Brined Citrus Turkey

31 Dec

This was my second shot at brining a turkey and I think this second one was even better than the first! It’s easy, it’s something you can do the day before you eat and it’s not complicated in the least.

But why should you, you might ask? Salt is the key here as it breaks down the proteins and traps water molecules, which results in less moisture loss in the cooking process. Also, the salt seasons the bird inside and out which is always a good thing.

So how do you brine a turkey? (Or a chicken, for that matter?) For every gallon of cold water, you need:

1 1/4 c Kosher salt
1 c brown sugar/honey

You’ll likely need at least 1 gallon to cover the turkey if not 2 gallons.

You can also use any herb or…well, anything you can imagine to flavour that bird! I used lemon & orange wedges this time around.

Dissolve the salt and sugar/honey in the water. You can use a large bag (garbage bags work, believe it or not) or a thoroughly cleaned cooler. Add in the turkey and keep the whole concoction stored somewhere cool for anywhere from 4 – 24 hours. If you’re using a cooler and keeping it inside, throw in a couple of ice packs to ensure that the bird stays nice and cold.

Once you’re ready to cook the turkey, take it out of the brine and rinse it thoroughly. Pat it dry so you get a nice, crispy skin and place it on a cooking rack in your roasting pan. (Or use veggies as a rack if you don’t have one. Those veg will be delicious at dinner!)

Set your oven to 400F.

Grate 1-2 tb orange and lemon zest into 2 tb butter at room temperature. Smear that birdie with your citrus butter. Season with 2tb black pepper but NOT salt. The brine took care of that already. Quarter the lemon and orange you zested and put them in the cavity of the turkey. Next, take a small piece of foil and wrap it around the tips of the wings so they don’t burn.

Toss the bird in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. Once that goes off,  turn the oven down to 325F.  Baste turkey every half hour. You can add water or stock to the bottom of the pan if you need to.

The general rule is that you need to cook turkey 20 minutes per pound but every oven is different. The last hour you anticipate cooking the turkey, check the temp every 15 minutes by sticking a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast or the thigh. You’re aiming for 170F or until the juices run clear. Once you’ve reached that optimal temperature, take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes. Then slice that sucker up and enjoy!!

Isn't she gorgeous?

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Christmas: Accomplished.

31 Dec

Yes, it’s several days past Christmas now and I’m just getting around to writing about the first Christmas dinner at our place. It’s taken that long to absorb it all, really. Eight people, one dog and gobs of food. The turkey came out very nicely, if a little earlier than I anticipated. (The oven cooks turkeys faster than I think it should and chickens slower. Weird.)  I brined it over night this time and you could definitely tell a difference in the texture and moisture levels. I will certainly be doing that again as it really helped to keep the bird tender and juicy.

In attendance on Christmas were my parents, my brother, my in-laws and the always fabulous Hot Biscuit. Mom and Dad were in charge of cranberries and the ever-tempting trifle; my brother brought ooooooooodles of hors d’oeuvres including some stellar bacon-wrapped water chestunuts; my in-laws brought – as requested – rice & beans and, as an extra, creamed corn; and the HB made her delicious mandarin & sugared almond green salad. As I posted last week, we did The Bird, cornbread stuffing, roasted vegetables and potatoes, citrus & sesame asparagus and the gravy. (Oh. And Dad brought homemade fudge, a Christmas tradition that had been put on hiatus for a few years. I was giddy when I saw the container!)

So, as you might imagine, we had so. Much. Food. While I’d love to say that I totally kept my cool through the whole preparation, I must give credit to J who kept me calm when faced with an unexpected problem in the kitchen. Quick thinking and a cool head saved the day! On that note, a word to the wise: if you lose the liquid that accumulates from the turkey while it cooks, you can tip the turkey right-side-up and let it drain into the pan. This is exactly what happened to me and that was the solution which worked quite well! We still had the beautiful – but now caramelized – liquid but not as much as I would’ve liked. Regardless, the turkey juice (and doesn’t THAT sound appealing!) worked like a charm and with the addition of chicken stock and red wine, it all came out!

We ate, we drank, we gorged. We also had a few rounds of Wii sports in between dinner and dessert which gave us (okay, J) a chance to do some dishes and, perhaps more importantly, a chance for everyone to digest a little! Would I do Christmas dinner again? In a heartbeat. Am I glad that it only comes once a year? Unquestionably. But I learned a lot, spent an evening with my family and friends and can’t wait to try my hand at it again!

And all that was left…

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Bring it on, Christmas.

20 Dec

J and I are hosting Christmas for the families this year. We are super excited (okay…I am especially excited) and are feeling marginally more grown up. I really do enjoy cooking at Thanksgiving and am looking forward to the challenge that will be Christmas dinner. I have the utmost confidence that we can pull it off, but it’s gonna be in one hella tight space. Our kitchen is teeny so counter space is at a premium. I feel like we’re going to need to diagram it out before we start…

Anyway, I will be brining the turkey the night before in a mixture of kosher salt, brown sugar, citrus and maybe some rosemary. I tried brining for the first time a couple of weeks ago and, according to my guinea turkeys, it worked well! I wanted to try it once before the big day so I wouldn’t stress about it on The Day. I only brined the 9lb bird for about 4.5 hours that time an will be doing it overnight for Christmas. I’m expecting that the bird’ll be even better this time! We’ll be grabbing my in-laws’ cooler this afternoon and using that as the garbage-bag-and-bucket method was a bit awkward. For the size of bird we had that night it worked well…aside from the fact that I did all the work in the morning before my coffee injection and spilled a not-small amount of brine on my kitchen floor. The lesson? Caffeine first, everything else after.

The menu we’re putting together for the evening will look something like:
Brined citrus-herb turkey & roasted vegetables
Cornbread stuffing
Roasted potatoes
Sauteed asparagus with orange zest
Gravy

The in-laws are bringing the always-scrumptious rice & beans; my parents are bringing the cranberries and the trifle; the Hot Biscuit will be bringing the salad; my brother will be bringing..something! Hors d’oeuvres, maybe? We’re planning on taking a break between dinner and dessert as it will give us a chance to not only do some dishes (sadly, we are dishwasher deficient) but to bust out the Wii to burn off some of the gigantic dinner.

In all honesty, I am genuinely thrilled to be hosting Christmas dinner this year. Family and friends  gathered around the table (and a very excited dog under the table)  is one of my favourite things in the world.  I anticipate a night of love and laughter – and, of course, the roast beast. Once it has all gone down, I will post recipes and pictures and share the adventures in foodNURDland!

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Dressed Up Asparagus

17 Dec

It’s hard to mess up asparagus. Roast it, saute it, stir-fry it, it’s going to be delicious. I was making dinner for friends the other night and figured that since the main included some citrus-y flavours, it’d be a good idea to mirror those flavours with the side dish. The asparagus turned out crunchy and earthy with a nice bite and the green-orange colour contrast looked great!

Serves 4.

Ingredients
-1 bunch asparagus, cut into thirds
-2 tb extra virgin olive oil
-1/4 c sesame seeds
-zest and juice of half an orange
-salt & pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in pan to medium.
2.  Toss the asparagus into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Saute til bright green, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add orange zest and juice to the pan. Toss.
4. Sprinkle sesame seeds and toss the asparagus until coated.
5. Serve!

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Pasta with Portobellos, Sage & Walnuts

29 Nov

A simple, easy, savoury pasta dish that can be thrown together quickly. The toasted walnuts are a great touch: some crunch to go along with the nutty flavour. Note, though – when you’re toasting them, keep a close eye on the pan! Those things’ll burn before you know it!

You can use whatever pasta you have in the cupboard. I made my first batch with penne, but you could use spaghetti, rigatoni…anything your heart desires! Also, while this is a vegetarian recipe, if you have some prosciutto in the fridge, it goes quite nicely for a salty bite.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

3/4 lb pasta
3 tb extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c unsalted butter
3 large portabello mushroom caps, gills discarded, caps thinly sliced and cut into 2″ pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 c loosely packed fresh sage leaves
1/3 c toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions

1. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions. Reserve 1c cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and 2 tb butter in a medium sauce pan. Add mushrooms, sprinkling with salt & pepper. Cook roughly 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender and brown. Set aside on a plate.
3.  Using the same pan, add in 8tb butter (it’s a lot, I know, but it’s the sauce!) and heat to medium. Add sage leaves, stirring occasionally until  dark and crisp. (3 to 5 min.)
4. Add the mushrooms back to the pan along with the pasta, the walnuts and half a cup of the reserved liquid. Season with salt & pepper and toss until the pasta is well coated. Add in more liquid if you need it.
5. Serve in warm bowls and top with a generous portion of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

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Green Thumb? More Like Touch of Death.

21 Nov

I love the fact that I can go to the market and pick up potted fresh herbs for the kitchen. It’s cost effective, convenient and they make the kitchen smell great. We often have thyme, rosemary and, my favourite, basil on our windowsill.  I could put basil in just about anything.

However.

I keep killing the plants, especially the basil! I can’t keep basil for more than two weeks without it losing its bright green colour, turning brown-ish and dry. It’s driving me a bit batty. Clearly, this plant is more delicate than I anticipated! So, my green-thumbed friends, how can I keep this dang herb from dying out on me so quickly? Am I using too much, too fast? How often should I water it? How much sunlight should it get?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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Spicy-Salty-Creamy Jalapeno Poppers

15 Nov

J and I have been talking about making poppers  for a while now and I decided it was time to get ’em done already! This recipe is good for the newly-minted, the curious and the well-indoctrinated with respect to heat tolerance. The heat from the peppers is balanced out nicely by the creaminess of the cheese and the saltiness of the prosciutto. Also, because they’re roasted, they lose some of their potency.

While I do thoroughly enjoy the deep-fried version with a pint of whatever is on tap, this version is baked and…probably not something you’re gonna find at the pub. They are quickly made and just-as-quickly devoured in front of your eyes.

Makes 20.

Ingredients

10 jalapenos
1 package cream cheese, room temp
8-10 slices prosciutto

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400, with the rack in the middle.
2. Clean and vertically slice the jalapenos into halves. Remove the seeds and membranes.*
3.  With a knife, fill the insides of the jalapeno halves with the cream cheese.4
4. Wrap the peppers with slices of prosciutto.  You may need to slice the prosciutto to make it thinner, depending on the size of the jalapenos.
5. Place them on a foil-lined sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

*you might want to wear latex gloves to handle the peppers. I used a spoon to get out the seeds & membranes, but I also washed my hands 18 times to ensure my finger tips wouldn’t burn for hours. I speak from experience….it’s not pleasant.

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Spice-Rubbed Pulled Pork

15 Nov

Tasked with making dinner for my father-in-law this weekend, the decision was made that it should be a southern feast: pulled pork, cornbread and coleslaw. But having made the the same pulled pork for a while now, I felt like I  needed a new recipe. After some searching, I came across a great spice rub which I altered slightly to make my own.  Last night, we sat down to a dinner that was undeniably a huge success: both in-laws, J and I ate far too much. The pork came out beautifully: sweet, a little bit spicy, very well-rounded. And the kicker? Just a touch of smoke. So. Good. Everyone go make pulled pork RIGHT NOW.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

Rub

2 tb black pepper
1.5 tb cayenne
2 tb chili powder
2 tb cumin
2 tb brown sugar
1 tb dried oregano
3tb paprika
2 tb salt
1 ts white sugar

1 3-4lb pork butt
1/4 c water
1/2 ts liquid smoke* – optional, but very tasty
1.5 c barbecue sauce
1 lime

Directions

1. Mix the spices for the rub in a small bowl.
2. Thoroughly coat the pork in the spice rub. (You  may have some left over: it’ll be great on any protein.) Wrap up the pork as tightly as possible in plastic wrap and put in the fridge anywhere from three hours to a full day. The longer you leave it, the more the spices will infuse into the meat.
3. When you’re ready to cook, get out the slow cooker and set it to low.
4. Add in 1/4c water, the liquid smoke and the pork. Set the timer for 8 hours and walk away.
5. Remove the pork from the cooker into a large bowl, pulling it apart with two forks. Discard fat.
6. Put the pork into a pot big enough to handle it.  Add the bbq sauce about 1/3 of a cup at a time and incorporating some of the liquid left over from the slow cooker until you get it as saucy as you like. (Stop making jokes….)
7. Serve with a wedge of lime – or, if you’re making sandwiches, squeeze some lime juice into the pork before you serve it.
8. Get out of the way of the stampede to the table!

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Peppered Salmon w/ Creamy Chick Pea Dressing

12 Nov

J made this Tyler Florence recipe the other night and it came out beautifully! The salmon was crispy on the outside, but flaky and tender on the inside. Tons of flavour from the crust, no question, and it was very tasty with the accompanying chick pea dressing. Nicely done, J!

Serves 4.

Ingredients
1/4 c black peppercorns
1/4 c coriander seeds
4  salmon fillets
2-3 tb extra virgin olive oil

Dressing
salt & pepper
1 can chick peas
2 ts cumin
1 ts paprika
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Grind peppercorns and coriander in a clean coffee grinder and pour the mixture onto a plate.
2. Roll salmon in the mixture.
3. Heat 2-3 tb olive oil in a large skillet and heat til the oil is smoking.
4. Sprinkle fish with salt & pepper and place in the pan, searing 4-5 minutes per side.
5. For the vinaigrette, drain the chick peas into a large bowl, reserving the liquid.
6. Add olive oil, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Spoon 1/2 the mixture into a blender and puree. Add in the liquid as necessary to thin out the mixture. (You’ll need roughly half of it.)
7. Stir the puree back into the rest of the vinaigrette to thicken.
8. Dish the chick pea dressing into the middle of the plate and place the salmon on top.

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Turkey Tacos

9 Nov

When I come home from my Wednesday evening run, and then walk the dog, I am not interested in dinner that requires a lot of preparation. A little chopping and into the pan is my preferred method. Quick, easy, healthy. So when I came across a recipe for turkey tacos that could be made in about 15 minutes, I was very happy! Thanks EVER so, Martha.

You could absolutely add some chopped sweet peppers and/or corn to this recipe for a little crunch.

Ingredients

2 tb hot sauce (I used hot sauce & added some chipotle)
1 tb tomato paste
2 tb vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tb chili powder
2 ts cumin
1 lb ground turkey
salt & pepper
handful cilantro leaves
tortillas

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk hot sauce, tomato paste and 2 tb water.
2. In a medium-sized pan, heat the vegetable oil and add the chopped onion. Cook for 3 minutes. (If you’re adding peppers or corn, toss them in here.)
3. Add in garlic, chili powder and cumin. Stir and saute 2 minutes.
4. Add in ground turkey with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook roughly 3 minutes and then stir in the sauce.
5. Warm the tortillas, spoon the turkey into the middle and sprinkle with cilantro.

If you’ve got an avocado kicking around, slice it up and throw it into the tacos, too. A little spritz of lime and you are in delicious business!

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