Thanksgiving Fiasco - Jennie-O turkey

We had what I would classify as a “scam” perpetrated on us this Thanksgiving. Well we bought a Frozen 20 lb. Jennie-O turkey to prepare for the feast. Thought it would be enough – but inside the cavity was a bag “Gravy Base” that was nothing more then water, salt and some fat. And at that it weighed about 1-1/2 pounds.

Not bad enough, my wife kept saying that the turkey was small –Yup it was. The flaps at both ends had an accumulation of “Fat” much more then any time in the past.

So what do you do, it’s Thanksgiving morning, the Turkey is ready to be stuffed and cook and everything is closed. Dh - you cook it!

But low and behold the roasting pan fills with about 3 to 3-1/2 pounds of juice.

To sum it up, our 20 lb Turkey ended up at about 15 lbs. Barely enough for the day!

Next year it will be a “Norbest” Turkey for us. – Just my thoughts.

Pork Tenderloin with Stuffing

The tenderloin is a delightful cut of pork, so versatile in that there are so many ways to prepare it. Here is another of my wife’s creations. Almost a meal in itself, just add a vegetable or salad and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

¾ to1 Lb. pork Tenderloin

¼ cup butter

1 med. Shallot

1 celery stalk

2 cups water

1 Tbsp fresh marjoram

1 can Cream of Chicken soup (low Sodium)

6 oz box “Stove Top” pork stuffing mix

5 slices cooked bacon (optional)

PREPARATION:

Wash and trim the tenderloin of any fat or waste. Cut into 1 inch thick slices across the grain.

Peel the shallot and chop. Wash the celery, trim and chop. Wash the marjoram shaking off the water, strip the leaves and chop finely.

Spray an oven proof baking dish with non-stick spray. Arrange the tenderloin in a row in the center of the dish.

Preheat oven to 350 deg.

COOKING:

Set a 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat, add the butter and melt. Then add the shallots, celery and bacon and simmer until soft. Add the water and bring to a boil mixing to combine. Add the stuffing mix, remove the pan from the heat, and mix well. Cover and let rest for 5 min.

Scoop the dressing mix and arrange it around the tenderloin. Pour the soup over the dressing and pork, spreading to cover the entire top. Sprinkle the marjoram over the soup and cover with foil.

Place the dish in the center of the over and bake for 50 to 60 min. Remove from the oven, garnish with marjoram sprigs and serve.

Herb Butter Roasted Chicken

Either a whole 4 to 5 lb roasting chicken, or as we did here works fine for this recipe; In reality, we each only ate half of the piece and had the rest the following day. It’s a very tasty and juicy way to prepare a chicken with minimum of fuss.

The butchers are happy to cut a whole chicken in half for you if you ask.

INGREDIENTS:

2 halves of roasting chicken

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

1 tsp. garlic

1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves

¼ cup butter

¼ tsp. pepper

PREPARATION:

Thoroughly wash the chicken, removing excess fat and any waist along with the giblet bag; pat dry. Secure wings to body of chicken

Peel and press the garlic through a press. Wash the rosemary shaking off the water, strip the leaves and chop finely. Wash the parsley shaking off the water, cut the leaves from the stems and chop finely. Soften the butter in a Microwave. Then in small bowl stir together butter, parsley, rosemary, pepper and garlic.

Rub chicken with butter mixture. Place on rack in roasting pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg.

ROASTING:

Roast uncovered for 2 to 2½ hr. or until fork tender. Serve up with a sprig of rosemary as a garnish

4 servings

Creamy Ham Chowder

This is a takeoff on clam chowder. The ham and savory add an interesting twist on chowder. Give it a try I think you will enjoy it.
INGREDIENTS:

12 to 16 oz. ham slice *

2 medium potatoes

1 medium shallot

2 medium carrots

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried savory

1/8 tsp pepper

Parsley for garnish

 Cream Sauce:

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

½ cup milk

½ cup heavy cream

PREPARATION:

Peel and dice the potatoes into ½ inch cubes. Peel and finely chop the shallot; Peel, wash and slice the carrot in half lengthwise then cut into ¼ inch slices. Clean any fat from the ham and dice it into ½ inch cubes. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, milk and cream until smooth. Wash the parsley shaking off the water and chop for garnish.

COOKING:

Add the water, solids and spices to a 3 qt. saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender.

Add the Cream sauce and bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. (If you have the time, let the chowder set for a couple of hours to absorb the flavors, and then reheat just before serving.)

Find the bay leaf and discard then sprinkle with parsley for garnish before serving.

* Or 1-1/2 cups cubed Leftover or cooked ham.

Chicken in Herb Sauce

There’s always the nagging question “What to make for supper tonight?” Then there’s the leftover chicken from the roast a couple of nights ago. Well let’s make a creamy herb spiced sauce and serve it over Angel Hair macaroni – this is the result. It is nice to have an herb garden to pick fresh from, but we don’t have tarragon, so dry had to do.

INGREDIENTS:

1 to 2 cups cooked chicken

1 cup milk

1 cup chicken broth

¼ cup butter

2 Tbsp flour

½ cup celery

1 tsp chives (or dry)

1 tsp fresh Rosemary ¾ tsp dried

½ tsp of fresh parsley or ¼ tsp dried flakes

¼ tsp fresh sage or 1/8 tsp rubbed, dried sage

¼ tsp dried tarragon

Angel Hair or frozen patty shells, baked

PREPARATION:

Cut the cooked chicken or turkey into ½”cubes; clean and finely chop the celery. Combine dry ingredients

Or if using fresh herbs, wash them shaking off the water, strip the leaves and chop finely. Snip chives into ¼” pieces. Combine the herbs.

Cook about 1/8-1/4 lb. of Angle hair according to directions. Or bake the patty shells.

COOKING:

Set a 10” sauté or fry pan over medium heat, when the rim is hot to the touch, add the butter. When it is melted, sauté the celery in butter ‘till tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in flour, chives, rosemary, sage, parsley, and tarragon.. Add milk and chicken broth continuing to cooking and stirring ‘till it has thickened and is bubbly. Stir in chicken. Season to taste with pepper. Heat through.

Serve over Angel Hair macaroni or in patty shells. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with sprigs.

Old Fashioned Chicken Soup

Well here’s the real deal, my grandmother used to make it like this and now my wife does. It is as it should be – chicken soup, not vegetable soup.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken parts (or a 3 Lb. fryer)

3 Quarts of purified water

2 shallots

2 carrots

2 Tbsp dried parsley

1chicken bullion cube

6 to 7 oz. fine egg noodles

DIRECTIONS:

First off, this recipe uses the “Unusable” parts of whole chickens. Alternately a whole fryer can be cut up and used.

On this particular occasion, we purchased three 5 pound whole chickens; had two cut if half by the butcher. At home the two split chickens were cleaned of the back bone, associated fat and skin. This along with the necks from all three chickens was added to a 6 qt. pot. The whole chicken was also cleaned with the results added to the pot. Add three quarts of purified water to the pot and set it to simmer for two hours (Actually stewing the chicken parts).

Remove the chicken parts with a slotted spoon to a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones; Discarding the skin and bones.  Strain the broth, skim off excess fat and Return meat to the pot.

Peel the carrots, wash and dice. Peel the shallots, leaving them whole. Add the carrots, parsley flakes, bullion (crushed) and shallots to the pot and cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 hour.

Meanwhile prepare the noodles according to directions. Do Not cook the noodles in the soup as it makes it cloudy and less appealing.

To serve: Put noodles in individual bowls and ladle the soup over them being sure to include the solids. A sprinkle of fresh parsley can be added as a finishing touch.

Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Sometimes there isn’t anything better then an oven roasted chicken. Well here’s our favorite way of enjoying this delightful meal.

INGREDIENTS:

4 to 5 lb. whole chicken

6 red potatoes or 2 large All purpose.

4 medium carrots

6 small shallots

½ cup butter,

2 tsp. rosemary leaves

2 tsp. garlic

 ¼ tsp. pepper
Sprigs of fresh parsley

PREPARATION:

Wash and cut the potatoes in half, quarters if larger. Wash and peel the carrots then cut on the diagonal into thirds. Peel the shallots, leaving whole. Peel and press the garlic through a press. Wash the rosemary shaking off the water, strip the leaves and chop finely. Soften the butter in a Microwave. Then in a medium bowl stir together butter, rosemary, pepper and garlic.

Thoroughly wash the chicken, removing excess fat and any waste along with the giblet bag; pat dry. Secure wings to body of chicken. Rub chicken with one third of butter mixture. Place chicken in roasting pan. Place potatoes, carrots and shallots in the bowl with the remaining butter mixture and evenly coat the vegetables. Then spread them on bottom of pan around chicken.

Here it is carved

Pre heat the oven to 350°.

 ROASTING:

Roast the chicken, uncovered, basting chicken and vegetables occasionally, for 2 to 2½ hr. or 165-170 deg. on an instant read thermometer.

Garnish with sprigs of parsley.

4 servings

Pork Loin Roasted with Basil

Roast Pork is always a good choice for dinner. Here’s my wife’s method easy and quick.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. pork loin roast*

1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp basil
Kale for garnish

PREPARATIONS:

Wash the pork loin and trim excess fat. Wash the Basil shaking off the water, mince finely. Mix the Basil and pepper in with the oil, and then coat the roast with it. Place the roast in an oiled oven proof baking dish. Wash the Kale.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

COOKING:

Place the dish in the over and roast uncovered for 45 min. to an hour. When the meat thermometer reads 160° or the insides are a very pale pink it’s done. Be aware that cooking just ‘till done is important as the roast toughens quickly with overcooking.

Remove to a platter, let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve with a kale garnish if desired.

* Even tough the current trend is to sell “Tenderized” pork, it is injected with 12% salt solution which affects the healthiness and flavor. Our preference is a litter chewier, but definitely healthier.

Deviled Eggs

The versatile deviled egg can be served as an appetizer and a part of a meal.

INGREDIENTS:

6 Large eggs

Real mayonnaise

Parsley flakes

Paprika

Parsley sprigs for garnish

PREPARATION:

Place the egg container on its side for a day before boiling. The yokes will be more centered. Take them out of the frig about ½ hour before cooking. Place the eggs in a single layer in a pan and add water to cover at least 1” over them. Boil for about 17 min. after the water starts boiling. Overcooking won’t make the yokes harder; just cause the formation of the green film on the yoke. Cool in the pan with running water.

When cool, peel them. (Note: peeling under cool water aids in removing the shells) Rinse off any loose shells clinging to the white, pat dry, then cut them in halve lengthwise. Pop out the yokes from each half into a bowl. Mash the yokes with a potato masher. Clean off the masher and add mayonnaise mixing with a spoon until a thick paste is formed. Add parsley flakes to just color and mix in.

Stuff the waiting egg whites with the mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and display on a serving dish with parsley sprigs as a garnish.

Lamb Bûche

Well here's a wonderful twist on an old stand-by. Louisa whipped this up the night before last to go with the Asparagus Sautéed with Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS:

¾ to 1 lb. ground lamb

1/3 cup bread crumbs - Italian style

1-1/2 tsp fresh marjoram

1 large egg

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

Parsley sprigs for garnish.

PREPARATION:

Wash shaking off the water and finely chop the marjoram. Add the lamb to a large mixing bowl, breaking it up. Add the bread crumbs followed by the egg and the marjoram. Mix well with your hands. Grind in the fresh pepper and mix it in.

Coat a rectangular baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Remove the mixture from the bowl and form it into a Bûche and place it in the dish

Preheat the over to 350 deg.

COOKING:

Place the dish in the over and roast for 50 to 60 min. Remove from the over, slice it into ¾ inch slices and arrange on a serving dish.

Garnish with sprigs of parsley and serve.

Bison Pot Roast (Buffalo)

This is a twist on an old recipe of my wife’s. As we don’t eat beef any longer, Buffalo (Bison) is even better than the beef ever was, so it was a natural choice. Try it; I’m sure you will agree.

INGREDIENTS:

One 1-1/2 to 2 lb Bison boneless chuck roast
2 cups water

2 medium shallots
4 carrots

4 medium potatoes

3 Tbsp fresh parsley

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour
2 chicken bullion cubes
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1Tbsp corn starch dissolved in 1 Tbsp of water.

Parsley sprigs for garnish

PREPARATION:

Wash the bison roast, removing fat and sinew or any membrane. Wash and peel the potatoes and carrots. Cut them in half. Peel and thinly slice the shallots. Wash the parsley shaking off the water, cut from stalk and finely chop.

Dredge the roast in a dish containing the flour.

COOKING:

Set a Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat, add the oil.  Heat the oil hot, and then add the roast. Turn the roast several times browning it all over, about 10 minutes. Watch that it doesn’t burn or blacken. Once brown, Add the water, Bullion cubes, shallots parsley bringing it to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 2-1/2 hours checking that it isn’t sticking occasionally.

Add the potatoes and carrots continuing to simmer for another hour, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally. Remove the roast and vegetables from the Dutch oven setting aside for now.

Thicken the sauce with the 1/1 Tbsp of corn starch. Slice the roast, arrange on a serving platter with the vegetables around. Drizzle some of the gravy over the meat.

Garnish with sprigs of parsley. Serve the remaining gravy in a boat along with the platter.

Baked Chicken Legs

Here is a simple way to prepare those chicken legs we bought a while back

INGREDIENTS:

3 chicken leg quarters, skin on.

1/2 cup low salt chicken broth

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp fresh rosemary

2 Tbsp olive oil

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash the legs and remove any visible fat etc. Pat dry and Place chicken skin side up in roasting pan. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash the rosemary, shaking off the water. Strip the leaves from the stalk and finely chop.

Pour broth over chicken. Sprinkle garlic and rosemary. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and cover

COOKING:

Place the dish in the oven and bake at 350 deg. until chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving dish. Pour pan juices over chicken.