Recipes for Helpers: Let Yourself Be Nourished This Thanksgiving

The energy of this time of year tends to get us all reflecting on our paths

Asking ourselves how the year has gone, reflecting on what we've been through, what we've accomplished, and hopefully what's important. Our team at Profi is right here reflecting with you. And we're both proud and grateful to say we've spent our year helping the helpers: those of you who make it your business to make a difference in this world. We are honored to be listening to your feedback, understanding your unique needs as professional coaches, consultants, therapists and trainers, and building a platform to help you impact more people than ever before. To all those profis (professional service providers) who make this world better one human heart-to-human heart connection at a time... this message and these recipes are for you. Thank you.

A few Thanksgiving Recipes from the Profi Team

Our Profi team wanted to share a few nourishing recipes with our fellow professionals that we hope may grace your tables this year. Here you'll find recipes from the Far East all the way out West. We'd love to know if you try any of these recipes. So, don't hesitate to reach out to us and share. Enjoy!

Aperitif

Mimimineral water

‍From Profi Team member: Andrey Shulzhenko

Location: Moscow, Russia

Why I love making it: This is not my recipe, but I must share it. I have a favorite bar in Moscow. The bar menu contains a drink that cannot be forgotten by any of those who try it. This recipe teaches us wisdom: don't trust the name, read the composition.

‍Ingredients: 

• vodka
• gin
• tequila
• rum
• Bols Triple Sec
• sparkling white wine
• lime syrup
• lemon slice

Instructions:

• Ice your preferred glass.
• Add lime syrup to taste.
• Follow with each of the alcohols, to preference
• Add Bols Triple Sec.
• Mix in sparkling white wine, to taste.
• Finish with a lemon slice.

Main Courses

Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole

From Profi Team member: Jessica Solis

Location: Queen Creek, Arizona

Why I love making it: This has been a staple in my household for every Thanksgiving dinner for years! It’s probably my favorite because of all the butter and sugar, but it reminds me of home and sharing wine, stories and a lot of laughter with my friends and family.  

Ingredients: 

• 2 ½ pounds of sweet potatoes - cooked, peeled and mashed
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).
• Spray a 9 x 13” baking dish with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, butter, white and brown sugars, eggs, milk, and cinnamon.
• Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle the mini marshmallows evenly over the top in a single layer.
• Bake for ~30 minutes or just until the marshmallows are golden brown.
• Serve warm and enjoy!

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Momma Elder's Holiday Stuffing

‍From Profi Team member: Carolyn Elder

Location: Southwest Missouri

Why I love making it: My Momma is no longer with us, but as a little girl this was the one recipe we would always make together for Thanksgiving. I remember breaking up the bits of bread over a huge green bowl at the table with my sisters while Mom melted butter, measured milk and mixed the herbs and spices. This dish is the highlight of our family's year, every year. My tastes have grown up, so the ingredients have matured along with me over the years. But there's absolutely nothing like hand-made stuffing with hand-picked, dried and ground herbs (the medicines of the season) to fill your tummy and nourish your soul.

Stuffing Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup butter softened/liquified in a warm oven
• 10 slices of bread torn up into small bits*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning**
• 1/2 cup onions
• 1 cup celery
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk

**Poultry Seasoning Ingredients:

It's worth it to make your own poultry seasoning from fresh, dried herbs. It's the most important part aside from the bread as these herbs of the season are medicines.

Makes about a 1/2 cup of poultry seasoning.

Note: for this recipe I cut everything below into 1/3 so I don't make such a large quantity.

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped thyme
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped sage
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped marjoram
• ½ tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Optional secret ingredient: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Fenugreek leaves (to taste)

Stuffing Instructions:

• Mom always used white Wonder bread when we were kids, but I find that choosing a nice French bread, old world sourdough French, Jewish challah roll or Pan Au Lait roll is best. You can also mix two types of bread together for interest.
• It's important the bread be stale (dried out at least a day) before using it.
• If you forgot to break up the bread into small bits and leave out to dry on trays overnight about 24-48 hrs, then you can break the bread up into small bits and place in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until it just starts to brown and is dry throughout.
• Whisk wet ingredients together in large bowl (butter, egg, milk) and then whisk in spice mix (Note: I use more spice mix than is called for... 1-1.5x more as I like more flavor).
• Mix dry ingredients (onion, celery, stale/dry bread bits) together in a larger bowl and then slowly pour over and saturate with whisked wet ingredients until the bread is a bit soggy again and all liquid is soaked up.
• Bake in glass casserole dish for 30 minutes - 1 hour at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).
• Cover with tin foil if needed to raise the temp for cooking faster.
• Bake until butter melts off/bubbles and top is golden brown and crisp and the center is warm and a bit moist.
  

Poultry Seasoning Instructions:

Note: I use 1-1.5x more spice mix than this recipe calls for as I like flavor, but this is to your own taste and discretion.

• Grind together all spices in a pestle and mortar, making sure to fully grind peppercorns and nutmeg. 
  

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Boozy Potatoes

From Profi Team member: Dave Ibis

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Why I love making it: This recipe has bourbon in it... I love cooking with alcohol!

Ingredients: 

• 8 large sweet taters peeled and cut into eighths
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoon orange zest (this is a pain in the ass)
• 2 vanilla beans (split lengthwise)
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup bourbon (wild turkey is always good!)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick of butter

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit).
• Combine taters, sugar, water, juice, vanilla beans, orange zest, cinnamon and salt in a large pot.
• Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce heat/cover and continue to simmer.
• Once tender, remove potatoes from sauce and place them in a casserole dish. SAVE THE SAUCE in the pot!
• Pour ¾ cup of bourbon, drink ¼ of the cup and pour the rest into the sauce pot.
• Cook sauce over low heat until it thickens (should be like syrup).
• Pour syrup/sauce over the potatoes and place in oven.
• Bake 10-15 minutes until potatoes are brown.
• Remove from oven and cut up butter on top of potatoes.
• Take one final shot of bourbon and serve!

‍

Boozy Cranberries

‍From Profi Team member: Dave Ibis

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Why I love making it: Did I mention I love cooking with alcohol?!

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups of cranberries
• ½ cup of cognac
• 1 cup of light brown sugar
• ¼ cup of OJ
• Spices: 3 allspice berries, 2 cloves, 4 peppercorns, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 cinnamon stick.  Or you can just get pre-made mulling spices.

Instructions:

• Place spices in a cheesecloth or spice ball.
• Mix everything in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until syrup-like.
• Let sit overnight and serve cold.

Dessert

Name: Kelsea Gaspari

Location: Los Angeles, California

Recipe: White Chocolate Oreo Cookies

Why I love making it: I absolutely love cooking and baking for family and friends! Every year during the holidays (between Thanksgiving and Christmas), I make a box of cookies for my friends and family. I love being able to share something that I love to do with them. And seeing how much they enjoy my cookies really brings a smile to my face.