Seasonal Menu: Holiday Recipes
The holidays are a time of tradition, but one tradition we can all do without is that of spending hours chained to the stove preparing everyone's favorite - Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner.
This menu planner shows you how to prepare these holiday meals using the DUROMATIC pressure cooker for "everything but the turkey". Without exception, cooking times are reduced by more than half, and in the case of the yams and beets, pressure cooking eliminates the time-consuming task of preparation before cooking. In addition, pressure cooking retains flavors, colors and nutrients normally lost or boiled away by traditional cooking methods.
Many of the dishes can be prepared ahead and simply reheated. (See our Holiday Timetable below.) To help you plan your holiday meal, a preparation schedule and equipment list have been included.
This organizer is designed to save you time and energy, liberating you from the kitchen to spend your time setting a perfect table, arranging flowers, or sharing the company of your family and friends. Above all, the holidays should be a time to enjoy yourself. You deserve it!
Holiday Timetable
- 2 Weeks to 1 Week Ahead
- Order fresh turkey and take stock of your cupboards to determine shopping list. Plan table decor and make a list of items to buy or borrow.
- 4 Days Ahead
- If using a frozen turkey, bring it home to thaw in the refrigerator. Allow 5 hours per pound. Shop for non-perishables, kitchen equipment, tableware.
- 2 Days ahead
- Shop for fresh ingredients. Pick up fresh turkey after work. If you are using a frozen turkey and have not yet defrosted it, defrost in original wrapping in a sink full of cold water (about 30 minutes per pound). Refrigerate when thawed.
- Day Before
- Wash vegetables. Prepare and truss your turkey, refrigerate. Use pressure cooker to make stock with the giblets. Make cranberry relish. Make sage dressing. Cook and chill beets. Toast almonds. Set table. Chill wines.
- The Big Day
- Roast turkey per directions. Set out serving/cooking pieces. Make pumpkin custard and chill. Assemble salad. Half-hour before dinner, make yams and place in the oven to keep warm. Quick-steam the beans and toss with butter and almonds. Uncork the wine and pour yourself a glass. Relax, your holiday dinner will be great!
All recipes use the Duromatic pressure cooker. Check recipe for size.
