Main Course

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Make Ahead Gravy

A stainless steel gravy boat.

I ask you, what else can you make ahead?

We are doing whole berry cranberry sauce also.

After Tday I will post more pictures

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cups canned chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 cup apple juice or cider
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
  • 1 teaspoon Gravy Master
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 tablespoons turkey drippings Add at end after you cook turkey and reheat gravy

How

1 day ahead: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons chicken broth for 4 minutes. Add flour and stir 1 minute. Slowly add the rest of the broth, stirring constantly. Add apple juice, lemon juice, evaporated milk, Gravy Master, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and place in a blender. Pulses 30 seconds on liquefy. Place in a covered container and refrigerate.

Next Day: Half an hour before serving, place gravy in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in 3 tablespoons turkey drippings and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, until serving.

Make Ahead Grvy Ingredients    100_1076100_1077      100_1079

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Buttermilk-Marinated 1/2 Turkey with Caramelized Onion Gravy – Trial Run
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Buttermilk-Marinated 1/2 Turkey with Caramelized Onion Gravy – Trial Run

About 2 weeks ago whiles cooking, I was turned and asked Lyn, I wonder how turkey would be marinated in buttermilk. I had used butter milk with many of my chicken dishes and always love the results, tender and juicy. So why not Turkey, let’s try it for Thanksgiving. She smiled and said that is a good idea but I hate to try an experiment on that day why not try it first. I personally feel she was secretly hoping I would get discourage and go with a beef tenderloin roast. I did not. I “Googled” turkey and buttermilk and was surprised that others had beat me to it, I was not the genius I thought.  Armed with their ideas we marched to Wholefoods because they were the only ones who had a half turkey before the big day. With half a turkey and a quart of butter milk in my arms I was happy as live turkey after thanksgiving something new to try.

Ingredients:

  • Half (1/2) fresh or thawed frozen turkey (about 6-7 lbs)
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 quart buttermilk
  • 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of butter (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to rub the turkey with
  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • Touch of gravy master

How:

Wash and pat dry the half turkey. Place the turkey, breast side up, in an oven-roasting bag.

Add the hot sauce, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper to the buttermilk container; shake to combine.

Pour the buttermilk mixture over the turkey. Seal the bag, transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate, turning the turkey over once, for at least 4-5 hours. I suppose you could do it over night.

Remove the turkey and pat dry inside and out. Rub the skin with 1 tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Let rest at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees . Tuck the wings behind the back of the turkey. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Roast, basting once with the pan juices, for 1 hour. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and roast, basting every half hour, until an instant-read thermometer registers 155 degrees when inserted into the thigh, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more. If the turkey is over browning, tent with foil. Remove from the oven, tent and let rest for 30 minutes.

Gravy

While this is cooking

In a large pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat, add optional butter. Add the onions, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and browned until caramelized, about 35-45 minutes. Add the flour cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Stir in a touch of gravy master. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve the gravy with the turkey. I was lazy but a nice touch might be to blend the end results together.

Note: The skin was nicely colored, crisp and tasty the meat was really juicy and tender even the breast.

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Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cultured or fermented cream. Traditionally, before cream could be skimmed from whole milk, the milk was left to sit for a period of time to allow the cream and milk to separate. During this time, naturally occurring lactic acid-producing bacteria in the milk fermented it. This facilitates the butter churning process, since fat from cream with a lower pH coalesces more readily than that of fresh cream. The acidic environment also helps prevent potentially harmful microorganisms from growing, increasing shelf-life. However, in establishments that used cream separators, the cream was hardly acidic at all.

Ridley Believe it or not Nachos
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Ridley Believe it or not Nachos

Growing up my son Mike’s specialty was nacho’s he always threw together the best nacho’s ever. When it hit the table we just dove in like a fumble recovery. So I present my version of his Nachos for NEpatriotslife.com game day recipe. I do him no justice.

Did you know Howard Cosell made a huge impact on nachos acceptance to the mainstream!

Do you know who Howard is?

 Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef, chicken or turkey
  • 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 (18 ounce) package restaurant-style tortilla chips
  • 1 cup shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese, or more to taste
  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can refried beans
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 cup sour cream, or more to taste
  • 1 (10 ounce) can pitted black olives, drained and chopped
  • 4 scullion onions, sliced thin
  • 1 (4 ounce) can sliced jalapeno peppers, drained

How:

Cook and stir ground beef or whatever- if chicken or turkey add a little olive oil to brown,in a skillet over medium heat until meat is crumbly and no longer pink, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water and simmer until beef mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Spread tortilla chips on the prepared baking sheet; top with Cheddar cheese and dot with refried beans and ground beef mixture.

Broil in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, watching carefully to prevent burning, 3 to 5 minutes.

Top nachos with salsa, sour cream, black olives, green onions, and jalapeno peppers

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Howard Cosell: Nachos ultimate champion!!

Now here is where the story gets even better. The tasty snack becomes a specialty in many restaurants in Southern Texas but is virtually unknown anywhere else on the planet. That is until a gentleman by the name of Frank Liberto decided to try to sell the stuff as a concession stand item! He changed up the recipe by reformulating the cheese to be soft all the time and using simple tortilla chips. He began to sell his new version of nachos in 1977 in Arlington Stadium in Arlington Texas. but what really made the concept take off was a visit by “Monday Night Football” later that year. Before the game started they were offering the product in the reception area where Howard Cosell took a liking to the name. That night and for weeks after, Cosell and the rest of the “Monday Night Football” team worked the word nacho and the product itself in wherever they could! From there on out nachos quickly grew into the massive force they are today!!

Mimi Chili
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Mimi Chili

Every once in a while I come home from work and there is a package sitting there beside the garage door with the return address of Maine on it. A smile grows across my face I know that it is a special treat from Lyn’s sister, Mimi. This time is was chili packed with just the right amount of freezer bags keeping it a perfect temp and ready to heat up. I asked her for the recipe and as she says it kind of hard I just sort of throw it together but here ya go! So I give you a totally buildable recipe that I know I have enjoyed for years. What about some of that spinage bread?? Take some pictures while you make it and I’ll post with your permission ofcourse.

 Ingredients

  • 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb. Hamburg
  • 1 big can Cento Crushed tomato
  • 1 big can Hunt’s Sauce
  • 1 can Stewarts shelled beans
  • 1 can Bush’s black beans
  • 1 can Bush’s dark red kidney bean
  • 1 bag frozen diced green peppers
  • 1 can Hunt’s tomato paste
  • Frozen corn
  • 1/2 bag frozen diced onions
  • Old El Paso Chili mix
  • Weber’s Grill Master’s Hamburg seasoning to taste
  • cumin
  • chili powder
  • onion powder
  • garlic powder
  • basil
  • cilantro
  • salt & pepper

How

Heat in pan, add Old El Paso Chili mix, spice with cumin, chili powder, onion & garlic power, basil, cilantro salt & pepper to taste. 1 can Stewarts shelled beans, 1 can Bush’s black beans, 1 can Bush’s dark red kidney beans. In frying pan brown hamburg, season with salt & Weber’s Grill Master’s Hamburg seasoning to taste. Strain and add to chili pot. Add 1 can Hunt’s tomato paste to chili w/ little water if chili too thick. Add some corn to it if you like, as always season to taste with spices & hot sauce.

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Cumin

An aromatic spice with a distinctive bitter flavor and strong, warm aroma due to its abundant oil content. Cumin “seeds” are actually the small dried fruit of an annual plant in the parsley family. Native to the Mediterranean, cumin is hotter to the taste, lighter in color, and larger than caraway, another spice it’s sometimes confused with. Sold whole or ground, the seeds come in three colors: amber, white or black. Amber is most widely available, but the black has such a complex flavor it should not be substituted for the other two. Cumin is a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern, Asian, Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines, and is one of the main ingredients in curry powder.

How to store: Store in an airtight container and place in a dry, cool area, away from light. Flavor and aroma can be retained for up to six months.

Matches well with: beans, chicken, couscous, curry, eggplant, fish, lamb, lentils, peas, pork, potatoes, rice, sausages, soups, stews, eggs

Crockpot Beef Stew with Red Wine
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Crockpot Beef Stew with Red Wine

I love when the temps turn to sweatshirt weather, a time when your cheeks get that slight wind chill burn when you’re out for a walk. Work is located downtown and I walk 2 miles every lunch time to keep in shape, get some fresh air but mostly just to clear the head. I have come up with many solutions to the days pressing issue while walking. I’m and IT guy with 35 or so users spread out in 5 locations with an additional 6 servers/PCs to service. To top it off sales is on the road here and in Asia a lot of the time. So every call I get it is 99.99% chance of being issue call. As anyone in my situation will tell you every caller does not give a _____ about anyone else problems just theirs. Oh yeah you take care of the president first, no matter what.

Anyway back to my daily walks, some of the shop owners, police and the mentally challenged give me the nod as I walk by with ear buds blocking out the sounds of downtown Milford and the local neighborhood. I have become a townie it has been since I was in my teens that I’ve been there. Different town different times.

Lyn and I finally broke down and bought a new crockpot, one that you can put the pot on the burner and brown saving those great little flavor bits on the bottom. With sweatshirt weather there is nothing better than coming in from outside and smelling the rich flavors of a great beef stew, heck even a bad one smells good.  As promised here is that quick beef stew recipe I made. I made a small batch since I am still on the fend for yourself diet but made sure I had left overs.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 pounds stew beef like bottom round, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. ground pepper
  • *********
  • Pinch or two of red hot pepper flakes
  • 1-2 Tbsps. olive oil (plus more if needed)
  • 1 medium to large onions, ruff chop
  • ¼ cup ketchup – I did not have tomato paste that would probably be about 1-2 Tbsps.
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 large potato, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup bay carrots
  • ¼-1/2 cup chicken broth would have been better with beef broth but again I did not have.
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • *********
  •  ¼-1/2 cup frozen peas put in when almost ready to serve
  • ¼-1/2 cup frozen corn put in when almost ready to serve

 

Directions

1. Coat the beef in the flour and pepper. I like to put in plastic bag and shake to coat. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a crockpot pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, adding more oil as necessary. Remove and set aside.

2. Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and coat the onions. Remove and set aside.

3. Place pot in crockpot, pour the wine into the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, thyme, red pepper flakes and bay leaf.

4. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 ½-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Add the peas and corn and heat through.

I was nervous because it was a small batch but it came out pretty darn good.

My pictures did not come out that great so I admit it I borrowed one from the web. Thanks Susie Cushner interestingly enough her recipe was real close to what I did. Our gut instincts must be close.
Lettuce Wrapped Pork with Pine Nuts in a Hoisin Sauce
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Lettuce Wrapped Pork with Pine Nuts in a Hoisin Sauce

Ok I have been absent for a little while, I have been cooking and taking pictures but just got into politics and maybe a little lazy. Ok mostly a little lazy. I am still on the fend for yourself diet so a lot of what I make is spur of the moment, open the Frig and see what’s in there. We did buy a new crock pot, do they still call them that? I did a quick beef stew in a red wine gravy which came out great but that’s another post to come.

Ingredients:

Remember I eyeball most times
  • 1 Tbsp. Peanut Oil.
  • About 1 lbs. of pork cutlet pounded then diced 1/8 to ¼” or smaller. If you partially freeze the cutlet it is so much easier to dice or mince.
  • 1 small onion 1 diced about 1/3 cup.
  • 1/2 red bell pepper minced
  • pinch or two of red hot pepper flakes cause spice is nice
  • 1/3 cup finely pan toasted pine nuts.
  • 1 ½ to 2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce.
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Romaine, Iceburg or Boston Bib Lettuce I suggest the Bib lettuce it wraps better. However, this was a spur of the moment meal. YA use what you’ve got.
  • 1 carrot diced small. I have a julienne which makes dicing so much easier

How:

In large skillet or WOK, heat the peanut oil until shimmering. Add the pork and stir fry over high heat until just cooked through about 3-5 minutes depending on the dice size. Use slotted spoon to remove the pork and put aside.

Add the onion, carrot and red bell pepper to the skillet cook over medium or slightly lower heat until soften about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts, and Hoisin sauce. Return the pork to pan stirring to coat evenly about 1 minute.

Spoon the mixture into lettuce leaves for wrapping.

Hint, you may have to remove pan from heat if it is too hot so it does not thicken up too much. You can always add a touch of chicken broth or water in needed but you want it semi thick not watery.

I served with Lyn’s homemade ginger pickled cucumbers on a bed of wide sliced carrots, now if she would only tell me how I could post.

Enjoy

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Lettuce wraps are turning up in restaurants across the country. First popular in Asian cuisines, lettuce wraps are now popping up on the menus of other styles of restaurants. In restaurants, they are most often offered as an appetizer, but I like them as my main course. Kids love them as they get to eat with their hands and it is ok. You don’t have to visit a restaurant to enjoy lettuce wraps. They’re quick and easy to prepare at home. This is also a great way to lower your consumption of carbohydrates by replacing the bread on a sandwich

Lettuce wraps are very easy to create with an almost endless array of ingredient variations. You can also use the same ingredients that you use in burritos, tortillas, pita bread, or spring rolls. Jut let your imagination and taste buds be your guide. They key to great wraps is the contrast of warm, flavorful fillings with the cool crunch of lettuce.

For a party, offer a variety of lettuces and a variety of fillings such as cold chicken salad, grilled beef teriyaki strips, Italian sausage, onions, shredded cheese, and water chestnuts.

Iceberg is the most common lettuce used, but the wide, strong leaves of romaine, red leaf, or slightly bitter escarole offer surprising changes of pace.

                                                                 

For best results, pick the largest, most pliable lettuce leaves. types to use are iceberg, red lettuce, radicchio and/or large spinach leaves. Dry lettuce well before using in the wraps.

To keep iceberg lettuce crisp, cut the core out. Fill the core with cold tap water, then drain for 15 minutes. It will stay crisp for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Lettuce wraps info from http://whatscookingamerica.net/Sandwich/LettuceWraps.htm

French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin
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French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin

Don’t you think that it is funny how when the leaves start to turn and cover the ground stews and roasts creep back into our diets? I suppose it’s because cooking something in the oven during the summer just heats up the kitchen and during the fall with windows closed the aroma fills the house. That is good because when you go out for the sweater weather walk and return to the house you are hit with that drool starting blast of goodness.   Pork Loin is one of my wife’s favorite cuts of meat, there is just so much you can do with it and we have. I saw this today and it reminded me of others I have tried and thought I would share it with you. Also included the how to double butterfly instructions on the bottom.

 

From America’s Test Kitchen

Why this recipe works:

Enchaud Perigordine is a fancy name for what’s actually a relatively simple French dish: slow-cooked pork loin. But given that American pork is so lean, this cooking method leads to bland, stringy pork. To improve the flavor and texture of our center-cut loin, we lowered the oven temperature (to 225 degrees) and removed the roast from the oven when it was medium-rare. Searing just three sides of the roast, rather than all four, prevented the bottom of the roast from overcooking from direct contact with the pot. Butterflying the pork allowed us to salt a maximum amount of surface area for a roast that was thoroughly seasoned throughout. And while we eliminated the hard-to-find trotter (or pig’s foot), we added butter for richness and sprinkled in gelatin to lend body to the sauce.

Serves 4 to 6

We strongly prefer the flavor of natural pork in this recipe, but if enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution) is used, reduce the salt to 2 teaspoons (1 teaspoon per side) in step 2. For tips on “double-butterflying,” see step-by-step below.

Ingredients

  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 1(2 1/2-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4-3/4cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and refrigerate.

2. Position roast fat side up. Insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast along 1 long side and cut horizontally, stopping ½ inch before edge. Open up flap. Keeping knife parallel to cutting board, cut through thicker portion of roast about ½ inch from bottom of roast, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping about ½ inch before edge. Open up this flap. If uneven, cover with plastic wrap and use meat pounder to even out. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over both sides of loin (½ tablespoon per side) and rub into pork until slightly tacky. Sprinkle sugar over inside of loin, then spread with cooled toasted garlic mixture. Starting from short side, fold roast back together like business letter (keeping fat on outside) and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. Sprinkle tied roast evenly with herbes de Provence and season with pepper.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add roast, fat side down, and brown on fat side and sides (do not brown bottom of roast), 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, apple, and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for 30 seconds. Return roast, fat side up, to pot; place large sheet of aluminum foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 50 to 90 minutes (short, thick roasts will take longer than long, thin ones).

4. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. While pork rests, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup chicken broth and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf from jus. Pour jus into 2-cup measuring cup and, if necessary, add chicken broth to measure 1¼ cups. Return jus to pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Whisk softened gelatin mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley into jus and season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Slice pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve pork, passing sauce separately.

How to “Double-Butterflying” a Roast

Steve says: I have tried this on a lot of different roast and my god does it enhance the flavor

When butterflying a narrow roast like pork tenderloin, a single bisecting cut will usually suffice. But to open up wider roasts like the center-cut pork loin used in our French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin, we make two parallel cuts. This technique exposes more of the meat’s surface area to flavorful seasoning.

1. Holding chef’s knife parallel to cutting board, insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast and cut horizontally, stopping ½ inch before edge. Open up flap.

 

2. Make another horizontal cut into thicker portion of roast about 1/2 inch from bottom, stopping about 1/2 inch before edge. Open up this flap, smoothing out rectangle of meat.

Step-by-Step

Secrets to Juicy, Rich-Tasting Pot-Roasted Pork Loin

Thanks to their well-marbled pork, the French can get away with pot-roasting the loin, one of the leanest cuts of the pig, without drying it out. Here’s how we adapted their approach to super-lean American pork loin.

 

“DOUBLE-BUTTERFLY” AND SALT Opening up the roast like a tri-fold book creates more surface area for seasoning, ensuring that the salt thoroughly penetrates the meat.

ADD FAT Spreading garlic butter over the surface enriches this lean cut, bringing it closer in flavor and juiciness to well-marbled French pork. We then fold up and tie the roast.

 

 SEAR TIED ROAST ON 3 SIDES Browning only the sides of the roast that are not in contact with the pan during roasting prevents the bottom of the meat from overcooking.

COOK IN LOW OVEN Roasting the pork in a gentle 225-degree oven until medium guarantees that the meat will cook up tender and juicy, not chalky and dry.

 

ADD GELATIN Adding gelatin to the exuded meat juices replaces the body and richness lost by omitting the pig’s trotter used in the French original.

 

 

There is a good video of this recipe

 

Mexican Lasagna Recipe
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Mexican Lasagna Recipe

Still on the fend for myself diet, but I am proud of Lyn she is sticking to her strict diet the woman has will power. After all she has to avoid my cooking most of the time that is hard to do. So I am taking advantage of this whenever I can and trying to stay eating healthy. I think everyone likes TexMex inspired meals so when I saw this on Pinterest I grabbed it and decided to make it as healthy as I could so white turkey breast, organic black beans and corn but I refused to use low-fat cheese it just does not melt right ya know what I mean? BTW she was right this was a great meal.

Anyway after making this I believe adding fresh chopped cilantro to the mixture after cooking just before spreading it in the baking dish would add a nice addition.

I just copied her recipe below except I used turkey.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground turkey breast
  • 2 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 cup taco sauce
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • salt
  • 8 (8 inch) soft corn or flour tortillas
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  • sliced black olives for topping
  • low-fat sour cream for topping

 

How:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.  Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil to the skillet.

3.  Add ground turkey and season with chili powder and cumin. Brown the meat (about 5 minutes).

4.  Add taco sauce, black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through then season with salt to taste.

5.  Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining Tablespoon of olive oil.

6. Cut the tortillas in quarters for easy layering.

7. Start with a layer of the meat mixture, then layer with tortillas and then cheese.Repeat for a second layer, ending with cheese.

8. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is slightly browned.

9. Remove from oven, top with sliced black olives and serve.

   

Smoked Wilfork Tender Brisket
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Smoked Wilfork Tender Brisket

I am still on the fend for yourself diet and very much against my promise to Lyn to eat healthy I could not resist the temptation when at BJs and there it was as if it had my name on it a full brisket sitting in an open space in the meat counter all by itself. It was calling me. I told her that I needed it for a Patriots game day recipe and besides most of the fat will render off. She begrudgingly let me win the discussion not only because the fat content in this cut of meat is not healthy for me but I feel more that she knew the aroma that spreads through the neighborhood and the house will be driving us crazy all day. I don’t know about you but there is something about cooking any style of slow cook meal that is tortuous. Go out for a little while and when you come back and enter the house OMG. And I never use that terminology. Think of last Turkeyday when you enter the house and you will know what I mean.

Remember this was a spur of the moment thing so I basically winged it.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole brisket about 8 lbs.
  • Favorite homemade or store bought rub
  • A few large onions chopped
  • Liquid your choice water, beer, broth

 

 

 

How

Presoak some wood chips when ready place in smoking tray. IF you do not have one I use two sheet of aluminum foil make a pouch and put some holes in it. I have used a disposable tin foil tray not covered place on the flame.

I dragged a sharp knife across the beef not going very deep and made a diamond pattern on both sides.

Then I rubbed the beef with my rub, see pulled pork receipe. Wrapped and refrigerate for 1 hour, overnight is much better.

Preheat oven to 225-250 degrees

Place chopped onions and liquid (your choice I only had one beer left so I used broth) enough to cover bottom of roasting pan and cover. If your roasting pan does not have tight cover, cover with aluminum foil tightly. I cook at this temp for about 4 hours

Towards the end prepare your grill. – I have an old gas grill that is only front and back so I cover one side with aluminum foil, poke a few drip holes and replace the grates. On the open side I place the woodchip pouch I made while the grill is heating up to high.

Place the meat on grill fat side up, over the aluminum foil side to get as close to cooking with indirect heat as I could. Next year I swear I will buy a new grill. Cook for another 3-6 hours checking the internal temperature toward the 3 hour mark see below for end temp 180-185. I also would watch the temp of the grill remember with smoking low and slow is the trick. I would open the grill cover from time to time to drop the temperature down around 225 degree.

Whn you reach the correct internal temp place the meat directly over flame and about cook 10 minutes each side.

When done place on platter cover loosely and let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Trim the fat off by running knife under it and put aside there is a lot of great meat and burnt ends in there.

You should have most of the fat removed, now cut thin slices ACROSS the grain.

Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce, coleslaw, corn and beverages in my case only one beer.

With the flat fat piece you remove trim all the meat out and chop it mix with BBQ sauce and serve on buns.

Remember you have to have a lot of will power because it is tortuous smelling this cooking all day.

 

What do they mean by Fork tender

Barbecue experts with years of cooking experience say a brisket is done when it’s “fork tender”, meaning that a fork or a probe thermometer goes in and out of the meat with little resistance. The problem is that both a properly cooked brisket and an overcooked one will both be “fork tender”. For most folks like you and me, it’s best to rely on internal meat temperature to determine when a brisket is properly cooked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What most everyone does agree on is that a properly cooked slice of brisket should pull apart easily, while still maintaining good texture. Technically the meat is done at 160°F but continue on for more tender meat. An overcooked slice will fall apart when picked up. 188°F and 190°F seem to be the most popular target temps. When I barbecue a brisket entirely I cook to an internal temp of 185-190°F. In this temperature range, the flat will be fork-tender and the slices cut from the flat will hold together. Remember Slow and Low is the trick.

 

Pork with Pineapple
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Pork with Pineapple

Never really understood coupons, always seems that they are for something I do not use. Switching to another brand just because I can save 20 cents made no sense, will I like it, and back in the day will the kid eat it. Don’t get me wrong I am not against using them for something we already use that would be foolish. Then there are the coupons that print out when you are checking out, you know the ones they are counting on you to forget about or leave at home. Save $7.00 on your next order of $70 or more. Can’t tell you how many times we have forgotten about them until we see them on the counter at home, after shopping. Why can’t they just add it to your non privacy store card and automatically deduct it, makes more sense to me.  Better yet why not get rid of those cards all together and give us lower more reasonable prices. So back to my point, we had one of these coupons and remembered it but had to go around finding things that we use to get the total up to take advantage of the coupon. We did it but one of the things was a buy one and get one free package of center cut boneless pork chops. I am still on the fend for myself diet so I figure I could put them to good use.  I decided with the suggestion from my wife that I could slip each chop and make cutlets. I know that the loin in the better cut for this but one makes do with what they have. So split and pound I did.

I made the following first and then some pan fried cutlets for salads and other meals.

Ingredients

  • ½ small pineapple or 1- 15oz can unsweetened pineapple.
  • 8 oz. of pork cullet slice thinly across the grain
  • 1 Tbsp. Cornflour
  • 1/ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. Ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. Light soy sauce
  • 2 Tsps. Sesame oil
  • 1 small clove garlic, crushed
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tbsp. peanut oil
  • 6 Spring Onions, slice
  • 1 green or red bell pepper cut into bite size pieces
  • Fresh coriander leaves for garnish.

Sauce:

  • 2 Tsps. Cornflour
  • ½ cup pineapple juice (either juice from other half or can).
  • 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce.

How

Skin the pineapple, clear all the eyes, and cut lengthways into triangles wedges. Trim away the core then cut across into slices.

Pound the pork until very thin and slice thinly across the grain

Toss Pork in a mixture of cornflour, salt and pepper until well coated.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic to pork and mix well

Heat peanut oil in wok or fry pan, add pork and fry just until the color changes. Add pineapple, bell pepper and  red pepper flakes reduce heat cover and simmer about 3 minutes. Give the sauce a quick stir and add to pork and stir until thicken, toss in spring onions and mix thoroughly. Spoon into serving dish.

Sauce: Add pineapple juice gradually to cornflour, mixing until smooth. Stir in soy sauce.

I prefer fresh pineapple rather than canned.

This can also be made with Chicken instead of pork, works well some might say better.

8 Healthy Facts About Pineapple

English: Pineapple on its plant, Costa Rica De...

From Webmd.comPineapple Discovery

In 1493, explorer Christopher Columbus found pineapples on Guadeloupe Island in the Caribbean. The fruit is also native to southern Brazil and Paraguay.

Pineapples in Colonial America

American colonists regarded pineapples as a luxurious treat because of their rarity and cost.

Pineapple Anatomy

A pineapple is the result of many flowers whose fruitlets have joined around the core.

Pineapple Nutrition

Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that may help arthritis pain by reducing inflammation. They are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps strengthen your immune system.

Pineapples in Hawaii

Some of the largest pineapple crops are in Hawaii, which produces 500,000 tons of the fruit each year.

Pineapple Selection

Pass over sour-smelling or bruised pineapples. Fruit from Hawaii or Central America tends to be freshest.

Pineapple Care

To make your pineapple softer and juicier, keep it at room temperature for one or two days before cutting.

Pineapple Calories

One cup of pineapple has 70 to 85 calories.