Recipes Archives - Page 54 of 113

Fennel and Apple Stuffing with Chicken Sausage Recipe

I could do without turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving and just eat veggies and pie. You didn’t think I was going to say just veggies, did you? C’mon. I’m more fun than that! But if you forced me to eat stuffing, if I had to pick one version to eat, here it is. This one right here is my favorite stuffing of all time, satisfying all my protein and carbohydrate needs on the big day so I can just focus on what I just mentioned, veggies and pie.

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2016 – 1 Week and Counting!

This post has been edited from the original which was published on November 17, 2011.

I am going to admit this right off the bat — I am behind on my Thanksgiving planning! The irony! I think we’re going to be 31 people this year, including my two daughters who will be home from college. I am so excited to have all my kids in the kitchen this year prepping and cooking with me. I had a stroke of genius five years ago, which was to tack my Thanksgiving to-do list on the refrigerator and have everyone sign up for three tasks. Even my husband helps out!

My last class is today, and then our exchange students (yes, I picked up another one last weekend LOL) go back to South Korea on Saturday morning. So I’ll be getting busy on Sunday when I start making applesauce and cranberry sauce. I always plan Thanksgiving day down to the last detail because I don’t like forgetting things and a schedule makes me feel more relaxed, which equals more fun for me! But just because Thanksgiving is the star of the show this week doesn’t mean that I can forget about normal life on very other day. So I think about regular meals and activities, too. Here’s what my schedule will look like from Sunday until we eat on Thursday at 4:00 pm (-ish). This shouldn’t make you feel exhausted, but merely show you what you can do ahead for your own Thanksgiving! The Chalkboard Mag published a really great blogpost this week with tons of tips from lots of food experts (including me!) I highly recommend giving it a quick read.

Salted Maple Apple Galette Recipe and VIDEO

How’s the Thanksgiving planning going?? I have another great recipe you can add to your menu.

I am not going to argue that this is a “healthful dessert.” But I can feel good about the fact that there is very little added sweetener in this galette and there’s only one crust, so can we agree that it’s less damaging than a pie? Regardless, this galette is downright delicious and so much easier than it looks. It’s the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or any time you need something sophisticated, but homey. Watch my new YouTube video below for the step-by-step.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Roasted Grapes, Frico and Pine Nut Dressing Recipe

I applaud you for taking a break from watching cable news until your head hurts. Sit down, relax and take a deep breath. This is and always will be a politics-free zone (and my social media channels are no different), because that’s not why you and I hang out together. I would much rather do what we always do – discuss all the delicious, healthful recipes I want you to try and share, recipes which will bring loved ones to our tables where it is appropriate to discuss the whys and hows of the world.

Harvest Kale Salad with Cornbread Croutons Recipe

I heard there is an election happening, but I’m not going to talk about it because this is a food blog and that’s not why you’re here. All I am going to say is that I do hope you will vote today or that you have voted. We’re taking Mr. Picky and our exchange student to the polls. Kind of cool for our South Korean friend to witness our electoral process during an historic election, don’t you think?

Turkey Roulade with Wild Rice Filling Recipe and VIDEO

Truth be told, I have every intention of making 2 whole traditional roasted turkeys for Thanksgiving this year. I am never seduced by the mole- or miso-basted turkeys because then I have to revolve the whole menu around them. And I always have too many guests (and too many dark meat easters) to consider something like a turkey roulade which is what I am sharing here today.

I think if you are hosting 8 people or you want something a little different than a whole turkey, this roulade is just the thing. I serve this often at dinner parties in the fall and winter and it’s always a hit. Make the butcher do the hard work by butterflying the turkey breast for you. Then take it home and stuff it with whatever you like (I recommend this cranberry-pecan rice pilaf) and roll it up. Actually, there’s a local butcher in my town called Manhattan Meats that will stuff and tie the turkey for you if you bring them your filling. It’s a pretty straightforward recipe and theres on brining or basting or carving. Easy!

You can actually roll and tie the turkey in the morning and roast it that evening if that makes your life easier. Just don’t put hot rice into the turkey and then put it rolled up in the fridge. I have two words for that: bacteria proliferation. Make the pilaf and let it cool, then stuff your turkey and refrigerate it. If you are going to roast it immediately after you stuff it, you can add the rice hot.

Feel free to leave any questions for me in the comment section below and I will get right back to you. In the meantime, please watch the video where I demonstrate how to put all of this together!

Turkey Roulade with Wild Rice Filling Recipe

Print Recipe

Servings

Ingredients

One 5-pound fresh whole turkey breast with skin; have your butcher remove the bones (save them for stock) and butterfly the breast, leaving it whole
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter + 2 Tablespoons melted or use olive oil
2 cups diced onions
2 stalks diced celery
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
2 cups wild rice blend such as Lundberg or Whole Foods
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
4 ¼ cups chicken or turkey stock preferably homemade, DIVIDED
2/3 cup chopped pecans toasted
½ cup dried cranberries optional

Instructions

When you get the turkey home from the market, lay the breast skin side down and if one end is significantly thicker than the other, place it between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it to the same thickness. Season the breast with a sprinkling of sea salt. Rewrap and refrigerate it until you are ready to prepare it.
One hour before roasting, remove turkey from refrigerator and leave on countertop.
To make the filling, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (or oil) in a heavy medium saucepan. Add onions, and celery and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes.
Add the herbs and sauté a few minutes more.
Add the rice, salt, pepper and 3 ¾ cups stock. Bring to a boil, cover, lower to a simmer and cook according to the package instructions. When rice is tender and liquid absorbed, turn heat off and fold in pecans and (optional) cranberries. Let sit covered for 10 minutes (longer is fine, too.)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place the turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board or countertop. Season with salt if you haven’t already done so, and some black pepper. Spoon half the filling lengthwise over the turkey breast up to one half inch from the edges. Roll the turkey breast and tie string around the roll in three places. Transfer remaining filling to a small ovenproof casserole and set aside.
Brush the turkey with 2 Tablespoons melted butter or olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Place directly in a roasting pan or on a rack within a pan. Roast uncovered, for 1 hour. Add ½ cup stock to pan, cover breast with parchment, then foil, and roast one more hour. Bake the remaining rice in a casserole during the last 30 minutes of the turkey’s roasting time.
Remove from the oven, put turkey roll on a platter or cutting board and let rest covered for 20-30 minutes. Remove string and cut turkey into ¼-inch slices. To serve, spoon the rice from the casserole onto a serving platter. Arrange turkey slices on top. Drizzle with the pan juices.

Notes

You can also add to Step 3: ½ pound mushrooms, such as shiitake (stems discarded) or cremini, wiped clean and chopped.
You can use white wine in Step 8 instead of stock. Or use ¼ cup wine and ¼ cup stock.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving 2016 – 3 Weeks and Counting!

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This post has been edited from the one originally published on Thursday, November 3, 2011.

If you followed the advice in my post last Thursday, perhaps you now have a general idea of how many guests you will be hosting on Thanksgiving. If not, it’s time to get on the phone and do some inviting! Do you have a good, balanced menu and have you taken guests up on their offers to bring something? This week we have a few more tasks that we can check off the list.

3 weeks before thanksgiving

Order the Turkey If you eat turkey on Thanksgiving, it’s a good idea to order it now. I have always ordered a fresh, free-range, organic turkey, because in my opinion it has a tasty turkey flavor and is higher quality than most other alternatives. The only thing that may be better is a heritage turkey, which has a much stronger turkey flavor and supposed to be more moist. It will have less breast meat though and will be more expensive. If you want a heritage bird, you need to order this ASAP since they sell out fast. Avoid “self-basting” turkeys which are injected with anything from chicken fat to salt to chemicals. True, they are easier to cook, but I think they taste more like salt than turkey and they are just full of stuff you don’t want to feed your family.

Here are some questions that will help you decide what size to order:

How many ovens do you have? If you have one large oven that can accommodate two turkeys side by side and an extra oven to spare (you’re so lucky!), then you have the option of cooking two smaller birds versus one large one. But with two small ovens, you may not want them both being monopolized by turkeys.

Are your guests dark meat-eaters or white meat-eaters? You will get more white meat by weight from one large bird than from two smaller. Likewise, you will get more dark meat from two smaller birds than from one large one.

How big a turkey should you buy? The rule of thumb is one pound of turkey per person. So if you are expecting 16 guests, you should order a 16 pound turkey. That doesn’t mean that you will have 1 pound of meat per person, though. Personally, I think this is only a good rule if you don’t want leftovers, if your guests are not big eaters, and/or you have a good number of dark meat eaters versus all-white meat eaters. Two years ago I cooked two 17-pound turkeys for 20 adults and 5 kids and I had just enough leftovers for the five of us for dinner the next day. Last year I cooked two 18-pound turkeys for 24 adults and 5 kids and we had the same amount of leftovers. My point is that I think 1 1/4 pounds per person is a safer bet.

Do you have a bad back? What does this have to do with anything? A very large turkey is mighty challenging to keep pulling out of the oven to baste. I find two smaller turkeys much more manageable, if you have the oven space.

Planning Your Table Decor I don’t do anything fancy for my table decorations, but it’s nice to make the table look special. Now’s the time to check your linens for stains and make sure you have enough napkins, plates and glassware. I generally like to do something simple with fresh flowers in autumnal colors and add in a few of the kids’ Thanksgiving art projects from years past. The top image is a collection of pins from my Thanksgiving Pinterest board. I just adore Jenni Kayne’s table setting which is the largest image at the top of the post and below. Check out all her lovely holiday photos and ideas on her Rip & Tan blog — beautiful! But you can put out bowls of apples and pears or gourds and nuts, add in a few votive candles and it will look lovely. If tablescape isn’t your thing, you can always order from your local florist or full service market. Just get on it this week. The succulents glued onto pumpkin arrangements last quite a while, so why not order them now to enjoy through Thanksgiving and not have to worry about doing it in two weeks. Last year, I needed a change from the succulents and pumpkins and I went to Trader Joe’s and bought lots of hydrangeas, roses, and snap dragons and ornamental kale from Whole Foods and I made the arrangements below with some leftover burlap I had. Rustic, pretty, easy and very affordable.

Make your pie crusts and freeze them You can freeze them in disc form or roll them out, fit them into pie plates and freeze them, well wrapped.
Make your homemade stock and freeze it I use over a gallon of chicken stock on Thanksgiving for soup, stuffing and gravy.

Make your dry mixes for pie fillings, cornbread and other baked goods. Not only are there never enough ovens on Thanksgiving day, but there are never enough measuring cups and spoons either. I measure out the dry ingredients, store them in a glass jar and label each jar, e.g. “Dry Mix for 2 Pumpkin Pies.” I didn’t label them the first year I did this and let me tell you — pumpkin pie spices smell A LOT like apple pie spices.
Check your inventory of helpful tools and appliances Here’s my list of Thanksgiving essentials:

Instant-read thermometer — the only way to know if your turkey is ready.
Roasting pan(s) and rack(s)
Fat separator
Twine for trussing
Baster
Potato Ricer — for making the best mashed potatoes (recipe coming soon)

More recipes to come, but look here for my Thanksgiving recipes. And also check out my Pinterest boards for more recipes and table decor ideas. Last but not least, I’ll be sharing lots of tips every day on Instagram so be sure to follow me there!

Roasted Green Beans and Shallots with Lemon and Thyme Recipe

You know what I always say about Thanksgiving — that there aren’t enough veggies and green foods on the table to balance out all the starch, protein and BEIGE. If it were up to me, I would just make dishes called “harvest salad” and a sweet potato casserole and be a happy camper. There is such an abundance of produce right now, the options are exciting and endless. Am I the only person who finds mashed potatoes to be boring?

Turkey Roulade with Wild Rice Filling Recipe

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions

Notes

3 weeks before thanksgiving

Ingredients