Coastal and fall themes blend for a perfect Thanksgiving feast

We asked island resident and “Easy Breezy Coastal Cooking” author Martha Justice to set the scene and provide recipes for holiday entertaining by the sea. Justice obliged, bringing together easy coastal and holiday recipes — some from her popular cookbook — while blending the colors of the sea and fall for a beautiful setting.

---

Chilled Crab Appetizer

Servings: 12

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shelled

1 10-ounce package of frozen peas

1 cup cooked white rice (use boil in bag)

1⁄4 cup chopped green onion

3 stalks celery, diced

1⁄2 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt to taste

Wheat Thins

Garnishes: cherry tomatoes
and parsley

DIRECTIONS

Thaw peas. Mix all ingredients and chill overnight.

Serve in individual sea shell ramekins or in shooter glasses with mini forks tucked in, along with Wheat Thins. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and sprigs of parsley.

---

Cranberry-Orange Glazed Turkey Breast

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cranberry juice

1⁄2 cup orange marmalade

2 tablespoons honey

1⁄3 cup real butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 6- or 7-pound whole turkey breast on the bone, thawed in refrigerator

1 onion, thickly sliced

1 large orange, thickly sliced

Freshly ground pepper

Garnishes: fresh cranberries, orange wedges, kale leaves or parsley

DIRECTIONS

Make glaze ahead and save. Heat cranberry juice and cook down to half for 10 minutes. Stir in butter, marmalade, honey and salt and cook 2 minutes. Save for basting turkey.

Line baking pan with a rack. Cover rack with sliced oranges and sliced onion. Pat turkey breast dry and rub with olive oil.

Place turkey breast side up on orange and onion slices. Cover with a tent of foil and bake at 325 F for one hour.

Uncover, brush with glaze and cook another hour and 45 minutes or more — depending upon size of turkey — brushing with glaze every 30 minutes until done. It’s always best to follow the time listed on your turkey package or until temperature reaches 165 F on a meat thermometer. If turkey begins over browning, cover again with foil the last hour or so of cooking.

Remove turkey from oven, place on cutting board, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and let stand 15 minutes. Slice when ready to serve.

Carefully remove onions and oranges from bottom of baking pan and place on serving dish. Cover with sliced turkey and garnish with fresh orange wedges, kale leaves or parsley and sprinkle around the edge of dish with fresh cranberries.

---

Herbed Oyster Dressing

Servings: 10 or 12

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons butter

4 cups Herb Seasoned Pepperidge Farm dressing mix

4 cups Cornbread Classic Pepperidge Farm dressing mix

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

1 cup sliced mushrooms

8 ounces whole oysters, drained and cut in half

2 cups chicken broth

1 small package McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix

DIRECTIONS

Heat butter over medium high heat. Add onion, celery and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes. Stir in oysters and sauté 2 minutes.

Add gravy mix to chicken broth and stir until dissolved. Add to vegetable mixture with oysters and bring to a boil for a few minutes. In a large bowl, stir together the two dressing mixes, then gently fold everything together. (For a more moist dressing, add more chicken broth to reach desired consistency.) Spoon into greased 2-quart baking dish.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

To make dressing a day ahead, prepare mixture, cover and refrigerate overnight, then cook 40 minutes. For a crispy top, remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes.

---

Sweet Potato Boats

Servings: 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

4 sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon butter, softened

2 or 3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 8-ounce can crushed
pineapple, drained

Dust of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Wash and clean sweet potatoes. Do not peel. Prick with knife and cook all four together in microwave for 15 minutes.

Cool, cut in half and then carefully scoop out sweet potato, leaving about 1⁄4 inch inside all around. With electric mixer, beat sweet potato, butter and brown sugar. Fold in crushed pineapple and mound filling into 6 or 8 shells.

Make ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Sprinkle with more brown sugar and dust with cinnamon. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked through.

---

Holiday Apple Orchard Salad

Servings: About 12

INGREDIENTS

16-ounce package of any mixed salad greens, such as spring mix

14-ounce package of mixed green and red sliced apples

1 cup walnut halves and pieces

12-ounce package crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Dressing

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons celery seeds

3⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Place vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey and celery seeds in a mixing bowl. Gradually add olive oil, while continually whisking mixture. Add salt to taste. Chill.

When ready to serve, sprinkle apples with lemon juice. Place walnuts, apples and cheese together and coat lightly with the dressing mixture. In a separate bowl, lightly coat the greens with dressing. Layer greens at the bottom of a large shallow salad dish and top with apple walnut cheese mixture.

For a deep salad dish, layer the greens and then the fruit mixture several times topping with the fruit, cheese and walnut mixture.

---

Easy Cheese Bread

Yields: One loaf

INGREDIENTS

2 1⁄2 cups Bisquick Baking Mix

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 beaten egg

1 cup milk

Oil for greasing baking dish

DIRECTIONS

Combine Bisquick, seasonings and cheese. Beat egg and milk together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix 1 minute with a fork by hand.

Turn into a very well greased 81⁄2-by-41⁄2-by-21⁄2 loaf pan. Bake at 325 F for 40 or 50 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Cool about 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and carefully remove from baking pan. Slice when ready to serve.

---

Iced Tea Punch

Yields: About 1 gallon

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon strong tea using
family-size iced tea bags according to directions on package

6 ounces pineapple juice

1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade

1⁄2 cup sugar

Dash of mint

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in oversized gallon container, including mint, and chill overnight. Remove mint.

Before serving, add ice and float sliced lemons on the tea punch. Serve in tea glasses or punch cups topped with fresh mint leaves.

---

Individual Cherry Cheesecakes

Servings: 9 to 10

INGREDIENTS

2 packages of 6 Keebler Ready Crust Graham mini pie crusts

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature

3⁄4 cups sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon finely grated
lemon peel

1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling

DIRECTIONS

Line 9 or 10 mini graham pie shells on baking sheet.

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla and lemon peel until smooth. Mound a heaping 1⁄4 cup mixture into each pie shell. Bake at 375 F for 15 to 20 minutes until set. Filling will puff and then indent when removed from oven.

Refrigerate overnight or freeze and then thaw when ready to serve. Spoon cherry pie filling in center of each cheesecake. Chill until ready to serve.

---

Turkey Cookie Favors

INGREDIENTS

White and chocolate
Duplex Sandwich cookies
with scalloped edge

Chocolate-covered cherries or any chocolate bonbons.

Candy corn

Multicolored Skittles

1 can of chocolate frosting

DIRECTIONS

With frosting, attach chocolate-covered cherries in the middle of white side on cookie. Prop up another cookie with chocolate side showing and attach to back of chocolate-covered cherries with more frosting. Let stand until icing is set. Then, using more dabs of frosting, attach candy corn for beak and Skittles for feet. Place on a fun plate and serve when icing is firm.

---

No Bake Pumpkin Cream Pies

Servings: 9 to 10

INGREDIENTS

2 packages of 6 Keebler Ready Crust Graham mini pie crusts

12 ginger snap cookies

1 16-ounce can pumpkin

1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened to room temperature

5 tablespoons unsalted real butter softened to room temperature

11⁄3 cups confectioners sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon vanilla

Extra creamy whipped topping

DIRECTIONS

With electric mixer, mix cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and spices just until creamy. On low speed, fold in pumpkin.

Crumble ginger snap cookies to make finely crushed crumbs. Sprinkle and spread 1 teaspoon ginger snap crumbs in bottom of each mini graham pie shell. Mound pumpkin mixture into pie shells.

Refrigerate overnight or freeze and thaw when ready to serve. Just before serving, spoon on whipped topping and sprinkles of more ginger snap crumbs.

---

“Easy Breezy Coastal Cooking” cookbooks are available to buy in Galveston at Minuteman Printing, 5302 Ave. S, or online at www.grandcookbook.com. The book also will be for sale during the Galveston Country Club Annual Holiday Bazaar on Nov. 26.