Pan-roasted chicken in lime beer and cherry sauce served with sauteed broccoli with herbs and onions, and Spaetzle simmered in tomato gravy.
It was 5:30 p.m. There I was staring into the abyss of my pantry trying to figure what to feed the family. Rows of Steve’s favorite ranch beans greeted me in addition to canned tomatoes, some dried pasta, rows of Asian seasonings and spices, canned broth and too many others to mentioned. It is a never ending battle, even for a chef, to figure what to cook for dinner. Again, I needed something quick that my picky family would eat. In the freezer, I had the regular staples of raw chicken, beef of various cuts and pork. When all else fails, I usually grab my handy dandy chicken and try to put something together.
I did a quick search on chicken recipes and got inspired by one of Emeril’s recipe; Pan-roasted chicken with cherry beer sauce. Okay I did not have cherry lambic beer (cherry infused beer); however I had some Budweiser lime beer. I had some dried cherries and the rest of the other ingredients called for in the recipe. Emeril’s recipe simmered the chicken on the stove, which made me question how is it pan-roasted if simmered on the stove? I decided to sear my chicken on the stove and finish the rest of the cooking in the oven. I remove the meat once done and finish the sauce back on the stove. The dish came out pretty damn good, according to my picky eaters.
Along with the chicken I decided to serve up some spaetzle that has been hanging out in the pantry for quite some time waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. Well spaetzle, tonight is your night. I did not want to serve a creamy or plain buttered spaetzle. I decided to saute some aromatics and throw in a can of diced tomatoes with herbs, added a splash of dry sherry and finish it off with BIG dollops of butter. Needed a vege; had some broccoli. Made it simple by chopping up some onions along with some fresh thyme and gave the broccoli a quick saute with the onions, thyme, a splash of soy sauce, salt and pepper, and it was done. Time start to finish–45 minutes. Satisfaction on family’s faces–priceless.
Pan-roasted Chicken with Lime Beer Cherry Sauce
4 skin-on chicken breast or 6 skin-on chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper each
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon each butter and olive oil
2 shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
1 can lime beer or whatever fruit flavored beer
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Seasoned chicken with salt, pepper, sugar, and Dijon mustard. Heat an oven-proof saute pan on medium-high heat. Sear chicken on one side for about 3 minutes until nice and brown. Turn chicken over and brown the other side. Add in the shallots and garlic and continue to saute for another minute. Pour in the 3/4 of the beer into the pan. Add in the cherries and fresh thyme.
Place the entire pan in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to keep warm. Place saute pan back on the stove on medium heat. Add the remaining 1/4 can of beer along with 1/4 cup half-and-half or cream to the pan, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Season sauce to taste with a little more salt and pepper. Simmer until sauce thickens, about another 3-5 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
Easter pie is not often served here in America during Easter. However it is a popular dish in Italy. What is Easter pie? The pie can either be savory or sweet but tradition dictates it to be more on the savory side. Easter is preceded by Lent, a period marked by fasting, particularly abstaining from meat on Fridays. Come Easter Sunday it is time to splurge and indulge. This pie is rich and creamy with chockful of meat. Easter pie is a quiche-like savory pie filled with eggs, cheese, and meat. Whether sweet or savory, ricotta cheese is used to bind all the ingredients together. The sweet dessert version sometimes consist of wheat grain to signify “rebirth” and it is just as delicious. Easter pie is known by many names in Italy, depending which section of Italy in question. Its been called a pastiera, pizza rustica, or even pizza piena (stuffed pizza). The pie filling also varies from region to region. Some use macaroni, pork and cheese, others use a variety of ham, salamis, cheeses and even spinach in the filling. Easter pie is a hearty dish. It makes a great lunch with a nice crisp salad and a glass of wine.
This is my version of the pie. Usually the crust is made of dough; however, I thought I would make it a little easier and flakier by substituting the crust for phyllo dough instead. If you prefer a dough crust, make your favorite double crust recipe and stuff it with the filling below.
Italian Easter Pie
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 pound ricotta cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
4 ounces dry sausage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 ounces salami, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 ounces prosciutto, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
10 phyllo dough sheets, thawed if frozen
1 stick butter
Method
Preheat oven to 375º F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, sugar and Pecorino Romano cheese. Gradually stir in ricotta until well combined. Add the meats and mozzarella cheese and stir until well blended.
Lightly butter a 10-inch round by 2-inch high cake pan. Lay 1 phyllo sheet over the bottom and up the sides of the cake pan, allowing the phyllo to hang over the sides. Brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough, laying it in the opposite direction as the first phyllo sheet. Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo sheets, alternating after each layer and buttering each sheet. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the top of the filling to enclose it completely.Brush completely with melted butter.Bake the pie until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely.
April Trew (far left), Debbie Belles, myself, Nick and Steve
The calm after the storm. It has been a long week planning and preparing for Fayetteville’s First Taste of Fayetteville held at Holiday Inn Bordeaux. The event, first of its kind, was a HUGE success. The organizer, Cumulus Broadcasting Group, was expecting a turn out of about 300-500 people, and we were told to prepare food for that amount of people. Little did we know that the event attracted close to 1000 people on its first year! Needless to say I ran out of food 2 1/2 hours into the event and I think that was my downfall (explain later).
I was informed about the event by my gal pal Pat Talkington of Cumulus Broadcasting in early January. She was instrumental in getting me to participate. However like every first time event, there were a few hiccups along the way that was quite discouraging initially. I brought up the issues to Pat (literally giving the poor woman an earful), and Pat being a professional and great marketer that she is, solved and made the event worked. Kudos goes to Pat. One of the main attraction of the event for the vendors was the prize of $6000 media package with Cumulus Broadcasting, bragging rights, and a trophy. I did not pay much attention to the prize at first as I was more focus on what food to prepare and how best to put the name of my company out to the public.
April’s work of art–turning everyday fruits and vegetables into a picture canvas.
After much contemplation, I decided to serve Jamaican Jerk Slider Burgers with Citrus Slaw, Polynesian Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups and my famous Shiu Mai (shrimp and pork dumplings). I truly wanted to make an impression at the event by also making my table presentation stand out. For that I enlisted the help of another gal pal April Trew who was ever so willing to help me with her great insight and talent. April used to design table top for events, and I knew she would be the perfect person for the job. April’s table top presentation managed to reflect what my business is all about–fresh, vibrant, and inspirational.
At least 22 vendors participated from all over Fayetteville, with a mixture of local and chained restaurants. My food and table presentation got great reviews and I felt I succeeded in doing what I initially set out to do–get publicity for my business. However I only placed 4th in the event. As mentioned earlier, Cumulus anticipated around 300 to 500 people. The event surpassed the amount expected. Cumulus had put out a massive media blitz on all their radio stations for the past week regarding the event and the public came–in throngs. The event started at 11 a.m. with a steady crowd and just kept escalating. By 12 p.m. my crew and I worked in frenzied speed trying to keep up with the crowd demand. My dishes were a hit along with the table display. My food was fast disappearing and I was getting very nervous about not having enough. By 1:30 p.m. I was out of sliders and had only quarter amount of chicken salad and 1/3 third of dumplings left which were steamed on site. We had to stretch whatever we had left by offering only one item at a time. I ran out of everything a little after 2 p.m. but the crowd kept coming! There was another hour before the event ended. As I had no more food left, I lost out on votes for the last hour,hence not being able to place in the top three. Later as I surveyed the scene, I noticed a couple of other vendors had also ran out of food and drinks. I did not feel too bad after that. However majority of the vendors had an advantage over me as they could go back and prepare more food to replenish their empty dishes; whereas I could not do so as I do not own a restaurant nor do I have the manpower to do so.
Making an event, such as this, a success takes time and effort. I know I could not have done it without the help of my wonderful crew of friends and family. Debbie Belles aka Sabihah of Shadows of Fire, an entrepreneur herself stepped up and worked her butt off to help me along with April, my son Nick, and hubby Steve. I cannot thank them enough for making the day a success. I may not have won the top spot; however, I felt we were a winning team putting out awesome dishes to create a buzz for my company.
This year Chinese all over the world will be celebrating Chinese New Year or Spring Festival on February 14th, which coincides with Valentine’s Day. This year’s New Year will mark the year of the Tiger. As per prediction via Chinese Astrology, it will be the year of the Metal Tiger, a tumultuous year to say the least. To find out more regarding the year of the Tiger and which Chinese Animal zodiac you belong to, go to: www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2010/2010Zodiac.htm.
As tomorrow is the eve of New Year, majority of Chinese people will have a reunion dinner with their families. I remember growing up in Malaysia and how important this dinner was. My mother would have started preparation for this special dinner several days in advance. Before then, the house had to be cleaned from top to bottom. Spring cleaning symbolizes sweeping out the old to usher in the new. Cleaning is not allowed on the first day of New Year as Chinese believe the act of sweeping will sweep out any good luck and fortune.
There is symbolism in everything performed. This include the the type of food we eat throughout the 15 days of New Year. To learn more regarding food symbolism, go to: http://www.chiff.com/a/chinese-new-year-foods.htm. It is believed that the dishes we eat during New Year will bring us good fortune, luck, health, and longevity. My family is just as superstitious when it comes to eating symbolic food during the New Year. It is common for my mother to prepare shrimp as the word shrimp (Ha) in Cantonese sound like laughter; thereby, eating shrimp will bring laughter to the household. The word fish (yu) in Chinese sounds like rich or abundance. Eating fish will bring you abundance of wealth. Fish and fowl are always cooked and presented whole, head to toe. It is considered bad luck to cut the food up as this will mean your luck and good fortune will be short lived. Same applies to noodles, which are served in long strands, never to be cut, to symbolize longevity. Common familiar dishes such as steamed fish, stir-fried shrimp, white-cooked chicken, eight precious vegetable platter and many other delicious and savory dishes are prepared on the Eve. I usually eat until I can’t breath! On the first day of New Year, my grandmother usually serves a vegetarian meal to purify our bodies from the previous day of gluttony.
My fondest memory of the New Year is visiting friends and family. During these visits, we bring gifts to our host/hostess. The gifts again are symbolitic. Tangerine is a common gift exchange between guest and host. The word tangerine (kum) in Chinese sounds like gold in Cantonese. Therefore we bear gifts of good fortune and prosperity to your host/hostess. Red symbolizes good luck; hence, red letter writings and decorations will be adorn throughout the house to bring luck. Little red packets (hoong pau) of money are given to children to bring them luck. Wearing red is also very common. Avoid wearing white or black as these colors symbolizes death and Chinese people are very superstitious when it comes to symbolism.
I may not be able to celebrate the New Year like I did back in Malaysia; however, I try to recreate some of the dishes that my mother used to prepare with very fond memories of New Year’s past. The 15 days of New Year represent a very happy time in my life as my entire family, on both my Mom’s and Dad’s side, tend to usher the New Year with gusto. The family gatherings are very boisterous, noisy, and full of laughter while catching up with one another. Each day brings a new celebration, according to the Chinese customs, with lots of food.
These are a couple of dishes that I still do prepare during the New Year.
Stir-fried Spicy-sweet Shrimp with Preserved Black Beans (Har Loke)
One pound large shrimp (preferably with head and shells on), washed and trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon grated gingerroot
4 teaspoon Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon fermented black beans, rinsed and lightly mashed
6 tablespoon Ketchup
4 teaspoon Oyster sauce
2 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
2 green onion, halved, julienne lengthwise
1 teaspoon gingerroot, julienne
Method
Combine the shirmp, garlic, ginger, and wine and let mainate for 20 mins. Mix mashed fermented black beans with ketchup, oyster sauce, sugar and salt.
Heat wok over high heat. Add oil and stir-fry shrimp when wok starts to smoke. Continue to cook until shrimp turns pink. Add grated ginger and bean mixture to shrimp. Stir to combine and coat shrimp. Add green onions and stir. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
Longevity and Prosperity Noodles
1/2 pound wantan noodles or lo mein noodles, deep fried in hot oil
2 cups rotisserie chicken, lightly shredded
3 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and cut into thin slices, strain and reserved soaking liquid
1 cup napa cabbage, cut into 1-inch slices
1/2 cup squid, sliced
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined
1 large carrot, sliced on the bias and blanched
Seasoning
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (not low sodium)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Ginger Wine
1 tablespoon ginger juice
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry Sherry
1/2 cup reserved mushroom liquid
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon water
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 red chili pepper, sliced (opt)
Method
Put deep-fried noodles on a serving plate. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a wok; add in ginger wine to fry with mushrooms, shrimp, squid and cabbage. Add in seasoning and stock. Bring to a boil. Add a little more oil to glaze. Mix in thickening and add carrots. Pour sauce over noodles and add the roast chicken meat. Serve garnished with sliced green onions and chilli strips.
Valentine’s Day is only a few days away. Still trying to figure what to do? My suggestion is to stay home and cook a lovely meal to impress him or her. What says “I love you” more than feeding your loved one. Besides it is most probably too late to make dinner reservations at a decent restaurant, and knocking elbows with the rest of the other couples in a crowded, noisy restaurant does not sound very romantic. A home dinner is more appealing with great ambiance.
It is not too late to come up with a menu (simple but delicious) to wow him or her. If you are on a budget and still want to make an impression, splurge on one expensive ingredient and balance the rest of the menu with lesser cost items but still delicious. Look out for specials that are currently running in the grocery store. You will be surprise at what is available, during this time, that is within your budget .
How to achieve a balance? Say you would like to serve lobster but it is a little out of your price range, then again maybe not… Instead of serving lobster as the main course, why not serve it as an appetizer? By serving it as a starter, portions are smaller and therefore less costly. For example, purchase a couple of lobster tails, roast it in the oven with wine, shallots, herbs, and butter and strew it on top of mixed greens with vinaigrette or use the meat to make risotto. So you see you can have lobster, eat it and still make an impression. It is all of a matter of careful planning and spending your money wisely.
Now that you only have a few (or two) days before Valentine’s, how are you going to come up with a simple and easy menu? First cook ingredients that you are familiar with. This is not the time to experiment unless you know what you are doing. Steak is always popular. Can’t go wrong with steak. Even a picky eaters would eat steak (unless they are vegetarians). The cut of steak, again, is totally up to you. I recommend, if cooking steak, to buy the best cut you can afford. This is where you splurge. Yes it is still winter outside; however, pan-seared steak on the stove is just as good. Just make sure you do not use a nonstick skillet and crank the heat up on high! Give the steak an initial good sear to get a nice brown coloring and turn the heat down a little when you flip the steak over. A good cut of steak does not need much fuss. It just need a good seasoning of salt and pepper. You can make a sauce by rendering some red wine in the same pan the steak was seared in with some fresh herbs, a little broth, and finish it off with butter to give the sauce a smooth finish.
Instead of serving baked potato with the steak, why not serve potato gratin instead. Gratin has a rich luxurious feel that envelopes your mouth with creamy, silky richness. Gratin also pairs well with lamb or pork. Roasted asparagus with balsamic vinegar is another wonderful side as the slightly sweet and acidic balsamic vinegar adds freshness and helps cut the richness of the steak and potatoes.
To end the meal on a high note, do not make some low-fat, low calorie dessert. It is Valentine’s day for heaven’s sake! If you are not a baker, it is no shame to go out and purchase dessert from your favorite local bakery. If you are talented in the baking department, let loose, make something orgasmic and close the meal with a bang!
Here’s a quick and tasty filet Mignon recipe.
Pan-Seared Filet Mignon with Cabernet Sauce
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 (5-6) ounces filet Mignon steaks
salt and pepper
2/3 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other full bodied red wine
1/2 cup beef broth
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup chopped parsley
Method
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Season both sides of steaks with salt and generous amount of ground black pepper. Add steaks to skillet (do not crowd. Cook in batches if necessary) and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates and tent with foil.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Next add wine and bring to a boil until rendered in half (about 1 minute). Add in beef broth, thyme, rosemary, and mustard; simmer until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in parsley. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon over steaks.
Serves 4
Chocolate Molten Cakes(recipe taken from Epicurious with my own added touch)
An old favorite that is popular in restaurants everywhere (except Fayetteville). If you never had one or had one and always wanted to know how to make it, here it is. The show stopper of this dessert is when you cut into the soft center of the cake, thick luscious warm chocolate oozes out, flowing like lava (hence molten cake).
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 60% cacao)
1 tablespoon instant espresso
10 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Method
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Generously butter six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Sprinkle inside of each dish with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Stir chocolate, espresso and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs, egg yolks and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk in sugar then chocolate mixture and flour. Pour batter into dishes, dividing equally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
Bake cakes until sides are set but center remains soft and runny, about 11 minutes or up to 14 minutes for batter that was refrigerated. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Immediately turn cakes out onto plates. Serve with ice cream.
I can’t believe it is February already!! January was a busy month. My engine is still revving for the next couple of weeks with Valentine’s Day and also Chinese New Year (catch these articles in the upcoming blogs). Superbowl!! Not a fan of football. I love sports, especially if I am participating in the game, but not a fan of watching on the sidelines. What I do enjoy about Superbowl is, the food, of course!
The list of game food is endless. I like to make simple stuff that does not require utensils if possible. Wings is always on the list along with super Nachos, Chili, bread boules stuffed with creamy, cheesy dips that comes out hot and bubbly from the oven….I am salivating….
This year’s Superbowl team will be the Saints vs the Colts. You can prepare food representing your favorite team’s state such as Shrimp and Grits, Gumbo, Po Boys from Louisiana and Breaded Pork Tenderloin from Indianapolis. You can borrow a little of Chicago by adding a deep dish pizza too. Just remember, keep the menu simple and prep ahead if possible to save time….
This year I am going to just prepare classic football fare; pull pork sandwiches, wings my way, super Nachos, all the good stuff that is not good for you, hee, hee…
Super Nachos
This is my take on Emeril’s Nacho recipe.
1 pound Chorizo or hot Italian Sausage
1 1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 15-ounce canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon Ancho Chili powder
1 16-ounce bag blue corn chips or regular
1 1/2 cups Mexican Cheese mix or Jack Cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 tablespoon sliced pickled jalapeno
1 8-ounce sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Method
In a large skillet, cook the Chorizo or Italian sausage, garlic, and cumin, stirring, over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
2. To the fat in the pan, add the pinto beans, Ancho chili powder, salt and pinch of sugar; cook over medium heat until warmed through, smashing slightly with the back of a heavy wooden spoon and adding water a teaspoon at a time if the beans get too dry. Remove from the heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. On a large ovenproof platter or in a large baking dish, spread 1 layer of chips. Top with a layer of 1/2 of the beans, then 1/2 of the sausage, cheeses, onion rings, and sliced jalapenos. Repeat with another layer of chips, beans, sausage, cheese, onions and jalapenos. Bake until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is hot, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lime juice, with a pinch of salt and sugar. Drizzle over the nachos, garnish with cilantro, and serve immediately.
This is my musings of the past year. Can’t believe it is already end of 2009. I actually am glad as it has been helluva year, business-wise. I am so looking forward to 2010. I told myself if I can ride out 2009, with business intact, I think I can tackle the upcoming years. It has been a roller-coaster with days of uncertainty for a small potato business woman like me. Nevertheless I think perseverance, patience, and continue to do what I do best has allowed me to survive one of the worst economy hit to my business. I do feel bless as I still do have people who want to use my service and people who do believe in what I do.
The success I achieve this year is not dictated by dollar amount, instead it is how I manage to stay in business by thinking outside the box, be flexible, and move with the flailing economy by diversifying my business to meet clients’ smaller budgets. Most important of all sticking to what I know best, cooking good food, and maintaining good customer service with personal touches will always be my trademark.
Marketing my service has always been a challenge–people either know about me or they don’t. I have done all forms of marketing–media, radio, networking, etc. Referrals, word of mouth, and my website are my best marketing tool. The rest have not brought much success. Again this clues me in that it is always the personal touch, the one-on-one contact that people crave for. They need to know me, who I am and what I can do for them either by meeting me personally or have a friend or family vouch my service. So my goal in 2010 is to get out there even more until people are sick of seeing and hearing from me. Any of you out there who have upcoming conferences, exhibition, needing guest speakers, etc., call me!
2010 is also going to be the year where I do more research and educating myself about the food industry. I am constantly doing this; however, I need to start getting back to my roots, the core basics and complicated cooking techniques. Watching the movie Julie and Julia reminded me so much of myself when I first started out and how much I have forgotten to apply the basics. I have been toying with taking further professional courses with the CIA this year but finances will not allow me to. Nevertheless there are other ways for me to gain knowledge and I am going to pursue them.
So to all of you out there, if this small potato Asian business woman can do it, you can also. Dream it and make it happen. Mistakes are good. It helps us learn and improve. Find solutions to problems. Don’t give up easily. Remember your cup is always half full and not half empty. There’s always rough patches in life. Stay the course and you will come out stronger if not better in whatever you pursue. Most important of all–believe in yourself when no one else believes in you. You are the maker of your destiny.With all that is happening around us, no one can change the situation other than ourselves. We must help ourselves in order to help others. We dictate the journey we set our lives on. We can change the path of our destinies.
This is the last part of my Turkey Talk series. To round out the meal in a sweet note, I have listed a few slightly different Thanksgiving desserts to try. Sweet Potato Pecan PieThere just too many choices to make during Thanksgiving. So why not combine two favorite in one and get the best of both worlds.Pie Crust
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ c (1 ½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup frozen vegetable shortening, cut into large pieces
1 large egg
3 tablespoon (about) ice water
Filling
1 1-pound sweet potato, pierced with fork
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup dark molasses
2 large eggs
1 cup (about 4 ounces) pecan halves
Method
Pie Crust: Blend first 4 ingredients in processor for about 10 seconds. Add shortening; process just until very coarse meal forms. Beat egg with 2 tablespoons water and add to processor. With on/off button, pulse until large moist clumps form, adding more water if dry. Gather dough into ball and divide in half. Flatten each piece into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.). Save one disk for another recipe or freeze for about 1 month.
Makes two crustsFilling: Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crust until pale golden, about 8 minutes; set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Microwave sweet potato on high until tender, about 6 minutes per side. Cut potato in half; scoop flesh into medium bowl and mash. Measure 1 cup mashed potato; place in large bowl. Whisk sugar and next 6 ingredients into mashed potato; spread mixture in prepared crust. Whisk corn syrup, molasses, and eggs in bowl to blend. Stir in pecans. Pour syrup mixture over potato mixture.
Bake pie until filling is set, puffed and brown, about 45 minutes. Cool pie completely. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate up to 1 day and serve cold.
Serves 8
Spiced Pumpkin PieWhy used canned pumpkin pie filling when you can make easy from-scratch recipe with a purchased frozen pie crust.
2/3 cup golden brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ cups canned solid pack pumpkin
2 tablespoon dark molasses
4 large eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 purchased frozen 9-inch pie crust
Method
Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 450°F. Place all ingredients except pie crust together in food processor and process until mixture is well blended. Pour mixture into frozen crust. Place pie on preheated baking sheet in oven. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F and bake until sides puff and center is just set, about 40 minutes. Cool.
Note: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.
Serves 6
Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese FrostingNeed a cake for the day? Try this.Taken from Bon Appetit with few adjustments madeCake
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon rum or brandy
1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
2 medium
Fuji apples, peeled, halved, cored, cut into ¼ inch cubes
1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans (about 6 ounces)
Frosting
1 8-ounce cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 cups powdered sugar, measured then sifted
Coarsely chopped toasted pecans, garnish
Special equipment: 2 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch high sides
Method
For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of each pan with parchment paper round. Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then rum or brandy, if desired (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 3 additions alternately with applesauce in 2 additions, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in apples and pecans. Divide batter between cake pans; smooth tops.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment paper. Place another rack atop 1 cake and invert again so that cake is rounded side up. Repeat with second cake. Cool completely.
Note: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap each cake in plastic and store at room temperature.
For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Using long serrated knife, trim off rounded tops of cakes to make level; brush off any loose crumbs. Transfer 1 cake to platter, trimmed side up. Drop half of frosting (about 11/2 cups) by spoonfuls atop cake. Spread frosting evenly to edges of cake. Top with second cake, trimmed side down. Drop remaining frosting by spoonfuls onto top of cake, leaving sides of cake plain. Spread frosting to top edges of cake, swirling and creating peaks, if desired. Sprinkle with pecans. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour to allow frosting to set slightly.
Note:Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 2 hours before serving.
Serves 12
Rum Poached PearsIf you are watching or girlish figure after the feast or prefer a light desert, poached pears would be the way to go.
3/4 cups rum plus 1 tablespoon dark rum
3 large firm-ripe Bosc or
Anjou pears, peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges
1 cup water plus 1 tablespoon water
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
4 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
Method
Combine 3/4 cup rum with rest of ingredients in a 10-inch heavy skillet and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until pears are just tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove lid and boil mixture, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a syrup, 4 to 8 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon rum and serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: For a little decadence, serve with vanilla ice cream.
With the last of my dessert offerings, I hope some of the ideas and recipes have inspired you to try or add a different dish to the table. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It marks the beginning of the holiday season to be enjoyed before we start on a New Year.
With the end of this series, I wish you Happy Thanksgiving from my kitchen to yours.
Finally the turkey! The main entrée of a Thanksgiving feast (unless you are a vegetarian or a non-turkey eater). I am sure by now you have been inundated by various cookbooks, TV shows, and magazine on what type of turkey to buy and how big a turkey to get. So I will not be covering that. However, if you do have questions check this website out: http://www.holidayfoodsafety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=59 .
I do believe preference in the kind of turkey (organic, fresh, frozen, heritage, etc.) is totally up to you. I used to think there is a difference between fresh and frozen, but I have been told, not. Only difference is one is fresh the other is—frozen. There is no difference in taste or texture unless it is a self-basting turkey. Frozen turkeys need to thaw for several days while fresh is ready for use but can only be kept refrigerated no more than one to two days. So that said, let’s move on.
There are many ways to add moisture to a turkey. I am partial to brining as I like how moist it gets after roasting, and if I occasionally forget the time, a brined turkey is a little more forgiving where dryness is concern. Rubbing the entire turkey with butter also helps to keep the turkey moist. To make it more flavorful mix in some fresh herbs to the butter before rubbing. Rub and massage unsalted butter over the entire surface of the turkey to include in between the skin and meat. Gently loosen the skin, by breaking through the fine membrane that connects the skin to the flesh, and rub in butter softened at room temperature all over the turkey. Flavor injectors are also great for adding more moisture and flavor to the turkey. I prefer to make my own flavor injector by mixing chicken broth, ground up herbs and spices, and melted butter.
Apricot Glazed
Turkey
Turkey
One 16-pound turkey
3 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, halved
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium onion, quartered
8 fresh thyme sprigs
4 large fresh rosemary sprigs
4 fresh sage sprigs
1 bay leaf
Glaze
¾ cup apricot jam
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 ½ tablespoon finely chopped sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
½ tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Clean and pat dry turkey. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature 1 hour before roasting.
Rub turkey all over with olive oil. Season inside out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, crushed garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary, sage and bay leaf. Roast the turkey for about 2 1/2 hours, until golden all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted between the leg and thigh registers 165°.
Glaze: In a small bowl, mix the apricot jam, lemon juice, lemon zest and sage, thyme, rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Microwave the glaze until thinned slightly, about 20 seconds.
Brush the turkey with half of the glaze and roast for about 15 minutes. Brush the turkey with the remaining glaze and roast for another 15 minutes longer, until the skin is deep mahogany and an instant-read thermometer inserted between the leg and thigh registers 175°. Tilt the turkey to drain all the juices from the cavity into the roasting pan. Reserve the pan juices to make the gravy. Transfer the turkey to a carving board and let rest for 45 minutes.
Serves 12
Brined Herb-Roasted
Turkey
Brining
8 quarts cold water
2 cups coarse kosher salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
8 large fresh or dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons whole allspice
Brining turkey:Combine 1 quart water, salt, sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, thyme and rosemary sprigs in saucepan. Bring liquid to simmer; stirring until sugar and salt dissolves. Remove from heat and add 1 quart cold water to cool to lukewarm.Place turkey in ice chest and pour mixture over turkey to submerged, adding ice to keep turkey chilled. Marinate turkey in brine for at least 8-12 hours. Remove turkey from brine and give it a quick rinse and drain well. Discard brine. Place turkey in prepared pan and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Herb butter: Mix herbs and spices into softened butter in small bowl.
To roast the turkey: Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 450°F. Remove turkey from roasting pan; drain any accumulated juices from main cavity. Rub herb butter between skin and meat and all over the surface of the turkey. Place quartered onion, orange, lemon rosemary and sage sprigs in the main cavity. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely to hold shape Place turkey in roasting pan. Pour ½ cup chicken broth at the bottom of the pan, adding more if bottom of pan gets dry.
Roast turkey 30 minutes and turn oven temperature down to 350ºF. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 160°F, basting turkey every 30 minutes with pan juices and covering breast loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 2 hours longer (2-1/2 to 3 hours total). Transfer turkey to platter; let stand at least 30 minutes before carving (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees).
Now Available
