Turkey Left Overs?

Greetings Everyone! I know you are wondering what to do with your left over turkey, right? TURKEY POT PIE

6 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons flour 2 cups turkey or chicken broth 1 cup milk or heavy cream salt, to taste 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 4 cups cubed cooked turkey or chicken 1 lb. frozen peas, carrots and onion mixture 2 Pillsbury pie crusts or 9" home-made Preheat oven to 425°F.In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat with the pressed garlic cloves. Whisk in the flour and cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually stir in the broth until absorbed. Add the milk or cream slowly, stirring constantly so that lumps don't form. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over low heat (low simmer) until the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes (may be made a day ahead). Thaw the frozen peas, carrots and onions for 15 minutes. (Note: If you're unable to find peas, carrots and onion combination, use 12 oz peas and carrots with 1 whole fresh onion, chopped). Lightly butter or spray with non-stick spray a deep dish pie pan or shallow casserole. Line the bottom of the pie plate or dish with one of the pie crusts. Add cooked cubed turkey and the vegetables. Pour in the gravy mixture. Cover with the upper pie crust and flute or crimp the edges, if desired. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Pie

The BEST Pumpkin Pie Your Ever Ate
Paula Deed w/ Peg Christensen
I took this recipe and made it really pretty by enhancing the crust and cut out oak leaves of pie crust dough both large ones for the middle and small ones layered around the edge and brushed with a little water to make them stick. I took a tooth pick and traced some "veins" on the large leaves and sprinkled with large grain  white sugar to make them sparkle. Feel free to use store bought prepared dough if you are in a hurry. (Just don't tell!)
Super Pie Dough: The New Best Recipe cookbook from Cook's Illustrated (must have)


2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 c chilled vegetable shortening
12 tablespoons chilled butter
6-8 tablespoons iced water
Put dry ingredients in a food processor and blend. Add vegetable shortening and pulse until coarse. Then add butter pieces one at a time pulsing one second at a time until small bits of butter can be seen about small pea size. Then sprinkle 6 tablespoons of water over mixture, then with a spatula, fold it over and over until it sticks together. Do not over mix, it will get tough. Add up to 2 more tablespoons but not more! You just want it to stick together into a ball. Divide dough in half, pat between two sheets of plastic wrap  in a four inch disc and chill for one hour up to two days ahead of making pie filling. This dough is tricky to handle and the key is to keeping it cold working quickly. Whne you roll it our don't use too much flour. You can do it!Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 1- 8 oz. package of cream cheese softened
• 2 c. canned pumpkin
• 1/2 c. light brown sugar (you can use all or either or  a combination of brown or white sugar)
• 1/2 c. regular sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg plus two egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 c. half and half
• 1/4 c. butter melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 pie shell (see method for blind baking technique below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Make pie dough or use pre-made dough, put into a 9 inch pie pan (TIP: put 2 tsp flour in the bottom of the pan prior to placing dough in pan to prevent sticking)
Pinch or crimp edge or cut out leaf shaped pie dough and place along edge. Use a sharp knife to create veins in the leaves. Overlap dough leaves one about half way over the other all the way around edge. Use an egg and water wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Put pie shell in the freezer for 1 hour.
Take out of the freezer and cut a piece of aluminum foil to the size of the bottom of the pie pan with a one inch lip to hold pennies or pie weights or beans to go half way up the sides. Put on the bottom rack of the oven bake for 10 minutes, remove pie weights and bake another 10 minutes. Make sure your filling is made and ready to put right into the shell and bake.
Filling:
Beat cream cheese, add pumpkin, beat until all combined. Add sugar, and salt, then add eggs mixed in one at a time, add half and half and melted butter. Then add vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, beat until well incorporated. Pour into shell and continue to bake for 50 minutes.  Remove and place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Make  the day before and refrigerate until one hour prior to serving. Serve with a generous amount of whipped cream.  You won't believe how fabulous this is!

The Best Oatmeal Cookie

Now that the crisp cool weather has finally gotten here, pumpkin bars, oatmeal cookies, ginger snaps and other hearty fall treats are in the forefront of our minds. Not to mention stews, soups and home made muffins and breads. Here is an oatmeal cookie that has a magic ingredient that makes it chewy and you cant tell its in there!
I will be adding stews and soups and some main meal items soon.
If you are not careful the dough will be gone before the cookies get baked!
This prize winner is the ultimate in chewy, buttery, bet you cant eat just one cookie, ever!

1 c butter softened

2 c flour

2 c old fashioned oats

1 tsp salt

2 tsp soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 c nuts, (pecans work the best)

1 c coconut (that is the magic ingredient)

Cream together sugars butter and eggs and vanilla well, mix dry ingredients in a bowl and gradually add to creamed mixture until blended. Bake at 325-350 for 12-14 minutes (do not over bake) Cool on a wire rack. As a gift idea get large Chinese carryout boxes, line with parchment paper stack a dozen cookies and give to a friend. The box is darling and they will want the recipe.

The Question of Cranberry Sauce

So, what's the deal with cranberry sauce? 

It's really pretty simple. Cranberries have huge flavor and antioxidants and are super intense in color. Some folks even admit they like the ocean spray canned gelatinous stuff!  But it is an inexpensive garnish and it is lovely with turkey. it's great mixed with a little cream cheese on a bagel turkey sandwich. Yum! So here is a super simple version. It thickens on it's own so no need to add any cornstarch. It's the pectin in  the fruit which make it thicken naturally. I like to add orange zest and chopped pecans as well. BUT, too much zest can make it bitter so go light on the zest! 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces cranberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup orange juice

Directions

1. In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

What is the difference between a Bisque and Chowder?

Follow the links to a Great Soup Spot: All About Bisque Soups
Soup History and Recipes

Want to know more about bisques came about and find some really great recipes for Bisque Soups ? Well, you've come to the right place.

A bisque is a type of soup that is rich, thick and creamy in texture. It's been pureed to give it that smooth taste and is traditionally made with cognac or wine, cream and a blend of spices to flavor seafood. Bisques, as the name suggests, was first found in France. Today, however, you can find bisques all over the world and with a huge variety of flavors - not necessarily having to do with seafood, either.

If you are making a traditional bisque, it would go something like this: saute seafood in a heavy pan and then add the broth. The broth is made by mixing wine with your soup stock and a variety of spices in the pan. The seafood (still in it's shell if crustaceans are used) then simmers in this aromatic base stock until cooked through. Once cooked, it is then puréed (shells and all) in a food processor.

After being puréed, cream is added to the mixture. As it cooks, the cream helps to thicken the soup into the desired consistency. Now it's ready to be served and you can garnish with some beautiful cracked pepper or sprig of parsley.

Bisques are not limited to just seafood these days. Now, you can find bisque soup recipes in all kinds of flavors and with all kinds of ingredients. Look at the end of this article for a fewgreat recipe ideas.

There is a big debate about the origin of the word, bisque. There are some food historians that think the word refers to the fact that this type of soup is cooked not once, but twice. Others believe that the origin of the word is related to the Bay of Biscay. The type of food from Biscay usually includes spicy ingredients similar to those used in bisque, but also in another soup called Biscay. Biscay Soup uses heavily spiced game birds in a recipe that mirrors typical recipes for bisque.

Another interesting fact about bisque is that it's considered a close relative of another kind of soup called Chowder. Chowder is also a creamy soup, most of the time a seafood soup. The difference between bisque and chowder is that chowder has thick chunks of ingredients in the rich base, while the bisque has a creamy, smooth texture. To read more about bisque's relative, go to our Chowder Soups page.
Bisque is often served at high-end events because of it's smooth, creamy texture, complex and interesting flavors, and beautiful colors. One of the most popular bisque recipes is Lobster Bisque. Because of the long cooking process involved, Lobster Bisque has a wonderful many-layered flavor. Today's way of cooking means that the lobster shell gets removed. However, old-time traditionalists believe that bisque is not truely bisque without the finely puréed shells that serve to thicken the soup.

Personally, I'd leave out the shells!  Now you know!

Soup up Your Life!

I LOVE Soup!

Yep, soup is the ultimate comfort food to me. Butternut squash, chicken chowder, black bean or chile, I love making soups. For one reason they are easy and very forgiving. When else can you toss a bunch of stuff in a pot, throw a bunch of seasoning, meat and some veggies and end up with something that warms your soul and tummy? 

So how do you make great soups? I have learned over the years that building layers for deep interesting flavors is very important.  

I once went to a soup class and discovered I needed to learn how to caramelize onions to lay a better foundations for many of my soups. The second thing I leaned in how to marry subtle flavors and textures to build the soup. Creaming soups by using an "in the pot" soup blender instead of putting cream into it. 

More recipes to follow!

Pots & Pandemonium~ How much should good cookware cost & what do I need?

Knowing how to equip your kitchen is not for the faint of heart! There are so MANY super, dandy, and colored types that often we  get overwhelmed. We are told we need SETS of  pots and pans and that you MUST have a ton, so you are left holding your head thinking what DO I really need to have a good basically amount ans types of pans, pots and cookware to have an adequately equipped kitchen to get started? Where to most home makers start? Ah! Gift registries for Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond ? Yeah! They will help me list what I want and and need! Right? And then there is Williams and Sonoma, and Nordstrom's for the higher priced stuff. Sometimes folks have a tendency to  focus on  brands or color coordinating rather than prioritizing what you need for the core  foundational pieces.  Even more importantly knowing the amount of  of TIME you have to devote to cooking and the assessing the level of cooking knowledge or proficiency can make a big difference in your choice and budget.

Do you want to learn to be a great cook or baker? Then your equipment needs to be specific. Wouldn't it be great for someone to create a beginner, moderate and experienced cooking packages like a "kitchen in a box"? Or perhaps " beginning baker in a box". Depending on how you would rate your level of experience? Kind of like "bed in a bag". 

Maybe you want to keep it simple, use a crock-pot, and forget the rest? I am here to tell you it does not take a lot, just good basics. Beginners should consider having the following:

Beginner's Kitchen ( If Some Had Only Told Me 35 years Ago!)

1. Measuring  tools-cups,spoons,metal and plastic and some extra large wooden stir spoons, and extra separate tablespoons and teaspoons.

2. Spatulas, that are silicone heat resistant, at least 4-6. Some small little skinny ones to get in small places.

3. Bowls- lots of nested ones from small to extra large one. Some plastic, metal and ceramic. Pick up a bunch of cheep ones at discount stores like TJ Max, Marshall's and Dollar stores. Always go white or clear and stainless and you won't have to try to match anything. Shallow, deep,oval, round  and square shapes dishes you can use for anything. You can prepare food in them and serve in them as well. 8-12 of everything at a minimum.

3. Flatware- a set for at least 12-24. I know it sounds like a lot but you will never regret having lots. Buy extra forks and teaspoons and soup spoons. Done. Stay super simple not real stylized.

4. Dishes- Plane white or cream  ROUND dinner plates, ROUND desert plates and soup/salad bowls.  Three finger handled coffee mugs. All plane, solid white or cream. Trust me, this is like a canvas for everything else. Really, trust me, you may tire of any solid colored ones you get, they chip and show a white ceramic core and look tacky fast. You can add  some accent pieces later!

5. Table linens- Get lots of white table cloths and napkins. Hand the table cloths on a hanger in a closet so they are always ready for use. You can add  rich color in a lot of other ways with place mats and fabric table runners and napkins. Most importantly you can bleach the heck out of them, iron them up, use them over and over and they will always feel like you are ready for company, they are elegant and environmentally friendly. You also need to gather over time a few colors that will take you through most seasons and holidays: Black, Red or Burgundy and Green.

6. Cookware- I am not a huge fan of set of pans but you will need 1 small fry, 1 medium fry, 1 large fry skillet, 1 dutch oven, 1 large soup pot, 1 small pot, 1, & 2 & 3 quart sauce pans, and 1 medium non-stick Teflon type.  One cast iron medium to large skillet.

TIP: Try Tramontina Cookware which you can get at Walmart or Target for darn good prices. But be aware price has it advantages and disadvantages. You will have to really watch your temperatures more carefully with lower priced pots and pans.

DO NOT BUY ALL ALUMINUM PANS~It is generally agreed they leech too much metal into the food you make and it is unknown what that does to folks over time. Better to stick with stainless steel.

7. Baking Dishes- Stick with basic white, or cream, stainless or clear glass with lids. 1- 6x6 size,

2-9x13, rectangle 1-8x9 square 2- 9 inch round all about 2 1/2 inch tall.

8.Cookie Sheet, Muffin Tins and a pizza pan- Two good quality cookie sheets, and one regular muffin tin and a jelly roll pan ( a cookie sheet with sides).

9. Knives- All knives need to be sharpened! Don't believe anyone who says differently! Get a middle of the road chopping knife, a bread knife, a carving knife and fillet knife and two really good paring knives and a set (yes this is a set exception, of steak knives 8. Use the knives as they are intended for and don't just grab any knife to do any job. You will wear them out quicker, bend them or ruin them. Get a sharpener of some sort and keep them sharpened!

10.  Misc-You will want to get a peeler, grater, and a strainer as well and you should be set to cook a ton of stuff without getting any thing else.

There are so many choices that it can make you feel as if picking up take-out may not be such a bad idea! But don't succumb to that notion. You can do it just keep it simple and think sturdy and functional more than style an you will do great.Though buying SETS is not my favorite thing, this is definitely one you won't go wrong with. They are called Tramolina. Though All Clad is my favorite and will last your life time they come at a premium price. All high end kitchen stores carry All Clad.

You will find another brand called Tramolina at Walmart, Target, and online Amazon.com which are great places to take a look at them quickly, and if you want to touch them and feel the weight of them you can find them usually in stock. They offer  a variety of different affordable cookware that looks really nice, but often are really crappy. So hopefully this will shorten your failure to land on a good set without going through a bunch of losers One consideration is you also need to think about the handles. 

They are not covered so most often you will need a hot pad or silicone glove to handle lids. Since the handles have some length to them you can handle them most often without. The use of aluminum pans is now not recommended but because aluminum is such a great heat conductor it is still used as a light weight metal in the core of most cookware. Most boast of double or triple- layer some-thing or another, which may use copper as well . 

The biggest problem with most  inexpensive cookware I have experienced is uneven cooking or "hot spots" when using certain pans. There is also the issue of whether you cook with gas or electric. Most pro's prefer gas. It's easier to control the temp and turn off the heat without having to move the whole pan off the burner. But I have cooked on a pretty modest electric range tops most of my life and done fine. Well, those are my suggestions for stocking a basic kitchen. Hope it was helpful. Tell me what you would add, delete or think I am crazy for suggesting! Happy cooking!