The Best Turkey Ever

Make this. Seriously.

Cider-Brined Turkey
(Adapted from a recipe by Emeril Lagasse)

16 cups fresh apple cider
2 cups coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
4 cinnamon sticks
4 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 gallon ice water
1 whole (10-to-12-pound) turkey, fresh or frozen (defrosted)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
Freshly ground pepper
2 apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped

1. In a large stockpot, combine fresh cider, 2 cups salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add thyme, rosemary, oregano, and parsley. Let steep for 5 minutes. Add ice water, stir, and let brine cool to room temperature.
2. Rinse turkey inside and out under cool running water. Remove giblets and neck; set aside for gravy or stuffing, if desired. Place turkey in a pot large enough to hold the turkey and the brine or a large, food-safe plastic bag, set in a pot or roasting pan. Cover turkey with brine, make sure both cavities of turkey are filled. Cover or tightly close bag and refrigerate 10 to 12 hours. If using a bag, rotate turkey occasionally to make sure it is evenly brined.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
4. Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Place turkey, breast-side up, in a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan fitted with a rack. Rub all sides with butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey with apples, celery, and onion. Loosely tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Transfer to oven and roast until skin is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Cover turkey loosely with a double layer of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) registers 161 degrees, about 1 hour more.
6. Remove from oven and transfer turkey to a serving platter. Let turkey stand, tented with foil, about 20 minutes before carving.

The Easiest Chicken Ever

Do you ever have one of those nights where all you want to do is make something easy, put it in the oven, smell delicious smells, then eat? Me too. This is essentially my go-to comfort entree when I can't scrounge up enough energy to be inventive.

Hail Mary Chicken
16-20 oz pkg of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip - reduced fat mayo is OK)
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese (you could use grated as well - I prefer to just shred whatever I have in the fridge)
1 c. breadcrumbs (no food processor? Just use Progresso.)
Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking dish (square, rectangle, whatever you have on hand) with non-stick spray. In a seperate shallow dish, mix together breadcrumbs and seasonings to taste.

Flatten chicken breasts. In a bowl, mix together the mayo and parmesan. Using a small spatula, spread onto a chicken breast (this may be tricky - don't be a perfectionist about it, the chicken will be fine), then dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture and place in the pan. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Sprinkle leftover breadcrumbs over the top to coat, then dispose of the rest.

Bake for 1/2 hour.

It's not you, it's me

I'm not really feeling this food blog anymore... There are 18 gazillion other food blogs, no need for one of my own. But my sister uses the site to pull up old recipes, so I'm leaving 'er up.

Too Late

I have been on a serious mission in the kitchen this month. I have been working out hard, and I have found that most of my cravings for crappy food (aka cheeseburgers) have disappeared. A nice perk, all things considered. Lately I cannot get enough protein, bell peppers, broccoli, and vegetables, period.

I have made three meals in the past two weeks that were my own - not inspired by a recipe, just experiments that turned out deliciously:

*Flank steak marinated in Worcestershire, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, finely minced garlic, and cracked pepper with roasted fingerling potatoes (blanched, then roasted w/ olive oil and sea salt) and with steamed broccoli topped with finely grated Parmesan and Meyer lemon zest.



*Pizza dough from Broder's, par-baked, brushed with olive oil, topped with buffalo mozzarella and roasted vegetables (I roasted chunks of red and yellow pepper, yellow onion, and garlic over high heat on the stove - until the veggies were blistered lightly and consistently) and then baked again.

* I scored some delicious greenhouse roma tomatoes last week and diced them up this week, left them in a colander for a few hours, then tossed with a ton of minced garlic, black pepper, and fresh basil chiffonades. I left it to drain again, then added a touch of olive oil and moved to a storage container to mellow overnight. Then I boiled up some whole-grain angel hair pasta (the protein-enriched kind) and added many many spoonfuls of the tomato mix to my pasta. Totally basic and not very original, but delicious all the same.

I wish I had the desire to formulate recipes for the three above... but I don't. I guess if you're inspired, you'll have to do your own experimenting.

More Mexican?

Apparently I haven't posted a new recipe in over four months... Oops.

I haven't been trying out new things in the kitchen all that much this winter... My creativity stores are low.

I think Dave's no. 1 complaint is that I cook too much Mexican. I can't help it - the bright sunny flavors of lime and fresh chiles, they keep me going through the winter months. It is also economical, as I find that I can use my leftovers in more creative ways when I stick within the Latin genre.

Here is a dish that you can use in Mexican dishes (tostadas, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, dzik...) or you can use it in sandwiches (try it w/ BBQ sauce) or casseroles...

SHREDDED PORK

3 lbs pork shoulder roast
1 teaspoon salt
2 yellow onions, cut into chunks
8 cloves garlic, skins removed and left whole
2 quarts water

Trim the meat of all fat (when using a heavily marbled cut of pork, trim the excess fat from the cut's exterior). Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 9 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Remove the meat from the cooker, allowing it to cool. Once cooled, shred the meat using your fingers or two forks.

The stock may be strained and frozen for later use in soups and stews (I did not save mine, but realized after the fact that it could be used in making posole).

* * *

If you'd like to make enchiladas with the pork, here is a smoky enchilada sauce that is ten times better than the canned sauce:

CHIPOTLE CHILE ENCHILADA SAUCE

2-3 canned chipotle chiles
1 T. adobo sauce (from can of chiles)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
28 oz can diced tomatoes in juice (I like to use Muir Glen fire roasted)
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. black pepper, ground
1 T. vegetable oil
2 c. chicken broth

In a blender jar, add chiles, adobo sauce, garlic, tomatoes w/ juice, cumin, and pepper. Blend to a smooth consistency.

Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in a 4 qt sauce pan (trust me - go big to avoid splatters). Pour in the sauce, then cook 5-7 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to a thick consistency. Add the chicken broth, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 10 minutes.

* * *

While traditionally made with venison or beef, you may also use the pork in a traditional "salad" of the Yucatan - dzik. It is very refreshing on a hot day, and it can be served as a main dish salad (think along the line of Thai meat salads) or it can be used as a filling for tacos.

DZIK

2.5 - 3 c. shredded meat
1 c. tomato-habanero salsa (below)
2 T. fresh lime juice (try the tiny key limes for extra freshness)
1 t. salt

Stir the beef into the salsa. Add the lime juice and season with salt. Cover and let stand at room temperature until serving (not to exceed one hour). Serve.

TOMATO-HABANERO SALSA

1/2 small red onion, finely minced
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 medium ripe red tomato (or 2-3 Roma tomatoes)
3 radishes, sliced thinly
1/2 habanero chile, seeded and minced
6 large sprigs cilantro, finely sliced

In a strainer, rinse the minced red onion under cold water, then shake off excess water. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in one tablespoon fresh lime juice. Core the tomatoes, cut them in half, and scoop out the seeds. Chop them finely and put them into a large bowl (separate from the onion). Chop the sliced radishes into a small dice, and add to the tomato along with the habanero and cilantro. Add the onion-lime mixture to the tomato mixture.