JBug's Kitchen Antics

Thanksgiving Food Review

I hazard to say at least one of you (my seester) is wondering what our menu was for yesterday's big Thanksgiving feast so here it is in all its glory, mostly anyway. For the sake of "image control" I did not take a photo of our loaded plates. Darn!

As is usual, there were some repeats on our menu because afterall holidays are all about favorites (see links), and of course there were new first time attempts too, some of which were more successful than others. Isn't that just the way it goes? 

In my opinion, two of the stellar newbies include the Butternut Squash Bisque (fabulous, utterly fabulous), and the Pumpkin Struesel Pie made because Mary at One Perfect Bite said it was amazing and believe me it is. I substituted rum for the bourbon and pecans for walnuts but otherwise made it as she posted so hit this link and head to her site for the recipe.

Happy day after everyone. Aren't leftovers just the best?

Butternut Squash Bisque with Orange Cream

Rolled Stuffed Turkey with Forcemeat Stuffing

and Pan Gravy

Apple Dried Fruit and Sausage Stuffing

Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions

Slow Roasted Beets with Shallots and Rosemary

 

Brussels Sprout Slaw with Mustard Dressing and Maple Glazed 

Pecans

Fantail Regrigerator Rolls, Cranberry Dried Cherry Sauce

Mashed Idaho and Sweet Potato Combo

Individual Apple Charlottes

Rum Pumpkin Tart with Pecan Streusel Topping

 

 

     

     

 

 

 

 

   

Root Vegetable Gratin

For all of you stuck in a rut when it comes to scalloped potatoes take a deep breath and yell "yahoo" because I do declare we've discovered something a hundred times better. Bet you didn't know it was possible, huh!

I tell you no lie. In fact when Big Guy took his first bite of this root vegetable gratin last night he declared I wasn't to make an ordinary potato gratin ever again. I knew I had to share it with you right away because it now holds a place of honor on Sunday's menu and some of my Canadian readers may want to take the hint and serve it next to their Thanksgiving bird as well.

Adapted from Epicurious.com, this dish combines parsnip, sweet potatoes and a lowly Idaho baker along with a touch of chicken stock and a fair bit of heavy cream. Spiced up with garlic and freshly grated nutmeg, I have to admit I left out the celery root because I'm not much of a fan. Oh I also cut the recipe roughly in half but wish I hadn't. I'd eat it for breakfast, lunch, supper and a bedtime snack if I could; in fact, Big Guy just caramelized leftovers in a frying pan and we had 'em along with our sausage and eggs a few minutes ago. Superlative!

If you're looking for something to make your socks go up and down, this would be it. Just remember a gratin needs to be made in a large shallow dish so don't be crowding it all into an 8 inch casserole or your gratin won't be a gratin. It will be more like soup. Just sayin'.  

Root Vegetable Gratin from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from epicurious.com

2 large parsnips

1 medium sweet potato

1 large Idaho (russet) potato

1 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream (and more as needed)

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 12 inch gratin dish with cooking spray and set aside. Peel parsnips and cut into thirds. Slice lengthwise around the core in 1/8 inch slices. Discard core and place parsnips in a large bowl. Add salt, garlic, black pepper, nutmeg, chicken broth and heavy cream. Peel sweet potato and cut into 1/8 thin slices, adding to the bowl along with parsnip. Do likewise with the Idaho potato. Toss ingredients together to combine and move to the gratin dish. Level the top. Dot with butter. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, adding extra cream if the casserole looks dry. Cover and keep warm until serving time. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

A year ago - Turkey and Pumpkin Enchilada Casserole

Two year's ago - Pumpkin PIe Creme Brulee

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

Thanksgiving - The Day After

I would hazard to say there's not many households in the country that won't be enjoying leftovers today, thanks to yesterday's abundance and our house is no exception. In fact, our dinner menus will be well taken care of over the next several days but other than repeated turkey sandwiches, we're unlikely to get bored because there's so many different things to be made from leftover bird.

In case you're curious, we kept our Thanksgiving menu really simple. When it's over 80 degrees outside, sunny and gorgeous it is reason enough not to roast the bird in the oven, so Big Guy cooked it on the Weber Rotisserie and, as you can see, he did a fabulous job.

Stuffed with apples, rosemary and fresh thyme, he shot the beauty up from the inside with pure apple juice. That way the skin remained intact resulting in an extremely moist, tender and flavorful bird. 

Side dishes included:

Sausage Stuffing with Port, Cranberries & Pecans

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Cranberry Kumquat Sauce

Pumpkin Gingersnap Tiramisu

I'll be passing along recipes to you during the next few days in case you'd like to stash them in your memory box for next year's feast. Meanwhile, enjoy your day everyone. I know it's only a touch after 7 AM here, but personally I'm heading to the fridge for some sandwich makings. Who says you can't have lunch for breakfast?

A year ago - Beef Patties on Salad

Two year's ago - Duck with Pomegranate Chile Sauce

 

Thanksgiving Side Dishes - Apple, Dried Fruit and Sausage Stuffing

Thanksgiving is but a month away and by my calendar that makes it perfect timing for trying out new recipes to wow the crowd on the special day. To that end, we'll be introducing and/or re-introducing you to some of our favorties over the next few weeks. 

It is darn near impossible to think of turkey without stuffing and this one adapted from Real Simple via myrecipes.com certainly lives up to its source. We've had it here before and it is so simple to make and so delicious, we had to have it again last night with some oven roasted chicken just to remind ourselves how incredible it really is.

A loaf of frozen garlic bread (I used Pepperidge Farms) is defrosted and cut into cubes and joined by sauteed sausage, beautiful Red Rome apples, and dried fruit - in our case cranberries and apricots. Moistened with chicken stock and seasoned with sage and nutmeg, it hits the oven for 40 minutes until the top's all golden and crunchy. It is amazing. 

Incidentally, I cut Real Simple's recipe in half which filled a 3 quart casserole dish but if you're cooking for a crowd, be sure to make the whole thing. As well, I used hot Italian sausage rather than sweet last night, but I've also used good old Jimmy Dean's Sage flavored sausage in the past and it was fabulous. The stuffing would be wonderul filling a crown roast of pork too, or served along side pork tenderloin, so think outside the box a bit when you're whipping it up. 

Apple Sausage Stuffing (adapted from Real Simple)

1/2 pound Sausage (I used hot, casings removed)

2 medium Rome apples, unpeeled, cored and diced

2 ounces dried apricots, snipped

2 ounces dried cranberries

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 – 10 ounce package frozen Parmesan garlic bread (like Pepperidge Farms)

1/2 cup chicken stock

Thaw bread and cut into half inch cubes. Place in a large bowl and set aside. Cook sausage in a large skillet, crumbling as it cooks until it starts to brown. Add apples and cook stirring from time to time until apples are tender (about 5 minutes). Add dried fruit, sage and nutmeg. Toss with bread cubes and add chicken stock to moisten. Transfer to a lightly buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serves 6.

A year ago - Asian Glazed Salmon with Soba Noodle Salad

Two year's ago - Turkey Burgers with Smoky Cheese Mayo

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

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Tiz' the season of the great pumpkin and while most of us think of it in terms of pie, like any other member of the squash/gourd family, it can be used in sweet or savory dishes. We'll be show casing squash this week as a recurring theme so I thought we'd start the enjoyment with something familiar and our sweet treat of the week.

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars with a Gingersnap Crust

Inspired by a Rachael Ray recipe, I took the liberty of changing it up a bit by using crushed gingersnaps as the base instead of chocolate wafer crumbs. For some strange reason, chocolate wafer cookies are a little hard to find these days and I didn't want to go the Oreo route because the leftovers are too tempting. No matter though, because the spices in the cookie are synonymous with pumpkin anyway.  I added more spice to the cream cheese, sugar and egg combination too along with a wee dram of bourbon...please don't be telling Big Guy I'm using his Knob Creek to cook with or he'll be locking the liquor cabinet on me. I figured he wouldn't miss 2 teaspoons of the stuff unless he's marked the bottle. Yikes...I'd better check.

Anyway, there's lots of versions of pumpkin chocolate cheesecake bars out there and while most of them place the chocolate layer next to the crust, this particular version has the chocolate combined with a portion of the cheesecake filling and swirled into the top. 

I think they're pretty good, if I do say so...incredibly rich, creamy and oh so slightly decadent. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Rachael Ray)

1 cup gingersnap crumbs (approximately 10 cookies)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

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2 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Dash ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons bourbon or vanilla

4 ounces dark chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 inch square pan with aluminum foil or parchment and set aside.

Combine cookie crumbs, sugar and butter in a small bowl and mix well. Pat into bottom of pan and bake for 10 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile pulse cream cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add sugar and pumpkin puree and mix until very smooth. Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt and pulse to combine then add eggs and bourbon or vanilla. Combine. Remove 1 cup of cheesecake mixture into a small bowl and combine with melted chocolate. Pour remainder of cheesecake mixture onto cooled crumb crust and top with spoonful’s of the chocolate mixture. Swirl with a knife to combine.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set but slightly soft in the center. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing. Cut, wiping knife between each use. 

A year ago - Sweet Potato, Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas 

Two year's ago -  Coq au Vin

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'. 

 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Ah Thanksgiving in Canada - an excuse to spend days planning and even longer cooking. Well we had turkey yesterday too and for sure Rachel would have been proud with how quickly our "off the cuff" Thanksgiving dinner went together. Since we're a two country couple at least as far as nationality goes, we get to celebrate holidays from both places and yesterday turkey was the order of the day, minus all the trimmings of course. We'll save that for the end of November. Still, we managed to enjoy a rather tasty plateful, never mind that I made turkey stock yesterday afternoon just as an excuse to fill the house with its succulent aroma.

 
No recipes here people, at least not for the main course. It was just simple food with turkey breast cut into scallops, pounded dusted with spices and coated in flour. Sauteed quickly in butter, topped with crispy fried sage leaves and accompanied by mashed spuds, turkey gravy from that wonderful stock, pan fried brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce of course, it was all perfectly respectable.

Dessert was the pièce de résistance regardless that it took minimal effort to throw together. I happen to love bread pudding and of course pumpkin is synonymous with Thanksgiving. Put the two of them together in a rustic Pumpkin Bread Pudding and you've got a real winner. 

While the texture of the finished pudding would have been more delicate had I used brioche or some kind of egg bread, I used crust-less homemade French bread saved in the freezer from last week. Spiced up with the usual pumpkin pie spices and studded with beautiful golden raisins, this pudding screams MORE...I WANT MORE.

Topped with a rich, dark caramel sauce, I'd say it was special enough for a celebration dinner even without the whipped cream I should have insisted upon. Oh well, maybe next time.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

2-1/2 cups quarter inch bread cubes, crusts removed * See Note

1 cup half and half

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons golden raisins (optional)

Spray four individual ramekins or one 2 quart casserole with cooking spray.  Arrange bread cubes on bottom. Add raisins and toss with bread cubes. In a small bowl combine half and half, pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, spices and vanilla and whisk together until well combined. Pour over bread cubes and using a fork, mix together lightly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour to give bread a chance to soak up the custard.

Preheat oven to 350. Bake casserole for 30 to 40 minutes, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.  To serve – sift powdered sugar over bread pudding and serve with caramel sauce. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.  Makes 4 servings

Note: - I used French bread for a firmer pudding; however, if you prefer a pudding with a softer, more delicate custard like texture be sure to use brioche or egg bread instead. In any case, it is best made with day old bread.

Caramel Sauce:

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

1-1/4 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large saucepan with a heavy bottom, heat sugar and water over low heat until sugar dissolves. Do not stir! Increase heat to medium high and boil until mixture is a medium amber color, washing down sides of pot from time to time with a pastry brush dipped in water. Watch mixture carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. When of desired color, remove from heat and slowly add cream. Mixture will bubble vigorously so be careful. Return to heat and cook stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Cool and refrigerate until serving. Reheat briefly to a pourable consistency. Download Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

 

 

Butternut Squash Galette

I'm not sure if you've noticed but this week's menus have a very subtle theme. Starting with Sole Almondine, then Provencal style Beef Stew and moving on to last night's butternut squash galette, they all have a kiss of the French countryside in them - simple food with "beaucoup" flavors.

Last night's galette is a perfect example. A galette is nothing but a free form tart, often fruit filled - in fact my absolute favorite is apple with a touch of maple syrup, cinnamon and browned butter. In this case the pastry disc is a showcase for some of autumn's best savory flavors.

Since this site is all about everyday food and this everyday person can be a tad lazy, I used a ready made crust that I simply rolled a little thinner. Hey, pastry isn't hard to make but I know some of you are a tad pastry phobic and I didn't want you to pass this recipe up because you thought it was too much of a pain. It's just too darn delicious!

Sprinkled with fresh chopped sage and topped with roasted butternut squash, sauteed leeks and wonderful creamy soft mild goat's cheese, the galette was out of the oven in a quick 35 minutes. Course that's cooking time but it is something that a busy cook can prep in advance, hold in the refrigerator and bake just before dinner. Served with a salad, it's a fabulous meatless lunch or dinner item never mind that it would make a great first course on your Thanksgiving menu. Of course in our case I served it along with some sliced pork roast that I rescued from the freezer because, as you know, the big guy doesn't do meatless Mondays.

We loved it. I think you could make it with almost any kind of squash and while the leeks were wonderful, shallots or thinly sliced caramelized onions would be delicious too. If you're not much into the flavor of sage, substitute thyme and you'll have it made. Do give it a try. It may open the door to all kinds of possibilities. Download Butternut Squash Galette

Butternut Squash Galette (adapted from Epicurious.com) 

1 – 2 pound butternut squash

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 leeks, white and pale green part only

Prepared pastry for single crust pie

1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage leaves

6 ounces soft mild goat’s cheese (Montrachet)

Coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Preheat oven to 500. Peel, seed and slice butternut squash into thin quarter inch pieces. Spray sheet pans with cooking spray and arrange squash slices in a single layer onto sheet pan. Drizzle with a 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until golden brown on the edges and undersides – about 20 minutes. Watch closely the last few minutes as once it starts to caramelize, it’ll burn very quickly. Remove from oven and cool.

Meanwhile, cut leeks in half and run under cool water. Slice crosswise into thin slices. Heat remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add leeks, cover and cook over medium heat until transparent – about 10 minutes. Cool and set aside.

To assemble galette – roll pastry out on a sheet of parchment into 13 inch round. Transfer pastry and parchment to baking sheet. Sprinkle pastry with chopped sage leaves, then and arrange filling in the center of the dough, leaving a 2 to 3 inch border. Layer cooked squash, crumbled goat’s cheese and leeks. Sprinkle with coarse ground black pepper. Fold dough in towards center pleating as necessary. Brush edges with heavy cream.  Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is cooked through. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.