I have a few new recipes at Moovision.com, and if you cook lactose-free, you should check out all the recipes in their collection. There’s a lot of great dishes, many that are easy to prepare. Here are the newest ones I’ve added.

Sweet Potato Souffle, a dish I love for Sunday supper, along with a roasted chicken.

Butternut Squash Pie, made with a roasted butternut squash, a delicious and easy alternative to pumpkin pie.

Creamy Chicken Marsala, a classic dish that works well for Sunday supper or for company.

And if you haven’t seen the videos that started it all, check out the Gourmoo cooking series.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

When it comes to big holiday feasts, one oven just isn’t enough, and I always find myself trying to sort out the intricate timing of turkey, stuffing, rolls, and any roasted or baked vegetables. I sit down with recipes and a schedule and plan it all out. If the turkey is done too early, it sits and gets cold and loses that wonderful fresh-from-the-oven juiciness while waiting for the rest of the dishes to finish.

Of course my grandmothers only had one oven, and even with so many of us to feed at Thanksgiving or Christmas, they somehow managed it. My mom’s mother eventually bought one of those roaster ovens that will cook a whole turkey, ham, or other large piece of meat on the countertop, leaving the other oven free for the rest of the dishes. Their kitchen was small, so the turkey roasted in the basement while she and Mom worked on the rest of the meal.

Grandma gave up cooking big meals several years ago and I was the fortunate recipient of her big roaster oven. We’ve tried turkeys and hams in it and have cooked with it just about everywhere, including the front and back porch when I just need the extra room in the kitchen. One thing I’ve learned about cooking turkeys in the roaster oven is that the skin doesn’t brown the way I like if I cook at the recommended 325° F. Last year my sister sent me a note about cooking at 500° F for the first 30 minutes then cooking at 325° F until done, and I thought that was a flash of brilliance. The skin browns and crisps and seals in the juices, and that extra blast of heat shaves a little off the overall cooking time.

I highly recommend doing this with a thermometer, the digital kind with a probe connected. This allows you to monitor the internal temperature and remove the turkey at precisely the right time. We’ve tested with both the thermometer and the little popup timers that some turkeys come with, and the digital thermometer always signals ready about 5 to 10 minutes before the popup timer. Since the residual heat will continue to cook the bird for a little while longer, this can mean the difference between moist and juicy or dry meat.

And of course feel free to rub and season with whatever you like, this is just how we like it.

ROAST TURKEY IN A ROASTER OVEN

Makes 1 whole turkey.

Equipment

18 or 22-quart roaster oven with rack
digital thermometer/timer

Ingredients

whole turkey, 10 pounds or larger (up to 18 pounds for an 18-quart roaster oven, and up to 24 pounds for a 22-quart roaster oven)
6 large sage leaves
1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
1/2 lemon
handful of fresh thyme
handful of fresh parsley leaves
4-inch sprig rosemary
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place the roaster oven on a large wooden cutting board or other heat-safe surface. It’s going to get hot, so leave plenty of room around it. Remove the rack and the inner liner and put the lid back on. Preheat the roaster oven to the hottest temperature, usually 450° to 500° F.

2. While the oven heats, prepare the turkey. Remove the neck and giblets and use the neck to make turkey broth for the gravy. Loosen the skin around the turkey breast and tuck one large sage leaf under the skin on each side. Pat the skin back down. Rub the turkey all over with the olive oil. Tuck the lemon half into the rib cavity and stuff in the thyme, parsley, and rosemary. Place the turkey on the rack in the roaster oven liner. Sprinkle the kosher salt and black pepper all over the bird. Insert the thermometer probe deep into the thigh muscle, but not touching the bone. Leave the probe cable hanging outside the liner.

3. Place the liner and turkey in the preheated roaster oven and cover. Connect the probe cable to the digital thermometer and set the temperature alarm for 165° F, the minimum safe internal temperature recommended by the USDA. You can set it higher according to your personal preference.

4. When the internal temperature reaches 165° F or your preferred temperature, turn off the oven and lift the bird onto a cutting board or platter. Leave the temperature probe in and cover the bird with foil. Allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the juices to soak back into the meat, then remove the herbs and lemon, and carve.

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CBSoP – The Ultimate Roast Turkey Recipe

Food Wishes – How to Cook a Turkey: Part 1 – A No-Fail Method for People that Would Rather Watch Football than Wash Dishes

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Country Captain sounds like such an unusual name for a chicken dish, but once I learned the origins it made sense. A “country captain” was a captain of native troops paid by England in the colonial days, and it’s very likely that this dish or something very similar was introduced to England by a native officer. The dish spread to the American south which has claimed country captain chicken as its own.

It’s a curry at heart, with plenty of spices and vegetables in a tomato sauce with pork of some kind, often bacon, and dried currants. I researched quite a few recipes and found many similarities, even right down to the measurements, but one thing that varied was the preparation of the chicken. It can be poached for stock, then deboned and chopped and added to the sauce, or it can be fried then nestled in the top of the curry to finish cooking on the stove or in the oven. You can even make another version of this in a slow cooker. No matter which method you choose, this makes a delicious autumn meal.

Traditionally the dish is served with white rice in the south, but in keeping with the Indian flavors, I serve it with savory yellow rice spiced with turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves.

COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

Adapted from The Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook, by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and Bill Neal’s Southern Cooking.

Serves 8.

Equipment

small saucepan
2 small bowls
platter
5 to 6 quart enameled cast-iron pot or Dutch oven
aluminum foil

Ingredients

1 cup (120 ml) chicken broth, divided (homemade or purchased low-sodium, gluten-free if possible)
1/2 cup (80 g) dried currants
1 tablespoon curry powder (We recommend S&B for best flavor.)
1 tablespoon garam masala
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces (113 g) slab bacon or thick-cut bacon, diced
parts of 1 whole chicken or 8 thighs, skin on, trimmed
1 pound (454 g) carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
2 medium yellow bell peppers, diced
2 medium yellow onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
28-ounce (822 g) can crushed tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

SERVE WITH
rice, spiced or white
slivered toasted almonds
bacon pieces (See ingredients list.)
chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350° F/175° C.

2. In the small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the dried currants and let them to soak for about 15 minutes.

3. In the small bowl, whisk together the curry powder, garam masala, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

4. Sauté the diced bacon in the pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, just until golden brown. Transfer the bacon plus all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings to a bowl. Brown the chicken pieces in the remaining bacon drippings over medium-high heat until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Add another teaspoon or so of bacon drippings if the pot becomes dry. Transfer chicken to a bowl or platter.

5. Add the carrots, bell peppers, onions, and garlic to the hot pot and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, spices, ginger, currants with their broth, plus the remaining chicken broth. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the sauce cooks down to a puree and coats the vegetables, not too dry, about 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat. Arrange the browned chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and sauce, skin side up above the surface of the sauce. Tent the pot loosely with foil and place in the oven.Bake until the sauce has a rolling boil going around the chicken, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking until the chicken skin begins to crisp, about 15 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and skim excess fat from the surface. Serve a piece of chicken along with the rice and vegetables with each plate or bowl and top with garnishes.

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Kitchen Parade – Fast Roast Chicken

Use Real Butter – Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Chow fun is a classic Chinese noodle dish often served with beef. The fresh rice noodles (ho fun) typically used are very wide and sliced into strips before cooking, but I’ve never seen them in our local international groceries, so I substitute L or XL bahn pho (dry Vietnamese rice noodles). Though not authentic, it’s very close and works for us, but if you can find them I highly recommend giving it a try with the real thing.

Chow fun is an easy dish to make with the kids. Builder Guy, age 8, helped with mixing the sauces, rinsing the bean sprouts, and hydrating and draining the noodles, while I cut the chicken, ginger, and green onions and did the woking. We made a good team and he was very proud of the finished dish.

Because I was doing the final cooking, I set my Canon 40D on a tripod, cranked it up high, handed the wireless remote to Builder Guy, and asked him to take the photos while I cooked. He had a blast! He climbed up on the step stool next to the tripod and shouted, “Abracadabra!” while pointing the remote like a wand every time he pushed the button. In the end, we had over 70 pictures of the approximately 7 minutes it took to me to finish the dish, and he was so proud of every single one of them.

When we served the chow fun, we heard mostly approving comments from the boys:

“This is good!” (Builder Guy)

“Awesome!” (Top Gun)

“Can I have cheese on top?” (Monkey Boy)

No cheese on this ingredient list, just some basic widely available Chinese condiments. Younger children can help with simple tasks such as:

rinsing the bean sprouts…

and mixing the sauces.

Of course let an older child, teen, or adult take over at the wok.

And enjoy!

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: measuring, stirring, pouring, chopping, stir-frying.
• Assign the simpler tasks, such as mixing the marinade and sauce and washing the bean sprouts, to the younger kids, and save the more challenging tasks for the older kids and adults.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knives or hot woks. Make sure an adult or older child or teenager does the chopping and stir-frying.
• The oil in the wok will be hot, so be careful when adding the chicken and watch for splatters.

CHICKEN CHOW FUN

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

4- to 5-quart pot with lid
wok
2 small bowls
medium bowl or glass pie plate
colander

Ingredients

1 pound (454 g) XL bahn pho (dry Vietnamese rice noodles)
1 pound (454 g) boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons light soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
5 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 pound (454 g) bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
3 slices ginger, peeled
3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Preparation

1. Bring about 3 quarts of water to boil. Remove from heat, put the dry noodles in the hot water, and allow them to soften about 5 minutes, but do not allow the noodles to get too soft or they will break apart in the wok. Drain well and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine 1 table spoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Pour over the chicken in the medium bowl and stir to coat.

3. In the other small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon rice wine.

4. In the wok, heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil over high heat. Stir fry the chicken until it just turns white, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

5. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil to the wok. Add the bean sprouts and stir just until lightly coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and scallions and stir-fry until the sprouts are just limp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the chicken.

6. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut oil to the wok along with the noodles. Spread the noodles around the wok and let them rest until slightly crusty on the bottom, about 1 minute. Stir-fry the noodles gently so they do not break until light brown, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken and bean sprouts to the wok and pour in the oyster sauce mixture. Gently stir-fry until it’s all heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Substitutions

Traditional recipes call for fresh broad Chinese rice noodles known as ho fun, just separate them and cut into long strips 1/2-inch wide.

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Use Real Butter – Chinese Cold Noodles

Tezcape – Braised Chinese Noodles, Steamed Noodles

Viet World Kitchen – Taiwanese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian)

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

One of the side benefits of a good summer growing season is preserving the extras to bring out when there are huge mounds of snow on the ground and summer feels very far away. Last summer we lucked out and harvested lots of bell peppers in red, yellow, and green as well as quite a few poblano peppers. We used as many as we could through the autumn, then picked the last right before frost and froze several quart bags of sliced peppers to toss in soups and chili. We also saved leftover turkey during the holidays for the same purpose, so you could technically call this a freezer chili.

The flavor is full, a little smoky from the chipotle powder, and the hearty texture fills you up. If you don’t have leftover roast turkey, you could use cooked ground turkey instead. We prepare the beans in a pressure cooker, or you can soak them overnight and cook on the stove before adding to the chili. And of course canned beans will do in a pinch.

WHITE CHILI WITH TURKEY AND CANNELLINI BEANS

Makes about 4 quarts.

Equipment

6-quart heavy bottom pot

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
2 poblano peppers, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 quarts/liters homemade turkey or chicken broth (or purchased low sodium)
2 pounds (908 g) cooked turkey, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound (454 g) cannellini beans, cooked with liquid

Preparation

1. In the 6-quart pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and peppers until they are soft and glisten, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add the cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper, and cook while stirring until the spices release their fragrance, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the broth, turkey, and cooked beans and liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

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Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

When our boys see Asian dishes on the menu, they tend to get excited. Builder Guy inevitably asks if we’re having Chinese dumplings with the meal, Top Gun requests Chinese chicken and broccoli whether it’s on the menu or not, and Monkey Boy says he just wants chicken (or a lollipop). Fortunately Monkey Boy generally comes around once we start eating, so we are progressing out of the annoying overly picky phase.

These chicken lettuce wraps are one of their favorites because they like the chicken and they like that it’s finger food. They are perfect for this week and the Chinese New Year celebration, and they make great party appetizers. I’ve doubled the original recipe from Helen Chen so we can have leftovers because the boys enjoy taking it to school and eating it for lunch with brown rice. They also like to help make it, though either Michael or I still take over on the stir-frying. As they grow older and learn more about kitchen safety we’ll give them more opportunities to get behind the wok.

All the ingredients can be found in well-stocked grocery stores or international stores, though you can substitute fresh shitake mushrooms for dried if you can’t find those.

This is how you make the chicken, as modeled by Builder guy, age 8, and Michael, age withheld.

Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water.

Make the marinade and stir in the chicken.

Make the sauce.

Chop the vegetables.

Wash and dry the lettuce.

Sitr-fry the chicken and vegetables.

Enjoy!

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: measuring, stirring, pouring, chopping, stir-frying.
• Assign the simpler tasks, such as mixing the marinade and sauce and washing and drying the lettuce leaves, to the younger kids, and save the more challenging tasks for the older kids and adults.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knives or hot woks. Make sure an adult or older child or teenager does the chopping and stir-frying.
• The oil in the wok will be hot, so be careful when adding the chicken and watch for splatters.

CHINESE CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

Adapted from Easy Chinese Stir-Fries, by Helen Chen.

Serves 4 to 6 with leftovers.

Equipment

2 medium bowls
small bowl
wok

Ingredients

16 medium dried shitake mushrooms, softened in hot water for 15 minutes
6 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 pound (454 g) ground chicken
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 tablespoons canned chicken broth
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce, or more to taste
1 (8-ounce/226 g) can bamboo shoots, diced
1 (8-ounce/226 g) can water chestnuts, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 cup petite frozen peas, thawed
6 scallions, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons canola oil
6 sliced unpeeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil

SERVE WITH
romaine lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry, torn in half
cooked brown rice

Preparation

1. CHICKEN MARINADE: While the mushrooms soak, whisk together 4 teaspoons of cornstarch, wine, and light soy sauce in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and mix well.

2. SAUCE: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch, sugar, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, chicken broth, and chili-garlic sauce. Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved.

3. VEGETABLES: Drain the mushrooms and squeeze them dry. Remove the stems and discard, then chop the rest into bite-size pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, celery, thawed peas, and scallions.

4. COOK: Pour the canola oil into the bottom of a cold wok and add the sliced ginger. Heat until the wok and oil are very hot and the ginger releases its fragrance. Remove the ginger and discard. Add the chicken mixture and cook while stirring until the chicken is cooked and crumbly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetables and stir well, cooking until they are heated through, about 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in the sauce and continue cooking for about 1 more minute. Drizzle the sesame oil over it all and stir. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve with the lettuce leaves and rice.

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Rasa Malaysia – Sweet and Sour Pork

Appetite for China – Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Use Real Butter – Chinese Almond Cookies

No Recipes – Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

After the feasting on Thanksgiving Day comes the leftovers, which we look forward to as much as the feasting day itself. We usually have plenty of turkey and cranberry sauce leftover, as well as some stuffing and gravy. One of my family’s favorite ways to eat leftover turkey is to lay slices on hot toast and ladle hot gravy on top, making an open face turkey sandwich. I can eat it anytime of the day, and in fact really like it for breakfast. We also make turkey noodle soup and add turkey slices to dinner salads.

As a child we ate turkey and chicken pot pie, and it’s still one of my favorite comfort foods. I’ve updated the classic using a whole wheat crust and portabella mushrooms, but of course you can use whatever kind of mushrooms you prefer. The leftover gravy goes nicely with the filling and makes it a little lighter, a touch we definitely enjoy after all the desserts on Thanksgiving Day.

(Print this recipe)

LEFTOVER TURKEY POT PIE

Serves 6 to 8.

Equipment

food processor
plastic wrap
9-inch pie pan
large heavy bottom skillet
mini leaf shaped cutters

Ingredients

double whole wheat pie crust or regular pie crust

FILLING
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces (227 g) baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced peeled carrots (about 2 carrots)
1-1/2 cups (7 to 8 ounces/227 g) diced cooked turkey
1 to 1-1/4 cups (360 ml) gravy
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/3 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 egg white, beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F/200° C.

2. In the large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, then sauté until browned and tender, about 4 minutes. Add the sliced carrots, cover, and cook until carrots soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Add diced turkey, gravy, thyme, and rosemary.

3. Bring the filling to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer to thicken if necessary. You don’t want it runny or it will make the bottom crust mushy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in the peas and chopped parsley. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.

4. Place the top crust in place and fold the edge of dough over edge of pie dish. Tuck the edges under and crimp with a fork. Cut miniature leaves and arrange them on top. Chill 10 minutes.

5. Lightly brush top of pie with glaze. Make four slits in center of pie to allow steam to escape. Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Serve with leftover cranberry sauce.

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Kitchen Parade – My Mom’s Recipe for Turkey Tetrazzini

Food Blogga – Two Terrific Leftover Turkey Sandwiches

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Every year I experiment with different ways to cook turkey. Some go over well at home, others not so much and those get passed over for a blog post. When the latest issue of Saveur landed in our mailbox, the turkey photos caught my eye, especially the photo of the roasted turkey pieces laying on top of a pan of root vegetables. It seemed a like a nice casual kind of Thanksgiving recipe, perfect for a small gathering of friends, and so easy because the turkey and vegetables roast together. The original recipe uses cumin and paprika in the butter, but I decided to use sage instead because I’ve learned over the years that I prefer traditional flavors with my turkey.

We were thrilled with the flavor and how easy it was to make. The turkey came out succulent and tender and the vegetables were very flavorful. And of course we were happy to use fresh herbs and butternut squash from our garden.

Thanksgiving is only a few days away, so it’s time to start executing the Thanksgiving Day plan at our house. The turkey is out of the freezer and thawing in the refrigerator, I’ve already made the cranberries, and tonight I’ll make the eggnog gelato. Tomorrow I’ll make another dessert, maybe some pumpkin gelato, then Wednesday will be a big preparation day making pumpkin pies, green beans, rolls, gluten-free pumpkin scones, and pumpkin muffins. On Thursday we’ll finish the gluten-free cornbread stuffing, make some mashed potatoes, roast the turkey, and make the gravy. Then we’ll pop the corks and serve some bubbly with dinner because that’s how we do Thanksgiving at our house.

However you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving, we hope you get to spend time with family and friends. For us, that’s the best part.

(Print this recipe)

ROAST TURKEY WITH ROOT VEGETABLES AND GRAVY

Adapted from Saveur.

Serves 10 to 12.

Equipment

medium bowl
large bowl
large roasting pan
instant read thermometer
large serving platter
2-quart saucepan
small bowl

Ingredients

HERB BUTTER
12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks/170 g) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 shallots, minced

TURKEY & VEGETABLES
12 pound (5.4 kg) turkey, cut into 8 pieces
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 medium red potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 turnips, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 celery root, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 sprigs fresh thyme
5 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine or sherry
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup (120 ml) water

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 500° F/260° C.

2. In the medium bowl, mix together the softened butter, parsley, sage, and shallots until the herbs and shallots are evenly distributed throughout.

3. Loosen the turkey skin and rub the butter mixture underneath. Sprinkle kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper on the skin.

4. In the large bowl, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, then sprinkle with more kosher salt and black pepper. Transfer the vegetables to the large roasting pan and spread to cover the bottom. Scatter the thyme and rosemary sprigs on top, then arrange the turkey pieces over the herbs and vegetables.

5. ROAST: Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° F/175° C. Continue roasting until the thermometer reads 150° F/66° C in each breast and 160° F/71° C in each leg, thigh, and wing. Some pieces will be done before others, and each piece should be removed as it reaches temperature. Place turkey pieces on a large platter and cover with foil. Leave the vegetables in the pan and continue cooking until they are fully tender, about 15 minutes more. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the platter with the turkey or a large bowl.

6. GRAVY: Strain the pan juices into the fat separator and let the fat rise to the top. Pour the juices (minus the fat) into the saucepan. Add the wine and bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl, then whisk it into the reduced liquid. Return to a boil and season with a little more salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the turkey and vegetables.

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Kitchen Parade – How to Dry-Brine and Roast a Whole Turkey

Food for My Family – Mustard Crusted Turkey

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Whenever we make a trip to Costco, I always stop to browse the books aisle, and every once in a while I come across some finds that make their way into the cart. Earlier this summer I found a big paperback book simply called Thai & Asian by Deh-Ta Hsiung (previously published as Thai and South-East Asian Food and Cooking). With a plethora of gorgeous dishes from Thailand, China, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea, as well as over 100 pages of information on ingredients and proper Asian cooking gear, this book was a no-brainer and a bargain at US$9.99. My memories of the food I enjoyed on a trip to Koh Samui and Phuket in the mid 90s are imprinted in my head, and I’ve enjoyed introducing my family to the wonders of Thai flavors over the years. Perhaps someday I’ll get a chance to go back to Thailand; I would so enjoy a trip to Chiang Mai, but until then I’ll have to keep cooking Thai at home.

Lemongrass is a frequently used ingredient in Thai and southeast Asian cooking, and for years I tried growing it in pots so I could bring it indoors for the winter, but the plants would never last more than a month indoors, and I finally decided to just stick one in the ground to see what would happen. After a very cold snowy winter it might not seem like a good idea, but those kinds of winters are not typical for our area so there’s a slight chance the lemongrass might survive. Fortunately it’s flourishing and adds wonderful flavor to our Thai dishes.

This grilled chicken has a flavorful marinade that’s easy to make, and we were able to use our homegrown lemongrass and garlic in it. The cilantro bolted in the heat, so we’ve reseeded and hope to have more in a couple weeks.

And speaking of growing herbs, don’t forget the Grow Your Own deadline is this Friday. Be sure to visit the Kitchen Gadget Girl blog for more information about submitting your post. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

[Update: August 2010, featured on Saveur.com in their Best of the Web section!]

(Print this recipe)

THAI GRILLED CHICKEN WITH COCONUT MILK MARINADE

Adapted from Thai & Asian, by Deh-Ta Hsiung, Becky Johnson, and Sallie Morris.

Serves 6 to 8.

Equipment

food processor
gallon plastic bag or glass dish for marinating
grill

Ingredients

6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

MARINADE
2 lemongrass stalks, roots trimmed
1.5 inch ginger, peeled and sliced
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 shallots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (20 g) cilantro roots, chopped (or stems and leaves)
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce

GARNISH
lime wedges
fresh red chiles
cilantro sprigs

Preparation

1. Remove the lower 2 inches of the lemongrass and the leaves, and chop the stems coarsely. Add lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots, cilantro, sugar, coconut milk, fish sauce, and soy sauce to the food processor bowl. Process until smooth.

2. Trim the chicken breast and put them in the gallon plastic bag (or marinating dish). Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure the marinade coats the chicken completely. Leave in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours.

3. Preheat the gas grill or barbecue to a temperature of 400° F/200° C. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade. Rub the hot grill with vegetable oil to keep the chicken from sticking.

4. Grill until the chicken is done, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Brush with the reserved marinade while cooking.

5. Transfer cooked chicken to a serving platter, garnish with lime, cilantro, and chiles, and serve.

Variations

If you can’t find lemongrass, use the zest of 1 lemon.

If you can’t find palm sugar, use light brown sugar.

Other Thai Recipes

More Thai Chicken Recipes From Around the Blogs

Rasa Malaysia – Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

Chez Pim – Thai-Marinated Fried Chicken

Closet Cooking – Thai Chicken Mole

Ezra Pound Cake – Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

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The garlic only has a few more weeks in the ground, then it will be time to dig it up, and if the flavor of the scapes is any indication, we are in for some spicy garlic this year. We harvested the scapes over the weekend and made three different things with them: pesto, cannellini bean dip, this pasta with chicken, tomatoes, and basil. We saved the pretty flowers and curved parts for the pasta and use the stems for the pesto and bean dip.

The raw flavor of the scapes was pretty intense with a lot of bite, but once sautéed the flavor softened became more like a buttery roasted garlic. Because the raw flavor was so strong we thought the boys might not eat them in the pasta, but Builder Guy actually enjoyed them, though Top Gun and Monkey Boy regarded them with deep suspicion. For extra flavor we added some of our homegrown basil, which is doing very well this year. The tomatoes aren’t quite ready yet, but in a few weeks we should have plenty of warm summer tomatoes fresh from the vine.

We hope you will join us for Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow, raise, hunt, or forage. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page, and you can send post information to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. The deadline for this month’s event is June 30th.

(Print this recipe)

PASTA WITH CHICKEN, GARLIC SCAPES, TOMATOES, AND BASIL

Serves 4.

Equipment

6-quart pot with lid
12-inch skillet

Ingredients

8 ounces (227 g) farfalle pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, thinly sliced
sea salt, to taste
black pepper freshly ground, to taste
1 cup garlic scapes, cut into 6-inch lengths
1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
10 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine, dry
grated Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top

Preparation

1. Bring water to boil in the pot, then cook the pasta until ad dente, about 10 minutes. Drain.

2. While the water boils, heat the olive oil in the pan and add the chicken, cooking until it’s almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the scapes and cook until the start to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato halves and sauté until they brighten and just begin to release their juices, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and the basil leaves, cooking until the basil begins to wilt.

4. Toss the cooked pasta with the chicken and scapes until it’s all thoroughly mixed. Divide among plates and served garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.

More Summer Grow Your Own Recipes

More Scapes Recipes From Around the Blogs

Grow Cook Eat – Hake with Tomato-Coconut Sauce

Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate – Garlic Scapes 12 Ways

Herbivoracious – Garlic Scape, Ricotta, and Zatar Pizza

Love and Olive Oil – Beet Green and Garlic Scape Bruschetta

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Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.