Celebrities Dish On Thanksgiving Favorites

If there’s one day stars love to splurge when it comes to food, it’s Thanksgiving! With all the traditional delicious dishes and family recipes, even the stars ditch their diets and enjoy!

Of the delectable turkey day, actress Jessica Alba says, “I like to cook it all! I like turkey; I like stuffing; I like candied yams — I like it all!”

Vegetarian, Kristen Bell, loves Tofurkey. She tells, “It’s a faux turkey that my parents always made for me because I’ve always been a vegetarian. It’s great, you should try it!”

Meanwhile, “Heroes” star Ali Larter wants “more, more, more” stuffing!

Another stuffing fan is “Office” actress, Rashida Jones. “Stuffing! We have this incredible, really old recipe in my family that makes me come home no matter where I am.”

Not to be forgotten, supermodel Heidi Klum always has to serve it up for her sizable brood, saying she “will be cooking up a big fat turkey and sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top.”

Check out some favorite recipes dished out by well-known names and celebrity chefs for Thanksgiving dinner enjoyment!

Roast Turkey by Martha Stewart

Serves 12 to 14
• 3 cups coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• 5 cups sugar
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, plus freshly ground pepper
• 1 fresh whole turkey (18 to 20 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, giblets and neck reserved for gravy
• Gravy
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• Chestnut Stuffing
• Crab apples, fresh rosemary sprigs, and fresh sage, for garnish (optional)

Cristina Ferrare Thanksgiving Stuffing with Cornbread

Serves 10
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 large yellow onions , sliced thin
• 6 celery stalks, chopped
• 8 carrots , chopped
• 2 (12-ounce) boxes corn bread stuffing
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10-ounce) can cream of celery soup
• 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
• 1 cup scallions , chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Lots of pepper

Preheat oven to 325°.

Pour the cornbread stuffing into a large bowl.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, cover with a lid and lower the heat to caramelize—about 10 minutes. Add the celery, butter, and carrots. Sauté. Pour in the white wine, then add the sautéed vegetables to the stuffing.

Add the cream of celery soup, chicken stock, orange juice, lemon juice, scallions and pepper to the stuffing. Mix well.

Place the stuffing in a baking pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 6–8
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion sliced
• 1/4 pound cremini mushrooms trimmed and quartered
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch kale (1/2 pound), rinsed, stemmed, and coursely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese

Warm oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms, green beans, salt, and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add wine and continue cooking until the green beans are almost tender, stirring once or twice, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and kale and continue cooking until kale has wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

Rachel Ray’s Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese and Chives

• 2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes or baby Yukon Gold potatoes, large ones halved and small ones left whole
• 1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 10 chives, finely chopped

Place the potatoes in a large pot with cold water. Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt. Boil until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10-12 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot pot to let them dry out a bit. Mash the potatoes with cream or half-and-half, cream cheese, chives, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Ted Turner’s Applesauce Cake

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups hot applesauce
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. clove and allspice mix
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the hot applesauce. Mix and sift the dry ingredients and spices, and add to the first mixture. Add the nuts. Pour into a greased Bundt pan or tube pan and bake at 375 degrees for twenty-five to thirty minutes.

Nancy Reagan’s Persimmon Pudding

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour, sifted
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup persimmon pulp (3 to 4 chopped nuts (optional) ripe ones)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. warm water
• 3 tbsp. brandy
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup seedless raisins

Stir together the melted butter and sugar. Resift the flour with salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and add to the butter and sugar mixture. Add the persimmon pulp, sold dissolves in warm water, brandy, and vanilla. Add the eggs, mixing thoroughly but lightly. Add the raisins and nuts. Put in a buttered steam-type covered mold and steam two and a half hours. Flame at the table with brandy.

Celebrity Gossip

Photo Credit:  Wenn.com

Bookmark this Story | Share with a Friend

COMMENTS