What Ya' Got Cookin' Thanksgiving 2015 edition

MMMM waffles. We had multigrain pancakes, and bacon.
Bean soup for dinner.
Monday- Mark picks up roasted chickens
Tues- Alfredo with leftover chicken
Wed pizza night
Thurs... that's too far ahead to think!

Note to self.... Make big batches of stuff to freeze so it can be added to other stuff, depending on mood. Check..

Oohhh, waffles!!!!!
Ooohhhhh, bean soup!!!!!

Just watched Bobby Flay and Ina Garten fix things for thanksgiving meal. They were all yummy looking. I'll try shredding sprouts and sautéing like she did then drizzled with syrupy balsamic vinegar.

My waffles are easy, I just add an ounce of almond extract and an ounce of good vanilla extract to a dbl. batch of ready mix. I used to add a third cup of sugar,but no more. I make a good French toast, using Arnold's healthy nut bread, I used to use Texas toast, but I have seen at least 2 recipes for a oven French toast that I want to try. I really like to cook brunches for large family groups of 12 people or so. All the fruit salads with fresh whipped cream you can do, and Mimosas to start. My French toast is a secret recipe, unless you can hack my Pensey's order.
The one I really enjoyed was the aunt's brunch, Holly's mom and her 4 aunts. Some of the uncles came to the first one, after that they all came. The secret was out.
When my dad's here I've tried the same thing. It just didn't go as well. They are more picnic people.LOL Last time I went to my uncle's he handed me a bunch of money and said, "Make a party", which we promptly did.

Sounds great Ric
Waffles and Chicken are popular here...I have not tried. Have you? Dedicated restaurants to Waffles and Chicken.

I just finished making a white clam sauce with bacon, heavy cream and yup --sweet peppers. Trying to use up veggie perishables before a trip. Now all that is left is the fettuccine and sprinkle of grated parmesean.

Ric, I add vanilla, cinnamon, etc. to pancake batter... but not in the amounts you mentioned for your waffles! That's what, a Tablespoon each of vanilla and almond extracts per single batch of boxed mix... wow! no wonder they're intensely delicious.

My secret ingredient for french toast is peach schnapps. :-)

Of course, Joyanna and her cousins would disagree with Lily & Lucas -- they think *their* Papa Nic makes the best waffles! He makes his pancakes & waffles from scratch, too. I need to hit him up for the recipes... I don't make them often enough to keep mix on hand, really, and Dad says his scratch recipes are very easy.

Papa Nic also makes maple syrup from scratch...

I got caught up in the breakfast talk but actually dropped in to report I have a big ol' 24 pound turkey in the oven tonight! Our T-day plans won't lend themselves to making a big bird with lots of leftovers, so I'm doing one now. We were gone most of the day, but I left the bird thawing in a pan of water, and he was ready to go when we got back.

When I'm stuffing a bird, I put a layer of stuffing under the skin for seasoning the meat and keeping things moist. (Loosen the connections between the skin and the meat, then go at it... no sense in seasoning the outside of the bird, you want those flavors in the meat!)

Tonight, I chopped a couple of big carrots, an apple that wasn't crisp enough to be good eating out of hand, and an elderly onion... put them inside the main cavity with a tablespoon of bouquet garni herb mix (Penzey's).

To season under the skin, instead of using butter, I mixed unsweetened applesauce with bouquet garni, garlic powder, and california seasoned pepper (another Penzey's mix; just black pepper would be fine). The applesauce helps moisten and tenderize the meat as well as making it easier to slide the herb blend around under the skin.

My real secret ingredient though is that I baste the turkey by pouring chardonnay over it every 20 minutes or so during roasting. I'll have more pan juices than we'll need for 1 turkey dinner with gravy, so I'll freeze them... I really like to be 1 ahead with pan juices so I can make gravy at my leisure while the turkey is still in the oven rather than doing it during the last few minutes before the meal when I'm usually rushing around getting everything else on the table.

I do several dishes using leftover turkey meat, so as long as I'm roasting a turkey I do a BIG turkey. I'll make a big batch of turkey mole' this week, then probably a pot of soup. The rest of the cooked turkey will be diced and frozen for quick meals (soup, pasta dishes).

I always turn smaller turkeys or chickens during roasting, usually roast it an hour or so breast side down and then flip over for the rest of the cooking time... this time I'm going to try to turn it twice.... on one side (with a leg facing up) for an hour, then on the other side for an hour, then breast side up. This lets the breast cook more slowly than otherwise and keeps it juicy. :-)

OK, I think those are all my turkey tips! Don't ask me about trussing, my birds always look like bondage gone wrong.

LOL' Jill, We do a pretty much forward roasting, but I've decided that the first hour and a half will be on the breast, then rolled over. We use one of those silicon lifters so the roll-over should not be a challenge. Jamie was supposed to have roasted chestnuts and I'd like to add oysters to her stuffing
We will have to get Holly's opinion.I think we could have some record setting stuffing.

We will be having our T-giving dinner at the HD this coming Thursday--as always.
The food is mostly done by people that work there. Mostly by the older folks.
The ones that ALWAYS contribute--no matter what fundraiser is happening.
The Employee Fund Committee pays for 4 turkeys and 2 hams.
The newer people, especially the young Guys just eat and eat--and never contribute.
I don't think they understand--to them it is just a freebie orgy.

Anyway--my contribution, every year, has been sausage stuffing (never any left)
and my "Sweet and Savory Kale". Lots of things mixed in to make it tasty.
There are people that love this--and some who never try.. greens??? yech...

I am so strapped for time, so I have been dicing and slicing every evening to have
the ingredients ready to go when I cook these two items. I picked 6lbs of
fresh kale Thursday. 3-- 2lb bags full. Next eve--diced 3 cups of celery--2 cups of onions--
9 cloves of garlic--2 rolls of Jimmy Dean sausage-- big bunch of fresh parsley (a have loads growing)--2 loaves of bread (dark rye and Seeded Jewish rye)--I like to mix different breads
in with the regular stuffing.
I have also made 2 big batches of my Cranberry Sauce. Many, many jars full.
Not taking those to the HD dinner.

I worked all day today--will work 12-7 Tues. and 9-3 on Wed. That leaves very little time to
put all this together. has to all be done by wed. night as I will have to bring it in by 9AM
Thursday morning.
That is why all this ahead-of-time slicing and dicing is important. Goes a lot smoother...

For the traditional T-Giving meal--we will all meet at Benita's place (in Rockville) next
Thursday. I will contribute part of the same stuffing I am making now--and a couple jars
of the Cranberry sauce. Benita has not yet decided what "meat" she will cook.
It won't be a turkey....she was thinking of Duck---or maybe a yummy Pork roast?
We will see....
SO--nothing can contribute here to any secret ingredients.

Jill--I LOVE the idea of basting with Chardonay over a turkey! That is so novel!

Rick--I think I will move in with you guys just to have your waffles for breakfast.

OK! Back to the kitchen to continue--knife and cutting board in hand.

Gita

Have great recipe for Turkey with Pinot Gravy. Works every time. Can do link thing.
Speaking of food, I'm going to Vienna, Austria, just after Tday. Best comfort food ever. And gleuwein!

What's taking you to Vienna, Lisa? Work, family, vacation... ?

The turkey was FANTASTIC! We had a huge late lunch this afternoon, so didn't really do a dinner, but the turkey was irresistible... we all nibbled a little as I was taking it apart.

Ric, in the past I've cooked turkeys for 1 1/2 or 2 hours breast down and then flipped them, but this is the first time I've turned them sideways... and I think it worked a lot better! You do have to wrestle with it twice, but the breast doesn't get squashed looking, and it also doesn't "stew" in the juices if you don't use a rack.

I used a higher heat this time, too, more like what Joy of Cooking suggests for a roasted chicken... fiddled a bit with the temperature and cooking times as I went along, watching the internal temp with a remote thermometer...

I think I have it figured out so that it'll take about 3 hours next time (less for a smaller turkey of course): will start at 375' convection roast setting (400' conventional oven), put it on one side for the first hour, flip it to its other side for the second hour, then reduce heat to 350' for the third hour, roasting until the thigh reaches 175' and the breast reaches 160'.

The turkey is now dismantled and in the fridge. Soup stock is simmering in the oven... I turned it off just now and will let it coast until morning, then cook it for another hour or so. I know that makes food safety people wince, but I figure it all got pretty well sterilized while bubbling away for the last couple hours, and I'll heat it to boiling for another hour tomorrow. We'll have turkey & gravy tomorrow, soup later in the week, and several packets of breast meat for the freezer. Whew!

I wondered how to turn the bird, but saw someone use clean/new towels or oven mitts to grab it. But 20+ pounds? Wow, sounds exciting to say the least!!!
I think I need to break down and buy an actual rack this year. Or two- then I could sandwich the bird for turning. Turn from one rack to the other, ya think?

Here's two "secrets" to great soup from the bones.
Put the turkey carcass and bones on a rimmed cookie sheet and
brown them well in the oven at 400* until crisped. Then make the soup base.

To me--no gravy is complete without some sour cream mixed in at the end.
It may be a European thing--but it adds such an amazing flavor.

make your gravy as usual. when done--spoon out a cup of it and mix a glob of
sour cream in the gravy in the cup. then add it back to the finished gravy and mix in.
This is so that the sour cream does nor clump up being put in boiling hot gravy.
Please use reg. Sour Cream--not fat free. Fat is good in cooking!

If you don't believe how great sour cream makes (any) gravy--take a small amount
and mix some in and taste it. It takes the gravy to another dimension...

Gita

You can also put several layers of paper towels between your hands and the turkey when turning it. I've tried those "turkey lifting forks" also but have had trouble with them slipping. This time, I had a couple of silicone oven mitts to use, and they worked great! They're also perfect for grabbing jars out of the canner. And they can go through the dishwasher, after. :-)

Our trip to Vienna is for fun, huge fun. DH and I know that city so well. Making list of fave restaurant tonight and at this rate, looks like we will eat eight meals a day. Mind you, snacks of Kartoeffel Puffer and Gleuwein at Chriskindlmaerkte are definitely not meals.
Plan to visit nearby Botanical Gardens, Schoenbrunn Gardens, Belvedere Gardens.
So jazzed I'm doing cartwheels.

5601Lisa, hope you enjoy your trip. Holly and I loved Vienna, we just weren't there long enough.

We solved the problem of lifting and positioning the bird. we got a silicon sling that it rest on, it works like a wonder.

Have fun in Vienna! It's too bad I wasn't into gardening at all when I visited Europe. Such wonderful gardens there.

Lisa, sounds like a fantastic trip!

Jill, thanks for the turkey info. I had never even thought about turning a turkey upside down or sideways, but it makes sense.

G, I made your cranberry sauce one year and it was delicious. The recipe as it is written made way too much for me to use, so this time I'm going to cut it to 1/3. I am cooking this year and was about to go hunting for that recipe, but now don't need to. Thanks!

Rosie, I wish I liked brussel sprouts because all those recipes you posted sound really good. For some reason, I just can't get my taste buds to like green vegetables. I kept hoping it was a kid thing that I'd grow out of, but I'm over 50 now so I guess it is a hopeless cause. My curse in life is to love carbs more than any other food group and be frickin diabetic. No surprise that what sounded the absolute rave to me in these posts was Ric's waffles LOL.

I'll have to keep an eye out for a silicone "sling" -- I think I've seen them, maybe at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Found the "silicone turkey lifter" on sale at Amazon with a bonus thermometer for $5.28. Looks like the same photo as one being sold for 2-3 times the price (without thermometer). It's an add-on item, but I always have something on my list to move into the cart. Getting one for my SIL, too. :-)

edit to add link: http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Silicone-Roasting-Thermometer-Grilling/dp/B00JGW2MWC/ref=pd_sbs_86_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41D3H-QRqJL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1T0W31Q7P7R7FGN76Q73

This message was edited Nov 17, 2015 3:01 PM

Thanks Jill, that is exactly what we have and it works great, you may want to boil it before you use it. ours' gave off an odor but didn't effect the bird. I ordered another just for the thermometer, and will give the sling to Cortney or Deb. I needed some new Crocs anyway.

Crocs? did they just jump into your cart? I saw they had some "specialist" crocs (I think that's the name... no holes in the toe area, bit of a heel cup in back to conform to workplace requirements. $20 was a good price for them, but I skipped them. For now. LOL

Crocs do have a way of wearing out. They are making a couple of styles with longer-lasting outsoles now... sure wish they'd do that with the basic garden-shoe style.

The thermometer itself got some rave reviews. :-)

I actually ordered a pair of lined crocs as well as a new modiflip. I blow out at least one pair a season, sometimes 2. Glad to hear about the thermometer. I really need a new one. We're making plans for Thanksgiving, we have 5 more family joining us this year. Looks like I'll be baking and preparing some sides on Wednesday. Holly will do the bulk of the meal as she usually does on Thursday AM.

Aspen..don't get aggravated with yourself. So much is done now with gene identification ...I
can't remember the particulars, but there are absolute genetic variations that dictate how we taste. Some are real common others unusual -- just like eye color, etc. So maybe your taster genes for the greens are just not the same as the majority.

I am not sure how often I will be checking in ..loads of stuff to do readying for a trip. But, will take the opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope your meals - big, small, exotic, traditional, health conscious (or not) are satisfying and delicious.

This message was edited Nov 18, 2015 3:14 PM

Psst, Aspen. I too am anti-vegetable. The only green food I eat is guacamole.
Nice cranberry sauce, Gita. I now have five jars of it. Guess what my neighbors are getting for Christmas?
Starting to feel festive with my cactus abloom.

Lisa--Hope you kept a small jar so you can taste it too.

I'd like feedback of how you liked it? Did anything NOT [please your taste buds?
Gita

Gita, your cranberry sauce was tasty but a bit on the sweet side. One version I like is from Patrick O'Connell's Inn at Little Washington cookbook. Takes 10 minutes to make and includes jalapeño pepper and Grand Marnier.
Your version will be on our table Thursday.

Lovely cactus!! I have 2 in bloom now (1 magenta, 1 red), but nowhere that magnificent this year.

I made soup yesterday from my turkey stock, some of the leftover white & dark meat, green beans, carrots, onion... delicious! I don't add salt; instead I add chicken bouillon paste. Penzey's "Bouquet Garni" herb mix, garlic, and black pepper is my go-to seasoning for turkey or chicken.

My brother taught me to do stock in the oven... throw all the bones, skin, etc. into the roasting pan, add water to cover, and simmer at 400 degrees for several hours. If the turkey didn't get good & brown, roast everything without the water to brown it first. A good splash of wine or a smaller splash of vinegar helps get all the flavor out into the stock. I strain it into a big pot and simmer it a while on the stove just to reduce the volume, if I'm freezing it.

I was gifted with about a half bushel of broccoli earlier in the week, from Theresa's dad. Nice sized heads, and he said these are the side shoots! Tastiest broccoli ever; the stems (peeled a bit) were actually even sweeter than the tops! Joyanna and I probably each ate a pound of it as we were blanching it yesterday... made a batch of broccoli salad (still need to add bacon, but i took Terri's advice and broke up the florets really small, and I also used half reduced fat mayo and half fat free greek yogurt to try to make it a bit more health conscious)... also cooked and pureed some of the peeled, chopped stems in chicken stock to turn into cream of broccoli soup... froze the rest of the florets in 3 gallon ziplocs.

Jill, I always let my sides grow after first cutting and LOL usually use them for fresh broccoli salads.

Hey! You all great cooks!

JB e-mailed me and asked for recipes for Crab Cakes.
She said she had one in the Chesapeake Bay Cookbook-but someone tore out the page.
I have this book--and will copy out ALL the Crab cake recipes from it for her.
Here is part of her e-mail:

*************************************************************
Hope you are well and having a good Fall. I am still recovering from my incident and am having physical Therapy twice a week and doing much better. I have been so limited to what I can do I feel like I have been in prison. Today I went to the grocery store....first time I did not have the order delivered in months.
So, things are looking up.
By the way, Gita, I lost or misplaced my recipe for Maryland Crabcakes....do you have a good one. I had mine in my old Chesapeake Cookbook and some ass hole tore the page out, or it fell out, but now I can not remember...it is mostly crab meat and no breading but I can not remember what else...do you have one of the good recipes? I would appreciate it if you did.
**************************************************************


How about you all sharing how YOU make your favorite Crab cakes?
I will copy them out and mail them to JB. May keep some of them for my use as well.

Thanks, Gita

Crab, preferably including at least some lump crab, although the cheaper claw meat or shredded looking stuff will also work. Dab of mayo -- just enough to hold them together, and add a beaten egg if final appearance is important (will make the shape less apt to fall apart). Sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning. I think bread crumbs mixed into the cakes are entirely optional. Form into patty shapes and dip both sides onto a plate of seasoned bread crumbs (helps give a crunchy exterior). Fry in butter with a touch of olive oil to raise the smoking point (keeps butter from burning). Time needed will depend on thickness, but they don't take long to cook, maybe 3 minutes on one side and 2 on the next.

Made ham,green beans, and taters for supper, of coarse that calls for honey cornbread. That just might require honey butter too.LOL

You cooked AND managed to build that fig protector contraption today lol?

I was going through my recipes earlier today and saw the recipe that Sally found one time for smashed potatoes. I had made it a while back and it was easy and yummy, so I put it in my "keeper" pile. Need to remember to make it again when I've got a hankering for potatoes.

Dinner at church tonight. Thanksgiving inspired. I'm roasting butternut squash. Also making a rice/quinoa salad with craisins, almonds and chopped up kale. Hoping it turns out the way I taste it in my head.

tastes in your head LOL! it tastes good on your post at least.

I am thinking of butternut squash for thanksgiving. But not decided how I'd be cooking it. We got a fresh 20 pound turkey- that'll be my biggest yet. I guess I'll be making pies Wednesday evening or early Thursday, then getting the turkey in the oven by ...9 am?? or 10.. take it out by 2, cook the rest, serve at 4??

My 24 pounder was done in about 3 1/2 hours, but I was mostly cooking it at 350, and it wasn't stuffed. Roasting at the more traditional lower temp of 300, Joy of Cooking says 10-12 minutes per pound for an unstuffed bird, 12-15 minutes per pound if stuffed. 10 minutes per pound x 20 pounds = 200 minutes or 3 hours 20 minutes at the earliest if you're not stuffing it. I've only cooked fresh turkeys a couple of times, but it seems to me they cook a little faster than ones that have been frozen.?

I've got a Nesco roaster that I love for holidays, so I can put a turkey or ham in it and have my oven free for the rest of the meal. 20 pounds is about the max size for a turkey in it, especially if I'm trying to fit a layer of stuffing under the skin. It gets used a few other times during the year, such as when we make huge batches of spaghetti sauce, but if I didn't have basement storage for it i probably would do without.

Fresh do seem to cook faster; will check my notes and take my best guess. I'm leaving unstuffed this time.

Green bean casserole- love it or leave it? 'French ' or 'cut'?
:^D
We do it every year. I just checked the proportions to see if I'll use two cans, or three of beans.
Paula Dean is clearly overthinking it with a partly from scratch recipe. If you have fresh green beans, why would you kill them with this, LOL
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/green-bean-casserole-recipe.html

Also, laying in bed last night, wondering if I could roast brussels sprouts and butternut cubes in the same 13 by 9 glass dish.

Once again I plan to make a candied sweet potato casserole. I've always done sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows, so this wasn't much of a change, and everyone loved it last year.
http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Salads-Sides/Candied-Sweet-Potato-Casserole

For carb/calorie watchers be careful this thing is loaded.

Nutrition information

(Amount per serving) 10 @ 3/4 cup

Calories: 325Cholesterol: 13mg
Sodium: 84mgProtein: 3g
Total Fat: 9gFiber: 5g

Sally, I've been using the frozen petite whole green beans and love them.
I don't see a problem with doing both in the same dish.
Carbohydrate: 58g


This message was edited Nov 23, 2015 11:02 AM

thanks Ric. I just cubed a huge butternut and have about 3 pounds of chunks. That will fill my larger sheet pan if I do it all. I wanted to get that peeling and cutting out of the way early.

why, the sweet potatoes are practically health food, with the fiber and vitamin A...