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One More Easy Turkey Recipe Before Thanksgiving – Simple Roast Turkey

Okay, there is still plenty of time left if you haven’t really decided want you want to do with your turkey on Thanksgiving. It’s only Monday, so you still have time to do some kind of brining if that is what you want to do. I made another turkey this past weekend to try out a dry brine method that I saw from The New York Times and Melissa Clark recently because I wanted to see if it made any difference in the bird. If it seems like I have made a lot of turkey the last few weeks, well I have. I wanted to try some things out to give people some options and see how things work and since I wasn’t cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year myself, it seemed like a good idea. I even have 1 turkey left to cook, but my family is getting kind of tired of eating turkey at this point so I might hold on to that one until we get closer to Christmas. In the meantime, here is a very simple dry brine recipe that adds some great flavor to the turkey.

Simple Roast Turkey

1 turkey, 10 to 12 pounds

Coarse kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 lemon, zested and quartered

1 bunch fresh thyme or rosemary

1 bunch fresh sage

12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 bottle hard cider (12 ounces)

Dry white wine or water, as needed

2 onions, peeled and quartered

3 bay leaves

Olive oil or melted butter, as needed

Remove any giblets from the cavity and reserve for stock or gravy. Pat the turkey and the turkey neck dry with paper towels; rub the turkey all over with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt per 1 pound of turkey, the pepper and the lemon zest, including the neck. Transfer the turkey to a 2-gallon or larger resealable plastic bag. Tuck the herbs and 6 garlic cloves inside the bag. Seal and refrigerate the turkey on a small baking sheet or wrapped in another plastic bag for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, turning the bird over every day or after 12 hours if brining for only 1 day.

Remove the turkey from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, uncovered, back on the baking sheet. Return it to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours to dry out the skin. This will help to crisp the skin while it is cooking.

When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for one hour.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the hard cider and enough wine or water to fill the pan to 1/4-inch depth. Add half of the onions, the remaining 6 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Stuff the remaining onions and the lemon quarters into the turkey cavity. Brush the turkey generously with olive oil or melted butter.

Place the turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Cover the breast with aluminum foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

A couple of things about roasting turkey. Though you have probably heard it a thousand times by now from every cooking show, magazine and blog out there, brining isn’t a necessity when cooking turkey; it does seem to help as far as flavor and the skin itself, but the only real key to having moist turkey is removing the turkey from the oven when it is the right temperature. Don’t go by those little buttons that pop up on the turkey; they are often set to pop when the internal temperature is already high, sometimes 180 degrees, and the bird will continue to cook as it rests outside the oven, leaving you with dry turkey. Invest the money in a thermometer and insert it into the thigh to check the temperature. When it is at 165, pull the turkey out and LET IT REST. Don’t carve it right away; it won’t be ready, you’ll lose all the liquid that needs to re-distribute while the bird rests, and you will end up with dry meat.

If you don’t have a roasting rack to put the turkey on, you can make something of your own to get the turkey up out of the liquid so it browns all over. Form a solid ring out of aluminum foil to place under the turkey to lift it out of the liquid. That is what I did with this bird since I wanted to use one of those disposable pans this time and my rack did not fit in the pan. It worked out really well and it is easy to do.

The dry brine in this recipe really seemed to add some flavor and I did like the combination of the cider and the aromatics. It helped to create some very tasty gravy for the meal. This is one of the easiest turkey recipes I have come across and one of the most effective. If you are making a larger bird, the New York Times does have a scale so you can adjust the herbs and seasonings and cooking time of your bird accordingly. You can check it out here if you wish. I would use this recipe if you want to do things easily for yourself and have great tasting turkey.

That’s all I have for today. I still have a couple of more side dishes to share before Thanksgiving, so check back for those. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 25, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Holidays, Poultry, Turkey

Tags: Melissa Clark, new york times, roast turkey, simple roast turkey, Thanksgiving turkey, Thanksgiving turkey recipe, turkey

You Gotta have Bread for Thanksgiving – Easy New Orleans French Bread and Focaccia Rolls

23 Nov

I have been branching out more and more into the world of bread and making my own at home when I can. It just plain tastes better and works out to be a lot cheaper than what you pay for it in the stores. While I do try to keep things simple with what a make, I just recently tried a couple of recipes that are easy to do, with few ingredients, and will go well not just with your holiday meal plans but are great for any time. The first I tried is New Orleans French bread from Saveur magazine.

New Orleans French Bread

2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

6 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Place 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the yeast and 2 cups of water heated to 115 degrees in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; let the mixture sit until it is foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and the shortening and then add the flour and salt. Mix on low-speed until the dough forms; increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough until it is smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit until it has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Uncover the dough and transfer it to a floured work surface. Knead the dough briefly to form a ball. Divide the dough into quarters and shape each quarter into a 16-inch long thick rope. Place two ropes each on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the loaves to sit until they have doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp knife or cutting blade, slash a long line down the center of each loaf. Bake the loaves until they are light brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each loaf reads between 208 to 212 degrees, about 30 minutes. Let the loaves cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Of course, we couldn’t resist and cut into one of the loaves right out of the oven and it was great. These French bread loaves are crunchy and delicious and perfect for many uses. Not only are they great to go with your entrée, but they would be great for appetizers like crostini, or just dipped in some olive oil. They are also ideal for sandwiches of all kinds. I’ll definitely make these again.

The other bread I tried this week is a simple recipe I came across for focaccia rolls. I wanted to make something that could be used for dinner rolls or also used for sandwiches and the like and this recipe was easy enough and seemed to fit my needs the best.

Focaccia Rolls

1 1/4 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided

3 1/2 cups bread flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm water, honey and the yeast. Allow the mixture to proof until it id frothy, about 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the salt, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and mix together.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining olive oil and herbs and set aside.

Attach the dough hook to the mixer and add the flour to the mixture in the bowl. Knead the mixture on medium speed for 10 to 12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and does not stick to your hands.

Oil a large bowl and add the dough. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place it in a draft-free area to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

Once the dough is risen, punch it down and divide it into 12 equal size balls. Place the balls on a greased baking sheet, cover it with a damp towel and allow it to rise for 30 to 40 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Using the remaining olive oil and her mix, brush the top of each roll. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops of the rolls are golden brown and the rolls sound hollow.

I actually got more than 12 rolls out of this batch as I made some smaller and some larger so we could use some for dinner rolls and some for hamburgers. They have great flavor to them and I really liked them with the burgers. The small ones are perfect as dinner rolls for your holiday meals. I’ll be making these again as well.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again next time for more recipes. I still have a few Thanksgiving ideas if you are looking for something, so stayed tuned. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 23, 2013 in Breads, Cooking, Holidays

Tags: focaccia rolls, focaccia rolls recipe, French bread, French bread recipe, New Orleans French bread, Saveur magazine

Breads, Rolls, and Biscuits – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR

23 Nov

Breads, Rolls, and Biscuits – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR.

While many of us may rely on one of the guests to bring some bread to our Thanksgiving or holiday meal, if you have some time ahead of the day and want to make something on your own, Saveur Magazine has put together a great collection of different recipes for breads, rolls and biscuits that you can make for your holiday meal. There’s lots of good choices here, so check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on November 23, 2013 in Biscuits, Breads, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Holidays

Tags: biscuit recipes, bread recipes for Thanksgiving, Breads, breads rolls and biscuits, holiday breads, holiday meal, roll recipes, Saveur, Saveur magazine

Thanksgiving Dressings and Stuffings – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR

21 Nov

Thanksgiving Dressings and Stuffings – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR.

You’ve got your turkey, your side dishes, your mashed potatoes, and your dessert, but don’t foget about the stuffing. Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, for me it is one of the best tasting parts of the meal that you just can’t do without. Saveur gives you 15 great stuffing/dressing ideas and recipes right here so you can go however you like. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on November 21, 2013 in Cooking, Cooking Websites, Holidays, Side Dishes

Tags: 15 Thanksgiving dressings and stuffings, dressing and stuffing recipes, Saveur, stuffing recipes, Stuffings, Thanksgiving Dressings, Thanksgiving stuffing recipes

Essential Thanksgiving – Interactive Feature – NYTimes.com

20 Nov

Essential Thanksgiving – Interactive Feature – NYTimes.com.

The New York Times lays everything out for you perfectly in this article. They cover everything you need to know and prepare for your Thanksgiving meal to make things as easy as possible for you. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on November 20, 2013 in Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Holidays, Turkey

Tags: essential Thanksgiving, essential thanksgiving recipes, new york times, Thanksgiving Day recipes, Thanksgiving meal

50 Mashed Potato Recipes : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network

19 Nov

50 Mashed Potato Recipes : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network.

For most of us, having mashed potatoes is a crucial part of the Thanksgiving meal. There of course is the simple and classic way of making this dish, but Food Network has come up with 50 different ways that you can jazz up this traditional dish to make it a little different for your meal. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on November 19, 2013 in Cooking, Cooking Websites, Holidays, Potatoes

Tags: 50 mashed potato recipes, 50 ways to make mashed potatoes, food network, mashed potato recipes, Thanksgiving meal

How About An Elegant Thanksgiving Side? Winter Squash Bowls

19 Nov

While I did not make this side dish with the turkey I made recently, it is one that would go well with your Thanksgiving meal and look really nice on the table. Any type of winter squash would work well for Thanksgiving or any Fall or winter meal, and doing one like this can make a Sunday dinner look nice or your holiday table. I got this recipe from Bon Appetit and you really have your choice of what type of winter squash you want to use, so use what you like best and what is most available in your area.

Winter Squash Bowl

1 medium butternut squash ( about 1 1/2 pounds)

5 small winter squash (about 1 pound each; such as acorn squash, carnival, delicata or sugar pumpkins), divided

4 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

3 teaspoons pure maple syrup, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the butternut squash in half crosswise. Set the top half of the butternut squash aside. Remove the seeds and strings from the bottom half of the butternut squash and discard them. Place the bottom half of the butternut squash on 1 baking sheet. Remove the caps from 3 of the small squash by cutting a circle 1 inch around the stems with a small serrated knife (just like you were carving a pumpkin). Slice off and discard the strings from the bottom sides of the caps. Scoop out the seeds and strings from the centers of the squash and discard.

Cut a thin slice off the bottom of the 3 hollowed-out small squash so the squash will sit evenly on a flat surface; place (with the caps on) the squash on a baking sheet along with the bottom of the butternut squash. Drizzle the insides of the squash with 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of maple syrup. Season the cavities with salt and pepper. Bake the squash until a paring knife inserted into the squash meets no resistance, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, remove the stems from the remaining 2 small squash and cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and strings from the small squash and the top half of the butternut squash and discard. Peel and chop the squash into 1/4-inch pieces and place them in a large bowl. Add the remaining 4 1/4 teaspoons of olive oil and toss to coat them well. Season the squash pieces with salt and pepper. Spread the squash pieces in a single layer on the remaining baking sheet and bake, stirring once, until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer the baked squash to a large bowl and toss it with the remaining 2 3/4 teaspoons of maple syrup, the butter and the thyme leaves. Divide the baked squash among the hollowed-out butternut and small squash and serve warm or at room temperature.

I did change this recipe up just slightly. Since I was making this for less people, I did not need to use all this squash. What I actually did since I had a very large butternut squash is cut it into 3 sections, hollow out part of it, and used 2 sections of the butternut squash and one acorn squash to fill with the remaining squash. I have to say the squash I had was pretty solid and did have a lot of seeds, so I had to do some hollowing out on my own, which took a little work, but it was worth it. The squash was wonderfully roasted and tender and had great flavor from the maple syrup. It also looked very nice in the squash bowls itself. I think you could easily do this with just one squash of any size if you wanted something smaller and elegant for a weeknight meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes. I have a pork chop casserole recipe I just tried, some homemade french bread, a great turkey pot pie for your turkey leftovers, another turkey recipe, chicken and waffles and much more to come so stay tuned. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 19, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Holidays, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Tags: acorn squash, bon appetit, Bon Appetit winter squash bowl, butternut squash, Thanksgiving side dish, winter squash, winter squash bowls

Best Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network

18 Nov

Best Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network.

Appetizers are something that can get easily overlooked when you are planning your Thanksgiving Day meal. Food Network gives you some of the best and easiest appetizers, most of which you can put together without working up a big sweat so you can be sure you are covered. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on November 18, 2013 in Appetizers, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Holidays

Tags: appetizers, appetizers for the holidays, best Thanksgiving appetizer recipes, food network, Thanksgiving appetizers, Thanksgiving Day

The Never-Ending Thanksgiving Side Dishes – Maple Glazed Carrots and…Lanttulaatikko?

17 Nov

I still have some side dishes that I made recently that would be great for your Thanksgiving table. I made both of these recently for Michelle’s birthday dinner and both were very simple to do. I think you want to try to keep the side dishes as easy as you can and even make them ahead of time if at all possible to save yourself some time on Thanksgiving when you are focused on family and the turkey. You can always simply re-heat your sides in the oven while the turkey is resting. This can give you more than enough time to get your sides heated properly and get everything on the table while it is hot. The first one for today is a very easy recipe for some maple glazed carrots.

Maple Glazed Carrots

12 medium carrots, with the greens attached

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 cup water

Salt

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Trim off all but 2 inches of the green tops of the carrots. Put the carrots, butter, sugar, water and salt to taste in a large skillet. Cover the skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Maintain the boiling until nearly all the liquid evaporates, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Uncover the skillet and add the maple syrup. Cook, shaking the skillet over the heat frequently, until the carrots have obtained a nice glaze on them, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve.

You could certainly leave out the maple syrup and still get something of a glaze on the carrots using this method and they would be good, but I think the maple syrup adds a really nice flavor to the carrots. You could also substitute honey for the maple syrup and get a nice glaze from that as well. Since this recipe was so easy, I did not need to make it ahead of time and simply made these on the stove top while the turkey was resting.

The second recipe is one I picked up from the cooking blog A Wee Bit of Cooking. It is a Finnish dish that is often used for the holidays called Lanttulaatikko. This is a turnip casserole that makes use of rutabaga, or yellow turnip. We have often eaten rutabaga on Thanksgiving in my family. It has a very distinct flavor to it and some people are put off by the aroma it can give off, but I love the flavor that you get from it. I often make it during the year, simply mashing it up, but this recipe adds a little bit more and is just as easy.

Lanttulaatikko (Turnip Casserole)

1 large rutabaga or yellow turnip

2/3 cup cream

1 egg

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Peel the turnip and cut it into 1/2-inch chunks. In a medium saucepan, place the turnip and cover with salted water. Bring the turnips to a boil and boil until they are completely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the turnips.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the turnips well with a potato masher and then run them through a potato ricer. Combine the cream, butter, honey, nutmeg and egg and mix until blended. Add the mixture to the mashed turnips and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the turnip mixture to a small casserole dish and smooth the top with a fork or spatula and dot with the butter. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 40 minutes until golden and crisp on the top. Serve.

Since the turnip can take a long time to soften and get tender and then to bake, I made this dish the day before our meal and simply re-heated it in the oven while the turkey rested. You get the flavor of the turnips along with the honey and nutmeg and it is a simple, sweet flavor. I would make this any time of year as a side dish for poultry or beef.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for even more recipes. There’s still time before Thanksgiving and I still have recipes to share. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 17, 2013 in Cooking, Cooking Websites, Holidays, Side Dishes, Vegetables

Tags: A Wee Bit of Cooking, glazed carrots, Lanttulaatikko, maple glazed carrots, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving side dishes, turnip casserole, yellow turnips

30 Super-Simple Thanksgiving Sides – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR

16 Nov

30 Super-Simple Thanksgiving Sides – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR.

You need lots of options when it comes to the side dishes for your Thanksgiving meal, so here are another 30 recipes that are very easy and simple to make from Saveur Magazine. They cover all kinds of vegetables and potato dishes so you can liven up your menu with little effort. Check it out!