Holiday Dinners: Thanksgiving

So I am a few weeks late... what's new? If you want, this would also be a great Christmas or New Years meal, or you can plan ahead for next year.

This year we smoked our turkey. My husband bought a smoker for his birthday, and we have been enjoying it immensely. In fact, I plan to do a post all about it someday, when I get around to it. Anyway, it was amazing but I am not going to post the recipe because only a handful of people actually have a smoker, and I have many other recipes to share instead. And yes, that is bacon draped over the top. Bacon seemed to be the theme of our dinner this year. Oh, and just for the record, I have never made my turkey. My husband does it every year and he is awesome at it.

Appetizers

So I have this sick obsession with food. It was only our family for Thanksgiving, and I bought way too much. I probably went a little over board on the appetizers this year, but they were oh so good.

This year I did a cheese tray, with grapes, crackers and crusty bread. I looked up online to see which cheeses were the best, and most sites suggested to get three or four different types and to get a hard cheese, a soft cheese and a semi-soft cheese. We used sharp cheddar, tintern cheddar with chives, smoked Gouda and taleggio.

Along with that I made in antipasto platter with salami, prosciutto,  ham, turkey, baby swiss cheese, black olives, and mini pickles.

Also, crab dip and 7 layer dip which are definitely my go to appetizers. Also we threw in some veggies and dip!

A new one we tried this year is homemade hummus. It was super easy, and really good. I even through in some red pepper spread that we had to add some more flavor.

5-Minute Hummus

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed
1 clove garlic
1/4 c olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste) optional- (I used sesame seed oil)
1 tsp ground cumin
kosher salt
1/4 tsp paprika

In a food processor, puree the chickpeas and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini (if using), cumin, and ¾ teaspoon salt until smooth and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika before serving.

Main Course

As I mentioned, we had the smoked turkey, with a gravy made out of the drippings.  I also made my go to butterhorn rolls and added a yummy honey butter recipe to go with!

Honey Butter

2 sticks butter, soft
1/2 c honey
1/2 c marshmellow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temp.

And here are the side dishes. All were super delicious, even the stuffing. I hate stuffing, but this was actually pretty good! And in place of cranberry sauce, I made a package of cranberry jello!


Blue Cheesy Potatoes

5 potatoes, peeled and boiled
1 c crumbled blue cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
4 strips bacon, crumbled
2 tbsp butter
milk

Boil Potatoes and garlic until soft (about 10 min). Mash Potatoes with blue cheese, Worcestershire sauce, crumbled bacon and butter. Add milk for desired consistency.

Spicy Corn-Bread Stuffing

For the Corn Bread
3 cups cornmeal
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2½ tsp kosher salt
2 cups milk
½ cup canola oil
1 can (14¾ oz.) cream-style corn
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 yellow onion, finely diced
½ cup diced green bell pepper

For the Herb Butter
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp minced fresh sage
2 tbsp minced fresh thyme
2 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Stuffing
5 tbsp Herb Butter
2 yellow onions, finely diced
(about 2 cups)
3 stalks celery, finely diced
(about ¾ cup)
10 cups corn bread, cubed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Corn Bread

1 Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 13˝ x 9˝ x 2˝ baking dish, and warm in oven while you make batter. 2 In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt. Stir in milk, oil and cream-style corn. Then add cheese, onion and green pepper. 3 Carefully remove warmed baking dish from oven, and pour batter into it. Return to oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely, then cube.

For the Herb Butter

and celery and sauté until translucent,In a small mixing bowl, combine butter with herbs, salt and pepper. Reserve 5 tbsp for stuffing mixture and use remainder for turkey. For the Stuffing 1 Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. 2 In a large bowl, combine onion-and-celery mixture with corn bread, eggs, milk, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine, careful not to crush cubed corn bread. Refrigerate until ready to stuff turkey. 3 Grease an 8˝ x 8˝ baking dish. After filling turkey, place remaining stuffing in baking dish. Bake alongside turkey for last 35 to 40 minutes.

Green Beans With Bacon Vinaigrette

kosher salt and black pepper
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
6 slices bacon
2 shallots, sliced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool; transfer to a serving bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool, then break into pieces.
3. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the vinegar, mustard, oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add to the green beans, along with the bacon, and toss to combine.

Baked Sweet and Savory Mashed Potatoes

3 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon salt, divided
1 (29-ounce) can sweet potatoes in syrup, drained and mashed
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup light sour cream
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Garnish: crumbled bacon

Bring potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and water to cover to a boil in a Dutch oven; cook 30 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Return potatoes to Dutch oven. Add sweet potatoes and cream cheese; mash until smooth with a potato masher. Stir in bacon, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Garnish, if desired.


 

Holiday Dinners: Father's Day

There are two times a year when I over do it on the food planning: Father's Day and my husbands birthday. I tend to plan way too many dishes and I spend the whole day cooking! Someday, maybe I will finally figure it out. So this is my father's day 2010 meal, all cooked by me, minus the steak because I don't do steaks.

New York Steaks seared and broiled to perfection by my awesome husband, topped with Gorgonzola cheese sauce


Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola

cheese

1 green onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, Gorgonzola cheese, green onion, garlic and pepper. Warm slowly for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the sauce is nice and creamy.

With side dishes of: Not-Too-Sweet Baked Beans, Chantilly Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, and Butterhorn Rolls.

Not-Too-Sweet Baked Beans

From: Our Best Bites

1 15 1/2-oz. can Great Northern beans

1 15 1/2-oz. can navy beans

1 15 1/2-oz. can baby butter beans

1 15 1/2-oz. can pinto beans

2 14 1/2-oz. cans stewed tomatoes

1/3 c. molasses

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce

6 oz. bacon (1/2 of an average-sized package), divided

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Reserving two slices of bacon, cook the remaining bacon in a large skillet. While it's cooking, place all beans in a colander and rinse and drain. Transfer to a large baking dish.

Pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor about 5-6 times or until they are breaking down but not smooth. Pour over beans. Add molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper.

When the bacon has cooked, remove bacon from the pan and cook the onions in the bacon drippings, stirring frequently. While the onions are cooking, crumble the cooked bacon over the beans. Add onions and combine all the ingredients well. Cut remaining slices of bacon into 1" pieces and place over the beans. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Allow to stand for 5 minutes and then serve.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Follow the instructions for cooking in the oven, except place the ingredients in the crock of a slow cooker instead of baking dish. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

Chantilly Potatoes
from: My Kitchen Cafe


3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Place the potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave the potatoes on high for 8 to 12 minutes, giving the bowl a shake halfway through, and cooking until the potatoes are tender. Mash the potatoes well with a potato masher (or you can use a potato ricer set over a second large bowl). Cover the potatoes again with plastic wrap and microwave the mashed potatoes until they are heated through, 3 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and stir well.

In a large bowl, beat the chilled cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold 2/3 of the whipped cream into the potatoes with a rubber spatula until the cream is mostly absorbed. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. Carefully spoon the potatoes into the baking dish. They don't have to be evenly flat on top - you want to take care not to deflate this potato layer. They will look slightly uneven. With a rubber spatula, fold all but 1/4 cup cheese into the remaining cream. Spread the cheese/cream mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

At this point you can either cover the potatoes and refrigerate until baking. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are hot and the top is golden brown. If you are making the potatoes to eat immediately, preheat the broiler and broil the potatoes until the top is golden, 2 to 3 minutes (don't let them burn!). Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Mother's Day Dinner: Baby Back Ribs and Yukon Gold Garlic Mash

I love it when my husband cooks. I think he is a way better chef then I am, and he could probably earn awards someday. So, whenever I get the chance, I make him cook for me. For mother's day I knew exactly what I wanted: BBQ ribs and his to die for homemade bbq sauce. Unfortunately, I cannot share the bbq sauce recipe, I have been told it is officially a family secret. However I will share the ribs recipe, along with an alternative bbq sauce.  I think my husband does magic when he cooks because when people try and recreate his recipes, they never seem to come out as good. Never the less, here is the recipe, and good luck! Oh, and my husband found this recipe on the all mighty cougarboard.com... those BYU fans sure know how to cook!

Oh, and my Father-in-Laws ribs might be just as good...or maybe better. It must run in the family.

Baby Back Ribs

Dry Rub:
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp seasoned salt
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tsp Cayenne pepper
3 cloves of garlic

This will make enough dry rub for 2 or three baby back racks. Combine the above ingredients thoroughly and run into each rack. To make this easy on  yourself, put the racks in the middle of a sheet of foil before putting on the rub. This way, when the rub is all over the rack, you can just wrap it up tight in the foil, and no mess! Have the ribs sit in the fridge over night.

When you are ready to cook, place the ribs in a baking dish on top of a wire rakc, and cover the whole thing in foil. Bake the ribs at 350 for 3 hours or at 300 for 4 hours if you are like me and accidentally buy spare ribs.

During the final hour make the following sauce (again, not as good as my husband sauce, but still good)

2 c ketchup
1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp mustard
1/2 c diced onion
1/4 c butter
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 hot pepper sauce (or more if you like it spicy)

Combine in a sauce pan and simmer uncovered for 20 min, then set aside.

Once the ribs are done baking, put them on a medium heated grill, applying each side generously with the bbq sauce. Grill each side for 10 min or so.

And then the Yukon Gold garlic Mash that I made...

Yukon Gold Garlic Mash

   *  2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
    * 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups milk
    * 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
    * 2 large cloves of garlic, grated
    * Salt and black pepper, to taste
    * 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh chives

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Wash potatoes and halve. Add to boiling water and cook until very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and shake over low heat for 10 seconds to dry out. When cool, remove and discard the skins. Mash potatoes in a bowl. Warm the milk with the butter and grated garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix into the potatoes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chives. Serve immediately.

Cinco De Mayo: Homemade Taquitos

Cinco de Mayo sort of snuck up on me this year. I love to go all out and have lots of fattening Mexican food to celebrate. This year we did it a little mild. I made homemade cheese and chorizo taquitos with guacamole, salsa, and queso dip. I once had a recipe for homemade taquitos, but I don't kn ow what happened to it, so I sort of did it by memory and they turned out great!

Homemade Taquitos

About 1 lb of chorizo, ground beef, or chicken
6 flour tortillas
cheese; cheddar or pepper jack

Cook your meat. Then, take a flour tortilla (I used the bake your own from costco, and did not bake them before and they turned out perfect) and put a spoonful of meat, then a spoonful of cheese in the middle. Roll it up tight and secure with toothpicks on either side. fry in a deep fat fryer at 375 for about 5 minutes. You may have to flip them half way through. Let drain on a paper towel, and remove toothpicks before eating. Dip it in sour cream, guacamole, queso dip or salsa!

Christmas Eve Dinner

In our family it is tradition to have our big dinner on Christmas Eve ( because who wants to do anything productive on Christmas?) Another tradition that our little family has started is doing a seafood dish for our main dish. In the next few days I will be posting the recipes from our dinner (along with pictures of course).

Our Menu

Crab Legs
Butterhorn Rolls
Blue Cheesy Potatoes
Crisp Green Beans with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Memphis Style Coleslaw

Here is a sneak peek to what is to come: