What Foods Are On Our Rocksgiving Table?

With Thanksgiving and the holidays right around the corner, we wanted to share a few of our favorite dishes to pass around the table with friends, family and fellow team members.

And, with a pot diverse like ours at Rocket Loans, we're excited to share some easy traditional (and non-traditional) recipes meant to "wow" your guests at any Thanksgiving or festive feast.

Team member: Margaret

Thanksgiving recipe: Dear Abby’s Pecan Pie

Behind the dish:

“This particular pecan pie reminds me of my late stepdad, Art. Art loved my pecan pie and would always ask if he could have a slice of the pie before dinner. Still makes me smile when I think of that.”

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked pie crust
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs slightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter melted
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup Pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix first six ingredients together, and top with nuts.
3. Bake 45 to 50 minutes.
4. Take out of oven when the toothpick comes out clean.
5. Top and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Team member: Pinank

Thanksgiving (Diwali) recipe: Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

Behind the dish:

“We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in India, so this dish is a festive dessert to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights. Diwali is a time in India where we reflect on life and make changes for the upcoming year. A lot of people in Northern India who participate in Diwali make this dish. My personal touch to the recipe is adding rose petals!”

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp. jasmine rice
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ¹⁄₂ lightly crushed saffron
• ¹⁄₂ ground cardamom
• 6 cups milk
• 3 oz. jaggary or 6 tbsp. light brown sugar
• ¹⁄₄cup slivered almonds, toasted
• ¹⁄₄cup thinly sliced pistachios
• Yield, serves 4-6

Instructions

1. Place rice in a fine strainer, and rinse under running water until water runs clear; drain thoroughly.
2. Heat butter in a 10" skillet over medium heat; add rice, saffron, and cardamom, and cook, stirring until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
3. Add milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until milk is reduced by half and rice is tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
4. Add jaggary, almonds, and half the pistachios, and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with remaining pistachios before serving.

Team member: Gerald

Thanksgiving recipe: Crawfish (or Shrimp) Étouffée

Behind the dish:

“As a man from the south, originally New Orleans, I always enjoy sharing a personal favorite and classic Cajun dish!”

Ingredients

• crawfish tails (or substitute 1lb. peeled, deveined shrimp)
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
• ½ cup celery, finely chopped
• 3-5 toes of garlic, minced
• 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs flour
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• ¼ tsp powdered thyme*
• ½ tsp basil*
• ½ tsp Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning Blend*
• ½ tsp Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning*
• 1 cup chicken stock*
• 1 slight pinch of powdered clove*
• ¼ tsp chili powder*
• 1 tsp lemon juice*
• ½ cup green onions, minced
• 2 Tbs parsley, minced
• Uncle Ben’s White Rice

Instructions

1. Melt butter in heavy skillet over low heat.
2. Add and sauté the onions, celery, garlic, and bell pepper for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are very soft.
3. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring for another 5 minutes.
4. Add crawfish tails (or shrimp), tomato paste, and everything else (*) except the green onions and parsley.
5. Cover skillet and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt, pepper, and/or cayenne pepper.
7. Stir in green onions and parsley and allow to stand for 10 minutes covered before serving.
8. Serve over Uncle Ben’s White Rice. Makes about 8 servings.

Team member: Norbert

Thanksgiving recipe: One Bowl Beer Bread

Behind the dish:

“People tend to focus on bringing deserts or savory dishes to Thanksgiving, forgetting simple items like bread and classic crowd pleasers. I always receive compliments with this easy recipe and notice that it is always eaten by the end of the night.”

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle lager beer
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely diced (optional)
• 3 tablespoons sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
3. Spray with nonstick spray.
4. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
5. Add beer, honey, and oil; stir until fully combined.
6. Stir in the jalapeño and cheddar, if using.
7. Pour batter into loaf pan.
8. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center, 50 to 60 minutes.
9. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes.
10. Slice and serve warm.

Team member: Katie

Thanksgiving recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Behind the dish:

“I love cupcakes! What I especially like about this recipe is making the cupcakes from scratch. Baking is very therapeutic for me and helps me to relax by simply focusing on the dessert I am making. I think by making cupcakes you're able to share them with more people than, say, a pumpkin pie would.”

Ingredients

For pumpkin spice cupcakes

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree

For cinnamon cream cheese frosting

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
2. Beat 1/2 cup of butter, the white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
4. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and 1/4 butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; beat until fluffy. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with the cream cheese icing.