Thanksgiving Recipe Review

Hi again! Hunter and the pups and I had a great weekend. Friday night we went out to a new Richmond restaurant, Bellytimber Tavern, with friends and had a very enjoyable evening. Yesterday we headed to Charlottesville for an early Thanksgiving with H's parents, and an early trimming of the tree. It was really relaxing and fun! Karen and I also hit up a craft fair, a home show and Anthropologie.

I wanted to share two new recipes with you that we very much enjoyed this weekend. Karen made this wild rice salad as a side last night and it was amazing! It's great for Thanksgiving and would also be a perfect chilled side on a hot summer night.

Wild Rice Salad

Serves 4-6

Ladies Home Journal, November 2010

1 cup long-grain wild rice

2.5 tsp kosher salt

2 navel oranges (she used mandarin oranges)

2 T olive oil

2 T fresh orange juice

2 T raspberry vinegar

1/2 cup green grapes, cut in half

1/2 cup pecans, toasted

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 scallion, white and green parts chopped

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat combine rice, 4 cups water and 2 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Drain and return rice to the pan. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

2. While rice is still warm, place it in a mixing bowl. Peel oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the white pith. Cut between the membranes and add the orange sections to the bowl with the rice. Add the olive oil, orange juice, raspberry vinegar, grapes, pecans, cranberries, scallions, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Allow to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

So easy!!

I took this next recipe for dessert...so good!

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze

Serves 8 (but I think more like 12)

Sandra Lee, Food Network

Cake:

6 eggs

2/3 cup oil

1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix

2/3 cup water

1 T pumpkin pie spice

1 box moist spice cake mix

1 box moist yellow cake mix

Glaze:

Yellow food coloring

Red food coloring

1 lb powdered sugar

1/3 cup orange juice, no pulp

3 tsp orange liqueur

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cake: Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt cake pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, oil, pie mix, water, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until well blended. Add the cake mixes and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack.

Glaze: Combine 2 parts yellow food coloring with 4 parts red food coloring to make orange food coloring. Whisk the powdered sugar, orange juice, orange liqueur, and food coloring in a saucepan on low heat for 5 minutes or until the sugar melts. If the glaze seems too dry, add more water or orange juice to reach the right consistency.Drizzle the glaze over the cake.

And voila!

(Notes: My cake took longer than 50 minutes to cook. Because I was worried it was browning too much, I covered with foil and turned the heat up to finish it faster. The glaze is sweet so I drizzled, but am glad I did not fully cover cake.)