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Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream Sauce

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You know the saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person?”  Well in the past month, I have found that this saying is pretty much spot on.  Somehow when I was working 10-12 hour days, studying for shelf exams, running, being a wife, and taking care of a puppy, I had time to post all these new things I made.  Then second semester fourth year happened, and  for the first time since I can remember, I have a lot of free time, yet  I have posted almost nothing on this blog! It’s really true, when you are busy, you just get more done!  That being said, it’s not like I haven’t been in the kitchen.  I have been trying out lots of fun recipes – everything from making my own greek yogurt, tiramisu cupcakes, shrimp enchiladas and the very delicious but dangerous blackberry pie bars- I just didn’t get any pictures! So finally, here’s a new recipe just in time for the summer-like weather.

I loved this dinner because it’s healthy enough that you feel good about eating it, but the avocado cream sauce gives it just a touch of sass that still makes you feel like  your cheating.  And if you really feel like being rebellious,   I think it would go great with these cookies. 

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Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream Sauce

- Makes about 18 patties

For the patties:

  • 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed,  divided in half
  • 2 roasted red bell peppers*, divided in half
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 2/3 cup cornmeal or panko (plus more, as needed)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Canola or vegetable oil

For the corn relish:

  • 2 tsp. canola oil
  • 2 cups corn kernels
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
  • 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the avocado cream sauce:

  • 1 avocado, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup greek yogurt or light sour cream
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

*To Roast the Red Peppers: Preheat oven to 475°.  Line a baking pan with aluminum foil Coat the outside of each pepper with olive oil.  Cook the peppers for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skin is lightly browned.  Remove from oven and pull aluminum foil around the peppers.  Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes, then peel of skin and remove seeds. Can be done several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

1. To make the bean patties, place half of the beans in the bowl of a food processor with 1 coarsely chopped bell pepper, the eggs, oregano, cumin, and chipotle.  Process until smooth.  Finely chop the remaining bell pepper.  In a large bowl, lightly mash the remaining beans.  Stir in the bell pepper, onion, and smooth bean mixture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper

2. Stir in the cornmeal or panko, a bit at time, mixing lightly just until the mixture firms up.  (Pick up a bit and see if it can be easily molded into a ball.  If it is too sticky, add a little more. I ended up needing at least 1 cup).  Chill the mixture for 30 minutes.

3. While the bean mixture is chilling, make the corn relish.  Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the corn to the pan and sauté briefly until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and jalapeño and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl.  Stir in the tomato, lime juice, and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. To make the avocado cream sauce, combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender.  Process until completely smooth.

5. Form the bean mixture into patties approximately 3½ inches in diameter.  Heat about 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the patties in batches, cooking until lightly browned and firm, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Serve the patties warm topped with the corn relish and drizzled with the avocado cream sauce.

Source: Annie’s Eats 

Posted by  |  April 30, 2013 | Categories: Main Dish, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment »

Quick and Easy Chinese Orange Beef

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It is not very often that I like to make something twice, and it is also rare that I like to eat leftovers… so the fact that I made this twice in one week, AND had the leftovers for lunch, should tell you that this meal was a total winner.  The first time I made it, I wasn’t expecting much.  I mostly just made it to add some variety to our menu, as I have a hard time incorporating lean beef.  Then I made it and completely fell in love.   For non-marinated flank steak, it was incredibly tender and orange flavor really shines through.  Plus, any meal that satisfies my sweet tooth with something nutritious and delicious, is an obvious A+ (Think Blueberry Salmon, Mango Salmon, and  Strawberry Pizza). I think this will be a regular in our rotation, because it really does make great lunches the rest of the week.

This meal is ready from start to finish in less then 30 minutes, but some of the steps are more time consuming then the others.  For example, the zesting the orange and grating the ginger.  To save time even more time you could easily buy the ginger in a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator section, or make the sauce ahead of time.  Be sure to start the rice early so it’s ready when the meat is done! IMG_4740

Quick and Easy Chinese Orange Beef

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2-3 teaspoons grated orange zest (I just zest 1 whole orange)
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch
vegetable oil for pan
1-1/2 pounds flank steak (to clarify: that’s one steak, that weighs about 1.5 pounds)
3-4 green onions, sliced
hot white or brown rice for serving

Instructions

Trim fat from flank steak, then slice as thin as possible across the grain. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Whisk orange zest and orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, and cornstarch together in a bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Drizzle pan with oil and tilt to coat.  Add half of beef, breaking up any clumps and let cook without stirring for one minute.  Stir beef and continue to cook until browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl and cover.  Repeat with remaining beef and transfer to bowl.

Whisk sauce to recombine, add to now-empty skillet, and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.  Return cooked beef, with any accumulated juices, to skillet and toss to combine.  Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Source: Our Best Bites

Posted by  |  April 24, 2013 | Categories: Beef | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment »

Cinnamon Chip Scones

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The end of last week marked the end of my 14th week of AHECs (also known as rural health rotations).  We are required to do 8 weeks in a rural health setting as part of our medical school curriculum, but I have had such good experiences in these small towns that I chose to do another 6!  This last one was definitely no exception.  I got to work one-on-one with probably the second nicest radiologist I’ve ever met (father-in-law will always be first!),  who taught me something new everyday, and really helped me to feel prepared for residency by letting me go through films on my own when we had free time.   The staff was all so welcoming and made me feel like part of the team,  and the patients are just so sweet and so in need of good healthcare in these rural areas.

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I had seen this recipe for cinnamon scones almost a year ago and hunted down some cinnamon chips shortly after; but then never actually made these.  Then randomly, I saw 2 of my favorite bloggers post scone recipes within days of each other, and I took it as a sign.  Scones were clearly the answer of what to bring for my last day of my last rural health rotation!  I ended up going with the original  recipe I found,  because I already had a lot of the ingredients on hand, and I liked that I didn’t have to buy a lot of heavy whipping cream or buttermilk.   You can certainly use the method I used in the lemon blueberry scones, and freeze these unbaked, and then bake from a frozen state whenever a morning treat is calling.  I am confident they would turn out wonderfully, as cold butter is one of the key ingredients to good scones.   I’m certainly glad I had some wonderful staff members to share these with because free time + baked goods is not a good combination around here :-) .

Cinnamon Chip Scones

- Makes 16-24 scones

  • 3 cups All-purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 5 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 2 sticks (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter
  • 3/4 cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 whole Egg
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup Cinnamon Chips
  • Topping
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Heavy Cream

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  (Unless you chose to freeze and bake later*)

2) In a large bowl, mix together flour, granulated and brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and baking powder. Cut butter into pieces, then cut into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or 2 knifes until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cinnamon chips.

3) Mix together cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour into flour/butter mixture, stirring gently with a fork to combine.

4) Turn onto work surface (mixture will be very crumbly and falling apart.) Divide the dough into 2-3 equal portions.  Gently press together  the sides as you roll the top of each.  Form either into either 2 large circles  (to make 16 scones) or 3 medium circles (to make 24 smaller scones).

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5) Mix together topping ingredients, stirring with a fork. Sprinkle over the top of the dough, lightly pressing.

6) Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Serve with coffee.

*If freezing, flash freeze for 20 minutes, then wrap individually and store in freezer.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375º and bake for 25-30 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman 

Posted by  |  March 8, 2013 | Categories: Breakfast, Dessert | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

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I promised you the recipe for these cupcakes, and I didn’t want to disappoint!   I had a few ideas in mind for my friend’s birthday, which perfectly coincided with the academy awards, but I’m so glad she chose these!    I made them once before for another birthday, but for some reason decided I didn’t like the pictures I took, and so never posted the recipe.  Of course with the business of the party, I didn’t get around to taking any better pictures this time, but in retrospect the ones I took way back in June aren’t bad!  In fact, they look so delicious, they kind of make me want to make these cupcakes again!

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I really made my day when one of the guests at the party said, “Seriously…These look so good, I thought they were from Cake in a Cup! ” – which is the local cupcake place that happened to have won Cupcake Wars.   The truth is, it’s pretty easy to make these look professional, and as long as you follow the recipe, you can’t go wrong with taste.  In fact, I think these cupcakes are even better then any you could buy, because I don’t think too many places put a half an oreo on the bottom of the cupcake, and then another 20 in the batter.  Let’s just say this isn’t exactly a “light cupcake”…like seriously when you pick it up you will be like, OMG this is heavy!  But it is SO good!
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In order to get half an oreo with the frosting on the bottom of the cupcake, I ended up using a sharp knife to get the frosting all on one side.  I tried the old “twist” method, but ended up breaking (and then eating) a few too many oreos.  Overall you will need 56 oreos for these, so be sure to buy 2 packs.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

- Makes 24 Cupcakes

  • 24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (I quarter them)
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 2 tbsp. heavy cream
  • Oreo cookie crumbs
  • 24 Oreo cookie halves

1) Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir together with a fork to blend and set aside.

2) In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.
3) Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4) To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5) Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired, I used a large round tip with a pastry bag.   Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and garnish with Oreo halves.
Source: Annie’s Eats, Adapted from Beantown Baker

Posted by  |  February 28, 2013 | Categories: Cupcakes, Dessert | Tags: , , | Leave A Comment »

And the award goes to…

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I know this is another non-traditional post, but what can I say, my life has been a little non-traditional lately! Since our schedules have been laid back, with no major exams looming over our heads, John and I made a goal to see all of the Oscar nominees for best picture before the big event.   (We love movies, and $5 movie night on Tuesdays is hard to pass up!) We got to 89% of our goal – seeing all but Amour before the awards began.  Amour was a hard movie to track down, especially in a small place like Toledo, OH.  I was kind of bummed about not batting a thousand; but after seeing how depressing it looked, I’m kind of glad that’s the one we missed.   To honor our movie loving nature, and to have some extra fun on a Sunday night, we decided to have an Oscar’s Party – which I’m hoping is something we can make an annual event!   I had a ton of fun planning the food, decorations, and  watching the winners announced with my own ballot made it quite a nail biting experience!  I would like to take credit for the decorations, but truthfully, when my mom heard about the party she sent me home with a box of ideas, and then a few days later I got a “red carpet” in the mail ;-) .

My personal favorite was this centerpiece that included miniature movie posters for all 9 of the best picture nominees.  I simply went onto ABC’s website and printed the pictures of each nominee on photo paper, as well as the Oscars logo.
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Then of course there was the star of the show – The Oscars themselves.  John can take complete credit for turning these mermaids from the dollar store into masterpieces.  I’m quite sure you could buy some imitation Academy awards, but this was much more fun, and I’m sure less expensive.  These also served as first, second and third place prizes for the winners.   The mermaids were $1 each, and then we also bought some mini frisbees to serve as the bases.  John pulled the hair off of them, tied their hands together (creepy, but necessary), and then hot glued the whole thing in place.  He put 3 coats of a Rust-Oleum Metallic Brass Spray paint over the whole thing.  In retrospect, you could see the glue much more than anticipated, but they still looked really awesome, and a lot funnier then store bought awards.
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Here’s the process:
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It’s amazing what a can of spray paint can do!

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Then there was the red carpet, which was actually made of 3 red bath mats (found at Marc’s), taped together with some duct tape.  We made sure to wash these before placing them on top of our carpet, since cheap bright red towels can bleed. Next time I really want to take pictures of people coming in on the carpet, but there is just so much going on at the start of a party.

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I wanted to keep the menu classy (this is a red carpet affair after all), but also reasonable in price and manual labor.  Appetizers for a big group can be very time intensive, so I tried to limit the number of things that had to be individually assembled.  If you have questions about any specifics, feel free to ask.

  • Tortellini with a creamy lemon and roasted garlic dipping sauce
  • Crostini with goat cheese and roasted red peppers
  • Spinach and artichoke dip with pumpernickel and crostini
  • Mini phyllo cups filled with seafood salad
  • Bacon wrapped pineapple and water chestnuts
  • Assorted Cheeses
  • Salami with crudites
  • Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

The cheese and dessert table.  Rope lights are a really fun and easy way to make the whole event “sparkle”.
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A few of the appetizers sitting out, and some serious ballot decisions in the background :-) .
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With last minute prep,  welcoming people, and trying to have fun, I didn’t get to take any close up pictures of the appetizers in order to post recipes.  I figured I’d just post about the party in general, because it would gives me something to improve upon for next time, and it’s a good way to remember where to start.    Since I made the cupcakes especially for a friend’s birthday,  I do have some pictures of those, which I will be posting, along with the recipe about shortly! Stay Tuned!
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Overall, it was quite a hollywood affair :-) !
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Posted by  |  February 25, 2013 | Categories: Appetizer, Holiday, Party Planning | Tags: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Traveling the World like an M4

I know, it’s been a while since my last post….but I’m hoping these pictures will make up for it!    Between traveling to 10 different cities for interviews and taking a family trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar, it has been a very busy last 2 months- but I have enjoyed (almost) every minute of it :-) !

We all happened to have several weeks off at Christmas, and since the holidays can be kind of a hard time, it seemed like the perfect time to take a big family trip together.  Africa was somewhere we all happened to agree on- and I’ll have to say it was the coolest place I’d ever been.  Big shout out to my mom who treated us all to the trip of a lifetime… She is probably one of the most adventurous 60 year olds I know.
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One of my favorite pictures: Zebra, Rhino, Buffalo, Elephant and Flamingos in the background in Ngorongoro crater.

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We saw lions mating….

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And Simba!!!

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A mamma monkey holding her baby tight.

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Water buffalo, and heards and heards of wildebeast and zebras during their great migration.

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And elephants!  We took over 2000 pictures, but I thought I’d spare you all of them.  IMG_4048

In addition to the thousands of animals we saw, we also got the opportunity to go into the towns and meet some of the locals.  This is a Masai boy, who is sent away from the rest of the tribe for several months after being circumcised at the age of 15.

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And to end the trip we got to spend several days on the beaches of Zanzibar.
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Spending Christmas in a tropical climate is definitely something I could get used ot. IMG_4618

When we got back to America, John was able to come with me on a few interviews, which proved to make the interview trail a lot more fun. IMG_1414

We were able to travel the coast in California for a few days, and it’s safe to say I’m in love.  I’m not really a big city girl, but you can’t really argue with 75 degree sunny days in the middle of January.

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And then my favorite part, we headed to Santa Barbara.  Probably my new favorite place in the United States.  I’d been there once before when we convinced our parents we needed to look at California colleges :-) , but this time I was really able to take it all in. IMG_4558

We hiked up to inspiration point. IMG_4561

Had some wonderful meals, and some pinkberry ice cream, and of course watched the sunset.

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It was kind of hard to come back to the snow at DTW, but here’s to hoping Santa Barbara is hiring some docs in 5-6 years :-) !   I’m living the good life of a fourth year from here on out, so I’ll be back with some great recipes soon!  If you have any questions about going on a safari, feel free to contact me!

Posted by  |  January 21, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Three Bean and Beef Chili

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As much as I love an interesting dessert, or a buttery breakfast baked good, usually when I am scouring the internet for recipes, I am looking for dinner.  After all, it is technically possible to go a day without dessert (well not for me, but for some people); but most everyone would agree that at least one meal is a necessity.  So while classic chili might not be the most exciting thing ever posted here, I can say that this is a tried and true recipe that will keep you warm on a wintery night.  This is a real crowd pleaser, and my mom even requested that we make it as her birthday meal.  Personally, I would’ve gone with the Lobster and Corn Chowder, but I guess that’s why it’s her birthday ;-) .

For the longest time I only liked turkey chili, but I’ve found that extra lean beef actually has the same amount of fat as turkey, with the added benefits of a healthy dose of iron and a lot more flavor.   Be careful though, because using anything less than 90/10 will give you that greasy chili that I personally think is gross. (I prefer my fats disguised in baked goods, not floating on top of my soup).  This chili is not particularly spicy, but can easily be toned down or up with the addition of extra jalepenos or crushed red pepper.  Similar to the Cincinnati Chili, this recipe uses bittersweet chocolate, which really adds a dimension of flavor so don’t leave it out.
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Classic Beef and Bean Chili

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 2 large onions, chopped (2 cups)
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups beer (or water)
  • 1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15-oz can chili beans, in sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • Crushed red pepper, if desired
  • Shredded cheddar, green onions, additional jalapeños and corn chips for topping

Directions:
Brown the beef in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Drain off fat if necessary. Add the onions, garlic and jalapeños and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce and beer (or water) and increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.

While the beef mixture is cooking, place one can of beans in a medium bowl and mash with a fork. Stir the remaining two cans of beans, along with the mashed beans, into the chili and return to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt, cilantro and chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate has melted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with desired toppings.

Adapted from Cook Like a Champion 

Posted by  |  December 17, 2012 | Categories: Beef, Main Dish, Soup | Tags: , , , | Leave A Comment »

Baked French Toast

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After 5 straights days of early wake-ups to cold, dreary rain, sleeping in on a Saturday and enjoying breakfast sounded like a much better idea then running.   Back in Toledo, when the weather gets bad I tend to hit up the treadmill at our apartment complex, but on my last away rotation,  it just seemed like a waste to brace the weather to drive to the gym, just so I can run in place.  I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised that my runs in the cold rain have been pretty enjoyable, it’s just much harder to take that first step out the door on a Saturday morning.  In fact, I’ve now made it my goal to run outside all winter this year.     So in comes this amazing french toast, that can be made the night before and ready within 30 minutes of waking up on a sleepy Saturday.

This is really the perfect meal for company because to make a double batch would be no extra trouble.  It certainly beats sitting over the stove and flipping pancake after pancake while the finished ones sit in the oven getting soggy.  Besides, I have always preferred French toast to pancakes, which likely stems from my childhood (okay..and high school..and college) obsession with all things French.  This dish is really wonderful enough to eat on its own, with out added syrup or butter, which is something I would rarely say about pancakes.  We served it with some turkey sausage, and it made for such a cozy warm Saturday morning.  And thanks to some help from lululemon (my unfortunate new obsession), I still had a good run in the rain later that day.
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Baked French Toast 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 loaf (about 1  pound) brioche or challah, sliced 1 1/2 inches thick
  • 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup milk (at least 2%)
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • sprinkling of ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • Maple syrup, confectioners’ sugar or fresh fruit for serving, optional

Directions:
Combine the butter and brown sugar in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange the bread slices in the dish. (It’s fine if they overlap.) In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread and allow it to soak in. Top with pecans and nutmeg and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 and up to 12 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350º. Set the dish out while the oven is preheating. Bake until browned and set, about 35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

Adapted from: Cook Like a Champion, Originally from Bon Appetit, Y’all

Posted by  |  December 6, 2012 | Categories: Breakfast | Tags: , , , , | Leave A Comment »

The Perfect Turkey

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I know you might be thinking that this post is about 9 days too late, but I figured I’d post my Thanksgiving turkey, because you still have plenty of time to plan a turkey for Christmas!    I mean really….turkey only one day per year is clearly not enough.  Especially when the turkey is this good.

This Thanksgiving we had a fairly small family gathering, especially compared to the 24 people my Aunt Mary managed to get around one amazing table last year!  It’s been a hard year for  us and today is especially difficult.  I can’t believe it was just a year ago that my family showed up at my apartment  to break the news that my father had passed away.  That’s a day I will never forget. I just remember seeing Max fly through the door, leash trailing behind him with no owner attached, and before my mom even got to the door, I knew he was gone.  As hard as this year has been, it’s also been a lesson in how resilient the human spirit is.  At first I had no idea how I would even make it to the next day, let alone the rest of medical school.  But here I am a whole year later, with an adorable puppy, an awesome husband, and only 6 months of medical school left!   If you have had the misfortune of losing someone you loved recently, let me just promise you that it will get easier.  And seriously,  I really think some turkey for comfort food could really help.  I’m sure my dad would’ve preferred these snowball cookies, but don’t worry, I already made a batch in his honor.

This turkey is a little bit involved, but it is by far the most moist, tender and delicious turkey you will ever eat.  I used to be disappointed by the fact that turkey would take up space on my plate in lieu of more sides- but this turkey is really the star of the meal.  First you throw all the ingredients in a pot and bring it to a boil.  Then you have to let it cool, which unfortunately always takes longer than I think it will.

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Houston wouldn’t let this turkey out of his sight.  I’ve never seen him like this before…he obviously knew this turkey was special.  I think this is his “Is that for me?  Awww please mom….”  face.

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Then you have to pour the cooled brine, along with ice cubes and cold water over the turkey.  The trickest part about this is finding a container that will allow the turkey to be totally covered.  In fact, I ended up taking it out of the container pictured here and putting it in a GIANT stock pot.  Last year I used a gray “sterelite” container I found at Walmart that was perfect – but it was at my apartment.  I’ve also heard of people using new and throughly cleaned 5 gallon paint buckets from Lowe’s/Home depot. Just remember you need to keep this container cold, so if it’s 60 degrees on Thanksgiving like it was in Ohio this year, putting it in the garage will not cut it.

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After the turkey has soaked in a cold place for 12-24 hours, take it out, rinse it it in cool water and set it in a pan.   In case you didn’t know, that’s me with the awkward smile on my face.   There’s some sage butter in the white bowl in front of me, which you spread under the skin in as many places as you can.  Then you take a delicious mixture of chicken broth, butter and garlic, and inject it all over the turkey meat.  This part is pretty fun. Between injecting the meat, and suturing the cavity closed with  2-0 vicryl, I was feeling like a real surgeon by the end of the day :-) .

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Then stuff the turkey according to your liking.  This year we used my Grandma’s traditional (and amazing) stuffing, but last year I just put some onion, apple and celery in the cavity – both worked great.  Then put the turkey in a “Turkey Bag” and cook according to the directions on the box – ours took about 3 hours.   (I know that turkey bags might not seem very gourmet, but I promise they make the most moist turkeys!).

Then of course let the turkey sit for 20-30 minutes before cutting to let the juices redistribute.  True comfort food.  Why don’t we make turkey like 10 times per year!  I’ve included all the specifics below.  I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and just remember all through this season (and always) to tell the people how much they mean to you.  You will never regret saying I love you just one last time.

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The Perfect Turkey

Equipment 

  • large container that will hold turkey plus 2 gallons of liquid
  • oven safe thermometer
  • Flavor injector/syringe
  • Turkey roasting bag
  • heavy duty roasting pan

Ingredients

  • 1 turkey, 12 – 16 pounds
  • 1 gallon (16 cups) chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
  • 1/2 cup white or brown sugar
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 5-6 cloves smashed garlic
  • 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion
  • 1 large sprig fresh thyme*
  • 1 large sprig fresh sage*
  • 1 large sprig fresh rosemary*
  • 1 handful fresh parsley
  • 8 cups cold water
  • 8 cups ice

*the poultry blend of fresh herbs should contain these 3

  • 3/4 c. salted butter, divided
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1/2 c. chicken broth
  • 2-3 cloves garlic

Stuffing

  • Traditional Bread stuffing OR
  • 1 apple (chopped in half), 1-2 small onions (chopped in half), 4 celery stalks (cut into thirds)

About a week before you begin brining your turkey, place it in the refrigerator to defrost. Alternatively, purchase a fresh turkey.  (I have done both and I don’t actually think it makes a significant difference in the final product).

The day before you roast your turkey, combine the chicken broth and the remaining brine ingredients (through the parsley) in a very large stockpot. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, which will take over an hour.

Remove the packaging from the turkey. Remove the neck and giblets (be sure to check both the body and neck cavities) and reserve for gravy, if desired.  Rinse the turkey in cool water and then place it in the appropriate container.  Add the cold water and the ice cubes, then add the brine mixture. Stir to combine. Cover with the lid and then place in a cold place for up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to roast your turkey, preheat the oven according to the directions on the roasting bag packaging. Soften 1 stick of butter and mix it with 1 tablespoon fresh sage and set aside. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it in cool water, and place in the roasting pan. Use your hands to loosen the skin between over the breast. Spread handfuls of the sage butter between the breast and the skin, rubbing any excess over the outside of the skin.

In a blender, combine 1/2 c. chicken broth, 2-3 cloves garlic, and 1/4 c. melted butter until completely smooth. Let  sit for at least 20 minutes, then strain out garlic to make it easier to draw up.  Use the flavor injector to inject the mixture all over the turkey.

Slip any remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs under the skin.

Stuff the turkey cavity with bread stuffing or a mixture of  apple, onion, and celery. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast and then place the turkey into the roasting bag and roast until the thermometer registers 165 according to the roasting bag directions. When you’ve reached 165, remove the turkey from the oven and cut the bag away from the turkey. Allow it to stand for 15-20 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute and keep the turkey juice.

Slightly adapted from Our Best Bites, who adapted it from Alton Brown

Posted by  |  November 30, 2012 | Categories: Poultry | Leave A Comment »

Lobster Corn Chowder

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Being on away rotations, I haven’t been up to my usual menu planning and weeknight meal routine.  Between applications, scheduling interviews,  and overall crazy hours, I haven’t missed it too much, but I’m not sure I can say the same for John (who has been eating chez chef Boyardee).  But to make up for it,  I was able to rationalize this fancy weekend meal. (It also didn’t hurt that Mom was buying :-) ).    After apple picking, running and hiking in the park, this chowder was the perfect end to a fall themed day.   It is really one for the record books. It will make you feel like you on dining on the set of barefoot contessa and it would be the perfect fall meal for company, or if you just feel like indulging yourself.
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This was my first time ever cooking with lobster, and I don’t pretend to know much about it. I did learn that it is very easy to overcook it, and for such an expensive meat, that is really something you don’t want to do.  So err on the side of undercooked, because it will inevitably cook a bit more once you add it to the stew.  Also, while this soup still tasted wonderful the next day, I did notice that there was a bit of color separation, which didn’t make for the most gorgeous photograph.  If you want to see what it looked like the first night, check out this blog. Despite the work, and the amount of cream (once in a while..)  this is definitely something I will be making again.  In fact, it almost makes me wish I actually lived in New England,  which is saying a lot for a girl who hates the cold :-) .

Lobster Corn Chowder

Serves 6 

Ingredients:

  • 3 (1 1/2lb) cooked lobsters
  • 3 ears of corn

For the stock:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup sherry
  • 1 teaspoon  paprika
  • 4 cups milk (skim works fine)
  • 2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
  • 1 cup dry white wine

For the soup:

  • 1 tablespoon good olive oil
  • 1/4 pound bacon, large-diced
  • 2 cups large-diced unpeeled Yukon gold potatoes (2 medium)
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
  • 2 cups diced celery (3 to 4 stalks)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1/4 cup sherry

Instructions:

  1. Remove the meat from the shells of the lobsters. Cut the meat into large cubes and place them in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reserve the shells and all the juices that collect. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set aside, reserving the cobs separately.
  2. For the stock, melt the butter in a stockpot or Dutch oven large enough to hold all the lobster shells and corncobs. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, until translucent but not browned, stirring occasionally. Add the sherry and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, cream, wine, lobster shells and their juices, and corn cobs and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer the stock over the lowest heat for 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in another stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and cook the bacon for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the potatoes, onions, celery, corn kernels, salt, and pepper to the same pot and saute for 5 minutes. When the stock is ready, remove the largest pieces of lobster shell and the corn cobs with tongs and discard. Place a strainer over the soup pot and carefully pour the stock into the pot with the potatoes and corn. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the cooked lobster, the chives and the sherry and season to taste. Heat gently and serve hot with a garnish of crisp bacon

Source: Smells Like Home , originally adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Posted by  |  November 4, 2012 | Categories: Fish, Soup | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

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