Christmas Dinner

Food Fun Friday is coming early...
I have to admit, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas time, because no one looks at you funny if you're buying a turkey breast, cranberry sauce (jellied, of course), and canned pumpkin.

I've decided to share with you my regular holiday meal: Baked Turkey Breast (because I don't like the wings or legs), Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce (Jellied), and Pumpkin Pie

I'll take it in stages...it's going to be a long day so I usually start early and work from the end to the beginning of the meal.

To start it out, let's begin with the pumpkin pie.

Ingredients:
1 9-inch deep dish pie shell (thawed)
15 oz can of pureed pumpkin
12 oz can of evaporated milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (I use 2 tspns)
1/4 tsp ground cloves (I use 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp ground ginger (I use 1 tsp)
(I like spicy pumpkin pie, so I also include 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, and pumpkin pie spice). Set the bowl aside.



In a large bowl, beat the eggs then add the pumpkin, blending the mixture well.




Next, add the dry ingredients, before you add the evaporated milk and blend everything well.



Carefully fill the pie shell with the mixture, then cover the edges of the crust with tin foil (this will keep the crust from burning)...

I used two pie shells because I'm spastic and tend to spill the filling when I put it in the oven. Place it in the oven.

Cook at 425 F for 15 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 350 F and continue to cook for 45-55 minutes or until a knife stuck in the center of the pie comes out clean.

Remove the pie(s) from the oven and allow them to cool on a rack. Once cooled, you can refrigerate the pies until you're ready to serve them after dinner with a dollop of Cool Whip or whipped cream on top.

Next, the turkey breast. I bake my turkey in a pot that can be used in the oven. I don't do this because I'm crazy, but because I make soup with the turkey carcass. Means I don't make as much of a mess, and I only have one big pot to clean at the end of the night.

Ingredients:
turkey breast (thawed and rinsed)
1-2 c water
splash or two of canola or vegetable oil
3-6 pats (approximately 3-6 tbsns) unsalted butter, softened
salt
pepper
seasoning to taste

Directions:
Leave one rack in the oven on the lowest level and preheat it to 425 F degrees.

Rinse the thawed turkey breast, trimming away any excess skin or fat that you don't want. Make sure you remove the gravy packet that usually comes with the turkey as well as the giblets and neck if you're baking a whole turkey. Just be sure to check that your pot can hold the entire turkey without having to cram it in.

After you've rinsed the turkey, rub the oil over the skin of the turkey.

Sprinkle the spices onto the turkey, before you put the water into the pot. Put just enough to cover the bottom so the turkey doesn't burn.
Place the turkey into the pot with the thicker part of the breast toward the bottom of the pot, this will allow the meat to remain juicy after it's finished baking.


Press the pats of butter onto the turkey, one near the top, and one or two on each breast side, and even one or two in the center of the back, before you slide the pot into the oven.

Bake the turkey for half to three quarters of the time listed on the packaging, making sure to baste the turkey thoroughly every 15 to 30 minutes.


About three quarters of the way through the cooking process, pull the pot from the oven and carefully turn the turkey over so the thicker part is at the top, so it can brown.

After the turkey has reached the required internal temperature listed on the packaging, pull it out of the oven and remove it from the pot and let it rest on the plate/platter so the meat can finish cooking.

The mashed potatoes come next. I usually start the potatoes while the turkey is browning in the oven at the end of its cooking time.

Ingredients:
6-8 cups water
6-8 medium to large sized yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 - 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup and 2 tbs unsalted butter 
salt and seasoning to taste

Directions:
In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil with salt and seasoning. Peel, rinse, and cube potatoes then add them to the water.



Boil the potatoes until soft; drain and return to the pot on the burner.








Add the cream or milk and the butter to the potatoes,

then use a potato masher to smash the potatoes until they're smooth.

The cranberry sauce is easy. After chilling the can in the refrigerator over night, open the can, shake the jellied sauce onto a plate and slice with a butter knife.

By the time the potatoes are done the turkey should be ready to be cut. Feel free to take a healthy serving of each. 

Enjoy!
Q

Food Fun Friday: Turkey Soup

So after Thanksgiving there're always leftovers to deal with. For me, I actually take care of the leftovers on Thanksgiving Day and the day after by making Turkey Soup. It's great comfort food and just the right thing on a chilly night. Or even when you're feeling less than perfect.

For Thanksgiving, I baked my turkey breast in an oven-safe pot. After the turkey is finished and dinner is over, it's time to make the soup.

Ingredients:

turkey breast remains
juices from the baking
6-12 c water
4-6 yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
12-16 baby carrots, peeled and sliced
6-10 celery stalks, rinsed and sliced
1-3 c chicken stock



I make sure I get the majority of the meat off, but leave some on the bones. After returning it to the pot, I add enough water to just cover the bones and turn the temperature up to medium. I let the turkey boil at a medium temperature covered for at least three hours, stirring occasionally to keep it from boiling over. If it's late enough in the evening, I'll turn the temperature down to low and leave the lid on the pot.





While the turkey is boiling, I peel the potatoes and cube them, chop the celery (I put water in the bowl with the celery to keep the slices fresh), and slice the carrots. Then I set the vegetables aside.






After the carcass is done boiling, I strain it through a colander and into a bowl so that I separate the meat and bones from the stock. I set the colander aside to cool a bit so I can easily separate the meat, bones, and skin without burning my fingers. LOL





While the turkey remains cool, I pour the stock back into the pot, add 1-2 cups of chicken stock, salt, pepper, and the prepared vegetables--celery, carrots, and potatoes, and let it cook.

I carefully separate the bones, skin, fat, and meat, then tear the chunks into small bite-sized pieces before I add the meat to the soup.




I let the soup cook for several hours until the potatoes, carrots, and celery are soft.

After I enjoy a bowl or two, I carefully fill several containers. I put one or two of the containers into the freezer and leave a couple in the refrigerator for lunches over the next week or so.



I have to admit, I love to make soup during the holidays, because it's great to heat up a bowl and snuggle into the couch and watch a great movie.

Hope you enjoy it too!
Q

Food Fun Friday: Lemon Spritz Cookies

Welcome back to Food Fun Friday. I feel like I've been focusing on desserts, but considering how much I enjoy sweets, it's only reasonable I pay lots of attention to it. But I do promise, I'll be posting recipes for main dishes.

About a week ago, I got the munchies while watching my Saturday night programs, and I only had just enough stuff to make one of my favorite late night treat -- Lemon Spritz Cookies

Delicious Lemon Spritz Cookies

I didn't quite follow the recipe because I was missing some of the ingredients, but they still came out great.

Ingredients:

1 c butter, softened (I used shortening)
2/3 c sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon extract

I like a little more flavor in my cookies so I added: 

1 tsp vanilla 
1 tsp lemon juice

these are optional so you don't have to add them unless you want to.

the dough

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter; mix in sugar and egg. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. 
Roll dough into a log and refrigerate for thirty minutes. (I didn't do this because I was too hungry to wait) 

the cookie press

Place dough into cookie press and use the design you like best. Press cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet, sprinkle with decorations, if desired.

I like the stars, but many cookie presses
 have over a dozen shapes from
hearts to Christmas trees

If you want to make them during the holidays, you can add a few drops of food coloring to make the cookies more festive.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges turn golden brown.

yummy finished product

Spritz cookies can be made with or without the lemon extract. You can use almond extract, cinnamon, even pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg. The spritz cookies taste great with hot chocolate, tea, or coffee.

Enjoy!

Food Fun Friday: Revisiting Mango-Peach-Serrano Pepper Jam

Serrano Peppers

Last Food Fun Friday I posted my first recipe for mango-peach-jalapeno jam. Today I'm revisiting that recipe only this time I'm using Serrano peppers (their BTU rating is higher than a jalapeno). The mangoes aren't ones I cut, but already sliced mangoes I bought at the store. Same with the peaches, but I'm hoping the flavor is going to be good.

Here's the recipe again:

2 mangoes (peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks)
2-4 peaches (peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks)
3 Serrano peppers (diced--seeds left in)
2 Tbs powdered pectin
1/4 c peach or mango juice or water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbs Truvia (you can use 1/4 c sugar or honey if you prefer)

mangoes and peaches

I cut the chunks of mango and peaches and put them into a bowl.

mangoes, peaches, and peppers

Then I cut the Serrano peppers and added them to the fruit. I mashed the fruit...or I tried, but many of the mango chunks weren't very soft.

blended fruit mixed with the
mango, peach, and pepper chunks

So, I put about half of the semi-mashed fruit and peppers into a blender and blended it until it had the consistency of a slushie/smoothie, then poured it back into the rest of the mix.

The brown powder is cinnamon
the red is the cayenne

I left the mixture to rest for several hours then sprinkled and stirred in the cinnamon and cayenne before taking the next steps to make the jam.

jars and caps in boiling water

In a stock pot, heat water to a steady boil, enough to cover the top of the jelly jars an inch or two. You can sterilize the jelly jars and lids by boiling them in the water or you can wash them in a dishwasher and let them go through the dry cycle before you use them.

mango-peach-pepper mixture

Using a medium sized saucepan, heat the fruit-pepper mixture on medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. Let it remain at a steady boil for three minutes, stirring constantly then remove from heat.

pectin and juice at a boil

pectin, peach juice, and
Truvia (sweetener)

In a second larger saucepan on medium heat, mix the powdered pectin and peach juice (or water), stirring occasionally until it comes to a rolling boil and it can't be stirred down.


Once it's at a steady boil, add the fruit-pepper mix to it and bring the mixture back to a boil. Add the sweetener (I use Truvia) but you can use sugar or honey, and bring the jam back to a boil. Stir to keep the jam from sticking to the bottom of the pan and let the jam stay on a steady, rolling boil for three minutes.

remember to let it boil for
3 minutes after adding the sweetener

leave 1/2 inch space between
the jar top and the jam

make sure the water comes
over the top of the jars

After the three minutes, turn off the heat and ladle the jam into the jelly jars. Leave about half an inch of headspace. Finger tighten the lid and set the jars in the waterbath (stock pot of water) and boil for five minutes.


Remove the jars from the water and set them on the counter (I would recommend placing the jars on a dishtowel just to be safe.) Let the jam cool and listen for the lids to "pop" to confirm the jars have sealed. The jam should set overnight (either in the refrigerator or on the counter).

this batch made almost 32 ounces of jam

Hope you enjoy!!

Qwillia