Brine it, baste it, behold it: My Favorite Turkey-Part 1

Behold it!

This my favorite roast Turkey recipe. It has its roots in Martha Stewart (who I think should adopt me) and in my own brand of cooking alchemy.  This year will be my sixth year roasting this juicy, golden yummy piece of Thanksgiving heaven.

The brine has simple ingredients. The turkey is basted in butter and wine as it roasts--it is picture perfect and tastes beautifully as well.

Plan on ordering a fresh turkey from a local farm in early November. Or picking up your frozen turkey from the grocery store a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Pickings can be slim in the days right before the big day. A good rule of thumb is to provide 1 1/2 -2 pounds of turkey per person. If your turkey is frozen, start defrosting it early and allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey.

Some things you need before you dive in--a brining bag or a super large stock pot that your turkey plus brine can fit in; space in your fridge for stock pot; cheese cloth; a roasting pan with a raised rack;  a silicon oven safe brush and a meat thermometer.



Brine it

Brine it!

Brining results in moist, flavorful meat. It works, apparently, through reverse osmosis and diffusion. I could pretend to fully understand this (this is why Nana needed Granddad and my Uncle Allan--for these techie issues), but I just know it works and the meat is tender, juicy and yummy. Cooks Illustrated has a fabulous explanation; just don't get caught up in the fears of non-crispy skin--we will get to that later.

You will make the brine on Wednesday morning, let it cool, and then put the turkey in the brine and refrigerate until Thanksgiving morning.

Here's what you need:

• Your turkey--I usually get a 15-18 pounder. This recipe will work for more or less weight.; remove the giblets, save if you are into that and keep the tag from the turkey that lists the weight
• 3 cups coarse salt
• 5 cups sugar
• 2 medium onions, skins on, washed and coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, leaves on, coarsely chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• Couple sprigs fresh thyme
• Handful of fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

Grab your enormous stock pot and put all ingredients (EXCEPT FOR THE TURKEY) in with 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat, let the brine cool completely. 

Grab your bird and place the turkey breast first into the stock pot (or toss the whole caboodle in a brining bag) with the brine and cover (use the lid or plastic wrap). Place everything in the fridge for up to 24 hours. 

Next up: Part 2--Baste it and behold it! 

Take a Time Out!: Thanksgiving Place Mat

So, I love this from the new Blog, Take a Time Out! A great craft if you have a bunch of little one's to keep busy on Thanksgiving. Adorable!

Take a Time Out!: Thanksgiving Place Mat: "Looking for something to occupy an hour or so of your child's time? Here is a great Thanksgiving craft idea that helps show your child all ..."

Ain't no shame in Stove Top: Eight simple steps to a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Chloe's first Thanksgiving in 2009-my little sleeping Turkey. 

Anyone who knows me that I am both disorganized and highly creative--a toxic, yet super fun mix.  Cooking and feasting and celebrating, however, bring out my inner-organizational diva (even if she is wearing mismatched socks).  Whether at my house or my parent's home, I cook the Thanksgiving feast every year with the help of anyone who isn't scared of being bossed around and who won't comment on my unique sock choice.

Try these eight simple steps to a fabulous and organized Thanksgiving and you have plenty of energy for Black Friday shopping!

1. Brainstorm your menu 
Gather a stack of cookbooks, magazines, recipe boxes, entries from your favorite websites and blogs and of course, all the yummy food on Nana's Fabulous Life!  Ask yourself--who are your guests? What dietary restrictions am I up against? How many are coming? What foods are must-haves?  Make a list.  Be sure to include appetizers, beverages, main entrees,  sides, bread, dessert and even ideas for using leftovers.  Make your list big--later you can pare it down.

2. Turkey or Tofu?

Lily, Thanksgiving 2008, feet up.

A big roast turkey is the obvious choice for a main dish--but maybe something else suits your guests or you just don't like or want to prepare an entire turkey or you want some variety or you are a vegetarian.  Other fabulous Thanksgiving options include: fried turkey, the scary and fascinating Turducken, ham, tofu turkey, baked ziti, macaroni  and cheese, turkey breast, turkey london broil or even something totally different. The options are endless--pick what appeals and serves you--not what is traditional.

3.  Ain't no shame in Stove Top

Take a critical eye to your list and turn it from brainstorm to menu. Decide what items you will cook, what you will ask guests to bring and what items you will buy pre-cooked or nearly pre-cooked. There are so many great and simple options--like Stove Top. Who cares whether you chopped up the stale bread for stuffing or opened a box and added water--it is good. And don't be afraid  to ask guests to bring something for the meal--your Great Aunt's famous sweet potatoes will make the meal a family meal and save you valuable time. 

4.  Raid your pantry

Now you've made a list. raid your pantry--see what you already have on-hand and can incorporate into a menu. Check your freezer, refrigerator and spice cabinet, you will be surprised at what inspiration and ingredients you already have. As you go, feel free to edit your menu a little--maybe you have a boat load of string beans and can swap out the roasted carrots. 

Also check your china cabinet and kitchen for serving platters and the necessary cooking gear. If you are missing something critical--like say, a roasting pan, add it to your shopping list. If you plan to have a formal table setting, check on your cloth napkins, silverware and dishes--make sure you have enough for all your guests. 

Cooking in my PJS. No socks this year. 

5. Plan your time
Look at your menu and your shopping list and make a timeline of shopping and preparation. Don't leave everything until Thanksgiving eve or morning or 1 hour before dinner. Work cleaning and catastrophe into your timeline--you need a clean kitchen to function and a cushion for when you accidently light something on fire or the dog steals the turkey, etc.

6. Prep for leftovers
I know this sounds overwhelming--but really it saves a load of hassle and Black Friday grocery shopping. When planning your Thanksgiving shopping list, make sure to add plastic food storage containers (great for you and great for guests to take away leftovers) and any special ingredients you may need to make your leftovers work for you. I always make Turkey Clubs for lunch the next day, so I make sure I have bacon, bread, lettuce and tomato. If you plan to make broth from the turkey bones, grab what you need to make the stock and the soup. Think through your leftovers and make it part of the plan.


7. Let go of your "Darlings"
My favorite college professor, Dr. Marra, always told me that I needed to let go of my "darlings." He was talking about those fine little details and lovely little bits that I had trouble editing out of my writing. For Thanksgiving, let go of all your "darlings-" let go of the expectation that everything will be perfect, let go of last minute and maybe unnecessary items on your shopping list, let go of everything homemade and embrace the Stove Top. It will all be okay and much more fun.

8. Give Thanks
Cooking, organizing and cleaning are really time consuming and exhausting and can be stress inducing--but you have a meal to cook, a menu to organize and a house clean. So many others don't. Give thanks, first, last and everywhere in between. And laugh. Really, if life was a sitcom, a towel on fire and a dog who consumed an entire 23 lb turkey would be really, really, really funny. And you will be thankful for the chance to laugh.




Check out all of Nana's Fabulous Life Thanksgiving recipes, tips and crafts! Click Here

Kitchen Quickie: Key West BLT

Lily, 13 months old in Key West (not in a bar).

When Lily was a baby, Mike and I went to Key West. I clearly remember our first meal--in a bar on Duval Street with, well, our baby. It was ridiculous. But we were hungry after a long day of travel and bar food fit our appetites. I ordered this amazing Shrimp BLT--it was perfect--a Key West spin on a classic.

This makes a great lunch and takes just a few minutes to pull together. Since I am a bit of a food diva, I love that this meal is a little extra special--who wants a plain jane sandwich?!  I always seem to have some shrimp in my freezer that I can defrost under cold running water quickly.

The recipe makes one sandwich--you can up size it to accommodate your crowd!


Ingredients:
Crusty bread (try sour dough or something else fun)
6 medium shrimp, defrosted, peeled and tails removed
1/2 of one lime
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 slices of uncured turkey bacon
3 thick slices of beefsteak tomato or other slicing tomato (I used an heirloom yellow beefsteak)
4 leaves of romaine or leafy green lettuce
Mayo

Put it together:
1. In a grill pan or skillet, cook bacon. Crack some black pepper over top of bacon (makes it yummy!)
2.  Toss raw shrimp with the juice of the lime, kosher salt and pepper. Grill/sauteed shrimp along side bacon, about 3 minutes a side, until cooked through.
3. Toast the bread. Smear each slice of bread with mayo, top with a slice of lettuce, tomato slices (sprinkle with kosher salt), pile on shrimp and bacon.
 4. Cut in half. Grab a beer. And enjoy!

In Season: Squash Ravioli in Sage Brown Butter

I first laid eyes on the Kitchen Aid mixer pasta maker attachment when Mike and I were registering for wedding gifts. Frankly, it frightened me. I had visions of mangled pasta dough in a rainbow of colors stuck to the ceiling--a nightmarish scene in which the cat and I were entangled in sticky, inedible dough. There was flour everywhere and well, no one was going to eat homemade pasta anytime soon.

Seven years later and I am still without my pasta maker attachment--so a good Nana-in-training must improvise. For this ravioli recipe, you just need a package of won ton wrappers. For about $3 or less, you can get 50 of these handy little squares of dough that are perfect for wontons, dumplings and of course, homemade ravioli.

For the filling, I made use of squash puree from our Galeux d'Eysines squash. You can use any winter squash you like from butternut to pumpkin. You could even skip the fresh puree and use a can of pumpkin puree (although it won't taste as fresh!).

And the best part: you can make a bunch quickly and freeze it--it cooks up in a few minutes and makes it a great meal to bank in your freezer. This recipe yielded about 30 ravioli.

Ingredients:

1 cup squash puree

1 large egg

1/4 cup romano cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

pinch of nutmeg

Salt/Pepper

60 won ton wrappers (which is about 2 packages)

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped sage leaves

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Steps to yumminess

1. Place squash puree, egg, romano and ricotta cheese and nutmeg in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Make your ravioli, filling each with 1 heaping tablespoon of squash filling. Follow directions here (Ravioli making 101). Freeze ravioli (flat) for at least 30 minutes. You can leave any ravioli that you don't intend to cook in the freezer.

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add ravioli and cook until it floats-about 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it--the ravioli will explode if you overcook.

4. While ravioli is cooking, melt butter over high heat (in a large pan). Add sage and cook until butter begins to brown and sizzle. Remove pan from heat, whisk in balsamic vinegar.

5. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove ravioli from cooking water and place directly into brown butter sauce. Serve immediately.

A fab side for Squash Ravioli: I died and went to Rouge Salad.

Techniques: Homemade Ravioli 101

Making homemade ravioli can be super fast and super impressive using store bought won ton wrappers. These handy little packages of dough squares are inexpensive.

Here are step by step instructions on filling your own, homemade ravioli.

1. Grab your won ton wrappers, a couple cookie sheets, a small bowl of water, parchment paper and the filling of your choice.

2. Line each cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. Lay out won ton wrappers in a single, non-overlapping (no touching!).

3. Then add a scoop of your filling--typically about 1 tablespoon-2 tablespoons a wrapper. Place the filling right in the center of the wrapper.

4. Moisten a finger tip with a small amount of water. Draw a line on water on the outside edge of each won ton wrapper. Just do a couple at a time (you don't want the water to dry out before you top it!

5. Then place another won ton wrapper on top, smoothing the edges right up to the filling. Try to gently smooth out any air. Moisten your finger tip again and trace along the outside of the top won ton, to seal. Continue until all raviolis are filled and sealed.

6. Place cookie sheet of completed raviolis in freezer for at least 30 minutes--the longer the better. When raviolis are frozen, you can remove from cookie sheet to cook in boiling water (3-4 minutes until floating and remove with slotted spoon) OR freeze on cookie sheet overnight and then place in freezer bags for a future meal.

Kitchen Quickie: I died and went to Rouge Salad

Back in college, Mike worked at the swanky and marvelous restaurant Rouge on Rittenhouse Square. Mike learned so much about food and I got to partake in amazing, gourmet meals. One of my favorite dishes: the Bibb and Endive salad. This salad was topped with crunchy, spicy cashews and creamy roquefort cheese. It is simple and yet tastes complex and well, to quote Lily, "fancy!"

My version of this salad pulls together in less than 5 minutes! It is a quick and sophisticated side dish--perfect for Fall meals and for company. Instead of cashews, I use pre-packaged sweet and spicy pecans from Trader Joes. I love these pecans--they retail for $3.99 in South Jersey and really add a wow to the salad. You can find various sweet/spicy nuts at your local grocery store if there is not a Trader Joes nearby.

Ingredients:

• Spring Mix (I love the versions of pre-bagged spring mix that include fresh herbs. Trader Joes has a version as does Earth's Best Organic)
• Dried cranberries
• Sweet and Spicy Pecans (from Trader Joes or substitute something you find locally!)
• Gorgonzola cheese (or you can use plain jane bleu cheese. Not a fan of the bleus, try feta)
• Balsamic Vinaigrette or, if you want to be super fancy, truffle oil and balsamic vinegar

Pile a generous handful of Spring Mix onto your salad plate. Top with a sprinkling of cranberries, pecans and cheese. Drizzle about 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette on top OR drizzle with truffle oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt/Pepper to taste.