Let's Talk Turkey

We are inching up on two of the most important days of the year: Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving. Both of these days are the days we remember to be grateful.

And what is a better way to say “Thank You” to our Vets and our families than to serve a roasted turkey dinner? My mom made one every year complete with all the sides: stuffing, gravy, cranberries (see blog recipe), green beans, cranberry nut bread (see blog recipe), mashed potatoes, yams, pumpkin pie ... I think I left out a few items, but I already feel stuffed. Maybe a nap for me after I finish writing!

My mom's turkey sounds too simple to be true but I stand by my guarantee that this is a scrumptious method producing great results. It is cooked breast side DOWN so that all the juices flow into it to make all that white meat very moist and tender. She never basted, not even once, and the turkey always came out perfect. Oh, and she cooked it unstuffed and cooked the stuffing on the side though you can stuff it if you wish. Simple and delish.

MOM'S ROASTED TURKEY

One turkey (one pound per person + 1/2 pound per for leftovers): consider the size of your oven!

Preheat oven to 325.

Rinse turkey, pat it dry.

Rub all over, inside and out, with half a lemon. Save lemon.

Oil it inside and out (use your hands).

Season inside and out with granulated garlic, lemon pepper, salt.

Put into the cavity: the cut lemon, 2 half celery stalks, apple cut in quarters

(or any variation - carrots are okay too). Do NOT pack it tight. If you are stuffing it then forget these veggies).

Sprinkle paprika all over outside. (makes nice browned color)

Place on rack BREAST SIDE DOWN and put into preheated oven.

Bake: 8-12 lbs: 2-3.5 hours

12-16 lbs: 14-16 minutes/lb. or 3-4 hours

16-20 lbs: 13-14 minutes/lb. or 4-5 hours

20-25 lbs: 12-13 minutes/lb. or 5-6 hours

For a stuffed turkey, add an additional 5–7 minutes per pound.

**Please note that your turkey does not need to be overcooked.

All baking times are variable so please check your turkey about 30 minutes before it is supposed to be done. Use your meat thermometer - it is the most accurate.

Nowadays turkeys come with thermometers but do check your turkey with your own meat thermometer as suggested. Prick the drumstick at the joint (use meat thermometer's point) and if the juices run clear, it is done. Then insert thermometer and to check temp. The skin on top will serve for your crispy skin and it is worth it to actually have moist breast meat (a rarity with most turkey dinners).

Let sit one half hour before carving. (Yes!)

Have a memorable Vet's Day and a happy Thanksgiving.

An Exotic Culinary Trip

I love exotic foods from exotic places and do not always have the time to get up and go to, say, India. Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the most populated city in India and one of the most populated cities on the planet. It is the commercial and entertainment center of the country and offers so much culture: food, music, theater and many festivals. This is the birthplace of Bollywood movies some of which are musicals that feature colorful dancing and beautiful cinematography.

When I watch films from the Mumbai International Film Festival my appetite goes crazy and all I care to eat is Indian cuisine. In honor of the wonderful and colorful Indian culture I offer you a simple yet rich and delicious curry dish. This dish is versatile and can be cooked with a mild or hot flavor depending upon your personal taste buds. Serve it with rice and the tantalizing condiments offered here or make up your own. Enjoy!

Bombay Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breasts - halved & skinned

Flour to coat

Salt and fresh ground pepper

3 Tb. Olive Oil

2 Tb. Butter

1 can chicken broth (about 14 oz.)

1/2 dry white wine or white grape juice with a squeeze of lemon

1 small yellow onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C fresh parsley chopped

1/4 tsp. ginger powder

1 Tb. curry powder (or to taste)

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (about 13 oz.)

Condiments:

Shredded unsweetened coconut

Chopped peanuts

Choppe green onions

Raisins

Chutney (Major Grey's)

Accompaniment:

Basmati or Jasmine Rice

1. Rinse chicken, pat dry and put into plastic bag with about 1/2 C. flour and salt and pepper. Shake to coat then take out of baggie and shake off excess.

2. Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for five minutes on each side until lightly browned.

3. Add chicken broth, wine, onion, garlic, parsley, ginger and curry powder. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for five minutes. Cover, then simmer for about 10 more minutes.

4. Remove chicken and set aside

5. Stir in coconut milk and reseason. Heat on low and while this is heating up, slice chicken into 1/2” strips. Add back into pan and gently heat.

6. Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice with Chutney and condiments on the side.

The Perfect Marriage

Italian Wedding soup, also known as Minestra Maritata, means “married soup” and the name can be a bit confusing. I thought it was a special soup served at Italian weddings but in fact, the name refers to the perfect marriage of the soup ingredients most especially the combination of meat and greens in a flavorful broth.

Minestra Maritata is said to come from an ancient Roman custom and is a traditional Neapolitan soup. It is a complete meal served with or without pasta and can be accompanied by bread, salad and desert. The meatballs can be made of beef, turkey and/or pork, the leafy greens are either escarole or curley endive - both hardy lettuces which are best served cooked and are perfect for soups. The pasta can be Pastina, Orzo, or Risi - any tiny pasta will do.

MINESTRA MARITATA (ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP)

Soup:

3 qts. Chicken Broth

One head of escarole or curly endive lettuce

2 eggs, beaten well

2 Tb parmigiano reggiano cheese

Salt and Pepper

Meatballs (see recipe below)

1/2 package Pastina, *cooked (Pastina: tiny star shaped pastas)

Meatballs:

One pound ground beef (or ground turkey)

one small grated onion

1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped well

one egg, beaten

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

one slice of fresh bread cut or torn into tiny pieces

1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese

Combine all meatball ingredients together in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Make one inch sized meatballs. Place on baking sheet. Let chill for 30 minutes.

For the soup:

Bring broth to boil in large pot over medium heat. Place meatballs and escarole/endive into pot and simmer about 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked and the lettuce is tender. Turn off the heat.

Whisk the eggs and cheese in a bowl to carefully blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion and while the soup is swirling, drizzle the egg mixture into the broth and gently stir with a fork so that the egg mixture becomes thin strands - about 1-2 minutes. Add about one cup cooked pasta as desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve soup in shallow bowls and sprinkle with parmigiano reggiano cheese. Serve with crusty garlic bread and a tossed green salad.

*Note: Cook the Pastina earlier in the day or the night before so that you can chill it and it can firm up.

Soup with Fennel Four Ways!

Here we are getting ready for the harvest season and with that, a change of weather. Tomatoes, among other things, are being offered at the Farmer's Market and it is a great time to be making sauces and soups which can be canned or frozen.

Another delicious idea for a change of season meal is one that includes fennel. Fennel is often misunderstood and really should be included as a mainstay veggie. Fennel is similar to celery and celery root and that is familiar to most of us - it is a crunchy almost a little sweet alternative to celery and can be used in place of or in addition to celery.

Fennel has a pale green bulb with stalks and feathery, lace-like leaves. The leaves eventually flower and produce fennel seeds - a wonderful spice for breads, meatballs, and even herb tea. The bulb can simply be sliced and eaten raw or in a salad and the stalks can be used deliciously in long-cooking dishes and in the water used to poach fish. Fennel is a perfect seasoning for mackerel.

My White Bean Soup recipe includes both celery and fennel. Here you can use the bulb, stalks, leaves and seeds! Fennel has a mild taste and goes well in this recipe which is a great seasonal soup with a very hardy taste.

MEDITERRANEAN STYLE WHITE BEAN SOUP

adapted from The Perricone Promise

One red or green bell pepper, chopped

One yellow onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, sliced

1/3 fennel bulb, chopped

2 fennel stalks, chopped

3 TB fennel leaves, minced

8 cloves garlic

1 TB dry basil

3 tsp whole fennel seeds

½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 TB olive oil

6 C vegetable or chicken broth

1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes, chopped & drain (save juice)

2 cans (15 oz.) white beans

Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved

Croutons

Salt & Pepper

Saute in the olive oil until tender, about 10 minutes: bell pepper, onion, celery, fennel bulb and stalks, garlic, basil, fennel, & red pepper flakes.

Add broth and tomatoes and heat for a few minutes. Add the beans and fennel leaves, and heat another few minutes. Taste, add salt & pepper, adjust other seasonings.

Serve topped with Parmesan cheese & croutons.

ENJOY!

Summertime, summertime.....

Summertime and the livin' is easy. Monsoons, cicadas singing, evenings on the front porch, the ocean, lakes and hiking trails, swimming, boating and suntans....what could be better? Just one thing, of course, and that would be the addition of a great meal.

Along with grilling it's great to make an array of side dishes and other goodies to fill a gorgeous summer back-yard barbeque and/or a picnic dinner while listening to music in the many parks and public places that offer free summer concerts.

Two of my faves are really quick and easy to prepare: Caesar Salad and Waldorf Salad. Try your hand at these - I know you will enjoy!

JOY'S CAESAR SALAD WITH HOMEMADE CROUTONS

Chopped Romaine Lettuce

Caesar Dressing

Homemade Croutons

Fresh Shaved Parmesan Cheese

Dressing:

Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/2 Cup

Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice - start w/ 2 squeezes!

Crushed and Mashed Garlic - 6 cloves

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Dry Mustard - dash

Anchovy Paste - dash

Red Wine Vinegar - 1 tsp to taste

Worcestershire - dash

Croutons:

1 baguette cut into 1” cubes

2 Tb. olive oil

2 Tb. melted butter

3 large garlic cloves, minced and mashed

1/3 C. Parmesan Cheese - finely grated

2 Tb. dry parsley

Salt

Paprika

Put all ingredients into bottom of your salad bowl and whisk together. Adjust to taste. Add lettuce and toss. Taste again and add more oil, vinegar, or lemon juice and seasonings as needed.

Toss in croutons then shave fresh parmesan cheese on top.

SUMMER WALDORF SALAD

Apples - 2 Gala or Fuji (sweet apples are best) - Chopped

Celery - 6 Stalks - Chopped

(*Fennel - 2 big pieces sliced out of the bulb - optional) - Chopped

Shaved Unsweetened Coconut

Toasted or *Candied Walnuts - chopped

Craisins or Golden Raisins

Mayonnaise - about 2 cups

Sour Cream or Yogurt - about 1/2 cup

Squeeze of Lemon

(*or Pecans or Pistachios - toasted)

(*if you use fennel you will LOVE it! You mince some of the lacey leaves into the salad as well. Use the stalks and the rest of the bulb and leaves for soup - see my White Bean Soup coming next issue or email me for the recipe!)

Chop the apples and celery (and fennel) into 1/2” chunks. Add the coconut, nuts, and raisins then toss. Mix the Mayonnaise with sour cream or yogurt and add a squeeze of lemon. Toss into the salad - it should be a little over dressed so the salad has time to absorb the dressing. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

ENJOY!

A very berry Bumbleberry Pie

Berry season is upon us and we have so many to choose from: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and of course, “bumbleberries”! You will see what a bumbleberry is when you read the recipe below that was given to me to share with you by one of our wonderful Prescott, AZ restaurantiers.

BUMBLEBERRY PIE by Billie Jo Nelson

There is no such thing as a "bumbleberry"...this means a bumble of berries.

I use the berries as listed but you may use strawberries also as long as the

amount of berries totals the same. (I prefer to NOT use strawberries as they tend to take over the flavor and also cause the cut slices to have a poor presentation). I cut the slices and warm them and add lots of creamy vanilla ice-cream! I teach a class on pie making at The Rose and the Bumbleberry Pie is the one that participants make to take home from the class. I surely hope you try this recipe. Warm regards, Billie Jo Nelson, owner, The Rose Restaurant

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prepare enough pastry for a 9", two crust pie

Roll out one pastry crust and use it to line the pie pan

In a medium size bowl well mix the following and set aside:

1 Cup of sugar

5 Tablespoons of flour

2 Tablespoons of corn starch

1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl combine the following:

1-1/2 Cups red raspberries

1-1/2 Cups blackberries

1-1/2 Cups Marion berries (These are like LARGE blueberries; they are grown in Oregon.)

(If you have less or more than one of the berries, just make sure you have a total of 4-1/2 cups.)

Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top of the berries and gently toss. Scoop the

sweetened berries into your pastry. There will be some sugar mixture left in the bottom of the bowl. *Gently sprinkle it onto the berries in the pastry.

(*NOTE: I do not put all of this sugar mixture on the berries as that makes the pie too moist and hard to plate. As a "rule of thumb", I probably have about a

1/3 cup of sugar mixture left that gets tossed out.)

Place three pats of butter on top of the pie and roll out your second pastry. Place the pastry on top of the pie and seal by crimping the edge. Beat an egg until well combined and brush the egg on the top crust. Make a few slits in the crust to allow for the escape of steam.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes in the lower one third of your oven. As oven temperatures vary, make sure the pie is a deep, golden color. This assures your bottom pastry is well cooked.

Cool the pie before cutting and serving. Warm each piece in your microwave and top with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Walk on the Wild Side

Breakfast can be more than the first meal of the day. It can be eaten at any meal-time and should be way more than just fuel. I love to take my breakfast out onto my porch where I can enjoy the early days of summer which are both breezy and hot. Keeping it simple is surely the best way for me and so, as with other meals, I like to make something that I can eat for at least a few days. Something so delish that I cannot wait to devour it!

I love eggs because they are incredibly versatile. They can be cooked with any vegetable and can be accompanied by any number of fruits, meats, and breads. The local Farmer's Market has fresh eggs here every Saturday and so, if you can get locally grown eggs, you will definitely taste the difference.

Every week I get an email from 2 of the local farms to inform me of the latest harvest. It is from that list that I get my vegetable and fruit inspirations. I am not opposed to using out-of-season produce but NOW is the time to get the very best fresh harvested produce. The recipes here can be varied according to whatever you have on hand. Enjoy walking on the locally-grown wild side!!

FRITTATA WITH GOAT CHEESE, CORN & CHERRY TOMATOES

1/2 medium onion, rough chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 Cup canned corn, drained

sweet cream butter

olive oil

6 eggs, beaten

dash of milk or cream

1 tsp dry, crumbled basil

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

cherry tomatoes, 12 cut in half

chopped kalamata olives - about 12 without pits

1. In a large deep skillet, saute the onion and garlic with about 2 Tb. butter and 1 Tb. olive oil. Add the drained corn and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Set aside in the pan.

2. Beat the eggs with the cream then add the basil, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and half of the goat cheese. Gently fold the ingredients together.

3. Turn on a medium flame under the onion skillet and add more oil and butter as needed. Make sure the butter-oil mixture is sizzling, then pour in the egg mixture.

4. Cook while gently scraping the sides and bottom of the pan with a rubber sptatula making sure that the liquid eggs flow underneath. Cook for about 3 minutes.

5. Turn flame to low and cook until the Frittata is partially set, about 3-5 minutes.

6. Place the cherry tomatoes and olives ontop then sprinkle on the remaining goat cheese.

7. Cover and cook until the eggs are completely done, about 10 more minutes.

8. Re-season as needed with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

9. Cut into 6 wedges and serve hot or at room temperature.

10. Serve with fresh in-season fruit salad with yogurt-citrus dressing - see website for recipe!

DIANE'S FRUIT SALAD

2 C strawberries

1 C Blueberries

1T Mint

Sprite

2 ½ t Lemon Zest

½ C Ricotta (part skim)

2 T sour cream (low fat)

Cut fruit, mix with mint & 2 T Sprite. Let sit 10 min.

Whip: ricotta, zest, 2 T Sprite. Then add sour cream. Put on top of fruit.

Enjoy!