Turkey and Sweet Potato Croquettes with Cranberry Apple Salsa

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This dish may look fussy and fancy, but really it is some plain good eating.  I wanted a unique way to use up some leftover turkey and an extra sweet potato that I had lying around. After the first bite with a good dash of cayenne, I knew that I would not be waiting for turkey leftovers to make this again.

I like to use a red-skinned sweet potato.  Once roasted, the extra sweetness of this variety comes out even more.  I put it through the ricer to get rid of any fibrous strands and then measure out one cup for the recipe.  If there are any leftovers, use it to make a bigger batch. The croquettes can be made just before frying and frozen for up to one month in advance-- perfect for the upcoming holidays. The original recipe made small  croquettes, but I made these for dinner, so I wanted something a bit more substantial.  I doubled the recipe to yield 24 golf ball-size croquettes.

The salsa makes a nice use out of the seasonal cranberry.  I like mine processed to a fine consistency, but make yours as chunky or as puréed as you like.  Garnished with a few chopped chives for an extra savory flavor and a good dash of cayenne per each crispy fried ball of goodness-- these have made our holiday rotation for sure!

Sunday Dinner {take two}

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Catfish Fingers with Tomato Tartar Sauce

Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

Green Salad with Apples and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

New Orleans French Bread

Triple Ginger Layer Cake

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Sunday Dinner {take two}??  My parents are on the road today heading South for the winter, so we shared a "Sunday dinner" with them last night for one more get together.  But, I made sure to make enough for us to have tonight, hence the {take two}.  The whole meal was delicious, but we were so busy visiting, sharing, laughing, and crying (miss you Mom and Dad), I only took a picture of the cake.  Since tonight will be a little more laid back, I will fry up some fresh fish and toss a fresh salad and snap a few photos to share recipes down the road.

I haven't made this cake in over seven years.  As good as it was then, I knew that a few changes would really make this cake shine.  My two major changes were in the triple ginger and the texture.  I didn't understand how it could be called triple ginger when there were only two types of ginger.  Wanting to stay true to the name, I substituted some of the ground ginger for fresh, giving it a real ginger taste.  The addition of fresh ginger serves to increase the amount of sugar without making it too sweet.  As far as texture, the original recipe was very dense.  With the thick cream cheese frosting, I wanted something a little lighter.  So, I added an extra egg and increased the baking soda slightly for a fluffy and tender texture.

I am not usually a fan of the classic cake and ice cream combo, but after one bite last night, I headed to the freezer for a container of ice cream-- boy was that good!  I am not happy that I won't see my parents for some time, but I am happy that there is enough cake and ice cream leftover for us to have tonight.

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles

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As much as I love my sweets and post-dinner treats, after a big Thanksgiving meal (and knowing that I will be enjoying another leftover sandwich plate later in the evening:), I am a bit too full for a slice of pie or piece of cheesecake right then.  In come these little beauties to solve that problem.  One bite will satisfy that seasonal sweet tooth for anything pumpkin or spiced. The best description of these snow white balls-- the love child of a traditional pumpkin pie and a spiced pumpkin cheesecake.  In fact, it is the technique from a spiced pumpkin cheesecake recipe I have that I use to make the filling creamy and rich like a truffle and not like a cream filled chocolate. I'll explain more below.

The original recipe came to me a few years ago via an e-mail from Whole Foods.  I read the name and  was instantly smitten.  But after reading the recipe and a few reviews, I knew I had to make a few changes.  The original called for part gingersnap crumbs and part graham cracker crumbs, but I love the taste of homemade gingersnaps, so I use only gingersnaps (pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust-- oh, yes!).  The recipe also called for orange zest.  As much as I love the combo of pumpkin and orange, I omitted it for a straight spiced pumpkin pie taste.  The original recipe also made 30 truffles, but they were only a heaping teaspoon each, so I doubled the batch for a nice sized truffle.  The biggest modification came from the reviews, which were good for flavor, but the filling was too wet, and not stiff enough to roll.  This is where the handy technique from Cook's Illustrated comes into play.  To remove the unwanted excess moisture from the pumpkin purée...

Line a baking sheet with triple layer paper towels.  Using an off-set spatula, spread the pumpkin into a thin, even layer.

Place more paper towels on top to soak up more moisture.

Look at all that moisture!

Once the towels are completely saturated, remove the top towels and grab the one side of the bottom towel.  Fold the pumpkin in half onto itself.

Flip the pumpkin purée onto the baking sheet and discard the towels.  I actually squeezed several tablespoons out of the paper towel.  Transfer the purée to the bowl of a food processor and proceed with the recipe.

There is still time to put these decadent treats on your Thanksgiving dessert table.  A box or plate full of these with a warm hug will really show your family and friends how thankful you are.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!