Canadian Thanksgiving  Dinner  Recipes

Have some Canadian recipes you want to share? We need more than turkey, stuffing and desert... What do Canadians have for Thanksgiving dinner? Let me know, e-mail me and I will add it to these pages..:) Kitty...

The New Englanders who came to Nova Scotia brought with them their favourite recipes for Indian Pudding. There is
a decided knack to making this pudding and if not acquired, the results could be nothing less than a soggy mess.

Baked Indian pudding
5 tablespoon cornmeal
1 quart milk, scalded
2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 eggs
1 cup cold milk

Scald the milk in the top part of a double boiler. Add the cornmeal very gradually and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the butter, molasses, salt, cinnamon, ginger and well beaten eggs. Put in a buttered baking dish and
pour over the cold milk, BUT Do NOT Stir! Bake in a 350 degree's oven for and hour or more if necessary.
Serve hot or cold with cream.

The majority of the early desserts were made from the fruits that grew wild and in abundance. A Common
method was to stew them and add dumplings. Most often referred to as "grunt". meal. Made with apples,
rhubarb, strawberries, the most popular of all was Blueberry Grunt.

Blueberry grunt
1 quart blueberries
1/2 cup sugar (or more)
1/2 cup water

Put berries, sugar and water in a pot, cover and boil gently until there a plenty of juice.

Dumplings:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon shortening
1/4-1/2 cup milk

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening and add enough milk
to make a soft biscuit dough. Drop by spoonfuls into the hot blueberries. Cover closely and do not peek for
15 minutes. Serve hot.
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Pumpkin soup

2 pounds pumpkin
2 cup water
1 1/2 pints boiling milk
Butter size of and egg
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

3 slices stale bread, cut in small cubes

Take out seeds and pare off the rind from pumpkin; cut into small pieces. Put into soup kettle with water and simmer slowly for 1 1/2 hours. Put through sieve and return to soup kettle with boiling milk, butter, sugar, slat and pepper. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, and serve.
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Fresh Boiled Lobster

Lobsters are cooked live in a sea water if it is obtainable. If not, fill a deep kettle with enough water to cover. Add 2 tablespoons of salt for each 2 quarts of water and bring to a boisterous boil. Hold the lobster across the middle of the back and plunge water it turns a brilliant red. Let the water come back to a rapid boil then reduce heat and cook 20 to 30 minutes, allowing 15 minutes for the first pound and 5 minutes for each additional to handle. Serve with lemon, melted butter or mayonnaise.

 To Open: Slit the underside with scissors or a sharp knife , is greenish in color and runs down the very centre of the back. Also discard the sac behind the head.

Although in by-gone days the following recipe was often served for Sunday Breakfast, it makes and excellent luncheon or party dish when served in a patty shells.

Old Style Nova Scotia Lobsters

1 Pound lobster (or more)
1/2 square butter
1/2 cup boiling water
1 to 2 teaspoon vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 cup cream

Cut lobster meat in pieces and put in frying pan with butter turning the pieces of lobster until each is a good red color. Add the boiling water, vinegar, salt and pepper and simmer for a few minutes. Add the cream  and serve at once in puff pastry shells.

GooseBerry Jam
4 cups gooseberries
5 cups sugar
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon epson salt
Wash Gooseberry's and remove stem and blossom ends. Cook the goose berries , sugar, hot water for 30 minutes. Add epson salt and cook 15 minutes longer. Remove from heat and poor into clean hot jars and seal.
 
Jean's favorite Anne of Green Gables and Avonlea webpage links:
http://members.tripod.com/~ourstuff/avonlea.html
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Steve sent the following;... Canadian Traditional Thanksgiving Foods: Homemade bread ,Pumpkin, Apple, Raisin or
Maple Sugar pies, Cranberry sauce, Venison, water fowl or roasted Turkey, Candied yams, Corn, Mashed Potatoes,
Turnip, Squash, Creamed Onions, Sage stuffing

Steve also sent some family recipes... :-D

Duck with Apple Dressing

1 (3«-4 lb) duck
4 sl toasted bread crumbs
4 tbs melted butter
1/4 cups water
3 lg apples (peeled and cored) diced fine
2 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cups raisins
1/2 cups chopped cashews
1 sl bacon cut into halves

Rinse the duck and pat dry inside and out. Combine the remainder of the ingredients (except the bacon).
Mix well. Spoon the dressing into all cavities of the duck then place in a baking dish. Place the bacon strips
over the top and bake in a 350F oven until the duck is tender.
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Candied Yams
5 red yams
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 box of light brown sugar
1 bag of marshmallows

Clean yams.  Boil yams until you can easily pierce with fork.  Melt butter  in a saucepan large enough to hold ingredients.  Add brown sugar.  Once it is melted add marshmallows and melt.  Slice yams.  Arrange so they
are not touching one another in a casserole baking dish. Pour sugar/marshmallow mixture over yams.
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Venison in Buttermilk Marinade
With a venison leg roast, about 4-5 lbs., trim off all fat and membrane. Lard
very well and adding garlic. Rub the roast well with a mixture of:
1 Tbl. coarse ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground red chile pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. sage
1 Tbl. vinegar

Let roast sit a couple hours, then marinate in:
4 sliced onions
4-5 bay leaves
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
Small stick of cinnamon
1/2 gallon buttermilk

Refrigerate covered for 2-3 days.  Turning occasionally.

Drain roast, discard marinade (do not cook in marinade). In a dutch oven,  brown roast well in a bit of
bacon grease. Drain all grease. Add a bottle of beer (or cider depending on your taste). Cover and bake
slowly, 300-325 for an hour or two. Add a couple onions, carrots, apples and a sweet potato. Add more beer
or water to maintain liquid level. Continue to roast until vegetables and roast are tender.
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Pecan Pie
3 large or extra large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup pecans
1 unbaked 9" pie shell

Preheat oven to 375º F, beat eggs, sugar and salt.  Add butter and syrup.
Mix in pecans. Bake 40-45 minutes in pie shell.

            Roast Turkey   From Mitzi

               Here is a technique that I use and a lot of my fiends do too.
               Unwrap your frozen turkey, (it doesn't matter what size).  Get a bucket
               or pot or container,( not insulated like a cooler), and put a cup to cup
               and a half of Hawaiian salt in the bucket.   Pour in a little and let
               the salt melt a little.  You may add other seasonings but I don't. Put
               your frozen turkey in the bucket.  Totally submerse your turkey in
               water. (Don't let the water over flow from the bucket.)  Put a weight
               (like a glass cover) on the turkey , as it will rise. Cover your bucket
               with a towel and leave your turkey like that over night.  I usually cook
               and 20-23 lb. turkey and do this technique about 9:00 p.m. the night
               before I cook it.  Take the turkey out a the water the next morning.
               (About 8-9:00 a.m.)  Rinse the turkey clean.  Sometimes there is still a
               chunk of ice in the cavity but the rest of the turkey is defrosted.  If
               you are not going to cook the turkey right a way, put it in the ice box
               in a pan until you are ready. This technique always works for me and it
               beats a defrosting turkey in the ice box for days on end.
               The Hawaiian salt will absorb in the turkey and it helps keep the water
               cold.

               Now to cook a turkey in 3 hours.  Yep you read right, 3 hours.

               Give yourself 4 hours before you want to serve your turkey.
               Preheat your oven to 500'.  Rinse and pat dry your turkey and rub a
               block of butter on your turkey.  Put your turkey in the oven at 500' for
               1 hour.  If the top of the turkey starts to brown too fast, tent a piece
               of foil over it lightly.  Also you may want to foil the tips of the
               drumsticks and wings.  after one hour at 500', drop your oven to 350'.
               Take off the foil and leave it at 350' for 2 hours.  Baste about every
               20 minutes or so.  After 2 hours at 350' ( 3 hours altogether). Your
               turkey is done.  Take it out of the oven  and cover it tightly with foil
               for about 20 -30 minutes.  carve your turkey.  Do not leave your turkey
               in the oven with the oven off.  Your breast meat will be dry.

               This recipe cannot be with used with the turkey stuffed.
               You can also use your favorite seasoning along with the butter.
               It is best when you soak your turkey with the Hawaiian salt method. It
               is like taking a salt pill, the turkey absorbs all the salt and keeps it
               moist.

               I've used this recipe on a 10lb, 18lb, the biggest was 23.5 lbs.
And try this...
Turkey Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce
               From: Herb and Myrna Epstein - epstein-hm@worldnet.att.net

               Substitute Ritz or any similar type cracker in your favorite stuffing
               recipe. Add whatever vegetables, fruits or nuts you normally use.Season
               to taste. I add fresh parsley, garlic chives, and sage. Crush crackers
               coarsely and moisten with chicken broth and butter. Can be made with or
               without eggs. Stuff and roast as your recipe indicates. Can also be used in
               chicken recipes.

               If you make your own cranberry sauce, add some cinnamon sticks, a few
               cloves, and a jar or maraschino cherries that have been drained. The juice
               can be used as part of the liquid in your recipe. Squeeze a little orange
               juice into this also.

          Yields: 2 loaves (each loaf serves 10)
          Work Time: 10
          Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

                                                2 cups pumpkin puree
                                                3 eggs
                                                1 cup vegetable oil
                                                3 cups flour
                                                3 cups sugar
                                                1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
                                                1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
                                                1 teaspoon salt
                                                1 teaspoon baking soda
                                                1/2 teaspoon baking powder
                                                1 teaspoon ground cloves
                                                1 cup chopped walnuts

         1.
             Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. In a small bowl
             combine pumpkin, eggs, and oil. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt,
             baking powder, baking soda, and cloves. Add pumpkin mixture and walnuts to dry ingredients. Stir
             until just combined. Spoon into prepared pans.
         2.
             Bake 1 hour until deep golden brown and a wooden toothpick, inserted in center, comes out clean.
             Cool completely.
(www.web.holidays.com)

                                       2 cups  Cranberries   500mL
                                       1/3 cup   Granulated sugar   75 mL
                                       1 tsp  Cornstarch   5 mL

                                       FILLING:
                                       1/2 lb Cream cheese  250 g
                                       1/2 cup Granulated sugar  125 mL
                                       2 tbsp   All-purpose flour  25 mL
                                       2  Eggs   2
                                       1 tsp  Grated lemon rind  5 mL

                                       CRUST:
                                       1-1/4 cups Graham cracker crumbs  300 mL
                                       2 tbsp Granulated sugar 25 mL
                                       1/4 cup Butter, melted   50 mL

                                       Crust: Combine crumbs, sugar and butter; pat onto
                                       bottom and sides of 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate. Set aside.

                                       Filling: In bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, eggs and
                                       lemon rind until smooth; pour into crust. Bake in 375 F
                                       (190 C) oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 F (160
                                       C); bake for 15 minutes or until barely set in centre. Let
                                       cool.

                                       Meanwhile, in saucepan, bring cranberries and 1/4 cup (50
                                       mL) water to boil. Add sugar; return to boil. Cook for 2
                                       minutes or until dissolved. Drain, reserving juice; spoon
                                       cranberries around edge of pie.

                                       In saucepan, blend cornstarch into reserved juice; cook
                                       until boiling. Let cool slightly; spoon over berries and
                                       centre. Chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

                                       Makes 8 servings.

                                       Per serving: about 350 cal, 5g pro, 19 g fat, 42 g carb.
(Canadian Living)

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