All those leftovers

Written Sunday, November 29th, 2009 by TrishB

Thanksgiving's over but you wouldn't know it from looking in my refrigerator. Its overflowing with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Two turkeys were cooked in my household this year. It was a battle between husband and wife. A turkey cook off so to speak between fried and maple glazed. He stood outside in the cold, fully covered in his protective garb while I stayed in the warmth and watched as he ordered around his father, my brother, our sons and even our neighbor. It took one cook to cook a roasted turkey and 6 to cook a fried. While the fried turkey was moist and tender I think mine won in looks and flavor.   Needless to say we made way too much. So whether or not your turkeys were fried or roasted,  here are a few recipes you can try using your leftovers.

Tortilla Soup

Condiments:

Leftover turkey
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup grated monterey jack.     cheese
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, cut
into 1 inch pieces

For the soup:

1 packet tortilla strips
Vegetable spray
1/2 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 28 ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
7 cups chicken broth

Shred turkey into bite size pieces. In a medium size saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown garlic. Add onions, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and stir until soft. Add salt, tomatoes, and one third of the crispy tortilla strips. Add the chicken broth and cook for about 15 minutes more. Let cool, then puree the soup in batches in a blender.

Serve hot with the remaining crispy tortilla strips, the cheese, avocado, and turkey pieces.

Turkey Paninis

1/4 c dijon mustard
1/4 c mayonnaise
8 slices challah bread, about 1 inch thick
6 ounces sliced muenster cheese
12 ounces sliced turkey
Salt and pepper, to taste
2/3 cup cranberry sauce or relish

Mix mustard and mayo together in a small bowl. Spread about 1 tablespoon of mustard mixture on on one side of each piece.

Lay cheese on half of the bread slices, top with turkey, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the cranberry sauce on the remaining 4 slices of bread and close sandwiches, pressing each one together.

Heat panini machine or a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet. Lay  sandwiches in skillet and put a weight or another frying pan to press down. Cook about 3 minutes and turn and cook for additional 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
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Giving Thanks

Written Thursday, November 26th, 2009 by Anne Coleman

Thanksgiving is celebrated today in the United States and it is one of the biggest holidays we have. We join together with others around a plentiful table and symbolically 'give thanks' for the things we are grateful for. While this is a blog and site dedicated to food, I wanted to share a little more than just that today.

In my short time here on the earth I've learned that gratitude is so very vital to one's happiness and growth. Without it there can be no moving forward, no true love for others and no real love for oneself, either. But, what exactly is gratitude? For me, it is the ability to appreciate and be thankful for your situation and surroundings no matter what they may be. It's the glass-half-full attitude that keeps so many in less-than-perfect circumstances going from day to day.

In my own life, as in everyone else's, I have obstacles - and some rather large. Rather than succumb to the depression and sadness that can so easily manifest when things aren't 'perfect', I choose to see things in a very different way.

I have two children that are Autistic. Rather than see this as a challenge (and, yes - it is) I see the bright side: they are smarter than most children and see things that the rest of us miss. They are bright and shiny and funny and beautiful - just like my other kids.

My husband had a very tragic accident two years ago from which he (and the rest of us) is still recovering. He fell three stories from the roof he was working on and was in a coma for 3 weeks. His body is still broken beyond mending and he is not emotionally or mentally the same man he was two years ago. This, too I choose to see differently. He is HERE. He was so close to death so many times during that ordeal that his being alive is a  miracle in and of itself. He gets to spend each and every day watching his children grow up. Before the accident he was at work so much that he missed the kids' first steps and first words and many other firsts that he now gets to be a part of.

I have seven children. Yes, that's a challenge - but the bright side? I have seven children.

The learning and growing and revelation that comes from these adversities is mind-blowing. I am not the same woman I was before all of this, and I'm not sure I would want to be any longer. The depth of perception that has come from living daily with difficulties has only served to make me even more grateful than I was before. So, you see, it's good to be me.

On this Thanksgiving, though I have been without food, shelter or transportation and am thankful for those things that I now have plenty of, and though I have seen family close to death and yet still have them, I choose today to be grateful for just being me - right where I am.

My Favorite Turkey

Written Monday, November 23rd, 2009 by Anne Coleman

I am not lucky enough to get to cook Thanksgiving Dinner each year. My mother-in-law still hangs on to tradition and wants us to come to her more often than not. So, those years that I do get to host, I'm thrilled about it and make the turkey the way that my family has come to love: Brined.

I was first introduced to brining in an accidental way about ten years ago. I had a large roasting chicken on-hand that was completely frozen but that I wanted to cook for that evening's dinner. It was about 12 P.M. when I asked a few friends I was chatting with about thawing methods. The one that I chose was touted as the quickest method, and that was to submerge the bird in salted water.

I did as told and not only did it work like a charm, but it was the best bird we'd ever eaten. I took to brining all my poultry after that and decided that year to brine our turkey. We were all in love with this and I started checking in to other methods of brining. Up to that point I had merely used salt, but began adding my own herbs and spices to the mix to see what worked.

After lots of experimenting I came up with a recipe for turkey brine that we really enjoy. The best way to submerge a turkey is in a container that is both large enough for the bird yet small enough for your refrigerator. I have a 10 gallon stock pot that works very well for turkeys up to 18 pounds. You may have to experiment to see what works for you.

Here is the basic brine that we've come to love:

Brined Turkey

One 12 to 14 pound turkey - cleaned well
water to cover
3/4 cup salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons peppercorns - crushed lightly
5 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic - crushed lightly
1 teaspoon thyme - crushed
1 teaspoon sage - crushed
2 Tablespoons orange zest
2 cups water

Combine 2 cups water and all spices in a small pan.
Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.
Place turkey into brining vessel and add water to cover. Pour in brining liquid and refrigerate bird for 12-24 hours.
Roast as desired.

TIME SAVING TIPS FOR THANKSGIVING

Written Sunday, November 15th, 2009 by TrishB

Thanksgiving is only 12 days away.  Are you hosting?  Before you know it, it will be a day prior and you’ll wonder where the time went and why, once again, you didn’t prepare in advance.  The next 24 hours will be insane! You’ll want to pull your hair out.

Okay, maybe you are not a procrastinator like me.  However, I have taken a solemn oath, this year will be different.  There will be a zen like peace and calm in my kitchen. Can you imagine actually relaxing on Thanksgiving?  And how, you may ask, will I accomplish this?

PLAN & PREPARE, the only 2 P’s I will have for Thanksgiving this year.
P is no longer for procrastination.

So, here they are...My time saving tips for this and all future years:

10 DAYS BEFORE: Finalize your menu.

-Make a shopping list.

-Make a list of all dishes to be prepared. Next to each write the amount of time required for preparation and note whether or not it can be made ahead of time.

-Soups such as butternut squash and corn can be made and frozen.

-Pies and baked goods such as cookies, cheesecake, apple, pecan, pumpkin or cherry pies also freeze well.

7 DAYS BEFORE:

-Inventory glassware, napkins, utensils, and plates. The last thing you want to do is  set the table and realize with stores closed that you don’t have enough of any of these items.

-Roast garlic in advance. Put in olive oil and store in fridge. You can never have too much roasted garlic.

5 DAYS PRIOR:

-Purchase non-perishables including snacks, canned goods, cranberry sauce (if you aren’t making your own).

-Buy all drinks such as soda and wine.

3 DAYS PRIOR:

-Buy turkey (store in coldest part of fridge - bottom, rear corner).

Remember, a frozen 12 lb turkey takes 3 days to thaw in the refrigerator. If larger, you will need to leave more time.

2 DAYS PRIOR:

-Set table.

-Make cranberry sauce if not purchased.

-Measure dry ingredients in advance. Store them in labeled containers or baggies.

-Make salad dressing.

1 DAY PRIOR:

-Purchase desserts if not baked by you.

-Make desserts that could not be frozen such as meringues.

-Precut your vegetables and store in baggies that contain a slightly moist paper towel.

-Cut fruit and store in containers.

-Prep turkey

THANKSGIVING AM

-Cook turkey (I prefer smaller turkeys. I would rather cook 2 if I have a large crowd.  I find them to be tastier and less dry).  Roast about 15 minutes per lb., 18 minutes per lb. (if stuffed.)

-Remove desserts from freezer. Warm them later in a 250 degree F oven.

-Cook fresh vegetables as close to meal time as possible.

-Bake stuffing.

And as my husband says (and his only Thanksgiving job other than TV remote control management), “make sure you have enough ice!”

A SIMPLE, DELICIOUS AND EASY ROAST TURKEY RECIPE

Crispy skin, moist meat.

Ingredients:

12 to 14 lb. turkey

4 sticks celery

2 large carrots

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup sherry

1 tbs paprika

2 tbs salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 cups water

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stuff turkey with celery and carrots. Place turkey in a large, deep roasting pan.

Mix all other ingredients together and pour over turkey.

Place in oven and bake uncovered for 3 hours turning the turkey over completely every 30 minutes.

Baste occasionally.

Gravy - Remove fat from cooking liquid and serve separately.

HalfHour Meals features a number of terrific holiday cooking blogs and Thanksgiving recipes.   For more Thanksgiving Recipes do a search or click on the following link:  Cooking for Thanksgiving;  where you'll find a delicious looking  Pumpkin Pie Recipe & one for  Roasted Sweet Potatoes.  For those brave and creative souls who are looking have a Thanksgiving meal that is creative, spectacular, and out of the ordinary  Thanksgiving meal,  visit , TheGourmetConnection,  a HalfHourMeal member's blog where you'll find a a fabulous post called, "Thanksgiving with a Twist."

And please do share some of your Thanksgiving tips and tricks in the community area or in the comments below.

Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!