We’re hosting Thanksgiving this year for the first time. It was decided just a few days ago and I’m so excited! (Here’s why Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays, even as a Brit.) I thought I’d share what we’re thinking of serving. Please share in the comments what you’re making – or looking forward to eating – so we can all be inspired and share ideas!

Turkey
Cranberry sauce with orange zest and fresh nutmeg
Classic stuffing (though this cornbread sausage stuffing looks delicious)
Gravy
Perfect roast potatoes
Mashed maple sweet potatoes
Roasted carrots
Green beans with almonds and thyme
Warm bread rolls

Pumpkin pie
Fruit cobbler
Chocolate pecan pie

P.S. My First Thanksgiving and other thanksgiving side dish ideas.

Top image by Katie Quinn Davies / What Katie Ate
Bottom image by Erin Jang / The Indigo Bunting

This dish is a weeknight dream. Cut a spaghetti squash in half and whack it in the oven. Scrape out it’s crazy spaghetti-like strands. Saute some sausage. Throw the lot together with a huge handful of freshly grated Parmesan and some herbs. Boom.

Certainly I encourage noone to think of spaghetti squash as a substitute for pasta – you’ll only find it disappointing if you do – rather, enjoy it for what it is and enjoy the fact that it’s more compatible with things like sausage and tomato sauce than any of its squash cousins.

And please forgive the propensity of weeknight iPhone pictures of late – I’d rather share a good recipe with you than not, just because the photos aren’t up to scratch. I hope you agree!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Sausage
from White on Rice Couple

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Grease a baking sheet with one tbsp olive oil.
2. Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and strands, then place cut side down on the prepared sheet pan.
3. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the squash flesh separates easily into strands with a fork. Remove from the oven and finish loosening and removing the “spaghetti” from the squash shells and set aside.
4. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Heat remaining olive oil in pan, then add shallots and garlic. Cook until soft, stirring every 30 seconds, then add sausage. Cook without stirring until the bottom side of the sausage starts to brown, then stir. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the sausage is cooked through, 2-3 minutes.
5. Add spaghetti squash strands to the sausage and continue cooking until heated, less than a minute.
6. Remove from heat. Toss in Parmesan and oregano. Season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Serves 3-4.

A little breakfast treat for you this morning, friends. I made this seeded granola from Good to the Grain, Kim Boyce’s excellent book about baking with whole grains, as part of a mass Sunday afternoon prep-for-the-week cooking extravaganza last weekend.

I’m trying to get good at walking the walk, and actually making big batches of stuff to get me through five lunches at work and frantic I’m-so-hungry moments. I’ve been making simple quinoa salads on Sundays like it’s my job, and it really does make a difference to have a healthy lunch ready everyday.

This granola doesn’t really fall into the “healthy” category but it is easy to grab and super delicious. It’s less clumpy than normal granola (boo), probably because it’s made from seeds and oats and lacks bigger flakes, but it’s super tasty and full of brown sugar, butter, and a kick of cayenne powder that pretty much makes me want to marry it.

Seeded Maple Granola
adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce

Ingredients

Dry mix:

• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 cups whole rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/8 cup flax seeds
• 1.5 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder

Syrup:

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1.5 oz unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F/165C. Toast the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes then remove and set aside.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, including the pumpkin seeds, mixing thoroughly with your hands.
3. Make the syrup: combine the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and salt in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Place on the stove top over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, bubbling all over.
4. Remove from the heat and immediately stir into the dry ingredients, using a rubber spatula to completely cover and coat. Spread the mixture onto a Silpat-lined (or buttered) baking sheet in one uneven layer and bake for 30 minutes, removing to stir and turn every ten minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and let rest for a decent amount of time on the baking sheets so that those glorious clumps of granola form. Stores in an airtight container for about a week.