Herb-Brined Turkey and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I've been riding the wave of leftovers from Friendsgiving almost two weeks ago and am looking forward to later today when I can spend the holiday with some new friends. I've already tried some pumpkin pie ... I made it last night and had some extra filling, so what's an extra little pie for breakfast?!

It's a bummer not to be with family this year, but on a day of Thanksgiving, there's plenty to be grateful for. I'm counting my blessings. A few things I'm thankful for this year: my family, good friends spread all around the country, a warm apartment, this mug of coffee...an internship that's challenging and stretching and fun and interesting, new friends and a new town to explore. What are you most thankful for this year?

Even though you've all got your menus planned, your ingredients prepped, some dishes pre-baked or in the freezer, and even though you'll be waking up soon to get it all in the oven as you wait for guests (or travel to wherever you're lucky to be spending Thanksgiving this year)...I'll share some of my tried and true recipes for Thanksgiving. For next year's list of dishes (which I've already started)! I'll start with the star of the show ... the turkey!

Herb-Brined Turkey and Gravy
*note: this recipe is for a 12 to 14lb turkey. My turkey this year was just over 20lbs, so for the brine, I just threw in a few extra cups of water and cider, and a few extra carrots, celery, and herbs. You can't mess it up...really. I got the recipe over here.

Ingredients
Butcher's twine
An instant-read thermometer
A large bag for brining (I triple-bagged small garbage bags, but you can pay extra for one of the brining bags at the store)
Roasting pan with rack
Aluminum foil

For the brine:
7 quarts water
1 quart apple cider
3/4 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large onion, diced
1-2 carrots, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 head garlic, cut in 1/2 equatorially
1/2 bunch fresh rosemary
1/2 bunch fresh sage
6 bay leaves
1 turkey (this is for 12 to 14 lbs)
*Note: if you use a frozen turkey, make sure to start thawing the weekend before Thanksgiving. It takes 24 hours for every 4 pounds of turkey that need to thaw. You have to plan ahead on this - there's no way to speed this process up!

For the herb crust:
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 bunch fresh sage
3 sticks butter, at room temperature
Kosher salt

For under the turkey (aka the makings for future gravy):
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 small carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 apples, cut into 1/2 inch dice
5 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 bunch thyme
Kosher salt
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups apple cider
All purpose flour (probably 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, depending)

Directions
To brine the turkey:
*Note: do this two to three days before Thanksgiving

1. Combine all of the brine ingredients in a large bag or container. Add the turkey and let it brine in the refrigerator. 
*Note: this wasn't the easiest method, but it worked for me with regard to materials on hand and space! I triple-bagged fresh garbage bags and placed the turkey inside. Then, I added all the brine ingredients and tied each bag tightly closed. Then I placed it in the roasting pan, then in the refrigerator for its veggie-and-cider bath.

To prepare the turkey:
*Note: do this the night before Thanksgiving

1. Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the liquid and other ingredients.
2. Pat it thoroughly dry (both outside and inside the cavity)
3. Whir the rosemary and sage in a food processor until finely chopped. Then add the butter and your desired amount of salt to the processor and mix until well-combined.
*Note: you can also finely chop the rosemary and sage and then mix it with salt into the butter with a fork.
4. Work the butter under the skin of the turkey and massage into the turkey breasts and legs.
*Note: you can slowly separate the skin from the breast by gently lifting at the cavity and slowly sliding your hands in between the skin and flesh. Once loosened, you can add the butter.
5. Massage butter on the outside of the skin, covering the entire turkey
6. Tie the legs together over the breast with kitchen twice, and tuck the wings under the breasts.

7. Put the onions, carrots celery, garlic, apples, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and thyme in the bottom of a roasting pan.
8. Season generously with salt.
9. Arrange the roasting rack over the veggies, and then place the buttered turkey above.
10. Keep the turkey and veggies in the refrigerator overnight ... and keep it uncovered! This helps the skin get really dry so it browns nicely tomorrow.

On Thanksgiving Day:
*Note: check out Butterball's cooking time chart for how long to cook your bird. It's nearly dead on.
11. Allow the turkey to sit on the counter for awhile to bring down the temperature...about one hour.

12. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
13. Put two cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan.
14. Roast for approximately 40 minutes until skin is golden brown.

15. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.
16. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted between the thigh (not touching any bone!) reads 165 degrees.
*Note: baste with pan juices a few times during cooking.
**Another note: Tent with aluminum foil once the skin hits your preferred doneness. This will prevent it from burning but allows the turkey to keep cooking.

17. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for approximately one hour.
18. Once cooled, remove from roasting rack and place on a cutting board.

19. Now,  discard the veggies through a strainer, reserving the liquid in a medium bowl.
20. Skim off the fat with a spoon and add to the roasting pan.
21. Put the roasting pan over two burners over a low heat and whisk the flour into the fat.
22. Cook four to five minutes until it looks like wet sand.
23. Slowly whisk in 1 cup apple cider and the turkey stock (you can add additional chicken stock if needed).
24. Cook, whisking continuously, until thickened. 
25. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

26. Carve the turkey and serve with that delicious gravy!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Yup. It's been five months since my last post. And so much has happened since those crispy fish tacos graced my table! In May, I finished all my classes that I'll ever take at Pepperdine. I spent months planning a move and gathering all my dissertation data, finishing up countless reports at work, and enjoying the last weeks of California sunshine. Then I went through the painful process of saying goodbye to my dear friends on the west coast and moved halfway across the country to Springfield, Missouri. In August, I started internship at the coolest place ever. I've gotten used to this new town, made new friends, watched several dear friends and family members get married. I've traveled by plane and road trip, spent weekends in Chicago (still my favorite place), packed and unpacked only to pack up again. And in the midst of it all, I've made some great food!

But it's gonna take me awhile to catch up on here. So for at least the next several posts, I'll be sharing with you recipes I made throughout the summer (and even before). And here's the first one ... a tried and true and delicious recipe for buttermilk biscuits. Eat them with jam, bacon, melted butter ... ah! I've tried so many different biscuit recipes, and none have worked as well as this one. Some turn out hard and puck-like, others get a weird color as they bake, and yet others taste bland and flour-y. But this one, oh this one, the fluffiness, the butteriness. It's too good, you gotta try it! (as shared here)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, very cold
3/4 cup buttermilk, cold

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Cut the butter into small cubes and cut into the flour until course.
4. Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Don't overmix here!
*Note: you can also do this in a food processor by pulsing just a few times to bring it all together. This ensures the dough stays cold.

5. Lightly flour a surface and dump dough out onto the floured board.
6. Knead the dough a few times to bring together (with floured hands to avoid sticking). Gently pat the dough flat until 3/4- to 1-inch thick.
*Note: do this lightly and quickly to avoid warming up the dough. You want that butter and buttermilk to stay cold so that the biscuits rise and get fluffy in the oven. If it gets too warm, that  might not happen :( and how sad would that be?

8. Using a round (floured) cookie cutter, cut into rounds. You can re-roll the scraps, but keep them cold!
9. Brush tops with melted butter.
10. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden on top.

Note: you can freeze the cut biscuits (pre-baking) and then remove frozen, baking at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Crispy Fish Tacos

 Happy Memorial Day! I'm celebrating by F I N A L L Y getting back to the blog (I've sure said that a bunch this year, huh?). 

It's the official kickoff to summer, and I can't think of a better way to start off the season than with a quintessential summer dish ... fish tacos! I found this recipe over here and have altered it oh-so-slightly to suit my tastebuds. 

Ingredients
1 hefty filet of white fish (I've used cod and halibut)
1 1/2 cups  beer (I use Corona)
1 cup flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
Generous sprinkles of ground chipotle, adobo, and cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil
Flour tortillas

Avocados

Lime wedges

Queso fresco

**Pickled red cabbage

***Chipotle mayonnaise

Directions
1. **Place shredded cabbage in a small bowl and top with vinegar (I have used rice or red wine vinegar). Sprinkle generously with salt and sugar, and toss with a fork to combine. Set aside to pickle (lightly) while you prepare the rest of the dish.
2. ***Place desired amount of mayonnaise in another bowl. Add desired amount of diced chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce), a squeeze of lime juice, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and ground peppers. 
4. Add minced garlic and beer, and whisk.
*Note: mixture will froth, but continue whisking until thick and settled.
5. Place panko breadcrumbs into another medium mixing bowl.

6. Preheat vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees.
7. Meanwhile, cut fish into strips (approximately 2 inches x 1 inch)
8. When oil is ready, use one hand to dip fish into beer batter.
9. Allow excess batter to drip back into the bowl and then transfer to the bowl of panko.
10. Using your other hand, toss fish in panko and then place in frying basket.
11. Place several pieces of fish at a time in the frying basket and place in hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, approximately 5-8 minutes per batch.
12. Line a large plate with paper towel and place fried fish onto plate while you fry the rest.
13. Repeat until all fish is fried.

14. Shred queso fresco, slice avocado, and section limes.
15. Now, assemble your tacos!
16. Serve with a cold beverage and *bam!* you've got summer on a plate.

Cooking Club: Farmer's Market

It was a small group of us who gathered for cooking club one month this fall, but that didn't stop us from having a feast! We walked together to the farmer's market in my neighborhood and bought all our ingredients fresh from the market. We had fresh pasta with a yummy sauce, fresh mushrooms and other veggies, yummy lavender- and lemon- goat cheeses spread on thin crackers, and this stone fruit salad. You couldn't resist the mounds of fresh stone fruit piled up at one of the stands in particular. So we packed up our grocery bags and headed back to the kitchen to put it all together! Here's one of the things we made:

Ingredients
Peaches and/or nectarines
Apricots
Plums
Raspberries
Granulated sugar
Fresh mint

Directions
1. Thinly slice the stone fruit and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Sprinkle with granulated sugar (depending on ripeness, you don't need much) and toss evenly into fruit mixture.
3. Add raspberries whole.
4. Julienne the fresh mint and sprinkle on top.
5. Toss well and set aside for 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.
*Note: as the fruit sits, you'll likely notice some juices pooling at the bottom. This is good...the sugar is driving some of it out!
6. Toss again right before serving to coat in all that sugary juice. Enjoy!
*Note: another option is to grill the stone fruit by cutting each piece in half and brushing with honey. Then grill until soft and slice into a mixing bowl.

Dill Fingerlings and Honey-Mustard Parsnips

It's March ... and I'm posting a recipe that's very clearly from a summer cookout. So sad, I know. Sad for this little blog that I have neglected it so in the last 12 months. But it's been an absolutely crazy year ... mostly in a good way! But I'll get to that later. 

Last summer, I got to spend a bunch of time back home, and it was so nice. I love my family - and when we get together, it's always a blast. We listen to music, we eat, we play games, we go out on the lake, we play more games, we eat more food. This particular weekend we gathered for a summer cookout, and we traversed the Oshkosh farmer's market in the hopes of finding some stuff to cook up.

My mom typically cooks everything, and the rest of us contribute a few things here and there. Scott mixes the drinks and grills the burgers, Chris makes the most amazing appetizers you'll ever have (so good that we oftentimes are full before the main course gets put out!), Craig somehow makes meatless, cheeseless food taste as good as if it were dripping with bacon fat and covered in cheese. In the last few years, I've been trying to contribute more and more. And fortunately, my mom's letting me. So for this meal, while she made up the food and Scott grilled the burgers, I got to cooking some sides. And here they are...simple, delicious, and all fresh from the Oshkosh farmers to our table.

Dill Fingerling Potatoes

I've been making these little nuggets for years, thanks to my girl Ina Garten. They are so easy but absolutely my favorite way to cook a potato. They're soft inside, crunchy outside, with the perfect amount of salt and mmm mmm mm that fresh dill. Try it out:

Ingredients

2 tbsp. butter

1 1/4 lbs. fingerling potatoes

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. You'll need a heavy bottomed pan (I find a Dutch oven to work the best).

2. Melt the butter in the Dutch oven and meanwhile, rinse the potatoes.

3. Add the potatoes whole (not peeled, sliced, diced, just whole), and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper.

4. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and shake vigorously to coat the potatoes in the butter.

5. Cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender. 

*Note: while cooking, resist the urge to open the lid! You don't want any of that precious steam to escape because it's what getting those potatoes nice and ready for you.

6. From time to time, shake the pot to ensure that the potatoes don't burn to the bottom.

7. Turn off the heat and allow the potatoes to steam for another five minutes

8. Open and toss with the fresh dill. Serve!

Honey-Mustard Parsnips 

This recipe I actually got over here, and it's a roasted chicken recipe with parsnips as a background star. And it's delicious. But when you find cute little parsnips at the market that are just asking to be slathered in honey and eaten up, you've got to improvise!

Ingredients

Parsnips

Vegetable stock

1 tbsp. whole grain mustard

1 tbsp. honey

Olive oil

Fresh thyme

Directions

1. In a large skillet with a lid, pour enough vegetable stock to coat the bottom and go up the sides maybe 1/2-inch. Bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, wash and peel the parsnips.

*Note: if  you have little guys, just leave them whole. But if they're on the larger side, peel and slice into sticks.

3. Once the stock is boiling, add the parsnips and cover. Cook until just shy of fork tender (time will depend on the size of the vegetables).

4. Remove from stock and add a touch of olive oil to a fresh skillet.

5. Place parsnips in the new skillet and toss with honey and mustard.

6. Saute until well-coated and browning on the edges.

7. Sprinkle with fresh thyme (or parsley) if desired. And serve!

Asparagus-Gruyere Tart and Two Salads

I have the best sister a girl could ask for. People say that, I know, but I'm actually right on this one. I got to stay with her for nearly a month this summer and it was so much fun. Her then-fiance (and my now-brother, Erik) and their dog Jackson, with whom I had a mixed relationship until August, were gracious enough to take me in for four weeks. I learned a lot about them this summer, living in a two-bedroom apartment. I learned how hard they work - long hours, bus rides to the loop from Lincoln Park, jobs that were in flux but are now settling in; how loved they are by their friends, and they have many - always with somewhere to be or someone to see on the weekend; and how you can fall in love with a fuzzy puppy who at one point bit your hand but who knows just how to turn on his puppy dog eyes and win you over.

One of my favorite times were the weeknight family dinners we had. Since I had the month off and spent most of it prepping internship applications and working on my dissertation, I was able to search Pinterest and my favorite foodie blogs for fun recipes that could accommodate our varying diets: my sister's vegetarian, Erik is not, and I don't really like chicken. I know, it's a quirk.

So here are a few things we had for family dinner.

Asparagus-Gruyere Tart
(so slightly adapted from here)

Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
5-6 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 bundle thick asparagus
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface into a 16x10" rectangle. Trim off the uneven edges to make a square.
3. Place pastry on a baking sheet and lightly score 1" from the edges to mark a rectangle. Also, pierce the center of the pastry with a fork.
4. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, shred the gruyere cheese and set aside.
6. Remove pastry from oven and sprinkle with the cheese.
7. Trim of the bottoms of the asparagus and shave with a vegetable peeler to remove the outer layer. Arrange in a single layer over the Gruyere, alternating ends and tips to make a pretty pattern.
8. Brush with olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper.
9. Bake until asparagus is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes (depending on how thick the spears are).
10. Serve hot or at room temperature.


Fig & Gorgonzola Salad

Ingredients
5-8 fresh figs
1 ripe pear
1 bunch green onions
1 package baby arugula
4 oz. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Vinaigrette (I like Girard's Light Champagne the best)

Directions
1. Rinse arugula, pat dry, and arrange on a large serving plate.
2. Toss with desired amount of vinaigrette.
3. Slice figs into 1/4" pieces (slicing from stem to bottom) and arrange on the arugula.
4. Slice pears into 1/4" pieces and arrange with the sliced figs.
*Note: I cut the pear in half, then half again, then slice off the parts nearest the core and seeds. Then I slice them thinly to desired width.
5. Slice green onions, both the white and green parts, and sprinkle over the salad.
6. Crumble gorgonzola cheese on top and serve.

Tomato & Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients
Fresh heirloom tomatoes (or vine-ripened)
Fresh mozzarella
Red wine vinegar
Granulated sugar
Salt and black pepper

Directions
1. Slice the tomatoes to desired thickness and place in a small to medium mixing bowl.
2. Add desired amount of red wine vinegar, a sprinkle of sugar, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
3. Let marinate for 10-20 minutes.
4. Remove from marinade and arrange on a platter.
5. Slice fresh mozzarella and arrange on top of the tomatoes.

Crusty "No-Knead" Bread

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven? Yes...bread that you don't have to knead over and over, that you don't have to worry about rising improperly, that you don't have to worry about being too soggy on the outside or too dry on the inside. And this is it...it just requires some forethought the night before to get the dough going, and you can bake it off the next morning.

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Instant or Rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 cups water

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and yeast.
2. Add water and mix until dough forms (it will look shaggy).
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 to 18 hours (overnight is great).

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
5. Place cast-iron dutch oven (with the lid) in the oven, and heat for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, remove dough onto a floured surface and shape into a ball.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit while the pot heats.

8. Remove pot from oven and drop in the dough. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
9. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and place bread on wire rack to cool.

*Note: I only tried a generic white bread. But the blog where I found the recipe suggests some of the following combinations: cheese breads (pepperjack, sharp cheddar, asiago), jalapeno cheddar, raisin/walnut/cinnamon, pumpkin seed/sunflower seed/poppy seed, rosemary/lemon/gruyere, lemon/thyme/asiago, mixed herb (rosemary, chive, thyme).
**She suggested the following sample measurements for a loaf: to the recipe above, add 3/4 cup dried cranberries, zest of one orange, and 1/2 cup sliced almonds. Mix and add the 1 1/2 cups water.
***Another variation measurement: zest one lemon, chopped rosemary, 1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyere.