THANKSGIVING SIDES

FOR A JOYFUL HOLIDAY

Live happier, simpler, smarter in the kitchen
A THANK YOU NOTE
Last year I didn't get to cook Thanksgiving dinner, and I actually
celebrated the holiday at a restaurant. Luckily, I had a very good excuse.
My family - mom, dad, brother, future sis-in-law, and husband - and I
were in Vietnam on a pilgrimage to my parents’ and my birthplace.

It was my parents’ first time back since we left 30 years ago, and it was an
emotional and memorable homecoming. My mom and dad reconnected
with friends who struggled with them throughout the war that they hadn’t
seen in 3 decades. We visited the flat that my dad lived in for his entire
Vietnam life with his siblings, parents, and grandparents. We were lucky
enough to be let in so I got to stand in the kitchen that my grandma
prepared dinners in for her 7 children and feel her presence with us.

It was truly an amazing trip, and this time in Vietnam made me feel so
incredibly grateful for the life I get to lead now. I know that I would have a
very different life today if my family hadn’t been able to immigrate to the
States. Unlike my mom and dad, I got to grow up in a country of peace
where the opportunities are endless and the dreams can be big as you want
them to be.

While Thanksgiving is an extra special time to reflect and practice gratitude,

I get to do this daily thanks to you. Your emails, comments, likes, and meal
photos are a reminder for me to be thankful for the dream I get to live every
single day. Thank you for helping me turn Cook Smarts from a dream into
such a fun reality.

This Thanksgiving, I’m so happy to be back in the kitchen and feeding my

extended family. Whether you’ll be cooking or just feasting, I wish you and Photos from left to right:
your loved ones an amazing holiday full of joy, gratitude, and of course • Arriving at Ho Chi Minh airport
delicious and bountiful eats! • Feeling emotional in my grandma’s kitchen
• Sailing down the Mekong River
Always your kitchen cheerleader, • Dressing up in imperial garb in Hue
• Side trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia
Jess • “Asian ears” on Dad

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 2

A NOTE ABOUT THE RECIPES RECIPE INDEX
I’m excited to be a part of your Thanksgiving Casserole Sides
feast with the recipes in this e-book. I decided
Brown butter mushroom lasagna (V) 5
to concentrate on sides because while turkey
is tradition, it’s the sides that make the meal Kale and sausage strata 7
fun and memorable.
Vegetable Sides
There is a little something for everyone and
Kale and apple salad (V, GF) 10
I’ve labeled meals (V) for vegetarian, (P) for
paleo, and (GF) for gluten-free where it Balsamic parsnips & carrots (V, GF, P) 11
applies.
Miso-butter brussels sprouts (V, GF) 12
As always, we seek to deliver more than just
recipes, so if you see this symbol, click on Brown butter mashed potatoes (V, GF) 13
it for the accompanying technique video to Coconut cream butternut squash (V, GF, P) 14
help you build your cook smarts this holiday.
And don’t forget to invite lesser experienced Turkey Toppings
cooks to join in on the fun! These videos are Rice cooker cranberry sauce (V, GF) 16
meant to teach everyone at every level.
Pomegranate citrus relish (V, GF, P) 17

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 3

CASSEROLESIDES

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 4

 BROWN BUTTER MUSHROOM LASAGNA (v)
{Serves 8 to 10}
Active: 45 min. // Total: 1 hr. 30 min.

This is an amazing vegetarian side dish (or

even main). Rich and luscious, even carnivores
will be asking for seconds.

INGREDIENTS
• Lasagna noodles (don’t use no-cook) – ~12 sheets
• Unsalted butter – 8 tbs.
• Sage leaves – 6, plus more for garnish
• Ricotta – 16 oz.
• Eggs, medium-sized - 2
• Assorted mushrooms, sliced (creminis, shitakes,
oysters, portabellos) – 2 lbs.
• Olive oil – 2 tbs.
• Flour – 2 tbs.
• Low-fat milk (whole is fine, but skim won't give
you the thickness you need)- 2 cups
• Kosher salt - 1 tsp.
• White pepper - 1/2 tsp.
• Nutmeg – a pinch
• Pine nuts - 1 cup
• Gruyere, shredded - 1/2 cup

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 5

 BROWN BUTTER MUSHROOM LASAGNA (v)
continued

PREP
• Noodles – Cook according to package instructions. Drain and toss in a little bit of olive oil.
• Brown butter - Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Melt butter, swirling the pan every so often. You
want the butter to reach an amber color. Remove from heat and add in 4 sage leaves.
• Make filling - Combine ricotta with eggs and a generous pinch of kosher salt in a mixing bowl.
• Mushrooms – Slice. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
COOK
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat >4 qt. sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and then mushrooms to heated oil with a dash of
salt. Cook until mushrooms have wilted. Toss half the brown butter with cooked mushrooms. Season to taste
with salt and pepper.
3. Make brown butter béchamel by heating >2 quart saucepan over medium heat and pour in remaining
brown butter. Add in flour and whisk together (this is making a roux). Slowly whisk in milk. Add 2 sage
leaves and bring sauce to a simmer, whisking often. The sauce will thicken from the roux as it heats up.
Once it starts to bubble, season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg.
4. Assemble lasagna by overlaying enough noodles on the bottom of a lightly oiled 9 x 13 baking dish. Using a
spatula, spoon and spread one third of the ricotta cheese mixture onto noodles. Top with one third of the
mushrooms and sprinkle with one third of the pine nuts. Repeat two more times, with the final top layer
being mushrooms.
5. Pour béchamel sauce over assembled lasagna and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with
gruyere and broil low for another 5 to 10 minutes until cheese starts to bubble and brown. Serve hot with
sage leaves as garnish.

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 6

 kALE & SAUSAGE STRATA
{Serves 8 to 10}
Active: 20 min. // Total: 1 hr. 45 min.

Strata is all the goodness of stuffing plus more with

creamy eggs and cheese. You could even serve this for
breakfast the day of or day after Thanksgiving.
INGREDIENTS
• French or Italian baguette, cubed – 6 cups worth
• Onions, diced – 1
• Cooking oil – 2 tbs.
• Uncooked sausage – 1 lb. (choose your favorite)
• Baby kale leaves – 4 oz. (pick up the ones in the
salad bag for easiest prep)
• Eggs – 8
• Milk – 1 cup
• Sour cream – 1 cup
• Gruyere, grated – 2 cups
• Kosher salt – 1 tsp.
• Black pepper – ¼ tsp.
• Red chili flakes – ¼ tsp.
PREP
• Bread – Slice bread into cubes. (Can be done up to 1
days ahead)
• Onions – Dice. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 7

 kALE & SAUSAGE STRATA
continued

MAKE
1. Heat up a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Add cooking oil and then onions to heated oil
with a dash of salt. Sauté until softened, ~3
minutes.
2. Add in sausage breaking up with a wooden
spoon. Cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
Drain fat from the pan, leaving about one
tablespoon’s worth. Add in kale leaves and
sauté until wilted. Remove pan from heat.
3. Place bread cubes and sausage and kale sauté
into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Toss to mix.
4. Whisk together eggs, milk, sour cream,
cheese, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. Pour
mixture into baking dish. Cover and
refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1
day to allow bread to soak up the dairy
mixture.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 8

vEGETABLESIDES

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 9

 kALE & APPLE SALAD (v, gf) With all the other richness on the table, a light
{Serves 6 to 8} refreshing kale salad is just what every
Active: 15 min. // Total: 1 hr. 15 min. Thanksgiving dinner needs.

INGREDIENTS FOR KALE SALAD INGREDIENTS FOR CANDIED PECANS

• Kale – 1 bunch • Pecans – 2 cups
• Balsamic vinegar – 3 tbs. • Egg whites – 1
• Dijon mustard – 1 tbs. • Water – 1 tbs.
• Maple syrup – 1 tbs. • Sugar – ½ cup
• Olive oil – 6 tbs. PREP
• Apples (my favorite are Honey Crisp) – 1 to 2
• Candy pecans - Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
• Fennel – 1 bulb Whisk egg white with water and coat the pecans in
• Candied pecans (or just regular) – 1 cup mixture. Toss pecans in sugar. Spread out onto a
• Lemon, juice of – ½ baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, turning every 20
minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
• Tear leaves off of kale. Wash, dry, and place in a
large bowl that will fit into your fridge.
• Whisk together vinegar, mustard, syrup, and olive
oil. Toss with your kale leaves and then cover bowl
with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at
least an hour, up to a day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

COOK
1. Right before serving, thinly slice fennel and chop
apples. Toss marinated kale with fennel, apples,
pecans (candied or not), and the juice of half a
lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 10

 BALSAMIC PARSNIPS & CARROTS (V, GF, P)
{Serves 8 to 10}
Active: 15 min. // Total: 45 min.

Tart and sweet balsamic and honey make these

parsnips and carrots taste like candy. You won’t even
need the pie . . . but well, it’s Thanksgiving so indulge
all you want!

INGREDIENTS
• Carrots, peeled & chopped – 1 ½ lbs.
• Parsnips, peeled & chopped – 1 lb.
• Balsamic vinegar – 2 tbs.
• Honey – 1 tbs.
• Dijon mustard – 1 tsp.
• Olive oil – 2 tbs.
PREP
• Carrots / Parsnips – Prep as directed.

MAKE
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Place carrots and parsnips onto a sheet pan. Cover with foil and steam for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk together balsamic, honey, Dijon, and olive oil. Toss vegetables in vinaigrette and sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Put back in the oven uncovered. Roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, shaking midway through.
4. Season roasted veggies to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm!
5. If you’ve never roasted veggies this way, check out our video that demonstrates this technique.

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 11

MISO-BUTTER BRUSSELS SPROUTS (V, GF)
{Serves 4 to 6}
Active: 15 min. // Total: 45 min.

America is such a melting pot of ethnicities that it

only makes sense that we include some international
flavors at our Thanksgiving table. We take brussels
sprouts and add some miso butter for a new take on
this traditional veggie side dish.

INGREDIENTS
• Brussels sprouts, small & firm – 1 lb.
• Butter – 2 tbs.
• Red miso paste – 1 tbs.
• Olive oil – 1 tbs.
• Lemon, juice of – ½
PREP
• Brussels sprouts – Rinse and trim the ends (the stem part) and remove any outer leaves that look are
damaged or just don’t look that fresh. Slice them in half. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)

MAKE
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Place sprouts, cut-side down in a sheet pan. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes.
3. When brussels sprouts are in the oven, melt butter and mix with red-miso paste and oil. Toss with brussels
sprouts after they’ve baked for 10 minutes. Put back in the oven without foil. Roast for 10 to 12 more
minutes.
4. Toss finished brussels sprouts juice with lemon juice and more salt and pepper as needed.

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 12

 BROWN BUTTER MASHED POTATOES (V, GF)
{Serves 8 to 10}
Active: 20 min. // Total: 30 min.

Mashed potatoes shine when we mash them with

aromatic brown butter.

INGREDIENTS
• Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed – 4
• Butter – 8 tbs.
• Sage leaves – 4
• Cream – 1 cup

PREP
• Potatoes – Peel and cube.

MAKE
1. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold
water. Sprinkle with some salt and bring to a boil.
Simmer for another 10 minutes until potatoes can
be pierced easily with a fork. Drain and let steam.
2. Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over medium
heat. Melt butter, swirling the pan every so often.
You want the butter to reach an amber color and
have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and add in
sage leaves.
3. Mash potatoes with brown butter and cream.
Season to taste with salt & pepper.

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 13

COCO-CREAM BUTTERNUT SQUASH (V, GF, P)
{Serves 6 to 8}
Active: 20 min. // Total: 30 min.

Serve this aromatic coconut cream butternut squash

for all your low-carb diners. They definitely won’t feel
like they missed out anything.

INGREDIENTS
• Butternut squash, peeled & cubed – 3 lb. squash
• Coconut milk – 1 cup
• Maple syrup – 2 tbs.
• Salt – 1 tsp.
PREP
• Butternut squash– Two options: 1) Peel with a
peeler and then cube; or 2) Microwave for 5
minutes, flipping the butternut squash in
between. Cool and then chop, peeling off skin
with a knife.(Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
MAKE
1. Place chopped butternut squash with 1 cup of
water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then
simmer covered for 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Drain and return to saucepan. Add coconut
milk, maple syrup, and salt. Puree with an
immersion blender (you can also use a masher,
but it won’t be as smooth and creamy). Season
to taste with more salt or sweetener.

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 14

TURKEYTOPPERS

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 15

 RICE COOKER CRANBERRY SAUCE (V, GF)
{Makes 4 cups}
Active: 10 min. // Total: 1 hr.

Take advantage of your rice

cooker this Thanksgiving and
cook your cranberry sauce in
it! Who knew, right?

INGREDIENTS
• Ginger, grated – 1 tbs.
• Orange, zest of – 1
• Cranberries – 4 cups
• Brown sugar – ¾ cup
• Water – 3/4 cup
• Salt – ¼ tsp.

PREP
• Ginger – Peel and grate.
• Orange – Prep as directed.

MAKE
1. Save a bit of orange zest for garnish. Place all other ingredients into a rice cooker. Cook on porridge setting.
2. If you don’t have a rice cooker, bring 1 cup water and sugar to boil. Add cranberries, ginger, and orange zest
(again saving some for garnish). Return to a boil and then simmer until cranberries burst, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Let cool and serve over turkey!

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 16

 POMEGRANATE CITRUS RELISH (V, GF, P)
{Serves 8 to 10}
Active: 15 min. // Total: 15 min.

This bright and festive relish is the perfect antidote to

the tryptophan-filled turkey. Instead of feeling sleepy,
this relish will keep you energized for seconds.

INGREDIENTS
• Pomegranate seeds – 2 cups
• Oranges, segments of – 3
• Shallots, diced – 1 bulb
• Cilantro, chopped – ¼ bunch
• Lime, juice of – 1
PREP
• Pomegranate – Remove seeds from pomegranate.
(Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
• Citrus – Supreme into segments catching juice in a
bowl.
• Shallots – Dice. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
• Cilantro – Chop. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
MAKE
1. Mix together pomegranate seeds, citrus juice,
shallots, cilantro, and lime juice. Add a bit of salt
and toss to mix.
2. Top with citrus segments.

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 17

HAPPYTHANKSGIVING
I wish you and your loved ones an amazing holiday full of love, gratitude, and of
course delicious and bountiful eats!

For simple meal plans and more educational cooking content, visit www.cooksmarts.com
Live happier, simpler, smarter in the kitchen

COOK SMARTS – THANKSGIVING SIDES 2013 18