Gobble Day Comfort Food

This was a feast without all the trouble!

About three weeks ago, when I asked my wife what we're doing for Thanksgiving, she said, flatly, that she wasn't cooking. So, it was either peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - which, don't get me wrong, are AWESOME - or I cook the meal. Well, my daughter was gracious enough to co-chef the event and the meal was nothing short of outstanding - even if I do say so myself!
In addition to the turkey - which was small because there were just four of us - we made the following side dishes, most taken from the winter issue of Clean Eating Magazine:
Almost Famous Cranberry Walnut Relish - taken from Food Network Magazine. I made this last year and it's a hit.
Sour Cream & Chives Mashed Potatoes - this recipe is as easy to make as it is delicious!
Maple-Glazed Carrots - not particularly a fan of carrots, but when you add butter, parsley and maple syrup to the mix, well, what's not to like?
Whole Wheat Dressing with Wild Rice - substituted corn bread crouton mix for the whole wheat bread.
Candied Yams - this concoction belongs to my daughter who got it from her friend's mom many years ago. We could probably call it "Candy." That's how good it is and it was a perfect compliment to the meal.
and of course......Turkey with Gravy and Biscuits to round out the meal.

This, again, was very easy to make and coordinate. Of course, having two of us helped tremendously.
Additionally, these are recipes you really can enjoy any time of the year. I know I will. So, no peanut butter and jelly this year. Next year? Who knows?

ALMOST FAMOUS CRANBERRY WALNUT RELISH
Serves 6-8 / Total Time:  15 minutes
Ingredients
1 Orange
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 8 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnut pieces
Directions
Finely grate the zest of half of the orange into a medium saucepan, then squeeze in all of the juice. Add the cranberries, sugar, and walnuts and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the cranberries start to pop - about 10 minutes. Let cool.

SOUR CREAM AND CHIVE MASHED POTATOES
Serves 10 / Total Time:  40 minutes
Ingredients
21/2 lb Russet potatoes, peeled or peel on, cut into 11/2-inch chunks.
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup 2% milk, room temperature
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste, optional
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Directions
In a large saucepan, add potatoes and cover by one inch with cold water; bring to a boil. Continue to boil until potatoes are very tender, 15-18 minutes.
Drain potatoes and return mixture to pot. Add sour cream, milk, and 1/2 tsp salt and mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Stir in chives and additional salt, if desired.

MAPLE-GLAZED CARROTS
Serves 10 / Total Time:  30 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2lb carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices (about 61/2 cups)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp organic unsalted butter
11/2 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
In a 12-14-inch skillet on medium-high, heat oil. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in broth and 1/2 tsp salt, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet with a spoon, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until carrots are tender, about 5 minutes.
Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid has almost entirely evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup and butter, stirring until butter melts. Add additional salt and sprinkle with parsley.

CANDIED YAMS
Serves 6 / Total Time:  45 minutes
Ingredients
4 yams
2 tbsp brown sugar
8 tbsp butter
miniature marshmallows to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover yams with one inch water and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until soft. Peel yams, cut into round slices and place in baking dish. Distribute butter slices evenly over yams. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Repeat process to three layers. Bake in oven for 15-25 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows and place back in oven for about 5-10 minutes. YUM!

WHOLE-WHEAT DRESSING WITH WILD RICE
Serves 10 / Total Time:  1 hour, 45 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup wild rice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced diagonally
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks or coarsely shredded
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
12 oz whole-wheat bread, cut or torn into 3/4-inch pieces (about 12 cups). Opt for a bread that has a crunchier crust.
11/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
olive oil cooking spray
Directions
In a medium saucepan on high, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add rice, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add Add carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add thyme and pepper. Stir in bread, then add broth and gently stir to evenly moisten. Remove about 1/3 of bread mixture and transfer to a medium bowl. Set both bowls aside.
Mist a 2 to 21/2-qt casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Drain rice. Stir rice into larger bowl of bread mixture, then transfer to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly. Top with reserved 1/3 cup bread mixture, spreading evenly.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover with foil and bake until heated through, 20-30 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned on top, 20-30 minutes.