Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Drunken Turkey and Gravy

Drunken Turkey
  • Ingredients:

  • 1 (12 pound) turkey, neck and giblets removed
  • 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 1.5 - 2 apples cored and halved 
  • 1/8 cup white onion, sliced in large rings
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder with parsley
  • 1 tablespoon salt 
  • 1 tablespoon pepper
  • 1 bottle champagne 
  • 1/3 cup Wondra flour + more for gravy (Gravy recipe below)
Equipment:
  • Turkey roasting bags
  • Roasting pan
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse turkey (not with soap) and pat dry.  Gently loosen turkey breast skin and insert butter under skin.  Place apples and onion in turkey cavity.  
Sprinkle turkey with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  If needed use turkey pins to close cavity and attach wings to bird.
Add 1/3 cup Wondra flour to turkey bag.  Place bird in turkey bag and pour champagne in the turkey cavity and over the bird.  Seal the turkey bag and place on rack in baking dish.  
Cook for 3 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees.  
Once cooked, remove turkey from bag and let stand 20 minutes before serving.  
Make sure to rreserve turkey drippings in bag for gravy.


Drunken Gravy
Ingredients
  • Dripping from turkey
  • Wondra flour 

Recipe: Pour turkey drippings in a deep pan over medium-high heat.  Note: An easy way to extract liquid from turkey is to poke holes in the bottom of the turkey bag. Allow liquid to drain over deep pan. Turkey can continue to rest until ready to serve.   
Lightly sprinkle 2 tablespoons Wondra flour into pan.  Mix thoroughly until the flour dissolves making sure to break up any clumps that form.  
Continue cooking and stirring mixture gradually sprinkling small amounts of Wondra until the mixture thickens.  Once desired consistency add salt and pepper to taste.
Immediately serve gravy.


These two recipes complete my 2011 Thanksgiving Meal.  

Friday, November 25, 2011

Candied Pistachio and Bourbon Cream Topping for Pumpkin Pie

I'm not a whiskey girl, but I love how a little vanilla, spice, and cream can make Bourbon so classy and indulgent.  This topping with give you a pleasant warmness without growing an hair on your chest.

Ingredients:
  • 1 Pumpkin Pie 
  • 3/4 cup pistachios, shelled
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) Mascarpone cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon bourbon
  • 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Dissolve sugar, maple syrup, and water in small saucepan over medium heat mixing often.  Once sugar is dissolved, remove pan from heat, and mix in pistachios.  Using a slotted spoon drain excess syrup from pistachios and spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake pistachios for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let pistachios cool.  
Meanwhile thourougly mix Mascarpone cheese, bourbon, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl.  Serve pumpkin pie slices with a dollop of the bourbon cream and a sprinkle of candied pistachios.  

Thanksgiving 2011 - A sneak peak

Featuring:

Drunken Turkey and Gravy
Easy Cornbread Stuffing
Healthier Mashed Potatoes
Mom's Delicious Cranberry Sauce
Harvest Fruit Salad
Steamed green beans
Wine of your choosing
Easy Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pistachios and Bourbon Cream


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Easy Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients
  • 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
  • 4 stocks celery, finely chopped
  • 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 apple, finely chopped, core removed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
  • 1 2/3 chicken stock, lower sodium
  • 1 box cornbread stuffing mix
Directions: Melt butter and olive oil in large saute pan.  Saute onions, celery, parsley, and apple over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until onions are golden brown.  
Mix in salt and pepper.  Add 1 2/3 cup chicken stock and bring to boil.  Once boiling add cornbread stuffing mix.  Stir thoroughly, remove from heat, and cover allowing stuffing to sit for 5 minutes.  
Fluff stuffing with fork and transfer to a greased baking dish.  
Cover with foil and place in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes if needed to keep stuffing warm. 

Healthier Mashed Potatoes

I leave the skin on my mashed potatoes since it adds fiber and a nice earthy taste.  These potatoes have far less fat and calories than most recipes so feel free to have seconds.  Top these taters with drunken gravy.

Ingredients:
  • 8 large Yukon Gold potatoes, with skin, cut in similar size cubes 
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup fat free half-n-half
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper
Directions: Over high heat bring a salted pot of water to a boil.  Carefully add in potatoes.  Once potatoes come to a boil cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Drain potatoes in a large colander and return to pot.
Smash potatoes with a fork, masher, hand, etc.  Add butter, half-n-half, and chicken stock to pan.
Mix until ingredients are absorbed and potatoes are fluffy.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with drunken gravy.  

Harvest Fruit Salad

This salad was inspired by the best salad in the world, Cosi's Signature Salad.


Ingredients:
2 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in half
1 Bosc pair, cut in small chunks
3 Tablespoons blue cheese
1/4 cranberry walnut salad topping (found near croutons)
Sherry salad vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Sherry salad dressing:
  • 1/3 cup Sherry
  • 1 tsp chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To make dressing mix first 5 ingredients in a glass jar.  Add olive oil.  Shake vigorously before dressing salad.
Directions for Harvest Fruit Salad: Use enough dressing to lightly coat lettuce leaves.  Add grapes, pears, blue cheese, and cranberry walnut mix.
Gently toss.  Salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate left over sherry vinaigrette.  

Recipe serves 4-6 people.  

Easy Pumpkin Pie

This recipe makes two pies.  One pie for me, and another to share with the family.  

Feel free to use homemade pie crust or prepared frozen shells in this recipe.  If you can find French Picnic pastry circles, however, I highly recommend that product.  The dough is decadent, rich, and tastes homemade, without the hassle of making your own dough.  French Picnic pastry circles, if available, can be found in the frozen foods section.  

Ingredients (for 2 pies):
  • 1 (30 ounce) can pure pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 (14 ounce) cans fat free sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pre-made pie crusts
Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Prep pie crusts accordingly. 
Note: I thaw the frozen French Picnic pastry circles for 10 minutes and then mold the dough into pie pans.  This step does not have to be perfect people.  

Mix pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and spices in a large bowl.  Pour pumpkin mixture evenly into each prepared pie crust.  
Bake the pies at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook an additional 40 minutes.  When the pie is done a knife inserted 1 inch from crust should come out clean.  Allow pies to cool before garnishing.  
I make these pies the night before serving allowing adequate time for pies to set.  I love sweetened and condensed milk alone, but it really adds to this recipe.  The pie is subtly sweet with a nice hint of spice and not too dense.  Combined with the French Circle pastry and you have a perfect buttery, light crust.  It's a winner all around.  
Whip cream makes an easy topping, but for something a little more special stay tuned for my easy glazed pistachio and bourbon cream topping.  

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Mom's Delicious Cranberry Sauce

I apparently took a temporary hiatus from blogging, but I'm back in time for Thanksgiving.  To save time and frustration make some dishes ahead, like my mom's amazing and delicious cranberry sauce.  


Ingredients:
  • 12-ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 cup organic raw cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (squeezed from about 2 oranges) 
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 cup water
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Once boiling, reduce heat, and simmer for 12 minutes stirring occasionally.  Mixture will become thickened.  Cool completely and remove cinnamon stick.  Serve or refrigerate up to two days.  

Verdict: This cranberry sauce is a perfect mix of sweet and tart, with nice warm undertones.  For cranberry sauce phobics a bite of this fragrant sauce and they will become cranberry loving converts.  Don't thank me for bringing people to the cranberry bandwagon, thank my mom.