Turkey Injection & Rub

Here's what I came up with for the turkey this year.  This is in addition to the special brine and baking tricks...... well, what do you think? We like our turkey to be all juiced up, so I increased the recipe just a bit after trying it out, and my best recreation is in the below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestion: wash and brine turkey first. Place turkey on lifting rack in roasting pan. Stuff rub under the skin, then inject turkey.
 

Injection:

Wet ingredients
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth (use the whole boullion cube)
1 tbsp Cooking Sherry or White Wine
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce –OR–  Liquid Smoke

Spices
2 tbsp minced garlic –OR–  1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp fine ground black pepper
3/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground sage
2 bay leaves
(If not brining turkey in advance, add 1 tsp salt)

Rub:

1 tbsp cup olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp white wine
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder –OR– 1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp fine ground pepper, black or white

Preparation:

Thaw turkey in advance. Remove giblets and neck from turkey: reserve to cook for pets or gravy.  Brine the turkey the day before.

Bring the injection ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for just a few minutes.  Cool. Strain so that only liquid will be sent through your injector needle. Inject turkey in many, many spots so the juice will cook through the meat during baking.

Put rub under turkey skin prior to baking.

If using the Alton Brown method, now you will rub oil over the outside of the turkey and bake it on 500 degrees for 30 minutes to lock those juices in, before turning down the heat to continue baking for the duration of the required time for your size turkey.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Bread Recipe

Dennis taught me how to make bread at Fall Crown List!  I saved the notes from my head down to paper on how I was doing it, so that I could be sure and do it again later...... here ya go......

Scald about a cup and a half of cup of milk.  Make it 105 degrees; measure with a meat/kitchen thermometer.  It must not be over 110, else it will kill your yeast!

Take 1 cup of flour, 2 tbsp sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1 packet of quick activate yeast.  Add about 1 cup of scalded milk, stir until combined (ok if lumpy) and set aside until it rises into a "sponge." Add 2 1/2 cups flower, and stir to combine until you get a nice dough. Add milk as needed for consistency. It should not be runny but should be... putty-like.  Once it all sticks together, knead the dough on a flat surface adding flour if necessary so that the dough is not sticky.

Work the dough into a nice ball, making sure you don't have any breaks or splits on the sides or top so that it will rise smoothly. One complete place the dough ball in a bowl with a cloth over the top and set in a warm place until it rises.

Take it out and knead it again and then set back in covered bowl aside to rise again.  If you want you can divide the bread and place multiple smaller balls of dough aside to rise on your pan at this point.

Once the second rise is achieved, spray your baking tray with non-stick spray and then bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, until it starts to turn brown. Turn it halfway through so that it cooks evenly on both sides, if the oven is prone to not heat evenly (like a big one in a site kitchen might not).

It will have a soft crust. If you want to have a hard crust you can brush the bread with egg wash before baking.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some more notes I looked up about ways to do the crust, though I prefer it soft, as is!

    Crackly, shiny crust: This is brought about by steam. If you don’t have a steam injector in your oven, you are not alone. I’ve heard of lots of different ways to get a really good steamy, humid atmosphere in your oven: boiling water in a cast iron skillet in the bottom of the oven, throwing ice chips into a cast iron skillet in the bottom of your oven, spraying the dough with water before putting it in the oven—I’m sure you can think of more ways.

    For optimum crackliness, spray the dough and use one of the other methods. The water gelatinizes the starches on the outside of the dough, and this helps result in a crackly crust. You can also use a wash of water with a little cornstarch mixed in during the last five minutes of baking.

    Soft crust: This is as easy as not introducing extra steam or water. Don’t spray the dough, and don’t make steam. Another way of getting a soft crust and also imparting some flavor is to brush the crust with butter when you remove it from the oven.

    Golden, shiny crust: Apply an egg wash (egg and a little water beaten together) before baking, being careful not to let the egg wash get on the rim of the baking pan as this could, in essence, glue the bread down and inhibit a full rise.

    Soft, sweet crust: brush with milk with a little sugar dissolved in it before baking.

    Sweet, sticky crust: brush the crust with simple syrup or honey right when it comes out of the oven

    Shiny, soft crust: brush the bread with olive oil before and after baking

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Aromatic Melting Pork

This dish is very simple to prepare and cook, but it delivers tender
pork and vegetables with a succulent sauce all from one pot.

Serves 8
Takes 2 1/4 hours

900 ml (1 1/2 pints) milk
1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) boned and rolled shoulder of pork
6 onions, peeled and quartered
6 carrots, peeled and halved
4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
4 celery sticks, halved
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of marjoram
3 sprigs of thyme
5 strips of unwaxed lemon zest
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Heat the milk in the
oven in an ovenproof casserole that has a lid. Just before it boils,
add all the other ingredients. Cover with a circle of baking parchment,
then with a tightly fitting lid.

2. Cook in the oven for 1 hour, reduce the temperature to
150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 and cook for a further hour until cooked through
and tender. Carve the pork and serve with tagliatelle, spooning over
the juices and vegetables.

The recipe is from _Ginger Pig Meat Book_ by Tim Wilson and Fran Warde.

Doesn't it sound tasty!!!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

A Lemony Caper Alfredo Chicken Dinner

Mix together in bowl:
mushrooms, quartered
capers
artichoke hearts (marinaded; including the sauce)
lemon juice
minced olives

boil:
linguine

Cook until done, in olive oil:
chicken breast chunks
chopped onions
minced garlic
fresh ground pepper
salt, to taste

Reduce sauce.
Reduce heat.

Drain pasta and put on plates.

add butter
alfredo sauce
sour cream

Cook over low heat, until heated. 
Serve over pasta.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Mad scientist time

We decided this one was worth saving some notes on so we can make it again later :)
I don't know what to call it.  Chicken a'la Tina?

Boil noodles.

Fry in skillet 2 slices of bacon. [drain when bacon approaches mostly done; return bacon to skillet]  Add about a quarter of an onion sliced to skillet and fry, along with about 1 tsp garlic, 1 pat butter.  When this has had time to soften, add 4-5 sliced mushrooms, 1 tbsp diced black olives, and about 2 tbsp pesto sauce.  If bacon begins to overcook, push to outsides of skillet.  Remove it when it's done and cool, and crumble and set aside.
--Do NOT do a taste test at this point.  You'll think that I'm crazy and that I have ruined your dinner. LOL  Trust me, it will come together in the end.  The flavor combination is NOT there yet by this point!--
Add 1 more butter pat. Cut up one large chicken breast into chunks and add to skillet along with fresh ground black pepper; cook until done.  Stir in bacon, alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese, and sour cream. 

Serve over noodles.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The Classic Waffle

The Recipe for a Classic Waffle.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 eggs
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl; set aside.

Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.

Beat egg in a separate bowl. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Pour mixture into first bowl and beat until blended.

Pour or ladle batter into preheated waffle iron. Cook waffles until golden and crisp.

Serve immediately (serving suggestion: with butter and syrup.  Or ice cream.  Or whipped cream!)

Only want 2 waffles?  Hey, use that extra batter for some cookies!
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-waffle.aspx

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Mmm, Fried Chicken

Better than KFC, it's DaveFC!

 

The recipe, so I won't lose it....

Egg wash:

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

Sauce:

1 tsp each of

paprika

cayenne

parsley

tarragon

cumin

chives

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1 *fat* tbsp. garlic

To roll in:

Dry flour

Method:

Egg wash the chicken.

Then sauce it.

Then flour it.

Now, deep-fry it.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Singapore Mai-Fun

It has been nearly a decade ago, but once upon a time a local Chinese restaurant existed which served Singapore Mai-Fun.  I have never seen it in a restaurant since then.  Sadly, they closed years ago.  I forgot all about this great dish but remembered it and thought I'd try to find a recipe for it.  

I'm glad I looked twice because I FINALLY found an authentic recipe!  

HERE IT IS

This is a 2-part dish because you also must make the Chinese BBQ pork that goes in it.  And you really cannot forgo this; mixing in the BBQ sauce along with the Sing Chow sauce is really what perfected it, at least for my palate.  So I also found a recipe for the BBQ:

And, HERE IT IS. 

Here they are, together:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Fall Treaties for Work

Thought I'd post the recipes I used.  Also I'm blogging this so I can add my pics later, and so I can link this up to BigOven.

However, it should be noted that on the pumpkin treats A) I did not use pre-made pie filling this time.  All they had was a can of pumkin so I added some stuff and made it tasty myself.  And B) I iced them with cream cheese/sugar/butter which I smashed/stirred together.  1 12-oz block of cream cheese, about a cup of sugar or maybe a little less, and 1/4 cup butter.

The base recipe:

Harry Potter's Pumpkin Pasties Recipe

1 (18 ounce) package of pre-made cookie dough (like Pillsbury)
1 (28 ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- cut cookie dough into 12 equal pieces and press into the cups of a muffin tin making sure to go up the sides.
- Fill with pumpkin pie filling-most likely you will have extra should you wish to make more.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove and let cool.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and pie spice.


---------------------------------------------------------------------

Usually I roll the truffles in dark cocoa but this time I had plain.  Also I noticed some recipes out there call for adding butter and even sugar.  With truffles you really have to make them according to what tastes best to YOU.  Some people may like a different liquour in them, or even substitute that with more cream instead.  Some people may like more or less bitter/sweet chocolate.  I did not use the butter but I'm gonna try that next time.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Truffles

12 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup Heavy cream
1 tablespoon Sweet Butter
2 Egg yolks
1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream

Directions:
Melt chocolate over low heat.  Add butter. Stir in Baileys and heavy cream together over very low heat, heating just until mixed.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in yolks, one at a time; mixture will thicken.

Refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight, until firm enough to shape. With spoon, make small balls. Roll in powdered sugar, then cocoa.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Chinese Soup Crunchies

Seriously, what are those things actually called, anyway? Crunchy noodles?

I thought I'd try out making them, and it was surprisingly easy, once we got the technique right, that is.



1. Take a pack of eggroll wrappers, wonton wrappers, or spring roll wrappers.
2. Cut them into thin strips.
3. Heat a skillet of hot oil to fry them in. Sprinkle in just a bit of salt.
3. Toss them all in and fry them FAST in HOT oil. Make sure to remove PROMPTLY when they start taking on color because they will go from perfect to burnt rapidly.

But cooked just right, they are perfect! And taste just like they came out of a restaurant.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Ice-cream Peanut Butter pie

I made one.

Which ridiculous pic do you like best?

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Lo-Mein

We did it! We found the perfect Lo-Mein. Based on this information.

Lo-Mein Recipe

]

Combine For Sauce:
1/4 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar

Cook:
8 oz. cooked noodles

Sautee:
in 2-4 tablespoons vegetable, peanut, or stir-fry oil, cook:

6 oz meat - we like Shrimp
8 oz vegetables - whatever you have on hand and/or want to throw in: scallion, water chestnut, mushrooms, or other stir-fri veggies. Napa would be ideal.
also add chopped onion
2-3 teaspoons garlic - we use the kind in the jar
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger - we use the dry powdered kind
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce

add cooked noodles
and sauce
mix well. And you're done.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

World's Best Blueberry Pie

I found this recipe and decided to make use of some of the blueberries I picked when me and Leslie headed out to the country at the end of June.

World's Best Blueberry Pie!




This picture doesn't look nearly as good as the pie tastes!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

P. F. Chang Style Lettuce Wraps

I had to have something Asian to go with the ribs for July 4th, and this seemed like a natural to go along with them. Hah, I was right. This recipe is awesome.

I think I could have done a bit better on cooking the rice noodles. :P They were still tasty, though!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Five Spice Spare Ribs

,

Yum! Maybe I will make these for July 4^th, lol!

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=102636

700	gm	pork spareribs
570	ml	peanut oil
		marinade
1	tbl	dry sherry or rice wine
1	tbl	light soy sauce
1	tbl	cider vinegar or Chinese white rice vinegar
1/2	tsp	sesame oil
		sauce
1	tbl	garlic finely chopped
1	tbl	five spice powder
1 1/2	tbl	spring onions finely chopped1
1	tbl	sugar
1	tbl	light soy sauce
2	tsp	fresh orange peel finely chopped
70	ml	cider vinegar or Chinese black rice vinegar

• Have your butcher cut the spareribs into individual ribs and then into chunks which are approximately 7.5cm long.
• Alternatively do this yourself using a heavy sharp cleaver which can cut through the bones.
• Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and steep the spareribs in the marinade for about 25 minutes at room temperature.
• Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or large wok.
• Slowly brown the marinaded spareribs in several batches until they are brown.
• Drain each cooked batch on kitchen paper. (Leave the cooking oil to cool. Strain it through a filter once it has cooled if you want to keep it for re use when cooking pork.)
• Put the sauce ingredients into a clean wok or frying pan.
• Bring the sauce to the boil and then reduce the heat.
• Add the spareribs and simmer them slowly uncovered for about 40 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add a little water to the sauce if necessary to prevent it from drying up.
• Skim off any surface fat and serve.
  
  Can be easily re heated and the taste improves if it is cooked the day before it is eaten.
  

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Greek Style Open-Face Tuna Sandwich

There's just something about the pepper that makes the tuna fish taste less fishy. People that don't normally like a tuna fish sandwich just might enjoy this one.

• 1 can tuna fish
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 dash Greek seasoning like Cavendar's
• 1 sprinkle black pepper
• 4 slices of bread
• 1 hot banana pepper pickled

Toast the bread.

Drain one can of tuna fish and mix in the mayo and Greek seasoning. Chop up the banana pepper and stir it in.

Serve mixture, open-faced, on top of the bread slices.

Sprinkle black pepper over the top.

We used sourdough bread and it was really good with this recipe.

You might also opt to eat a pepper alongside your sandwich instead of chopping it and mixing it in.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Montreal Steak Seasoning (for Caesar Steak Salad)

Montreal Steak Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons crushed black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander (dried Cilantro leaves used instead)
  
• 1 tablespoon dill
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Caesar Salad Dressing (for Caesar Steak Salad)

A post for my reference.

Changes posted in The Cookbook of Death. We could tell you, but we would have to kill you.

Caesar salad dressing. From: don't know, lost link.

1 tsp worsterchire
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 pinch of salt
pepper, ground
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 to 3/4 cup Olive Oil, to preference
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese


add: the secret ingredient

Put it in the shaky thing and shake it to combine well. While shaking the bottle and tossing the lettuce, coat the lettuce with the dressing. Top with Parmesan cheese, croutons, and of course, the steak!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Chinese Brown Sauce (for Stir Fry)

A post for my easy reference.

Chinese Brown Sauce

Changes posted in The Cookbook of Death. We could tell you, but we would have to kill you.

• 3/4 cup beef broth (beef bouillion cubes can be used)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine the above ingredients in order and bring to a boil, stirring. Yields about 1/3 cup.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Steak with Red Wine Sauce

Ridiculously good-tasting.



Changes posted in The Cookbook of Death. We could tell you, but we would have to kill you.

Based on Marsala Sauce
which reads as follows

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Add olive oil to heavy hot saucepan. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, saute until mushrooms are tender. Add flour and cook about 1 minute then deglaze pan with Marsala wine. Add beef stock and cook until thick and flavors are blended.

• 
• 
• 
• 
•