Uncategorized | Tag Sale Tastes

My Thanksgiving is going to be different this year. My friend and I are hosting our 8th Thanksgiving Day Luncheon for our little community’s senior citizens (with half-hearted participation from our sons’ Boy Scout Troop) for the last time. We’ve enjoyed it, but it’s time to pass the torch — hopefully someone will accept it and carry on this fine tradition. Here’s a few photos from a prior luncheon:

My little family is scattered this year — there will just be three of us for dinner later in the day, and that’s OK. I think we’re looking forward to a relaxed holiday meal, for once. Although I’m not getting out my collection of turkeys and Thanksgiving decorations, I did make a turkey wreath for my front door:

I know your inboxes are overflowing with Thanksgiving recipes, so forgive me for adding yet another nontraditional recipe to the noise. But I love this recipe. Its seasonal colors will add vibrancy to your Thanksgiving table, and it is deliciously different. It would also be excellent to bring a some excitement to leftover turkey sandwiches.

Gorgeous, right? Happy Thanksgiving!

5 from 1 reviews

ASIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CARROT SLAW

Author: Tag Sale Tastes

Ingredients

For dressing:
1 cup water
¼ cup champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
¼ cup Asian fish sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
For slaw:
4 cups julienned butternut squash
2 cups julienned carrot
1 small red jalapeno, very thinly sliced into rings
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, plus additional sprigs for garnish
½ cup coarsely chopped glazed pecans, plus additional for garnish

Instructions

To prepare dressing, place water, vinegar, brown sugar, and fish sauce in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, lime juice, and crushed red pepper. Set aside to cool until ready to use.
Place squash, carrot, jalapeno, cilantro, and pecans in medium bowl and toss to combine . Just before serving, pour ½ cup dressing over slaw, and toss until combined. (Reserve additional dressing in covered container in refrigerator for another use.). Mound slaw on serving dish and garnish as desired with cilantro sprigs and whole pecans.

Knock knock

Who’s there?

Norma Lee

Norma Lee who?

Norma Lee I don’t eat this much!

My daughter and I stumbled across a fabulous MIddle Eastern shop — Royal Roastery, “your sweet tooth’s paradise.”

It’s located at 6467 Westheimer, in a strip center that also is home to a Cuban bakery, a Cajun restaurant, a Guatemalan restaurant and convenience store, a Lebanese bakery, an Indian-Chinese restaurant, a Mediterranean restaurant (Fadi’s — a favorite of ours), a Portuguese chicken restaurant, a Japanese sushi restaurant, and a Nigerian fusion restaurant. Who needs Epcot!

As we entered the store, we were mesmerized by a kaleidoscope of colors, starting with the more than 60 bins of Parfai foil-wrapped chocolates, which are $20 per pound. Grab a bag and choose your favorites (the mille feuille and corn flake ones were the favorites — so far). Made from Swiss chocolate, we were told they are made in Syria, and according to the website, what sets them apart “is the secret in its raw butter and cocoa flavors that is integrated with a Middle Eastern twist.”