A Simple Feast

Welcome to my kitchen! Today is prep day for our very simple Thanksgiving dinner. Since we will be running in our local Turkey Trot tomorrow morning, I wanted to get as much done the day before so that I'm not spending my whole time in the kitchen.

Normally, I cook very healthy meals. Thanksgiving is a different story. It's the one day of the year where we celebrate our abundant blessings! I will show you you how, just today, over a pound of butter made it's way into just 3 dishes (more planned for later!)

The first dish I prepared was my Simply Tasty Stuffing. I gathered all my ingredients: Dried bread cubes from homemade bread, 1 full onion finely chopped, 1/2 cup mushrooms chopped, 1 bunch of celery sliced, 1/4 lb. butter, fresh herbs (my preference is rosemary and sage), my Signature Spice Blend, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, chicken broth and lots and lots of garlic!



Saute your veggies in a full stick of butter until tender. Add your seasonings and cook a little longer. Mix with your bread cubes and add a full can of chicken broth. Add more for moister stuffing, less for drier. Tomorrow I will bake, covered in a 350 oven for about 30 minute, uncovering the last 10 minutes so the top will be slightly toasty. Here's what it looks like today, though.

Mmmmmm. Stuffing is my favorite, well next to the turkey, the gravy, the sweet potatoes, the asparagus, the cranberry sauce and the pie!


Our next 2 1/2 sticks of butter are used to make what I call Herbed Butter Medallions. I simply soften the butter and add the following: garlic (lots and lots!) , a couple of tablespoons of fresh herbs (any combination of rosemary, sage and basil), kosher salt, pepper and several dashes of My Signature Spice blend. Once blended, spoon out onto some plastic wrap and roll up into a "tube". Place the butter log into the freezer to harden. After about 1/2 to 1 hour remove from freezer and slice. These will be used to place between the skin and meat of your bird. It gives a very lumpy look to the bird but your turkey will be very juicy indeed after roasting. You should have plenty medallions left over to rub on the outside of the bird and to place within the cavity, along with some celery and onion wedges.

Get your roaster ready by placing, in the roasting pan, celery and carrot sticks, onion wedges and the giblets. Place the bird in the rack, cover with foil and refrigerate until you are ready to roast that baby! Just before placing the turkey into the oven, I pour about 1/2 bottle of beer and 1 cup or so of chicken broth to the pan. I use this, along with the juices from the roasting bird to baste every 20 or 30 minutes. Trust me...this is the BEST bird we have ever had! And the drippings make for a very special gravy!

The last half stick of butter goes in my Ever So Slightly Sweet Potato Cashew Bake. An unusual signature Thanksgiving dish of mine.

The asparagus has been rinsed and placed in a large baggie and coated with olive oil. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper was added. These will be grilled to perfection, just prior to dinner being served, tomorrow.

My job is practically done! Dear daughter will make the cranberry relish. We will prep Pioneer Woman's Crashed Potatoes tomorrow, along with tossing the salad, and the sweet potato pie just needs defrosting. Thanksgiving couldn't be easier!

A simple table presentation and you're ready for a simple Thanksgiving feast indeed!

Give Thanks to the Lord Who is good...Whose Love endures forever!

Psalm 107:1

Links to recipes mentioned in this post:

My Signature Spice Blend: http://www.grouprecipes.com/68537/pollys-signature-spice-blend-in-haiku-format.html

Ever So Slightly Sweet Potato and Cashew Bake: http://www.grouprecipes.com/70124/ever-so-slightly-sweet-potato-cashew-bake.html

Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Thanksgiving Rerun: A Simple Feast

Originally posted on November 26, 2008

Welcome to my kitchen! Today is prep day for our very simple Thanksgiving dinner. Since we will be running in our local Turkey Trot tomorrow morning, I wanted to get as much done the day before so that I'm not spending my whole time in the kitchen.

Normally, I cook very healthy meals. Thanksgiving is a different story. It's the one day of the year where we celebrate our abundant blessings! I will show you you how, just today, over a pound of butter made it's way into just 3 dishes (more planned for later!)

The first dish I prepared was my Simply Tasty Stuffing. I gathered all my ingredients: Dried bread cubes from homemade bread, 1 full onion finely chopped, 1/2 cup mushrooms chopped, 1 bunch of celery sliced, 1/4 lb. butter, fresh herbs (my preference is rosemary and sage), my Signature Spice Blend, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, chicken broth and lots and lots of garlic!



Saute your veggies in a full stick of butter until tender. Add your seasonings and cook a little longer. Mix with your bread cubes and add a full can of chicken broth. Add more for moister stuffing, less for drier. Tomorrow I will bake, covered in a 350 oven for about 30 minute, uncovering the last 10 minutes so the top will be slightly toasty. Here's what it looks like today, though.

Mmmmmm. Stuffing is my favorite, well next to the turkey, the gravy, the sweet potatoes, the asparagus, the cranberry sauce and the pie!


Our next 2 1/2 sticks of butter are used to make what I call Herbed Butter Medallions. I simply soften the butter and add the following: garlic (lots and lots!) , a couple of tablespoons of fresh herbs (any combination of rosemary, sage and basil), kosher salt, pepper and several dashes of My Signature Spice blend. Once blended, spoon out onto some plastic wrap and roll up into a "tube". Place the butter log into the freezer to harden. After about 1/2 to 1 hour remove from freezer and slice. These will be used to place between the skin and meat of your bird. It gives a very lumpy look to the bird but your turkey will be very juicy indeed after roasting. You should have plenty medallions left over to rub on the outside of the bird and to place within the cavity, along with some celery and onion wedges.

Get your roaster ready by placing, in the roasting pan, celery and carrot sticks, onion wedges and the giblets. Place the bird in the rack, cover with foil and refrigerate until you are ready to roast that baby! Just before placing the turkey into the oven, I pour about 1/2 bottle of beer and 1 cup or so of chicken broth to the pan. I use this, along with the juices from the roasting bird to baste every 20 or 30 minutes. Trust me...this is the BEST bird we have ever had! And the drippings make for a very special gravy!




The last half stick of butter goes in my Ever So Slightly Sweet Potato Cashew Bake. An unusual signature Thanksgiving dish of mine.

The asparagus has been rinsed and placed in a large baggie and coated with olive oil. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper was added. These will be grilled to perfection, just prior to dinner being served, tomorrow.

My job is practically done! Dear daughter will make the cranberry relish. We will prep Pioneer Woman's Crashed Potatoes tomorrow, along with tossing the salad, and the sweet potato pie just needs defrosting. Thanksgiving couldn't be easier!

A simple table presentation and you're ready for a simple Thanksgiving feast indeed!

Give Thanks to the Lord Who is good...Whose Love endures forever!

Psalm 107:1

Links to recipes mentioned in this post:

My Signature Spice Blend: http://www.grouprecipes.com/68537/pollys-signature-spice-blend-in-haiku-format.html

Ever So Slightly Sweet Potato and Cashew Bake: http://www.grouprecipes.com/70124/ever-so-slightly-sweet-potato-cashew-bake.html

Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Iron Chef: Zucchini!

What fun I had today. I decided to use my bounty of zucchini to prepare a meal in true Iron Chef fashion.

I chopped, I cubed and I shredded away in preparation of what was to come.

For my main dish, I decided on a zucchini/ground turkey meatloaf. I added tomatoes, rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, and my signature spice blend along with a bit of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. I combined bread crumbs, chopped onion, garlic, a touch of lemon zest, shredded parmesan cheese and some feta to the mix. I baked at 350 for an hour and ended up with a delightfully moist loaf.

Borrowing from ChristineM's post about her Savory Zucchini Muffins, we made our own savory zucchini muffins with what ingredients we had on hand: basic muffin ingredients of flour, baking powder and salt for the dry mix. To that I added my signature spice blend and red pepper flakes. The wet ingredients included a touch of sugar, egg, half and half, "green" Tobasco Sauce, chives, garlic and some white cheddar cheese, and of course, the zucchini. This was the 1st time I "winged it" and went without measuring or using a recipe. They actually ended up pretty decent. It tasted more like a bread than a muffin, however. Next time I'll use more cheese, though.

Our side dish was a roasted zucchini and garden veggie medley that I marinaded in olive oil, rosemary, sage, signature spice blend, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Simply yummy.

For dessert I was attempting a zucchini chocolate banana nut ice cream utilizing the concept of Five Minute Ice Cream from All Recipes. Instead, I ended up with a pretty tasty milkshake.

This was a fun experiment and the family enjoyed the results. The zucchini was never overpowering in any of the dishes and each dish was unique. I do believe I can call this experiment a success!

Signature Spice Blend

Since my last post I have been asked about my Signature Spice Blend. Well, actually, only one person showed any interest. But I thought it would be an easy blog entry to post before I head into work today. I use this spice blend in practically EVERYTHING...On meats, veggies, pizzas and egg dishes and in soups, sauces and gravies.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper (can use crushed red pepper flakes with good results)
2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons thyme

Mix all together and store in an airtight container.

Now, how easy was that?

Chicken Divan

Want an easy recipe that can be put together in 20 minutes or less and ready in another 45?
If so, this one is for you.

First layer some frozen or fresh broccoli in the bottom of a greased casserole or pie plate.

Next add some cooked shredded chicken over the top. This is a great way to use up leftovers or you can boil and shred a couple of chicken breasts. I often times use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving with wonderful results.

In a mixing bowl blend 1 can of cream of chicken soup, about a cup of mayonnaise, a third cup of sour cream, a splash of lemon juice and a squirt of mustard.  I then add the following seasonings to taste (clockwise from bottom left): my Signature Spice Blend, cardamom, coriander and curry powder. I find you don't need any extra salt but some freshly ground black pepper is a nice touch.

Blend the seasonings into the soup mix and spoon over the top of the chicken and broccoli.

Now top with grated cheddar, some chopped, fresh parsley and maybe another dash or two of my Signature Spice Blend for added color.

Bake in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes (until golden and bubbly).

Allow to rest approximately 5 minutes before serving.

Yum! Pure comfort on a plate!
Enjoy!

Spice Girl

How do you store your spices?

Kelly, over at The Scotdog's, posed this question the other day. She's trying to organize her spices to make them easy and convenient to use. Currently, she is trying out the "spice drawer" method. I hope this works out for her. I, however, cannot utilize the drawer method myself. I do not have a drawer big enough to hold all of the spices I use in my cooking.

So how do I store my spices? Well, it's quite simple, really.

I have a Lazy Susan on my kitchen counter, next to the stove. Here is where I keep my salt and pepper grinders, olive oil, kosher salt, signature spice blend, sugar, and a cookie jar filled with Splenda for Mr. Sister's morning coffee. These are the items we use every single day with or in almost every single meal.

In the cabinet above, I have a shelf dedicated to my bulk spices and to my other spices not used several times daily. The bulk spices are those that I use to make my signature spice blend and those that I use on a consistant basis. At last count, I had 12 of these "big boys". Next to those I store the smaller containers of herbs and spices on another Lazy Susan for easy access.

(please ignore the crumbs under and the stains on the Lazy Susan)

Is this the best system? Maybe, maybe not, but it works for me.

Sunday 160 (Boo) and Sunday's Savory: Spinach Rolls

These ghastly gourds line the stoop

in anticipation of the unsuspecting parade

of costumed kids in search of treats

for unbeknownst to them

A trick is in store.

BOO!

To participate or read other samples of this new genre of fiction, 

please visit Monkey Man. The idea behind Sunday 160 

is to write a short piece in exactly160 characters, 

spaces included. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spinach Rolls

I came up with a recipe, earlier this week, when I had to bring a dish to a mid-morning brunch. What I made was a hit with the ladies and I thought I’d share my recipe with you.  

In today’s recipe, the measurements are approximations. I never measure when I am making up a recipe. I just go with the flow.  A touch here, a dash there, a sprinkle of this, a splash of that. Anyway, to make the 2 dozen spinach rolls, pictured above, here is what you’ll need:

3 cans Crescent Roll dough

A “goodly amount” of fresh spinach (If frozen, thaw and drain) 

Note: I used about 1/3 to 1/2 of a Costco-sized bag of fresh spinach

½ package bacon

6 beaten eggs

½ chopped onion

2-3 cloves minced garlic

¼ cup Feta cheese

A touch of Greek seasoning (oregano, thyme, basil, crushed rosemary)

Salt and Pepper to taste

A couple dashes Signature Spice Blend

A dash or two (or three or four) Red pepper flakes

Cook bacon until done, crumble and set aside.  Drain all but a little of the bacon grease. In reserved grease, sauté onion and garlic until tender. Add a dash of olive oil to the pan and add the spinach. Cook until completely wilted. Drain excess liquid. Add eggs, feta, crumbled bacon and seasonings. Continue to stir and cook until eggs are set. Remove from heat and set aside.

Line 2 greased muffin tins with 1 crescent each, stretched to fit. Fill with a couple of tablespoons of spinach mix each. (I find it easier to line the muffin tins with cupcake liners and fill only one row at a time.) Fold over extra dough. Repeat row by row.  

Sprinkle tops of spinach rolls with a touch of basil and a pinch of spice blend for added color and visual appeal. Bake in a 375 oven for approximately 15 minutes. Best if served warm. Leftovers can be frozen and heated in a microwave for 1 minute as a handy breakfast treat or snack.

Enjoy. 

What's for Dinner?

I had no idea! By the time we got home from swimming last night the time was tight to prepare a healthy and edible meal. Fortunately, I had the hindsight to have set out a package of ground turkey to defrost.

My cupboards are currently fairly bare but my freezer is adequately stocked. Oh, and I found this little goody in my fridge. How will I use this? Well, I have an idea...just be patient.

First, I chopped up some carrots and pulled out some frozen green beans and lima beans. I then placed these veggies into a pot to steam boil until just tender.

Meanwhile, in an oven proof skillet, I sauteed some chopped onion and garlic, added the ground turkey to brown and seasoned with salt, pepper and some fresh herbs from my garden. I used my "Simon and Garfunkle blend": Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.

Next, I added a can of drained, chopped tomatoes followed by the 2 cups of veggies, previously steamed.

Now here is where the Pillsbury "Recipe Creations" comes in. I "popped" open the can and removed the dough. I rolled the dough thin and sliced it into strips. I then placed these strips across the top of the meat/veggie mix. After which I added a couple of pinches of fresh parsley and Polly's Signature Spice Blend to the top. I then placed the pan into a 375 degree oven to cook for approximately 15 minutes.

When the dough turned golden brown, I removed the skillet from the oven and allowed the dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving. And voila:

Polly's Impromptu Pot Pie!

My family, as well as I, really enjoyed this one dish meal. Give it a try...it's pretty tasty. If you use ground beef instead of turkey I would suggest draining the meat mix prior to adding the tomatoes and veggies.

This dish lends itself to interpretation...heck, I can picture various versions already: spinach, tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, oregano and feta for a Greek version...corn, peppers, onion, cayenne and cumin for a Mexican twist...or even cabbage/sour kraut, sausage, potatoes and paprika or caraway for an Eastern European flare. The skies the limit. Have fun with it but be sure to share your own unique creation!

Shrimp Tortilla Pizza for One (or Two)

I recently came up with a recipe based on a "Chef for a Day" challenge over in "The Refugees" group at Group Recipes. The challenge was simple: people suggested random ingredients until 10 ingredients total were listed. Then we were to come up with a unique recipe using the 10 ingredients suggested. The ingredients for this recipe were: tortilla, shrimp, cheese, white rice, black beans, Spanish olives, fruit, red pepper, red onion and sour cream. For my fruit, I chose mango as I had an over-ripe one handy in my fruit bowl. Fortunately, we could add any combination of spices, herbs and seasonings that we wished. The following was my effort.

INGREDIENTS
Base:
1 10-12" tortilla

Marinade:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon lime juice
a pinch of Kosher salt and a few grinds for fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro

6 medium-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup sliced red onion

Bean Layer:
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of Kosher salt and a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper

Rice Layer:
1/3 cup leftover white rice
2 ounces grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped Spanish olives, pimento included
1/4 teaspoon Polly's Signature Spice Blend
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro

Red pepper slices
1/4 cup finely diced mango

DIRECTIONS

Blend ingredients for marinade.
Add the shrimp and onion, toss to coat and set aside.
Meanwhile, place the ingredients for the bean layer in a food processer or blender and process until well blended.
Spread bean mixture onto tortilla.
Gently mix all the ingredients for the rice layer and spread on top of the bean layer.
Add the marinaded shrimp and onion.
Top with red pepper slices and mango.
Drizzle with the remaining marinade.
Bake in preheated 425 oven for 8-10 minutes.
Turn oven to broil and continue cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes, until bubbly.
Garnish with sprig of fresh cilantro and serve.
Enjoy!

A spicy and satisfying meal! I hope, if you try this, you'll let me know what you think!

Turkey Meatloaf - Italian Style

Growing up I absolutely hated meatloaf. It was always this heavy, dense slab of meat with mysterious contents and a sugary, ketchupy sauce on top. Gag!


Fast forward a few decades: My husband does not eat red meat or pork...only poultry and fish. Trying to come up with new and interesting recipes became a challenge. We use ground turkey quite a bit and I thought maybe I could come up with a new version of meatloaf that wouldn't leave me gagging, but rather, our bellies full. The following has become a family favorite.


Ingredients


1 package ground turkey (20.8 oz)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup diced onion
1 14.5 oz can petit diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 heaping tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon each fresh rosemary and basil
1/4 teaspoon Signature Spice Blend
Salt and pepper



Directions


Very gently mix the above ingredients and place in a loaf pan. (Overmixing results in a dense loaf).

Bake in a 350 degree oven until thermometer comes out reading 160 (maybe 45 minutes or so depending upon your individual oven)

Remove from oven and allow to rest for a minimum of 5 minutes. Don't worry, it will continue to "cook" to proper temperature. The rest allows the meatloaf to "set".


Slice and serve with Pioneer Woman's Crash Potatoes and a nice green veggie.



If you really desire a tomato sauce topping do this: drizzle with spaghetti sauce and top with extra parmesan cheese during the latter part of baking. Enjoy!

A Simple Morning Pleasure

A satisfying breakfast consisting of:

Onion Bagel

Neufchatel Cheese sprinkled with Signature Spice Blend

Fresh basil from my garden

Garden fresh tomato

A dash of Kosher salt

Simply delicious!

End of Harvest Salad

I had a few items, left over from my 1st ever garden, that made for a delightful salad the other night.


I believe I shall call it "Summer's End Salad". What do you think?
It is very simple and, therein, lies the beauty.

Summer's End Salad


Ingredients


2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chunked
1 yellow pepper, sliced
Several basil leaves, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
A splash of vinegar (any variety will do)
A few dashes each of my Signature Spice Blend
A pinch or two of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Directions


Combine gently and serve. 


Serves 4-6