Roasted Asparagus

I love asparagus, and in fact, I've only had it roasted. I do not understand the people who don't like it. There are so many different ways to change it up, but I'm posting a simple version that you can add things to if you want. My boyfriend has never been a big vegetable eater unless I mix it into something else, and he LOVES this asparagus. It only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and anybody can do it, I promise :D

Roasted Asparagus

In this particular recipe, beyond your normal salt and pepper, I'm using lemon to give this a twist. Ive added garlic powder, or chopped roasted garlic, chili flake, parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar to name a few. But this a fantastic starter recipe so you can imagine the possibilities.

Asparagus:

1 bunch of asparagus (about 1 lb)

1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper 

Preheat your oven to 425. To trim your asparagus, take one and snap it near the end, it will naturally snap where it is supposed to break. Trim the rest of the ends off using the first end as a guide. Place them on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Add 2 teaspoons of the lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste, I added about 3/4 tsp salt, and a generous crack of pepper. Roast in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. I do a taste test at the end to see if it needs a fresh squeeze of lemon or a sprinkle of salt because sometimes vegetables just soak that stuff up! Super delish

A side note for those healthy eaters *cough cough* mom *cough cough*, if you wanted to add cherry tomatoes to this dish and cook for the same amount of time, that could be all your side dishes in one. A grilled chicken breast with roasted asparagus and tomatoes is super delicious and healthy. Try it...you might like it  :)

Damn Good Turkey

As promised, I will teach you the ways of the turkey. This will be a long post, because this was a process of trial and error through the years before I figured out how I prefer to make a turkey. I made my first turkey at seventeen, when I made EVERYTHING that year and pretty much hosted Thanksgiving (with the help of my fabulous sous chef, my mom), and I was hooked. I'll never not cook at Thanksgiving again! I even cooked the meal when I went out of town to see my grandparents across the country, I can't stop. I'm putting a picture below to show you about what my turkey looked like, and below, I'm getting into "the ways" young padawan learner...

Okay, let's start with basics -
- How big? If you have a big party, about 1lb per person is a good number. I, however, cooked a twenty pounder for the two of us because it was fifty cents per pound, and you can't beat savings like that for leftovers. 
- To brine or not to brine? I guess the relevant question is, what is a brine? A brine is a solution of water, sugar, and salt that the meat soaks in to ensure moisture while cooking. You can also add flavorings such as spices or citrus. It absolutely helps if you have the time and I myself have done it several times. Check out my post about brining by clicking the link. 
- How long should I cook it per pound? YOU DONT!!!!! We have these great things called meat thermometers, and they can ensure you never overcook anything again. I cook my turkeys until about 160, and pull it out to rest for about 30 to 45 minutes. For my twenty pound turkey, it took about 4 hours and 15 minutes. Disregard those nosy aunts who swear it won't be done below six hours of cooking....sure, if you like dry ass turkey
- How do I get brown skin without burning it? I happen to love/hate Alton Brown, but I did adopt his theory to start in a hot oven and knock it down later. I start at 450 for thirty minutes, then knock it down to 325. What if your skin gets too brown? I make a little turkey tent out of aluminum foil and I cover the breast meat, I've never had legs overbrown. It traps steam in to keep the white meat moist, and leaves everything crispy

Thanksgiving Turkey:
20 lb turkey
1 cup chicken stock
2 lemons, halfed
1/2 bunch of both sage and parsley
1 onion, quartered
1 stick of butter
Salt and pepper

Let your stick of butter come to room temperature. Fill the cavity of the turkey with onions, lemons, and leftover herbs. Chop 2 tablespoons of both the sage and parsley, making 4 tablespoons total. Measure out 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 tablespoon pepper. Zest your lemon, and cut it in half. Add all your herbs, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of the juice to your butter and mix it up. Pull the skin of your turkey breast away from the meat, being careful not to tear it. Take half your butter (reserve one tablespoon for your gravy though), and use your hands to put it in tablespoon dollops under the skin of the breast. Put the other half on top scattered evenly over the legs, and breast. Pour your stock in the bottom of the roasting pan, because this will help keep the meat moist and add to your drippings. Place your turkey in the pan and into your preheated 450 degree oven. After 30 minutes, drop it to 325 and check it about every 30 minutes. Baste it occassionally, but I don't do it too often because it can deter browning. When you check your temperature, put the thermometer in the deepest part of the thigh, just about in the middle where the leg joint is. At 160, you're ready to pull it and let it rest. You're on your own for carving it!!!

Brine

This is a very general recipe for a brine that would work well for pork and all poultry like chicken and turkey. I'm adding variations below or a Thanksgiving turkey since it is the season after all! Brining seals moisture in meat from the inside, so on top of a good sear on the stove, or browning in the oven, you're taking extra steps on the inside. Let me tell you, it works pretty darn good if you have the time, and it's relatively simple.

 Turkey Brine

The recipe that follows is enough for a 10 to 18 pound turkey. You can make this batch and split it up into freezable amounts for smaller birds or pork. 

Brine:

1 gallon chicken or vegetable stock (homemade with leftover bones would certainly be cheapest here)

1 cup salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 gallon iced water

Combine the broth, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Stir until all the sugar and the salt is dissolved. Take off the heat and let cool. Once cooled, combine with the gallon of iced water. If using all the brine, such as for a turkey, put it in a clean 5 gallon bucket and place your dried turkey, breast down, into the bucket while making sure the cavity is filled. Leave overnight. For smaller pieces of meat, brine about an hour per pound. You can leave it for up to two hours per pound, but this can result in salty meat, and can irreversibly change the texture if you're not careful. Take your meat out and pat dry, you're ready to go!

Extra additions that can be added when the mixture goes on the stove: Citrus (such as lemons or oranges), peppercorns, any herbs, bay leaves, and spices. For my Thanksgiving brine, I would add 2 lemons or oranges (halved), 1 tablespoon of peppercorns, half a bunch of fresh thyme and sage. Give it a go

Biggest Apologies!!!

I haven't posted anything in forever!!! I left for my baby shower on the fifth, and have been so busy putting together baby furniture and planning Thanksgiving, it just got away from me! The good news is, I WILL be doing my thanksgiving turkey recipe, garlic green beans, and possibly mashed potatoes! Ummmmmmmm...YUM

I've also got another roasted vegetable recipe coming up, but it's a secret *shhhhhhhhhh* ;)

Here's a picture of a delicious turkey to get you excited

Slow Cooker Apple and Onion Pork Roast

I had a plan when I went shopping, it was buy one get one free on chicken thighs, and they were more per pound than usual. There I was again, one plan out the window, and I had to come up with something on the fly. I was trying to get a decent amount of meat for a week for under $9. Pork sirloin roasts were on sale, and I saw my meal ticket! I got a five pound roast for about $8.50. Luckily, I had delicious things in my pantry. If you've never tried pork and apples in any combination...you need to, you just do. I could see it, juicy pulled pork, with slow cooked granny apples, and sweet onion. I was sold! I knew this would be a good recipe for this chilly, cold, stormy day. With such a large cut, my options for leftovers will be endless. I will be sure to post my ideas later in the week for leftovers. Tonight, I'm catering to Jeremys favorites, and so I'm making some healthy burritos with whole wheat tortillas and home made salsa. You'll be missing out if you don't give this a try when any roasts go on sale...just sayin'

Pulled Pork

Pork Sirloin Roast:

4 1/2 to 5 lb pork roast

1 rounded tbsp salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 tsp cumin

1 big onion (any kind), sliced into half moons

1 large granny smith apple, sliced, but not too thin

2 cups chicken stock or chicken bullion

Preheat a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. Sprinkle all the seasonings over your pork roast. This seems like a lot, but there's a lot of meat on the inside that won't get seasoned, so you need a lot on the outside to ensure a lot of flavor. After your pan is heated, sear your pork until browned on four sides, about 2 to 3 minutes for each side. While your pork is browning, put your stock, apple, and onion in the slow cooker. Put your pork roast in the slow cooker, and turn it to low for 8 to 10 hours because this is a large cut of meat. You can also do it on high for about 5, but I really recommend slow for this one.

Also a side note, you can use a different kind of apple, but this kind of apple has a tartness that cuts through the richness of the pork. If you have a different kind of apple, slice up about half a lemon and add that so you have some acid to balance out your flavors. YUM

 

Turkey and Lentil Tacos

I'm in one of those places right now, where I have some of this, and some of that, but dinner still needs to be made. I only have 1/2 pound of ground turkey, but I had to figure out how to stretch that to make tacos. There are so many options to stretch a buck and fill out your meat, including shredded veggies or potatoes, and beans or legumes. I've always loved lentils, and that started because of their low calories, but I love the flavor that can be infused in them, much like rice. I'm also adding a layer of rice to the bottom, so this is a very cheap dinner. The goal here is to not tell anybody the "meat" filling, is not all meat. These are a wallet pleaser and a people pleaser all in one!

Turkey Lentil Tacos 

Meat mixture:
1 tbsp butter
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
3/4 tsp salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp adobo seasoning
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp water
1/4 cup water

Lentils:
1 cup lentils
3 cups water (roughly)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp adobo
1/2 tsp curry
Black pepper
1 beef bullion cube (or add 2 cups water and 1 cup beef stock)
1/4 to 1/2 cup your favorite jarred or homemade salsa

Heat a skillet to medium high heat and melt your butter. Add your turkey and cook for about 2 minutes before adding your garlic and onions. Cook for at least one minute before adding your seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes. Mix your cornstarch and add it to your mixture with your 1/4 cup water. Cover with a lid or foil, and simmer for about 20 minutes. You may want to check to see that your liquid doesn't cook out and your meat burns. You can continue to add a bit of water at a time to maintain the original consistency. 

For the lentils, add everything to a pot of water over high heat except for your salsa. After it boils, turn it to a simmer, put a lid on, and cook for about 45 minutes until very tender. Add your salsa, the amount depends on how wet you want your meat/lentil mixture and how much of the liquid cooked into your lentils. Add a heaping one cup of your lentils into your meat and stir together. Put together your tacos! I layered white rice seasoned with curry, but you can do beans and cheese, or just meat if you want. Some crunch is really great too, like some shredded cabbage or lettuce. You'll think it's all meat, its THAT good! And cheap......and healthy........I've outdone myself

No Fail Chocolate Cream Pie

I'm not a baker, or a dessert maker, I don't claim to be. When I find a dessert recipe that works for me, I cling to it for dear life because they are few and far between. This pie came from me wanting a piece of Marie Callenders chocolate pie. My mom and I used to see movies late at night, and Marie Callenders would still be open, and we would go have pie. You would think we were lighting up some magical herb during the movie because we would be so excited afterwards for our dessert. I swear, sometimes I think my mom wanted to see lame movies so she could get her pie after. This recipe is too easy and very budget friendly.

Marie Callender's Chocolate Cream Pie

I don't think that pie really needs much of an intro or a description...

Chocolate Cream Pie:

1 chocolate pie shell

1 package instant chocolate pudding and pie filling package

1 container "whipped topping" *wink wink*
1 1/2 cups milk

This pie takes some chilling time, but you can't mess up the mix. Bake you pie shell at 350 for about five minutes. When its done, it should be a little bit crisp, but not hard. Mix your chocolate pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups cold milk. The package says 1 3/4, but we're adding whipped topping, and it would be too runny with more milk. If you want it super thick, you could even add just 1 1/4. After your milk is whisked in and the mixture has thickened, chill for one hour. Then mix half your whipped topping into your chilled pie filling. Pour that into your cooled pie shell, and chill at least 20 minutes before spreading the remaining whipped topping to finish. 

Excellent garnishes include: chocolate curls or shavings, caramel sauce, marshmallows, toasted nuts, and (in my personal opinion anyway) any assortment of fresh berries. For something closer to the real pie, you can always make fresh whipped cream or get Reddi Whip for the top layer, but that seemed like a waste of money to me. It just depends on how much richness you want! Tell me you don't want to lick the screen ;)