Turkey Day Madness

Ok I know it's a little late but better than never. I just have to brag about how well my turkey day went. It was absolutely amazing! We were expecting a large crowd this year, but who knew how many we'd actually end up with. Hubby's family is great however they can never seem to get their plans lined up even the day of an event. So just in case we bought the biggest turkey the store had, a great big 20 something pounder. And like always hubby's family bailed out and itwas just be my side but that's ok 'cause that meant more leftovers for me! Ok enough blabbing and on to the good stuff. The menu, I really wanted to do it up this year since it was the first year we would be hosting Thanksgiving and I had new place settings and serveware. I had to make my table look fabulous, well as much as I could on a Walmart budget, and I think I achomplished it. Anyways here's what was on the menu.....

Served on cold salad plates: Pear, Walnut, and Blue Cheese Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Cranberry - Pear Chutney

Buttermilk Brined Turkey - now I used the Williams-Sonoma Turkey Brine, this stuff is amazing! I love just opening it up and smelling it. All the flavors are perfect, made the whole house smell absolutely wonderful while I was prepping my bird. I also am a huge follower of the buttermilk marinade for any type of poultry so I went ahead and did Williams-Sonoma's recipe.

Here's my beautiful turkey bird! (Oh I didn't fill it with stuffing)

You have to get this stuff for your turkey! I imagine you could prolly make some yourself but I don't really think it'd be cost effective unless you already have all the spices.

Oyster and Cornbread Dressing (old family recipe that mom brought)

Reisling Gravy

Creamed Spinach
I wasn't thrilled with this version of creamed spinach either. It was supposed to be a "copycat" of Boston Market's version but it still fell flat in my opinion. It just wasn't creamy enough. So this make year 2 that I've struck out with the creamed spinach. I believe I'm going to start going through recipes this year in order to find the perfect one for next year.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
No real recipe to this one, just add butter, buttermilk, salt and
pepper and mix to your desired consistency.

Strueseled Sweet Potato Casserole

This is always a show stopper! And who would have guessed it was a CookingLight recipe? Now granted its still not great by any means but its a far cry from the overloaded candied yams we're all familiar with but tastes so much better!

Brussel Sprouts (mom's specialty, I think they're a mustard and parmeasan)

Dad's Deviled Eggs (dad's specialty)

Rolls (brother brought)

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

This was by far the best cheesecake I've ever made. And I mean really made, we're talking homemade and baking in the oven then chilling. I modified the directions a little by accident, added all the sugar in at once but you really couldn't tell the difference. And the crust was so different, everyone loved it. You must try this recipe.

So here are a couple pictures of our yummy table before we all sat down. Please note my brother's girlfriend was the first to sit down, very ready to digg in :) Oh and my lil monster in the back alreday scarfing down mashed potatoes!

I hope everyone had a happy and health Thanksgiving with friends, family, and those they love!

Already Married Chicken

The legend behind this dish is a little sketchy, some date this as 22 years back but others state this as a recent phenom but we do know that in its January 2004 issue, Glamour printed instructions on how to make Engagement Chicken, a dish that at that time had inspired the boyfriends of three women to pop the question. Since then the magazine has received numerous letters from women who say this simple meal was the magic trick that got them a rock.

“I made Engagement Chicken for my live-in boyfriend and less than two months later, I’m wearing a wedding band. This chicken is serious stuff. But please keep me anonymous — my husband doesn’t know he was reeled in by a chicken!” a Woburn, Mass., woman wrote to Glamour recently.

So what is so special about this recipe as Adapted from Marcella Hazan’s More Classic Italian Cooking? This simple and easy dish is basically one whole chicken, lemons and seasoned with salt and pepper so how could a plain chicken make a man pop the question?

I believe it's all about the setting, and the scene. There is something about pulling a whole roasted chicken out of the oven, picture June Cleaver, and doesn't every man deep down want his very own June Cleaver? But still why would the chicken make a man propose marriage? Jon Suder, said the well-dressed bird put marriage on his mind because it seemed like a wifely concoction. "It's a meal your wife would make. It got me thinking," said Suder, who now has three children with the chicken-maker.
While I did not cook this concoction up to get my ring, I have cooked this since and I have to agree. My man did swoon at the sight of his little wifey looking like June Cleaver or Martha Stewart. But since I am already married I realized that I needed to spiffy up this basic chicken in order to really impress my man. So after a little research and guidance from the queen of the home herself, Martha Stewart, here's my "Already Married" (but I want a great gift or bigger ring) Chicken.

Menu: Already Married Chicken, rosemary roasted potatoes and lemon butter asparagus

Already Married Chicken

Marinate the chicken for at least four hours and as long as two days for the best flavor and texture. A salt rub not only seasons the meat but tenderizes it as well.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup coarse salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 five-pound roasting chicken
Gremolata (see below)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 fresh, or dried bay leaves
4 lemons, quartered lengthwise, plus 3 lemons halved (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine salt and lemon juice. Loosen the skin of the chicken from the flesh. Rub mixture under the skin and in the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; chill at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours, turning occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse all of the salt off the chicken with cold water; pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine gremolata and softened butter. Rub two-thirds of the gremolata mixture under the chicken's skin; rub the rest on the outside. Stuff the cavity with the bay leaves and the quartered lemons.
4. Place chicken in a large roasting pan, breast-side up. Tuck the tips of the wings under the bottom of the bird. Transfer pan to oven. After 40 minutes, baste. If using lemon halves, place in pan, cut side down. Cover chicken with a 14-by-18-inch piece of aluminum foil. Reduce heat to 375 degrees.
5. Cook, basting occasionally, until the skin is crisp and golden, 40 to 45 minutes more. The juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced; an instant-read thermometer should register 170 degrees.in the deepest part of the thigh when done. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gremolata

• Zest of 6 lemons, grated or finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped roughly fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots (about 2 medium shallots)

On a cutting board, chop lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and shallots until well combined.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture)
1/8 cup good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.

Lemon Butter Asparagus

Ingredients:
24 thin asparagus spears
1 lemon
2 tablespoons butter
Olive oil
Kosher salt

1. Wash asparagus and line them up on a cutting board with the tops even. Cut off tough bottom ends.
2. Bring a skillet or oval casserole filled half full with salted water to boil. Dump in asparagus all at once.
   
3. When water returns to the boil, cook asparagus until crisp-tender, about 1 to 3 minutes, depending on size. Drain. Return asparagus to hot pan, squeeze lemon juice over top. Add butter and a drizzle of olive oil, tossing to coat. Add kosher salt, to taste. Serve immediately.

Once everything is ready place on a candle lit table and serve up this fancy but simple chicken dinner. I'd even open up a bottle of white wine.

Now if you're feeling really happy homemaker go ahead and make a sweet dessert to wash it all down with. Possibly and apple pie with vanilla ice cream or maybe a chocolate cake.

Crockpot Chicken Piccata

If you haven't figured out by now, my family survives on quick fix meals. I absolutely love the convenience of microwavable meals but the quality and content of them can make even the hardest at heart jump out of their skin when you read the labels. The sodium content alone is usually enough to make me start to sweat so to my husband's discontent I've been refraining from buying those go-to dinners. Nowdays I come home from the store and he looks around asking "well what did you buy?", because he doesn't see anything he can grab and eat out of the box. But I know that not only are our homemade meals healthier they are actually cheaper. Because my man can eat and those out-of-the-box meals end up only satisfying him as a snack, whereas I can make much more myself! Case in point is tonight's recipe. Michael Angelo's dinners are absolutely amazing. I love them, what can I say, they're the next best thing to homemade, HOWEVER, they cost an arm and a leg. I usually buy a 2 pack of their Chicken Piccata at Sam's for about $12.00, and we end up eating both packs for 1 meal. Whereas I can make my own with twice as much for less than $5.00! So after a little research and compiling a few recipes I've created a yummy Crockpot Chicken Piccata.

Menu: Crockpot Chicken Piccata, garlic mashed potatoes and seasoned peas

Crockpot Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:
4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered
1/4 cup drained capers
1/2 can of diced tomatoes

Set your crockpot on low for 6 to 8 hours, depending on your time requirements.

1. Place chicken in zip-top bags and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until 1/4-inch thick.
   
2. Remove chicken from bag and season all over with salt and black pepper.
   
3. In a shallow dish (or plastic bag), combine flour, lemon zest, paprika, and garlic powder. Mix well. Add chicken and turn to coat.
   
4. Remove chicken from flour mixture and shake off excess flour.
   
5. Add chicken to crockpot. Add lemon juice, wine and chicken broth. Add artichoke hearts, tomatoes and capers.
6. Allow to cook thoroughly, once chicken is cooked through you're ready to serve. If the sauce is too running use the cornstarch trick.

When your chicken is done prepare a box of garlic mashed potatoes per its directions and pop a bag of seasoned peas in the microwave. I like Bird's Eye Garlic Peas. Plate your chicken, potatoes and peas! What a yummy home cooked meal!

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Menu Plan Monday - September 8

Phew last week was a whirlwind! As a former waitress I will say with great emphasis that I was in the WEEDS! Mostly it was while at work so by the time I got home I was to tired to do anything. You should see my house, it's a wreck. On second thought I'd never let anyone see that disaster. The Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas were delicious, a little too sweet for our tastes though. I think next time we'll leave the remaining marinade out of the cream sauce. Other than that everything went just as planned with the exception of my sandwich on Saturday. I forgot to take the meat out of the crockpot before I left for the rehearsal and of course hubby didn't even think about it. So that was a bust. I'll be trying it again another time when I can babysit it. This week should be calm in comparison so I'll be trying out lots of new yummy meals.

Monday
Dinner: Pan-Seared Salmon with Pineapple-Jalapeno Relish served with coconut rice

Another great CookingLight recipe: Tangy, spicy and fruity, this inviting recipe belies its simple preparation. Seed the jalapeño pepper if you prefer a milder dish, and serve over coconut rice accompanied by a crunchy salad.

Recipe and photo courtesy of CookingLight.com


Tuesday
Dinner: The Best Lasagna Ever!, crisp ceasar salad and garlic bread
I'm always looking for a great lasagna recipes, not sure why it's been so hard to find one that I'm in love with, so I'm giving the Pioneer Woman's lasagna a shot. Seems pretty simple and simple is always a win in my book.

Recipe and photo courtesy of PioneerWoman

Wednesday
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Piccata, garlic mashed potatoes and seasoned peas

My take on chicken piccata, adding artichoke hearts and using my favorite cooking convenience, my crockpot.

Recipe and photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com


Thursday
Dinner: Chicken Spaghetti and steamed green beans

Another recipe from the Pioneer Woman. I'm trying out some of her recipes because I know she feeds a large crew and well I need all the leftovers I can get this week since the boys will be fending for themselves this weekend.

Recipe and photo courtesy of PioneerWoman


Friday - Rehearsal for tomorrow's wedding, I'll be home late but the boys will have stuff ready for them.
Dinner: Crockpot Apple and Onion-Stuffin' Pork Chops with Orange-Pineapple Gravy

Found this recipe on the FoodNetwork but I think I'm going to play around with it and turn it into a crockpot recipe and add boxed stuffing to it. I'm not making any promises on this concoction but in my head it sounds delish!

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Saturday - Another wedding so the boys will be fending for themselves.
Breakfast: FFY
Lunch:FFY
Dinner: Leftovers

Sunday
Breakfast: Orange Pecan French Toast Casserole (you'll think you died and went to heaven)
Lunch: Sandwiches, if we really need anything after breakfast
Dinner: "Already Married Chicken", roasted potatoes and asparagus (an advanced version of "Engagement Chicken" for those gals who have already "scored" their man and are looking for a diamond upgrade or of course just want to be sweet)

And of course here's your shopping list for the week....

September 8th Shopping List

As always, stay turned for the recipes to be posted bright & early each morning, or the night before.

Kid Friendly - Sloppy Joe's

I originally tried this recipe out from Cooking Light, and it was so yummy. But I thought it was a bit time consuming. Instead of making this sauce from scratch it would be much simpler, although not as healthy, I could just use store-bought sauce. So that's what I end up doing the majority of the time. Again since it's all about reheating for the hubby, I'll be making the meat mixture Tuesday night.

Menu: Sloppy Joe's, oven fries and cottage cheese

Kid Friendly Sloppy Joe's

Ingredients:
1 can of sloppy joe sauce
1 can of corn
1 small white onion
1 green bell pepper
1 to 2 lbs of ground beef (or venison)
4 hamburger buns

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes.
   
2. Add meat to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in sloppy joe sauce.
   
3. Reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
4. Spoon about 1 cup meat mixture on bottom half of each hamburger bun; cover with top half of each bun.

Oven Fries: I'd suggest preparing these first and then letting them cook while you get the sloppy joe's ready. Pre-heat your oven to around 425 to 450. Take 4 large baking potatoes and cut into medium thick wedges. Place wedges on a baking sheet and drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle with some chili powder and salt. Cook for about 20 minutes or until they are nice and crispy. Remember you want them all to sit flat on the sheet, don't overload the sheet or they're steam and not crisp. Once they're done, remove from oven and sprinkle with salt.

Now your fries and sandwiches are done so plate them up, add a dollop of cottage cheese sprinkled with salt & pepper and you've got a scrumptious sloppy supper!

Picture from CookingLight.com

Honey Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

With summer winding down the time for backyard barbeques is running out but with this yummy meal you can savor the summer even in the dead of winter. Oh but who are we kidding, its still 90 plus degrees outside and here in Texas we've still got plenty of time. So go ahead and pour a glass of ice cold tea to wash this summer favorite down.

Menu: Honey Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Green Bean & New Potato Salad, corn on the cob, and of course ice cold sweet tea

Honey Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup canned tomato puree
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (1 1/2-ounce) sandwich rolls
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced
4 (1/8-inch-thick) slices red onion

1. Ok our changes start at the very beginning. Instead of doing this in a saucepan dump it all in the crockpot, then move to step 2 after about an hour. Combine water, 1 teaspoon cumin, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Drain, and place chicken on a cutting board. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; keep warm.

2. Remove 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can; set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from can; finely chop and set aside. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add 1 teaspoon cumin; sauté 1 minute. Ok here's the second change, now dump the sauted spices in the crockpot and then continue to dump remainder of ingredients in making sure to stir well. Stir in tomato puree; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens to a pastelike consistency, stirring constantly. Stir in reserved 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, 2 chopped chipotle chiles, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add sliced chicken to sauce; simmer for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. You want to allow the chicken to cook in the pot for about 3 hours after this, your time might vary but you want a nice thick bbq sauce. Don't let it get dry or pasty.
   

4. After chicken has cooked, take it out and slice it up, then return to crockpot and mix with sauce again.
   

5. Preheat broiler.

6. Split rolls in half; arrange in a single layer, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Remove top halves of rolls from baking sheet. Divide chicken mixture evenly among bottom halves of rolls, and top chicken mixture evenly with cheese. Broil chicken-topped rolls 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; top with onion and top roll halves. Serve immediately.

Green Bean and New Potato Salad

To streamline the preparation of this salad, cook the potatoes and green beans in the same pot of simmering water. The beans take less time, so add them to the pot after the cooked potatoes are scooped out. You can combine the mayonnaise dressing and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Toss with the potatoes and remaining ingredients just before serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
• 2 cups (1-inch) cut green beans (about 3/4 pound)
• 2/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. (I'd cook the corn on the cob at this time too) Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon; place on a cutting board. Let cool to room temperature. Add beans to simmering potato cooking water; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; let cool slightly. Cut potatoes into quarters.

2. Combine mayonnaise and next 7 ingredients (through garlic) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add potatoes, beans, onion, and basil; toss gently to combine.

Now everything is ready and I know you're just dying to take that first big bite, but be sure to pour that ice tea 'cause you might need it after you gobble up this spicy sandwich.

Mama's Crockpot Meatloaf

I have a great meatloaf recipe that I love to make, its so yummy my mouth's drooling just thinking about it but of course since I'm trying to stay out of the kitchen that recipe would not be the best thing to make right now. Instead I decided to experiment, I've never made meatloaf in the crockpot, well and honestly I've never made traditional meatloaf. I always either do meatloaf stuffed peppers or my sun-dried tomato turkey meatloaf. So this was most definitely going to be interesting. Googling meatloaf brought up a million different recipes but non seemed to match exactly what I had in mind so I combined a few and here's what I came up with.

Menu: Mama's Crockpot Meatloaf, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and a tall glass of milk.

Mama's Crockpot Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 lb of ground beef
1 lb of ground pork
2 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs (make your own or store bought)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 eggs
2 tbsp of worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp of ketchup
2 tbsp of milk
salt & pepper to taste

Line your crockpot with 2 strips of aluminum foil (needs this to get the loaf out) and set the time on low, either 8 or 10 hours depending on your needs.

1. In a medium bowl combine your breadcrumbs and milk, allow to soak for 5 minutes.
2. Combine the beef and pork, making sure to mix well so that you don't have any beef/pork sections.
3. Combine the meat, breadcrumbs and next 5 ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Shape the mixture into a loaf and place in crockpot.
   
5. Generously cover with extra ketchup.
6. Cook until done, you may need to drain the juice from the crockpot about half way through the cooking.

Now I like my meatloaf to have a crisp crust and I found that this was not achieved when done in the crockpot so just prior to serving I placed the loaf on a sheet pan, set the oven to 400 degrees and baked it for about 15 minutes.

While the meatloaf was crisping I prepared a package of instant mashed potatoes and heated up a can of green beans. When all was done, just plate and serve.

There's nothing like a home cooked meal of meatloaf, my son kept making yum yum faces and grunting while eating this so according to him it's delicious!