Thanksgiving with family

Thanksgiving is David's favourite holiday of the year, with plentiful food and hot drinks to be had. With David's parents and grandmother in town for the holiday, we planned for a feast of a meal. However, we decided to forego the traditional turkey, given our relatively small number, and opted for Cornish game hen.

Menu

Cornish game hen with lemon and rosemarySweet potato stuffing with bacon and thymeSpiced glazed carrots with citrus and vermouthGreen beans and walnuts with a lemon vinaigretteApple cider cranberry sauceButtered mushroomsMashed potatoesMulled ciderFive spice winter squash pieSweet potato stuffing with bacon and thymefrom Bonappetit.comServes 53 cups sourdough baguette with crust, cut into 1" cubes1/3 lb bacon slices, cut into 1/2" pieces1/2 tbsp butter2-1/4 cups peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4" cubes1 cup chopped celery1-1/3 cup onions, chopped into 1/2" pieces1 large egg1/2 tsp salt1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme1/3 cup fresh orange juice1/2 cup chicken brothPreheat oven to 350 F. Spread bread cubes in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until almost firm to touch, about 10 minutes. Cool. Place bread cubes in extra-large bowl. Cook bacon in saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.Pour off and discard all but 1 tbsp bacon drippings from pan; place over medium-high heat. Add butter, then sweet potatoes, onions, celery, thyme, and salt to pot. Sauté until onions are slightly soft but not brown, 6-8 minutes. Add orange juice and bring to boil; cook until sweet potatoes are almonst tender and juice is almost absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add bacon and sweet potato mixture to bowl with bread cubes. Season with more salt and black pepper. Cool slightly.Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter 15 x 10 x 2"  baking dish. Whisk egg and chicken broth in bowl to blend; add to stuffing and toss to combine. Transfer to baking dish. Bake stuffing uncovered until top is lightly browned and crisp around edges, 50 minutes to 1 hour.MusingsA few notes on preparation: I accidentally forgot about the bread toasting, so they were slightly more toasted than they should've been. As the stuffing baked, we added chicken broth every so often to keep it from drying out too much.We were pleasantly surprised at how tasty the stuffing turned out. David was worried we had over-toasted the bread but it had just absorbed the chicken broth flavor while keeping its body. Sweet and salty--a lovely addition to our Thanksgiving meal, and a stuffing I'd be happy to try having again.Spiced glazed carrots with citrus and vermouthfrom Bonappetit.comServes 4-51 lb thin carrots, cut into 1" pieces (about 2 cups)1 tbsp butter1/4 tsp salt plus more for seasoning6 whole black peppercorns1 bay leaf1/2 tbsp orange juice or clementine juice1 tbsp sweet vermouth or Sherry, divided1 pinch ground clovesBrings carrots, butter, 1/4 tsp salt, peppercorns, bay leaf and 1/2 cup water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 7-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrots to a medium bowl.Add juice, 1/2 tbsp sherry or vermouth, and ground cloves to skillet and cook until glaze forms, 7-8 minutes. Stir in carrots and remaining vermouth. Season carrots to taste with salt. Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing, adding water by teaspoonfuls if dry.MusingsThe carrots were a solid side dish--nothing extraordinary or mind-blowing, but a nice accompaniment to the rest of the meal.Green beans and walnuts with lemon vinaigrettefrom Bonappetit.comServes 82 tbsp lemon juice1 tsp Dijon mustard1/3 cup walnut oil2 tbsp minced shallot1-1/2 lbs green beans, trimmed1/3 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely choppedPut lemon juice in a small bowl; whisk in mustard, then oil and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook green beans in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain; pat dry. Combine beans and walnuts   in large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.MusingsThe green beans turned out well, with just a light flavour from the vinaigrette. We could have probably added a touch more Dijon for a bit more kick, but otherwise a nice light side against the heaviness of the other dishes.Apple cider cranberry saucefrom Allrecipes.comServes 123 cups apple cider3/4 cup sugar4 cinnamon sticks1 tbsp grated orange zest12 whole cloves2-1/2 cups fresh cranberriesCombine cider, sugar, cinnamon sticks, zest and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to low; simmer until sugar is dissolved and and the flavors are blended, 10-15 minutes. Stir cranberries into the saucepan, turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until cranberries begin to pop, 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves. Pour into shallow dish to cool and serve.MusingsOne of the primary issues with the cranberry sauce was that it didn't set up properly, as it was still fairly runny when we served it (despite having been in the fridge for a couple hours). Less cider next time may solve that problem. Runniness aside, the flavour was quite nice--just a touch of sweetness. Though I was somewhat scant on my grated orange zest, so a little bit more might bring out a more orangey flavour.