JBug's Kitchen Antics

Chili with Turkey, Pinto Beans,Cranberries and Chipotle

OK so here's the story on this one. As you know, we're packing up the house and moving on to greener pastures; greener as in the Oregon Coast and pastures because the Big Guy's  being put out to pasture though not for 6 months or so. 

Consequently the freezer's getting purged of all and sundry and while there's not a lot left in it, what's there is good enough to be recycled at least as far as I'm concerned.

I mean if "Chopped" can do a whole show dedicated to the use of leftovers, imagine my glee when I discovered some turkey thighs left over from this! There's nothing much tastier than turkey thighs braised low and slow in red wine, chicken stock, chipotle peppers and cranberries. They were memorable. 

Add chopped onion, garlic, green and yellow bell peppers, canned tomatoes and spices along with a touch of dark cocoa, a smidge of molasses and we were singing a whole different tune. This particular turkey chili tasted an awful lot like turkey in a mole sauce and that's one of my very favorite flavors. I hope I've convinced you to try the original braised turkey thigh recipe alluded to above because now you know what you can do with any leftovers - that's if you happen to have any of course. 

Kinda’ Like Mole Turkey Chili (an original from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Martha Stewart)

2 leftover braised turkey thighs with 2 cups of sauce (from Chipotle & Cranberry Braised Turkey Thighs)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 tablespoons chile powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1 28 ounce tin diced tomatoes with juice

1-1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon molasses

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium high until shimmering. Add onion and peppers and cook until vegetables are softened. Add garlic and cook for additional minute, stirring constantly. Add chile powder, cumin, and cocoa powder and stir well to combine. Stir in tomatoes, chicken stock, sauce from turkey thighs and molasses. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, remove bones from turkey thighs and chop meat into bite sized pieces. Add to chili along with pinto beans. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Cook, covered for additional 15 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

 A year ago - Sunday Gravy

Two year's ago - Common Ground

Three year's ago -Steamed Marmalade Pudding

Turkey Dumpling Stew

Last night's dinner effort's from Food Network and another keeper if we have anything to say about it. A perfect way to use up the turkey carcass leftover over from Thanksgiving never mind a large piece of turkey lurk we had hiding in the freezer, it was a great dinner solution after an afternoon spent wrapping and packing pictures and mirrors. 

There's nothing quick about it so don't be thinking I'm going to brag about having dinner ready in a flash because for once, I won't be doing that; however, the fact that it all starts with a homemade broth made rich and flavorful with the addition of carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf meant that we got to smell the fabulous aroma darn near all day long.

Four hours of bubbling in a pot and that carcass was plum clean, the broth strained through a fine mesh strainer and further reduced by a half leaving a sublimely colored rich and glorious base for a great stew. I added more herby flavors because, as you know, we don't do subtle around here - a couple of teaspoons of poultry seasoning, lots of pepper and salt and a little more thyme made all the difference as far as I was concerned. Oh, I left the green beans out too, although I'd have loved some green peas in the mix along with the carrots and parsnip I'd have been eating the whole pot myself because Big Guy doesn't like either.

Oh, about the dumplings - hold onto your hats. I cheated! I simply mixed a handful of freshly chopped herbs including parsley, thyme and a little rosemary from our garden into 2 cups of storebought biscuit mix mixed with 2/3 cup milk. Tossed with a fork until it just barely came together and scooped into the bubbling cauldron of stew, the covered dumplings cooked a mere 15 minutes and came out light as air.

As for the verdict - to be honest, I was a tad worried it would be a kind of "not fancy, no flavor" boiled dinner the kinds of which I suffered through as a kid and swore I'd never make myself ever but I was wrong. This turkey stew's well worth a repeat next time we've leftover turkey or roasted chicken hanging around.  Hit this link and head on over for the recipe - oh, and Happy New Year everyone! May your dreams come true in a big way in 2013!

 

Turkey and Stuffing Pot Pie

It's time to get rid of more Thanksgiving leftovers hiding in the freezer so last night's culinary adventure was a true trip down memory lane. I'm warning you though - it's a new invention that could benefit from a little more work but we're all about honesty here so I'm giving you the goods anyway.

It all began with a pre-baked flaky buttery pie crust and kind of morphed from there.  I whipped up a creamy sherry flavored filling that included  a couple of cups of chopped up leftover turkey along with onions, carrots, celery and diced potatoes. As you'll see didn't include anything green which would have helped the visual effects substantially; however, as you know Big Guy doesn't do green peas or beans. His bad.

Piled high with a cap of stuffing stolen from the freezer, the whole shebang hit a hot oven for 45 minutes and came out looking like this.

Unfortunately the nuts in the stuffing got a little "brown" but it was all good. It tasted OK, in fact there's isn't much about it not to like but serving was an issue. It fell apart but that could be overcome by making individual serving sized pies, each in its own ramekin.

Would I make it again - uh maybe, although I must confess to being a touch turkeyed out at the moment. What about you?

Turkey and Stuffing Pot Pie (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup chopped carrots (about 2 large)

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 cup turkey or chicken stock

2 tablespoons instant blending flour (Wondra)

1/4 cup dry sherry or marsala

1 – 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

2 cups leftover roast turkey, cut into bite size pieces

 

Pastry for a single crust pie

2 cups prepared stuffing (I used leftover)

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange pastry in a 9 inch pie pan, prick with a fork and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Lower oven temperature to 375.

Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until vegetables start to soften. Add poultry season, garlic powder, salt, pepper and potato and stir well. Add turkey stock, cover pan and simmer until vegetables are cooked through – about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in instant blending flour. Cook stirring for 1 minute or until thickened then add sherry. Stir in frozen peas, turkey and cream of chicken soup. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as required. Pour filling into cooled crust and pile leftover stuffing on top. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until filling is bubbling and topping is browned. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Rigatoni with Pancetta, Hot Peppers and Tomato

Two year's ago -  Apple Cranberry Raspberry Pie

Turkey Croquettes on Greens with Cranberry Vinaigrette

There's a host of things to be made with leftover turkey as you'll see if you hit "Turkey" on the index to your right. Soups, salads, sandwiches, pot pies, enchiladas, bread pudding - we've kinda' run the gamut but one thing we'd never tried before was a turkey croquette until last night.

Thanks to Fine Cooking, these beauties are smaller and shaped more like rissole than a larger croquette, but then again the difference is only in the name, right? Afterall, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck it must be a duck right or in this case, a crispy, golden fried hunk of leftover turkey.

Simply minced bird spiced up with rosemary, thyme and poultry seasoning, moistened with leftover mashed potatoes and a thick bechamel sauce loaded with minced onion, shallots and garlic, our version of the recipe is of course slightly different from the original but no less delicious, I'm sure.

The fact that I used leftover mashed potatoes instead of cooking spuds and left out the step of coating the patties in egg wash before they hit the crumbs, panko in this instance meant they were much easier to put together than Fine Cooking's version. Hey the patties were moist enough and panko will stick to darn near anything anyway. Allowed to sit for 40 minutes in the refrigerator before cooking meant the croquettes firmed up nicely and were less delicate to handle. After a quick browning on both sides, I put them into the oven for 10 minutes so they had a chance to heat all the way through.

Served on a bed of mixed greens with a tart cranberry balsamic vinaigrette, it was a rather welcome light and delicious change of pace after so much excess. I don't know about you, but there's only so much stuffing, gravy, mayonnaise loaded turkey sandwiches on white bread I can handle. 

Turkey Croquettes with Mixed Greens and Cranberry Vinaigrette (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Fine Cooking)

Croquettes:

1 pound leftover turkey, cut into pieces

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Small handful fresh parsley, chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary chopped (stems removed)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt and course ground black pepper

12 ounces prepared mashed potatoes (I used leftovers)

1/4 cup butter

1 shallot, minced

1/2 medium onion, minced

3 cloves garlic (small) minced

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup whole milk

1 cup panko crumbs

Vegetable Oil for frying

Place turkey into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Move to a large bowl and add parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add mashed potatoes and combine well.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, onion and garlic and cook until softened. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in milk, and cook sauce stirring constantly until very thick – about 5 minutes. Cool slightly, then pour sauce over minced turkey mixture and mix well. Using a 4 ounce ice cream scoop, form mixture into balls then flatten into discs about a half inch thick. Coat both sides with panko crumbs and set onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil to a depth of approx. ¼ inch in bottom of large skillet. When hot, fry croquettes on both sides until nicely browned. Move to a sheet pan and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until warmed through. Serve with mixed greens and Cranberry Vinaigrette. (Serves 6. …I froze half the croquettes uncooked for future use).

Cranberry Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup minced onion or shallot

1/4 cup dried cranberries

3 tablespoons balsamic

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and course ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients into a jar with a tight sealing lid and shake until emulsified. Allow to sit at room temperature until serving. 

A year ago - Ginger Creme Brulee

Two year's ago - Clam and Corn Chowder

The Hot Brown - Not Just Any Old Turkey Sandwich

I figure my Canadian readers are just working their way through the last of the Thanksgiving turkey so here's something different for those of you who've had enough of the ordinary - although I'm not sure how a turkey sandwich piled high with cold stuffing, cranberries and mayo could ever be called ordinary.

Regardless, I'm here to say that when you have one of these, you'll be cooking another turkey PDQ so you can have more. The Hot Brown first came to be in the late 1920's and was served at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. I think it's a cross between a Welsh Rarebit and turkey version of a Croque Monsieur which is a Croque Madame without the egg. However you want to describe it, let's just say it's plum good!

We've had it before with the traditional cheese sauce but last night's version adapted from Food Network Magazine contains sauteed onion in the sauce as well as chicken stock. I changed it up by using half and half to make it richer and Jarlsburgh cheese instead of the muenster they called for, and kicked it up a notch too with a little cayenne pepper and a splash of sherry. 

Loaded onto slices of crisp grilled French bread, slathered with mustard and layers of sliced tomato, turkey and sauce all browned up under the broiler, the crowning touch has to be the crisp salty bacon on top.  Served with a crisp salad on the side, it more than sufficiently saffonsified my resident carnivore. 

Hot Brown Turkey Sandwich (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Food Network Magazine)

Sauce:

5 slices bacon

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup half and half (more as needed)

1-1/2 cups grated Jarlsburgh cheese (or Muenster or Monteray Jack)

1/8  teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons dry sherry

Salt & pepper

In a large sauté pan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel and reserve for later. Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan. Add onion to the pan and cook until softened and starting to turn golden. Stir in flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in chicken broth and half and half. Lower heat to medium low and cook stirring occasionally until thickened. Remove from heat and add grated cheese, cayenne pepper and dry sherry. Stir until cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as required. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

Sandwich:

4 thick slices crusty bread (I used French bread)

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Dijon mustard

1/2 pound sliced roasted turkey

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Preheat broiler. Spread softened butter over both sides of French bread slices and grill in a hot pan until golden. Remove from pan and place onto a foil lined sheet pan. Slather grilled toast on one side with Dijon mustard and top each slice with a few tablespoons of prepared sauce. Arrange sliced tomato on top, followed by a thin layer of sliced turkey. Top with sauce and follow up with more turkey, ending with sauce on top. Place under the broiler and cook until golden brown – about 2 to 3 minutes. Top with crumbled bacon. Makes 4 servings (or serves 2 gluttons). 

A year ago - Ranch Potatoes

Two year's ago - Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Use Leftovers - Turkey and Pumpkin Enchilada Casserole

Leftovers can be the best gift a cook can give herself and never moreso after a big holiday meal. With that in mind, we threw a few extra turkey thighs in the pot on Sunday so we'd take care of a few more meals through the week. Here's number 1.  

I don't know about you but when I use the word casserole, I think of something quick and easy to make. Unfortunately this version of Mexican style lasagne doesn't quite fit into the "quick" category but believe me when I say it's worth every second of the time it takes to get it on the table. 

Step one is the sauce. While you could forgo this by simply opening a can of prepared enchilada sauce, this sauce isn't difficult to make and definitely worth it in the flavor department. Simply mild California dry chiles mixed with a couple of dried Ancho chiles, six cloves of garlic, oregano and water, the pot of red simmers for a half hour until the chiles are softened and the garlic cooked, then steeps for another half hour before it gets hit with an immersion blender. A little golden roux, brown sugar, salt and a bit more time on the burner and the sauce is done - rich, red and absolutely delicious. 

The enchilada filling includes onion, garlic and cumin, as well as pumpkin or butternut squash, simmered until just cooked then joined by a few cups of leftover turkey. Layered between warmed corn tortillas, the fabulous deep red rich chile sauce and shredded monteray jack cheese, the casserole hits the oven (finally) and 30 minutes later comes out looking beautiful and smelling glorious.

We loved it, in fact oddly enough I was the one who kept asking if it couldn't have used more spicey heat but honestly it's perfect just the way it is. We garnished our servings with sour cream and some purchased salsa but head on over to Fine Cooking for the recipe and see how they did it. I changed not one thing to the casserole and I'd make it exactly the same again in a heartbeat.

Next time I might just double the recipe and make 1 for the freezer and 1 for dinner. As for the sauce, we'll be canning quarts of it and calling it Ruby Red Chile Gold! Just sayin'. 

A year ago - Pumpkin PIe Creme Brulee

Two year's ago - Cider Brined Pork Chops with Apples and Creamed Leeks

Chipotle and Cranberry Braised Turkey Thighs

The tune Big Guy was singing yesterday afternoon was something like "Don't leave me to my own devices or I'll f... up the spices." Of course, that's after much haranguing from yours truly when I found out he'd put half a can of chipotle into our dinner entree but I was so wrong. I shouldn't have worried because he came through like gangbusters. 

To celebrate my Canadian roots and Thanksgiving this weekend, turkey was an absolute must on the menu and while most of us think of a traditional roast turkey when we're planning our special dinner, I'm here to say there's a lot of other ways to enjoy this flavorful bird.

This recipe's inspired by one from Fine Cooking but instead of cooking lamb shanks, I thought the combination of chipotle along with cranberries would be a fabulous way to braise turkey thighs. Lucky me, because when Big Guy took over the kitchen yesterday, he kicked the whole thing up at least 10 notches. 

He coated the turkey thighs in all purpose flour and browned them well  in batches ...or as he says, "put a good dew on 'em", before removing them from the Dutch oven. Sauteed onion and garlic followed by a half bottle of a hearty red wine (Panilonco Merlot Malbec 2011 Reserve) then 12 ounces of frozen cranberries, chicken broth, honey and minced chipotles in adobe. Cumin, salt and pepper rounded out the spices and along with some chopped fresh kumquats from our trees, the turkey thighs were re-introduced to the pot. 

Two glorious sweet smelling hours later, our special dinner was on the table and it was indeed special. The spicy smokey heat of the chipotle peppers is tamed significantly by the addition of honey combined with the tartness of the cranberries and hint of citrus from the kumquats. It resulted in a fabulous rich tasting sauce over the succulent turkey thighs and all of that along with creamy mashed spuds and roasted veggies ....well! 

Quite honestly, if you're fans of Mexican mole, I know you'll love this because the flavor's quite similar. It's a winner, winner Big Guy dinner!

Chipotle Cranberry Braised Turkey Thighs (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Fine Cooking)

 6 to 8 small turkey thighs including skin and bones

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

All-purpose flour

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 kumquats or half a tangerine, sliced and diced

3 to 6 tablespoons minced chipotles in adobo (depending on your spice tolerance)

2 teaspoons cumin

2 cups full bodied red wine (like Merlot Malbec)

2 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries

1-1/2 cups chicken stock or more as needed

1/3 cup honey

Heat oil in a large cast iron Dutch oven over medium high. Meanwhile coat turkey thighs with flour and shake off excess. When oil is shimmering add turkey thighs and cook in batches until browned on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add onion and garlic to the pot and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Add cumin and chipotles and stir to combine well.  Add red wine, cranberries, chicken stock and honey and heat to boiling. Return turkey thighs to the pot.

Cover pot and place into a preheated 325 oven. Bake for 2 hours or until turkey thighs are very tender, adding stock as needed to maintain adequate liquid. Remove cover for last half hour of cooking to thicken sauce. Taste for seasoning adding salt/pepper as required. Serves 4 to 6.  

A year ago - Cornish Pasties

Two year's ago - Beef Fajitas with Blackened Tomato Salsa

Turkey Talk

Canadian Thanksgiving is a mere week away, consequently I think it's time we started thinking about how we're going to cook this year's bird. I'm one of the lucky ones because I can celebrate my favorite holiday twice a year. I'm Canadian married to an American and living in the far south. For some of you just bear with me OK? I'm just planting seeds of turkey cookin' ideas, but for my fellow Canadians, it's time to get the lead out and start planning the menu. 

When choosing your bird, it's important to know that size matters. The term "go big or go home" doesn't necessarily apply when purchasing a turkey. Just remember the bigger the bird, the older it is and possibly tougher too. Personally, I prefer to pick one between 11 and 15 pounds because they're best for roasting, and the meat to bone ratio's darn near perfect. If you're expecting a large crowd of people, it's best to cook 2 smaller birds instead of one big 30 pounder. Your chances are much better for tender, moist perfectly cooked flesh and crisp, mahogany colored skin - at least that's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it. 

As for whether to choose a fresh or frozen bird, it's entire up to you and your budget; however, I'd rather go for the fresh organic free range bird any day of the week and I'll gladly pay the price.

Next question - De-bone or not to debone? Check out Big Guy's de-boning lesson if you're interested in rolling and stuffing a whole bird. Personally, it's one of my favorite methods and the bonus is you've the bones to use for making the most unbelievable stock aka gravy you'll ever drink...er see. You can also end up chowing down on a plate full of glory including a forcemeat stuffed rolled turkey roast. 

When you're roasting a whole bird, to stuff or not to stuff may be your next question and I think it's a toss up as to what method wins. Personally I prefer to stuff my bird before roasting; however, I'm aware there's some danger involved in doing it so I'm extremely careful during the process to make sure the stuffing is handled properly and the bird cooks to the appropriate temperature (165 F).

Removing the stuffing from the bird immediately after it's cooked is also key to making sure you're not visited by Sam and Ella (salmonella). 

With the right equipment, there's other ways of cooking that turkey lurk too. You can always end up with a moist tender bird by using the rotisserie on your barbecue,  or deep fry that puppy too but be sure to pick a good quality bird in the first place and whatever you do, be sure it's fully cooked to the appropriate internal temperature. 

Of course there's other ways to enjoy turkey other than the traditional method(s), although I'm as guilty as most in playing it safe and going with what I know.

I mean, don't forget you can always braise a bird or its parts ...head to the warm waters of the Caribbean and braise the bird in Island spices including lots of fresh ginger, allspice and beer.

Or cook up a huge pot of Mexican style Turkey Mole, loaded with chiles, nuts and spices...whip up some margaritas, bring out the tortillas and have a party!  Sounds like a plan, doesn't it?

 

 

 

 

Whatever you do, however you do it, just remember to relax, have fun and for heaven's sake make sure there's some leftovers so you don't have to cook for at least a day after the big holiday.  Just sayin'. 

 

BBQ Turkey on a Bun

Late night dinners are a whole different ball game around here. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time eating a heavy meal then going to bed and expecting to sleep. Of course sleep is rather fleeting around here this week anyway with the Maxer doing his seizure dance, but if I were going to catch some zzz's, I'd be hard pressed to do it after a heavy meal. 

 
Last night's dinner sure wasn't rocket science but it filled the void, was quick to make and filling but not the stuff kind of filling and rather tasty too. This sandwich is simply shredded leftover turkey, moistened with chicken stock and slathered in barbecue sauce on a grilled bun. That's it, that's all - except for the red onion, red cabbage slaw of course.

No mayo in this one - just the sharp bite of red wine vinegar and a 2 hour room temperature marination  and the crispy relish was ready as a true crowning glory on our sandwiches. Accompanied by some cold crisp crudites and sweet potato chips, we were sufficiently suffcified. 

In case you're wondering what's happening with the kitchen renovations, the new granite was installed  with a couple of hitches that need to be resolved which may mean the third time we go through this exercise. Believe me, it's not that I'm fussy ...just the guy that cut the granite must have been into the tequila because it's out almost a half inch on one side meaning there's a big enough gap between the granite and the wall that our backsplash tile isn't likely to cover.

The plumber has also been and gone. We've a new sink with actual running water in the kitchen, except the water is also running UNDER the sink so of course the plumber will have to come back to fix it and to pick up the faucet wrench he left behind. Oh, speaking of faucets, the faucet is too tall so we can't open the plantation shutters or the window for that matter so it's safe to say our string of bad luck is still rolling along. When I picked the darn thing I took that into account but apparently when they supply measurements, they only include the distance to the top of the faucet, not including the handle.

If you think that's all, you'd be wrong. Our precious wine fridge that has the dual duty of curing pancetta and storing wine was built into the island - in fact, the island was designed around the darn thing. The only problem is the fridge doesn't like its new location, even though the manual says it can be used as a built in or stand alone refrigerator. Needless to say, we now need to purchase a new wine cooler or find something else to do with the huge gap in the island. 

Oh and update on Max, he still doing the shaky dance - 14 and counting since Sunday night and we're working hard to get them under control but failing miserably. He's had enough valium to sink a battleship and if he's not careful his Momma will be stealing some ... I might have thought about it before now if it weren't for the fact they're suppositories. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Do I hear anyone laughing?

I can honestly say if I didn't know any better, one would think there's a curse on us. On a positive note - I love our new kitchen especially the cabinets and really love the pot drawers we added to replace cupboard doors. They're absolutely amazing and make the kitchen much more efficient!

BBQ Turkey Sandwiches (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Slaw:

1 small red onion, cut into very thin slices

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and store at room temperature for a minimum 2 hours, then chill until serving.

 

Sandwiches:

4 panini rolls

Butter

1 pound cooked turkey

1 cup barbecue sauce ( I used honey flavored)

1/4 cup white wine or low sodium chicken stock

Tear or cut turkey into small shreds and place in a sauté pan along with barbecue sauce and wine. Heat slowly to a simmer, stirring often. Cut Panini rolls in half and butter well. Toast buttered side down on a hot grill. To serve arrange a generous amount of turkey mixture on grilled bun and top with slaw mixture. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Bacon and Blue Mac and Cheese 

Turkey Noodle Casserole with Artichokes

The leftover turkey from Easter dinner's been a real godsend this week as there's nothing that's more versatile than leftover poultry. This quick casserole makes good use of chunks of white or dark meat mixed with artichoke hearts, black olives, green pepper and pimento for color and onion for flavor and some quick cooking wide egg noodles. 

It's a pretty basic recipe from my Wall Drug Cookbook that had not one other spice or herb in it, so I took the liberty of adding garlic, tarragon and lots of salt and pepper. Slathered with grated parmesan cheese, it held admirably in the refrigerator until I got the call that Big Guy's late class was over. Forty minutes later he was home and the casserole was almost ready. 

So what did we think about it? Big Guy said it was OK which means "it's OK but you don't have to put it on the make again list". Me ....I thought it was boring as heck and was much better with a half bottle of Arizona Gunslinger hot sauce slathered over top. OK, so that's an exaggeration, but let's just say it needed more than a few drops to jazz it up.

If you're making lunch for your great aunt Sylvia and the rest of the bridge gang, then this might be just the thing for a ladies who lunch kinda' dish, but I'd be inclined to leave the noodles out of the equation, add some mushrooms and serve the turkey/artichoke/olive/green pepper/pimento/onion mixture in some puff pastry shells instead, garnished with toasted almonds for crunch. Just sayin'. 

For those of you that just dropped by for a look see at JBug's Kitchen Antics, I must apologize for the fancy dinner ware you see in the photograph but we're in the midst of renovating our kitchen and we're without a kitchen sink (among other things). Believe me using disposable plates while the kitchen's being renovated is becoming a life saver ....or should I say wife saver! 

Turkey Noodle Casserole with Artichokes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Wall Drug Cookbook)

2-1/2 cups cooked turkey or chicken cut into bite size pieces

1 – 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, well drained

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1/2 cup finely diced green pepper

1 small jar pimento

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

6 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked to al dente and well drained mixed with 1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl mix together turkey, artichoke hearts, black olives, green pepper, pimento, onion, garlic, and tarragon until well combined. In a small bowl whisk together chicken soup, white wine and sour cream. Fold into turkey mixture. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Place half the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Layer buttered noodles on top then add remaining turkey mixture. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Serves 6.

A year ago - Zippy Chicken and Rice Soup

Two year's ago - Two Potato Salad with Mustard and Bacon

Curried Turkey Salad and Sour Cream Scones

Other than the turkey sandwich I had for lunch yesterday, the next best thing I wanted to put together from the leftover Easter turkey is this curried turkey salad we had for dinner last night.

Thrown together without a recipe, it's got all the usual bird salad ingredients in it like celery and red onion, but in addition I loaded it up on dried cranberries and slivered almonds too just for a different crunch. What really gives this one a step up is the curry flavored mayo based dressing I concocted.

I added 4 teaspoons of curry powder to a 1/2 cup of mayo and a 1/4 cup of sour cream, then realized I might have gone a tad overboard with it. Curry can be a little bitter if it isn't mellowed in a hot pan first which of course I didn't do, so I added a half cup of our homemade kumquat marmalade to sweeten it up a bit. Any orange marmalade will do just fine, but there's something special about one that you've fashioned yourself out of kumquats from your own trees. Anyway, it was just what was needed to put this salad up there with one of our best. By the way, the salad would be wonderful with more fruit added to it in addition to the dried cranberries. Try mango chunks, or green grapes or some diced up apple and see what I mean.

I knew the plate needed one more thing and since I didn't have any dinner rolls hiding in the freezer, I went to the internet and found Paula's Sour Cream Scone recipe online at foodnetwork.com. They came together in the food processor in a flash but I left out the heavy cream/raw sugar finish she recommends and the top was perfectly golden and crunchy anyway, thank you very much.

The only thing I didn't do was work them a little more when the dough came out of the processor so if anything, the finished scones were a little too light and fluffy. Imagine having such a problem when often they can be like dry hockey pucks instead of the moist tender morsels they ended up as. I should make that mistake again soon! Thanks Paula!

Hit the link here to head directly to Paula's Sour Cream Scone recipe, and see the Curried Turkey Salad recipe below. 

Curried Turkey Salad (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3 cups diced cooked turkey (or chicken if you wish)

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

3 to 4 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 cup orange marmalade (I used our homemade kumquat)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

Salad Greens

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder and orange marmalade and mix well. All to sit for 5 minutes, then taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Add celery, onion, cranberries, turkey and almonds to the dressing and toss well to combine. Refrigerate well covered for a minimum 1 hour to blend flavors. Serve on bed of mixed greens. Makes 4 servings.

For those of you that just dropped by for a look see at JBug's Kitchen Antics, I must apologize for the fancy dinner ware you see in the photograph but we're in the midst of renovating our kitchen and we're without a kitchen sink (among other things). Believe me using disposable plates while the kitchen's being renovated is becoming a life saver ....or should I say wife saver! 

Two year's ago - Maui Tacos with Seared Pineapple Salsa

Quick Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup with Cranberry Sour Cream Biscuits

Yesterday was a marathon day in the kitchen. Our kumquats and Meyer lemons are ready and need to be dealt with so I've been busy harvesting, planning and putting them to bed. It's funny but I was thinking the other day as I washed 5 pounds of bright gem like kumquats is that we women pay lots of money for fancy perfumes but there's nothing can compare with the smell of fresh picked fruit, no matter what kind.

Course the opposite is true when said fruit's being turned into marmalade and boils over on the stove. Now that wasn't something I'd particularly planned for. What a bleepin' mess!

Anyway, dinner last night needed to hold well since the Big Guy has a late Wednesday class and isn't home till sevenish and something that didn't require a lot of fuss and bother since I'd spent the day doing just that. A pot of turkey soup seemed to be the perfect choice.

This particular effort has a golden rue as a flavor base and includes the usual trinity of vegetables along with potatoes and noodles. There's two things that make it stand out - the addition of cream at the very end to smooth out the broth and flavoring agents such as garlic, oregano, thyme, and poultry seasoning. It's got body, soul and a lot of attitude and it's far from the usual milquetoast noodle soup.

As you can see I whipped up some biscuits to go with our soup, although you might think they look more like scones. Who says you have to cut biscuits into rounds? I simply whipped up the usual dough, but this time I added some dried cranberries and moistened the dry ingredients with a combination of yogurt and sour cream - just because I had the dregs of 2 containers in the refrigerator and wanted to get rid of them.

The resulting biscuits are exceedingly light, moist and flavorful, although likely more suited to afternoon tea than a super soup supper upper.

Oh, what you see on the plate is a little ramekin of Kicky Kumquat Marmalade, loaded with 9 (yup that's right NINE) chopped up Habanero peppers and a nice amount of Triple Sec. It's rather wonderful if I do say so myself. It has attitude but the sugar content of the marmalade really cuts the heat of the peppers so it doesn't burn your mouth. It just creates a mellow glow - ok a rather hesitant flame but not a roaring fire. That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it.

Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

3 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon poultry seasoning

1-1/2 teaspoons salt (may need more depending on stock)

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

6 cups strained turkey stock

4 cups diced peeled potatoes

2 cups diced turkey

3 to 4 ounces wide egg noodles

1 cup evaporated milk for half and half

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Medium Dry Sherry (optional)

Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering hot, add onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté until vegetables are softened – about 10 minutes. Move the vegetables over to one side of the pot and add butter to bottom of the pot. When butter has melted stir in flour. Cook stirring until roux becomes golden brown – 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir vegetables into roux and add oregano, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt and black pepper. Cook stirring constantly for another minute before adding turkey stock. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Stir in potatoes and diced turkey, cover pot and cook for additional 15 minutes. Add noodles to pot, cover pot and cook additional 10 minutes or until noodles are softened. Stir often to prevent sticking. Add evaporated milk and chopped parsley just before serving. Drizzle each serving with a little sherry. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cranberries and Cream Biscuits (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

Note – I used self-rising flour; however if you wish to use regular all purpose, increase baking powder to 6 teaspoons (2 tablespoons) and add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

2 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk

Additional sour cream and granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in dried cranberries. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine yogurt, sour cream and egg yolk, beating to combine well. Pour into well in center of dry ingredients and using a fork, incorporate liquid mixing just until barely combined. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead lightly a few times to distribute wet ingredients into dry. Pat dough out into a circle about 8 inches in diameter.

Transfer to baking sheet and brush top with a little sour cream. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Cut circle into 8 wedges, moving wedges apart approximately a half inch to allow for rising. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted into biscuit comes out clean.

A year ago - Really Good Stew

Cranberry Turkey Meatballs and Sweet Potato Latkes

There was a taste sensation party going on in our house last night. Unfortunately the neighbors from hell were having a different kind of party with screaming in all directions, front, back and sideways. At least we know one thing for sure - it is unlikely taste had any part in their equation.

On the other hand, ours included these fabulous turkey meatballs from Elise at Simply Recipes, absolutely loaded with holiday flavors. Hit the link and head to the source for the recipe, but I have to tell you the Big Guy and I were a perfect team once again putting these beauties together. Loaded with ground turkey that we pulverized ourselves from fresh turkey thighs, and subtly spiced with thyme and fennel, after browning they sat in a garnet colored bed of spiced up cranberry coulis.  We loved them although of course in our opinion they could have used a good jolt of habanero along with the cayenne pepper to make them truly memorable.

Also holding a place on our tray of holiday munchies on Pink Mountain Friday were little lacy crispy nests of sweet potato latkes. Simple to make and so darn delicious, these beauties aren't just wonderful as a "with", but they're perfect appetizers too. A combination of sweet and yukon gold potatoes, along with a grated sweet onion, my secret to perfection in the latke department ...other than having the Big Guy do all the cookin' is to use my potato ricer to squeeze all the moisture out of the potatoes before adding the flour, egg and seasoning.

Topped with a sour cream/horseradish sauce the only thing wrong is that we didn't make enough of the darn things. They're really a perfect appetizer, hot or room temperature, whether topped with the horseradish sauce or smoked salmon or caviar or home made apple sauce or nothing else but salt and your finger. Delicious!

Sweet Potato Latkes (adapted from foodnetwork.com)

1/2 sweet onion

1/2 pound Yukon gold potato

1/2 pound sweet potato

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 large egg

Vegetable oil

1/4 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons horseradish

Oil for frying

Preheat oven to 200. Place a wire rack over a sheet pan and set aside.

Grate onion using a box grater and place into a medium sized bowl. Grate peeled potatoes and mix with onion as you go along to prevent browning. Work as quickly as possible. Transfer potato onion mixture into a potato ricer in 2 batches and squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the vegetables. Return to a bowl; add flour, salt, pepper and egg. Mix well to combine.

Heat a quarter inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Using a quarter cup ice cream scoop, transfer latke mixture to hot oil, level top slightly and cook 3 or 4 at a time until golden on both sides. Transfer to prepared sheet pan and hold in the oven while you finish cooking the rest of the latkes.  Mix together sour cream and horseradish and serve with latkes.

A year ago - Baked Pasta with Eggplant Sauce

Mulligatawny Soup and Buttermilk Biscuits

There's not much better on a cold Friday night than a bowl of stick to your ribs soup, except maybe when it's on the same plate as warm from the oven biscuits as well.

I picked up a 5 pounder of self rising flour last week even though it's easy enough to make it yourself by adding half a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon and a half of baking powder to every cup of regular all purpose flour. I was just being lazy. Anyway, now I've got to use the stuff so buttermilk biscuits seemed like just the ticket and they're so blinkin' easy to make, I had no excuse.

Cuddled up all warm and cozy next to a bowl of spiced up chicken and rice soup, it seemed like just the thing to welcome my Big Guy home after a long day in the salt mines. Now, we've had this soup before a couple of times so I won't go into it much except to point you in the direction of a previous post but just so you know, it's not a pansy kind of soup at all. Loaded with curry, sweetened with an apple and finished with a touch of coconut milk, it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Chicken and Rice Soup with Zip (adapted from Jackson Hole Cooks)

This warm and wonderful soup is also known as Mulligatawny and is a perfect après ski or rainy day bowl of warm comfort. It freezes very well and like most soups, the flavors improve with time.

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1-1/2 pounds chicken thighs or breasts, skinned, boned and cut into half inch pieces

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 bay leaf

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into quarter inch dice

1 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1/2 cup coconut milk (lite unsweetened)

Melt butter in large stock pot. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until onion is soft. Move vegetables over to one side of pot and add chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add flour, curry and Garam Masala. Cook stirring for 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil stirring constantly then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add rice, apple, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes, covered – stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add lemon rind. Remove pot from heat and add coconut milk. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4 to 6. 

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits (adapted from Betty Crocker aka Gold Medal Flour)

2 cups self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup less 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl mix together flour and baking soda. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly. Mix buttermilk into dry ingredients using a fork and stir just to incorporate ingredients together. Move to a floured board and knead lightly until mixture holds together. Roll out to a half inch thickness and cut with a 3 inch cookie cutter. Arrange biscuits with sides touching onto prepared pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes  9 biscuits. Serve slathered in unsalted butter!

A year ago - Spaghetti and Meatballs

Creamy Turkey Enchiladas

We're coming to the end of our Thanksgiving turkey stash with last night's dinner likely the favorite of all the leftover gobbler creations and without question our favorite enchilada recipe.

It would be afterall. It's loaded with green chiles, hot salsa, whipping cream and cheese and topped with a mixture of cream of chicken soup and sour cream along with a ton of cheese. Originally a recipe from Idaho a la CArte, it's a perfect way to channel leftovers into something fabulous. I've made it enough that I can honestly say it is now mine with with extra onions, garlic, and Tex/Mex heat. Perfect garnished with more salsa and some of Jen's fabulous jalapeno jelly, it is quintessential comfort food in a creamy spicy form and perfect for, dare I say, a COLD winter evening.

Yes people, winter has finally arrived in the desert and I swear when the Big Guy and I were out walking the dogs last night before bedtime, the precipitation falling looked suspiciously more like snow than rain. Yahoo! I wait all year to haul out my silk longjohns and fleece and it's finally here. Today's the day I finally get to turn the self cleaning switch on the oven and revel in the fact the kitchen's warm instead of doing it when it's 115 outside and feels like double that inside.

Creamy Turkey Enchiladas (adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

 1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2-1/2 cups leftover roast turkey (or chicken) chopped into small pieces

4 roasted green chiles, skinned, seeded and chopped (or 1 6 ounce can)

3/4 cup spicy hot salsa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon hot chile powder (optional)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or pepperjack cheese

8 large flour tortillas

1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican cheese mix

1 – 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add oil and when shimmering add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is softened. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature. Add turkey, green chiles, salsa, salt, pepper, chile powder, red pepper flakes and whipping cream.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Spoon approximately half a cup of turkey mixture onto a flour tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll to enclose the filling and place seam side down into casserole dish. Repeat until all filling is used. Sprinkle cheese on top of rolled tortillas in casserole dish. In a small bowl whisk together cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Spread on top of enchiladas and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with additional salsa or guacamole. Serves 6 to 8.

A year ago - Curried Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey and Stuffing Handpies aka Cornish Pasties

We have the Brits to thank for last night's dinner but before we get to the meat of this post I need to clear something up; that's as in Cornish "pasty" and it's pronounced like "nasty" people. It absolutely nowhere near resembles the falsies used to accent what God didn't give all the A cups, if you know what I mean, and neither is it nasty in any way, shape or form.

Now, I've made these little leftover filled wonders before only in a pork version that we absolutely loved but I have to tell you the turkey kind's even better, if it's possible to beat anything pork that is. Filled with chopped raw carrots and parsnip along with leftover turkey, gravy and stuffing all in a nice neat little flaky pastry package, there's no way it should be called a "leftover".

Plated with two kinds of cranberry sauce and some coleslaw it was a meal made in heaven. So, why two kinds of cranberry sauce you ask? Well, in truth, I'm adding these to the blog so I'll know where to find them next time I'm making cranberry sauce because either one's a real keeper and I don't see myself making any other kind in the future. If you know me at all, you'll know I don't settle for making the same thing twice very often so you've gotta' imagine just how perfectly sublime the sauces are, although the pictures do them no justice.

Chunky Apple Cranberry Sauce courtesy of Country Home Magazine has cranberries and apples cooked in apple cider, sweetened with a touch of sugar and real maple syrup and spiced with a whole cinnamon stick. Finished with a touch of vanilla, it takes all of 10 minutes to whip up and is worth every second of time. It makes darn near a quart of wonderful tart but sweet, perfectly spiced sauce to jazz up any kind of poultry but I have to say it would be fabulous with pork too.

Raspberry Habanero Cranberry Sauce is a take on the Raspberry Cranberry Sauce in this month's Cooking Light Magazine. Remember about a year ago the BIg Guy whipped up some Raspberry Habanero Jelly - well, I added some to a mildly sweetened version of the recipe on the Ocean Spray package and added a cup of frozen raspberries just for good measure. The result is a supremely delicious kinda sweet, kinda' tart, raspberry flavored cranberry studded ruby colored sauce with the kick of a mule. Holy cow is it good! I can't wait to try it on a Turkey and Brie Panini which may or may not be on our list for tonight's dinner. Just sayin'.

Turkey n Stuffin’ Hand Pies aka Cornish Pasties (inspired by Emeril Lagasse, Food Network)

Pastry:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3.5 ounces cold butter cut into cubes

4 ounces cold vegetable shortening cut into pieces

1 egg yolk beaten with 6 tablespoons ice cold water

 In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Using a fork mix in egg yolk/water mixture just until mixture holds together. Remove to a board and knead slightly until mixture holds together. Flatten to a disc, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Filling:

1-1/2 cups diced leftover roast turkey

1/2 cup diced peeled raw carrots (quarter inch dice)

1/2 cup diced peeled raw parsnips (quarter inch dice)

1/2 cup leftover turkey gravy

1 cup leftover cold stuffing

Mix roast turkey, carrots, parsnip and turkey gravy together in a small bowl. Set aside.

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

To make pasties, roll cold pastry out on a well-floured surface until about a quarter inch thick. Using a plate as a guide cut pastry into 6 or 7 inch circles. Brush edges of pastry with egg yolk/water mixture. Place approximately a half cup of filling onto middle of pastry. Add a spoonful of stuffing on top of filling, and then fold pastry up to meet at the top of the stuffing and crimp edges together well. Re-roll remaining dough pieces as required to make 6 pasties. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Brush pasties with egg yolk/water mixture and cut slits in top so steam can escape. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven heat to 350 and bake for additional 25 to 30 minutes until pasties are golden brown and cooked through. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 6 large pasties.

Chunky apple Cranberry Sauce (adapted from Country Home Magazine)

1 cup apple cider

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 real maple syrup

3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 12 ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries

1 stick cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine apple juice, sugar and maple syrup in medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add apples, cranberries and cinnamon stick. Cook, stirring occasionally until cranberries have popped and apples are tender – about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Remove cinnamon stick. Store in glass container in refrigerator. Makes 3-3/4 cups.

Raspberry Habanero Cranberry Sauce (a creation from JBug’s Kitchen)

12 ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup water

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup Raspberry Habanero Jelly

Place sugar and water into a large saucepan and heat over medium high stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and cook until cranberries start to pop – about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in frozen raspberries and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in raspberry habanero jelly, stirring until jelly has dissolved. Cool to room temperature then place in a glass jar and refrigerate.

Turkey Day Revisited

I think we're all intimately acquainted with the difficult part of holiday meals. You know - the days and days of planning; the work of preparation; the mad rush getting everything on the table at the same time; the worry about whether the hot dishes are hot enough and the cold stuff cold and stays cold so there's not a bathroom stampede or run on TP later; setting the table; picking just the right flowers; chilling the wine; making sure Auntie Jo who absolutely hates her brother John's wife is sitting no where near her so another family war is averted and then it's all over in about 20 minutes flat, except for the clean up that is. Now where's the justice in that?

We didn't have to deal with any of that this year because glory be - it was just the two of us. Our juicy little Cider and Maple Brined Turkey courtesy of November's Cooking Light, came off the Weber rotisserie after 3 short hours a mahogany colored perfectly cooked wonder of talent and ingenuity. The sides were perfect, the gravy hot and bubbly and the apple cranberry compote a perfect jewel toned addition to the loaded plate.You're looking at the Big Guy's - mine was just a trifle smaller.

Clean up was accomplished in record time, leftovers stowed for enough meals to last most of the weekend and a bottle of lovely Pinot Noir savored to the last drop before we tucked into the creamy, rich and gingery creme brulee. Gosh darn it, I think we might be on to something!

Ginger Crème Brulee (adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine)

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Dash salt

5 egg yolks

Granulated sugar for garnish

Heat cream, ginger and 2 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Do not boil. Cover pot and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 and boil kettle full of water. Arrange 4 ramekins in a pan with 2 inch sides. With a whisk, beat egg yolks with remaining quarter cup of sugar until yolks are light in color. Gradually add cream to egg yolks, whisking lightly to combine. Put mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher or 4 cup measure, and then pour evenly into ramekins. Fill baking dish with water half way up sides of ramekins and carefully move pan to oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until custards are cooked but still “jiggle” in the center. When cooked immediately remove from water bath and place on wire racks to cool. When room temperature cover and refrigerate until very cold (can be prepared several days in advance). Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each ramekin and using a kitchen torch, brulee until caramelized. Serves 4. Download Ginger Creme Brulee

 

 

Braised Turkey in Mole Sauce

Turkey season is upon us and if you're looking for another way to celebrate, here's just the thing. A traditional Mexican Mole sauce is a combination of different types of chiles, spices, bread, nuts, chocolate and about 20 other ingredients that is brewed all day (or sometimes over many days) until it becomes a thick, rich chocolatey flavorful sauce. 

It is so incredible that in his book, Mexico One Plate at a Time, Rick Bayless describes it  "When I first let a spoonful of classic Mexican red mole bathe my tongue, it was an experience comparable to taking in the vista from the rim of the Grand Canyon - singular, breathtaking, saturating my senses - because mole involves so many senses, and in such a complex and thrilling way." His version is amazing and takes hours and hours to make but don't worry - this method did not!

From my new BFF although she doesn't know it yet, Cinda Chavich's High Plains, The Joy of Alberta Cuisine, this mole has many of the flavors of the traditional version in a much easier package. Now, saying all of that pour yourself a glass of wine and settle into your apron because like most things that are superlative, it takes some time but the end result is well worth the effort.

Just so you know, I made some changes to the original recipe but experimentation is what kitchen witchery's all about. I was a little more liberal with the chiles because I didn't want to store the few that I had left in the package, never mind that I added more chipotles in adobo, but that's just personal taste because we like it darn near incindiary. Admittedly it caused a mild state of panic when I tried the sauce just before adding the turkey to it because holy moly it was some hot mole but it mellowed a lot after the 3 hour braising time. I also changed the method somewhat by leaving the skin on the turkey thighs and browning them well before I added them to the sauce. Hey, I like the additional flavor. 

The recipe you're seeing has the original chile and spice count as Cinda developed it; however, I've changed the method accordingly.

By the way, turkey thighs are absolutely the only thing to use because in my opinion drumsticks have way too many tendons and would be very difficult to shred and breasts wouldn't work at all. You could save any any leftover sauce ladelled over some roasted sliced turkey breast but that's a whole other story. To be honest, I sure wish I'd doubled the recipe while I was at it - heck, I wish I'd tripled it. Yes, it is that DELICIOSO.

Braised Turkey in Mole Sauce (adapted from High Plains, the Joy of Alberta Cuisine)

You’ll need a cast iron Dutch oven to make this dish in the best way possible. If you don’t have one, put it on your Christmas wish list or just go buy yourself one – You’re worth it!

4 dried ancho chiles

1 chipotle chile in adobo

5 Roma tomatoes, chopped (I left the skins on)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried cumin

Bouquet garnie of 6 whole allspice berries, 1 stick cinnamon, 3 cloves and 4 whole peppercorns wrapped in cheesecloth

1 cup water

1/4 cup blanched almonds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup raisins

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cube Knorr Swiss Chicken bouillon

3/4 of a disc of Mexican Chocolate, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large turkey thighs, skin on (about 2.5 pounds)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

Heat cast iron Dutch oven over high heat. Add dried ancho chiles and cook, pressing down with a spatula until soft. Turn often so they don’t burn. (About 5 minutes). Remove from heat and place chiles into a bowl. Cover with boiling water and allow to hydrate for 15 minutes. Remove from bowl and remove seeds and stems.

Place chiles into a medium pot along with chipotle, tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, bouquet garni and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, remove bouquet garnie and discard. Place all ingredients into a blender or using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Set aside.

Toast almonds in a small non stick pan over medium high heat, stirring often so they don’t burn. Remove to a plate and cool. Repeat process with sesame seeds watching them carefully so they don’t burn. Remove to a plate with almonds and allow both to cool to room temperature. Place toasted nuts and seeds into a blender and grind to a paste. Add raisins to blender and continue to grind until smooth.

Rinse Dutch oven out and dry well. Place oil in Dutch oven and heat over medium high until oil is shimmering. Wash and dry turkey thighs, then season well with salt and pepper. Brown well on both sides, 1 thigh at a time in hot Dutch oven. Remove browned thighs to a plate. In Dutch oven, combine pureed chile sauce, nut paste, chicken broth, chicken bouillon cube, and chocolate. Season with salt and pepper then bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. Add turkey thighs. Cover pot and place in a 300 oven for 2 to 3 hours, or until turkey thighs are falling apart. Remove cover from pot for last 45 minutes of cooking to thicken sauce.

To serve, remove turkey thighs from pot. Discard bones and shred meat with 2 forks. Return meat to pot and incorporate with sauce. Serve in warmed tortillas (flour or corn) with shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, avocado and lots of fresh limes. Serves 6.  Download Braised Turkey in Mole Sauce 

A year ago - Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Beer Braised Turkey Thighs with an Island Twist

Don't you think turkey's rather the forgotten bird? I mean, other than Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's just not as popular as it could be which is really a pity. It is incredibly inexpensive, versatile, delicious and braised, it's darn near perfect for the upcoming autumn season.

We had the hint of an autumn day here yesterday with temperatures just a smidge under 90 and when you've been enduring triple digits for as long as we have, a 90 degree day almost calls for fleece. It certainly rang my braising bell and with the Big Guy out bird hunting for the day, it was the perfect menu item. Isn't it like having a fish in the refrigerator ready for dinner when the significant other goes fishing just in case he's skunked...and...wait for it people...a bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush. Ha...gotcha!

Seriously, gorgeous big meaty turkey thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper and dredged in flour, browned to a rich dark color are then removed from the pot and set aside while the trinity (onion, carrots and celery) is sauteed until softened. After the veg are darn near perfect, they're joined by diced leeks, lots of garlic and ginger which introduce that island flair. After the aromatics had a few minutes in the hot pot, some tomato paste joins the party followed by flour to thicken what becomes an amazing braising liquid. Cooked for a few minutes to lose the flour taste, the holy grail of the pot is introduced - dark, rich beer.

I used Black Butte Porter and to lose the bitter flavor, it hits a boil and bubbles in the caldron for a good five minutes. Topped off with a can of consomme, a touch of water and some ground allspice for another hint of the Caribbean the browned turkey thighs go back in, the pot's covered and hits the oven for a couple of hours.

Served on a bed of rice, the rich mahogany colored stew is with out doubt, the best thing since sliced bread.

Now, I know we've blogged about this before just after the Big Guy got back from St. Croix almost exactly 2 years ago, but this is a dish that cries out for a place on your regular rotation. You could make it with turkey wings or drumsticks too but the thighs I used on this occasion were absolutely superb. I just wish to heck I'd cooked more of them!

One more thing - a word of warning. You'll want to batten down the hatches, pull the drapes and make sure the door's locked, because the smell of this cooking's going to bring the neighbors calling and goodness knows you're not going to be inclined to share. It is that good!

Beer Braised Turkey Thighs

Inspired by Foodnetwork.com Emeril Lagasse, 2006 and revised from previous JBug’s Kitchen recipe

2 large turkey thighs washed and dried

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Flour for dredging

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, small dice

2 carrots, small dice

2 celery stalks, small dice

1 leek, white part only small dice

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1-1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-1/2 - 12 ounce bottles dark beer (I used Black Butte Porter)

1 can Beef consommé’

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Heat large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat till almost smoking. Season turkey thighs with salt and pepper; dredge them in flour and brown well on all sides, without crowding in hot oil. Takes about 10 minutes, total.  Remove from pan. Set aside.

Add onions, carrots and celery to Dutch oven. Cook stirring until vegetables are soft – about 5 minutes. Add leeks, garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute more, stirring well. Add tomato paste and incorporate well into vegetables. Sprinkle with flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add beer, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. (This step helps to remove the trace of bitterness from the beer.) Add beef consommé, water and all spice. Bring to a boil. Add seared turkey thighs. Cover pot and place in 350 oven for 2 hours, or until thighs are very tender. Remove cover from pot during last half hour of cooking.  Serve turkey thighs and sauce on a bed of steamed rice. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serves 3 to 4 people, depending on size of turkey thighs.

A year ago - Hanger Steak with Mushroom Madeira Sauce

Quick Turkey Casserole w Apple Raisin Slaw

Here's a quick and tasty casserole you can whip up on a weeknight in a flash that makes great use of leftover chicken or turkey in my case. You see I found a multitude of "surprises" during my freezer clean out binge, among them a chunk of that turkey roll we made on Thanksgiving. I did the happy dance when I saw it, believe me!

This casserole makes use of stove top stuffing mix, topped with poultry pieces, a bit of swiss cheese which is entirely optional along with some sauteed onions and mushrooms. Spiced with thyme and rosemary and topped with a can of Campbells's Mushroom Soup, quite honestly it tastes very much like a turkey dinner with all the fixin's...or at least my favorite part of it.

We had our casserole along with a slaw that I kinda' made up as I went along, and I'm so sorry that I didn't write anything down. This will be a super slaw to repeat. Loaded with shredded cabbage, carrots, a Rome apple and two kinds of raisins in a creamy sour cream/mayo and honey dressing, it was the perfect crunch component and rounded out our meal quite nicely.

Turkey and Stuffing Casserole (Adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 12 ounce package stuffing mix (Stove Top)

1/4 cup dry Marsala or sherry

2-1/2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey

4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese (optional)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

Sauté chopped onion and mushrooms in vegetable oil until onion is soft – about 5 minutes. Stir in poultry seasoning and rosemary. Season with black pepper. Mix together mushroom soup with water and milk. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Reserve 1/2 cup stuffing mix and spread remainder on bottom of casserole. Sprinkle with Marsala, then spread cooked poultry evening over top. Top poultry with Swiss cheese slices, then add sautéed onions and mushrooms. Top with mushroom soup mixed with water and milk. Sprinkle with reserved stuffing mix and top with melted butter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbling. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Download Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

 

Turkey and Brie Panini with a kick

Sometimes the business of living gets in the way of putting dinner on the table, you know what I mean?  Such was the case last night although for sure it ended up tasting like I'd fussed. Picture this...oh you don't have to. You're looking at it.

A lovely soft bun loaded with smoked turkey and rich, luscious triple cream brie then slathered in red pepper jelly. Given a brush with melted butter and grilled on a Mario panini press, dinner was ready in a flash and devoured by two very hungry souls. It was wonderful and proves one very important thing. Sometimes it is all about the ingredients and less about the preparation, and that my friends is pretty hard on this hobby cook because I'm usually ALL about the fuss.

The mesquite smoked turkey had just the right hint of smokiness...the bread was perfectly fresh and wonderful...the red pepper jelly had just the right kick...and the brie...well the brie was absolutely amazing. I used Le Delice de Bourgogne imported from France via Trader Joe's and it is amazing! A touch expensive and worth every single solitary centime.

All of them could stand perfectly on their own, but combined in a sandwich - perfect bliss. Course the creamy, veggie laden macaroni salad helped too.

Enough said. Go make the darn panini. You won't be sorry. Trust me.

Turkey & Brie Panini with Red Pepper Jelly (adapted from Southern Living)

5 ounces triple cream Brie

12 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey

4 tablespoons red pepper jelly

2 soft focaccia rolls

1 tablespoon melted butter

Trim rind off brie and discard. Cut Brie into quarter inch thick slices. Place brie slices evening on bottom half of roll, and cover with layer of smoked turkey. Spread red pepper jelly on top half and place jelly side down onto turkey. Brush sandwiches with melted butter. Cook sandwiches in hot panini press until golden brown and oozing! Serves 2 Download Turkey and Brie Panini with Red Pepper Jelly

Hint - Use a sharp wet knife to cut soft cheese and the slices will slide right off the knife! Also, save the brie rind and add it to a cream sauce for great flavor. It's also fabulous on a pizza!

 

Curried Turkey Pot Pie

Oh yum, oh yum! What was I saying yesterday about being tired of turkey? I'd better hit myself upside the head for that one because last night dinner was terrible. Terrible good that is.

Another recipe that we've made here before, this deep dish curried poultry pie is one of Craig Claiborne's recipes from his New York Times Cookbook. Of course I changed it up a bit, which is the cook's perogative by adding more curry, some sriracha for a little heat and coconut milk instead of cream but the main event - namely the turkey shone through loud and clear. With it's creamy yummy spicy sauce, this pie's all about the meat because other than onion, apple and garlic there's not a veggie in sight. I can't wait to make it again!

Curried Turkey Pot Pie (Adapted from Craig Claiborne’s The New New York Times Cookbook)

Pastry for a single crust pie - (store bought’s fine)

4 cups cooked turkey cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 cup butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely diced

1/4 cup flour

2-1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt & pepper – 1/2 teaspoon of each

1 bay leaf

2-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup coconut milk

2 Tablespoons diced chutney

1/4 teaspoon Sriracha or hot sauce

 1 Tablespoon heavy cream

Coarse salt

In a heavy saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and apple. Sauté until onion and celery is soft (about 5 minutes). Add curry powder, garam masala, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in flour – cook stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes (mixture will be very stiff).  Meanwhile add bay leaf to chicken broth and heat in microwave until hot, but not boiling. Remove bay leaf – whisk hot stock into vegetable/roux mixture. Whisk vigorously to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes stirring from time to time. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut milk, chutney and Sriracha.  Cool for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.   Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large 2” deep casserole with cooking spray or 4 to 6 individual ramekins depending on size and place turkey pieces in the bottom. Top with cooled curry sauce and stir lightly to incorporate chicken into sauce.

 Top with pastry lid and decorate as you wish. Brush pastry with heavy cream, sprinkle with coarse salt and place on a baking sheet to catch drips. Bake at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes until filling is bubbling and top is golden brown. Serves 4 to 6  Download Curried Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey Mushroom Bread Pudding

Do I hear a collective gasp? Read on people - you're not going to believe this one. I'm assuming you've had the ultimate cold turkey sandwich already. You know the midnight feast that follows an early turkey dinner...cold sliced turkey, cranberry sauce, leftover stuffing, lots of mayo, salt, pepper on a couple of slices of soft white bread (OK, so I'm not a whole wheat person)...bread's really fresh and the first bite sticks to the roof of your mouth...cranberries fall on the front of your shirt...piece of turkey hits the dog's nose...tastes absolutely unbelievable ...better than the original.

Well we've already had a couple of those sandwiches so tonight I had to come up with something a little different. After all, we've got what amounts to about 8 pounds of bird left so something totally turkey wonderful and out of the ordinary's required.

This savory bread pudding from Cooking Light certainly did the trick, although by the time I was done with my interpretation it was no longer light. Darn! In fact, it's very much like a turkey 'n stuffin' sandwich with sauteed onion, celery, garlic and mushrooms.. a splash of marsala wine, dash of rosemary, touch of thyme, a little crusty french bread and a kiss of butter in an eggy custard...ah amazing. Baked till puffy and crisp and slathered in left over gravy it is like the best hot turkey sandwich you've ever had...I mean beyond the best. Try it, you'll love it.

PS - Betty P...I'm gonna' keep going with the bread pudding until I hear you yell "Uncle". Check out the other savory bread pud's we've had in the past. BP's are more than just a one note wonder!

Turkey Mushroom Bread Pudding (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons marsala wine or sherry (optional)

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1-1/4 cups milk

3 cups French bread cubes (1”)

2 cups cubed cooked turkey

Cooking spray

1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray large loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Cook until vegetables are very soft – about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and marsala. Stir well and cool slightly. Beat eggs and dry mustard in a large bowl until foamy. Add milk and beat to combine. Add bread cubes, turkey and sautéed vegetable mixture. Mix well to combine. Move to prepared pan, pressing top to level mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until top is golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Serves 4.   Download Turkey Mushroom Bread Pudding

Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Breakfast Casserole

The beginning, the middle and the end

OK this'll be the last post dedicated to Thanksgiving. I mean it's all old news now but I do want to pass along a few more recipes in case you're interested. I also have to admit there's nothing to report from JBug's Kitchen for last night although had I been on the ball and not forced to watch the dreaded football, I could have taken pictures of the incredible turkey sandwiches we enjoyed for dinner. Alas, I'll have to leave it to your imagination. Suffice to say, the rolled stuffed turkey roast we shared with you yesterday slices like a dream when it's cold, never mind that one slice more than covers a piece of bread. ....am I bragging again?

Our Thanksgiving dinner began with a Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Syrup that includes roasted sweet potatoes pureed along with sauteed onion, celery, garlic and leek, finished with chicken broth and cream. Spiced with a touch of cayenne for a kick, cinnamon and nutmeg and just barely sweetened with maple syrup, it's a fine starter to enjoy a taste of before the main event. The bonus is that it tastes much better when it's made in advance which makes it much easier on the cook. Download Sweet Potato Soup w Maple Syrup

By the way, my verdict was that it was good but not great, but that's an opinion from someone who was no longer hungry by the time dinner was finally on the table.  What can I say? I'm obviously all about the execution.

 

Thanks to inspiration from Bobby Flay in his Thanksgiving throwdown with Ree Drummond, I just had to make my version of his Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Vanilla Butter. There really isn't a recipe for this one - I merely mixed the seeds of one vanilla bean into a stick (half cup) of butter and let it ruminate on the counter. Added to pan roasted sprouts at the last minute and garnished with arils from our own pomegranates, it was a wonderful way to make our favorite vegetable a little more special, and really brought out its sweetness. 

As for the stuffing - well I have to say it one that I've shared with you in the past (last Thanksgiving), and a keeper that we're happy with every time. A take on recipe from Rosso/Lukins The New Basic's Cookbook, it's loaded with pork sausage, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, spiced with thyme, sage, poultry seasoning and fresh parsley and sweetened with Tawny Port. It's our favorite...we wouldn't change a thing. Download Cranberry Pecan Stuffing with Sausage

The grand finale to our fabulous feast is what I'm calling a Pumpkin Charlotte, although some would call it a tiramisu. I said "some" would call it a tiramisu, but not me...to me tiramisu has to have chocolate, espresso and tons of brandy so I'm calling this a charlotte. Loaded with bourbon soaked lady fingers and a pumpkin mousse made with whipped cream, mascarpone cheese and the requisite pumpkin spices, this light creamy concoction was a fitting end to a glorious Thanksgiving meal. Download Pumpkin Charlotte with Bourbon

The only warning I have for you, is one from the big guy...for goodness sake don't take the leftovers to work because they'll charge you with alcohol abuse, never mind that if you drive after eating it, you'll blow a heck of a lot more than a .08.

 

Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Syrup (adapted Bon Appetit)

1 pound red skinned sweet potatoes (yam)

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 medium leek, white part only, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash cayenne pepper

3/4 cup half and half

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Salt & pepper to taste

Sour cream or mascarpone for garnish

Preheat oven to 400. Wash, dry and prick sweet potato. Place on a baking sheet and roast until cooked through – about 40 minutes. Cool and peel. Set aside.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, leek and garlic and cook until vegetables are very soft – about 10 minutes. Stir often to prevent browning. Add chicken broth, cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes – uncovered. Cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, put cooked sweet potatoes through a ricer and into the bowl of a food processor. Add cooled vegetable & broth mixture and process until fairly smooth. Add half and half as well as maple syrup. Cool and store in refrigerator, well covered. To serve, reheat and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as required. Garnish with sour cream or mascarpone. Makes 6 small servings, or 4 large ones.

 

Cranberry Pecan Stuffing with Sausage (adapted The New Basics Cookbook)

2 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 cups chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 pound bulk pork sausage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

4 cups stale bread cubes (stale, but not crisp)

1/2 cup tawny port

1/2 to 1 cup turkey stock

Heat oil in large skillet. Sauté celery and onion until very soft – about 10 minutes. Remove from pan into large bowl. In same skillet, cook pork sausage until done, crumbling well with a fork. Remove to bowl with celery and onion. Add salt, thyme, poultry seasoning, parsley and pepper. Stir well to combine. Cool to room temperature. Stir in pecans, cranberries, bread cubes, and port. Add half cup of stock and stir well. Add remaining stock until stuffing is slightly moist. Remove to a greased casserole dish and cover well with foil. May be made in advance at this point and refrigerated overnight. To cook – bake in a 350 oven, well covered, for 40 to 45 minutes.  Serves 6. *Note, if you are stuffing a bird, double recipe to stuff an 18 to 20 pound bird. Be sure stuffing is very cold before you stuff the bird.

 

Pumpkin Charlotte with Bourbon (adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 cup chilled whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch salt

2 – 4 ounce packages ladyfingers

1/4 cup bourbon

Line 4 – 10 ounce ramekins with plastic wrap. Set aside. Beat whipping cream and sugar until peaks form. Add mascarpone, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, vanilla and salt. Beat just until all ingredients are combined. Place bourbon into a small bowl. Cut lady fingers to fit upright in ramekin. Dip ladyfingers into bourbon and arrange around inside edge of ramekin with the cut edge on bottom of ramekin and ladyfingers touching side by side. Dip cut pieces into bourbon and use to fill bottom of ramekin. Fill centers with pumpkin mousse. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to set. To serve, carefully remove charlottes from ramekins. Remove plastic wrap and plate. Serve garnished with whipped cream if desired.  Makes 4 – 10 ounce desserts.

 

 

More Turkey Talk

Turkey, turkey, turkey. Here's the second in our series of Turkey Tales from yesterday's Thanksgiving Dinner. Please refer to part one posted earlier as written by The Big Guy.

I might be old but I'm not stupid. When the big guy handed over the tray of turkey bits, I took one look at it and told him to carry on as if he's normal. Since he'd accomplished the de-boning excercise posted previously, I figured he might just as well continue and that way I wouldn't have to stick my hands in all that raw meat.

We've made this particular Stuffed Rolled Turkey Roast together several times and honestly, each time it just gets better. This time it was better than better because all I had to do was hold the darn thing while the big guy tied it. Oh of course, I had to give him advice while he did it, and baste the resulting roast every half hour as it cooked, but that was it. Easy right?

The big guy laid out the turkey flat on the board, skin side down and filled in any wholes with pieces of thigh meat. As you can see the filets are left to the side and get special treatment.
The bird is stuffed with a forcemeat stuffing (" Forcemeat is a mixture of ground, lean meat emulsified with fat. The emulsification can be accomplished by either grinding, sieving, or pureeing the ingredients. The emulsification may either be smooth or coarse, depending on the desired consistency of the final product")...thanks Wiki. 

 

In our case, the stuffing consists of freshly ground pork, the fattier the better, along with dried thyme, rosemary, some poultry seasoning a freshly grated nutmeg. Emulsified along with 3 eggs and some heavy cream, the mixture looks a little like uncooked pate when it comes out of the food processor. Spread evenly over the center third of the bird, it is then covered with a layer of honey ham slices, followed by two breast filet's running right down the center. The turkey is then rolled, wrapped and tied with the ends tucked inside.

 

I know I'm making that process sound pretty darn simple, but it took 4 hands and a fair bit of swearing to get the job done. One of the reasons for the swearing is that we bought a "BIG" bird ..over 18 pounds because it was really "cheap", but honestly this process is more easily accomplished with a 10 to 12 pound bird. The resulting turkey roast weighed in a 13.6 pounds. Don't forget to weigh the darn thing so you know how long it'll take to cook. Slathered with butter, it hit a 450 oven for 20 minutes after which the heat was lowered to 350.

 

It roasted for 3.5 hours, was basted every half hour with stock and/or pan drippings and covered loosely with foil for the last hour.

It left the oven a perfect 170, and covered and left to rest for half an hour, the finished internal temperature was a perfect 180.

It sliced beautifully and certainly earned the place of honor on the plate, along with the deepest darkest most flavorful turkey gravy imaginable (sans the Madeira), to say nothing of the host of sides. I'll fill you in on those tomorrow, but for now...I think there's a little turkey in our future. What about you?

This is a very novel way of cooking a bird as it keeps it very moist. Cooking a perfectly moist bird is a lot harder than it looks because the white meat cooks faster than the dark meat ...well you know what it's like. Also, every single part of the bird can be utilized - I made a huge pot of stock out of the carcass bones and still have the legs and wings set aside in the freezer marked soup to be enjoyed later. While I admit the preparation is darned labor intensive, the bird can be boned the day before, then stuffed and rolled just before cooking. As per usual, it's important to keep the raw meat including the forcemeat very cold until it goes into the oven to prevent any kind of bacterial contamination.

As for the finished result - the 13.6 pound roast can easily feed 20 people, slices perfectly and tastes sublime.  Download Stuffed Rolled Turkey Roast

Stuffed Rolled Turkey Roast (from JBug’s Kitchen)

For the Forcemeat stuffing:
1 pound finely ground pork
1/4 pound ground fresh pork fat
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme, sage and rosemary

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Make the stuffing: In a food processor blend the pork and fat. With the motor running, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and combine well. With the motor still running, add the heavy cream in a stream. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Chill, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Stuffing may be prepared a day in advance, but be sure to keep it very cold!

For the Turkey:

1 – 10 to 12 pound turkey, boned (See blog post for instructions)

4 ounces thinly sliced pre-cooked honey roasted ham

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cups homemade turkey stock

Arrange the turkey skin side down with a long side facing you, filling in areas as required with thigh meat. Set breast filet pieces aside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Smooth stuffing over middle third portion of flattened turkey, leaving approximately 1 inch border at the ends. Cover center of  stuffing with a layer of the ham and place the breast fillets on top of the ham, with ends touching.  Roll the roast with skin covering outside, using skewers to attach roast together, tucking in ends and creating a cylinder shape. Tie well with string.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Place tied roast on rack in roasting pan and slather outside with unsalted butter. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and add turkey stock to bottom of roasting pan to a depth of one half inch. Roast for approximately 15 minutes per pound, continuing to add turkey stock to pan as required and basting every half hour. Cover loosely with a foil tent when roast becomes browned to your liking.  Remove from oven when roast has reached an internal temperature of 170. Cover with foil and let rest for half an hour before slicing. Internal temperature of bird will rise to 180 during this rest period.

Meanwhile, skim fat from roasting pan and make gravy from drippings. Slice roast to serve.

Hint - the stuffed and rolled turkey as it is in pretty darn good in the low carb department, particularly since the stuffing is made from meat rather than bread; however, watch those side dishes. Turnip and green vegetables are best.

The Big Guy's Turkey De-boning 101

This is the first of two posts for today. There's no way on God's green earth that I would have attempted this year's turkey recipe had it not been for some assistance from you know who, and I say "some assistance" rather tongue in cheek since he was in charge of the entire turkey bird. Please welcome guest poster "The Big Guy" as he provides you with a lesson in the fine art of ripping the bones out of a bird.

In order to do a stuffed turkey roll, a tur-duc-en, or a number of other culinary experiments that your spouse may want to try it may be necessary to de-bone a fowl.  Doesn’t really make any difference whether the fowl is a Cornish game hen or a turkey the process is generally the same.  Now I have never taken a meat cutting course in my life, but when de-boning something the rules are the same.   The hard material comes out and the soft material stays in, and when it comes to fowl the fewer holes in the skin the better.

For Thanksgiving we prepared a stuffed Turkey roll.  Thus the fowl used for this demonstration is a turkey.  So here we go.  Start with one cleaned and de-feathered dead turkey. You could actually start with a live one if you wanted but the cleaning and de-feathering is beyond the scope of this lesson.  Do not attempt to de-bone a live turkey without first making it a cleaned, de-feathered dead turkey.

Assuming that most of you will be purchasing your dead turkey from the store take it out of the plastic bag it comes in, pull out the neck, the giblets (in the little paper bag) and any other stuff the producers may place in the turkey to up the weight.  Notice the bag of  “gravy mix” that Jenny-O thought was necessary to put in this bird.  It weighed 1pound 3 ounces and in this house made a fast trip to the garbage can.  I mean you are going to have a big stack of bones to roast that you can then use to make the best turkey stock ever which used to make knock your socks off gravy, what is the purpose of including this gravy mix other than to raise the weight of the bird.  Maybe not so bad if you get a bird on sale for 29 cents a pound like we did, only added 35 cents or so to the cost.  But what if you paid $1.29 a pound that would be $1.48 added to the price.  All for something that you can do a lot better yourself.  Okay enough of that back to the dead turkey.

Turn the turkey breast side down with tail facing you and the neck end away from you.  Cut off the tail and put it in a place that you are going to use for your bone heap.  The neck of the bird should already be there.  Remember the stuff that goes in this heap are treasures for stock making so the proper place for the bone heap is not in a garbage can.  If you don’t do this you will be reduced to using that gravy mix that they included to increase the weight, thus the price of the bird.

Next slice through the skin along the back bone, and start cutting the skin and meat away from the backbone and down each side of the bird.  Continue until you reach the joint where the thigh bone attaches to the body.  Grab ahold of the turkey’s leg and pull it back so you can see and feel the ball and socket joint.  Cut around the joint and then insert the tip of your knife into the joint and work your knife back and forth to cut through the joint.  Take your time, don’t apply too much pressure or pry sideways with your knife, and pretty soon the joint will detach. 

The next joints you will hit are the ones where the wings attach to the body.  Move the wings and feel and look for the joint.  Again using the tip of your knife cut the meat from around the joint and then cut through the joint.

About this time I find that it is easiest to cut through the ribs and take off the back-bone.  Place the back bone in your bone heap.

Slip your fingers down the sides of the ribcage separating the meat from the bone.  It may be necessary to use a knife in some places but a lot of this can be done with your fingers.  At the bottom of the rib cage, actually the front of the bird, you will come to the sternum, or whatever it is called on a fowl, (remember the lack of ever taking a meat cutting course) this is where you have to be a little careful.  As I said earlier we don’t want any more holes in the skin than we have to have.  We do not want a hole in the front of the breast.  That would mean having to go buy another dead turkey and that more than likely would have another stupid gravy mix packet. 

So put down your knife and gently work your fingers down and around the front of the sternum while pulling up on the ribcage. 

The sternum will detach from a little portion of connective cartilage and the whole ribcage will lift free.  Now you can pick up your knife and cut away the piece of remaining cartilage from the meat.

Okay now you have a hunk of dead turkey that looks like the above picture skin side down and this skin side up.  Now if we had done this to either a chicken or a Cornish game hen, heck we’d just season it up and throw it on the grill, but remember this is for a turkey roll and it still has some hard pieces so our work isn’t done yet.

Flip the bird so it is skin side down and start to work on the thighs.  Cut along the thigh bone and separate the meat from the bone down to the joint where the thigh and drumstick meet. 
Now you have a choice.  What are you going to do with the drum sticks?  If you want to roast or grill them likely you will want to leave the skin on them.  So you could cut through the joint and then cut the skin at the top of the drumstick separating it from the rest of the bird.  The thigh bone goes into the bone heap, the drumstick in to a bag for later use.  We are going to use the drumsticks along with the last two wing sections for soup so I just skinned the thigh and the drum sticks by pulling them up and peeling the skin off and then cutting the skin at the bottom of the drumstick.  I then separated the thigh meat from the drumstick. 
The thigh meat will be used as part of the roll, the drumsticks put into a “soup bag”.  Now do the same thing to the other leg.

Okay on to the wings.  Again you have a decision to make what do you want to do with the wings and how many of the sections do you want?  Likely the decision is 2 or 3 sections.  If you want all three sections cut the wing away from the rest of the bird at the breast.  This may be easier to do with the bird skin side up.  Make as small as whole in the breast skin as possible when you do this.  We only wanted the last two sections for soup so I de-boned the first section and then cut through the skin and joint to detach the last two sections of the wing from the bird. Throw the first wing section bone into the bone heap, the last two wing sections into the soup bag.

Okay now it is time for a little quality control.  Feel around the breast meat to make sure there is no hard stuff remaining.  A couple of places to look:  Check out up at the top of the breast, did you get the wishbone?  Also there is a bone on each side, again toward the top of the breast that is kind of like our shoulder bone.  Did you get that?

Next pull off the breast fillets.  They are the muscles on the inside of the major breast muscles.  Actually if you have the bird lying skin side down, they will be on top of the breast muscles.  You can just lift them off of the major breast muscles.

Here is a picture showing the de-boned turkey with the thighs muscles and breast fillets all laid out ready for whatever culinary creation you or your loving spouse have in store for them.

Now see that wasn’t so hard was it?

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey Meatloaf

Here it is 7:30 in the morning as I’m writing this and the big guy’s already back with his quota of gaper clams. He was up at 3 bells this morning and out the door. Not only that, we’ve also been to the gym and back – if I’m not careful this vacation’s gonna kill me. LOL

Yesterday was a scorcher in the valley and was supposed to be in the mid 80’s here but the warm air passed right over us and we were fogged in and cool for most of the day. It’s looking like today’s going to be identical which is just fine with us. Tucson gives us all the over 100 days we can handle and believe you me, if it gets that hot here in Waldport it’s not out of the realm of possibility for me to ask for our money back. Feisty isn’t she?

Last night’s dinner was another uninspired one, though edible I suppose.Hey, I can't be on my "A" game 24/7! Ray’s Market had ground turkey on sale and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to whip up some little turkey meatloaves. Actually I was more interested in the Stove Top Stuffing and the canned gravy courtesy of Heinz if you want to know the truth. No recipe’s forthcoming for this – just a pound of ground turkey, half a medium onion chopped, a stalk of celery also minced, some miscellaneous spices, chopped parsley and a touch of bread crumbs, both fresh and dried. Packed into large muffin cups and baked for 35 minutes I’m thinking the leftovers will be rather lovely in sandwiches later today.

I love these foggy days on the coast – makes it such a pleasure to curl up under a fleece blanket with a good book and Max the champion footwarmer. Yesterday we hit the Waldport farmer’s market and bought some lovely tiny fresh strawberries from the valley – they’re the sweetest, juiciest things in the world and not one bit like the ones we get in the store. Because of their high moisture content, they don’t ship or store very well and holy cow are they good…so good, I couldn’t bring myself to share any with Max who absolutely loves strawberries. He’da  been in doggy heaven over these. I’ll buy him some at next week’s market – hopefully he’ll share some with us.

The big guy bought me a beautiful amber glass compote that looks like a collection of maple leaves on a branch from a sweet little vendor who was celebrating his 75^th birthday. I’ll be showing the stemmed dish off to you one of these days when I can think of something worthy enough to go into it. It is absolutely beautiful and a wonderful reminder of our holiday.  Well people,  I gotta go get cleaned up. The big guy’s cooking breakfast and heaven forbid I should miss that. TTFN

Turkey Cutlets with Gravy on a Raw Stuffing Salad

Dinner last night was a very "cool" version of Thanksgiving on a plate...minus the mashed potatoes and the calories thank you very much. We can thank Food Network and Rachel Ray for another superlatively simple meal, loaded with flavor and incredibly innovative.

I remember when turkey wasn't quite so available unless you wanted to thaw and cook the 20 pound bird the grocer had hiding in the back of his freezer. Today turkey's a dime a dozen - proof in point was the  lovely little organic half turkey breast I picked up at Sprouts on shopping day this week.

Not quite a pound, I was able to slice it into four cutlets then pound them all down to a mere quarter inch thick. Spiced with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper then coated in flour, egg and finally bread crumbs these not so little beauties cooked in a scant 6 minutes to an appetizing golden brown.On hold in a warm oven while the gravy was constructed, I have to admit I made my own version sans the required apple cider ...it's IMPOSSIBLE to find right now which goes to show I should have bought an extra quart in the fall and froze it in ice cube trays for just such a moment; however, I constructed a quick sauce of sauteed onions, fresh thyme from our garden, a little chicken stock, touch of cream and some apple jack brandy all thickened with a quick roux. It was delicious - course you could also just open a jar of gravy but I didn't think of that.

Now as you can see from the picture, all of the above was the crowning glory on a salad made up of stuffing ingredients - fresh crunchy and uncooked celery, onion, apple, thinly sliced button mushrooms and lots of parsley all dressed in fresh lemon juice. I added dried cranberries and a sprinkle of pecans because that's what I put into my stuffing and in hindsight the addition of a touch of cooked sausage would have been the bomb. Topped with some fresh brioche croutons, this crunchy and refreshing salad is a real keeper and tastes very much like the real McCoy. 

Head on over to Food Network for the recipe - here's a couple of hints though.

1. You really don't need to cook the cutlet for the 10 minutes called for in the recipe. As I noted, mine cooked for barely 6 minutes and could have used a tad less. Judge for yourself - they're done when they're brown on the outside and firm to the touch. 
2. I didn't use all the "EVOO" called for in the recipe - in fact, I did not add any to the salad and used less than 3 tablespoons to brown the turkey in a no-stick pan.
3. I pan toasted the brioche slices in the no stick pan, before cooking the turkey and then popped the slices into the oven to crisp while the cutlets were in the pan. You can certainly butter the toast called for in the recipe, but I figure there's enough butter in the brioche without adding more. Of course purchased croutons would work too.

Pasta with Turkey Meatballs and Mushrooms

Believe me, there was nothing colorful about last night's main course for dinner. If Wikipedia needed a new definition for "milquetoast" this would be it. "Bland, ineffectual" - appearance wise it certainly fit the description, although taste was another story altogether but only after I added my touch.

I took it upon myself to add some spices to this pot and believe me it needed it. Without the kick of thyme, Italian seasoning, some red hot chili peppers, and a ton of black pepper it is not quite good enough for a repeat in my books - certainly not "as is". For those of you who enjoy subtle flavors, this would turn your crank big time. Hey Mags here's a good recipe for your sisters! Check it out on my recipes.com. I just can't bring myself to reprint something rated as "outstanding" that needs this much work...so how did I really feel about it, right?

One more thing before I let you out of my clutches, this morning got off to a rather rocky start. Spring in the desert other than bringing rain yesterday, also means there's lots of little critters running about. Georgie and Max are in rabbit heaven these days as there seem to be a multitude of the little sweethearts - let's just say there's a few less today than there were yesterday. I'm just sick that my two extremely well fed creatures are responsible for the demise of something so sweet and innocent, even though we've done our best to rescue them when we can.

Course all of that said - I'm married to another extremely well fed guy that just got back from hunting peccaries. Oh and yes, he's the same guy that laughed this morning as I showed him a dustpan with what was left of a teeny tiny little furball and he said "there's not much lower on the food chain than a rabbit". Boy, he's sure lucky he's at work right now because Max wouldn't be the only one in the doghouse. I rest my case.

Turkey Meatloaf

To catch you up on the final dish of the week that you missed during the computer's vacation, this is what was cookin' in JBug's kitchen on this past Tuesday. If the Chicken Butternut Tagine was THE bomb, this turkey meatloaf actually cratered and trust me - not in a good way. It had all the ingredients necessary to really be something special but alas it certainly lost in the translation. Gag a maggot it was. Hey - I told you I'd be honest, always!

Full of veggies including onion, carrot, and mushrooms, and flavored with garlic, worcesterhsire sauce, parsley and ketchup this turkey meatloaf should have been fabulous. Other people that reviewed the recipe on epicurious.com thought it was good, but for certain it didn't suit our taste. Just goes to prove that you can't believe everything you read, eh? Wonder what planet they're on.

I even took the advice of one of the reviewers and added celery, doubled the garlic, and doubled the worcestershire sauce. I also wrapped the loaf in parchment before putting it in a loaf pan and cooked it a little longer than specified on the recipe. Then to go one up - when it came out of the oven, I put a cast iron pan on top to weigh it down, let it sit for 10 minutes and then sliced it.

The texture was wonderful - the taste not so much. In my opinion it needed more herbs like sage and thyme, not one of which was in the original recipe. It kind of reminded me of those veggie burgers - ya know what I mean? The ones that brag about tasting just like meat but they're really made from vegetables, tofu and cardboard. Ewww! If it hadn't been for the cranberry chutney I served on the side and the roasted brussels sprouts with a touch of bacon, dinner would have been a complete bust. And that my friends is the honest truth.

About the cranberry chutney, this recipe came from Noble Pig's blog and as soon as she posted it before Thanksgiving I went out and bought a bunch of cranberries to whip up a couple of batches. What you see is from the last jar and it is fabulous. Great with meat, fish or poultry, it is especially good with Monte Cristo sandwiches, or in the middle of the night straight from a spoon on a fridge raid - not that I would do that mind you. Needless to say I'll be making more rather quickly! Like a fine wine and a good cook, it gets better with age and went a long way toward making this terrible meatloaf into a mediocre one.

An Island Dinner and Coconut Cream Pie

When the weather outside is frightful ya gotta cook something delightful and dinner last night would certainly fit the bill. Not to be bragging, the weather's fine here - low 70's yesterday and sunny, but I know the people out east weren't quite so lucky. We've shown off with this particular dish before - in fact it was our ode to turkey on Canadian Thanksgiving. It was so darn good I just had to make it again.

Last night's version of Caribbean style braised turkey was much simpler to prepare as rather than using turkey legs that needed cutting like we did last time, we used turkey thighs. The big guy deboned them for me, then cut them in half and tied them into nice little packages and they held together very nicely in the pot. I also refined the recipe slightly to suit our tastes - so saying all of that, here's my version of the recipe.Download Caribbean Style Braised Turkey Thighs It is so VERY worth making, not just for the fact that turkey parts are unbelievably inexpensive but also for the aroma of this braise while it's cooking. It is just not to be believed. I mean who'da thunk that cooking turkey parts with some onion, carrot, celery, leeks, garlic, ginger and oatmeal stout would produce such an incredible dish. Honestly - you could win awards with this one! I kid you not.

The big question of the day, was how do you plan something for dessert that won't be a tremendous let down after the entree is so darn tasty. In keeping with an Island theme, I made a coconut cream pie. It wasn't just any old coconut cream pie though - it happens to have a crust made of macadamia nuts and coconut too. Download Coconut Cream Pie with Macadamia Crust So what was the verdict?

The guys seemed to enjoy it very much, but personally I thought the macadamia nuts really overshadowed the subtle flavor of the coconut - even though I'd made the cream filling with coconut milk. Next time I'll try the crust using almonds instead. It could be that I'm just incredibly picky. If you really want to know the truth, even something chocolate would have a hard time following the perfection of the main course.