Poultry

Name: Turkey with a Brown-Sugar Glaze
Yield: 0
Ingredients: 12-15 pound turkey, brought to room temperature; 2 medium carrots, peeled, roughly chopped; 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped; 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped; 1 orange; herb bundle containing rosemary, thyme, sage; 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature; Coarse salt and ground pepper; 1 cup of orange juice mixed with 1 cup of hard cider or stock; 2/3 cup cider vinegar; 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice; 2 tablespoons of butter; drippings from the pan; 2-3 tablespoon flour; any remaining leftover glaze; 1-2 cups of hard cider or stock; sage leaves

Chipotle Lime Honey Roast Chicken

September 13, 2016

Let’s talk Podcasts.

I am super behind the times and just ‘discovered’ them.

I know, I know. I am lame. But it’s true.

Still reeling from when John & Sherry quit blogging at Young House Love last year, but things are getting better now that they have a podcast.

I downloaded the Stitcher app on my phone and now I’m hooked. I have gone through all their podcast episodes, and now I’m discovering others.

I’m burning through the David Gregory Show, I listen to NBC’s Meet The Press too. I have added Chris Loves Julia to my favorites to check them out. Gilmore Guys… yes please! I have been adding bunches and bunches to my queue.

Send me podcast recommendations!!!!

Anywho, it’s Tuesday… so it means Taco Tuesday.

So what am I doing posting a chicken?

I use the ‘Taco Tuesday’ loosely in this sense so that I can make cool dishes like this chicken that is loaded up with Mexican spices and flavor notes. Plus, it’s super cool to slice this chicken up and load it up on a taco.

I mean, I’m not telling you how to live your life and eat tacos, but it’s cool to change things up and have some roasted chicken in tacos. Give it a try so you don’t just eat the same ground beef tacos. Although I could eat them 24/7…

We get chicken whenever it’s on sale or when we go to Costco since we try to cook them up every weekend, or so. I think they are great for dinner and for whatever. My husband makes chicken salad all the time. He is working on perfecing his roasted chicken too. He plays around with spices, herbs, butter vs oil, temperatures. It’s quite fun to watch and taste his work.

But I took over chicken roasting duties recently to make this chicken.

It takes about 10 minutes to prep. Then another hour and a half of cooking, when it fills up your house with the best aromas. Let it rest for a bit- a must or all those delicious juices will come pouring out when you cut it. And then done. It’s done in under 2 hours which is perfect for a Sunday dinner.

I served our dinner with some fresh summer corn and a cous cous salad I quickly through together with some tomatoes, cucumbers, red cabbage, cilantro, and a lime based dressing.

The layered flavors of the spicy and smokey chipotles, zesty lime, and sweet honey make this chicken liven up your dinner tonight!

Chipotle Lime Honey Roast Chicken

Makes 1 Roast Chicken

Ingredients

5lb whole chicken, giblets removed
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo
2 limes
1/4 Cup honey
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Progress

Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together the adobo sauce, lime juice, honey, garlic.
Carefully, lift the skin up from the breast by inserting your hands under the skin. Place about 2 Tablespoons of the adobo mixture under the skin of chicken. Massage the rest on the ski of the chicken. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 20 minutes, then turn down to 375 for the rest of the cooking time.Baste every 20 minutes. If the skin of the chicken is getting too dark, or dry cover with foil for the remaining cooking time.
Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160F.
Let sit for 15-20 minutes prior to cutting.

Ranch Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce

August 23, 2016

Let’s talk stupid blog things.

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Buffalo Chicken Tacos

February 2, 2016

There are so many things going on right now, I don’t even know where to begin!

“Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop.”

I have just 9 days left at work before moving. It’s scary and wonderful at the same time. I’ve been here for over 9 years and I love where I am and what I do, but it’s time for some change.

The tickets for Autumn and I to move on 2/15 are booked.

My dad is flying up tomorrow to get our loaded up car to drive to CT to stay at my sister’s, then he will take the Auto Train from VA to FL arriving on Friday. And then my brother and dad will unload the car and assemble Autumn’s crib while my brother is on vacation. My family just effing rocks!

And that bag of poop with a spray tan, wearing a toupee didn’t win in Iowa. So that’s pretty awesome.

Plus, I have these bangin’ Buffalo Chicken Tacos for you today!

And I didn’t purposefully make them for the ‘Big Game’! I just made them because I was really craving some buffalo chicken and ta-da, I made some tacos. Duh! It’s Taco Tuesday! Double duh!

Did you know that the NFL owns the rights to “Super Bowl” and retailers and TV shows reference it as “The Big Game”, “Game Day”, etc so they don’t have to pay the NFL? I find it silly and awesome. There should be a drinking game for how many times the hosts of Food Network’s The Kitchen day “The Big Game”. Love it!

Anyway, these took about 15 minutes to whip up, which is perfect for a lunch or quick dinner. Or to even throw together for your friends while you watch “The Big Game!!!”

I made my own blue cheese dressing since I really like to make most of my own dressings, but you can make things even easier for yourself and just grab your favorite blue cheese dressing.

You can’t go wrong with buffalo chicken!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Makes 4-6 Tacos

Ingredients

1/2 Tablespoon oil (just enough to coat the surface of the pan)
2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Cup cayenne pepper hot sauce, such as Frank’s
4-6 flour tortillas
greens
pickled onions (make at least 1 hour ahead of time!)

For the Blue Cheese Dressing

1/3 Cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 Cup mayo
1/4 Cup sour cream
1-2 Tablespoons milk
salt and pepper to taste

Process

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, add the chicken. Stir occasionally to brown on all sides. When chicken is almost cooked through, add the butter and the hot sauce. Simmer for 1 minute.
While the chicken is cooking, make the blue cheese dressing. Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
Serve tacos by filling a tortilla with some greens, chicken, blue cheese dressing, and pickled onions.

Buffalo Chicken Waffle Sandwiches

July 29, 2015

Summer is in full swing and I am loving it. But it’s speeding by too quickly. It’s almost August. Do you hear that noise? It’s mean groaning!! Ugh!!!

I mean, as much as I love the upcoming Autumn with its crunchy leaves, apple cider donuts, and corduroy, I am trying to avoid thinking about it so I stay in the land of rosé, grilling, and flip flops.

To me the scariest part is how we have not accomplished much on our Boston Bucket List. I shared our list earlier in the year when I announced that we will be moving to Tampa next Spring. We have to get to work! There are so many places to visit and things to eat!!

At least I know we will get a bunch of things done this August as we are vacationing on The Cape for a week. So we can visit The Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory and splash around on the beaches. Aside from that, I just can’t wait for the time off to hang with my family. I already have started to compile my list of goodies to make.

And of course I am packing my waffle iron!!

I’ve jumped from the breakfast and dessert waffle to the lunch waffle.

You can’t deny that Buffalo Chicken Wings aren’t a favorite for people. They are hot and spicy. And you just love how the blue cheese dip cools off those heated bites. Buffalo Chicken anything always rocks.

Making this Buffalo Chicken Waffle Sandwich really combines the best of both worlds. You can the heat from the chicken, rich tanginess from the dressing that helps cool off the heat and the crunch from the waffle.

I used a basic complete pancake mix that I jazzed up with some cornmeal for some extra flavor and crunch. The egg and oil that I added adds flavor as well.

I used my Toastmaster Rotating Waffle Maker by Select Brands. I swear it makes the best Belgian Waffles. I’ve used it to make so many waffles Sour Cream Waffles with Peach Compote and Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream, Banana’s Foster Waffles, Chili Topped Cornbread Waffles, The Best Buttermilk Waffles, and these Cherry Crisp Waffles.

So yeah, I like it! It’s easy to use, easy to clean, and cooks evenly. The flip helps the batter get in the deep ridges, signature to Belgian Waffles. And its such a simple task you can do it with 1 hand.

And I love it so much and I want you to as well, so I’m giving one of these Toastmaster Rotating Waffle Maker by Select Brands away!!! Check out how to enter below!!!

I think all sandwiches should be made with waffles. You should give it a try, I swear you will be a convert!

Buffalo Chicken Waffle Sandwiches

Makes 2 Sandwiches

Ingredients

For the Waffle Sandwich

1 1/2 Cups Complete Buttermilk Pancake Mix, such as Krusteaz Brand
1/2 Cup corn meal
1 egg
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the Sandwich

6 Chicken Large Tenders
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/3 Cup Hot Sauce- I suggest Frank’s Red Hot
1/2 Cup arugula
1/4 Cup blue cheese dressing
splash of milk

Process

Preheat your belgian waffle iron.
In a medium sized bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the waffle batter until just combined; some lumps are okay.
Scoop a 1/3 Cup of the batter into the center of your waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Repeat to make 4 total waffles.
While you are making the waffles, brown the chicken in a skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray over medium heat. When both sides are browned, add the butter and hot sauce. Continue to cook on very low heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Combine all of the ingredients.
Thin out your blue cheese dressing a bit with some milk to create a sauce to pour on the sandwich.
Create your sandwich by placing some arugula on a waffle, place the chicken tenders on the greens, and then pour some of the blue cheese dressing on the chicken prior to topping off with another waffle.

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While I received the waffle maker from Select Brands in order to develop recipes, all opinions are my own.

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And now the GIVEWAY!!!!

I have another awesome giveaway from Select Brands!! We’re partnering up this year and I’m so excited about it!

We want you to be able to make awesome Belgian Waffles with their Toastmaster Rotating Waffle Maker (Retail Value $25). You just have to enjoy stacks for those beautiful, golden waffles with deep ridges that perfectly capture butter and syrup. Pure perfection!

Follow the instructions HERE!!

Giveaway open to US residents and runs through 8/6/15.

Mayo Crusted Roasted Chicken

February 20, 2015

A few years ago when I lived with 2 roommates, I learned that I could not live with 2 roommates. So it goes…

We all have our idiosyncrasies but one of my roommates was off on another planet. Like she insisted on having the biggest room although she froze in it because it had very large widows and a nonworking fireplace (all of which let in a lot of cold air). Also, she would cook her food, eat it out of the pot, and leave said pot on the top of the sofa. Great when my other roommates puppy would discover it. Super great. She was in a residency program so maybe she was just off from being sleep deprived from her long shifts and weekends on-call. So while she drove me crazy but, at least she did teach me about making fantastic baked chicken. So a big thank you to her for that.

She used to bake chicken breasts and drumsticks all the time. They were quick and easy for her to whip up and keep on hand for when she had to work late nights or be on call. But there as something that should would do that I had never heard of before… she would slather the chicken with mayonnaise. What?!?

Years later, while I was feeling in a bit of a chicken rut, I thought of what she used to do. Well, it turns out she wasn’t crazy after all since I googled it and it’s a thing. A pretty common thing actutally… where have I been living all these years? Under a rock!?!?

It makes the chicken super moist and flavorful, while giving the exterior a bit of a naughty crunch too.

The great thing about this recipe is that is paleo and Whole30 compliant, assuming you use complaint mayo, of course! Finding something that fits the Whole30 requirements and is downright delicious just makes me want to jump for joy!

The one thing to note that as it cooks the oil in the mayo will separate from the egg base, and will drip down into the pan. The veggies there can be a bit oily, so if you want to avoid that just put down a wire rack that you use for baking first before you put down the veggies. But I would give them a bit of a drizzle with oil so they stay moist and don’t stick to the rack.

I swear I am a changed roast chicken woman. This makes it so freaking juicy. It is the perfect chicken to make this FREEZING weekend. Stay warm and cozy my friends!

Mayo Crusted Roasted Chicken

Makes 1 whole chicken

Ingredients

5-6 pound whole chicken
1/2 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 2″ long pieces
1/2 pound celery, peeled, cut into 2″ long pieces
2 large onions, sliced into 1/2″ wedges
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 bay leaves
approximately 1/3 Cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper

Process

Preaheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the giblets from the chicken. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.
Place the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and bay leaves in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on top.
Liberally rub mayonnaise on the whole chicken. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken to prevent burning.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter. Cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes prior to slicing and serving. lice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Homemade General Tso’s Chicken- SRC

January 26, 2015

Oh, back to life. Back to reality.

We’re back from our Caribbean cruise vacation. It was such a wonderful time. A wonderful break from life. It was a wonderful way to celebrate my 30th birthday!

But we’re back home now and back to the normal grind. Back to work today…

But it seems like Tuesday will be a day at home, and maybe even Wednesday, because of this blizzard heading our way. Yay? I mean it’s great for another day ‘off’ but I’ll need to make up the time in the end and snow. But, damn, I love a good Nor’easter. I heart you already Winter Storm Juno!!

I am a Weather Channel junkie. JUNKIE. Whenever there is a big storm I watch the Weather Channel, or our local news channel, 24/7. I love tracking storms. I love watching the updates throughout the day(s) as they get more and more information from different areas to get more specific quantities of snow/rain with tides or wind gusts. Oh, it’s so damn exciting.

Plus, it’s a good break from reality so we get to veg out and I get to cook!! I have some fun recipes to get to work on too! I’ve had my eye on a brownie recipe for awhile that I gotta make. And I’m working on perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s getting there!!

And I know I am going to be making this General Tso’s Chicken again.

Hot damn, this General Tso’s Chicken is so freaking good. It will make you toss your take out menus in the trash. Okay, maybe you still need take out for your egg rolls and such, but I doubt we’ll ever order General Tso’s again. It is gonna be homemade for us all the way now.

This is another one of those instances when I love Secret Recipe Club as it helped me discover another great blog and recipe. I thoroughly enjoying checking out the recipes on Asiya’s blog Chocolate and Chillies. She posts delicious recipes while sharing about her life in Toronto as a stay at home mom to 2 little boys. Her recipes often pack some heat (from chillies!) since she is Indian and her husband is Pakistani. There were quite a few recipes that caught my eye, including her Chocolate Truffle Energy Bites, Black Bean Burger, Pasta with Spinach Pesto, Roasted Red Peppers and Sundried Tomatoes, but I picked out her General Tso’s Chicken recipe.

I stuck with the recipe with the exception that we love broccoli with our General Tao’s so I added that. Because of that addition I doubled up the sauce. If you don’t want broccoli then cut back the sauce to follow the recipe exactly as it was on Asiya’s blog.

So while the Northeast is getting slammed with snow, we’ll be cozy at home making chocolate chip cookies and another batch of General Tso’s Chicken, since we know take out is not getting through 24+ inches of snow!

General Tso’s Chicken

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ cubes (about 1 lb)
1 teaspoon orange juice
pinch of salt
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 1/2 tbsp canola oil, divided
2 Cups pieces of broccoli
1 inch ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
5-7 dried red chillies
2 green onions, white part only, cut into 1 inch length

Sauce

5 Tablespoons rice vinegar
6 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2 Cup water
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon orange juice
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Process

Marinate the chicken in orange juice and salt for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.
Coat the chicken with the 1/3 cup cornstarch.
Over high heat, heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a wok/large non-stick skillet.
Add the chicken and fry until cooked through. Remove and put on a paper towel lined plate.
Add the broccoli and stir every 20 seconds or so. After 2 minutes add 1/4 Cup of water and cover for 1 minute. Remove the broccoli, set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the wok and add the garlic, ginger, and dried red chilies. Fry until you can smell the spices.
Add the sauce and mix. When the sauce boils and thickens add the chicken, broccoli, and green onions. Stir to coat everything with the sauce. Serve immediately with some hot steamed rice or quinoa.

Adapted from Chocolate and Chillies

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Check out all the other great Secret Recipe Club posts this month!

And be sure to check out my 3 years of Secret Recipe Club posts!!!!

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

Turkey Shepard’s Pie with Sweet Potato Mash

September 12, 2014

I’ve figured out the rest of the pies I am going to feature this year!!!

I don’t think I’ve ever been so prepared when it comes to blogging before. Woohoo!! Price and I formulated the list and I think it’s pretty awesome! It was fun to go through my Pinterest boards to come up with ideas for what to make and when.

I’m gonna keep the list a secret but I can share there are 4 apple pies on there. So many apple pies!!! Damn, I love apple pies. They are so good. And it’s even better when you get to use the apples that you picked right off the tree. Last week’s Deep Dish Apple Pie was pretty epic so I’m hoping that the rest are as great as I imagine them to be.

As well, I imagine you’re gonna like this one too. We realized that I didn’t make many savory pies this year so I’ve added a few of them to the list, like this one!

Shepard’s Pie is one of my favorite casseroles. Ah ha… okay… so you caught me! Shepard’s Pie is a casserole and not a pie but I am going to take some liberties with the name.

Speaking of pie stealing names… Boston Cream Pie! Whoopie Pie! Boston Cream Pie is a cake and Whoopie Pies are a cakie cookie. Totally makes sense… ha!

Anyway, I used to make this for myself ALL THE TIME when I was in high school. I loved having something ready for when I got home after my internship or after one of my babysitting jobs. It helped me not get something junky on the way home. I would have something healthy when I arrived home that I could heat up. I would always used lean ground turkey, fresh veggies, and a low fat garlicky mashed potato on top. I focused on keeping things really healthy by not loading it up with butter and cream so I would add herbs and other seasonings to amp up the flavors.

And I think I pulled that off with this Sweet Potato Topped Turkey Shepard’s Pie as well! I used a lean ground turkey to keep the fat down, as compared to using ground beef chuck. But this recipe is more at my life’s current pace now with frozen veggies… hello convenience! As well, with keeping things nice and easy, I didn’t peel the sweet potatoes, but you certainly can if you prefer it that way.

This is the best kind of recipe for back to school dinners and fall comfort food. It makes a big batch that is great to enjoy solo, with plenty of leftovers, or as a big family. Eat up!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Turkey Shepard’s Pie with Sweet Potato Mash

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes
3 Tablespoons butter
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, and thinly sliced
2 pounds ground turkey
8 oz frozen pearl onions
8 oz frozen peas
8 oz frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 oz tomato paste
3/4 Cup water
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

Process

Preheat over to 400 degrees.
Fill a medium sized pot with salted water, add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain, and return to the pot, removed from heat. Add the butter and mash together with a potato masher.
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the ground turkey to the carrots. Break apart the turkey into small pieces while browning it. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add the frozen vegetables, seasonings. Saute for a 2 minutes. Move the filling to the outside of the skillet to create a clear space in the center.
Add the tomato paste in the center of the skillet, break apart and cook for 1 minute. Mix the entire mixture together and add the water and Worcestershire Sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Evenly pour the filling into a 8 x 13 pan. Top the filling with the mashed sweet potatoes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes prior to serving.

The Ultimate Chicken Sandwich

July 31, 2014

There are plenty of nights now when we just wing it when it comes to dinner. I always have high hopes for a great meal every night but real life gets in the way. I mean I can pin some great ideas until the cows come home while I am on the bus heading into work wishing that I was actually heading home. At least I’ve been on a one-pot meal pinning streak so I’m looking forward to trying one of those soon.

I wish I had the energy to cook but most days I’m drained. Hmm… maybe it’s the lack of sleep and constant moving I’m doing. We’re the on the go kind of family but lately I’ve been hauling butt walking all around town trying to enjoy the nice summer time weather and gets steps, which I’m tracking with my Fitbit. Love it.

So when it comes to dinner I’ll admit that we’re there are equally as many meals of cereal or take out as there are of cooked ones. And by cooked I often mean assembled. Does cutting up tomatoes and dressing with olive oil count as cooking? Yes… cool!!

Anyway, this sandwich is the kind of meal I can manage- grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, cut off one of the breasts which you then thinly sliced. Cook up some bacon, which I hardly qualify as cooking in this case as you just do it in the oven. Then assemble the mega sandwich, cut, enjoy.

This would also work just as well with some turkey. would be a nice post Thanksgiving sandwich to change things up from the stuffing loaded ones. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pilgrim Sandwiches, but I get over stuffing pretty quickly. Anyway, I even thick sliced deli chicken or turkey would work well.

I suggest serving this with some chips, as opening a bag is the kind of cooking I like. Ha!

The Ultimate Chicken Sandwich

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon, cut in half
loaf of Italian bread (I used a Vieira Saloio)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
a large bunch of arugula
1 large breast of roasted chicken, such as a rotisserie chicken
2-3 tomatoes, thinly sliced
6 slices of bacon, sliced in half
1 avocado, very thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Process

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the 12 pieces of the bacon on the foil so they are just touching on their long edges. Bake for 12-14 minutes (depending on thickness of bacon) until crisp. Remove the bacon from the baking sheet and place on a plate covered with paper towels.
Halve a loaf of Italian bread to separate the top and bottom.
Spread the mayo on one half of the bread and spread the mustard on the other half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Put a generous amount of arugula on the bottom half of the sandwich.
Completely cover the arugula with the sliced chicken.
Cover the chicken with the tomatoes, bacon, and then avocado. Cap off with the upper part of the bread.
Cut into 4 sandwiches and enjoy!

Post contains affilate link(s).

Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Bowl

July 28, 2014

With just one bite you will be hooked on this Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Bowl. Fun textures and flavors will have you wanting more and more. It’s a versatile dish that will work with chicken, shrimp, pork, beef, or tofu. Have your passport ready as this will transport you!

Bun is a delicious Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowl. This noodle salad has a wonderfully marinated chicken that is grilled. It’s packed full of great flavors and interesting textures. You’ll love every bite of it!

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Turkey with a Brown-Sugar Glaze

April 8, 2014

My mom is coming up from Florida for a visit and it happens to be Easter weekend. I love cooking for holidays but I’m just not sure what to make for Easter. I know what you are going to say, you’re going to say “But you make ham for Easter!” This is true but we didn’t have turkey on Thanksgiving since we had just brought Autumn home Monday night and none of us were going to whip up a turkey just a few days later. (Side note: our super sweet Chilean neighbor brought us over some food- shrimp cocktail, roasted pork, and rice.)

So I’ve had turkey on the brain every since.

We did do an early Thanksgiving which was awesome but I’ve been thinking about making a turkey recently. It’s probably because I’ve been enjoying the work week more when I have dinner prepped or pre made so we are just assembling or reheating it. A big turkey cooked up on a Sunday would give us plenty of leftovers for lunches and dinners for a few days.

The turkey is really moist as the skin locks in the moisture. Plus the vegetable and the liquid in the bottom of the pan also helps keep the turkey from drying out. Can’t have a dry turkey! That’s the worst.

I always use a turkey with a built in thermometer as I’ve had issues with the done-ness in the past. When I’ve cooked turkeys without a built in thermometer I’ve under cooked them in the past when I’ve just stuck a thermometer in the thigh, received the reading of 165 degrees, took it out of the oven and when I’ve carved it up later I’ve discovered a pink bird. So, do what works for you.Feel free to use both thermometers… why not!?!

The brown sugar glaze is easy to prepare and it gives such a lovely flavor to the turkey. But the best is that it makes the skin sticky and crisp. So when you sneak a piece of skin before you serve it you have to lick your fingers clean of any delicious evidence!

As well the gravy is unlike any other gravy I’ve had before. The gravy is made with the drippings from the pan, leftover graze, and hard cider. The cider really does give it a lot of apple-y flavor but I liked that with the sweetness of the glaze but using stock would be just fine as well.

So give turkey a chance for Easter, or any lovely Sunday dinner. If not, the make it for Thanksgiving and your family will thank you. They will so so excited that you tried this Brown Sugar Glazed Turkey. I swear!

Turkey with a Brown-Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

For the Turkey

12-15 pound turkey, brought to room temperature
2 medium carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 orange
herb bundle containing rosemary, thyme, sage
1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup of orange juice mixed with 1 cup of hard cider or stock

For the Glaze

2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons of butter

For the Gravy

drippings from the pan
2-3 tablespoon flour
any remaining leftover glaze
1-2 cups of hard cider or stock
sage leaves

Instructions

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan with a rack. Tuck wing tips underneath the body of turkey. Stuff the tukey with the carrots, celery, onion, orange, and herbs.
Carefully seperate the skin of the turkey from the breast and place pieces of butter between the breast and skin of the turkey. Season the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper.
Pour the orange juice mixture into the bottom of the pan.
Roast the turkey for for 30 minutes.
Turn down the oven to 350 and let continue to cook for another 45 minutes before rotating for another 45 minutes.
While the turkey is cooking, make the glaze by combining the vinegar, brown sugar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and orange zest.
Brush the skin of the turkey with the glaze after it has been roasting for an hour and 30 minutes at 350. Brush and rotate the bird every 15 minutes until it has completed cooking, when the temperature ofin the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees.
Remove from oven and tent with alumnium foil for at least 30 minutes before carving.

To make the gravy

Remove the drippings from the pan. (I suggest using a baster to do this task)
Let the drippings sit for a few minutes so that fat seperates and you can remove some of it.
In a large skillet pour about a 1/4 cup of the drippings into the pan and add the flour to a paste. Slowly mix in the rest of the drippings with some whole sage leaves.
Once that is all comined mix any remaining glaze. Then add the cider until you have reached the amount of gravy you would like. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the carved turkey with the gravy and enjoy!
Inspired by Martha Stewart

Incredibly Easy Chicken Pot Pie

March 21, 2014

Finding quick, easy recipes is my jam right now.

I’ve been attacking Pinterest like crazy looking for quick/easy dinners like one pot dinners, slow cooker meals, quick pasta dishes, and salads. I’m so looking forward to all the salads we are going to be eating once the weather warms up. Yes, we eat plenty of salads in the winter but we just get all wild and crazy in the spring and summer. Ah, greens bliss. Plus they are super quick meals to toss together which is key right now.

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Chicken Fajitas

November 8, 2013

I’ve been feeling quite proud of myself lately for the fact that I have been cooking dinner during the week for us. Earlier on when I was dead tired to the world we did the cereal and boxed mac and cheese thing quite regularly. This week we only had cereal for dinner once!

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And I’ve been baking. Maybe it’s the nesting stuff kicking in? I thought that would be more related to things like laundry, cleaning, and decorating, though. Either way people in my and Price’s office seem to enjoy it when I bring in goodies. I’m just making it up to them in advance for my 3 months away while on maternity leave.

Ugh, don’t get me started on maternity leave. 12 weeks?!?!? That is going to go by in a blink of an eye. :-/ I’m sure there will be plenty of nights of cereal or boxed mac and cheese during that time period was well… it all comes in cycles.

Well, one of the yummy things I whipped up this week for dinner were these Chicken Fajitas. I had them in mind to celebrate this weekend’s NASCAR race in Phoenix. I couldn’t resist making fajitas for my Sprint Cup Snacks series once I had that them in my head!

I actually prepped these one morning before work by making the marinade, trimming the chicken, and setting it all up to marinate for the day. So when I got home all I had to do was take out the chicken, cut up the veggies, assemble the toppings, and just cook the chicken and then the veggies. It all came together quite quickly and nicely. Plus you cook the chicken and then the veggies using the same pan so clean up was pretty quick too!

These chicken fajitas will be a hit at your house this weekend or any week night. Plus if you make a mega batch you can give your significant other leftovers for lunch to make up for the cereal you served for dinner earlier on in the week. ha!!

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Chicken Fajitas

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt
2 Tbsp canola, safflower, peanut or grapeseed oil (a high smoke point oil)
1 large onion, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
3 bell peppers of various colors, sliced into 1/4-inch strips

For the marinade

2 Tbsp lime juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

For assembly

8-12 flour tortillas
Your prefered toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sliced avocado/guacamole, sour cream, thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed lightly with salt and cider vinegar

Process

Depending on the size of the chicken breasts, slice them in half horizontally, so that the center thickness is around 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. *Do not pound the chicken breasts, doing so will not result in the right texture/consistency for fajitas.*
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the chicken, coating well, cover, and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours, but remove them an hour before cooking so that they can come closer to room temperature.
Once done marinating, wipe off most of the marinade and sprinkle the chicken with salt.
Heat a large cast iron frying pan on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of canola oil to the pan. As soon as the oil begins to smoke, lay the chicken breast pieces in the pan. Let the chicken cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, until you have a good sear. Once seared well on one side, turn the pieces over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until well seared on the second side.
Once seared on the second side, remove to a cutting board, stack the pieces on top of each other, and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 5 minutes. If you want to test for doneness, cut into one piece with the tip of a sharp knife. It should be just done, if not, you can put it back in the hot pan for a minute or two.
While the chicken is resting, cook the onions and peppers. Add another tablespoon of oil to the very hot frying pan. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers to the pan. Use a metal spatula to scrape up some of the browned bits from the chicken and stir to coat the onions and peppers. Spread the onions and peppers in an even layer in the pan, letting them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes so they sear with some blackening. Stir the vegetables and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
Slice the chicken against the grain into strips. Serve at once with the peppers and onions, some warm tortillas, and your preferred toppings.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

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Ingredients

For the Turkey

For the Glaze

For the Gravy

Instructions

To make the gravy

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Chicken Fajitas