Category Archives: recipes

Maple Cider turkey brine

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Apple and maple with herbs and aromatics.  For up to 12 lb birds.

  • 2 quarts apple cider
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • 3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 6 (2-inch) strips orange rind
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 gallon cold water, divided

Raise 2 cups of water to a boil and add salt.  Simmer 3 minutes until salt is dissolved.  Cool brine to room temperature, and combine remaining ingredients in a non-reactive vessel.

Clean and truss turkey, and add to brine ensuring the turkey is completely covered.  Refrigerate covered up to 24 hours.  After 24 hours, rinse turkey and pat dry.  Refrigerate uncovered overnight allowing skin to dry, allowing for a crispier finish.

Apple Maple turkey brine

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Apple and maple with fall spices and aromatics.  For up to 12 lb birds.

  • 14 cups water (divided)
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 3 litres unsweetened apple juice
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 4 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
  • 2 Tbsp. whole black peppercorn
  • 2 lemons, quartered
  • 2 oranges, quartered
  • 4 cinnamon sticks, broken into three pieces
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh sage

Raise 2 cups of water to a boil and add salt.  Simmer 3 minutes until salt is dissolved.  Cool brine to room temperature, and combine remaining ingredients in a non-reactive vessel.

Clean and truss turkey, and add to brine ensuring the turkey is completely covered.  Refrigerate covered up to 24 hours.  After 24 hours, rinse turkey and pat dry.  Refrigerate uncovered overnight allowing skin to dry, allowing for a crispier finish.

Tod Kratiem Prik Thai

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Thai marinated beef with garlic & black pepper, this is a potent dish requiring high heat to caramelize sugars and toast the garlic. Difficult to execute on a home cook top, but is possible with hot cast iron or carbon steel over a turkey fryer burner.

Normally served aside rice, over shredded cabbage and garnished with Julienne carrot and toasted, minced garlic.

This marinade works well for chicken, pork or shrimp.

Requires:

  • Cast iron wok, or
  • Carbon steel wok
  • 10kBTU burner (cast iron) or hotter

If the wok isn’t hot enough this dish will steam/sauté which, while still potent has a different character

Ingredients

  • 1 lb thin sliced chuck, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 4 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tbsp dried cilantro (optional)
  • 1 tbsp granulated onion (optional)
  • 8 oz or ½ cup minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorn, smashed
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • 2 tbsp high temperature oil for frying, such as vegetable or peanut

Prepare beef raw, slicing ¼” thick across the grain and then ½” into wide strips across the narrow dimension. Combine ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and toss to coat meat. Cover and rest 30 minutes to 1 hour in a refrigerator.

Prepare wok (“hot wok, cold oil”) over high heat. Add beef and marinade, stir fry until beef is browned and cooked tender and the marinade liquid has reduced. Remove from heat as the marinade thickens, the garlic toasts, and/or the sugars caramelize. Do not scorch.

Serve on a bed of shredded cabbage, and garnish with carrot and toasted garlic, accompanied with rice.

Stuffed Mushrooms

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Tender mushroom caps stuffed with cheese and topped with breadcrumbs.  Yields 4 servings.

Cheese Filling

* 1/3 cup whipped cream cheese
* 1/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

Mushrooms

* 6 large button mushrooms, cleaned and de-stemmed
* 1 cup bleached flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 cup buttermilk
* Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Combine ingredients for cheese filling and set aside 10-15 minutes.

Clean mushrooms and remove stems. When cheese has rested, use a teaspoon to fill mushroom caps to level or slightly domed.

Combine flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.  Prepare a second small bowl with buttermilk Wash mushrooms in buttermilk, then dredge in flour, repeating once for each mushroom.  Arrange coated mushrooms on a cookie sheet and freeze at least three hours.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet to 350°F, using enough oil to cover mushrooms completely.  Fry mushrooms 8-10 minutes, until golden.  Remove and drain mushrooms on a paper towel, allowing several minutes to cool before serving.

 

Basic Chili

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Makes 5 quarts, serves up to 8

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 3 poblano peppers, washed, de-stemmed, seeded and diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 12oz can tomato paste
  • 3 28 oz cans diced tomato
  • 1 15 oz can black beans
  • 1 15 oz can red beans
  • 1 15 oz can white beans
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil

Spice Blend

  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp curry
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

Combine spices in a small bowl and set aside.   Preheat oven to 225°F.

Heat large dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat, and brown ground beef beef.  Remove beef to a bowl, leaving two tablespoons of fat. Sautee peppers, onion and minced garlic in reserved fat until tender, 5-7 minutes.

Combine remaining ingredients in pot and cover. Place in 225°F oven for 4 hours.

For crock pot, combine ingredients in crock pot and heat on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or LOW for 4-6. Remove cover as little as possible.

For stove top, medium heat until simmering; reduce heat. Allow to simmer 1 hour, or until done. Stir occasionally.

Cheddar Beer Fondue

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Ingredients

  • 6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 4 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 4 oz sharp processed Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup lager beer, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp dry mustard

Directions

In a bowl combine Monterey Jack, Gruyere, sharp Cheddar and flour;  mix well to coat cheese with flour. Set aside. In a large saucepan, bring beer to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low. Add cheese-flour mixture by handfuls to saucepan, stirring constantly after each addition with a wooden spoon in a figure-eight motion until cheese is melted. When cheese is nearly all melted, stir in dry mustard, mixing well. Transfer to fondue pot and serve immediately.

Blackened Cajun Chicken Tenders

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Ingredients

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cleaned and cut into 1/2″ strips
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
  • Orange marmalade for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes until it is smoking hot.

Combine paprika, salt, cayenne, cumin, thyme, white pepper, and onion powder. Oil the chicken breasts sides, then coat the chicken breasts evenly with the spice mixture.

Place the chicken in the hot pan, and cook for 1 minute. Turn, and cook 1 minute on other side. Place the breasts on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes.

Serve with orange marmalade on the side for dipping.

ALTERNATIVE PORTIONS

* 6 chicken breast halves -> 2 chicken breast halves
* 1 c. butter -> 1/3 cup butter
* 1 1/2 tbsp. paprika -> 1 1/2 tsp paprika
* 1 tsp. salt -> 1/3 tsp salt
* 1 1/2 tsp. onion powder -> 1/2 tsp onion powder
* 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder -> 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne -> 1/8 tsp cayenne
* 1/2 tsp. white pepper -> 1/8 tsp white pepper
* 1/2 tsp. black pepper -> 1/8 tsp black pepper
* 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves -> 1/8 tsp thyme
* 1/2 tsp. oregano -> 1/8 tsp oregano

Rosemary & Olive skillet bread

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Ingredients

  • 1 package active dry yeast (2¼ tsp if measuring from bulk yeast)
  • 2 cups lukewarm water
  • ½ TBSP kosher salt
  • 4⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • olive oil
  • rosemary

Instructions

Combine yeast and warm water in a large bowl or pitcher. Using a  wooden spoon add in 1 cup of the flour and then the salt and mix  until combined. Stir in the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, until  completely incorporated.

Cover with plastic wrap or a lid that is not shut completely. Allow to rise for 1 hour.

Do not punch down the dough. Lightly oil the bottom of a cast iron  skillet (a 10″ or 12″ skillet works well). Sprinkle a good amount of   flour on top of the dough and then cover hands with flour. Take all of  the dough and shape into a disk. (it will be sticky)

Place in the skillet, cover loosely with a towel, and allow to rise for  another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Drizzle a little more oil over the top of the bread, and slash the dough with a knife creating an X. Sprinkle with coarse salt and rosemary leaves.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is a deep brown color.

Credit: Baker Bettie

Spätzl (Spatzle)

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Spätzle in cast iron

Serves 2-4.

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
  • ¾ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 pinch white pepper
  • ¼ cup whole milk, plus extra as needed
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp bacon fat, lard or oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • ¼ sprig of fresh, chopped or 1 tbsp dried parsley

Raise 1 gallon of water to boil with 1 tbsp salt

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to distribute. Alternate additions of egg and milk while stirring. Stir until runny. Add extra milk in teaspoons to achieve a batter-like consistency

Press batter through a spätzle press, coarse sieve or coarse box shredder (or otherwise drizzle) into boiling water in batches. Stir occasionally into break up lumps. Pasta is done when it floats. Remove with slotted spoon.

Melt bacon fat, lard or oil in hot skillet until shimmering. Saute pasta in fat until slightly browned. Top with butter, parsley, salt & pepper to taste.