A roast beef dinner is a perfect foil to turkey for Thanksgiving

The holidays are nearly upon us, and I couldn't be happier. I have a couple of secrets, though. I've not told anyone this out loud, but I love the Hallmark Christmas movies! My second secret is that I can take it or leave it if a turkey is on the Thanksgiving table.

I may get a bit of backlash over the second statement, but I am quite comfortable serving beef at my Thanksgiving dinner.

While hopefully, more and more families can spend time together this holiday season versus last year, I made this menu for four people. The Brussels sprouts dish was a happy accident, as I was trying to re-create a dish that I recently had at a restaurant called Beverly's in Idaho. Their dish was Brussels sprouts with crispy pork belly and an apple cider gastrique. It was nearly perfect for me, except it was a tad on the sweet side for my taste. I am happy to report that my copycat recipe is delicious and may be a new way to serve up Brussels sprouts to your family.

However you spend this holiday season, I hope you have food on your table and friends and family enjoy it. That's really all you need to be happy in life in my book. Enjoy these recipes!

• My Bizzy Kitchen runs once a month in Food. Follow Biz Velatini on her blog at mybizzykitchen.com/, on Instagram at instagram.com/mybizzykitchen/?hl=en and Facebook at facebook.com/mybizzykitchen.

Glazed Carrots with Hot Honey Drizzle

My rule of thumb is one pound of carrots per four people.

1 pound carrots, peeled

Avocado oil spray

Salt and pepper

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon honey to drizzle before serving (I use Mike's Hot Honey)

Chopped cilantro for garnish (or herb of choice - parsley would be good)

Heat oven to 400. Spray the carrots with avocado oil spray and sprinkle with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the carrots and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your carrots. They should be fork tender.

Cool until ready to serve. If needed, reheat in the microwave or oven at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Once heated through, drizzle the hot honey over carrots and garnish with the chopped herb of choice.

Serves 4

Biz Velatini

Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta and Apple Cider Gastrique

I know this recipe sounds fancy, but it is straightforward. The gastrique can be made ahead of time, too - even a day or two before.

For the gastrique:

¼ cup light apple juice

¼ cup sugar-free pancake syrup

½ cup apple cider vinegar

5 peppercorns

3 cloves garlic, sliced in half

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Mix all of the above together and place in a shallow skillet or small pan. Simmer over medium heat until it starts to thicken slightly, about 10 minutes. Strain and drizzle some or all the gastrique over the cooked Brussels sprouts.

For the Brussels sprouts:

1 pound Brussels sprouts, stems removed and sliced in half

1 tablespoon avocado oil (or grapeseed oil)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ pound pancetta, diced

2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

¼ cup fried shallots (you could also use French fried onions)

Heat oven to 400 degrees with an empty baking sheet. The Brussels sprouts will start to cook when they hit the hot pan.

Toss the sliced sprouts with avocado oil, salt and pepper and cook, cut side down for 15-18 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.

While the sprouts cook, cook the diced pancetta on low heat on the stove for 20 minutes, or until crispy. Drain on a paper towel.

Once the Brussels sprouts finish cooking, spread the crispy pancetta over the pan, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and fried shallots and drizzle the gastrique over the top.

Serves 4

Biz Velatini

Delicata Squash Twice Baked Potatoes

I love delicata squash and will buy a dozen this time of year because they have a two-to-three-month shelf life. The skin is usually edible, but I just scoop out the flesh and mix it with the potato in this recipe. The result is a slightly sweet taste to the twice-baked potato, which perfectly matches the sharp provolone and cheddar cheese.

2 large baked potatoes

1 teaspoon avocado oil

1 delicata squash

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon butter, softened

½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

3 ounces cheese of choice (I used 2 ounces sharp provolone to 1 ounce sharp cheddar)

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the whole potatoes in avocado oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 60 minutes. After 30 minutes, add the delicata squash to the oven, whole and bake for 30 minutes. Both should be fork tender. Let cool slightly.

Slice the cooked potatoes in half. Slice the delicata squash in half and remove the seeds. Remove most of the potato (saving the potato skin) and the delicata squash and add to a bowl. Add the almond milk, butter, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and mix until desired consistency.

Stuff the potato shells with that mixture, top with cheese and broil until the cheese is melty, about 3-5 minutes. Garnish with paprika and cilantro.

Serves 4

Biz Velatini

Perfect Sirloin Tip Roast

I love serving sirloin tip roasts, not only because it's more economical than a beef tenderloin, but when cooked correctly, can taste almost as good as the $20-per-pound beef.

The trick to cooking beef is cooking to temperature, not time. For me, I like a medium-rare roast, so I pulled this roast at 120 degrees. The residual cooking, meaning that the beef continues to cook while it rests, will bring it up to a perfect medium-rare - between 125 and 135 degrees internal.

4-pound sirloin tip roast

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup beef broth

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the beef roast and sear on all sides, approximately 5 minutes a side. Remove from pan. Mix the avocado oil, Italian seasoning, rosemary and garlic powder and rub over the top of the roast.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400. Reduce the heat to 300 and cook for approximately another hour, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees.

Important: Let the roast rest for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing.

While the roast is resting out of the pan, make the pan gravy.

Add butter to the roasting pan over medium heat and when melted, stir in the flour for one minute to cook the flour. Slowly add the beef broth into the roux, scraping up any bits of roast on the bottom of the pan. This will be more of an au jus than a thick gravy. Serve over beef when plating.

Serves 4

Biz Velatini