Turkey 101

Thanksgiving!  What a great Holiday to bring out your inner foodie!  I have been roasting the turkey for my family for a very long time.  One year, we were invited to have Thanksgiving at a relatives house, now you may think this was a relief.  It was just the opposite.  What no left overs?  No turkey roaster sandwiches?  It was truly different when we did not have the benefit of left overs.  This year, I am roasting again.  Some of you have this down to a science while others may need a few tips.  Here are some points to consider when roasting a turkey:

1.  How big of a turkey do I need for my Thanksgiving Dinner?  The rule of thumb is to plan on a pound of turkey per guest.  I tend to add more as we look forward to left overs.

2.   How should I thaw my turkey?  The best way is in the refrigerator, and this will take advanced planning.  Here is a chart that will help you with the amount of time it takes to thaw the bird

n the Refrigerator (40 °F or below) Allow approximately 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds
4 to 12 pounds	1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pounds	3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds	4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds	5 to 6 days

You may also use cold water, you must keep the bird at 40 degrees or colder in order to prevent the growth of bacteria.  For more information, a great resource can be found here:  http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/poultry-preparation/lets-talk-turkey/CT_Index

3.  How do I roast the turkey?
  a.  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.  Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
  b.  It is not recommended to stuff your turkey, this makes it extremely difficult to determine if the bird is cooked thoroughly. Stuffing prepared in a separate pan tends to bake more evenly and you have a more appealing dish.
  c.  You will roast the turkey long enough for the internal temperature to be at minimum, 165 degrees.  In order to determine this, you must utilize a meat thermometer and place it in the thick breast of the bird, being careful not to touch any bones.  The following is a chart that gives approximate roasting times:

Unstuffed
4 to 8 pounds (breast)	1½ to 3¼ hours
8 to 12 pounds	2¾ to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 to 3¾ hours
14 to 18 pounds	3¾ to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds	4¼ to 4½ hours
20 to 24 pounds	4½ to 5 hours

**Again, the true test is to be certain the turkey is cooked by temping the meat with a meat thermometer

4.  How do I carve the turkey?

For more information on Roasting a Turkey, here are a few resources:

http://food.unl.edu/safety/thanksgiving-food-prep

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/seasonal-food-saf

"Learn how to cook--try new recipes, learn from your mistakes , be fearless and above all, have fun!"
~Julia Child

Slow Cook Baked Potato Soup

As I am writing this, we are preparing for a "Polar Vortex".  Harsh verbage for cold and wind.  Its time to pull out the slow cooker and put soup on for dinner!  Cold weather tends to be the time of year that I rely on my slow cooker.  I look for recipes that are from whole foods and when there is a recipe I really think looks amazing, I make it from whole ingredients.  One that has been going viral includes a package fo hashbrowns and cream of mushroom soup.  Because I do not typically keep these itmes on hand, it was looking like a trip to the store, then it hit me, I had all the items, just in a whole state.  This is what I came up with!

Ranae's Slow Cook Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 to 5 medium sized potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1/4 inch pieces ( you do not have to peel potatoes unless you would like to)

3 carrots

1 medium chopped onion

3 T butter or margarine

3 T all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. lowfat milk or evaporated skim milk

4 c. chicken broth ( you may use chicken boullion or chicken base)

2 c. water

1 T parsley flakes, dried or fresh (optional)

Directions

1.  Spray inside of slow cook pan lightly with spay oil.

2.  Place cubed potatoes and sliced carrots in slow cooker.

3.  Melt butter or margarine in medium size sauce pan.  Add onions and saute until transclucent in color.

4. Make a white sauce by whisking in flour to the butter and onions. Brown this mixture for 3 to 5 minutes.  Gradually add the milk into this mixture.  Keep stirring until this is thickened.

5.  Pour white sauce over vegetables in slow cooker.  Carefully add the chicken broth and water.

6.  Set slow cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours until potatoes carrots are fork tender.  You may add more liquid, either milk or water if it is too thick.  Season with pepper and salt to your liking.

 1. Potatoes and carrots placed in lightly greased slow cook pan.

2. After onions are cooked, whisk in flour and cook 3 to 5 minutes to slightly brown the flour.

3.  Add milk and stir cooking over low heat until thickened to your liking.

4.  I use chicken base for the chicken broth.  You can control the sodium by choosing low sodium chicken base.  I add it to the correct amount of water and then add it to the dish.

5.  Ready to cook on low for 6-7 hours. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3U1eqtmjWqc

Mexican Lasagna

I love twists on old favorites!  This is a recipe that has been going viral.  I added a little variety.  My favorite thing about cooking is that you can get your creative juices kicked in to high gear.  I would love to hear your ideas on how to change recipes to increase nutrition and reduce the cost of the dish.  With this recipe, you could use 1/2 a pound of hamburger and increase the amount of beans, or leave out the beef altogether.  Also, you could use ground turkey or chicken in place of the ground beef.

Mexican Lasagna Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef                                                         

2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans  

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix                    

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

16 ounces your favorite salsa (optional)   

3 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded                                                                                                    

2 (10 inch) flour tortillas

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375○F.  Spray 9X13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook beef until browned.  Drain off excess grease.  

3. Add refried beans and taco seasoning to cooked beef.

4. Spread half of the beef and bean mixture in bottom of pan.  Top this with ½ of the tomatoes, ½ of the onions, ½ of the salsa and ½ of the cheese.  Top with two tortillas, trim to fit pan if necessary (3 small tortillas work as well for this).

5. Top tortillas with another layer of the beef and bean mixture, tomatoes, onions, salsa and cheese.

6. Bake 35 to 45 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly.  You may garnish top with extra green onions, tomatoes, olives and sour cream if desired.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

1. Chopped Roma Tomatoes

2. Chopped green onions

3. Brown hamburger, and drain off grease.

4.  Add refried beans and package of taco seasoning.

5.  Mix together

6. Place half of meat and bean mixture in bottom of lightly greased 9X13 pan. Too with 1/2 tomatoes, onions, salsa and cheese.

7.  Place tortillas on top. Layer with meat and bean mixture, tomatoes, onion, salsa, and cheese.

8. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

9. Enjoy!

Happy Autumn Solstice AKA Soup!

The air is crisp, the leaves are crunchy and best of all, it is soup time!  I love soup for many reasons:  it's easy, there is typically leftovers in the plan and it is also a great way to use your leftovers.  Perhaps best of all, soups are incredibly healthy.  Even your favorite cream soup can be skinnied up!  Ok, "skinnied" is not technically a word, but I like it better than the term, "low-fat". Skinny is a cute word, low-fat for a foodie spells blah or boring!  

Here is one of my favorite soups, the best part is that you can add and subtract whatever vegetables you have in your garden, refrigerator, pantry or freezer. Note that I begin by sautéing the vegetables in a small amount of oil, this releases the flavor of the vegetables and begins a cooking process.  Let's get started!

Ingredients( keep in mind, add and subtract vegetables to your ,liking)

2 to 3 tbs. olive oil or canola oil

3-5 potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 cups chopped cabbage

3 sweet peppers chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium onion chopped

4-5 medium tomatoes chopped

6 cups chicken broth (I prefer low sodium chicken base, reconstituted)
4 to 6 cups water

1 cup lentils, rinsed

1 to 2 tsp. of your favorite herb: oregano, basil or thyme. 

salt and pepper to tast, remember, slow on the salt!
**If you add more vegetables, you will need to add liquid, either water or more broth.  Also, taste the soup and alter it with more herbs and salt and pepper.

Directions

1.  Heat oil in large stock pot, add first six ingredients and sauté until semi-tender.

2.  Add chopped tomatoes, chicken broth and water.  Bring to a boil.  Add lentils, reduce to simmer.  Cook until vegetables are done, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Add more liquid if necessary and alter the seasonings.  You can choose to place this in slow cooker if you need to.

 Soup is served!  Add a slice of whole grain bread, and some fresh fruit and you have a quick and easy meal!

Lentils: a super food? 

According to Mayo clinic, lentils are grouped with beans and peas as part of the legume family because, like all legumes, they grow in pods. Lentils are high in protein and fiber and low in fat, which makes them a healthy substitute for meat. They're also packed with folate, iron, phosphorus, potassium and fiber.

Lentils come in three main varieties: brown, green and red. Most grocery stores carry brown lentils, usually dried. Green and red lentils may be found at specialty food markets. Here are some tips for choosing your color:

• Brown lentils. The least expensive, they soften when cooked and can become mushy. Use for soups.
• Green lentils. Also called French lentils, these have a nuttier flavor and stay firm when cooked. Green lentils are the best choice for salads.
• Red lentils. The fastest cooking, these lose their shape and turn golden when cooked. They taste milder and sweeter than green lentils. 

They add a lot of nutrition and variety to soups, give them a try the next time you have soup on your menu!

Happy Autumn!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8XJFrP4plw

Put A Little Salsa In Your Life!

My garden is in full harvest mode!  Tomatoes and peppers equal Salsa time.  Tomatoes are relatively simple to can.  Here are a few tips and my favorite recipe for Salsa.

Tips:

1.  Give yourself plenty of time for canning.  While it only takes 10 to 15 minutes to process, you have to prepare the produce and bringing the water to a full boil is time consuming. 

2.  Always start with a clean kitchen.

3.  You will need a few necessary pieces of equipment before you begin

Pint sized jars ( recipes are formulated for pint size jars, using quarts can be a food safety issue as it is a larger volume), jar holder, lid magnet ( the less you touch the items, the less chance for contamination), flats and bands.  

Water Bath Canner

4.  Follow recipe directions carefully, do not alter recipes.  Use USDA, University Extension or Ball/Kerr recipes.  These have been lab tested to insure the proper acidity necessary for proper preservation.

5.  Check for vacuume seals after 12-24 hours of cooling.  Refrigerate unsealed jars and consume within one week.  

Steps for Water Bath Canning

1.  Place rack in bottom of canner.  Fill canner half full with clean warm water.  

2. Center canner over burner and preheat water.  

3.  Fill large pot with enough water to cover pint size jar (you can lay them down on their sides)  bring to boil, place jars ( 2 at a time, more if it is a big pot), flat lids and ring bands.  Take out one jar when ready to fill.  it is important to boil the jars, lids and bands to insure they are sterile and not contaminated.  Fill jar and assemble with flat lid and ring band. Continue process until all of the Salsa is jarred up.

3.  Load filled jars, fitted with lids and ring bands into the canner one at a time using the jar holder.  

4.  Once jars are in canner, add more water so that water level is at least one inch above the jars.  

5.  Bring to a full boil, begin timer and process according to the recipe directions.  Keep canner covered while processing.  

6. Use jar holder and carefully remove each jar and place on cooling rack or towel, do not have jars touching each other.  

My Favorite Salsa

Ingredients:

25 large or 50 medium tomatoes ( I like to use grape or cherry tomatoes)

4 large onions 

2 c. jalapeño peppers ( if you do not want the sauce too spicy, remove the seeds)

2 c. green pepppers ( my garden this year has red, yellow, red and purple, this will work well)

1 c. vinegar

1/4 c. salt

1 tbs. chili powder

1 tbs. sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

**You may peel tomatoes by placing tomatoes in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, run under cold water, peel,should come right off. I typically do not peel mine, I slightly pulse the salsa in my food processor after it has finished simmering and then pack the salsa in the jars.  
Directions:

1. Add all ingredients together.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer salsa 3 to 5 hours.
2. Fill pint jars leaving 1/4 " head space. 
3. Process jars in hot water bath for 15 minutes. ( Remember, do not begin to time until the water is at a rolling boil stage)

Remove jar from boiling water

Use magnet to place flat lid and ring band on jar.  Be sur to wipe off any salsa from the rim of the jar with a clean cloth.

Fill jars and assemble with lids and bands.

Cover jars with at least two inches above the jars.  Bring to a full boil, cover canner with lid, and begin timing.

Remove and do not disturb for 12 to 24 hours.  

Enjoy!

For more helpful canning information, see the following websites:

http://food.unl.edu/preservation/canning

http://nchfp.uga.edu/

Tex Mex Chicken and Quinoa

What's the deal with Quinoa?  It seems to be the latest super food.  Quinoa is a whole grain, but more specifically , it is an edible seed.  As for as the list of nutrients, it is high in protein, a good source of fiber and even has a bit of calcium found in it.  Overall, I would say it does fit the category of being a "super food".  It is easy to prepare and in researching, you can find a lot of different recipes.  The following is a recipe I prepared for my family.  It was the first time we had tasted quinoa, and the results were good.  We wil be trying quinoa again and will try a few different recipes as well. 

Tex Mex Chicken and Quinoa Hot Dish

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil or canola oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 medium green pepper chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, drained

1 c. quinoa, rinsed

2 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 avocado, chopped (optional)

1 lime, just the juice ( optional)

2 tbs. cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Heat oil in pan, add chicken, onion, garlic, and peppers.  Cook until chicken is done and vegetables are fork tender.

2.  Stir in quinoa, chicken broth, beans, corn tomatoes, chilli powder and cumin.  Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until quinoa is cooked.  

3.  remove lid, add avocado and lime juice, and cilantro.Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes to allow liquid to absorb.  

Serve and enjoy!

Notes:  I adapted this from a Vegetarian recipe.  Quinoa is considered a complete protein when combined with the beans, so the meat could be left out.  I would like to try the dish with ground beef.  Also, it would be good to serve in a tortilla like a wrap for a grab and go lunch.

For more information about quinoa, check out this video:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fKLKFVCFyLM 

Happy cooking!  Leave me a coment of some things you use quinoa in, I would love to hear from you!

Spinach Chicken Parmesan

Gardening is both a busy time of year, but the one season as a cook, I look forward to.  The possibilities for dinner are endless!  Here is a new family favorite that included Spinach and it was a hit!

Spinach Chicken Parmesean

Ingredients:

3 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. shredded-parmesan cheese 

1 tsp. Itallian seasoning

1/4 c. chopped onion

2 tbs. butter

4 tbs. flour

3/4 c. low fat milk

2 large mushrooms

1/2 c. fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 c. shredded itallian blend cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop vegetables.  Set aside.  Slice chicken breasts into strips, 4 to 5 pieces depending on size of the breasts.  By slicing them, you reduce the baking time.  

2. Place bread crumbs and parmesan cheese into shallow pan.  Roll chicken strips in bread crumb mixture, press it into strips so it will stick.  Place strips single layered in lightly greased 8x8 baking pan. Reserve remaining bread crumb, cheese mixture to put on top of dish.

3.  Melt butter in medium sized sauce pan and sauté onions until tender. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 1 more minute.  Sprinkle flour into butter and vegetable mixture, whisk and stir for at least 3 minutes to form a roux gradually add milk and stir till thickened.  Do not over cook spinach.  Add 1/4 c.itallian blend cheese and melt into sauce.  Set aside the remaining cheese for top of dish. 

4.  Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken strips.  top with remaining bread crumbs and cheeses. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until top bubbly and chicken is done.

Serving suggestions:  Whole grain bread slice and fruit salad.

Bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese

Chicken breast sliced into strips.

Bread strips in crumb mixture.

Sauté onions in butter until tender.

Add flour and cook to creat roux.

Add mushrooms and spinac at end of sauce, do not over cook!  over cooked spinach is the main reason people typically do not like spinach, it gives it a slimey texture and is not pleasing to the palet.

Pour sauce over chicken strips and top with remaining bread crumbs and cheeses.

Ready to eat!

Served with rice pilaf and fruit salad.  Yum!  My family decided they like spinach!