He's probably right.
So, in an effort to be a little different, but not too much, I decided on two simple recipes. Corn pudding and a spinach/brown rice casserole. The corn pudding was ridiculously simple (and, I think, ridiculously sweet), and it used canned creamed corn and whole kernel corn. A couple cans of each, some milk, some flour, eggs and sugar and it was done.
The spinach and brown rice casserole took a little more work only because of the steps involved. And because shredding two pounds of fresh spinach can be a bear of a task! Getting all of that to cook down was pretty funny. All I kept thinking of was the shavings we used to use in the rabbit's cage.
I used a recipe from The New Moosewood Cookbook and changed it a bit. I used the four eggs the recipe originally called for and left out the optional prepared mustard.
It seems like a lot when you're first mixing everything together, but it really isn't:
The press pot was for the coffee I realized I desperately needed and isn't something that goes into the casserole, just into me!
I'm not the neatest person when I cook, obviously. If you do make Ms. Katzen's Spinach-Rice Casserole, be sure to use the biggest bowls you have.
It did all come together very nicely and the sunflower seeds on top make for a pretty accent.
Once everything was ready, into the oven it went for 35 minutes. It smelled wonderful as it cooked, making my stomach rumble, reminding me that oh, yeah – lunch is a good idea.
But first, there were dishes to do:
I'm sure I used more than was really necessary. Still learning how to streamline what I do in the kitchen.
And here is the finished product, sitting next to the corn pudding. I'll rewarm both items very gently tomorrow before tucking them into an insulated bag for the drive over to my parents' home.
Happy Thanksgiving!
