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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Veggie Cooking Cheat Sheet

found

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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!!!

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Food for Thought

If you are committed to staying hydrated, then you already know that drinking 8 cups of water a day helps you fight disease, increase your metabolism, and make you look younger. But did you know that you can also significantly increase your fluid intake with food? Vegetables, for example, range from 85 to 95 percent water by weight. Fruits and veggies are also rich in the healing antioxidants your body needs for cell repair and healthy skin, and they contain trace minerals that your body needs to make new cells. 

The vegetables with the most color (think bright oranges, yellows and reds) provide the most nutrients. 

(Info courtesy of Shape Up The Nation)

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Making Cheese

I've been so excited to get started making cheese since the class at the SCA event on Jan 29th.  The only reason I haven't yet is I've had so much trouble finding cheesecloth!  Believe it or not, it's actually not so easy.  The stuff you see in all the stores is unfortunately not FOOD grade.  It's CRAFT grade.  I finally gave up and ordered some online.  Hopefully it will be here soon.  I have everything else all ready and waiting!

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Organic Vegetables & Fruits

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/29/recommended-vegetable-list.aspx

If you were to get all of your vegetables from conventionally farmed sources, this would be better for your health than eating no fresh vegetables at all. However, conventionally farmed vegetables are not your best choice. Organic vegetables are a much better option.

 Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories tested by the Environmental Working Group and included in their Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce, these 12 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organic:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet bell peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Lettuce
• Grapes (imported)
• Pears
• Spinach
• Potatoes

In contrast, these foods were found to have the lowest residual pesticide load, making them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Banana
• Kiwi
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onion

So if you need to work within a certain budget, use this information to help guide you to the best choices when it comes to lowering your overall pesticide exposure.

Why?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides, and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic, and most are damaging to your nervous system as well. In fact, these powerful and dangerous chemicals have been linked to numerous health problems such as:

• Neurotoxicity
• Disruption of your endocrine system
• Carcinogenicity
• Immune system suppression
• Male infertility and reduced reproductive function
• Miscarriages
• Parkinson's disease

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Stuffed

Well, I only had to send David to the store twice (I thought I had bought it all!), and everything came out as planned... the brined, injected, spice rubbed 12 pound turkey who roasted over the open pan of gravy - in the oven for 2 solid hours with NO opening the oven - turned out maybe even juicier than last year.  Definitely more tasty, since the recipe has been improved upon!  The oiling and searing at 500 for 30 minutes really locks in the moisture so basting is NOT needed. The gravy in the pan retains humidity in the oven so basting serves no purpose.  


So I went with everything linked in the previous blog entry, and I intend to repeat exactly the same again next time.
Om nom nom.

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Turkey Time!

I know, I know, I have to wait 1 more week.  But just remember to get all your ducks in a row THIS week, so that NEXT week you won't be stressing and fretting.  :-)  Get your recipes out, start your shopping list, and all that good stuff, NOW!

As for my holiday cooking plans, well, they're not much different from last year, though the turkey gets a few tweaks:

The Bird:
-Alton Brown's Good Eats: Roast Turkey is the base plan since it has been SO DELICIOUS the past few times now! But I am going to make use of the gravy and wet rub sections from The Ultimate Turkey. I wish I could incorporate the smoking wood but I'm doing it all in the oven. It will still get injected though, bwahaha. I believe I am going to try this Turkey Injection Recipe unless I can come up with anything better. This one sounds good.

-Butternut Squash Casserole - It's so good you won't ever make sweet potato casserole ever again after trying this. Seriously. I have to make a whole casserole separate for my dad every year!

-Cranberry Apple Pear Chutney - A step up from the canned gel glop garbage. So good you can eat it on the side with a spoon! ;D

-Chicken & Dressing - my family has always done the "stuffing" on the side like this. (Here's a decent recipe, minus the apples and raisins, eww.. Plus, you need to use cornbread, not loaf bread! Just a few slices for consistency.)

-Green Bean Casserole - a requested staple.

And for dessert:
-Fat Man's Pie - Another annual prerequisite.
Maybe some of you would prefer the Mystery Pecan Pie. I might save that one for Christmas.

-Maybe I will mull some apple cider, too.  Mmm...



Refrigerator thawing. This is the easiest method. Leave the meat in its packaging in a pan deep enough to catch drips. Allow one day for every four pounds, so if you have a 20 pound turkey to cook on Thursday, you need to start thawing it on Sunday.

8-12 lbs. 1-2 days
12-16 lbs. 2-3 days
16-20 lbs. 3-4 days
20-24 lbs 4-5 days

Cooking Time:

At 325°F, a 15-pound bird will be done in about 3 to 3.5 hours.  A 20-pound bird should take a total of about 4 to 4.5 hours.  The total time depends on how well you control the oven temp, and how often you open the lid.

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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.

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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.

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Best. Ramen. Ever.

At about a buck a pack, they're the best ramen noodles I can find yet.
Get them at the Super Oriental Market!

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Lebanese Food Festival

Twelfth Annual
Lebanese Food & Cultural Festival

(No Admission Charge)  
  
FRIDAY, APRIL 9^th and SATURDAY, APRIL 10^th, 2010

10:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M.

http://www.stelias.org/festival_2009.htm
http://www.stelias.org/festival_flyer.pdf

 

Saint Elias
Maronite Catholic Church
836 8th Street South

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Mmm, corned beef & taters!

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How To Keep Bananas Fresh

Want to keep your bananas from getting brown and mushy?  Here is how Chiquita does it:

Typically, green bunches of bananas are packaged in temperature-controlled boxes of 58 degrees, which delays ripening.

But once they are in the perfectly ripe yellow state, the single bananas are laid on top of one another in boxes that are covered with a semipermeable membrane that allows oxygen to pass through but controls the flow of carbon dioxide to delay ripening until the box is opened.

Once your bananas are nice and ripe, 
Don't store them in a bag that will impede the airflow and trap other gas inside.
Don't store them in the sun.
Don't store them in the refrigerator.

Storing bananas on a banana hanger or hook is the best way to preserve the overall quality of a ripe banana as it avoids "resting bruises."

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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

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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.

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Aloe/Collagen

Finally, I found some aloe juice at the Asian Market

which has collagen written on the label too.

(see previous post regarding the health benefits of Aloe Vera)
http://wisteareia.blogspot.com/2009/10/health-benefits-of-aloe-vera.html

"Through observation and further tests, scientists have proven that the healing effects of Aloe extend beyond merely soothing sunburn."

Japanese women drink collagen, or Toki, for its youthful rejuvenating properties.  They believe that collagen is an anti-aging product.

But will ingesting it really help?  The secret lies in your body producing it.  Though it is proposed to aid in the repair of collagen and elasin, I don't know the answer to this question, but I know those Japanese women sure do look great on into their old age.  They can't be doing everything wrong.  The Asians eat a much better diet than we Westerners but well, we have to start somewhere, don't we?

http://www.aloe-vera.org/top_10_reasons_to_use_aloe_vera.htm

Top 10 Benefits of drinking aloe vera juice

10. Great for mouth & gums
9. Sooths
8. Benefits digestion
7. Provides immune support & function
6. Aids in weight loss: cleanses digestive system.  You'll feel better overall and have higher energy.
5. Benefits collagen and elastin repair.
4. Daily dose of minerals
3. Daily dose of vitamins
2. Anti-inflammatory
1. Body-building amino acid blocks are within it

Get it unflavored and mix it with another juice of your liking.
Or just buy it at the Wal Mart pharmacy; it comes in a very palatable berry flavor.  Drink a couple of ounces a day.

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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:

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Harry Potter inspired Egg on Toast

I finally made one of my own! XD

click here for a look, in case you missed it in the movie

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