A SouthernThanksgiving Dinner in Denmark

I know...it's been a while. The three people who read this blog have all mentioned that I've been slacking. Blame Mark. He keeps requesting old recipes and as a newlywed, I am indulging him.  If you can't be nice to your husband in the first year of marriage, when can you?  Thankfully my sweet friend Lizzie is stepping in to fill the void. Take it away LT... 

My little sister is studying abroad in Denmark and we decided to bring a little bit of southern comfort to Copenhagen. Finding the ingredients that we needed in Europe actually wasn't too hard. All of the basics were there and we were able to find large enough sweet potatoes for our casserole. I loaded up my suitcase with pecans and Tony's spice since those were the final two items on our list! (As well as a box of pre-made stuffing... we couldn't attempt everything!).

The hardest part about cooking in Copenhagen were all of the conversions that we had to do! I recommend keeping a close eye on the oven if you are baking in Celsius! Our poor apple pie ended up dipping inward instead of rising. And I probably should have brought a proper pie dish from the States... you would think a country full of danishes would have pie dishes!

Overall, my sister and I worked hard, but we were able to pull off a successful Thanksgiving meal for her host family. And proof was in the pie: the next day there were no leftovers because the host family ate EVERYTHING and loved it all! Below are three recipes that we used... and attached are some photos... Enjoy!

Here are the highlights from the their big meal...

Apple Pie from Denmark
Ingredients:
double crust (2 pie crusts, top and bottom)
6-8 cups apples, peeled, cored, sliced
the recipe also calls for raisins which I don't use, so 8 cups apples (8-10 big ones)
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten

Prepare apples and add sugar, salt, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Mix well. put bottom crust in pie dish, fill with apples, dot with butter. put top crust on pie, trim and crimp edges, and cut steam vents in the top crust. bush crust with beaten egg, sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 45-60 minutes. I put the pie dish on a cookie sheet so the pie doesn't drip in the oven.

Cajun Turkey Tenderloins
Ingredients:
2 lbs turkey breast tenderloins
1/4-1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons cajun seasoning (optional)
1 small onion, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, diced
aluminum foil

1. In an 8x8 glass dish (or something similarly sized) lay a large piece of foil (large enough to wrap the veggies and meat.)
2. Place the vegetables on top of the foil, followed by the turkey loin. Rub the seasoning (I use Tony's) on top of the meat. Lay the butter on top.

3. Wrap the packet completely with the foil. Use an additional piece of foil, and wrap it again. Try to get both seams on top.

4. Bake in a 350*F oven for an hour and 20 minutes, or until the meat reaches 160* and the vegetables are tender. I just stick a thermometer through the foil to keep the moisture inches Let it rest for 10 minutes or so before serving.

 

And, of course, no Thanksgiving table is complete - Denmark or not - without a version of Lizzie's Sweet Potato Crunch!

 

One Year Ago:  Provencal Rotisserie Chicken and Potatoes

Two Years Ago: Garlic and Herb Prime Rib Roast

Three Years Ago:  Jenn Mayo's Yorkshire Pudding