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.

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.

Using Up Those Pot Roast Leftovers: Enchilada Casserole

Did you all take my advice and make the garlic studded pot roast? And do you have leftovers? In my house, leftovers are looked down upon. Not by me, but by that... other person who lives here (Dave!) I really struggle with throwing out leftovers, because it goes against my cheap-ass nature, so I try to come up with ways in which to utilze leftovers that don't give my boyfriend "yuck face" when he sits down to the dinner table... and last night was a success. I have the perfect easy-peasy relaxed recipe to use up all those leftovers.

Shredded Beef Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

Leftover shredded pot roast (I had about a cup and a half of leftovers)
1 can enchilada sauce
16 corn tortillas, sliced in half
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1.5 - 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Queso Quesadilla, but you could use jack, colby jack, etc.)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 1.5 quart round baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a nonstick saute pan over medium heat, saute the onion until soft. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the beef, black beans and 1/4 of the can on enchilada sauce. Stir until beef is evenly coated with sauce.

Begin assembling casserole by layering tortillas in the baking dish, overlapping them so that they form a continuous layer (5 halves per layer). Spoon enchilada sauce onto the tortillas (I used two large serving spoonfuls), sprinkle with cheese (according to your taste/diet), add a spoonful of the beef mixture (spread it around a bit). Repeat. On the final layer of tortillas, add sauce and cheese only.

(I happened to have a wedge of queso anejo in the fridge, and grated some of that onto the top as well.)

Once the casserole is assembled, bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Cool slightly, then slice into wedges (1/4 wedges if you're hungry, 1/6 wedges if you need to stretch this meal). Careful - you may want to use a big spoon when serving to catch all the saucy and cheesy goodness.

Serve with chopped romaine, sliced scallions, salsa, and if desired, sour cream. Chop lots of lettuce. Trust me. You'll want it to cut the richness of the casserole.

The best pot roast I have ever had

Yum. Am in food coma. Made excellent pot roast for dinner, used an Emeril recipe but made some changes. Here it is: Garlic Studded Pot Roast. Hot whores on a platter, recipe is dynamite. Use all of the garlic, maybe more. Mine popped out during braising (do try braising instead of the oven bake method) and formed a delicious caramelized garlicky goo at the bottom of dutch oven. Amazing.

The recipe is well suited to mashed potatoes... add a little extra water during braising and make a killer garlic gravy out of the pan drippings.

Go! Make it now! You won't regret it!

Ingredients

1 (3 to 3 1/2-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
10 to 12 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut in 1/2 lengthwise
fresh ground black pepper and salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (do NOT use olive oil as it may smoke... mine did)
1 cup water, plus more if necessary

Directions

Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, make 20 to 24 evenly spaced small slits about 1 -2" deep all over the pot roast. Using your fingers, insert the garlic cloves as deep into the meat as possible. Season the roast evenly on all sides with the salt and pepper.

Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the oil and, when very hot, add the roast (watch your fingers). Sear on all sides until very well browned, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Don't be afraid to let the roast get very brown -this is where a lot of the flavor comes from. When the roast is evenly browned on all sides, deglaze the Dutch oven by adding the water and stirring to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cover the Dutch oven, reduce the heat to low (I have gas and used the very lowest setting on my cooktop) and braise the roast until it is very tender, about 3 hours, turning two or three times during the cooking time. If necessary, add more water. You should have at least 1.5" of water in the pan at all times.

When the roast is very tender, transfer to a serving platter and slice or pull meat apart into serving pieces. Reduce the pan juices slightly, if desired, and serve drizzled over the top of the roast. Garnish with fresh thyme and parsley.

Penne with fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella

Last weekend I went bonkers at the farmer's market and bought about 5 lbs of tomatoes. Now a girl can eat only so many BLTs, and I have been in a pico de gallo funk lately, so I was in a pickle. 5 lbs of tomatoes - big fat brandywines, no less - and I had to do something with them, stat. Tomato lovers like me live for the end of the season tomatoes - we need to gobble them all up so that we can remember the gloriousness of a garden grown tomato come February.

So, here is what I made: Penne with fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella. The flavor was SO good, due to the garden tomatoes. The sauce was a tad runny, but the flavor made up for it.

I'm not going to be too technical as I run down the recipe step by step. Instead, pictures! With sketchy instructions! Because, hello! There is already a link!

So, what you're gonna do is get yourself about 3 lbs of tomatoes. I used heirloom brandywines like this, which are nice and meaty and don't require much de-seeding:



Chop 'em up. You'll need 3 cups.


Ooh! Garlic. My favorite. Mince about 1.5 tablespoons (I obviously used more).


Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium to med-high heat. (If you shop at SuperTarget, try the olive oil pictured. It is amazing.)


Add the minced garlic and stir for about one minute.


Add the tomatoes.


Time to get the water started. Fill a stock pot 3/4 full with cold water. Put on burner. Heat to high. Turn a burner into high heat and stare at the pot until it boils.


I had some leftover focaccia bread that I sliced up to bake.


I drizzled them with olive oil and baked at 350 degrees until I don't know when. Maybe ten minutes?


Hey! Your water is boiling! Time to add the pasta. (Also a shameless plug for my favorite line of pasta: Barilla Plus.)


Congratulations. Your pasta is now boiling and your sauce is now simmering.


WINE BREAK!

Go get a glass...


Pour in some wine...


Voila! Screw top wine that doesn't taste like sweaty feet!


Time to get back to work. Get yourself some basil:


And some mozzarella:


Chiffonade the basil and cube the cheese.


Everyone say hi to Dave as he grates the Parm!


Once I pulled the toasts out of the oven, I rubbed them with a cut clove of garlic.


Hey! Stop eating garlic toast! The pasta is done, and it needs draining!


Scoop some pasta onto a plate, spoon sauce on top, sprinkle with basil, mozzarella, and parmigiano-reggiano and a little fresh black pepper.


Mmmm. It tasted exactly like how a good pizza margherita tastes, but better.

Four Cheese Stuffed Shells

Spicy Tomato Sauce
1 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
28 oz. crushed tomatoes with basil (I used Muir Glen and based my sauce on their recipe)
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 t. sugar
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil*
1/8 t. rosemary*
2 T. crushed red pepper

In a 3 qt saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add agrlic, stir constantly for one minute. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for 15 minutes (or more).

*If you have Herbes de Provence, you can substitute 1/2 t. for the basil and rosemary.

Stuffed Shells
1 pound jumbo shell pasta (40 shells)
Cooking spray
1 (12-ounce) carton 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup shredded 2% milk mozzarella
2 eggs
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t. salt
2 t. dried parsley (probably better with 1 or 2 T. fresh)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat 2 (13 x 9-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside. Place cottage cheese and ricotta cheese in a food processor; process until smooth (if you don't have a food processor, this is no big whoop). Combine cottage cheese mixture, Parm-Regg, and next 5 ingredients. Spoon (or pipe) 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each shell. Arrange half of stuffed shells, seam sides up, in one prepared dish. Pour sauce over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella if desired. Repeat procedure with remaining stuffed shells, sauce, and mozzarella in remaining prepared dish*. (You're going to need more sauce, as I discovered and used a jar from the pantry.)

Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

*You can freeze your second dish (I did) by covering the shells closely with plastic wrap followed by foil. To bake from the freezer, preheat an oven to 375°, and bake (covered, plastic wrap removed) for 1.25 hours.

Tacos al Carbon

Tacos al Carbón
1 ½ lbs flank steak (or a comparable thicker cut)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
corn tortillas

Prepare the grill (med-high heat). In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together with a fork. Rub onto both sides of steak and let rest for 10-20 minutes. Grill meat 8 minutes per side, or until desired. (DLL grilled over a lower heat for a longer time, I think.) Prepare tortillas per package instructions – personally, I like preparing them in a skillet so they get a little crusty at the edges. After the meat is removed from the grill, let it rest for 5 minutes so the juices are retained. Cut the meat against the grain, and cut into smaller taco-sized bites. Add meat to tortillas and garnish.

Garnish ideas:
salsa (see below)
guacamole (see below)
grated cheese (I like Cotija)
sour cream (try crema mexicana – it’s so so so yummy)
grilled peppers and onions (see photo above)


Kate’s Guacamole
2 avocados, pitted and scooped out of skins
1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
kosher salt to taste

In a bowl, mash the avocado with a large fork or a potato masher. Add the garlic, cilantro and lime juice and mix. Add the kosher salt to taste.


Salsa Fresca
1 lb ripe tomatoes
2 serrano peppers, stemmed and halved
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup cilantro, loosely packed and roughly chopped
1 large green onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
kosher salt to taste

Using a food processor’s pulse setting, add the garlic and peppers one at a time until finely mined. Take half of the tomatoes and set aside. Chop the second half of the tomatoes into quarters, add to the food processor with the cilantro. Spoon into a medium bowl. Chop the remaining tomatoes into a ¼” dice and add, along with the onion, to the processed mixture. Season with lime juice and salt to taste.

You Makin' Chili?

When Dave and I first started dating, he had friends over to his house and I made chili. When I started cooking, he cornered me in the kitchen, gave me a big hug and growled, "you makin' chili?". It's kind of been a joke between us ever since.

I'm a big fan of chili. It's economical, it's easy to make, it can simmer on the stove or in the crock pot, etc. I love making it in the morning and not having to worry about lunch/dinner on a Saturday, just like today.

I change my recipe every time I make it, but this is close to what I made today. Chili is a casual food, and I definitely cook it that way. I never ever ever measure my spices. Usually I eyeball things or rely on my nose to guide me. (Read: my recipe may not be accurate) So tweak this one as you wish:

3 cups diced yellow onion
3 serrano chiles, finely chopped
1 lb chorizo
1 lb ground sirloin
4 T. chili powder (I like to use both regular and chipotle)
1 1/2 t. dry mustard
1 T. cumin
1/2 t. celery salt
3 T. garlic powder
2 t. cayenne pepper
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
14 oz tomato puree
40 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juice) (fire roasted is key: try Muir Glen or Hunt's)
12 oz great northern beans, drained and rinsed
24 oz chili beans (in hot or medium sauce)
12 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can beer (some watery ol' Coors Light went into this pot)
4 T. masa harina

For a (big) slow cooker:

In a large sauté pan, cook the onions and peppers until soft. Transfer the vegetables to a slow cooker. In the sauté pan, brown the chorizo and sirloin. Drain and transfer to slow cooker. Add everything else (skip the masa). Cook on low 8 hours (or so). Easy peasy. This is a big recipe, so you may want to halve the recipe (skip the sirloin and use only the chorizo).

For a stock pot:

In a large stock pot, cook the onions and peppers until soft. Add sirloin and chorizo. Brown, then drain fat. Add the spices to the meat/veggie mixture and stir until fragrant. Add tomatoes, tomato puree. Add beans. Add beer. Simmer on low for a minimum of 30 minutes. Add masa harina for a thicker chili.

I have no idea how many cups this serves. I'd guess maybe 10.

Arrabiatta Sauce

Goodness, I haven't posted any recipes in a while.

This is an easy pasta sauce that goes great with penne or rigatoni, although I've been using it with whole wheat linguine.

Arrabiatta Sauce
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
48 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 T. capers, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 T. crushed red pepper
1 t. sea salt

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over med high heat. Sautee the onion and garlic for five minutes. Add the olives, capers, salt, and red pepper. Sautee, stirring constantly, for three minutes. Reduce heat. Add the crushed tomatoes and salt, simmering for 20 minutes until reduced slightly. Serve with grated pecorino-romano cheese.

Party in Your Mouth?

So, I've just started Weight Watchers, and I'm exploring new recipes that will keep me low in my daily points but still taste yummy. I was very pleased with a new entree that I tried last night - Dave & I both LOVED it! Juicy, tangy, southwest goodness. I served it with Kuner's jalapeno black beans that I warmed with sauteed red onion.

Grilled Chile Lime Chicken
A party in your mouth!

Marinade:
2 t. grated lime peel
1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. olive oil (I only used about 2 T.)
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 small jalapeno chili, seeded & finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped


1. Mix all ingredients in a shallow glass or plastic dish or a resealable plastic food storage bag.

2. Flatten 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts to 1/3 - 1/4 inch thickness between sheets of waxed paper. Add chicken to marinade; turn to coat. Cover dish or seal bag and refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours.

3. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Cover and grill chicken 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.


1 serving: Calories 175 (calories from fat 65); total fat 7g (saturated fat 2g); cholesterol 75mg; sodium 140 mg; total carbohydrate og (dietary fiber 0g); protein 27g

Frrrrrench Dips

French dips. Homemade.
Well, actually, they're kind of really Phillys.

KATE'S SUPER CASUAL FRENCH DIP RECIPE
2-3 lb rump roast
3 cans beef consomme
Vidalia onion
fresh mushrooms
mozzarella slices (or provolone, etc)
hoagie buns, baugette sections, whatever

OK, so, get out the crock pot. Put in the roast. Then the consomme. Then add whatever spices you like. Garlic is a must. I highly suggest fresh ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, and oregano. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Pull the roast from the crock pot. Shred on a cutting board.

Meanwhile, split whatever bread product you're using & toast in the oven. Add the cheese on top for good measure. Sautee the onion & mushrooms in butter.

Make a "sammich" of beef, onion, mushrooms all atop the cheesy bread product.

Use a ladle & scoop out the broth as au jus. Use bowls, teacups, whatever. Dip 'em.

Yummy. Easy.

I often serve them with broccoli slaw & oven fries with olive oil & sea salt. Extra yum.