Pozole Verde Guerrerense

Shell recently returned from a humanitarian trip to a tiny village in Mexico. I told her the food would be great! Here's a recipe she found that I've translated for her--I can't wait to see how it turns out, Shell! Follow the link below for the original recipe in Spanish.


Pozole Verde Guerrerense
(Green Pozole from Guerrero--this is the traditional recipe from the Mexican State of Guerrero, and is "officially" consumed on Thursdays.)

½ kilogram of Hog's Head
½ kilogram of pork backbone
500 Grams Green Tomato
1 kilogram of hominy
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
100 grams Pork meat (possibly ground)
1 bunch radishes
3 bay leaves
1 Lettuce
2 Poblano Chiles
Salt, oregano and lemon to taste

Pozole: A Mexican dish that dates back to prehispanic times. Pozole in Nahuatl means foam, by the appearance of Cracked grains in stock. Originally white and pork, but now is made with beef or chicken, among other ingredients.


1 Place the hominy (corn) in a pan with enough water, add bay leaf, garlic, onion and salt to taste after the first boil. *(does this mean you boil the hominy separately first? I don't know) Let cook for 3 to 4 hours.

2 Prepare a sauce with tomatoes and peppers and pour into the pot with the corn. It is important that it's hot.

3 In another pan, cook pork along with the ground, a bit of onion and garlic. Shred the pork and add it to the other cooking pot when the corn pops.

4 Allow to cook a little longer and serve your pozole accompanied by lettuce and finely chopped radishes. Add oregano, salt and lemon to taste.

Steak Marinade

This is a great all-around marinade for any kind of steak you want to throw on the grill! I found it in Big Sky Cooking by Brokaw/Wright. The original recipe calls for Elk steaks... being that that isn't readily available where I am, I settled for a couple thin sirloin steaks.

Here's what you'll need to marinate 6-8 (6-8oz each) steaks.

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tbs honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs fresh ginger root, minced

Juice of 2 limes

• Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive pan, add your steaks.
• Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
• Remove from the refrigerator about 1 hour prior to grilling to bring steaks up to room temperature.
• Grind black pepper generously over each side of the steaks.
• Grill as usual!!!

"3rd Date" Chicken

This is actually a recipe from my husband's stash. He obtained it from his mom or dad (not sure which). He has prepared it, usually on the 3rd date, to impress the ladies (quite successfully or so I've heard). Truth be told, it's super easy to make but tastes so delicious one would think he spent all afternoon making it. He has promised our son that he'll pass the recipe along to him when he's old enough. Being that he's only 4, I'll post it for you all in the meantime.

Tonight I made this along with my sister's recipe for Polenta and a side salad. Yummy!

Here's what you'll need:

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbs dried oregano

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

1/2 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup small green olives

3 bay leaves

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white wine

parsley for garnish

• Combine the chicken, garlic, oregano, salt/pepper, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives & bay leaves in a bowl. Cover, refrigerate and marinate for a few hours or overnight.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Arrange chicken in a single layer in a baking dish (9X11 glass pan works great). Pour marinade over evenly.

• Sprinkle chicken with brown sugar and pour white wine around the bottom of the pan (I used some Pinot Grigio left over from the other night).

• Bake for 60 minutes, basting frequently.

• Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

• Serves 4-6

Swiss Chard With Butternut Squash

I'm not a big "greens" person... no matter how good they are for you. However, Swiss Chard has a completely different flavor than kale or other greens. I found out at the farm last weekend that it's not even in the same family! I actually like Chard... a lot. I made up this recipe although it is based on recipes people have verbally told me to try with kale... which I hated. Give it a try! I also think this would be fabulous spread all over a pizza dough and topped with goat cheese! mmmmmmmmm Maybe with the leftovers!

Here's what you'll need...

@ 1 1/2 lbs of Swiss Chard (stems removed and WASH THE HELL OUT OF IT!!!)

1/2 medium onion (diced)

1 clove garlic

2 cups of butternut squash (diced into cubes)

salt & pepper

Heat up some olive oil (about 2 Tbs) in a BIG saute pan until it "shimmers". Add the squash and onions and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the onions gets translucent. Add the garlic and toss around.

Add the chard and some salt. Put a couple Tbs of water to help get some steam going and cover your pan. Cook the chard for about 4-5 minutes or until the chard is all wilted down and the squash is tender but not mushy.

Add ground black pepper and more salt if it needs it. You can also add a splash of balsamic vinegar if you like.

Yummy!

Shepherd's Pie

I have an alternative version of the traditional shepherd's pie that is made with just vegetables and is EXCELLENT. I wanted to attempt a more traditional shepherd's pie with meat and here it is! I found it on foodnetwork.com and it's a Alton Brown recipe. Mighty tasty and very easy to make! With mounds of mashed potatoes and meat & veggies in a tasty gravy, it is the ULTIMATE in comfort food for chilly fall evenings!

Here's what you'll need for the mashed potato top (or use your favorite mashed potato recipe!)

• 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half n half (I used plain old milk with a bit more butter)
• 2 oz butter
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 egg yolk (I have to admit I've never used eggs in my mashed potatoes and I forgot when I made this recipe. Turned out just fine.

Here's what you'll need for the filling...

• 2 Tbs canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots peeled & diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs ground lamb, beef or turkey (I've used turkey and beef, both good)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs flour
• 2 tsp tomato paste (or a squirt of ketchup if you don't have it)
• 1 cup chicken broth (or beef broth if you're using beef)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary (or about 1/2 tsp or so of dry)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or about 1/4 tsp of dry)
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a medium saucepan with water and bring to boil. Decrease heat to a simmer and cook until tender (10-15 minutes). Drain and return to pan. Add butter, salt & pepper and mash with masher or mixer. Add half n half (or milk) when the butter has melted and continue mashing/mixing until smooth. Add the yolk (if using) and stir until well combined.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the oil into a large saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color (3-4 minutes). Add garlic and stir to combine. Add the meat, salt & pepper and cook until browned and cooked through. Sprinkle the meat with flour and toss to coat. Add tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire, rosemary and thyme and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly (10 minutes or so) until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add corn and peas and stir to combine. Spread evenly in a 11 x 7 baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling thru. Place on middle rack and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown.

Let set for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Maple Peanut-Butter Cookies

There always comes a time when you a need a vegan recipe for something. Vegan friends for dinner, folks who don't do dairy, you're out of eggs, food allergies, etc... Today was no exception. I'm out of eggs but really really wanted cookies! One of my all-time favorite cook books is Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family by Ken Haedrich. Great recipes that aren't ALL vegan but he always leaves tips on how to make something vegan if you need to.

I found an interesting recipe for these peanut butter cookies that uses no milk, eggs or refined sugar. Believe it or not, they taste yummy!

Here's what you'll need...

• 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter (I'm sure any peanut butter will do).
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbs vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I just used regular flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 and butter or lightly oil & dust with flour 2 large cookie sheets OR line them with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine peanut butter, maple syrup, oil and vanilla with a mixer until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in your dry ingredients and blend in the peanut butter mixture until just blended. You may need to use your hands.

Make 1 1/2 inch balls and place them on the sheets, leaving 2 1/2 inches between them. Using a fork, flattening the balls until about 1/2 inch thick. Make the traditional crisscross pattern if you like.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be lightly crusted over but still soft. Cool on sheets for 2 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely before storing.

Taste & Create: Paneer Sandwich

Taste & Create July

Bombay Foodie Comfort Food #2 Paneer Sandwich

This is a simply, tasty sandwich that my kids LOVED. Paneer cheese is pretty thick so it doesn't melt like your average grilled cheese. I didn't like that at first but the taste won me over!

Here's what you'll need...

Bread

Paneer cheese sliced

salt/pepper

butter

Butter the bread slices and place one in a pan.

Add cheese and sprinkle with salt/pepper.

Top with the other slice of bread.

Flip

It ain't rocket science, it's done in a few minutes and the kids will gobble it up.

May Taste & Create: Roasted Eggplant & Caramelized Onion Pizza

For this month's Taste & Create, I whipped up this delicious pizza found on Perry's Plate Food Blog. I used a Calypso Eggplant which is a smaller variety. One note... cut it thin. If the pieces are too thick, it's too chewy. I also used a locally made goat cheese from Maryland's Firefly Farms. Their chevre is great on pizzas, eggs, crackers... just about anything.

I had to make a few alterations to the overall recipe... 1) I thought I had roasted red peppers but turns out they were BAD. Thank goodness I had a yellow pepper in the fridge. I roasted that under the broiler and it worked just fine. 2) I didn't make the crust... I used a pizza dough from Trader Joe's. Still yummy! My husband suggested a thin crust would be divine. Perhaps next time.

Roasted Eggplant and Caramelized Onion Pizza
adapted from Cooking with Paula Deen magazine

1/2 med eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 T olive oil
3 T butter
2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 c pizza sauce
1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella
6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 c chopped roasted red peppers
1 c crumbled goat cheese
1 recipe whole wheat pizza crust

Coat eggplant with olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 10-12 min or until lightly browned; set aside.

In a large dutch oven/saucepan melt butter over med heat. Add onion, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to med-high and cook, stirring frequently until caramelized; set aside.

Spread pizza sauce over crust; sprinkle with 1 c mozzarella cheese. Top evenly with eggplant, onions, bacon and roasted peppers. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and goat cheese.

Bake at 425 for 12-15 min.

Chicken Chili

We had a gathering of friends yesterday to watch a hockey game and have a beer tasting event. What goes better with beer than Mexican food! After the beer tasting I had a crock pot full of this Chicken Chili and Jalapeno Cornbread. It was delicious!! I got the recipe from Big Sky Cooking by Meredith Brokaw & Ellen Wright.

The original recipe in the book said it serves 6-8 people. I doubled the recipe but barely had enough for 8 adults & 4 kids. Just a word to the wise... double the recipe. Below is the original recipe.... double it if you want leftovers! And you will!

Here's what you'll need...

1-Tbs Olive oil

1/4-cup Chopped onion

1-cup Chicken broth (canned is fine)

1/2-cup Spicy salsa

1 4-oz can of green chiles (drained and chopped)

2-lbs Grilled chicken meat cut into bite-size pieces (I used boneless, skinless thighs)

2-Tbs Fresh cilantro

1-tsp Dried oregano (or 2-tsp fresh)

2-tsp Ground cumin

1-tsp Garlic powder

1/8-tsp Cayenne pepper

1 15-oz can Cannellini beans, drained

• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring until opaque (about 2-3 minutes).
  
• Stir in the broth, salsa (or tomatoes), chiles, chicken, cilantro, oregano, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes longer.
• Serve with sour cream, salsa, grated cheddar or jack cheese and/or onions or scallions.
  
  
  

Jalapeno Cornbread

My husband bought me a cookbook on his trip to Montana last year. This recipe is from that book titled, Big Sky Cooking by Meredith Brokaw & Ellen Wright. I made it to go with the Chicken Chili recipe from the same book.

I've been looking for a good cornbread recipe that is easy, moist and slightly sweet. Well here it is! I also made a batch without the jalapeno for those that wanted. Both came out fabulous.

Here's what you'll need...

1-cup Yellow cornmeal

1-cup All-purpose flour

1/4-cup Sugar

1-Tbs Baking powder

Pinch Kosher salt

3 Large eggs

1-cup Heavy cream* (See note below)

1/4-cup Butter, melted (1/2 stick)

1-cup Fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/3-cup Grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1 Small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
• In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix with a fork.
• Stir in the eggs, cream and melted butter.
• Fold in the corn, cheese and jalapeno pepper until well distributed.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake approximately 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

*I didn't have heavy cream. I used 2% milk and added a little extra melted butter. Everything came out just fine.

Christmas Eve 2008

I didn't travel for Christmas either this year!!!  All of my husband's family came to our house for a Christmas Eve Yuletide Feast.  Now this doesn't seem like a big deal; HOWEVER, my husband's father is a chef and his mom does all the baking at a country club.  It's a little intimidating.  Other then the occasional no-special-occasion dinner at our house,  I've never actually cooked a big meal for them so this was kinda big.  

Everything was delicious and everyone was stuffed!  Merry Christmas everyone!

First Course

Butternut Squash Soup

Main Course

Grilled Rosemary & Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Sides

Mashed Potatoes

Quinoa with Cherries

Green Beans

Dessert

Sweet Potato Pie

Pear Pie

Pumpkin Bread

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Pumpkin Bread

What's Christmas or Thanksgiving without pumpkin bread?  Here's an easy recipe that I adapted from www.foodnetwork.com.  The original recipe was for zucchini bread, which is quite good as well.  Just substitute 1 cup of shredded zucchini for the pumpkin!

Here's what you'll need...

1/4-cup butter (room temperature)

1/4-cup vegetable oil

1-cup brown sugar

1 1/2-cups all-purpose flour

1-tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

1/2-tsp baking soda

1-tsp baking powder

1/2-tsp salt

1 egg

1-cup pumpkin puree (from a can is fine or bake your own)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 8x4x2 loaf pan with butter or baking spray.

2.  Mix the butter, oil and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the egg and mix until incorporated.

3.  Sift the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add the sifted mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until all is incorporated.  

4.  Add the pumpkin puree and continue to mix until smooth-ish.  Side note here...  if you bake your own pumpkin, make sure to put it in a food processor or blender to puree it up.  It can be a bit stringy which you don't want in your bread.  

5.  Pour into a loaf pan and bake for about 55-60 minutes until it's golden brown and a knife comes out clean.  

Serve warm with butter!

Grilled Rosemary & Garlic Pork Tenderloin

My husband got a BBQ cookbook last year for Christmas and he has made several things from it... all fantastic. The Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen to be exact. If you love to grill or you know someone who does, this is a great cookbook for them.

The pork is tender, juicy and VERY fragrant! You'll want to hang out next the grill the entire time it's roasting and breathe deeply. My husband made this for our Christmas Eve Feast and it was a BIG hit. Nice thing about it was that it freed up my oven to cook the sides and keep things warm.

Here's what you'll need...

6 cloves of garlic, peeled.

1 bunch of fresh rosemary, stemmed (about 1/4 cup of leaves)

1 Tbs course kosher salt

1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 boneless pork loin roast (about 2-lbs)

1. Combine the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a mortar and pound to a smooth paste with the pestle, then work in the oil. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, combine all the ingredients in a spice mill or mint chopper and process to a puree. My husband's side note here... process everything but the olive oil FIRST, then add the oil. If you put everything in together, it doesn't mix well and you don't get the "paste" consistency.

2. Using a long, sharp knife, butterfly cut the pork roast (cut almost in half lengthwise, starting at one side and open up). Open out the meat as you would a book, then cut a lengthwise pocket down the center of each side, starting and ending about 1/2 inch from each end and cutting almost all the way through to the other side. Spread half the herb paste over the surface and into the pockets of the opened out roast, then bring the sides together so the meat resumes its original shape. Tie the roast at 1-inch intervals with butcher's string, then spread the remaining herb paste over the entire surface. If desired, loosely cover the roast with plastic wrap, and let marinade in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours bringing it to room temperature while you preheat the grill.

3. Set up the grill for indirect grilling. You'll need a gas grill with 2 heating zones. Preheat the grill on high then turn off one side of burners and reduce the other to medium-high or medium. Place a drip pan under the grill on the OFF side. Adjust the gas so the temperature in the grill maintains around 350 degrees. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Place the roast on the hot grate over the drip pan, cover the grill, and cook until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees (about 1 - 1 1/2 hours).

4. Transfer the roast to a cutting board or platter and let it stand for 5 minutes, then remove the string and cut the roast into thin slices. Serve hot, warm or (as they do in Italy) at room temperature.

Serves 4

Easiest Fudge Ever

Need an easy recipe for fudge for the holiday give-aways?  Here it is!  You may even have everything you need in the pantry.

12-oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk

dash of salt

1/2-cup of peanut butter (optional)

• Heat everything in a heavy pan over low heat and stir A LOT so it doesn't stick.
• Once it's smooth, remove from heat and pour into a 9 inch square pan lined with foil.  
• Let it set for a few hours in the refrigerator and cut in bite size cubes.  You can get 64 perfect bite size pieces if you make 8 cuts across both ways. 

This is a base recipe.  Add about 1/2 cup or more of peanut butter (creamy or crunchy) or walnuts if you like nuts in your fudge.  You could also add some white chocolate towards the end to give it a "marbled" look.  

 

Shell's "Penicillin" Soup

I'm sick right now.  I don't feel good at all.  My throat is killing me and I can barely swallow anything with it feeling like a dozen razor blades going down my throat.  All I've doing today is drinking tea, coffee, water.  But I'm hungry now... but I still can't eat.  So here's a recipe I threw together for lunch today.  It's simple, ready in 15 minutes, has a little protein but is easy to swallow.  You don't have to add the dumplings... it's fine without but the dumplings make it a little more filling if you ask my opinion.

Here's what you'll need...

1 carton (32-oz) of broth (vegetable or chicken)

1 egg beaten

salt and pepper

Dumplings

1/2-cup of milk

1/2 stick (4-Tbs) of butter

1/2-cup of flour

1/4-cup of yellow cornmeal

1 egg beaten

salt & pepper

• Heat up the broth to a boil.  Season with salt & pepper.
  
• While the broth is heating up, heat the milk and butter to a boil in a separate small saucepan.
  
• Once the milk/butter boils, remove from heat and add the flour, cornmeal, salt & pepper and mix well.  Add the egg and mix well.  Set aside.

• Once the broth is boiling, take a fork or whisk and slowly pour the egg into the soup.  Use the fork or whisk to break up the egg.  Looks just like egg drop soup.
  
• Add spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture (about 6-8).
  
• Cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes or until the dumplings float to the top.
  

Shell's Vegetable Stew with Dumplings

Today was a chilly Saturday in Maryland and all I wanted was some comfort food, a fire in the fireplace and a hot beverage. It's snowing right now which is cool.

I love the IDEA of a nice, thick stew... it opitimizes "comfort food", but I really hate all the meat, especially beef. I can tolerate chicken. I've always wanted a good veggie stew but I've never liked any of the recipes I found. I totally made this recipe up... and surprisingly, it's fantastic! Please note, THIS IS NOT A VEGETARIAN RECIPE. There isn't any meat but it uses chicken broth. I have found using vegetable broth just doesn't have the same flavor but it's still good! If you're a vegetarian this is a fine option. For Vegans, just use olive oil to cook the onions and omit the dumplings since they have dairy. You could substitute soymilk and margarine for the milk and butter in the dumplings, but I haven't actually tried this.

I'm sure you could double the recipe and freeze half of it but I haven't actually tried this either.

The first dumpling recipe is more dense and drier. The second is a little more doughy. I prefer to the doughier one but the hubby prefers the dense one.

Here's what you'll need...

1 small/medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2-2 cups of butternut squash peeled and cut into bite-size cubes

1 14-oz can of dark red kidney beans (rinse)

1 14-oz can of garbanzo beans (or chick peas... same thing... rinse)

1 1/2-cups of peas (fresh or frozen)

1 32-oz carton of chicken broth

salt & pepper

1 bay leaf

couple big pinches of thyme (maybe 1/2 tsp or less?)

couple big pinches of basil

pinch of dill

2 Tbs ( or so) of flour to thicken (you may need more)... I suppose corn starch would work as well but then Martha Stewart would cringe.

Dumplings:

2/3 cup of baking mix (like Bisquick)

1/3 cup of yellow corn meal

1/4 shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

salt & pepper

• Heat up a little olive oil or butter in a soup pot and add the onion. Cook until translucent.
  
• Add the garlic and butternut squash and cook for a few minutes.
  
• Add the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, chicken broth and spices (not the flour). Bring to a boil.
• Ladle out a little liquid into a cup and and sprinkle the flour in it. Mix well until dissolved and pour back in the soup.
• Reduce and simmer for 10 minutes (or until you're done mixing up the dumplings).
• Mix all the ingredients for the dumplings until just moistened.
• Drop spoonfuls of dumpling mix into the stew... about 8. Cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
• Ladle soup into bowls with a couple dumplings per person.
• Serves 4-6 people.

If you prefer more "doughy" dumplings use this:

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 stick of butter (4 Tbs)

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal

1 egg (beaten)

salt & pepper

• Heat the milk and butter in a small sauce pan until it boils. Remove from heat.
  
• Add the flour, salt and pepper and mix until it all starts to stick together.
• Add the egg and mix quickly.
• Drop spoonfuls of dough into the soup (you'll get about 6-8)
• Cover and simmer soup until they rise to the top (about 10-15 minutes or so)

Shell's Thanksgiving 2008

So for the first time in forever, I did NOT travel to either my parents or the in-laws for Thanksgiving! I'm very excited!!! This was my first Thanksgiving dinner and I think I did a pretty good job.

There was a small group this year... just the 4 of us. 2 adults and 2 kids under 5. M 4-year old was in charge of the center piece. Nice, eh? See below for our menu and links to the individual page. Everything was great and we are all now in tryptophan heaven.

To start off..

Warm Brie with Apricot Preserves

Main Course & Sides..

Brined Herbed Turkey Breast

Stuffing (Follow instructions on box... sorry.)

Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potato Crisp

Orange Scented Green Beans

Cranberry Sauce

Warmed Rolls (picked up from Whole Foods... not bad)

And for dessert..

Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream

Sweet Potato Crisp

This is a family recipe from my husband's side of the family.  They make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

3-cups of cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (baked them for an hour OR peel, quarter and boil for 20 minutes or until tender) About 3 good sized potatoes work well.

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup soft butter (1 4-oz stick)

3 eggs

topping

1/2 cup soft butter (1 4-oz stick)

3 cups crushed cornflakes

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat the eggs until lemon colored.  Put potatoes, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, salt and butter into a big bowl and mix well.  Put the mixture into a buttered baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes or until set.  

While the potatoes are baking, make the topping.  Put everything into a bowl and mix well.

Remove potatoes from  oven and cover with topping.  Return to oven for about 15 minutes.    

Serves 4-6

Orange Scented Green Beans

These were pretty good.  I thought the orange would be a little more aromatic but it wasn't.  All in all, a very good green bean recipe.  I got this from Rachel Ray at www.foodnetwork.com.

Peel of one orange

1-lbs of trimmed green beans

1-Tbs butter

Salt

1 1/2 Tbs fresh chives, snipped

Fill a pan with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.  Add orange peel and beans.  Cook 5-6 minutes until tender but still bright green with a little snap to them.  Drain and return to pan.  Toss with butter and chives then place in serving dish.  Garnish with the orange peel.

Serves 4-6.

Brined Herbed Turkey Breast

I decided to try to brine the turkey this year  I've never done it before and it's supposed to make the meat really tender and juicy.  It did!  It was delicious!  I only had 4 people for Thanksgiving so I just used a 6-lbs turkey breast and still have a ton leftover.  You could also do this with a larger whole turkey.  This recipe came from Emeril Lagasse off of www.foodnetwork.com but I altered it a bit. 

Brining solution:

1 gallon cold water

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 orange quartered

1 lemon quartered

3 sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs of rosemary

Dissolve the salt and sugar in a nonreactive container such as a bucket or pot or brining bag (put the bag into big pot).  Add the orange, lemon and herbs.  Add your turkey breast (rinse thoroughly beforehand) and hope that it is submerged completely.  If not, use another  1/2 cup of salt and sugar per gallon of water.  Soak the turkey breast in the brine, covered (or seal up the bag) and refrigerated (or in a very cool place if it won't fit in the refrigerator) for 4-24 hours.  I let mine sit overnight.

Cooking procedure:

1 smallish orange (cut into 1/8ths)

1 smallish onion (cut into 1/8ths)

1 carrot (peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks)

1 Bay Leaf

1 big sprig of rosemary

2 sprigs of thyme

3 sprigs of parsley (or some dry... maybe 1/4 tsp or so)

1/2 can of chicken or turkey stock (@ 3/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove the turkey breast from the brine, rinse thoroughly and pat dry.  Rub the breast side with an orange segment.  Rub butter all over and stuff some under the skin in several places.  Season with salt & pepper inside and out.  Place the turkey in an oven roasting bag in a appropriately sized baking pan for your turkey, breast side up and stuff the cavity with the orange, onion, carrot, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme and parsley.  Add the stock to the bottom of the bag and seal up your bag.  Poke a few holes in the top for venting.  Cook for about 2-2 1/2 hours or until juices run clear (about 170 degrees with a thermometer).