With Thanksgiving only two weeks away, I thought I’d give you a recipe that would be an option for your Thanksgiving meal.
Being in Florida with temperatures in the 70’s, this greatest of holidays real sneaks up on you. After seeing the snow in the Upper Midwest, reality has set in and I’m ready! Think snow…think snow. We’ll take the sleigh to Grandma’s and eat turkey and dressing. I can’t wait.
Today, Mary Jo and I took a trip to the new Whole Foods store in Clearwater, just a 10 minute drive from the Dunedin Causeway. It’s a large store with lots of fresh foods, fish and beef. They have a huge produce section and at least 40 feet of refrigerated fresh fish and meats. They have a large selection of wine and even have a beer and wine bar where you can order an appetizer or sandwich and get a beverage while you shop. I’ll be back regularly.
I was looking for carrots and found a 2 pound bag of California organically grown for $2.49. Not a bad price I thought. Then I saw organically grown carrots being sold individually by the pound for $.89! No brainer. I picked out 2 pounds of loose carrots for $1.78. I chose ones that were smaller in diameter that would cut up nicely into bite sized pieces. We walked out of this multi-million dollar renovation and spent under 2 dollars. Hope they get more business than we gave them today.
This could be made a day ahead of time and reheated in the microwave or in the oven. This is a perfect side dish for your turkey dinner. The sweetness would pair really well with turkey, dressing and mashed potatoes.
MAPLE GLAZED CARROTS with BOURBON
Ingredients
- 1 cup bourbon
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ea , salt and black pepper
- 2 tsp chopped fresh dill , more for garnish
- 2 pounds carrots , peeled and chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
Instructions
- Using a heavy saute pan, heat on medium, add the bourbon. Simmer until reduced by one half, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and cover with a lid. Bring to boiling and uncover. Cook the carrots for 15 minutes until they are still firm but tender. Garnish with additional fresh dill and serve.
For my regular subscribers, you have noticed, (I hope), that the quality of my photos has been getting better. I’m not a photographer, but in the blog business, you have to become one. I recently upgraded my camera from a point and shoot Lumix, to an older Nikon DSLR with a 35mm lens and f1.8 aperture. What that means is that I can shoot photos when I have less light and can create depth of field that is not possible with a point and shoot. Depth of field means that I can get those blurry background shots that all the food photographers use or can make everything look in focus.
I’m just learning how to use the camera and I take 50 or 60 shots of everything I make. Mary Jo often wonders if we are ever going to eat. We also live up to the standard senior citizen time frame of eating supper between 4 and 5 in the afternoon. Got to. The sun goes down before 6 pm and I need natural light for photography. I’m usually starting supper at 2:30 in the afternoon! I was done with the carrot dish above by 1:00! Had it tonight, after the sun went down and couldn’t get acceptable photos. It tasted fantastic though.
Secondary Post
For another photo session, I felt that we needed an appetizer tonight. Mary Jo bought some wonderful smoked salmon a couple days ago and also baked some whole wheat bulgur bread. Perfect for an impromptu snack.
I toasted two pieces of the fresh bread and spread a fairly generous amount of cream cheese on them. Then I flaked the salmon from the skin and placed it on the cream cheese along with fresh dill. I cut the bread into 3 pieces and placed 3 or 4 capers on each. Voile, Salmon canapes. Easy and very good with a glass of sauvignon blanc.
Enjoy!
And now for a few more photos that I thought turned out pretty good for an amateur. By clicking on a photo you will get a full sized screen shot to look at.
This next photo is the one I feel is best. This image is just as it came out of the camera with no tweaking of lighting, contrast or cropping.
Let me know what you think of all the photos and let me know your favorite. Your input is appreciated. Thanks for looking, Joe.
The carrots look shiny and inviting. My mom told us her secret of always putting a teaspoon of sugar in while cooking her carrots and everyone thought she had the the best carrots ever. I like your bourbon idea, (I like carrots too). But the salmon appetizers really look good. We will try them for sure.
I like all of your pictures, as each one of them has a unique quality. I have to agree that the last one is probably the best one for the cover of the Cooking Channel’s magazine. Good job once again!
Thanks Al. I think the last photo wins, but the close-up is nice too. Let the Cooking Channel know that you have a photo for them!
I think it looks wonderful and that the last pic is the best.
Thanks Eileen. I thought so too, but now it’s a toss-up.
Yum! Would those be good if made with parsnips, do you think? I have a bunch I need to use up from the garden! The pictures look great! I think I like the one that is 5th from the bottom the best- good angle and looks tasty!
I think that parsnips would work with this too. Just make sure you cook them long enough until they are tender. The bourbon is a subtle flavor, but it’s fun to have that nice bourbon smell when you boil it down! Mary Jo, (Mom), thought that picture was the best too. It makes the canape look pretty tasty and it was. Thanks for your input Amy.
I made these with parsnips tonight so I can warm them up for thanksgiving and they are REALLY GOOD! I didn’t have enough bourbon, but even with about 1/4 they came out great! I also made and froze some bacon chicken bites so we can bake them for appetizers and will let you know how they turn out!
Glad you liked the recipe. It works great heated up again!