Turkey Bisque....(Light Version)

A healthy delcious way to use the turkey carcass and last bits of meat



turkey carcass
4 cups turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup diced onion
4 minced garlic cloves
1 or 2 stalks celery, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (we use 2%)
2 Tablespoons butter
olive oil for sauteing veggies
salt, black and white pepper, crumbled dried sage, thyme,  and marjoram
1 cup or more of chopped left-over turkey
nutmeg
dry sherry


Break turkey carcass up as much as possible and simmer it in stock in a covered soup pot for an hour.    In the meantime saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in a skillet with a tiny bit of olive oil.  When the veggies are tender, stir in the flour and add your seasonings of choice.  Turn off heat and let veggies rest.  When carcass has finished simmering remove all carcass from stock using tongs.  Add sauteed veggies to stock. Stir in left-over turkey meat and milk.  Heat this mixture and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Stir in butter, nutmeg, and a splash of dry sherry if desired.

Easy Beer Crust Pizza (no hand kneading or rolling out)

Dough that has risen for 8 hours in glass bowl

Dough on Parchment Paper as toppings are added

For one 12 to 14 inch pizza:

2 cups Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
6 oz. pilsner or lager beer
several tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
large glass bowl
sturdy spoon for stirring and kneading dough
plastic wrap
parchment paper
pizza stone
large spatula
large cutting board
pizza peel is also helpful

pizza sauce and toppings of your choice

Stir together flour, salt, and yeast in large glass bowl.  Add beer and stir to blend this very dry mixture.  Add water a tablespoon or so at a time and incorporating into the dough to form a slightly sticky but firm dough.  (note: your dough will be much moister after the rising process so be careful not to add too much water).  Work the dough with the spoon for several minutes so you stretch the flour gluten.  Then use the spoon to create a ball of the dough.  Top dough with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and use your hands to roll the dough around in the bowl and coat outside of dough with the olive oil. (your bowl will have a little dough sticking to the bottom and sides).  Place a  short sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough to prevent the dough from drying out during the rising process.  Next, cover the bowl itself with another sheet of plastic wrap and then cover bowl with a towel so dough is in the dark.  Allow dough to rise and rest undisturbed for at least 8 hours.

When you are ready to make the pizza, prepare a large sheet of parchment paper by drawing a 12 to 14 inch circle on it with a pencil then flip the paper over . . . .you will be able to still see the circle to help guide you into making a round pizza but the pencil mark won't be on what you eat.  Put the parchment paper on the pizza peel if you are using a pizza peel (if you don't have a peel then put the parchment paper on the large cutting board).  Preheat your pizza stone on lowest oven rack (the closer to the bottom of the oven, the more your crust will crisp).

When the oven reaches 500 degrees, you are ready to work with your crust.  Uncover the bowl and pour the other 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil around the edge of your dough where you can gently dip your fingers in the oil as you gently gather the dough and move it to the center of your parchment paper circle.  The dough will be very bubbly, sticky, and mushy . . . that is a good sign.  Using your finger tips gently press the dough in all directions to get it to fill in the circle . . . it is OK to dip your fingers in olive oil again if you need to do that . . . .it is also OK for your dough to look rustic . . . you do want the dough to be an even thickness where you will put the sauce and toppings, but I like to build up the outside crust edge so the pizza appears kind of thick on the outside.

Next, add your sauce and toppings.  Then carefully transfer the pizza on the parchment paper to your stone in the oven.....this is very easy to do with a peel, but it can also be done by pulling and guiding the paper off of a cutting board . . .make sure to center the pizza on the stone.

Finished Pizza

Your pizza will be done in 14 to 16 minutes.  Use a large spatula to help you get the pizza off the parchment paper or you can simply pick up the parchment paper and put it on your cutting board and then slide the pizza off the parchment paper.  Slice and enjoy.
  This recipe was adapted from Rick Bayless who lives in
Chicago . . . over time I have changed his recipe.
http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/salsa-verde-pizza-with-goat-cheese-and-bacon/

Brussels Sprouts in Tamarind Dressing with Toasted Pecans and Dried Cranberries

Jon and I enjoy the Stumbling Steer’s Brussels sprouts that are similar to the one improvised below.  The major difference between theirs and ours is they use roasted peanuts and toasted coconut instead of the toasted pecans and dried cranberries . . . . made either way is divine.

Tamarind Vinaigrette

• 2 Tablespoons canola or grape seed oil
• 2 Tablespoons  thinly sliced garlic
• ½ teaspoon Thai chiles, minced
• 2 teaspoons tamarind paste (more if you really like it)
• 1/4 Cup  sugar
• 2 Tablespoons  chopped ginger
• 2 Tablespoons  fish sauce
• 3 Tablespoons  lime juice
•    Kosher salt, to taste

Mix all these ingredients together and set aside.

In a skillet toast ½ cup of roughly chopped pecans in a teaspoon of butter.  Set aside.  Measure out 1/3 cup of dried cranberries and set aside.

15 to 20 Brussels Sprouts halved or quartered if they are really large

In a large skillet brown the cut Brussels sprout halves in a couple of tablespoons butter.  This will take some time over medium heat so just allow them to brown over about 8-10 minutes undisturbed.  When the sprouts are browned on cut side then flip the sprouts over and add 2 minced cloves of garlic and a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Next add Tamarind Vinaigrette to pan and cook Brussels sprouts in the vinaigrette until tender and liquid reduces to make a sticky glaze.  Then stir in the toasted pecans and dried cranberries and cook 1 minute longer. 

Serve either hot or cold.

Roasted Sunchokes with Brown Butter-Cider Vinaigrette

Recipe written by Jamie Malone

Chef Jamie Malone makes a tangy, lush and slightly spicy vinaigrette that is delicious on sweet sunchokes and fresh spinach. 

(copied from Food and Wine Magazine December 2014)

1. 2 pounds sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3. 4 thyme sprigs
4. 8 garlic cloves, crushed
5. Kosher salt
6. 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
7. 2 tablespoons minced shallots
8. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
9. 1 teaspoon honey
10. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
11. Black pepper
12. 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
13. 1/4 cup chopped chives

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. On a baking sheet, toss the sunchokes, oil, thyme sprigs and garlic and season with salt. Roast for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender. Discard the thyme sprigs and garlic. Transfer the sunchokes to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, cook the vinegar over moderate heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the shallots, crushed red pepper and honey.
3. Wipe out the saucepan. Add the butter and cook over moderate heat until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the butter into the vinegar mixture and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the spinach, chives and vinaigrette to the sunchokes; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Serve warm.

Louisiana-Style Hot Sauce

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking

• 1-1/4 lb. fresh red chiles, such as Cayenne, Tabasco, Habanero, Thai, or Serrano
• 4 medium cloves garlic, sliced in half and peeled
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 tsp. ground celery seed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar

Tip:

Capsaicin is the compound that makes hot chiles hot. It can irritate your skin, so be sure to wear gloves when handling chiles. Ventilate the kitchen, as well, to keep the chile fumes from building up and becoming too intense
 Roast chiles on parchment lined baking sheet in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally until they are slightly charred and tender. There is no need to peel them, just remove stems before chopping and blending . . . .since they will be put through a sieve there is no point in peeling. Don’t seed them. Put the chiles, garlic, basil, oregano, celery seed, a big pinch of salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the vinegar through the feed tube and process until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and season to taste with more salt. Transfer to bottles. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Make Ahead Tips

The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 month.

Lemon Ice Cream Pie

Scrumptious!

Ingredients:
8 oz room temperature cream cheese
small can of condensed milk
small jar of lemon curd (about 8 oz.)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons of lemon or orange marmalade
4 tablespoons of orange liquor
10 oatmeal/walnut cookies (made from cookie recipe on this blog without the raisins)
1/3 cup sugar

Basically I made the cookies first, but you could actually buy good quality crunchy oatmeal cookies.

To make the pie I started by whipping very cold cream with an electric mixer until it was slightly thickened and then put it in the freezer while I made the other part of the filling.  Next, in a separate large bowl I beat the cream cheese with the electric mixer and gradually added in the can of condensed milk so I didn't create lumps as I continued to beat.  Then I added one cup of the partially whipped cream and returned the rest of the whipping cream to the freezer.  I beat the cream cheese, condensed milk, and whipping cream mixture to combine and then added in the jar of lemon curd, orange marmalade, and 3 tablespoons of orange liquor and beat this mixture until smooth.

Next I crumbled half the cookies and lined a large ceramic pie tin bottom with the crumbled cookies . . . I broke the other cookies in half and stacked them around the edge of the pie pan so the rounded edges showed.  I then poured the pie mixture on top of the cookies and smoothed it out.  Then I finished the topping of the pie by beating the other cup of whipped cream with 1/3 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of orange liquor until the cream was the consistency of a loose whipped cream topping.  I then topped the pie with the whipped cream.

Once constructed I put the the pie uncovered in the freezer for 2 hours for it to set before covering it with plastic wrap.  I then allowed the pie to be frozen for 24 hours before slicing into it so the flavors could come together.

To serve the pie, I topped slices with brandied cherries that we bought at American Spoon.