Happy Birthday to Paul!

Paul took a vacation week after New Year's Day so he could relax during his birthday.  His kids had all assembled in Seattle so we spent the day with them on Monday, and then Tuesday left for Portland for two days where his daughter's generously let us invade their apartment.  It was great to spend a couple days with the girls, and we enjoyed all the wonderful restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops that Portland is known for -- but it was really nice to come home and eat some home-cooked meals.

I asked Paul what he wanted for his birthday meal, and as usual he said whatever I made would be fine with him.  The other day I saw the browser on the computer had been left open on a beef pot roast recipe...hmm...I can take a hint -- beef pot roast it is!  

Now I'm not ashamed to admit I need to look at a recipe for pot roast since it's a dish I prepare maybe once every other year.  I found a delicious, classic recipe online at here at my recipes.com, but I made a couple of modifications:  I used 6 medium sized garlic cloves instead of 3, and I used smallish red potatoes instead of the Yukon gold.  Having learned from years past that potatoes tend to disintegrate into the sauce I simply cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, and they were nice, chunky, cooked, and intact for the meal.  

I sauteed some mushrooms and green beans for side dishes, and found an excellent cake/frosting recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  

I think Paul was pleased with his birthday dinner!

Greens, White Bean and Barley Soup

My wonderful niece and nephew gave me this cookbook:  Favorite Brand Name Recipes Country Soups.  The recipes are really easy to follow, and the soups are delicious.  I'll be cooking out of this book for a while, and then maybe get back to my casserole cookbook.  I made two soups before I remembered to take pictures so I could blog about it -- oops! (I think we all know my New Year's Resolution will be to do a better job of blogging.)

Last night I made Greens, White Bean and Barley Soup -- so good!  And now for my substitutions/additions:  I had some Polska Kielbasa that needed to be used up, and it made a great addition to the soup.  I used my veggie/bean stock to cook the barley, and after draining the barley I had 3 cups of barley infused stock to use in the soup!    I used baby Portobello mushrooms, about 4 cups stemmed chopped kale instead of the greens, added 1 tsp salt, and omitted the sugar.

Greens, White Bean and Barley Soup
Yield:  8 servings

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pounds carrots, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups cooked barley
1 15 ounce can (or 2 cups homemade) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained.  (If using homemade beans save liquid to use with stock, and do not rinse beans.)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
7 cups stemmed, chopped collard greens (about 24 ounces)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Optional garnishes:  Hot pepper sauce, and sliced red peppers.

    Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add carrots, onions and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms; cook and stir 5 minutes more or until carrots are tender.
     Add broth, barley, beans, bay leaves, salt, sugar and thyme.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Add greens; simmer 10 minutes.  Remove and discard bay leaves.  Stir in vinegar.  Season to taste with pepper sauce.  Garnish with red bell peppers.

Stocking the Pantry for Soup

My niece and nephew gave me a cookbook for Christmas:  Favorite Brand Name Recipe Country Soups.  The recipes came from food product companies whose brands are featured in some of the recipes.  I really like this cookbook -- I've been making soup all week and every recipe so far has been a home run with the family.

The recipes are divided into six categories.  I picked recipes out of the Vegetable & Grains, and Beans & Legumes sections to prepare so first I had to stock up on my beans.  While I keep a few cans of beans in the pantry for emergencies I prefer to cook my own beans.  Home-cooked beans take some time but are not difficult to prepare, and they're definitely worth the effort.  They taste better than canned beans, and you get to control the salt and seasonings.  In fact the hardest part for me is to remember to soak the beans overnight!

I prepared Great Northern Beans, Lima Beans, and Black Beans.  (The recipe for the Great Northern and Lima beans are the same.)

White Beans
Yield:  approximately 8 cups beans, and 4 cups stock

To prepare beans:

Sort through 1 lb bag of white beans (Great Northern, Lima, etc) and remove any rocks or debris, rinse, and put into large pot of water with 6 to 8 cups of water.  Cover and set on counter overnight (at least 12 hours). Drain water, and rinse beans thoroughly.


To cook beans:

Soaked white beans
2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium celery stalks, cut into 2"-3" pieces
2 medium carrots, halved and cut into 2"-3" pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 cups water

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.  Saute onions until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic, celery and carrot stalks, and cook for additional five minutes stirring occasionally.  Add beans and water, and bring to boil.  Lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook beans 30 to 40 minutes skimming off any foam.  Beans are ready when they are just cooked through but not mushy.  Discard carrot and celery stalks.  Beans and stock are now ready for use or storage.

Black Beans
Yield:  approximately 6 cups beans, and 2 cups stock

To prepare beans:

Sort through 1 lb bag of black beans and remove any rocks or debris, rinse, and put into large pot of water with 6 to 8 cups of water.  Cover and set on counter overnight (at least 12 hours). Drain water, and rinse beans thoroughly.

To cook beans:
Soaked black beans
2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano chilies, seeded, and finely diced
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute onions until soft and translucent (about five minutes).  Add garlic, chilies, and spices and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring (almost) constantly.  You can add a little water as necessary to keep spices from scorching.  Add beans and water, and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook 20 to 30 minutes until just cooked (but no mushy).  Beans and stock are now ready for use or storage.

 

I like to freeze my beans in 2 cup storage containers with just enough stock to cover the beans.  I freeze the remaining white bean stock in four cup quantities for future use.

One Day to Thanksgiving! My Get-It-Done-Early Thanksgiving Timeline

Today's to-do list:

*  Make the No-Knead Onion Rolls; store at room temperature.

I have a confession to make.  Besides not baking the pie yesterday, I also did not prepare the scalloped potatoes -- I just ran out of time!  So today as soon as I got back from my volunteer time at our food co-op I grabbed some lunch and starting cooking.  I finished the pie (it looks great), and the scalloped potatoes are chilling in the fridge, but once again the time monster is messing with my plans!  I needed three hours to prepare the rolls (including the rising time) but I only had an hour before I picked up my husband, and then dinner to make, and I just ran out of energy.  So tomorrow with all the wonderful made-from-scratch food I will serve store bought dinner rolls.  I think the family with be just fine with that!

Sweet Potato Pie with Candied Nut Cream
Serves 8

1 pound sweet potatoes (2 medium)
12 graham crackers
5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped candied nuts or peanut brittle

Heat oven to 400.  Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until very tender, 50 to 6o minutes.  Let cool, then halve and scoop out the flesh (discard the skins).
     Reduce oven to 350.  In a food processor, process the graham crackers until fine crumbs form.  Add the butter, sugar, and 1/4 tsp of the salt and pulse until moistened.  Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie plate, using a straight-sided dry measuring cup to help.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and set, 10 to 12 minutes.  If the crust puffs while baking, press it down gently.  Let cool.
     Wipe out the food processor and add the nutmeg, cloves, and the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt and process until smooth (do not over process).  Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until set in the center, 45 to 55 minutes.  Let cool completely.
     Before serving, using an electric mixer, beat the cream on medium-high until soft peaks form.  Gently fold in the nuts and serve with the pie.

TO MAKE AHEAD:  The pie can be made up to 2 days in advance; refrigerate, loosely covered.  Bring to room temperature before serving.  The cream can be whipped in advance; refrigerate, covered.  Fold in the nuts just before serving.

Two Days to T-Day! My Get-It-Done-Early Thanksgiving Timeline

Today's job list:

* Prep the vegetables for the turkey; refrigerate.

* Prep the Sausage and Apple Stuffing but do not bake; refrigerate

* Make the Scalloped Potatoes, but do not bake; refrigerate

* Prep the Brussels sprouts for the Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Poppy Seeds; refrigerate

* Prep the carrots for the Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots with Rosemary and Pecans; refrigerate

* Toast the pecans for the Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots with Rosemary and Pecans; store at room temperature

* Make the Sweet Potato Pie; refrigerate

I ran out of time, and wasn't able to bake the pie today -- I'll bake (and post the recipe) tomorrow.  My house smells so good right now!  I can't wait to try all of these dishes!

Sausage and Apple Stuffing
Serves 8

1 tbsp olive oil plus more for the baking dish
4 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (about 1 pound)
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tart apples (such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady, cored and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
Kosher Salt and black pepper
1 large baguette (about 3/4 pound), cut into 3/4 inch pieces (about 7 cups
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs, beaten

     Heat oven to 375.  Lightly oil a 9x13 inch or some other shallow 3 quart baking dish.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl.
     To the drippings in the skillet, add the celery, onions, apples, sage, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Cook, tossing often, until the vegetables are tender, 7 to 9 minutes.
     Add the vegetable mixture, baguette, broth, and eggs to the sausage and toss to combine.  Transfer to the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
     Bake the stuffing for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake until browned, 20 to 30 minutes more.

TO PREP AHEAD:  Prepare the stuffing up tot he point of baking (but do not bake) up to 2 days in advance; refrigerate, covered.  On Thanksgiving Day bring the stuffing to room temperature and bake as directed.

Scalloped Potatoes
Serves 8

2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 pounds russet potatoes (8 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8 inch think
6 ounces Gruyere or Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

     Heat oven to 375.  Butter a 9 x 13 or some other shallow 3 quart baking dish.  In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add the cream, milk, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, 2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and bring to a simmer.
     Add the potatoes to the saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
     Discard the bay leaf and transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with the Gruyere.
     Bake until bubbling and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

TO PREP AHEAD:  Prepare the potatoes up to the point of baking (but do not bake) and refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days in advance.  (Alternatively, prepare up to 1 month in advance; free, tightly wrapped.)  On Thanksgiving Day thaw the potatoes (if necessary) and bring to room temperature.  Bake at 375, covered with buttered foil, until bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake until the top is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots with Rosemary and Pecans
Serves 8

1/2 cup pecan halves
3 pounds carrots-peeled, cut into 2 inch lengths, and halved lengthwise if large
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

     Heat oven to 375.  Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven, tossing once, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes.  Let cool, then roughly chop.
     Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the carrots, brown sugar, butter, rosemary, cayenne, 1/2 cup water, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the carrots begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes.
     Uncover the saucepan and cook, stirring often, until the carrots are tender and the liquid has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes more.
     Discard the rosemary and toss the carrots with the lemon juice and pecans.

TO PREP AHEAD:  Toast the pecans up to 2 days in advance; keep at room temperature, covered.  Peel and cut the carrots and combine with the butter, rosemary, cayenne, salt  and pepper up to 2 days in advance; refrigerate, covered.  On Thanksgiving Day transfer the carrot mixture to a large saucepan, add the water and sugar, and proceed with the recipe.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Poppy Seeds
Serves 8

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp poppy seeds

     In a food processor fitted with the slicing disk, slice the Brussels sprouts.
     In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
     Add the Brussels sprouts, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper to the skillet and cook, tossing often until the Brussels sprouts are tender, 4 to 6 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar and poppy seeds.

Slice the Brussels sprouts up to 2 days in advance; refrigerate, covered.  On Thanksgiving Day proceed with the recipe.

My Get-It-Done-Early Thanksgiving Timeline: 3 Days till T-Day!

I am a little embarrassed that I never thought to prep some of the dishes before the actual Turkey-Day.  I mean I consider myself to be of at least average intelligence but it just never occurred to me not to try and do everything all in one day!

So here we are three days before Thanksgiving, and these are my jobs today according to my timeline:

* Make the cider glaze for the Cider-Glazed Turkey; refrigerate.

* Make the gravy base for the Bourbon Gravy; refrigerate (Alternatively, make and freeze up to one month in advance.)

* Make the Jellied Cranberry-Ginger Sauce; refrigerate. 

The cider glaze was a snap to prepare, but making the gravy base for the Bourbon Gravy?  I think I'll wait until Thursday.  I mean how long does it take to make gravy?  Five, 10 minutes tops?  I'll take my chances and make the gravy all at once on Thursday. 

Now the Cranberry-Ginger Sauce should have been easy-peasy (look at that beautiful color!) but I noticed when I was typing the recipe that I only used one packet of gelatin instead of two so I jumped up, dissolved another packet of gelatin in a tiny bit of water and whisked it into the sauce.  I guess I'll find out on Thursday if it worked!

Cider Glaze 

Yield:  Approximately 1 cup

4 cups apple cider

2 tbsp cider vinegar

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

In a large skillet, boil the cider until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 25 to 30 minutes.  Add the vinegar, butter, salt and pepper, and stir until butter has melted.  Refrigerate.

Jellied Cranberry-Ginger Sauce 

Serves 8 (makes 2 cups)

2 0.25ounce packages unflavored gelatin

1 12 ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp peeled, grated fresh ginger

Place 1/2 cup water in a small bowl; sprinkle with the gelatin and let sit for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, ginger, and 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, until the cranberries begin to burst, 3 to 5 minutes. 

Transfer the cranberry mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.  Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl.  Discard the solids.  You should have about 1 1/2 cups of liquid.  Whisk in the gelatin mixture and transfer to a 2 cup mold.  Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. 

To unmold, dip the mold in a bowl of hot water for 10 to 15 seconds, then turn out onto a plate. 

The Ultimate Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Plan!

I have been eating the same dinner for Thanksgiving and Christmas my whole life:  Roast Turkey with sage dressing, whipped potatoes with giblet gravy, sauteed green beans, mashed sweet potatoes with mini-marshmallows sprinkled on top, and the inevitable canned cranberry circle of mush artfully arranged on top of a leaf of ice burg lettuce.  Now don't get me wrong -- I love a nice roasted turkey dinner and the holidays are the only time I seem to eat it but it's the SAME MEAL EVERY TIME!  Okay, every once in a while there's a ham with scalloped potatoes so let's say up to now I've had...um...about 81 turkey dinners, 15 ham dinners, and then there was the one Thanksgiving I baked trout.  Oh, yeah, and one time at Christmas I made Teriyaki chicken with sweet potato and black bean casserole.

So a couple weeks ago I was skimming through my Real Simple magazine when I stumbled upon  "The Ultimate Make-Ahead Thanksgiving with these crowd pleasing recipes that you can prep in advance - plus an easy-to-follow timeline - your table will be deliciously composed come November 24.  As will you." and I thought, well who could pass that up?  Not me!  I'm gonna make the whole turkey dinner featured in this magazine!  Well everything except for two of the cranberry dishes because really -- do you need cranberry jelly, cranberry relish, AND cranberry compote?  They supply a list of ingredients that they assume I may already have (which was amazingly accurate) and a list of things I'll need to buy, but the most exciting list for me is the "Get-It-Done-Early Thanksgiving Timeline".  Wait -- did you hear that?  Every time I say "Get-It-Done-Early Thanksgiving Timeline" I swear a hear a choir of angels sing.

What's the menu?  Thought you'd never ask!

Cider-Glazed Turkey

Bourbon Gravy

Sausage and Apple Stuffing

Scalloped Potatoes

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots with Rosemary and Pecans

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Poppy Seeds

Jellied Cranberry-Ginger Sauce

No-Knead Onion Rolls

Sweet Potato Pie with Candied Nut Cream

So today I shop for ingredients.  Tomorrow I pick up my turkey (an organic free-range turkey bought at the Tacoma Food Co-Op!), and I have three things to prepare.  Tuesday will be a busy day:  six sides to prep, a pie to bake, and I have my piano lesson at 5:30!  Luckily for me I only have one thing to make on Wednesday since that's the day I volunteer at the Food Co-Op.

I have to admit I'm pretty excited about this dinner.