Small Thanksgiving Menu for 2-4 (with a complete plan!)

1. Pull the stems off the figs and roughly chop them (or finely if you want less chunks). Add to a saucepan along with the sugar, balsamic vinegar, crushed green cardamom, salt and lemon zest and lemon juice (and cut open, scraped out vanilla bean if using). Bring to a boil while constantly stirring and then reduce to a simmer, cover and stir occasionally for about 30-45 minutes or until thickened and jam-like.
2. Test with adding a little jam on a cold plate (put in the freezer before starting making the jam), run the backside of a spoon in the middle, and if the jam doesn't run back, it is thick enough. Gel stage at about 220F (104C). Check regularly until you find the right consistency.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, remove cardamom pods (and vanilla bean if using). Transfer to a clean glass jar, and once it is cool, put the lid on. Store in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks, if you want to store it for longer, freeze it.
4. Perfect on top of crostini* with creamy goat cheese, walnuts and herbs (like chives, basil or thyme).

1. Prepare the butter. Butter needs to be COLD. Cut cold butter into reasonably same sized cubes and place on a plate. Leave in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.
2. In a food processor, add flour, salt and partially frozen butter cubes. Pulse on 1 second increments for about 10-15 seconds, or until it resembles crumbles with some walnut halves sized pieces of butter.
3. Add ice cubes to a cup of cold water. Pour 1 tablespoon of the cold water into the food processor at the time. Pulse for 1 second, before adding in another tbsp. Add about 8-10 tablespoon in total, pulsing in between each tbsp. I use 9 in this recipe. It should come together when you press it, but otherwise look crumbled. The less water, the better!
4. Pour this mixture on to a floured work surface. Working quickly and as little as possible, shape it into a large ball with your fingertips. Slice it in half and press into two flat discs. Wrap in cling foil and keep in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 4 days (can also be freezed).
5. Prepare bottom crust: On a floured work surface, place one disc (keep the other in the fridge). Start rolling carefully, with a floured rolling pin. Roll until it's 13.5 inches (34cm) round.
6. Carefully transfer to your pie pan, lift the edges and press lightly to fit the 'corners'. To make a round zig-zag shape on the edges, take your index knuckle on one side and press the dough into the crease between two knuckles on the other side. This can also be done after latticing to better blend the sides and the top.
7. Prick the bottom with a fork to let out steam so it will be nice and flat once baked. Place in the freezer while you roll the second disc and pre-heating the oven.

With filling

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F (170C) and roll the second disc to about 30-35cm. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 1 inch strips (if using lattice pattern).
2. Add your desired and prepared filling and top with the top crust. I like to use a lattice pattern. Brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar for extra texture and color.
3. To lattice: Take every other strip and line your pie pan vertically with at least 1 inch in between each strip. Turn every other strip backwards so we can top it with the other strips. In the other direction, horizontally, add the other half of the strips. Start with one strip at the top. Take the vertical strips back down, and take the other vertical strips up. Add a new horizontal strip. Keep going until the bottom. You should always take the strips that are under the horizontal strips. That way you get the beautiful every-other-lattice pattern.
4. Bake on the bottom rack for 35-45 minutes. The last 7 minutes or so I change to the middle rack in the oven and increase temperature to 400F (200C) to get that golden brown top.
5. Cool completely in the pan before slicing it. Perfect with a scoop of ice cream.

Without filling (blind baking)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F (190C). Add aluminium foil to the pan and cover with pie weights or dry peas/beans. Bake for 15 minutes.
2. Remove pie weights (and foil) and bake for another 20 minutes or until golden. If the edges brown too quickly, you can cover it with aluminum foil.
3. Cool completely before filling the pie.

1. Add chopped pear, chopped ginger, and water to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add to a saucepan along with vanilla bean paste, allspice, and cardamom pods. Over medium heat, bring it up to a simmer and take it off the heat for at least 10 minutes to infuse.
3. Strain the pear mixture and rinse out the saucepan. Pour the strained pear liquid and the white wine, Cointreau, and honey back into the saucepan. Taste and adjust honey to your own liking.
4. Over low heat, warm up the mulled white wine until you see smoke but it's not yet simmering. Serve right away. I like to garnish each cup with a slice of pear and ginger.

1. Cook the blackberries: In a small pot over medium heat, combine the blackberries with sugar. Stir to combine, but be careful not to mash the berries too much. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Cornstarch slurry: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make cornstarch slurry. Combine the cornstarch with lemon juice, zest, and balsamic vinegar.
3. Combine and cook: Pour the cornstarch slurry into the blackberries and stir to combine. Add the fresh thyme and stir until the sauce has thickened, roughly another 2-3 minutes.
4. Back-of-the-spoon trick: It's thick enough once you dip a spoon into the sauce and drag your finger along the backside of the spoon; If the sauce doesn't move back into the well you made, it is thick enough.
5. Taste and adjust: Before you serve it, taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly. Either by adding more sugar if it's too acidic, or more lemon juice if it's too sweet!
6. Serve: Best served warm, but it can be served cold as with the classic cranberry sauce as well. Serve with your favorite Thanksgiving dishes or any other dish (for tips - see the blog post!).

1. Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
2. Trim and cut green beans into bite-sized pieces. Cook in boiling water until still slightly undercooked, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water (using a slotted spoon) and give it a quick stir. Pour into an 8x8-inch baking dish or something similar. If using asparagus beans: Skip the boiling and add straight to the baking dish.
3. In a large saucepan over high heat, fry bacon until crispy. To fit into the saucepan, I cut each strip in half. Pat dry with a paper towel and set aside. Crumble once cold. Save the bacon fat for the next step.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add butter if needed, otherwise, keep using the bacon fat. We need about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan (although you may need to add more oil later). Add finely chopped yellow onion. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or until fragrant.
5. Add the all-purpose flour and whisk for about 2 minutes or until the mixture is golden brown. While constantly whisking, slowly pour in the white wine, then the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, the broth then finally the milk - each separately (to build flavor).
6. Let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes, until slightly thickened. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Taste and add more salt if needed.
7. Pour the sauce over the green beans and bake, for about 30 minutes. If it starts to brown, cover it with aluminum foil.
8. Add the cooked bacon and crispy, fried onion and bake for 5 more minutes (or until the asparagus or green beans are tender). Let rest for 10 minutes before serving to let the sauce thicken a little.

1. Prepare pie crust: Prepare pie crust steps 1-4 according to its recipe card.
2. Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃).
3. Blind-bake: Then blind-bake the crust for 15 minutes with pie weights or dried peas (cover the crust with aluminum foil).
4. Prepare filling: Mix melted butter with the flour, then add the salt, maple syrup, eggs, and sugar.
5. Add filling to pie: Add roughly chopped pecans to the pie crust, then cover with the filling.
6. Bake: Brush egg wash over the edges of the pie crust - bake for 25-35 (30) minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the filling has thickened.
7. Serve: The pie filling will set as it cools. Slice and serve at room temperature, topped with whipped cream.

1. Wash and scrub the outside of a sweet potato. Dry it well and cut in half lengthwise.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 ℉ (225 ℃) and prepare a baking sheet or baking pan with parchment paper. Place the sweet potato halves on the baking sheet, brush with melted butter on all sides (optional, if you don't want to eat the skin, feel free to just do it on the cut side).
3. Sprinkle with salt and place cut side down. Bake until the potato is fork tender. This will depend on the size of your sweet potato, mine took roughly 40-45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, roast some chopped walnuts or pecans in a dry skillet. Stir until it smells nutty, roughly 5 minutes. Set aside.
5. Take them out and fluff the insides with a fork. Combine the fluffed sweet potato with tangerine zest and juice, and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Place them back on the sheet pan but with the cut side up, bake for another 3-5 minutes or until the sugar has caramelized.
6. Take the sweet potato out, switch the oven settings to broil mode and top the sweet potatoes with as much marshmallows as you want. Put the sweet potato boats back into the oven, to the upper rack and keep an eye on it at all times. Take it out when the marshmallows are roasted.
7. Sprinkle with walnuts and fresh thyme and serve with your favorite dishes!

Orange Pepper

1. Zest the oranges. Whisk together with crushed peppercorns and place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let it dry out in the oven on 120 fahrenheit (50 celcius) for about an hour or until completely dry. Once dry, add to a spice grinder and blitz until fine. Mix in salt if desired*.

Whole Roasted Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 325 fahrenheit (163 celcius). Place the chicken on a baking tray, remove any excess fat and feathers (and the neck from the cavity if it's there). Pat dry with a paper towel.
2. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, olive oil, white white and the juice of half an orange. Pour the mixture over the chicken, inside the cavity, and in under the skin. Separate the skin from the meat by running your hand underneath the skin.
3. Sprinkle generously with orange pepper*, garlic and herbs on both sides of the chicken, rub it well.
4. In the cavity, add the juiced orange halve, the two halves of the garlic head and 3 fresh thyme sprigs. Tie the legs together with a kitchen string.
5. Make sure the breast side is up, roast for 1 hour 30 minutes on the middle rack. After 45 minutes, baste the chicken with the juices from the tray (i.e., pour the juices back on top of the chicken). Continue cooking until the juices run clear (about 1 hour 30 minutes total, but this will depend on the size of your chicken). This is also when the chicken is 165 fahrenheit (74 celcius) in the thickest part of the thigh.
6. Baste again and put the broiler on and broil for another 3-5 minutes, or until skin is golden.
7. Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving.**
8. Serve with the juices from the baking tray, orange wedges and the sides you prefer. I love to serve it with roasted fingerling potatoes and this butternut squash kale salad - perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving!

1. Prepare brussels sprouts by cutting off the edges and discard any yellow or dark leaves. Keep the good leaves that fall off, they will become like chips!
2. Make sure your cast iron skillet is hot before adding in the oil (2 minutes on medium high heat), then add the oil and the butter and let heat for 30 seconds before adding the brussels sprouts.
3. Add the brussels sprouts with the cut side down, work in batches if your skillet ends up being overcrowded. Fry untouched for 5 minutes.
4. Turn the brussels sprouts and add in the mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Turn occasionally for another 5 minutes or until tender on the inside. Stir in the vinegar at the end.
5. In a small non-stick pan, roast the chopped walnuts until they smell nutty and have gotten some color. Sprinkle on top of the brussels sprouts along with herbs if using and serve right away.