Meatloaf

MEATLOAF

    3 slices white bread, crusts removed 

2 Tbsp  milk 

 2 tblsp. olive oil 

 1 large white onion, finely chopped 

 1 rib celery, finely chopped 

 2 cloves garlic, minced 

 2 carrots, peeled & finely grated 

1 lb. groundchuck

 3 bratwurst, skinned and broken up

 2 large eggs 

1/4 c. roughly chopped parsley 

 2 tblsp. Dijon mustard  

1 tblsp. coarse salt

 1/2 tblsp. freshly ground pepper

 1/2 lb. thinly sliced smoked bacon 

    1 lb. new potatoes, scrubbed 

    4 onion, cut in wedges

    1/2 c. brown sugar, packed 

    1 tblsp. Coleman's yellow ground mustard 

    1 tsp.  catsup,

    Heat the oven to 375F. Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and place in a small 

    bowl. Sprinkle milk over it & set aside for 5 minutes. 

    Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery & garlic; cook until 

    soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes. 

    Place carrots in a large mixing bowl. Ad the milk-bread mixture, meat, eggs, 

    parsley, Dijon, salt, & pepper. Add onion mixture. Combine well using your 

    hands or a rubber scraper. 

    Place mixture in a large ungreased baking dish or roasting pan. Shape into a 5 

    X 12 inch loaf. Overlap bacon across the top, covering meat. Place vegetables 

    around loaf. Season with salt & pepper. 

    In a small bowl, combine sugar, ground mustard & tomato paste to make a 

    glaze. Brush meatloaf all over with glaze. 

    Bake, brushing every 15 minutes or so with glaze, until juices run clear when 

    loaf is pierced with a 2 pronged fork & the bacon is crisp, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let 

    cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Christmas lunch

Prime Rib Roast

Let roast stand at room temperature 2 hours.  Heat oven to 500.   Salt and pepper well. Roast @500 for 45 minutes.  Turn down oven to 350 for 35 minutes.  Turn up to 450 and finish roasting to 127. Let stand 20 minutes. (temp. coasted up to 133) Make yorkshire pudding.

Yorkshire Pudding Recipe:    http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/12/food-lab-yorkshire-pudding-popover-best-method-science.html

A traditional English side dish to Prime Rib Roast is Yorkshire Pudding, a puffy pop-over like pastry. Yorkshire Puddings, fresh from the oven, should be well-risen and golden brown w8h a crisp exterior and soft middle.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

3 eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup milk, room temperature

1/2 cup pan drippings from roast prime rib of beef (beef juices and oil)*

* If you do not have enough pan drippings, add melted butter.

At least two (2) hours or overnight before you will need this Yorkshire Pudding batter, prepare the batter (minus pan drippings), and place in the refrigerator.

Yorkshire Pudding is cooked after you have taken your cooked prime rib roast out of the oven and you are letting it sit for the required resting period.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk until light and foamy. Stir in the flour/salt mixture just until incorporated and smooth. NOTE: The batter will be like a very thin pancake batter

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two (2) hours (for best results, refrigerate overnight).

Directions for Cooking Yorkshire Pudding:

Traditionally Yorkshire Pudding is made in one large dish or your meat roasting pan and cut into wedges. For individual servings, I have found it is much easier to prepare them in muffin tins or popover pans. You be the judge of how you would like to cook and serve them. See photos below.

After you take your cooked prime rib out of the oven, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

Pour the cooked prime rib meat drippings into your baking pan or muffin tins of choice. For a popover version, use popover pans or muffin pans, putting at least 1 teaspoon of meat drippings in the bottom of each well

Place the pan or pans in your oven and get the drippings smoking hot (about 5 minutes). Carefully take the hot pan/pans out of the oven. NOTE: The fat in the popover or muffin tins should be almost smoking.

Scalloped potatoes made from box mix.

 Garlic Blue Cheese Sauce Recipe:

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 medium garlic clove, thinly sliced

6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cream and garlic just to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until the cream coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in the crumbled blue cheese. Season to taste with the pepper. Can be made 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

To serve, pass the Garlic Blue Cheese Sauce on the side.

Makes approximately 2 cups.

Shrimp Cocktail Recipe:

Yields: 4 Servings

Prep time: 10 min

Ingredients:

Fresh or frozen cooked and cleaned shrimp with tails-on and thawed*

Fresh parsley for garnish 

Fresh lemon slices for garnish

* If your shrimp are frozen, thaw overnight in the bag in the refrigerator, or remove shrimp from bag, thaw in a colander or strainer under cold running water for about three minutes. Use immediately.

Preparation:

Prepare Cocktail Sauce. Place cocktail sauce in a martini glass, drinking glass, or any decorating bowl.

Place several fresh shrimp on the rim of the glass with the tails on the outside.

Make one cut in each lemon slice starting at the center and cutting through to the outside. Place a cut lemon slice on each glass where you made the cut so that it stands up. Add a sprig of parsley and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

COCKTAIL SAUCE:

Recipe by Dave Bucholz of Clackamas, OR

1/2 cup chili sauce or catsup 

2 tablespoons hot cream-style horseradish 

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper 

2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice

4 drops Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce 

2 garlic cloves, minced

In a small bowl, mix ingredients together to taste, cover and chill until ready to serve and to develop flavor.

Makes 2/3 cup.

Caesar Salad Recipe - Classic Caesar Salad Recipe:

Yields: 2 to 4 servings (depending on size of servings)

Prep time: 30 min

1/2 to 3/4 cup homemade croutons (see directions below)

1 coddled egg (see directions below)*

1 to 2 teaspoons finely-chopped garlic (1 to 2 medium cloves with inner green germ removed - the sprouts add an unpleasant bitterness)

1 to 2 anchovy fillets, mashed**

Pinch of coarse salt

2 tablespoons (1/2 lemon) freshly-squeezed lemon juice***

3 drops Worcestershire sauce

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) freshly-grated Parmesan Cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano), divided

2 to 3 heads Romaine lettuce, hearts and tender leaves only

Coarsely-ground black pepper

* Coddled egg may be substituted with 1/2 cup mayonnaise. If doing this substitution, reduce some of the olive oil. Better yet, make Linda's easy-to-make and very delicious Low-Fat Caesar Salad Dressing.

** Fresh squeezed lemon juice is essential. Some chefs squeeze the lemon through a cheesecloth to ensure that only the juice ends up in the salad. If you are careful to keep the lemon seeds out of the salad, a simple squeeze will do.

Making Croutons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Trim the crust from day-old peasant-style bread (Italian or French bread) and dice into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss with enough olive oil to coat, but not drench. Sprinkle lightly with salt and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until just golden brown. Halfway through the baking time, give the pan a shake to make sure the croutons toast evenly. Remove from oven and completely cool croutons. Store in an airtight container.

Cherries Jubilee        Yields: 4 to 6 servings     Prep time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 can (16-ounce) cherry pie filling

1/2 cup brandy

Good-quality vanilla ice cream 

Almonds

Preparation:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the cherries.

In another small saucepan, heat brandy (it won't flame unless it is heated).

Spoon ice cream into goblets and spoon heated cherries over ice cream. Pour the heated brandy over the warm cherries and ignite.

Sprinkle with sliced almonds and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Who'd a thunk I'd be using the grill in the middle of December?

But it was quite balmy outside and that is what I did along with some broiled tomatoes, roasted potatoes and spinach.

Italian Roast Potatoes

NIGELLA LAWSON  Time1 1/4 hours  Yield4 servings

Vegan, Vegetarian, Garlic, Olive Oil, Oregano, Italian, Mediterranean

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ pounds waxy potatoes (about 6 medium), such as Red Bliss, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

12 cloves garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons dried oregano

½ cup olive oil

 Salt

 Nutritional Information

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In large roasting pan, combine potatoes, garlic, oregano and oil. Stir until potatoes are well-coated, and spread them evenly in pan.

Place in oven, and roast until golden brown and crispy, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. (If the potatoes are crowded in the pan, they will take longer to crisp.)

Remove potatoes and garlic from oven, and transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with salt to taste, and serve immediately.

Tomatoes

Cut in half,  cored, salted, sprinkled with bread crumbs and a good grating cheese, topped with a pad of butter and broiled until bubbling.

Spinach sprinkled with water then put in a skillet with salt and vinegar and turned around until it cooked down.

Steak sprinkled with salt and let set at room temperature for an hour then grilled.

December sweets

In the last couple or days I have made some turtles and chocolate covered truffles.  Here is a sampling.

Turtles were made by tossing toasted pecans in some caramel melted with a little water, then cooling and dropping some melted chocolate on top.

Chocolate Truffles

Makes about 5 dozen

28 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoons liqueur, I used an orange flavored liqueur (optional)

Best-quality cocoa powder

Melted chocolate, cream together in double boiler, stirred in liqueur and butter until melted. Pour into 8x8-inch baking dish lined with parchment and chilled for two hours.  Dusted with cocoa power, cut into squares and put back in refrigerator until chocolate was melted.  Rolled in chocolate to cover. Used a plastic fork with the two center tines broken out as a tool to move the truffles in the chocolate and then onto parchment to harden.  Chocolate coating is dark chocolate on some and milk chocolate on others.  If I had some white chocolate, I'd have drizzled some on top for decoration and even coated some truffles in white chocolate but maybe that will be for next time.

Ribeye Steak in Salsa Borracha and Mac & Cheese with Poblano

Ribeye Steak in Salsa Borracha 

This recipe was adapted from a recipe that my cousin from Mexico shared with me. It’s very much like a carne guisada, with the added flavors of beer! It’s a traditional, slow-cooked dish that I grew up enjoying on a regular basis. Most commonly served with a side of rice, beans and homemade tortillas.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of ribeye with a good amount of fat

1 medium white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 serrano peppers, minced

5 Roma tomatoes, diced

12 oz bottle of Mexican dark beer

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Chop the ribeye into ½-inch pieces.

2. Heat heavy pan to medium heat, add ribeye and cook it until it almost looks like cracklins, chicharrones. Add the onions and serrano peppers and cook for 3 minutes; add garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Add the tomatoes, beer, salt (1 teaspoon) and ½ teaspoon of pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until almost all liquid has evaporated. Taste for salt along the way, add if needed.

This dish is a good topping for tostadas, add some shredded cheese to the tostadas and melt in the oven or on the grill, top them with salsa borracha. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Mac & Cheese with poblanos.

Ingredients: 

4 large poblano peppers

1 jalapeño pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth, plus 1 cup reserved

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano, plus 1/2 teaspoon reserved

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup red onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons flour, plus 1/2 tablespoon reserved

1 cup milk

Pinch of grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons hot sauce

* if you don’t want to add the hot sauce, you could add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1 cup Monterey jack, shredded

1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

5 1/2 to 6 cups of cooked elbow macaroni

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs

1 green onion, sliced for garnish

You will also need:

4 heavy stoneware crocks that can hold up to 2 cups or one 13×9 baking dish

Roasted Poblano Macaroni and Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler to high for 5 minutes. Wash the peppers (poblanos and jalapeño) and transfer to lined baking sheet. Broil for 10 to 12 minutes, turning as needed or until most of the skins on the poblanos blister and char slightly. Never leave the broiler unattended. Remove from oven and cover with a clean kitchen towel for 25 minutes.

2. While the peppers are cooling, prep the onions, garlic and cheese. Remove the blistered skins from peppers, along with stems and seeds. Transfer the peppers to the blender. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth; set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Preheat a large Dutch oven pot to medium for 2 minutes. Add the butter, onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, add flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken broth, 1 cup milk, nutmeg, hot sauce and roasted poblano sauce. Stir well to combine and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until sauce becomes thick.

4. In a bowl, combine all the cheese, 1/2 tablespoon flour, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and stir to combine. Reserve 1 cup of cheese mixture for topping. Add the remaining cheese to the thickened sauce, remove from heat and stir to melt cheese, taste for salt.

5. Add in the cooked pasta, stir to combine. Now, you can divide the mac and cheese among the 4 crocks or you can pour it into the baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes, then for 1 minute under the broiler to brown the top. Remove from oven and let set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with green onions. 

Tips: The 2 cup crocks are a fun way to serve mac and cheese for the family when you know they will be having second helpings. It’s all in one dish, so no big pan to worry about. If using the crocks, use a lined baking sheet underneath to catch any spills or drippings.

Ham Beans and Collards

With leftover ham bone and turkey stock, I made some navy beans and collard greens. I also had corn muffins, a salad and sauteed mushrooms.

HAM AND NAVY BEANS

1 (1 lb.) bag small white beans

6 c. turkey stock

Bring to boil, discard water, add 6 cups water, bring to boil, add

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1/8 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 can chicken broth

2 lb. cooked ham cut in pieces

Few dashes sherry

Salt and pepper to taste

Simmer to taste 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender

COLLARD GREENS

2 bundles collard greens

water to cover

2 large smoked ham hocks

1 cup sugar

Salt

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

salt

tabasco sauce to taste added after cooked and drained.

Directions

Thoroughly wash collard greens. Be sure to pull leaves apart and remove any sand. Remove stems, chop collard greens.

In a medium saucepan, bring  salted water to a simmer. Place smoked ham hocks  and greens in salted water 

Cover and cook greens for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Mushrooms

1 package of mushrooms, stemmed and quartered. Cook with butter until tender.  Remove from pan, add some chopped onion and saute until tender.  Add a little Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and white wine vinegar and simmer a minute.  Add back the mushrooms, salt to taste and keep warm until ready to serve.

Thanksgiving 2015

Cassie made veggie tray and green bean salad, veggie tray and centerpiece.
Becky made sweet potatoes
Whitney made mashed potatoes
Linda made layered salad and brought pickles.
In addition to stuff made below, I also made Texas rolls from the store.  They were balls of dough to be defrosted, let rise and baked.  Also had store bought Dutch Apple pie, Store bought whipped cream.

Thanksgiving Ham 2015

Heritage Maple Cured Ham glazed with

1/3C. Maple Syrup

1/3C. Catsup

1T. Sriracha

2T. Pineapple Balsamic Vinegar

1T. Mangue ( Mango pulp vinegar) 

glaze derived from Jaques Pepin recipe.

How to Roast Turkey - 18Qt. Roaster NOTE. turkey does not need this much time and should be cooked only to about 165º

One of the most famous meals prepared in Nesco® Roaster Ovens is the traditional turkey dinner. People have been making their holiday meals in Nesco® roasters since first introduced in the 1930's.

Our cooking methods should give you a moist, tender turkey every time using your Nesco® 18 Quart Roaster Oven.

How to Thaw Turkey

Completely thaw turkey before roasting. The National Turkey Foundation recommends thawing in the refrigerator. 

Allow about one day for every five pounds of turkey. For example, a 20 pound turkey would thaw for 4 days. Place turkey in original wrapping in a shallow pan. Rinse in cold water before roasting.

To thaw turkey quicker, keep it in original wrapping, place in sink with COLD water. The COLD water must be changed every 30 minutes and must completely cover the bird. For example, a 20 pound turkey would thaw in 10 hours.

How to Roast Turkey

One 14 to 22 pound turkey, fresh or frozen

Poultry seasoning 

Salt

Pepper

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 

1 teaspoon browning sauce such as Kitchen Bouquet®(optional)

Preheat 18 quart Nesco® Roaster Oven to 400º F. If you have a 12 quart Nesco®, a maximum 14 pound turkey is recommended. Cooking times (per pound) remain the same. 

Clean and rinse turkey. Pat dry. Remove neck and giblets. If desired, prepare separately. Place turkey on rack. Use a pastry brush to spread mixture of butter and browning sauce evenly over turkey skin. Season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

Determine length of roasting time, normally 15 to 20 minutes per pound. A stuffed turkey will add 30 to 45 minutes to total roasting time.

Stuff cavity, if desired. Cover. Roast one hour at 400º F. With baster, remove any liquid and fat from cavity of bird and cook well. Set aside to make gravy. Brush bird with basting liquid or butter mixture. 

Reduce temperature to 350º F. Roast for remainder of cooking time. Use baster, to remove any liquid from cavity of bird and from cook well when cooking time is about half-way through. If dry, baste turkey with basting liquids.

If turkey isn't as brown as you like it, increase temperature to 400º F. Roast remaining portion of time. 

Use lift handles to remove turkey. Be careful - rack will be hot. Set turkey on a platter or cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. 

If turkey is done early, reduce temperature to 200º F. until serving time.

Note: Roast turkey until internal temperature of meat reaches 180º F. on meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh muscle. Save juice to make gravy or as a base for soup. Variation: For extra flavor, add 1/4 cup apple or orange juice concentrate to butter basting mixture. If you choose not to stuff it, a sliced onion or a little garlic inside cavity of turkey also gives it a nice flavor. 

For complete information, please check www.eatturkey.com.

Challah bread made as buns instead of a loaf. Cooked about 12 min. 

CHUCK LOVE

Ingredients:

• 2 pkt dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)

• 5 C bread flour - all purpose will do (unbleached) - You may need more or less

• 1/4 C sugar

• 2 tsp salt

• 1/2 /cup butter (or margarine) room temp

• 1 C hot water (120F) - optional pinch of saffron

• 3 large whole eggs

• 1 egg white

• 1 egg yolk (from the above egg) beaten, mixed with 2 Tbs sugar and 1 tsp cold water

• Optional - poppy seeds

Prepare a 1/2 sheet pan with a Silpat, parchment paper, or cooking spray.

If using the saffron (to add color to the dough), let it steep in the warm water until the water turns orange (about 10 minutes).

In a stand mixer bowl, combine the yeast, 2 C of flour, sugar, salt and butter (or margarine).

With mixer on medium speed, add the hot water and beat with the flat beater for about 2 minutes, scrape the bowl occasionally.

Add the eggs and the egg white (not the reserved yolk mixed with sugar and water).

The batter will be thick. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.

Change to the dough hook.

Continue to add flour, adding about 1 C at a time until the dough is no longer sticky.

If the dough is still moist, add a little flour at a time until the dough cleans the sides of the mixer bowl.

Knead by hard or in mixer with dough hook for 10 minutes.

Place dough in a large greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled - about 1 hour.

After it has doubled, punch down and hand knead out the bubbles.

Follow the braiding recipe and shape a 6 braid Challah.

Brush the shaped loaf with the egg yolk / sugar glaze. (If using the poppy seed, sprinkle on now).

Allow the loaf the rise, uncovered until doubled - about 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400F

Bake until the loaf is shiny brown, about 40 to 60 minutes.

Test with a toothpick. It should come out clean and dry. 

The loaf is fragile, so be careful and place on a cooling rack.

*This recipe is meant for 2 loaves but I made it into one. 

That loaf is 20" long and 6" to 8" high.

If you don't need one that big, make 2 smaller ones

__________________

Chuck Love

bourbon ginger pecan pie  

Credit for this pie belongs to Alison Kave and her book First Prize Pies. Her special recipe adds three types of ginger to a pecan pie filling — with a splash of quality sipping bourbon, too.

Hands-on time: 60 mins. to 1 hrs 15 mins.

Baking time: 48 mins. to 1 hrs 53 mins.

Total time: 1 hrs 48 mins. to 3 hrs 8 mins.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Crust

1 recipe Classic Single Pie Crust

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

filling

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup Grade A very dark maple syrup (cooking maple syrup)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons good bourbon (optional)

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 1/2 cups pecan pieces

1/4 cup mini diced ginger

tips from our bakers

This recipe is from Emily Hilliard's Nothing in the House blog and website, and can also be made with a half recipe of Nothing in the House Pie Crust.

For a chocolate variation, melt 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate and stir it into the filling before pouring into the pie shell. The chocolate balances the sweetness of the pie's filling perfectly.

directions

1) To make the crust: Grease and flour a 9" pie pan. Roll the chilled, rested dough to a 12" to 13" circle and fit it into the pan. Trim and flute the edge, then put the lined pie pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 425°F.

2) To pre-bake the crust (blind bake): Prick the crust all over with a fork. Line it with parchment paper or a basket-style coffee filter, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, then remove it from the oven. Remove the liner and weights or beans, and brush the crust all over with the beaten egg mixture. Return it to the oven and bake for 3 more minutes. Remove it from the oven and lower the temperature to 350°F.

3) To make the filling: Whisk together the sugar, syrup, eggs, bourbon, fresh ginger, ground ginger, and salt. Sprinkle the pecans and mini diced ginger into the pie crust, and pour the filing mixture over them.

Cornbread and Andouille Dressing

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1/2 pound andouille, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions

1 cup chopped celery  USED 1 C. BOK CHOY STEMS

1 cup chopped green bell peppers

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Basic Cornbread, recipe follows.

 USED 1 PKG PEPPERRIDGE FARM CLASSIC HERBED DRESSING AND 1 PACKAGE PFARM CORNBREAD STUFFING AND 4 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH.  

COOKED VEGETABLES AND SAUSAGE, ADDED STUFFINGS AND CHICKEN BROTH, TRANSFERED TO A COVERED BAKING DISH, COVERED WITH PLASTIC AND FOIL AND FROZE.  MADE 2 WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME.  

3 slices white or whole wheat bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

2 large eggs, beaten

1 to 2 cups chicken stock, as needed

Basic Cornbread:

1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage until brown and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Cranberry chutney

4 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup water

2 cups sugar                             

2 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

1 teaspoon salt

2 tart apples, peeled, cored and diced (i use granny smith apples)

2 pears, peeled, cored, and diced

1 small yellow onion

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, diced or 1 teaspoon of dried ground ginger

In a deep 6 quart saucepan, bring cranberries, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and salt to a boil over medium heat.

Stir frequently for about 10 minutes, until cranberries start to make a popping sound.

Once cranberries begin to pop, reduce heat to simmer. Add diced apples, pears, onion and raisins, and continue stirring frequently until mixture begins to thicken. (10 to 15 minutes.)

Remove from heat. Stir in ginger. Cool to room temperature. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves before serving.

Honey Lacquered Game Hens

with cornbread stuffing and mixed vegetables.

GAME HENS WITH ORANGE AND HONEY

Recipe By: Norman Matthews   

3 Cornish game hens 

1/3 can frozen orange juice orange juice

chicken broth equal to 1 can 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 inch ginger peeled and sliced

1 clove garlic peeled and split

3 green onions, sliced 1-inch thick

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup Cointreau

1/4 cup sesame oil

2 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 1T. water 

Roast chickens according to package directions.  Baste with sauce every 10 minutes. Tent chicken with foil if starting to brown too much.  Thicken sauce with cornstarch and water and serve with chicken.

Made cornbread stuffing with mushrooms and onions and mixed vegetables.

Italian Spaghetti and meat balls with more French bread

I suppose since this is an Italian recipe, you could call the bread Italian.  I don't think there is really any difference in the two. 

Rocco DiSpririto’s Mama’s Meatballs             Aired October 29, 2015

 Serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup chicken stock

1/4 yellow onion

1 clove garlic

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground veal

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 eggs

1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine

1 teaspoon salt

3 to 6 cups Mama’s Marinara (recipe follows) or your favorite marinara

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Marinara:

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine

3 tablespoons olive oil

Chili flakes, to taste

2 28-ounce cans tomato purée, Red Pack brand if possible

1 28-ounce. can crushed tomatoes, Red Pack brand if possible

1 tablespoon tomato paste, Red Pack brand if possible

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup chicken stock

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Salt, to taste

Preparation

Place the chicken stock, onion, garlic and parsley in a blender or food processor and purée.

In a large bowl, combine the puréed stock mix, meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, Parmigiano-

Reggiano, red pepper flakes, parsley and salt. Combine with both hands until mixture is

uniform. Do not over mix.

Put a little olive oil on your hands and form mixture into balls a little larger than golf balls.

They should be about 1/4 cup each, though if you prefer bigger or smaller, it will only affect the

browning time.

Pour about 1/2-inch of extra virgin olive oil into a straight-sided, 10-inch-wide sauté pan and

heat over medium-high flame. Add the meatballs to the pan (working in batches if necessary)

and brown meatballs, turning once. This will take about 10-15 minutes.

While the meatballs are browning, heat the marinara sauce in a stockpot over medium heat.

Lift the meatballs out of the sauté pan with a slotted spoon and put them in the marinara sauce.

Stir gently. Simmer for one hour.

Serve with a little extra Parmigiano-Reggiano sprinkled on top. Serve alone or over spaghetti

(in which case, you will need 6 cups of marinara).

For the marinara, Cook the garlic and onion in the olive oil in a sauce pot over a medium-low flame, about 10 minutes or until garlic is tender and onions translucent, not brown (this is called "sweating" because it will draw out a lot of moisture and flavor). Add the chili flakes to taste.

Add all the tomato products. Pour the chicken stock into one of the 28-oz cans. Fill it the rest of the way with water and add that and the sugar to the pot. Stir and bring to a simmer. Taste and season with salt and cover. Simmer the sauce for about 1 hour. The sauce should be fairly thin, but not watery and very smooth. Uncover and simmer for 3 minutes if it is too thin for your taste; add a little water if it seems thick.- Yields 6 cups

CLASSIC SOURDOUGH BREAD

1 C. Sourdough starter

1 1/3 C. Warm water

5-6 C Unbleached all purpose flour

1 T. Salt

1 T. Sugar (OPTIONAL)

1 t. Baking soda

Cornmeal to sprinkle on pans.

THE SPONGE:  Poue 1 C. starter into a large ceramic bowl.  Add the warm water and about 3 cups flour.  Beat vigorously with a spoon or wire whisk.  Cover sponge with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 2 hours and as many as 24 hours.

THE DOUGH:  After the sponge and gubbled and expanded, remove the plastic wrap.  To about 2 cups of flour, add the salt, sugar and baking soda

. Stir this into the sponge until it leaves the side of the bowl.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 4 to 5 minutes.  Add flour as needed to make a fairly stiff dough.

Give the dough a rest while you clean out and grease your bowl. Continue kneading for another 3-4 minutes.  Plae the dough in the bowl and turn it over to grease the top.  Cover it with plastic again and let it rise again for another 2-4 hours.  This second ricing can be skipped but the second rising will give the bread more flavor.

SHAPING AND BAKING:  Knock down and shape into two long French bread loaves.  Place on cornmeal sprinkled cookie sheet, cover and let rise another2 hours or so.

Toward the end of the rising, preheat oven to 450 degrees and bring a kettle of water to a boil.  Add the water to a pan and place under the bread as it bakes.  Just before placing in the oven, slash the tops of the bread with a knife about 2 inches apart and about 1/4th inch deep and brush with old water, or for a shiny crust, brush them with a wash of egg mixed with water.  You may also sprinkle with poppy seeds.  Bake 25 minutes or until it reaches 190 degrees.  The crust will be very hard when you remove it from the oven but in about 5 minutes, the crust will be chewy and crackling.  To keep the crust crunchy, leave the bread in the oven with the oven off for another 5 minutes.

Sour dough French bread

I had my started go dormant in the refrigerator last May and I thought it would be a good time to revive it and do some baking.  Today I made some French bread to go with dinner tonight.  Dinner was grocery store deli fried chicken.

Korean dinner tonight

I haven't cooked much worth mentioning lately but today I went to an Asian market and got some pork shoulder and made bulgogi as well as Korean bean sprouts.  We cooked the bulgogi at the table and had two kinds of kim chi, red leaf lettuce, rice and laver.  Not in the picture was a chili paste and seasoned sesame oil.  I made some changes in my regular recipe as suggested by Charlies mom when she was here for their wedding.

PORK BULGOGE

Recipe By:Norm Matthews

1 Boston  butt pork roast, sliced wafer thin

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons sesame salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes-substituted red pepper paste

8 green onion, sliced diagonally1"

toasted sesame seeds

peanut oil-for frying cook on portable grill instead of using oil.

Served with sesame oil seasoned with salt and pepper and with soybean dipping sauce for Korean BBQ.

Mix all ingredients except oil.  Set aside for a few minutes up to a couple of hours Cook pork on portable grill lined with non stick foil until pork is no longer pink..

Korean bean sprouts

10 oz. bean sprouts

1 T. Sesame oil

2 T Soy sauce  

1 T scallion, minced

2 tsp Sugar  

1 tsp vinegar (optional)

1 1/2 tsp sesame salt salt & red pepper (optional)

garnish toasted sesame seeds

Blanch bean sprouts, stop cooking by putting in cold water, drain, mix remaining ingredients and refrigerate a couple of hours up to a few days.

I had a chili dog again for lunch with left over chili.

The only toppings beside chili was green onion and cheese.

Chicken Parmesan

Breast of Chicken, Martini-Style

This recipe for breast of chicken, martini-style, is from "Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen," the cookbook by chefs Pino Luongo and Mark Srausman.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4.

• Coarse salt

• 8 ounces green beans or haricots verts, trimmed

• 4 carrots, cut into thin strips, about 2 inches long

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each), tendons removed

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• 2 cups safflower or corn oil

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 3/4 cup dry white wine

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Add carrots to boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer vegetables to ice-water bath to cool. Drain and set aside. Repeat process with green beans.

3. Place each chicken breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Using the flat side of a meat mallet or the back of a skillet, pound chicken breasts until they are 3/8 inch thick.

4. Remove chicken from plastic wrap; season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and cheese each in separate large, shallow dishes. Coat each chicken breast half evenly with flour, shaking off any excess. Then di !p in egg, followed by cheese to coat.

5. Heat oil in a deep large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot, reduce heat to medium and, working in batches, add chicken. Cook chicken, turning once, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat process with remaining chicken, allowing oil to reheat between batches.

6. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add lemon juice and wine; stir to combine. Pour butter mixture into the bottom of a large baking dish. Arrange chicken in baking dish and top each with an equal amount of beans and carrots. Brush some of the butter mixture over the chicken and vegetables and transfer baking dish to oven. Cook until vegetables begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

First published October 2007

Jaque Pepin braised chicken with bacon and vegetables.

This recipe would make a good pot pie recipe if topped with a rich biscuit dough.  I don't understand why frozen pot pie packages have ALL WHITE MEAT on the label in all caps as though that's a good thing.  I'd much sooner get a frozen pot pie if it said ALL DARK MEAT. :)

Braised Chicken with Potatoes, Carrots, Mushrooms and Peas

Recipe adapted from "Heart & Soul in the Kitchen," by Jacques Pépin

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Cook Time: 50 minutes 

Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

5 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch batons

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 chicken legs (about 2¼ pounds)—skins removed, drumstick and thighs separated, patted dry

Kosher salt, to taste

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ cup dry white wine

1½ cups water

½ pound baby red potatoes

8 pearl onions, peeled

3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, smashed and finely minced

5 thyme sprigs

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ pound cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered if large

1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Crusty bread, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the bacon and oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon is crisp, 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

2. Add the chicken legs to the pot, increase the heat to medium high and season with salt. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to distribute evenly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water, potatoes, pearl onions, carrots, garlic, thyme and reserved bacon. Season with more salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for another 2 minutes to heat through. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

3. To serve, garnish the stew with parsley and serve with crusty bread on the side.

We test and taste every recipe we publish. While we collaborate with a lot of talented chefs, we adapt and tinker with everything in our test kitchen. (It smells really good in here). Our goal is to make sure every recipe works as well in your home kitchen as it does in ours. So go on, get cooking with confidence.

Brisket, smoked for 9 1/2 hours

Ten pound USDA Prime brisket @ 3.39/ lb. I couldn't pass it up even though I'd cleaned the smoker for the end of the year.  I had to get it going at least one more time. 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

 8:00- 8:15  Trim and rub brisket Picture 1 & 2

8:20-8:45  Start fire in chimney Picture 3

8:45-9:00 transfer fire and preheat smoker Picture 4

                                                                                                                                          brisket

                                          back   front        damper    action                                            temp 

                                                                                                                                           point   flat

9:00                                  200    268           1              add brisket Picture 5

10:20                                250    317            0

10:35                                220    217            1

10:45                                225    269                            add chunk of wood for smoke

11:00                                 235    276

11:35                                 210    248           3              spritz, add wood chunk

11:45                                 235    280           1

11:50                                 210    253

11:55                                                             0            add coals

12:00                                 220   283            1

12:20                                                                            spritz. open smoker to let cool down a little

12:25                                  250   306           0              approx time of picture 6

12:30                                  235   285

12:45                                  235   282

1:00                                    217   264                               add wood

1:40                                    215    257          6               spritz , add wood, start more coals

1:50                                     220   265                           add wood Picture 7

2:00                                     250   323          0                add coals

5 hours elapsed                                                                                                                           159  155

2:10                                      235   300                                  spritz, cooled down smoker

2:30                                      223       276    2

2:50                                       225     285                      add wood Picture 8                                 169 162

3:30                                      215       243                       add coals

4:00                                     205        243

7 hours elapsed                                                                                                                            177 160

4:30                                       220       270                                                                                     179 163

                                                                                     Not the temperature I was shooting for, 

                                                                                      but it feels ready to wrap. WRAPPED

                                                                                      added wood adjust temp 

                                                                              6 then 0, then 2

4:45                                         230    295

5:15                                        225      284                    add coals

5:30                                        235      310

6:00                                         234    306                                                                                    194

6:30                                                                            removed from smoker                              195

Damper numbers= 0 closed. 1 open 1/8. 2 open 1/4. 3 open 1/2. 4 open all the way. 5 door open 1/2.

 6 door open all the way.