Thursday, November 18, 2010

Apple-Poblano Whole Roast Turkey


Apple-Poblano Whole Roast Turkey


Ingredients

Brine:


8 cups water
8 cups apple cider
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, crushed
1 jalapeño pepper, quartered lengthwise


Turkey:

1 (12-pound) organic fresh turkey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3 Gala apples, quartered and divided
2 poblano chiles, quartered, seeded, and divided
1 cup cilantro leaves
Cooking spray
3 cups water
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1.13 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup apple cider
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preparation

1. To prepare brine, combine first 6 ingredients, stirring well.

2. To prepare turkey, remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve neck and giblets. Trim excess fat. Place a turkey-sized oven bag inside a second bag to form a double thickness. Place bags in a large stockpot. Place turkey inside inner bag. Add brine. Secure bags with several twist ties. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 500°.

4. Remove turkey from bags; discard brine. Pat turkey dry. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and next 6 ingredients (through coriander) in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture under loosened skin over flesh. Place 1 apple quarter and 1 poblano quarter in the neck cavity; close skin flap. Arrange 5 apple quarters, 1 poblano quarter, and 1 cup cilantro leaves in the body cavity. Secure legs with kitchen twine. Arrange turkey, neck, and giblets on the rack of a roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange remaining 6 apple quarters and 6 poblano quarters in bottom of roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Place rack with turkey in pan. Roast at 500° for 30 minutes.

5. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove turkey from oven). Place a foil tent over turkey breast. Pour 3 cups water in bottom of pan.

6. Bake turkey at 350° for 40 minutes. Rotate turkey, and baste with 3/4 cup broth. Roast for 30 minutes; rotate turkey. Baste with 3/4 cup broth. Roast 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°. Remove from oven. Place turkey, breast side down, on a jelly-roll pan or cutting board. Let stand, covered, for 30 minutes. Serve breast side up. Chop giblets. Discard neck.

7. Strain pan drippings through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent. Stir in reserved chopped giblets and garlic; sauté 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Sprinkle flour over onion mixture; saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add drippings, remaining 1 1/2 cups broth, and 1 cup apple cider; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 3 cups (about 15 minutes). Strain through a sieve over a bowl, and discard solids. Stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice. Discard turkey skin; carve. Serve with gravy.



Monday, June 7, 2010

Broccoli Slaw

1 package broccoli slaw
2 packages Ramen noodles broken up into small pieces (without the seasoning)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup craisins
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 bunch scallions
1 red pepper (diced)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup of sugar
¾ cups vegetable oil
Add 1 package of the Ramen Noodles seasoning

Mix all of the wet ingredients together and 1 package of Ramen Noodle Seasoning. Pour over the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate and serve.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Chocolate Cheescake

Mouse Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust
¾ CUP graham cracker crumbs (5 To 6 Crackers
¼ Cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine softened
2 Tablespoons Sugar

Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling:

3 Packages ( 8 oz) Cream cheese softened
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
8 Squares (1 oz) semi-sweet chocolate melted and cooled
¾ Cup dairy sort cream
2 Tbs heavy cream
7 Tbs Strong Coffee
1 Tbs dark rum
Garnish: 2 Squares semi-sweet chocolate melted


Assembly – Instructions – Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Prepare graham it cracker crust: Combine crumbs, butler and sugar with electric mixer or food processor at high speed until well combined. Press mixture into bottom of 8” spring form pan. Set aside
3. Prepare chocolate cream cheese filling. Combine cheese, sugar and eggs with mixer / processor on high speed until smooth and well blended. Add Chocolate (melted and cooled) sour cream I coffee, heavy cream and rum until well blended. Pour on top of crust.
4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Turn oven off. Prop oven door open slightly. Leave cake in oven with door ajar for 1 hour. Remove and Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate overnight. Can garnish Top with melted chocolate drizzled-drizzled cheese.
5. Loosen and remove side of pan. Let stand 15 minutes before serving
6. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Stir-Fried Sirloin with Ginger and Bok Choy

Stir-Fried Sirloin with Ginger and Bok Choy


Ingredients
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 pound sirloin steak, sliced across the grain 1/8 inch thick
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 large jalapeño, seeded and julienned
1 1/2 pounds bok choy, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons chicken stock, canned low-sodium broth or water
1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the vermouth, cornstarch and sugar. Add the sliced sirloin and toss well to coat.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet until almost smoking. Add half of the garlic, ginger and jalapeño and stir-fry over high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add half of the meat and stir-fry until browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Return the skillet to high heat and repeat with the remaining oil, garlic, ginger, jalapeño and beef.
Add the bok choy to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the sesame oil and serve.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Grilled Wild Salmon with Preserved Lemon Relish

Sounds Great but not tried yet

Grilled Wild Salmon with Preserved Lemon Relish
Posted by Elise on Sep 10, 2008

Fresh fish should be cooked the day you get it. Now, according to my favorite grilling experts, Andrew Scholss and David Joachim (Mastering the Grill, excellent book, must have if you are into grilling), wild salmon is great to grill whole, and easier to do so than farmed salmon, because it tends to be thinner, easier to cook through without getting dried out on the edges.
I packed this salmon with chopped preserved lemons, parsley, dill, and shallots, and grilled it on our gas grill. It was outstanding. One of the best salmon meals we've ever had. Leftovers great the next day with bread and butter pickles. Note, we often get our fish from Whole Foods, and unless you specifically ask for it, they sometimes forget to remove the scales before they hand you the fish. (This is not just in Sacramento, I've heard complaints from a friend in Boston too.) Bad, bad, bad, on the part of Whole Foods or any fish monger. You really shouldn't have to ask, this should be done for you. But, in case it isn't, you'll want to remove the scales yourself before cooking the fish.


Grilled Wild Salmon with Preserved Lemon Relish Recipe

Preserved lemons are lemons that have been preserved in salt. They are used often in Moroccan cooking. You can get them at specialty markets, or you can make them yourself. If you do not have access to preserved lemons, for this recipe you can use the grated zest from 2 lemons and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice instead.

Ingredients

One whole (4 pounds) or half (2 pounds) of a wild-caught salmon, gutted, cleaned, skin on, scales removed
Olive oil
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Relish Ingredients
2 whole preserved lemons, rinsed of excess salt, seeds removed, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Ground black pepper

Method

1 Prepare relish. Combine all relish ingredients into a small bowl.

2 Preheat grill for indirect heat.

3 Check to make sure the scales have been removed from the salmon's skin. If scales remain, use edge of a large spoon, scrape against the sides of the fish, in the direction of tail to head, to remove any fish scales that may still be on the fish. (Best to work over a sink, as the scales tend to fly all over the place.) Rinse fish with cold water and pat dry.

4 Put 1-inch deep, diagonal cuts in sides of the salmon, spaced 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Stuff the cuts well with relish. Stuff cavity with relish. (Note that if this uses up all of your relish, you may want to make another batch of it to serve alongside the fish.) Squeeze some lemon juice over the fish. Rub olive oil generously all over the fish (this will help keep it from sticking to the grill grates). Tie up the fish with kitchen string, to help hold it together while grilling.

5 When the grill is good and hot, oil the grill grates. (Use tongs to spread oil over the grates with a folded up and oil-soaked paper towel.) Grill on indirect heat (away from coals or not directly over flame) for 20-30 min, turning half way. Try to keep the grill temperature at 350°F-375°F.

Use a meat thermometer to test the fish, inserted into the deepest part. The fish is done when the internal temperature of the fish is 130°F.
If the skin comes off when you flip the fish, or when you remove the salmon from the grill, don't worry about it. Just peel it off before serving.

Serve with remaining fresh relish. A 2 lb half-whole salmon will serve 4. A whole 4 pound salmon will serve 8.

Summer Garden Lentil and Pasta Salad

Summer Garden Lentil and Pasta Salad


Petite green lentils are sometimes labeled "le puy lentils." Other lentils also will work, but the cook time could change, so make sure they are tender before you drain and rinse them.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dried petite green lentils
1 bay leaf
2 cups uncooked orecchiette pasta ("little ears" pasta)
1 cup diced zucchini
3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 7 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until well blended.
To prepare salad, combine broth, lentils, and bay leaf in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Discard bay leaf.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting the salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine lentils, pasta, zucchini, and remaining ingredients. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss well. Store in an airtight container.


Nutritional Information
Calories:
380 (19% from fat)
Fat:
7.9g (sat 1.6g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.5g)
Protein:
16.2g
Carbohydrate:
63.7g
Fiber:
7.6g
Cholesterol:
3mg
Iron:
3.9mg
Sodium:
447mg
Calcium:
97mg
Jennifer Martinkus and Derrin Davis Cooking Light, JULY 2003

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=671004
Chocolate Mouse Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Graham Cracker Crust
¾ CUP graham cracker crumbs (5 To 6 Crackers)
¼ Cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine softened
2 Tablespoons Sugar

Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling
3 Packages ( 8 oz) Cream cheese softened
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
8 Squares (1 oz) semi-sweet chocolate melted and cooled
¾ Cup dairy sort cream
2 Tbs heavy cream
7 Tbs Strong Coffee
1 Tbs dark rum
Garnish: 2 Squares semi-sweet chocolate melted

Assembly – Instructions – Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Prepare graham it cracker crust: Combine crumbs, butler and sugar with electric mixer or food processor at high speed until well combined. Press mixture into bottom of 8” spring form pan. Set aside
3. Prepare chocolate cream cheese filling. Combine cheese, sugar and eggs with mixer / processor on high speed until smooth and well blended. Add Chocolate (melted and cooled) sour cream I coffee, heavy cream and rum until well blended. Pour on top of crust.
4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Turn oven off. Prop oven door open slightly. Leave cake in oven with door ajar for 1 hour. Remove and Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate overnight. Can garnish Top with melted chocolate drizzled-drizzled cheese.
5. Loosen and remove side of pan. Let stand 15 minutes before serving
6. Enjoy!