Michelle Dudash, chef & Registered Dietitian joined us today with her favorite way to pre-dinner on Thanksgiving, plus she has a make-ahead dessert that nearly everyone can enjoy.

Thanksgiving Bruschetta Board

Keep the Thanksgiving pre-dinner simple, but satisfying and crave-worthy for all eating preferences.

Start with a centerpiece with height, like grape clusters, orange halves, and sliced figs.

Serve three spreads:

• Tulip Tree Fromage Frais – a local cheesemaker – made from milk and cream
• Spreadable goat cheese, like Boursin.
• Pimento cheese

Crunchy things for topping:

• Nuts are a must. Serve Wonderful Pistachios No Shells in a variety of flavors, like BBQ, Honey Roasted, and Salt & Vinegar, and your guests can come up with all sorts of flavor pairings. Michelle has partnered with Wonderful Pistachios to help share the health benefits of these tasty nuts, which are a good source of complete plant protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. Pistachios are also a good source of fiber. The no-shell varieties are so easy to use in your favorite recipes. 
• Cucumber slices 
• Thinly sliced Granny Smith apple circles, for a dramatic effect

For the base:

• Large cracker planks for a substantial snack
• Sliced French bread
• Include a gluten-free cracker for different diets

Embellish the board with cured meats, if you wish, like smoked salmon, prosciutto, salami, and mortadella.

Cheese Board Hacks:

• Michelleshowed how to make cheese shards with your cheese knife. These are quick and easy to make and are rustic-looking, giving your board more interesting textures.
• If you don’t have a large wooden board, use a couple layers of brown butcher paper.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse “Shots” with Aquafaba:

This is an eggless chocolate mousse made fluffy with aquafaba.

You will not believe your eyes as you watch aquafaba, the cooking liquid from chickpeas, whip up into a light, puffy cloud, taking the place of eggs in this mousse. When you are craving a deep, dark chocolaty taste that you can lick off a spoon, this dessert is it!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (175 g) dark or semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar
• 2 tablespoons (26 g) sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons milk
• ½ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup (120 ml) aquafaba (the liquid from 1 can no-salt-added chickpeas), at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• Toasted slivered almonds, for garnishing
• Seasonal fruit like pomegranate arils, clementines, or raspberries, for garnishing

Directions:

• First, melt the chocolate. For this, you have two different options:

• The “easy” way: Microwave the chocolate in a microwavable bowl for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for 15 seconds and stir many times until smooth.

• The purist way: Heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Place the chocolate in a glass or metal bowl and place on top of the saucepan. Stir occasionally and reduce the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Heat and stir until smooth.

• To the melted chocolate, stir in 1 tablespoon (13 g) of the sugar, milk, almond extract, and salt. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

• In a separate bowl, whip the aquafaba in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or use a handheld mixer. Beat on high speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar and mix until the aquafaba becomes fluffy. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar and beat until it reaches stiff peaks.

• Fold one-fourth of the aquafaba into the chocolate until incorporated. Then fold in another big dollop. Continue a couple more times until all of the aquafaba is used up. Do not overmix or the mousse will lose its airiness. Portion into four to eight serving dishes, like ramekins, martini glasses, shot glasses, or small bowls. Cover and chill for a few hours.

• Garnish with the almonds and fruit.

Recipe Note: Portion into ¼ cup (45 g) shot glasses for extra portion control.

By: Michelle Dudash, RDN, from the book Clean Eating Kitchen: The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook: Quick and Easy High-Protein, Low-Sugar, Healthy-Fat Recipes for Lifelong Health

30-Minute Turkey Ramen Made with Thanksgiving Leftovers

Got turkey? Then you have a key ingredient to make Michelle’s Turkey Ramen with your Thanksgiving leftovers. Michelle’s Turkey Ramen is made easily in under 30 minutes. Make this satisfying soup with just 5-6 ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Ramen noodles (4 servings): either the fried kind you grew up on, or even better, now you can easily find traditional [non-fried] ramen noodles in the international food sections at most grocery stores.
• Leftover vegetables (optional, 1-2 cups): Like thinly sliced carrots, celery, onion, scallions, and/or mushrooms. This is a great way to use up some of the leftover crudité tray.
• Leftover cooked turkey (about 1 lb). If the meat is still on the bone, you can add the whole thing, for added flavor. You can slice it before you add it to the soup, for easier eating, if you wish.
• Broth (about 4 cups): Use turkey, chicken, or beef broth. If you have some gravy you won’t use, add that, too.
• 1 Dash Dinners Ramen Spice Kit: contains ginger, kombu, onion, garlic, and dried mushrooms for light, but complex-tasting bowl of ramen.
• Soy Sauce (1/3 cup)
• Eggs (1 per person)

Directions:

• Boil the ramen noodles separately according to the package directions.

• Gently sauté the thinly sliced vegetables in a large pot until tender, about 5 minutes.

• Add the turkey and large bones.

• Cover the vegetables and turkey with broth, plus 2 cups of water or as needed.

• Add the Dash Dinners Ramen Spice Kit and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer, about 10 minutes.

• Drop in the cracked eggs. Cook until the whites are solid and the yolks are runny.

• Place the noodles in serving bowls and ladle in the soup. Carefully top with 1 egg each.

Find Dash Dinners at Joe’s Butcher Shop, Carmel Farmers Market, or online.

For more information visit, dishwithdudash.com.