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Recipe Review: Simplest Roasted Turkey

Here’s one of my favorite recipe tips from Gourmet on roasted turkey. Of all the various turkey articles and t.v. episodes I’ve read and watched, this is the most helpful and intuitive set of basic recipe tips for a juicy and flavorful whole roasted turkey or stuffed or even just the turkey breast. It has actually been useful for following along whenever I needed to remind myself what to do next or check on. As usual, always check temperature earlier for lighter weight turkeys and add a cup of water to dark-colored metal roasting pans before putting it in the oven. I suggest using an oven thermometer, placing it on the same rack as your turkey in the oven to make sure the temperature is accurate. Adjust the oven rack so that your turkey, not the roasting pan, can be positioned in the center of [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Dec 22

2009

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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Recipe Review: Black Truffle Roast Turkey with White Wine Shallot Gravy

I honestly don’t think there’s any roast turkey better than my sister’s. When I think her roast turkey can’t get any better, she floors me, and there I am amazed and drooling with turkey in both hands. I’m not sure what the magic ingredient or trick is. It doesn’t seem to matter what kitchen she’s in. I think she has the magic touch with roast turkeys and I want to try every recipe with her. Here’s one that I love for a truly special occasion, Black Truffle Roast Turkey with White Wine Shallot Gravy.
For the gravy, whisking is very important when adding the flour to prevent lumps from forming and also to blend in as much flavor from the scraped caramelized bits of turkey meat. It’s a better idea to make the gravy ahead of time, so that you’re not rushing to get the [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Dec 21

2009

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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Recipe Review: Pappardelle Veggie Bolognese

I’ve been planning a holiday party menu for a group of friends with some vegetarians. It’s almost impossible to please every taste bud, but it’s fun trying. Here’s a dish that hit the right spot for me. This Papparadelle Veggie Bolognese is a lusciously rich and hot dish but also vegetarian. Top it off with some fresh shreds of basil and a heavy hand of parmigiano-reggiano for some extra love. The best part is that it’s all ready to serve within an hour!
Recipe: by Melissa Roberts
Yield: 4 Servings
Time: Total 55 minutes, 20 minutes active
Ingredients:
1 oz (28 g) dried porcini mushrooms (1 cup)
1 cup boiling-hot water
2 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 1-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium shallots, quartered lengthwise
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Dec 14

2009

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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Recipe Review: Lasagne Bolognese with Spinach

I’m making lasagne! I’m loving this more than any other pasta dish at the moment. It’s something about having all the hearty rich tomato, pancetta, cheese combination with the bite of wide pasta noodles bubbling in the oven. I find it so irresistible, especially in this chilly weather. I just want to cuddle up with the aroma and warm myself over a steaming bowl. Gourmet’s recipe for Lasagne Bolognese with Spinach is seriously to die for. You can almost achieve a besciamella sauce and come as close as possible to the homemade texture and flavor of a lasagne bolognese of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region in your own home.
Recipe: by Melissa Roberts
Yield: 8 Servings
Time: Total 3-1/4 hour, 1 hour active
Ingredients:
For bolognese sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 oz sliced pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Dec 9

2009

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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Recipe Review: Tuscan Turkey Soupy Noodles

The days are getting more chilly and owning up to the wintry holiday season. If I’m not cuddling up with my hot chocolate then it has to be with a hearty comforting bowl of soup. Here’s something you can easily follow-up with turkey leftovers, Tuscan Turkey Soupy Noodles. It’s best with homemade turkey stock, but you can also easily use any available chicken or vegetable stock instead. What I love most about this dish are the wide egg noodles that you can slurp up to chew on.
Recipe: by Kemp M. Minifie
Yield: 8-10 Servings
Time: Total 3 1/2 hours, 40 min active
Ingredients:
Carcass from a 12- to 14-lb roast turkey, including skin, or 6 lb turkey wings
4 qt water
2 medium leeks, greens reserved and white and pale green parts washed (see Cooking Tips) and chopped
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Dec 7

2009

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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Recipe Review: Turkey Soup with Lemon and Rice

Leave it to Martha Rose Shulman to write a recipe that makes me feel completely at home and pampered by just reading it. If you happened to have roasted your own turkey at Thanksgiving and proceeded to make the stock, this would be a perfect follow-up to that. Actually, this would still be perfect even if all you have is leftover turkey. This easy recipe is delicious because of the simply fresh and complimentary ingredients for a seasonal update to the comfort chicken soup. You can try adding carrots or wild rice instead of basmati for a bit more sweet and nuttier flavor.
Recipe: by Martha Rose Shulman
Yield: 6 Servings
Time: Total 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 quarts turkey stock or chicken stock
4 celery stalks, with leaves, thinly sliced
2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced
4 garlic cloves, green shoots removed, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Dec 2

2009

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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Recipe Review: Risotto with Winter Squash and Collard Greens

I’m starting to feel the onset of winter and the need for cozy evening comfort food. The Haagen Dazs froyo is going on hold and I’m pulling out the hot cocoa and anything else hot to spoon.
Check out this risotto recipe from Martha Rose Shulman. It’s a classic Martha recipe that’s easily one of the simplest seasonal yummy dishes packed with Vitamin A to help beat the flu season. I’d recommend using chicken stock for a heartier flavor, definitely include the saffron and maybe even add in some left-over pulled turkey meat!
Recipe: by Martha Rose Shulman
Yield: 6 Servings
Time: Total 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. winter squash (butternut, banana or hubbard) peeled, seeded and cut in 1/2 inch dice (about 2 cups diced squash)
2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 bunch collard greens, about 1 pound, stemmed and washed
2 quarts chicken or [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Nov 3

2009

COMMENTS: 1

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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Recipe: Grilled Pain Rustique Flatbread with Tomato, Gruyere, and Aged Gouda

My weekdays get insanely crazy and I know I’m not the only one. It can seem almost impossible to dedicate even an hour of my time to an honestly good and indulgent homemade dish – the kind that is a treat to your inner-child but in a responsible way. I can understand how many people give in to ordering delivery or take-out. However, that’s beyond my budget to afford and just not as fulfilling in the end – Does it really still make you smile when it’s all done? Also, there isn’t any place nearby that makes some of the dishes I crave – the simple ones with good bread and selective cheese as the main ingredients.
Here is a recipe I’ve been making variations of since ages ago. I remember as a kid making this for a friend of mine and she laughed because she [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Jun 9

2009

COMMENTS: 4

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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Recipe Review: Raclette Cheese with Potatoes, Baby Gherkins, and Prosciutto

I thought fondue was the ultimate cheese dish. I was so wrong, so happily wrong. I heard of Raclette the first time scanning the Artisan Cheese Gallery. I really wasn’t sure how it works and what it would be like – I had a hard time imagining grilled cheese on a stick, at least that’s what I thought it was. So when my friends told me they got a Raclette grill, I hounded them until they invited me over for a true Swiss Raclette dining experience. All that begging was worth it. I am so thankful to my friends for my first Raclette dinner!
I was really surprised how easy it is to find Raclette cheese – it’s in most major supermarkets and it’s actually called Raclette cheese so there’s no mistaking it for something else. We got ours from Trader Joe’s. The [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Jun 3

2009

COMMENTS: 3

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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Recipe: Spaghetti with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Most pasta dishes have me diving in with no turning back. They can be the ultimate warm comfort dish for dinner. I think the marinara sauce is the reason I find myself completely absorbed with a pasta dish. I love marinara sauce – the fresh tangy-sweet and savory tomato sauce that I want to slurp up until my bowl is licked clean.
Here’s a recipe for Spaghetti with Spicy Tomato Sauce that’s very easy with simple ingredients. It resembles something my sisters and I used to make a long time ago. It has a little kick from the olives and red pepper flakes. I recommend topping it off with some fresh pieces of basil and a side of buttered warm baguette slices. I also like to add oregano in the marinara sauce while it’s cooking. This is a light dish that [...]

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AUTHOR: Gilda

POSTED ON:

Apr 30

2009

COMMENTS: 2

CATEGORY: Featured, What's For Dinner

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