fresh basil leaves

Directions

Arrange the tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter or individual salad plates, overlapping the slices and fanning them out like a deck of cards.
Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Drizzle with the oil.
Garnish with the basil: Cut it into very thin slices or tear into bits and sprinkle on top or leave the leaves whole and tuck them here and there between the mozzarella and tomato slices. Serve immediately.

Green bean and asparagas almond side dish

This is a delicious green bean and asparagus almond dish, perfect for a holiday feast or family dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh green beans
• 12 fresh asparagus stalks, end cut off
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Canola Oil
• Old Bay, garlic, lemon juice

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, melt butter in canola oil over medium-low heat. Add green beans and asparagus. Mix in Old Bay, garlic and lemon juice. Add mushrooms, almonds and onion; saute, stirring, until the vegetables are al dente. Continue cooking, stirring,  Drain in a colander. Spoon into the prepared  dish. If desired, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese.

The healthy sweet potato casserole, a la Howie

A sweet potato casserole recipe, made with mashed sweet potatoes and a crunchy pecan topping. Scroll down to see more sweet potato recipes.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Cinammon
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• Topping:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Combine first 7 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.
Serves 6 to 8.

Mashed potatoes, Howie style

Mashed potatoes make dinner preparation a cinch. Use your stand mixer to make preparation a little easier.

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• garlic and herbs
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, optional
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• milk, as needed
• butter

Preparation:

Peel potatoes, cut into chunks, rinse, and put in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Drain and partially cover the pan to allow potatoes to dry. In a large bowl, mash the potaoes with butter, salt, pepper, parsley, and sour cream. Mix in milk until desired consistency is reached.

Your Turkey and its Gravy from Howie with love

This turkey is roasted with a mixture of herbs and olive oil under the skin and all over the bird. Use small amounts of dried herbs along with the fresh herbs for more flavor. Use fresh dill, rosemary, and chives, along with about 1/2 teaspoon each of dried leaf marjoram and thyme.

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 turkey, about 14 pounds
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 large potato, quartered
• sprigs of fresh herbs

Preparation:

Heat oven to 450°. Wash turkey inside and out; pat dry. Combine the chopped herbs with olive oil. Gently separate the skin from the breast and rub a few tablespoons of the herb mixture under the skin as far back as you can reach. Rub the remaining mixture all over the bird. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Put pototato and onion chunks, and herb sprigs in the stuffing cavity. Cover wing tips with small pieces of foil. Tent foil loosely over the top of the turkey and reduce heat to 325° and continue roasting for about 3 1/2 hours longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°

Gravy recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 to 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• turkey drippings

Preparation:

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. The mixture will be paste-like. Whisk in 3 cups of the chicken broth until smooth and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir in the pepper. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until the turkey comes out of the oven. After the turkey is removed from the roasting pan, pour drippings in to a bowl or fat separator. Set the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir chicken broth into the roasting pan, scraping up browned bits in the roasting pan. Stir in about 1/3 cup of the turkey drippings (after you have skimmed or separated and discarded the fat). Stir in the thickened broth mixture and heat, stirring constantly. Taste and add more drippings or more broth, as needed.

Classic shrimp cocktail

This shrimp cocktail recipe, the perfect appetizer for a family gathering or party. Arrange the shrimp around small bowls or cocktail glasses. Martini glasses make great servers for shrimp cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, optional
• salt, to taste
• lemon wedges, optional
• 2 to 3 dozen shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on, cooked and chilled

Preparation:

Combine the ketchup, chili sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and salt. Put some of the sauce in a small bowl or cocktail glass and arrange shrimp around the rim.
Shrimp cocktail recipe serves 8 to 10.

Howie's Clam Bake

Ingredients

• 1 cups chopped yellow onions (1 large onions)
• 1 cups chopped leeks, well cleaned (2 leeks, white parts only)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 pounds small potatoes (red or white)
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 2 pounds mussels, cleaned 
• 1/2 pound of bay scallops
• 1 pound large shrimp, in the shell
• 2 florida lobsters
• Chicken Stock, Old Bay, garlic, 
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes

Directions

Saute the onions and leeks in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 16 to 20 quart stockpot over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Pour in the chicken sock, season with Old Bay and garlic to taste. Layer the ingredients on top of the onions in the stockpot in this order: first the potatoes, pepper;  little neck clams, mussels, shrimp, and lobsters.  Cover the pot tightly and cook over medium-high heat until steam just begins to escape from the lid, about 15 minutes. Add 2 ears of corn about 10 minutes in the process. Lower the heat to medium and cook another 10 minutes. The clambake should be done. Test to be sure the potatoes are tender, the lobsters are cooked, and the clams and mussels are open. Remove the lobsters to a wooden board, cut them open. With large slotted spoons, remove the seafood, corn, potatoes, and to a large bowl and top with the lobsters. Ladle the broth over the seafood, being very careful to avoid any sand in the bottom.

 

Turkey Dinner

I've made a menu consisting of many of our most popular Thanksgiving recipes, including the roast turkey, essential side dish recipes, salads, desserts, and all the fixin's. To plan your Thanksgiving dinner menu, choose a few or several of the recipes below. Or, scroll down and take a look at many more Recipes perfect for a Thanksgiving feast.

Appetizer

Shrimp Cocktail Recipe

Turkey and Fixin's

Herb Roasted Turkey
Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe

Potatoes and Sides

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Cheddar Green Bean Casserole

Salads

Tomato and Mozzarella salad

Spaghetti &Meatballs