Cooked From the Heart » Archive
Turkey Soup
So what comes after a turkey feast but the inevitable turkey soup? Here is a very simple version, and it got that turkey carcass out of the fridge. After most of the turkey meat has been devoured and you are left with just the skin and bones, don’t throw it away. Throw it in a stockpot instead, and squeeze the last remaining flavor from it by adding about a gallon and a half of water and boiling it for oh, about an hour. Let it cool, remove the bones and discard. Then strain the remaining broth to remove all solid matters from it. Now you have turkey broth that you can either freeze and use later, or make turkey soup with. To make soup, just add any vegetables you like, I … Read entire article »
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
MENU:Roasted Brined Turkey (How to Brine Turkey)Giblet GravyWild Rice and MushroomsCorn CasseroleMixed Greens (Collard, turnip, and mustard)Green Beans and CarrotsSweet Potato PiePumpkin FlanJade’s Watergate SaladJellied Cranberry Sauce … Read entire article »
Filed under: thanksgiving
How to Brine Turkey
We were a bit leery about having turkey again, and had actually considered having fish or quail, but one, I couldn’t find quail, and The Clone does not eat fish, and I would have had to fix another meat dish for her. So, back to turkey we were. I wanted to try something new, and since I was off on Wednesday anyway, I thought I would try brining the turkey. The result was wonderful! I think this is the best turkey we’ve ever had, it was moist, and most of all the meat was flavored all the way through. Here is the brine I used, combined from several recipes I used for reference: 1 1/2 cup Kosher salt (don’t use ordinary table salt)1 1/2 cup Brown sugar10 whole cloves3 teaspoons peppercorns2 … Read entire article »
Filed under: thanksgiving, Turkey
Wild Rice and Mushrooms
The girls aren’t too crazy about stuffing, and I still had a bit of stuffing in the freezer from our trial run, so we had this instead. It was pretty good! 2 1/2 cups of Wild Rice Blend (mixture of American Basmati, Wild Rice, Brown Rice, and Red Rice)6 oz. Crimini mushrooms, sliced1/2 onion, chopped3 cloves garlic, minced3 tablespoons olive oil3 cups chicken brothSalt and Pepper to taste Heat the olive oil in a pan and sautee the onions and garlic until fragrant. Add the musrooms and cook until they are just starting to brown. Add the rice blend and stir to coat rice with oil. Add the chicken broth and cook at medium heat and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, then lower heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or … Read entire article »
Filed under: Rice, side dishes, thanksgiving
Green Beans and Carrots
This is a very easy vegetable dish, and it is ideal for children. At least, my girls like beans and carrots. I had made the greens a little spicier this time, so I had to make a milder vegetable. 1 lb. Green Beans, cut into half length2 large carrots, cut up2 cloves garlic1/2 onionOlive OilSalt and Pepper to taste1/4 cup water Heat olive oil in a pan and sautee garlic and onion. When onions are translucent, add the green beans and carrots and stir. Add water, salt and pepper and simmer until the vegetables are tender. … Read entire article »
Filed under: thanksgiving, vegetables
Corn Casserole
The Clone loves corn, and this recipe is even better when freshly shucked corn is available. For this version though, I used canned corn since the fresh are nowhere to be found anymore. 1 (15 1/4 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained1 (14 3/4 oz.) can cream-style corn1 (8 oz) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)1 cup sour cream1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl stir together all the ingredients and pour into a greased casserole dish. I used a square 9 x 9 inch glass dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until golden brown. The original recipe calls for cheese to be melted on top, but we are not too keen on cheesy toppings, and I was afraid it would overpower the taste of … Read entire article »
Filed under: casseroles, thanksgiving, vegetables
Momma Dot’s Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie is a Southern staple during Thanksgiving. My husband’s family is not too much into pumpkin pies, but sweet potato pies are a must. It’s just not Thanksgiving without them. My mother-in-law, Dot, made the best sweet potato pie, not too sweet, not overly spiced. Like most good cooks though, she didn’t have a recipe; she just cooked by feel. When it felt right, then it was time to put it in the oven. This is one of of her recipes that I cajoled her into sharing with me. For some reason that I find strange, many Southern cooks don’t like to share their recipes. So one occasion when she was making these, I watched her and approximated the proportions. She was so funny, because once in a … Read entire article »
Filed under: desserts, pies, Southern, thanksgiving
Pumpkin Flan
Here is my version of the Pumpkin Flan, thanks to Drstel for the idea. If you want to see step by step instructions, go here. For the final product and original recipe, go here. I didn’t have a 2 quart dish as the recipe recommended, I had a 1 1/2 pint round oven safe dish, so I used that but I ended up having some left over batter. So I put it in another, smaller dish, and that is what I unmolded and photographed. Plus, we got to sample before dinner. This is simply delicious, and very easy to make. … Read entire article »
Filed under: desserts, thanksgiving
Jade’s Thanksgiving Watergate Salad
Today I slept in a good while, but after that and some errands, I got around to making some Watergate Salad for tomorrow. So here’s the recipe. Watergate Salad: 2 packages of Jell-O Pistachio Pudding (4 servings ea.)1 (20 ounces) can crushed pineapple + one 8 1/4 oz. can3 c. miniature marshmallows12 oz. Cool Whip8 1/4 oz. mandarin oranges1/2 c. pecans-chopped (optional) Stir the pudding mix (don’t do the things on the box, just put in as is), pineapple, (with only a small amount -about 1 tsp.- of the juice because if you put all of it, like some recipes say, the consistency will be to watery instead of thick like mine) marshmallows and nuts, and mandarin oranges in a large bowl. Fold all the ingredients well and then gently fold … Read entire article »
Filed under: desserts, Jade, Southern, thanksgiving
Stir Fried Chicken and Asparagus
I actually wanted to make chicken stirfry with fermented black beans, like the one CeliaK made, but when I went to go cook, I realized I didn’t have any black beans, so I cooked it anyway and just pretended like it had ‘tausi’. Well, another improvisation, but it still worked. 1 whole chicken, cut up chinese style into bite sized pieces1 onion sliced5 cloves of garlic, minced1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch length1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce1 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce1 cup water2 tablespoons oil1 teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in about 1/8 cup of water Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Add garlic and ginger and stirfry until fragrant, then add onions and stirfry for another minute. … Read entire article »
Filed under: chicken, stirfry, vegetables
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