Matt's Turkey and Stuffing

Turkey instructions:
The turkey needs to be thawed for a few days before cooking, I would bank on about 2 days in the fridge to thaw it completely. If it`s still frozen the day you want to cook it, keep it in it`s wrapping and put it in a sink full of cool water, flip it over every now and then to get all sides, and it should speed up the thaw.

Stuffing
Make the stuffing first. Open a bag of bread the night before and leave it out, so that the bread gets stale, then, before you start, rip the whole loaf of bread into small crouton sized pieces. Next, Cut up a bunch of celery and onions, and fry them in the wok with some butter (lots of butter, i think I used 3-4 tablespoons here, but i`m not sure, it was a lot though). Add in as much ginger as you like, I make the ginger into bigger pieces so they are easier to find, but you can go with small pieces if you want.

Cook the celery and onions until they are soft, and then add some more butter and the bread, keep stirring it the whole time. If the bread is burning then add more butter.

Once the stuffing is finished, put most of it into a bowl, and leave a cup or two aside to put in the turkey.

Cooking the Turkey
The turkey should be thawed by now, so untie the feet, (if they're tied together) and pull the neck and heart out of the body. Sometimes there's a plastic bag full of kidneys and hearts inside the turkey, so make sure you pull that out before you cook it.

Stuff the turkey with a cup or two of stuffing that you set aside (just cram as much stuffing into the turkey as you can). And put the turkey in a roasting pan (you can buy these at the grocery store, they're really cheap). Put the turkey breast side up. (the meatiest part up) I put a cup of water in the roasting pan so that the turkey didn't dry out too much while it was cooking.

Cook the turkey for about 20 minutes at about 350 to sear the outside, then cover it with some loose sheets of tin foil and turn it down to 225 or so to finish cooking it. Depending on the weight it could take a few hours. The one I made at thanksgiving took close to 6 hours. Every hour take it out and rub it with a stick of butter, this will help it stay golden brown and make it taste really good. Use a meat thermometer and check the temperature at the thickest part of the turkey (the breast) and cook it too about 155-160 degrees.

Take it out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes to cool off a bit. Scoop out as much stuffing as you can and mix it up with the stuffing you set aside before, it's good to go now! Next you can carve it up and enjoy!

Savoury Shortbread

Ingredients:
* 1 cup of butter (unsalted or salted), at room temperature
* ½ cup granulated sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
* ½ tsp salt
* 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp of dried rosemary
* 1 tsp dried chili flakes


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Place room temperature butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until creamy. Slowly beat in sugar and vanilla into butter. Stir until mixed well.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Add chopped rosemary and dried chili flakes and mix well. For less spice, use ½ tsp of chili flakes. Beat flour mixture into butter, kneading into a dough. With lightly floured hands, split the mixture into two evenly-sized balls. Dough can be kept frozen for up to a month when properly stored in the freezer.
3. Butter a 9” pie plate. If using both balls of dough, butter a second pie plate or repeat this step after the first batch is cooled. Press the dough evenly into the pie plate, spreading evenly along the edges of the plate. Sprinkle the dough with fresh rosemary so there is garnish on each slice. Gently prick the surface of the dough with a fork.
4. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the top of the shortbread is golden. Slice the dough into 8 equal triangle pieces while the dough is still warm. Allow to cool fully before serving.

For smaller serving sizes, use both balls of dough in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and slice into squares while the dough is warm. Makes 24 cookies.

Julie's Thoughts:
I recommend using a 9 x 13 pan so you can cut little square cookies.

Amazing Turkey Chili

Ingredients
1/4 cup canola oil
2 medium onions, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch dice
3 Tbsp. ancho chile powder
1 Tbsp. pasilla chile powder
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
2 1/2 lb. ground turkey
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, with their juices
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, with or without seeds, minced (optional)
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, rinsed under cold water and drained
1 Tbsp. apple-cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
~ Salt, to taste

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the chile powders, cumin, coriander, sugar, thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
3. When the vegetables are soft, add the herb/spice mixture and the garlic, and stir constantly until the mixture is hot and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up the meat, until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chipotle peppers, pinto beans, and vinegar. Stir to blend, and simmer the chili over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is cooked through and has begun to thicken, 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the lime juice and salt to taste. Serve hot.

Julie's Thoughts:
I've made this without the chipotle peppers and have substititued "regular" chili powder for the pasilla chile powder and it's still really good. Ground beef works here (not as healthy but my grocery store doesn't sell ground turkey), and the chili freezes well.



Source: The Earth Bound Cook

Lime Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest, plus 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2-4 limes)
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions
1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
2. Put granulated sugar and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed 1 minute. Add butter, and mix until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla and lime juice. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour mixture.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, halve the dough. Flatten each half into a 10-inch disk, and wrap each in plastic. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Working with 1 half at a time, roll out dough on parchment paper to 1/8 inch thick. Cut shapes from dough with cookie cutter. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cut a hole in center of each with a 1-inch round cutter. Repeat with remaining disk. Wrap scraps in plastic. Freeze 15-30 minutes; reroll, and cut.
5. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over cookies.

Source: Martha Stewart's Cookies

Chewy Molasses Crinkles

Ingredients:
* 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1C packed light brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 C granulated sugar, plus 1/4C for rolling
* 1/2 C unsulfured molasses
* 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 C All purpose flour
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp. ground ginger
* 1 tsp. allspice
* 1/2 tsp. coarse salt

Instructions:
1. Put butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 c granulated sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by the molasses and oil.

2. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. Cover dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 325 F. Put remaining 1/4 c granulated sugar in a bowl. Using a 1 3/4 inch ice cream scoop, form balls of dough. Roll balls in sugar to coat, and space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are flat and centers are set, about 17 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

Source: Martha Stewart's Cookies

Julie's Thoughts:
1) Don't overmix the batter! If you do, and cookies will go flat.
2) Space the cookies atleast 3 inches apart. I didn't and ended up with one giant cookie on my first patch.
3) I dusted them with icing sugar after they cooled for a festive cook.

Almond-Orange Shortbread

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups chopped almonds
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
* 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
* 2 tablespoons sanding sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Process nuts in a food processor until finely chopped, about 20 seconds (do not overprocess). Transfer nuts to a large bowl; add flour, granulated sugar, butter, zest, and salt. Mix with hands until dough just comes together and forms a ball.
2. Halve dough; shape each into a disk. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With lightly floured hands, shape 1 disk into a 7-inch round, and score to mark 12 equal wedges (do not cut through). Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sanding sugar. Repeat with remaining disk and sanding sugar.
3. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. While shortbread is warm, cut wedges to separate completely. Let wedges cool slightly on sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Source: Martha Stewart's Cookies

Potato Hash with Spinach and Eggs

• 3/4 lb small white potatoes cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 c Feta (or Parmesan)

Directions

1. In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water over high. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 6 minutes. Drain.
2. In skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Add potatoes and red-pepper flakes; season with salt. Cook until potatoes are golden, 3 minutes. Add spinach and 1 tablespoon butter and cook, stirring, until butter is melted.
4. Make four wells in potato mixture. Crack 2 eggs into each well and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley and serve immediately.

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/859191/potato-hash-spinach-and-eggs

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad
serves 4 • active time: 20 min • total time: 35 min

2 pounds red and yellow beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced
6 medium carrots, thinly sliced 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
3 small Belgian endives, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces, or 2 heads frisée, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans 

1 Preheat oven to 450°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss beets and carrots with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, tarragon, and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss endives with half the dressing, then transfer to a serving platter. Toss beets and carrots with remaining dressing and add to platter. Top with goat cheese and pecans before serving. 


Rachel's Thoughts:  Titus and I found a 10lb bag of beets at our local farmer's market for $3.  This salad made excellent use of them!


Source: Everyday Food Mag

Roasted Garlic & Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Garlic

• 4 heads of garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Soup

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups onions coarsely chopped
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and coarsely diced
• 3 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 can pumpkin puree 
• 1 cup yellow flesh potatoes, peeled and coarsely diced
• 2 tbsp fresh sage coarsely chopped
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup 35% cream 
• Freshly granted nutmeg to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Slice tops off the whole heads of garlic to expose just the tips of the cloves, place on a large sheet of foil and drizzle garlic with olive oil.  Wrap completely and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Once roasted, open package and let cool.
3. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high, add onions, carrots, ginger and chili powder and cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add to the pot the pumpkin, potatoes, sage and chicken stock.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and let cook uncovered until the potatoes are very tender, about 35 minutes.
5. While soup is cooking remove all the garlic from its skin and add to pot along with any residual oil.
6. Once soup is cooked, let cool slightly and puree with a hand blender or in a stand-up blender.
7. Once soup is pureed, add cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper to tase, and warm through.  Garnish with extra sage leaves, if desired.

Rachel's Thoughts: I added only half of the amount of stock (due to pot size) with the intention of adding it in at the end but decided that I likely the soup super dense and opted to leave it out.

Source: LCBO Magazine (Autumn 2011)

Eggplant Parmesan

INGREDIENTS:  Serves 6

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat panko or bread crumbs
• 6 tbsp low-fat Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 globe eggplants (about 2 1/4 lb total)
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 14 oz), cut into large chunks
• 1 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 8 large basil leaves, divided
• 1 cup part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 2 rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place egg whites in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, oregano, garlic powder and salt. Trim ends off eggplants and cut each eggplant crosswise into 6 3/4-inch slices. One at a time, dip eggplant slices in egg whites, then panko mixture, arranging coated slices on prepared baking sheets. Bake until eggplant is tender and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
3. While eggplant is cooking, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and basil leaves in a food processor and pulse to make a chunky sauce. Transfer to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper
4. Remove eggplant from oven and preheat broiler. Arrange an oven rack about 8 inches from heating element.
5. Spoon tomato sauce over eggplant slices, dividing it evenly. Sprinkle mozzarella over tomato sauce, dividing it evenly. Use a spatula to place 6 eggplant slices on top of 6 others, making 6 2-slice stacks on 1 baking sheet. Broil until mozzarella is browning on top and melted in the middle, about 3 minutes.

Source: Clean Eating Cookbook

Rachel's Thoughts: scale this down if it is only for two people - but it was SO good.  Make sure you put lots of salt/pepper on the egg plants before the initial roasting.