and just like that, thanksgiving is upon us. my family will be gathering at my grandma’s house for a traditional thanksgiving with all of the usual suspects: a giant turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, rolls, and steamed veggies. my grandma’s been making it that way her entire life, and we don’t tend to stray away from her tradition. but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a bit of fun on our own. my sister came over this weekend, eager to try out a recipe for “healthy” candied yams that she’d dreamt up the night before. it turned out so good, that we’ve decided that we might as well entertain ourselves with all of our own thanksgiving alternatives  in the days before and after this most gluttonous of holidays.

a variation on candied yams

• 4 cups cubed sweet potatoes (you can also go half and half with butternut squash if you like!)
• 2 Tbsps olive oil, or enough to coat the potatoes
• 3 – 4 Tbsps maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp orange zest
• juice of half an orange
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup pecans, lightly chopped

set oven to 400 degrees. toss the potatoes lightly in olive oil and bake in the oven until tender, about 20 – 25 minutes. remove from the oven and stir in the orange juice, pecans, and cranberries. drizzle with maple syrup to taste, then return to the over for an additional 15 minutes, or until the dish has caramelized. let rest for a few minutes and enjoy with your favorite thanksgiving dishes!

the weather is finally cooling off around these parts, bringing with it the opportunity to warm up the kitchen with all sorts of autumnal delights. my sister came over earlier in the week with a big butternut squash all ready to bake, so we whipped up a tasty stuffing to go with it. even though it’s a pretty simple recipe, it certainly isn’t short on flavor.

butternut squash stuffed with wild rice and brussels sprouts

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1/2 an onion
• 2 cups uncooked chard
• 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 2 cup of cooked brussel sprouts (cut in half)
• 2 tbsp roughly cut craisins
• 1 tbsp slivered almonts
• salt and pepper to taste
• enough olive oil to coat squash/ sprouts/ pan to saute onions

heat the oven to 375 degrees. half the butternut squash, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. coat the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. pop it into the oven with the cut sides up until the flesh is tender, about 45 minutes or so. while the squash is baking in the oven, cook the wild rice to instructions. in a pan, saute the onion and chard in about a tsp of olive oil. roast the brussels sprouts in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. in a medium sized bowl, mix in the cooked rice, onion, chard, brussels sprouts, craisins, and slivered almonds. scoop the ingredients into your cooked butternut squash and serve!