November 27, 2011

TURKEY LENTIL RICE SOUP (a 2 banana difficulty level)

"Thanksgiving Leftover Soup"
After braising the Thanksgiving Turkey, I realized what was leftover in the roasting pan was the start to a fantastic Thanksgiving Leftover Soup!  I mean, we cooked that bird on a bed of Carrots, Onions, Celery, Garlic & Herbs as well as Chicken Stock & Dry wine.  Now we have the goodness of a cooked Turkey mixed in there as well.  This is going to be good!  I decided that I wanted this soup to have Lentils & Rice. 

Let 'this monkey' show you that 'anymonkeycan' make a fantastic Turkey Soup!

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 c Medium Brown Rice - Rinsed (Cook time around 20 min)
1 c Lentils - Rinsed (I used 1/2 c French Green & 1/2 c Spanish.  Cook time around 20 min)
2 1/4 c Leftover Braising Liquid & Vegetables from your Turkey
www.anymonkeycan.com/2011/11/braised-turkey-3-banana-level.html
2 c Leftover Turkey - Torn/Cut in small pieces

WHAT YOU DO:
1.  In a Large Pot, Add the 2 1/4 c Braising Liquid** & combine with 2 1/4 c Water & bring to a boil.  Stir in the Rice & Lentils & bring to a Simmer.  Cover & reduce Heat to Low for 20-25 minutes.  **If the leftover braising liquid is too thick, cook it in the Microwave for 1-2 minutes**

2.  Add the Turkey

3.  Mix in the remaining Braising Liquid & Vegetables (Be sure that the herbs have been removed at this point)

4.  Bring back to a Gentle Boil, then Simmer for 10 min

5.  Serve & Enjoy!

As you serve this soup for leftovers, you may have to cut in some water from time to time since the rice & lentils will slowly continue to absorb the liquid.  I guess it all depends on how thick you like your soup.  I personally add Triscuits to mine.  So Good!!

What a perfect soup as we fully embrace fall temps, even in Texas!

See you next time, your favorite neighborweb monkey!

November 26, 2011

TURKEY and SWEET POTATO OMELETTE (a 3 banana level difficulty)


At this point, you may be in the same boat as me.  I have a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers.  I do like to re-create the Thanksgiving Dinner Feast, but eventually I need to do something different with those leftovers.

Let me introduce the "Turkey & Sweet Potato Omelette" a Thanksgiving leftover production!

The hardest part of this is actually cooking the omelette.  Don't worry, you'll be able to handle this.  Let's get started!

WHAT YOU NEED:
3-4 Eggs per Omelette
Kosher Salt to Taste
Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste
1 c Fresh Spinach
1/4 Avocado per Omelette - Sliced
Shredded Cheese (Stella Fontinella is what I used)
Olive Oil (or Coconut Oil)
Leftover Turkey - Torn/Cut into small pieces
Leftover Sweet Potato Dish (optional) - www.anymonkeycan.com/2010/12/sweet-potato-hash.html

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
Large Skillet
Medium Skillet
Rubber Spatula
Medium Bowl
Whisk

WHAT YOU DO:
1.  Drizzle 1 T of Oil onto the Large Skillet & heat over Medium
2.  Add Thanksgiving leftovers (Turkey, etc) & cook until warm, about 6-8 minutes. 


3.  Add the Spinach to the Large Skillet & Cook until Wilted, about 3-5 minutes

4.  Heat 1 T of Oil in the MEDIUM Skillet over Medium Heat.  Whisk Eggs, Salt & Pepper in Medium Bowl until they fully combine.
5.  Pour the Egg mixture into the MEDIUM Skillet.

6.  As the Omelette cooks on the bottom & edges, use your Rubber Spatula to GENTLY lift up an edge, then SLOWLY tilt the pan so that the uncooked egg runs underneath the lifted edge & onto the pan.  Rotate the pan & repeat the Lift & Tilt method until most of the top of the omelette has been cooked.
7.  Sprinkle the ENTIRE omelette with Salt & Pepper
8.  Sprinkle half the omelette with the Cheese.
9.  Add the Turkey, Spinach etc on top of the 1/2 sprinkled with cheese.  Take care not to over fill.

10.  Using the Rubber Spatula, carefully Fold the omelette half over the top of your filling.
11.  Serve & Enjoy!!

There you go!  When you are tired of Turkey sandwiches, give a Turkey Sweet Potato Omelette a go!  I wonder what else I can do with Thanksgiving Leftovers...oh yeah, Turkey Lentil Rice Soup.  Maybe tomorrow I'll get that one posted!

Until next time, your friendly neighborweb Monkey!

BRAISED TURKEY (a 3 banana level difficulty)


There's not a shortage of different approaches to cook the Thanksgiving Bird.  Last year I went with Cook's Illustrated Butterflied Glazed Turkey.  It was delicious and it looked fantastic!  But it took a bit of work.  In the past I tried the "shopping bag" cooking technique.  One year it was the Deep Fried Turkey.  Delicious, but the fact that you not only Deep Fried the Turkey, you also injected a butter/oil mixture in the skin was a little over the top for me. 

This year I tried another Cook's Illustrated inspired Turkey event, Braising the Bird!  To simplify things I opted only for the Turkey Breast. 

Just a heads up, you start the brining the night before or first thing in the morning.

BE SURE TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME TO ALLOW THE TURKEY TO THAW. This info is usually on the packaging and can take 3-4 days depending on the size of your bird. 

So....

'Anymonkeycan' Braise the Bird for Thanksgiving (or anytime) and 'this monkey' will show you how!

WHAT YOU NEED:
7-8 lb Whole Bone-in Thawed Turkey Breast
Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 c Salt
1/2 c Sugar
2-3 Red Onions - Chopped
2-3 Celery Ribs - Chopped
2-3 Carrots - Peeled & Chopped
5-6 Garlic Cloves - Peeled & Crushed
2-3 Bay Leaves
6 Sprigs Fresh Fennel
6 Sprigs Fresh Mint
6 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
1 oz Dried Mushroom Medley - Rinsed
3-4 T Unsalted Butter - Melted
4 c Low Sodium Chicken Broth
3/4 c Dry White Wine

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
Large Pot/Container for brining
Deep Roasting Pan
Aluminum Foil
Paper Sack Square or Parchment Paper (12x16")
Cooking Thermometer

WHAT YOU DO:
1.  In 1 Gallon of Cold Water, Dissolve the Sugar & Salt.  Lower the Breast into the Brining Solution making sure it is fully covered by the water, then cover the Container & store in the Refrigerator 4-8 hours.

2.  Pre Heat Oven to 500 deg after adjusting oven rack to the lower-middle position.
3.  In the Roasting Pan, mix together the Onions, Celery, Carrots, Garlic, Mushrooms & Herbs.  Arrange in an even layer & Drizzle with Butter.

I wish my Roasting Pan was just a little bit deeper!

4.  Remove the Breast from the Brine & pat dry with paper towels.  Place the Breast on top of the bed of Vegetables & Herbs.  Brush the Turkey Breast with the remaining Butter, then Sprinkle with Pepper
A special thanks to Chef Pastry Brush!

5.  Place in the Oven for 25-30 minutes or until the Skin is lightly tanned (add 5-10 min if needed).
6.  Reduce Oven temp to 325 deg & Remove the Bird from the oven.  Pour the Broth & Wine around the Breast.
I should have left it in the 500 deg oven for another 5-10 min for some more browning.


7.  Place a Piece (about 12x16") of a Paper Sack (avoid ink & glued areas) or Parchment Paper over the top of the Bird, then cover the Roasting Pan & Bird tightly with Aluminum Foil.
"Whew, this is hard work!  I need a break!"

8.  Place the covered Pan back into the Oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the Breast reaches 160 deg.
9.  Move the Bird to the Cutting Board & cover loosely with Aluminum Foil for 20 minutes
"Oh man, this smells great!"

10.  Time to Eat!

See that Turkey Dripping/Vegetable/Wine/Stock in the background?  That has the making of a Post Thanksgiving Soup in its future.

I see me making this again next year.  This was incredibly moist & delicious!  And remember that bed of vegetables & aromatics we poured the stock & wine over in the beginning?  Now it has been inundated with the goodness of Turkey Drippings.  It will soon become (and be posted) "Thanksgiving Leftovers Lentil & Rice" soup!

Happy Thanksgiving & until next time...

your favorite neighbor web monkey!

CRANBERRY SAUCE with PEAR & ROSEMARY (a 3 banana difficulty level)


I've never been a fan of Cranberry Sauce at Thanksgiving or at least what I always thought was Cranberry Sauce.  It really does beg the question, 'Should Cranberry Sauce be the shape of a can?'  Yeah, probably not.  I decided to give it another shot this Thanksgiving.  A made from scratch version that is.

Here's a 'monkey-fied' version of Cook's Illustrated Cranberry Sauce.  Let's get started!

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 t of Coconut Oil (or Olive Oil)
1 Shallot - minced
2 t Fresh Rosemary - chopped
1/2 t Kosher Salt
1/3 c Water
1/3 c Orange Juice
1/4 c Apple Cider Vinegar
1 c Packed Brown Sugar
12 oz Fresh Cranberries
2 Bosc Pears - Peeled, Cut in 1/4" pieces (D'anjou Pears may work well)
1 Lemon - Wide Strips of Zest & Peeled Segments

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
Medium Sauce Pan
Vegetable Peel to Zest the Lemon

WHAT YOU DO:

1.  Over Medium Heat in the Saucepan, Heat the Coconut Oil thoroughly
2.  Add the Shallot, Rosemary, & Salt; Saute for about 1-2 minutes.
3.  To the Saucepan, add Water, OJ, Vinegar, & Brown Sugar; Increase heat to High & bring to a Simmer.  Stir frequently until Brown Sugar is Dissolved.


4.  Add 1 1/2 c (half) of Cranberries, as well as the Pears, Lemon Segments & Zest; let it return to a Simmer, then reduce heat to Medium Low stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes to allow the Cranberries to breakdown & the Sauce to thicken.


5.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 c of the Cranberries, simmer & stir occasionally until the "new" Cranberries soften & just begin to burst; about 6-8 min.
6.  Ideally, allow to cool, then store in the refrigerator overnight.  However you can cool for 1-2 hours, then serve.

This tastes GREAT with Thanksgiving Turkey!  I'm glad I gave 'real' Cranberry Sauce a try.  It's well worth it!

I do think the next I make this recipe, I'll try D'anjou Pears instead of the Bosc.  Either that, or cook the Pear a bit longer.  For me, it was still a bit too crunchy in the final product.

Enjoy and 'anymonkeycan' cook great tasting 'Real' Cranberry Sauce because 'this one' just did!

Until next time, your friendly neighborweb monkey!


November 25, 2011

RUDY's STUFFING (a 3 banana difficulty level)



A little over a month ago, my old high school friend & golfing buddy Rudy sent me a Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe that he raved about.  I decided to give it a go for Thanksgiving this week.  Now Rudy did warn me that it contained a fair amount of butter.  And by "fair amount" I mean 2 STICKS OF BUTTER.  Sorry Rudy, I had to cut this back to just a 1 stick.  I figured with the 1 lb of bulk sausage in there as well, we would have an abundance of good flavor.

Stuffing is definitely a matter of preference.  Do you call it "dressing" or "stuffing?"; Do you like it "dry" or "moist?";  What the heck goes in there anyway?  There's a lot of ways to go here.

Anyway, here's the 'anymonkeycan' version of Rudy's version of stuffing!

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 Loaf of hearty White Sandwich Bread (Rudy's Rec: Sourdough) cut in 1/2" cubes
1 lb bulk Pork Sausage
1 Red Onion - finely chopped
2 Celery Stalks - finely chopped
2 Carrots - finely chopped (optional)
1 c Dried Cranberries (optional)
1 Stick of Butter
2 Eggs
2-3 c Chicken Stock
2 T Fresh Rosemary - minced
2 T Fresh Fennel - minced
1 t Ground Pepper or to taste
2 t Kosher Salt or to taste

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
9x13" Baking Dish
Large Bowl

WHAT YOU DO:
1.  Cut the Bread in 1/2" cubes, spread into single layer on a cookie sheet and cover with a towel. LEAVE OUT OVER NIGHT...or heat oven to 250 deg and place the bread cubes (NO TOWEL COVERING!!) on the cookie sheet in the oven for 45-60 min.


2.  Pre Heat oven to 350 deg.
3.  In a large Skillet on Medium High heat, cook the Bulk Sausage breaking the sausage into pieces until fully cooked.  About 6-7 min.




4. Remove the Sausage from the Skillet. Reduce Heat to Medium and add the butter. Saute & Stir occasionally, the Onions, Celery, & Carrots until the vegetables are softened. Add the Cranberries at the 5 min mark. About 8-10 min total.

5. Add the Rosemary & Fennel. Saute for another 30 seconds.
6.  Combine the Bread Cubes & Sausage in a 9x13" Baking Dish

7. In a Large Bowl, whisk the Eggs then add the 2 c Chicken Stock & Salt & Pepper.  Add the Celery/Carrots/Onions/Cranberries
8. Pour the contents of Large Bowl over the Bread/Sausage in the 9x13" dish.  If you like Moist Stuffing, add the extra cup of Stock (or water) so that the bread is soggy/soupy


9.  Cover with Aluminum Foil & Bake for 35 minutes at 350 deg.
10.  Uncover, Bake for another 10-15 minutes.
11.  Enjoy!




So there you have it, Rudy's Stuffing.  This really is quite tasty.  I can only imagine how decadently tasty this would be if I had gone with the 2 sticks of butter.  Next time I'll probably omit the carrots or cut them even smaller.  They still provided a bit of a crunch that I could have done without. 

Here's another Rudy Rec before we go.  Add the Stuffing to the inside of a thick, butterflied pork chop. 

Thanks again, Rudy and until next time, your favorite neighbor web Monkey!

Mrs. P's PECAN PUMPKIN PIE (a 3 banana difficulty level)

"Cafe's Pecan Pumpkin Pie"
Anytime you get a recipe from a little ol' lady in her 70's or 80's you can usually count on 2 things.  Number one, it's going to be delicious.  The 2nd thing, it will be decadent!  Mrs. P's Pecan Pumpkin Pie meets both of those expectations and then some.  I've known Mrs. P for over 10 years and she would bring this dessert in for us near Thanksgiving when she would come in for her Physical Therapy appointment.  I asked her for the recipe and have been making it on Thanksgiving ever since!  The actual recipe is "Cafe's Pecan Pumpkin Pie" but since I got it from Mrs. P, I wanted to give her some of the credit!

So today, 'this monkey' will show you how to make this delicious and pretty simple Thanksgiving Pie!  Let's get started!

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 can (30 oz) Pumpkin Pie Mix
1 c Sugar
1 can (5 oz) Evaporated Milk
3 Eggs
2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Salt
1 Package (18 oz) Yellow Cake Mix
1 c Melted Butter
1 1/2 c Chopped Pecans

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
2 Non-Tapered 9 inch Pie Plates
Wax Paper
Cooking Spray
Large Mixing Bowl
Wire Rack

WHIPPING CREAM:
2 c Heavy Whipping Cream
3 T Confectioner's Sugar
1 1/2 t of Vanilla Extract
www.anymonkeycan.com/2011/11/whipped-cream-1-banana-difficulty-level.html?utm_source=BP_recent

**OPTIONAL CARAMEL SAUCE**:
1 c Butter
2 c Brown Sugar - Packed
1 c Whipping Cream

WHAT YOU DO:
**Please note, you will invert the Pie Plates after baking**
1.  Pre Heat Oven to 350 deg.  Lightly Spray the Pie Plates with Cooking Spray
2.  Line the Pie Plates with Wax Paper and coat the Paper with Cooking Spray

3.  Combine Pumpkin Mix, Sugar, & Milk in a Large Bowl.  Beat in Eggs, Cinnamon, & Salt

4.  Pour into the Pie Pans

5.  Sprinkle each Pie Plate with the Dry Yellow Cake Mix

6.  Drizzle with the Butter

7.  Sprinkle each Pie with Pecans & lightly press down.  This will become your crust.

8.  Bake at 350 deg for 50-60 min or until they are Golden Brown
I place both Pies on a cookie sheet for stability & to make clean up easier since the Pie Plates are quite full.

9.  Cool on the Wire Rack of 2 hours

10. (OPTIONAL) If you are making the Caramel Sauce, then you'll want to melt the butter over low heat in a Heavy Sauce pan.  Next, add the Brown Sugar & Cream cooking & stirring until the Brown Sugar has dissolved. (OPTIONAL)

10.  After cooling, Run a Butter Knife along the perimeter of the Pie to loosen the edge.
11.  Place a Plate upside down on top of the Pie & carefully invert.  Carefully Peel away the Wax Paper.

12.  Drizzle with the Caramel Sauce, Top with the Whipped Cream, & Enjoy!
www.anymonkeycan.com/2011/11/whipped-cream-1-banana-difficulty-level.html?utm_source=BP_recent for the whipped cream

This one takes a little time, but the steps are pretty easy.  They payoff is well worth it!  I'm not that big of Pecan Pie fan, but I love this dessert.  I've also had people who wrinkle their noses at Pumpkin pie, sing the praises of this Pie!

I've made the Caramel Sauce in the past and it is REALLY good, but I think it makes this dessert just a tad bit too indulgent.

This most recent time I tried using a Spice Cake mix instead of the Yellow Cake mix.  It was still excellent, but I think the Yellow Cake mix is richer and better tasting!

There you have it monkey-nation, a wonderfully unique Thanksgiving Pie recipe!  Thank you Mrs. P!

Until next time, your favorite neighbor web monkey!