Thanksgiving menu 2006

As you might know I have a weakness for the food network. (Since Aunt Sue is living with us and she can't live without cable Scott had to give in and get her cable. He is very happy she has been reading more at least through the commercials, although that means more trips to the library for him).
So I enjoy Good Eats, 30 minute meals, Everyday Italian, Home cookin with Paula, Emerile, Bobby Flay, most of the shows I like. Scott would ordinarily object but it has vastly improved my cooking and baking abilities. So he indulges me and lets me watch, which since I am a great multi-tasker I can do multiple things at once. This year 2006 for Thanksgiving we went to St. George to be with my mom and we took our friend Marj with us. She is a darling widow that is like 18 years old, well she is really 60 but you would swear she is 18. Her and my mom grew up in the same neighborhood. There is a really cute photo of the two of them in primary together.
I was tired of the same old turkey. My dad always did the turkey in one of those cooking bags. It was OK not to dry. This year it was AWESOME. Here is what we did. First we bought a 5 gallon bucket form Costco. Mom got 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey.

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.


Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic herb sauce mix
(recommended: Knorr)
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic

In a small bowl, combine softened butter, poultry seasoning, garlic herb sauce mix, and crushed garlic. Use a fork to mix together until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, until firm but not hard.


Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with butter mixture. (see below) Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Take the butter mixture and cut into large pieces. Place the butter pieces under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper.
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1 lemon cut in 1/4s
1 orange cut in 1/4s
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
thyme
garlic cloves

Add aromatics to cavity along with rosemary, thyme and sage. Stuff the inside of turkey cavity with apple, orange, onions, fresh herb poultry blend, and lemon slices.These above ingredients you will use to stuff the inside of the bird, you will not eat any of it. We also put carrots and celery and potatoes in the bottom of the roaster to add flavor tot eh gravy and some chicken broth.

A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Stuffin Muffins
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 stick butter, softened (mom made us use more)
1 fresh bay leaf, available in produce department
4 ribs celery and greens, from the heart, chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)
1 medium to large yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 McIntosh apples, quartered and chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
8 cups cubed stuffing mix
(recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 to 3 cups chicken stock, available in paper containers on the soup aisle
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to skillet and 4 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add bay leaf and add the vegetables as you chop them, celery, onions then apples. Sprinkle the vegetables and apples with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook 5 to 6 minutes to begin to soften vegetables and apples then add parsley and stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth until all of the bread is soft but not wet.
Butter 12 muffin cups, 2 tins, liberally with remaining butter. Use an ice cream scoop to fill and mound up the stuffing in muffin tins. Remove the bay leaf as you scoop the stuffing when you come upon it. Bake until set and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove stuffin' muffins to a platter and serve hot or room temperature. (Mom made us use lots more butter).

Yummy mashed potatoes
russet potatoes
cream cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoons kosher salt
1 stick of butter

Peel and dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Let soak in water for 30 min. (helps get rid of starch)
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.
Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream cheese, salt, stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.
Mashed potatoes have been an American favorite for decades. For best results when preparing mashed potatoes, place a quarter of a lemon in the cooking water to prevent potatoes from breaking up, and cook them in their skins to prevent water logging. After cooking, pull the skin from the end of the potato to remove it easily. While mashing, add warm milk to the potatoes gradually to gauge consistency; then add any other favorite condiments.
There are a lot of differing opinions on this practice. In general the advice is to peel and use potatoes straight away as soaking can leach away nutrients, in particular Vitamin C. If you cannot use the potatoes immediately they should be covered with water to prevent the potatoes discoloring but for no more than an hour or two. This water can be acidulated with a tsp of vinegar if desired.For french fries or sauté potatoes it is sometimes recommended to soak the potatoes in water for 30 minutes to remove the excess starch. Recently there has been a suggestion that this practice also helps to reduce the quantity of acrylamide in the fried potato, but this is still under discussion.Personally I do not add salt to the soaking water as this tends to draw water out of the potato which can leave it very soft, but others feel it compacts the potato and prevents it from breaking up during cooking.

Family Yam and Apples Casserole Sylvia Dixon Marianne and me
Juicy apples are layered with sweet and starchy yams for a colorful and full-textured side dish to any roast meat or poultry. Don't hide this one just for Thanksgiving.

6 medium yams, (cooked peeled and sliced (or 1 can yams))
2 large apples, (cored and sliced Rome Beauty or Winesap)
2 and ½ cups water or (Apple 100% Juice)
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 and a ½ cups granulated sugar
( ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
¾ cup butter (1 and ½ sticks)
Butter to grease well the casserole

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
Parboil 6 to 8 yams or use princella or blueplate canned yams then cut into slices.
Alternately layer yams and apples in buttered casserole dish; set aside.
(can use a little lemon to keep apples from browning)
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch, salt and sugar with whisk until well blended. Then heat water (or apple juice) in a saucepan. When boiling, stir in cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring, until thickened (can add cinnamon.) Spoon the sauce over yam/apple mixture. Bake until the apples are tender, 25 to 45 minutes covered in the oven or 20 min in microwave.

Here are a few others I wanted to make...
Orange You Glad It's Thanksgiving Soup Rachel Ray
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup pulpy orange juice
2 boxes frozen butternut squash puree
2 or 3 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
1 tablespoon orange zest, for garnish
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When butter has melted, add the onion and carrots and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the orange juice and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor or a blender. Puree the mixture until smooth, then return to pot over medium heat. To mixture, add the frozen butternut squash puree and the chicken broth and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Grate some fresh nutmeg and stir to combine.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped thyme and orange zest.


Vegetable Tian Barefoot Contessa
Good olive oil 2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled 3/4 pound zucchini 1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.


Tart Cranberry Dipping Sauce
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
1 pound frozen cranberries 2 cups orange juice 3 cups ginger ale 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 orange, zested
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan, (stainless steel) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
Carefully puree with an immersion blender or blender until smooth. Check for seasoning and serve in small ramekins.

Jell-O Yummy Pear Delight
This is one of the only jell-o recipes I will eat.
1 cup boiling water
1-6 oz pkg lime gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup pear juice
1 can pears blended in blender
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups whipping cream (beat stiff with ½ tsp vanilla and a little sugar)

Bring water to a boil. Put gelatin and sugar in a medium sized bowl; add boiling water stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Open can of pears. Pour off pear juice in a measuring cup; put pears in the blender with 1 cup of pear juice (I sometime use all the pear juice). Blend until smooth. Slowly add jell-o mixture to blender and 1 tsp vanilla. Will be right to the top-- be careful. Pour into 9 x 13 inch dish. Refrigerate until it cools. Whip cream as it starts to set add a little sugar and vanilla, beat until stiff. Fold into gelatin mixture into 9x13 inch pan. Refrigerate for several hours until firm. I have done it with strawberry jell-o too.


Creme Brulee
1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.
Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.
Propane gas torches are highly flammable and should be kept away from heat, open flame, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. They should only be used in well-ventilated areas. When lighting a propane gas torch, place the torch on a flat, steady surface, facing away from you. Light the match or lighter and then open the gas valve. Light the gas jet, and blow out the match. Always turn off the burner valve to "finger tight" when finished using the torch. Children should never use a propane gas torch without adult supervision.

Sweet Potato Waffles
1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
Vegetable spray, for waffle iron
Special equipment: steamer basket and waffle iron
Put cubed sweet potatoes in a steamer basket. Place the basket in a large pot of simmering water that is no closer than 2 inches from the bottom of steamer. Allow potatoes to steam for 20 minutes of until fork tender. Mash cooked potatoes and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl combine the sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, butter, and grated orange rind. Stir the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture and thoroughly combine. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold egg whites into batter 1/3 at a time. The batter will be thick. Using a No. 20 disher (scoop), place 2 scoops of batter onto a preheated, oiled waffle iron, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.