Every family has some sort of traditions when it comes to Christmas (or the entire month of December). A lot of these center around food. In my family, every Christmas Eve we prepare a special meal, usually something ethnic. Last year we decided to make different Asian dishes, including pot stickers & bulgogi (a delicious Korean beef dish).
For dinner on Christmas day, we bypass a more traditional ham or turkey, and head straight for the beef. It is a perfect day for a delicious steak, and by doing this I am able to get my husband to help out with dinner by taking charge of the grill.
What does your family do? Is there a special dish that always makes it to the table? I'd love to hear about it!!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Just around the corner
Christmas is only 16 days away! This year has just flown by, and it seems that every day since Thanksgiving is a blur. This month, I'm going to share different recipes and ideas to help make your Christmas even better.
Starting in January, I'm going to feature a new technique every month, followed by plenty of recipes to get you going. January will kick-off the new year with Tamales. There will be detailed pictures & instructions, as well as many recipes for different variations of tamales and other Mexican favorites.
Starting in January, I'm going to feature a new technique every month, followed by plenty of recipes to get you going. January will kick-off the new year with Tamales. There will be detailed pictures & instructions, as well as many recipes for different variations of tamales and other Mexican favorites.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Brining
According to Wikipedia, brining is- a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (the brine) before cooking. You might have heard a lot about brining a turkey, and you might be wondering what the big deal is all about. Well, basically, brining will help to flavor your bird, as well as keep it moist.
The process is very simple. You need something big enough to hold a lot of water and your turkey. Some people use 5 gallon buckets, coolers, or very large Ziploc-type bags. The bird needs to be fully submerged in the brine. You can weigh it down if you have to. This year, I will be using a very large Ziploc bag (near all the other bags), and once that is full, I will close it and place it in a cooler and surround the bag with ice. After 24 hours, I'll remove the bird, rinse it well, and cook just as I normally would.
The brine consists of 1/2 cup salt (I always use Kosher) & 1/2 cup sugar for every gallon of water. Then add whatever type of herbs or flavoring aides you want (citrus always works well with poultry).
A quick search on Google will get you lots of recipes. Here are a few that can help get you started.
Brined, Herb Roasted Turkey
Honey-Brined Turkey
Turkey Brine
One thing to need to remember: If you are making gravy with the drippings, you probably won't need salt.
The process is very simple. You need something big enough to hold a lot of water and your turkey. Some people use 5 gallon buckets, coolers, or very large Ziploc-type bags. The bird needs to be fully submerged in the brine. You can weigh it down if you have to. This year, I will be using a very large Ziploc bag (near all the other bags), and once that is full, I will close it and place it in a cooler and surround the bag with ice. After 24 hours, I'll remove the bird, rinse it well, and cook just as I normally would.
The brine consists of 1/2 cup salt (I always use Kosher) & 1/2 cup sugar for every gallon of water. Then add whatever type of herbs or flavoring aides you want (citrus always works well with poultry).
A quick search on Google will get you lots of recipes. Here are a few that can help get you started.
Brined, Herb Roasted Turkey
Honey-Brined Turkey
Turkey Brine
One thing to need to remember: If you are making gravy with the drippings, you probably won't need salt.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes- YUM!!
2 1/2 pounds cubed peeled sweet potato
1/2 cup half-and-half
3 Tbs. butter, softened
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 (7-oz.) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
Place potato in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return potato to pan. Add half-and-half, butter, and juice; mash to desired consistency. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.
Remove 2 chiles from can and chop; reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use. Stir chopped chiles, brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon into potato mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.
Serves 6
1/2 cup half-and-half
3 Tbs. butter, softened
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 (7-oz.) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
Place potato in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return potato to pan. Add half-and-half, butter, and juice; mash to desired consistency. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.
Remove 2 chiles from can and chop; reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use. Stir chopped chiles, brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon into potato mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.
Serves 6
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sweet-Potato Pie
10 graham crackers (or 1 1/3 cups graham-cracker crumbs)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups pureed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. with rack on lowest shelf. Make crust: In a food processor, pulse graham crackers, sugar, ginger, and salt until finely ground. Add butter; pulse until mixture forms large, moist crumbs. Press crust into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
Make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until combined. Add sweet-potato purée, half-and-half, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and allspice; whisk until completely smooth. Pour filling into crust; smooth top with a rubber spatula.
Place pie on a baking sheet, and bake until filling is set, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Pie can be prepared up to a day ahead and refrigerated; serve chilled or at room temperature.
Thanks Martha!
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups pureed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. with rack on lowest shelf. Make crust: In a food processor, pulse graham crackers, sugar, ginger, and salt until finely ground. Add butter; pulse until mixture forms large, moist crumbs. Press crust into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
Make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until combined. Add sweet-potato purée, half-and-half, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and allspice; whisk until completely smooth. Pour filling into crust; smooth top with a rubber spatula.
Place pie on a baking sheet, and bake until filling is set, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Pie can be prepared up to a day ahead and refrigerated; serve chilled or at room temperature.
Thanks Martha!
Pecan Streusel Sweet Potatoes
5 pounds Sweet Potatoes, unpeeled and left whole
STREUSEL TOPPING
1 cup (packed) Dark Brown Sugar
1 cup toasted Pecans, chopped (15 minutes in a 350°F. oven, then cool and chop)
¼ cup chilled unsalted Butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
SWEET POTATO MIXTURE
4 large Eggs
3 tablespoons Maple Syrup (the real stuff!!)
2 tablespoons pure Vanilla Extract
¼ cup unsalted Butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
Zest of 1 Lime
2 tablespoons freshly grated Ginger
1 tablespoon fresh Lime Juice
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
pinch of salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450° F.
Place the potatoes into the hot oven directly on a rack and bake for 1 to 1½ hours, depending upon their size, until they are soft. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle with paper towels — then peel them. Place the peeled potatoes into a food processor and purée. If I'm using my oven for other things, I often roast these on the grill over indirect heat for the same amount of time.
Meanwhile, mix brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and butter in small bowl, until the size of coarse meal. Cover and keep chilled until ready to use. May be made a day or two before and kept, well wrapped, in the refrigerator.
Preheat or reduce oven temperature to 350° F. Butter a decorative 13x9x2-inch casserole or baking dish. Using a large shallow dish like this allows for more topping!
Whisk together eggs, cooled melted butter, maple syrup, vanilla, grated fresh ginger, lime juice and zest, cinnamon, salt and pepper in very large bowl. Add the puréed sweet potatoes and stir well with a large wooden spoon. Spoon sweet potato mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over mixture. Place casserole into oven and bake about 1 hour, until sweet potato mixture is set and topping bubbles.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving directly from the casserole.
You can put this together a day ahead and bake an hour before you want to serve. This freezes very well. Make sure to have a layer of topping on it. Defrost and bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350° F. oven for 30 minutes.
STREUSEL TOPPING
1 cup (packed) Dark Brown Sugar
1 cup toasted Pecans, chopped (15 minutes in a 350°F. oven, then cool and chop)
¼ cup chilled unsalted Butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
SWEET POTATO MIXTURE
4 large Eggs
3 tablespoons Maple Syrup (the real stuff!!)
2 tablespoons pure Vanilla Extract
¼ cup unsalted Butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
Zest of 1 Lime
2 tablespoons freshly grated Ginger
1 tablespoon fresh Lime Juice
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
pinch of salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450° F.
Place the potatoes into the hot oven directly on a rack and bake for 1 to 1½ hours, depending upon their size, until they are soft. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle with paper towels — then peel them. Place the peeled potatoes into a food processor and purée. If I'm using my oven for other things, I often roast these on the grill over indirect heat for the same amount of time.
Meanwhile, mix brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and butter in small bowl, until the size of coarse meal. Cover and keep chilled until ready to use. May be made a day or two before and kept, well wrapped, in the refrigerator.
Preheat or reduce oven temperature to 350° F. Butter a decorative 13x9x2-inch casserole or baking dish. Using a large shallow dish like this allows for more topping!
Whisk together eggs, cooled melted butter, maple syrup, vanilla, grated fresh ginger, lime juice and zest, cinnamon, salt and pepper in very large bowl. Add the puréed sweet potatoes and stir well with a large wooden spoon. Spoon sweet potato mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over mixture. Place casserole into oven and bake about 1 hour, until sweet potato mixture is set and topping bubbles.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving directly from the casserole.
You can put this together a day ahead and bake an hour before you want to serve. This freezes very well. Make sure to have a layer of topping on it. Defrost and bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350° F. oven for 30 minutes.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Pumpkin Streusel Bread
Topping:
3/4 cup finely chopped roasted chestnuts or walnuts
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
Bread:
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3/4 cup canola oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves (sometimes I just use a couple tsp of pumpkin pie spice)
2 cups chopped apples (McIntosh for tart flavor or Cortland for sweet flavor)
1 cup chopped roasted chestnuts or walnuts (optional)
Prepare the topping by blending chopped nuts, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 8-1/2" by 4-1/2" loaf pans. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, and sugar until well combined. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into pumpkin. Fold in apples and nuts. Pour into prepared pans. Divide streusel topping and sprinkle evenly on both pans. Bake 50-60 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool slightly in pans then transfer to a cooling rack. When cooled, you can either wrap loaves and refrigerate or freeze.
Makes 2 loaves
3/4 cup finely chopped roasted chestnuts or walnuts
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
Bread:
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3/4 cup canola oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves (sometimes I just use a couple tsp of pumpkin pie spice)
2 cups chopped apples (McIntosh for tart flavor or Cortland for sweet flavor)
1 cup chopped roasted chestnuts or walnuts (optional)
Prepare the topping by blending chopped nuts, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 8-1/2" by 4-1/2" loaf pans. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, and sugar until well combined. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into pumpkin. Fold in apples and nuts. Pour into prepared pans. Divide streusel topping and sprinkle evenly on both pans. Bake 50-60 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool slightly in pans then transfer to a cooling rack. When cooled, you can either wrap loaves and refrigerate or freeze.
Makes 2 loaves
Creamed Spinach
The key to this recipe is the fresh Parmesan & bacon. Yum!
3 pounds spinach
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tea. freshly ground nutmeg (a little less if using pre-ground nutmeg)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Wash the spinach thoroughly & drain. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the spinach and garlic. Cook, turning frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Remove the garlic and put the spinach into a colander and let it drain well. Press out as much liquid as you can from the leaves and chop them coarsely.
Heat the skillet again over medium-high heat and add the bacon, cream and nutmeg; cook until it reduces a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the spinach is hot, about 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.
3 pounds spinach
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tea. freshly ground nutmeg (a little less if using pre-ground nutmeg)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Wash the spinach thoroughly & drain. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the spinach and garlic. Cook, turning frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Remove the garlic and put the spinach into a colander and let it drain well. Press out as much liquid as you can from the leaves and chop them coarsely.
Heat the skillet again over medium-high heat and add the bacon, cream and nutmeg; cook until it reduces a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the spinach is hot, about 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.
Turkey Talk
Have you noticed that there are dozens of types of turkeys available in your local market? Are you a little confused? Here is some great information that will help you pick a great bird.
Fryer / Roaster- A small turkey of 4 to 8 pounds is classified as a fryer-roaster and is usually no older than 4 months.
Young- A 4 to 8 month old turkey is referred to as a young roaster, which has soft, smooth skin and tender meat.
Yearling- A 12 month old turkey is called a yearling and the meat and skin are still reasonably tender, but not as tender as a young turkey.
Mature or Old- A mature turkey is 15 months or older and is not well suited for roasting because the meat is much tougher.
*Note-Whole turkeys may be labeled hen or tom turkey, but this does not make a significant difference in the quality. The flavor and tenderness of the meat is determined by the age of the turkey at the time it is brought to market, rather than the gender. Most turkeys used for roasting are between 4 and 9 months old and range in weight from 8 to 24 pounds.
Smoked- Smoked turkeys are ready to eat because the smoking process cures and cooks the meat with indirect heat. They are available in a wide range of flavors depending on the type of fuel used for the smoking process.
Free-Range- A turkey known as "free-range" indicates that the bird was allowed to roam outdoors, which may have a positive affect on the flavor of the meat, especially if the roaming area was not too crowded. The amount of space that a turkey is given to roam, regardless if it is indoors or out, actually affects the quality to a greater degree than if the bird is simply allowed to be outdoors.
Organic- An organic turkey refers to a bird that is allowed to eat only organic feed and is allowed to roam outdoors (free-range). In order to be classified as organic, the turkey can never receive any antibiotics. Growth hormones are also prohibited, which is the case for all commercially raised poultry.
Natural- This refers to turkeys that have limited processing with no artificial ingredients or coloring added. The term "natural" does indicate that a turkey is free-range. The meat is also be a bit drier than other types of turkeys that have had additional processing.
Kosher- A kosher turkey must be raised and processed with strict guidelines under rabbinical supervision. The turkeys are free-range birds that are fed only grain, are never given any antibiotics, and are individually inspected. When they are processed, the turkeys are soaked in a salty brine solution to provide maximum tenderness and to give the meat a unique flavor.
Heritage Turkeys- Before turkeys were raised in large commercial sites and mass marketed, most people ate a variety of breeds raised on small farms. Today these various breeds are known collectively as "Heritage Turkeys", which are making a comeback. Heritage turkeys are free-range birds and include breeds such as Jersey Buff, Bourbon Red, Black Spanish, and Narragansett. The various breeds generally have a longer body, smaller breast muscles, and are bit leaner than commercially raised birds. Heritage turkeys require an additional 2 to 3 months to grow to the proper size for processing. This makes the turkeys more expensive than commercially raised birds, but most people feel the extra expense is justified because of the excellent flavor and the texture and tenderness of the meat. Most heritage turkeys are raised on small farms where they can be directly purchased or they can be conveniently purchased from a number of online sites and shipped directly to the consumer.
Fryer / Roaster- A small turkey of 4 to 8 pounds is classified as a fryer-roaster and is usually no older than 4 months.
Young- A 4 to 8 month old turkey is referred to as a young roaster, which has soft, smooth skin and tender meat.
Yearling- A 12 month old turkey is called a yearling and the meat and skin are still reasonably tender, but not as tender as a young turkey.
Mature or Old- A mature turkey is 15 months or older and is not well suited for roasting because the meat is much tougher.
*Note-Whole turkeys may be labeled hen or tom turkey, but this does not make a significant difference in the quality. The flavor and tenderness of the meat is determined by the age of the turkey at the time it is brought to market, rather than the gender. Most turkeys used for roasting are between 4 and 9 months old and range in weight from 8 to 24 pounds.
Smoked- Smoked turkeys are ready to eat because the smoking process cures and cooks the meat with indirect heat. They are available in a wide range of flavors depending on the type of fuel used for the smoking process.
Free-Range- A turkey known as "free-range" indicates that the bird was allowed to roam outdoors, which may have a positive affect on the flavor of the meat, especially if the roaming area was not too crowded. The amount of space that a turkey is given to roam, regardless if it is indoors or out, actually affects the quality to a greater degree than if the bird is simply allowed to be outdoors.
Organic- An organic turkey refers to a bird that is allowed to eat only organic feed and is allowed to roam outdoors (free-range). In order to be classified as organic, the turkey can never receive any antibiotics. Growth hormones are also prohibited, which is the case for all commercially raised poultry.
Natural- This refers to turkeys that have limited processing with no artificial ingredients or coloring added. The term "natural" does indicate that a turkey is free-range. The meat is also be a bit drier than other types of turkeys that have had additional processing.
Kosher- A kosher turkey must be raised and processed with strict guidelines under rabbinical supervision. The turkeys are free-range birds that are fed only grain, are never given any antibiotics, and are individually inspected. When they are processed, the turkeys are soaked in a salty brine solution to provide maximum tenderness and to give the meat a unique flavor.
Heritage Turkeys- Before turkeys were raised in large commercial sites and mass marketed, most people ate a variety of breeds raised on small farms. Today these various breeds are known collectively as "Heritage Turkeys", which are making a comeback. Heritage turkeys are free-range birds and include breeds such as Jersey Buff, Bourbon Red, Black Spanish, and Narragansett. The various breeds generally have a longer body, smaller breast muscles, and are bit leaner than commercially raised birds. Heritage turkeys require an additional 2 to 3 months to grow to the proper size for processing. This makes the turkeys more expensive than commercially raised birds, but most people feel the extra expense is justified because of the excellent flavor and the texture and tenderness of the meat. Most heritage turkeys are raised on small farms where they can be directly purchased or they can be conveniently purchased from a number of online sites and shipped directly to the consumer.
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