In the Kitchen with Sigona’s Featuring: Thanksgiving Dishes

Roasted Delicata Squash Rings with Honey, Pomegranate and Pepitas

This adorably delicious dish is a unique way to serve seasonal squash at Thanksgiving. The sweetness of roasted squash is highlighted by the honey, and is complemented by the sweet-tart burst of fresh pomegranate seeds. Inspired by Sunset. Serves about 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 Delicata squash
• About 2 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp., divided, Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Honey, such as Orange from Honey Hole Honey Co., available at Sigona’s
• About 1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate arils (seeds)
• About 1/3 cup Sigona’s pepitas (pumpkin seeds), roasting optional
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 425°F.

Wash the squash then slice into 1-inch thick rounds. Use a spoon to scrape away the seeds, leaving the round whole (it’ll look like a donut).

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush both sides of the squash rounds with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and place them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle on the chili and garlic powders, season with salt and pepper.

Roast squash for 20-25 minutes or until soft and lightly browned.

Meanwhile, if desired, spread pepitas on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining 1 tsp. oil and season with a little salt. Stir to coat. Spread out in a single layer and bake until toasted, about 5 minutes.

Arrange roasted squash in an aesthetically pleasing pile, a couple layers high, on a serving dish, drizzling a bit of honey on each layer. Sprinkle the stack with pomegranate arils and pepitas. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Shallots and Toasted Breadcrumbs

Thanks to the bacon, this quick dish features a lot of flavor with minimal ingredients. Bacon makes everything better! If you truly do not care for Brussels sprouts, try this with broccoli or cauliflower. Adapted from Cooking Light. Serves about 6.

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 slices bacon
• 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
• 1 cup water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• About 2/3 to 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (pulse a slice or two of bread in a food processor)
• 3 Tbsp + enough for greasing pan Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Mix it up! Try Sigona’s Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil or Sigona’s Herbes de Provence Olive Oil)

Directions: Remove a layer or two of the dark outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts. Trim the end of the sprouts then cut the sprouts in half. Set aside

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings; crumble, set aside.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to bacon drippings in pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add Brussels sprouts and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Using aluminum foil, loosely cover the pan; cook 6 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are almost tender. Uncover and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Spoon Brussels sprouts mixture into a 2-quart broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish greased with a bit of olive oil.

Preheat oven broiler; position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper; sauté for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add cooked, crumbled bacon to toasted breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over Brussels sprouts mixture. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until golden and thoroughly heated. Serve warm.

Mixed Greens Salad with Asian Pears, Glazed Walnuts and a Cranberry-Pear Vinaigrette

Simple fall flavors in this dish make for a great salad. Asian pears are refreshing and crisp, and hold up well when tossed with the other ingredients. Plus they’re a little more exotic than apples or regular pears; perfect for a holiday dish! Serves 4 to 6.  

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 ½ Tbsp Sigona’s Cranberry Pear White Balsamic (Mix it up! Try Sigona’s Satsuma Vanilla Cream White Balsamic.)
• 1 Tbsp honey, such as Orange from Honey Hole Honey Co., available at Sigona’s
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• 1/3 cup Sigona’s Fresh Press Coratina from Australia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad

• About 8 cups mixed greens
• 1 to 2 Asian pears, quartered, cored and sliced into very thin wedges
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• About 1/2 cup Sigona’s glazed walnuts

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic, honey, Dijon and shallot. While whisking, drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad: Toss the greens, pear and shallot with a little less than half of the vinaigrette. Add more vinaigrette if needed to lightly coat all ingredients well.

Divide salad among salad plates and top with the walnuts. Serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.

Maple Balsamic Whipped Garnet Yams (or Sweet Potatoes)

Garnet yams are the absolute best yam to choose for your Thanksgiving feast. They have a lovely deep orange color and fantastic flavor, and mixing in a little maple syrup highlights their natural sweetness. If you’ve been asked to bring a sweet potato or yam dish to dinner, this simple recipe is sure to please.

Check out this recipe

Citrus & Herb Stuffed Turkey and Gravy

This recipe, adapted from Food Network, is one of the best we’ve ever had. It’s flavorful and browns beautifully. You’ll love the citrus flavor infused in the bird and in the gravy as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 to 15 lb.) turkey, neck and giblets reserved
• 1 orange, cut into wedges
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 6 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 6 fresh sage sprigs
• 3 fresh oregano sprigs
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 2 Tbsp Herbes de Provence
• 1 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive (Mix it up! Try Sigona’s Herbes de Provence Olive Oil.)
• Salt and pepper, about 1 ½ tsp each or to taste
• At least 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup flour

Directions: Position the rack in the lowest third of the oven and preheat to 400°F.

Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey on a rack set inside a large roasting pan. Place the orange and lemon wedges, onion, smashed garlic and 2 sprigs of each fresh herb in the main turkey cavity. Tie the legs together to hold the shape of the turkey.

Stir 2 tablespoons of butter, the herbes de Provence, oil, salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts. Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey and between the turkey breast meat and skin. Place the turkey neck and giblets in roasting pan. (Recipe can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.)

Cover the turkey breast with foil. Roast for 20 minutes. Pour 3 cups of broth into the pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining sprigs of fresh herbs to the pan. Roast the turkey for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the foil from the turkey; pour 1 more cup of broth into the pan. Continue roasting the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F to 175°F or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour and 30 minutes longer. Transfer the turkey to a platter and tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes before slicing.

To make the gravy: Strain the turkey pan juices from the roasting pan through a sieve and into a 4-cup glass measuring cup; discard the solids. Spoon off the fat from atop the pan juices. Add enough chicken broth, about 1 to 2 cups, to the pan juices to measure 4 cups total. Melt the remaining butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the broth. Simmer until the gravy thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the turkey with the gravy.

Smokey Southwestern Spice Turkey Rub

Use this rub to add flavor to a simple roast turkey. You can use this on a bird with our without stuffing. Follow roasting instructions from Diestel Family Turkey Ranch or your own favorite family recipe. Rub inspired by Sunset magazine.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp ground ancho or California chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp chipotle chili or cayenne powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• A pinch garlic or onion powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Mix it up! Try Sigona’s Smokey Chipotle Oil.)

For the rub: In a small bowl, mix together the spices. Add olive oil and stir to make a paste. Rub spice mixture evenly over skin and inside neck and body cavities.

Follow instructions for roasting per package instructions and bird weight. Also check out roasting instructions and tipsfrom Diestel Family Turkey Ranch for how to roast your turkey properly for a delicious and safe Thanksgiving dinner. Each Diestel turkey comes with these instructions as well.

Remember to roast your turkey until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F to 175°F or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer.