Thinking Thanksgiving—Appetizers & Leftovers!
Carica Wines has a few favorite recipes for Thanksgiving.
Our easy Molé works with leftover roast turkey and is equally tasty with roasted winter squash. All you need alongside is a glass of robust Carica red wine.
To start a festive feast, bring out Sweet Potato Spread plus glasses of Carica Rosé or Chardonnay.
Molé with Turkey or Roasted Squash
Pair with Carica Red Blend or Petite Sirah
What’s both hearty and time-saving for the Day-After-Thanksgiving? Or easy to fix for a cozy, winter season supper? Savory molé is your answer. Rich with chiles, spices, and chocolate, this easy version of a classic Mexican sauce can be served with steamed rice or tortillas. Make this streamed-lined version (or use a purchased, pre-prepared sauce) and simply add roasted turkey. The vegetarian version with roasted winter squash is just as satisfying. Be sure to pour a robust red wine, like Carica Petite Sirah or ‘Siren’ Red Blend to complement the smoky sweet notes of the sauce. Cheers!
Easy Molé Sauce Makes about 3 cups
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 oz. dark chocolate, broken into pieces
¼ cup raisins
½ to 1 tsp. red chile flakes
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 corn tortillas, cut in ½-inch strips
1/3 cup chopped almonds or raw pepitas
1 14.5-oz. can organic diced tomatoes
1 cup diced onion
¼ cup water or broth, as needed
optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro
Place cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, chocolate, raisins, and chile flakes (adjust to your taste) in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Heat oil in heavy pot and add tortilla strips, and almonds or pepitas. Toast 2 to 3 minutes, add garlic and heat until fragrant about 30 seconds (don’t brown). Using a slotted spoon, transfer tortillas strips, nuts, and garlic to food processor. To pot, add onion and tomatoes with juice. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Transfer to food processor.
Puree all ingredients about 3 minutes. Add more liquid as needed and continue to puree until mixture is fairly smooth, up to 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use sauce immediately, refrigerate (up to 3 days), or freeze (up to 3 months).
For Turkey Molé 4 to 6 servings
1 ½ cups molé
Water or broth (½ to 1 cup, as needed)
1 ½ lbs roast turkey
3 cups steamed rice or 8 to 12 tortillas (corn or flour)
Cut ¼-inch thick turkey slices into batons, ¼ inch wide by 2 inches long (or use shredded roast turkey to make about 3 cups). Place molé in a wide, heavy skillet. Add water or broth to thin sauce to desired consistency, whisk to combine. Gently heat sauce, then add turkey and heat through.
For each serving, place a scoop of steamed rice in a shallow pasta bowl. Ladle on about 1 cup turkey molé, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro. Alternatively, serve turkey molé in bowls with corn or flour tortillas.
For Roasted Squash with Molé 4 servings
Choose your favorite winter squash!
2 acorn squash or small sugar pumpkins (or 1 large kabocha squash, 1 large red kuri squash, or 4 small delicata squash)
2 cups molé
Salt and pepper
4 cups steamed rice with black beans
Halve and remove seeds from squash. Place squash on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, cut side down and roast in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F. until tender, about 40 minutes. Once the squashes are cool enough to handle, slide a large spoon between the skin and flesh, removing the flesh from each half in two or three large wedges (or cut the squashes in wedges and remove the skin).
In a small saucepan, heat the molé, and add up to ½ cup water to reach your desired consistency.
For each serving, place squash wedges in a shallow pasta bowl, season with salt and pepper, top with about ½ cup heated molé, garnish with cilantro leaves and sesame seeds. Place steamed rice and beans alongside to complete the meal.
On the side. To accompany either version, try cabbage slaw with chopped green onions and shredded carrot, dressed with vinaigrette made with toasted cumin seeds and lime juice.
Spicy Sweet Potato Spread (Appetizer)
A tasty Thanksgiving appetizer. Serve with cool, crisp Carica Chardonnay or festive Carica Rosé.
Easy to make ahead: Once the sweet potatoes are roasted, this spread comes together quickly. It tastes even better made ahead so the flavors have a chance to meld. You can make the spread 1 day ahead, cover, and refrigerate, then allow the spread to come to room temperature before serving.
Ingredients
2 or 3 garnet yams (or other sweet potatoes), about 2 ½ lbs.
3 to 4 Tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
½ jalapeño pepper, seeds and stem removed
¼ cup Carica Chardonnay
½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Pierce each sweet potato 2 or 3 times with a fork, place in baking pan, and roast for about 1 hour, until tender. Allow to cool, then peel and chop in large chunks (about 3 cups).
Place ginger, cilantro, jalapeño, salt, and sweet potato in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process in pulses, adding wine gradually to reach a fairly smooth spreading consistency. Add more liquid if needed. Adjust salt to taste.
Serve with pita chips, favorite crackers, and crunchy veggies.
