New Years Eve, 2020

 Charlie is not a fan of my traditional New Years Day Southern style dinner so to make up a little, I made one of his favorites for today.  The Kansas City Star had this cartoon today; Top ten moments of 2020= the last ten seconds.

Christmas Day

Charlie asked for a repeat of the Thanksgiving dinner so that is what we had, somewhat abbreviated.

Clementine-and-Garlic Roast Turkey

Active Time 1 HR  Total Time  4 HR 30 MIN  Yield  Serves : 10

Justin Chapple November 2017 Note, I had some compound butter left over and used some of it to thicken the gravy made with turkey broth.

 To make the tastiest, quicket, easiest jus for turkey, Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple includes juicy clementines and garlic in the roasting pan, adding excellent flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

• 6 clementines, zested
(1 1/2 tablespoons) and halved crosswise 

• 4 large garlic cloves, finely grated, plus 6 whole garlic heads, halved crosswise 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme, plus 10 sprigs

• One 12- to 14-pound turkey, rinsed and patted dry

• Kosher salt Pepper

• 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Step 1    In a medium bowl, blend the butter with the clementine zest, grated garlic and chopped thyme. Run your fingers under the turkey breast and thigh skin to loosen it, then spread the butter mixture under and over the skin of the breast and thighs. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rack set in a roasting pan and let come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Step 2    Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the turkey for about
30 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the chicken stock to the roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Scatter the clementine halves, garlic heads and thyme sprigs in the pan. Roast for about 1 hour longer, rotating the pan a few times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 165°. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board; let rest for 30 minutes. Transfer the clementines, garlic heads and thyme to a plate, tent with foil and keep warm.

Step 3    Meanwhile, skim the fat off the pan juices and transfer the juices to a medium saucepan. Squeeze the roasted garlic from 1 head and whisk into the pan juices. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat and cook, whisking frequently, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Season the roasted garlic jus with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey and transfer to a platter. Arrange the roasted clementines, garlic heads and thyme around the carved turkey and serve with the jus.

Make Ahead

The seasoned uncooked turkey can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

cream, cheese, or any other of those traditional mashed potato enhancers. Sour cream adds tang, body, and a rich creaminess that cannot be matched.

Everyday Food, November 2011

Needs salt & pepper, more butter and some cream.  I used Yukon gold potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 7 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  1 cup sour cream
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

• Step 1 In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water over high. Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Mash until potatoes are fluffy and almost smooth.
  
  Step 2 In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium-low until butter is melted and mixture is warm. Pour into potatoes and stir to combine. Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper.

 

Cornish hens

 HONEY LACQUERED GAME HENS II

2 game hens

1 C. orange juice

1/3 C. soy sauce

3 inch strip orange zest

1/3 C. honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 C. sesame oil

1/2 inch thin slice of ginger

1 garlic clove, split and peeled

2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in water to make a paste

 

Mix all ingredients except cornstarch and hens and bring to a boil. Simmer 5-10 minutes, cool. Place small orange half and garlic inside hens.  Baste with sauce.

Reserve Roast hens according  to package directions. Baste with sauce, serve with rest of sauce on the side.

Pork bulgogi cooked with kimchi and Galbi.

 

Galbi (beef short ribs) and (Spicy) pork bulgogi with kimchi 

Asian style stir fry beef

Panda Express Beijing Beef

• Yield: 4 servingsPrep Time: 20 minutesCook Time: 20 minutesTotal Time: 40 minutes
• Author: Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

• 1 pound flank steak
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 yellow onion sliced
• 1 pieces red bell pepper cut into 1"
• 1/4 cup cornstarch divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg whites beaten
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 6 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 4 teaspoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 teaspoons crushed red peppers
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1. Cut the flank steak against the grain into thin 1/4 inch slices.
2. In a medium sized bowl add the beef, egg, salt and 1 teaspoon cornstarch and let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
   
3. To make the Beijing Beef Sauce, in a small bowl whisk together the 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, ketchup, hoisin, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweet chili sauce, crushed red peppers and apple cider vinegar.
4. After the beef has finishing marinating add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to a bowl, add the marinated beef (discard the extra marinade).
5. Heat a small saucepan with the oil on medium-high (I use a small saucepan so that I can get a deep fry on this without using a lot of oil. So I fry in small batches, if you don't mind using more oil, go for a bigger pot and you can fry these up much faster).
6. With the last two tablespoons of cornstarch toss the beef one last time and shake off any excess cornstarch.
7. Fry the slices, in batches, until golden brown (2-3 minutes).
   
8. Heat a large pan on high heat and use two tablespoons of the oil you just fried the beef in.
9. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it just starts caramelizing on the edges.
   
10. Add the garlic in and continue to cook a few more seconds until fragrant.
11. Remove the veggies and put them with the beef on a plate.
12. Add the Beijing Beef sauce to the large pan and cook on high until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
    
13. Add the beef and vegetables into the sauce and toss to combine.
14. Serve immediately.

I used a wok and less oil than mentioned above.