I set the alarm for 9AM this morning.   I tried to get as close to 8 hours of sleep as possible.  My arms are sore from carrying around all the grocery bags yesterday.  My back is definitely not feeling the rainbow because I lifted that bucket with the turkey and brine in it.  It’s all good though, because the day had started and I was ready to go.

I’m very happy and thankful for everything turning out so well.  Hmmm… except for one of the hors d’oeuvres.  The mini venison burgers.  I used pie crust as the burger buns and wanted the top bun to have a little color.  So in the last few minutes I turned the oven to broil and intended to only do it for 1 minute.  Did I get some color!  Of course I got busy with doing other things and burnt them.  I was very upset, but got over it. People just took of the top and ate the burger and the bottom bun.

Here are some pictures of the preparations and roasting of the turkey.

Some more pictures of me making the Maple-Glazed Yams with Pecan Topping.  Boy, they were a hit! Not too sweet but just right with a bit of a crunch.  Definitely going to make it again.  I’m going to give you the recipe in a later blog post along with all the others.

Finally, here are pictures of all of the dishes I prepared that day.  Check out the center piece!  I even made that myself.    I went with stuffing out of a box and it turned out perfect.  I kept things simple, adding nothing fancy to the stuffing.  I used canned green beans for my green bean casserole.  The hummus spread I used on the cucumber stacks were also store bought.    I decided that for the simpler dishes I used canned, prepackaged, and boxed ingredients.  Over the years I’ve learned to showcase my cooking skills in preparing dishes one cannot easily buy at the store and have it taste or look as exceptional as when it is homemade.  As for the rest, I’m not ashamed to take a short cut here or there.  Let’s be real! And yes, seldom do I burn food, but it happens.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you would like to share any of your stories please feel free to email them to me @ asamatteroffood@gmail.com.

Here we are the night before Thanksgiving day.  My turkey is thawed and I have my menu planned out.

The menu is as follows:

• Wolfgang Puck’s Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy
• Traditional Mashed Potatoes (simply put – boiled potatoes, half and half, butter, and salt and pepper)
• Green Bean Casserole with French Onions
• Plain Green Beans
• Maple-Glazed Yams with Pecan Topping
• Cornbread Stuffing
• Turkey Stuffing
• Crispy Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

I am going all out, as usual, and have added some yummy hors d’oeuvres to my menu.

Hors d’oeuvres on the menu:

• Mini Venison Burgers
• Bacon Deviled Eggs
• Tomato-Artichoke with Feta and Goat Cheese Bagel Chips
• Lil’ Polskas in a Blanket
• Petite Cucumber Sandwiches with Garlic N’ Chives Cheese Spread
• Red Pepper and Spicy Chipotle Hummus Cucumber Stacks

***  I will post recipes in a later post for those who are interested.

I am going to have 8 people for our formal sit-down dinner.  It sounds like I’ll be having a lot of food, but I thought that with the wide selection on the hors d’oeuvres I’ll be able to accommodate everyone’s pallette.  Plus I am expecting friends to trickle in after they have gone to their previous engagements and am sure they will want to snack as the night goes on.

Here are some pictures I want to share with you of the food preparations.

Prepping the Turkey

Cleaning the turkey:

Placing the turkey in brine:

Like most people, I don’t have a very big refrigerator.  All the space is needed and will be taken up by all the other foods I will prepare ahead of time tonight.  So I had to come up with a clever solution.  I bought a brand new bucket.  At first I counted on it being cold as it has been, however today it has been beautiful here.  The temperature has been in the 70’s.  So after some careful thinking I came up with this solution.  Lined my bucket with 3 new bags.  Poured the brine in.  I used a large glass bowl and my old pizza stone to weigh down the turkey then tied up the bags.  Next I lifted the entire bucket with its contents and placed it in a large storage tub.  (Since it wasn’t going to be that cold, I couldn’t let the bucket stand on its own.  I had to basically build my own cooler.)  I filled it with ice and let the turkey brine on my deck overnight.

I used 2 pots to make the brine and had to chill the bigger pot, using cold water and ice in the sink, to get it down to room temperature.  My house is smelling pretty “briney”.  It’s not a bad smell, just very strong.

Preparing the Beurre Manie:

• 2 ounces butter mixed with 2 ounces of flour until it forms a soft dough
• After adding the flour to the butter, first rub the flour into the butter
• Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a Beurre Manie (compound butter)

Apples and Onions with Sage and Rosemary Stuffing:

• 3 apples, quartered and cored
• 2 onions, peeled and quartered
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 4 sage sprigs

Preparing Some Hors D’Oeuvres

Garlic N’ Chives Cheese Spread:

Bacon Deviled Eggs:

I started my day yesterday at 9:30AM.  I went out and bought all the ingredients and supplies needed.  Then I came home and started to prepare all of this.  I’m hoping tomorrow everything is going to go well and it’s just a matter of roasting the turkey and assembling the side dishes and the hors d’oeuvres.  I’m soooo tired and must go to bed now.  It’s 1:30AM on Thanksgiving!  Happy Thanksgiving!!!  For now….Good night! 

I bought a 19.06 lbs turkey from my local grocer, Giant Food.  It was for 49 cents a pound.  Not a bad deal.  I was contemplating on getting a fresh turkey this year as opposed to the frozen turkey I’ve always gotten in previous year.  I decided to go with the frozen turkey again.  I read an article from Reader’s Digest which said to buy frozen.  It says that according to Norma Ferrell, a consumer-education-specialist at the National Turkey Federation, there is no real difference between fresh or frozen turkeys.  There may be a chance that “fresh” turkeys can be days old by the time you get around to buying them – and can cost 50% more.  Therefore, I decided to save myself some money.

I started to thaw my frozen turkey this morning at 11AM.  I had two choices.  For an 18-20 lbs. turkey I can thaw it in my refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.  If your refigerator is anything like mine and you need all the space you can get, I’d suggest the second option.  I’m still going to have to house the thawed turkey in my refrigerator, but at least the space will be taken up for less time, leaving room for other things.  This is how I’m doing it.  Keeping your turkey in its orginal wrapping (making sure it is not punctured) submerse the turkey in a tub of cold water, breast side down.  Change the water every 30 minutes.  Thawing time is 30 minutes for every pound your turkey weighs.  I don’t have a deep kitchen sink, so what I do is every time I change the water I would change the side that would be on the bottom.

While the turkey is thawing, I can start prepping my dry ingredients and other things I’ll need to get done for the side dishes.  On to the next thing!

Meals don’t have to always be so complicated.  Especially when you’re a new mom and have just gotten back to work and trying to keep it all together.  My girlfriend sent me an email and chatted with me online today asking me to help kick her Chicken Alfredo with Pasta up a notch.

Here’s our conversation:

On 11/19/07, Lily of the Valley <xxxxxxx@gmail.com > wrote:

Dear Recipe Guru, 

I don’t have much time tonight, but I am defrosting some chicken breasts. I want to make a chicken alfredo, but have the chicken turn out a little more “tasty” and either marinated or friend to put on top of alfredo sauce and linguine. Any advice?  Lily of the Valley 

Instant Messenger Chat:  

me:  when do you need it ?  tonight?

LOTV: yes

me: for tonight?  okay let me see what I can do. you want a quick version or a detailed version i can do it a bunch of ways

LOTV: quick!  I’m a mom.  quick quick quick

me: okay so you don’t mind canned stuff right?

LOTV: no

me: you just want the chicken more tasty

LOTV: we have canned alfredo

me: gotcha=]

LOTV: i dont have time tonight to make it fresh and im tired

LOTV: it’s easy then

me:  I’ll get you something in a bit

LOTV:  k thanks

On 11/19/07, GotFood13 <GotFood13@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Lily of the Valley, 

From our brief conversation I was able to gather that you’re not interested in a very involved recipe tonight.  So instead of giving you a recipe, I’m going to help you with kicking the taste of your chicken up a notch.   

Basically boil your pasta as you would usually.  You indicated that you were going to use canned alfredo sauce.  So I’d leave that up to you as far as which brand you like and which you’re going to use.  Start simmering the alfredo sauce in a sauce pan while you work on the chicken.

 The chicken: 

1. Cut your 1/2 lb of chicken breast in to bite size pieces.  (I’ll leave this up to your preferences)

2. Put cut chicken pieces in a mixing bowl.

3. Sprinkle some salt & pepper (2 – 3 small pinches of salt and 2 shakes of pepper)

4. If you have garlic powder sprinkle some on.

5. If you have Italian seasoning, add a dash.

6. Mix the chicken and ingredients.

7. Let sit for about 10 minutes.

8. Heat up a skillet on high heat and add a little bit of oil.

9. Once oil is hot put chicken in and spread out the pieces evenly.

10. Let chicken pieces sit for about a minute before turning.  This is for color and to sear the chicken.

11. Turn the chicken a few times.  Once all the chicken pieces have turned white from cooking, lower heat down to medium and cook for about 8 – 10 minutes or until chicken pieces are cooked.

12. Once chicken has been cooked remove from pan straining the oil.

13. Put chicken pieces into sauce pan with the alfredo sauce simmering and cook for another 10 minutes on low – medium heat.

14. Then serve over your pasta of choice.

I hope these quick tips helped!  Let me know when you leave a comment! GotFood13

On 11/19/07, Lily of the Valley <xxxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks Got Food! 

I’ll try it tonight! 

LOTV

Here we are exactly one week away from Thanksgiving ! I get to host it and I am very excited.  Of course I want everything to be PERFECT.  So far we’re having my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, and my brother and his girlfriend, and one of our friends join us.  This means I have to start planning my menu.  I don’t know why I’m so nervous.  I have done this before.  Maybe it’s the pressure of having it all “Perfect” this year that is making my stomach kind of queasy.

First, I have to determine how big of a bird I want to buy.  Then I have to find the recipe I want to use for my turkey.  Then I have to determine which sides to serve in addition to the regular mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, cranberry relish, and stuffing.  Do I go the traditional route or do I go with some flare?  What is considered traditional anyway?  I also need to get a big pan to cook this big bird in.  Oh just the thought of it all is making my head spin with excitement and then with fear of having a flop.

While I’m planning all this I wanted to share some recipes I’ve relied on in the past.  I was successful in following the recipe and achieving a delicious outcome.

Herb-Butter-Roasted Turkey

Prep:  20 min

Cook:  3 hr 50 min

Servings:  14

Ingredients:

• 1 14-pound turkey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 2 – 3 Tbs. snipped fresh thyme, tarragon, marjoram, and/or rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Remove giblets and neck from interior cavity of turkey; reserve for gravy stock. Rinse bird; pat dry. Cut off wing tips; reserve for gravy stock. Season cavity with salt and pepper.
3. For Herb-Butter Seasoning, combine butter, the fresh herbs, and garlic. Starting at the neck end of the turkey, loosen skin by sliding your fingers underneath it, being careful not to tear it. Slide your hand as far as you can toward the other end of the turkey, separating the skin from the meat. Rub about two-thirds of the herb butter seasoning over the entire breast.
4. Spoon some of the stuffing into the neck cavity. Skewer neck skin to back. Spoon more of the stuffing loosely into the body cavity. (If you pack stuffing too tightly, it will not get hot enough by the time the turkey is cooked.) Tuck drumsticks under tail skin, or tie to tail. Transfer any remaining stuffing to a 2-quart casserole; cover and chill in the refrigerator.
5. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles. The bulb should not touch the bone.
6. Rub remaining herb-butter season over the entire turkey. Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue roasting turkey for about 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until thermometer registers 180 degrees F. Cut band of skin between legs after 2-1/2 hours so the thighs will cook evenly. Bake casserole of stuffing alongside turkey during the last 40 minutes of roasting. During the last 30 minutes of roasting, uncover turkey.
7. When done remove turkey from oven; cover. Let turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving. To serve, remove stuffing from turkey; transfer to a serving bowl. Carve turkey and serve warm. Makes 14 servings.

Recipe source:  Better Homes and Gardens®.  Copyright 2002.  Meredith Corporation.

My quick tip:

Wing tip is the section from the tip of the wing to the first bend.  Don’t make the mistake of cutting off to much of the wing or the entire wing.  I’ve done it!  I read to “Cut of wing…” and cut off the wing then saw “tip”.  :-p

Here is another recipe I have tried in the past which yielded a great delicious turkey as well.

Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

Ingredients:

Brine:

• 1 gallon water
• ½ ounce ground cloves
• ½ ounce ground ginger
• 4 ounces cracked black peppercorns
• 12 bay leaves
• 1 pound kosher salt
• 24 ounces honey
• 24 ounces maple syrup

Additional Ingredients:

• 1 (10-pound) whole fresh turkey, giblets and neck removed and reserved for stock
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 apples quartered and cored
• 1 onion, peeled and cored
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 3 sprigs sage
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 cup cubed carrots
• 1 cup cubed celery
• 1 cup cubed onions
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup Madeira wine
• 4 cups turkey stock, recipe follows
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 sprigs parsley
• Beurre manie (2 ounces butter mixed with 2 ounces flour until it forms a soft dough)
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Reserve the neck and specialty meats for pan gravy. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, depending on the weight of the turkey, in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
4. In a shallow roasting pan, place the carrots, celery and onions. Remove turkey from brine.
5. Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a compound butter. Using your hands, loosen the skin from the breast by gently inserting your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Rub the compound butter underneath the skin. Insert the apples, onions, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey.
6. Place the turkey over the vegetables, breast-side up, in the roasting pan. Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin. Roast the turkey to at least 165 degrees F in the breast, about 2 ½ hours. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.
7. Transfer turkey to a platter and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare pan gravy.
8. Tilt the pan and skim as much fat as possible off the juice with a spoon. Set the pan on 2 burners set on medium heat. Deglaze roasting pan with white wine and Madeira. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce until only a quarter remains. Add the turkey stock, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil and strain into saucepan. Bring back to a boil, skim and lower to a simmer. Whisk in the beurre manie until well incorporated and continue to cook until gravy has thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Turkey stock:

• Giblets and neck from 1 turkey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup port wine
• 1 cup roughly chopped onions
• ½ cup roughly chopped carrots
• ½ cup roughly chopped celery
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 5 peppercorns
• Water, to cover

Instructions:

1. Heat a saucepan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and heat. Ad the neck and giblets and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the port. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the port is almost completely evaporated, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, onions, celery, rosemary and peppercorns. Cover with cold water by 4-inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for 2 hours, adding a little more water, if necessary. Skim any scum that rises to the surface of the stock and discard.
3. Strain the stock. Use immediately, or cool an refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck, 2003.  Copyright 2002 Television food network G.P.

My quick tip:

If you decide to use this last recipe, please be ready for some WORK!  I suggest you do all the prep work the day before.  The brine definitely, and have your turkey soak in that overnight.  Measure all your dry ingredients and set them aside.  Cut up all the vegetables and refrigerate them.  If you’re like me, I start early in the morning.  If you have everything prepped all you have to do Thanksgiving morning is to assemble and stick the bird in the oven and have it cook.

Let me know if you decide to try any of these recipes and how it turns out!  It’d be great to get some feedback!  Just email me at GotFood13@gmail.com or post in the comments section.  Enjoy!