Happy Thanksgiving 2013!!!

Thanksgiving 2013: Cider-Brined Turkey Breast!

Ingredients:
 
Brine
4 cups water
1 cup kosher salt
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
4 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
Peel and juice of 1 orange
Peel and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
1 teaspoon whole allspice, coarsely cracked
1/2 gallon unsweetened apple cider, chilled (8 cups)
 
Turkey
8 to 10-pound fresh turkey breast

Directions:

1) Place water, salt, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, crushed garlic, bay leaves, ginger, orange and lemon peel and their juices in a large saucepan. Coarsely crush peppercorns and allspice and add to ingredients in pan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in apple cider and cool to room temperature. Submerge turkey in brine, adding additional water as need to cover. Chill for 12 to 24 hours.
 
2) Remove turkey from brine. Rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry. Transfer to a large baking pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, for several hours. This allows skin to dry and will allow it to crisp as it cooks. 

3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer turkey to a heavy roasting pan. Cover skin with softened butter or olive oil. Add one cup of water to bottom of pan and place turkey in hot oven. Cooking time will vary depending on size of turkey breast. Check wrapper and cook according to weight. Roast until internal temperature at thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees F. Allow turkey to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. 

adapted from: http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2012/11/cider-brined-turkey-breast.html#.UpY9Ho0i2Q5 

Thanksgiving 2013: Pumpkin Pie Custard

 

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 ounce) pure pumpkin
• ½ cup milk ( I used 1%)
• 4 beaten eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia
• Optional toppings: Heavy Whipped Cream, Sprinkle of nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray 6 ramekin or custard cups with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl mix together pumpkin, milk, eggs, spices and stevia.
4. Pour evenly into ramekins.
5. Bake for 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
6. Best served cold. Top with heavy whipped cream! Sprinkle with more nutmeg!

 source: http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/healthy-pumpkin-pie-custard-gluten-free-low-carb/

Thanksgiving 2013: Green Beans with Pesto!

Ingredients:

• 1½lb trimmed green beans, cut in half or into short lengths
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt, or salt to taste)
• 3 tablespoons shelled, unsalted pistachios
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1 small bunch basil, leaves removed (about 1 cup, packed)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled

Directions:

Put a saucepan of water on for the beans, adding salt when it starts to boil.
To make the pesto, put the pistachios, Parmesan, basil and olive oil in a small bowl. Grate in (or mince and add) a little bit of the garlic—about a quarter of the clove—throwing the remaining piece of garlic into the bean water. Using an immersion blender, blitz the pesto ingredients into a thick green paste.
Cook the beans to taste (check after 4 minutes), and, before draining, spoon a little of the cooking water (about 1 or 2 tablespoons is all you need) into the pesto bowl and blitz quickly to mix again with your immersion blender.
Drain the beans (discarding the rogue garlic clove), and toss them in the bowl with the pesto, then transfer to a serving bowl, and take them fragrantly to the table.

source: http://themessybaker.com/2013/04/11/nigellissima-pistachio-pesto-green-beans/

Thanksgiving 2013: Roasted Buttternut Squash iwth Brown Butter and Sage!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (about 3 1/4 lbs.)
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 24 leaves fresh sage 

 

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 425°F. Using a sturdy vegetable peeler, peel the squash. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the squash crosswise where the bulbous part meets the narrower part, and trim off the blossom and stem ends. Cut the bulbous part in half vertically and scrape out and discard the seeds and fibers. Cut all of the squash into 1-inch chunks. Spread the pieces on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and toss with your hands to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 15 minutes. Stir the squash and continue roasting until tender and browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven.

In a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat until the foam subsides. Add the sage and cook just until the butter turns a light hazelnut brown and the sage is crisp, about 30 seconds. Immediately pour the brown butter and sage over the squash on the baking sheet and toss to coat. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

Variation: Root vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, parsnips and turnips are also delicious served with brown butter and sage. Cut them all into 1-inch chunks. You can roast them together, mixing and matching the vegetables to suit your taste.

source: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/roasted-butternut-squash-with-brown-butter-and-sage.html?cm_src=RECIPESEARCH

Thanksgiving 2013: Carbohydrates in Spaghetti Squash

If you're looking for a low-carb alternative to a popular pasta side dish, or pasta in general, the aptly named spaghetti squash might be just the ticket. Spaghetti squash is a nonstarchy vegetable that contains about 5 grams of carbohydrates per half-cup serving, according to the American Diabetes Association. Its stringy flesh also provides about 20 calories and vitamin C, B-complex vitamins and fiber.

 

How to Prepare

Spaghetti squash is named for its flesh that, when cooked until tender, separates into threads that resemble spaghetti. It can be roasted in the oven or microwaved until tender. Let it cool and then use a fork to scrape out the flesh. Top it with a little olive oil or butter and serve plain or use it in place of spaghetti in your favorite pasta dish, such as as the base for "spaghetti" and meatballs.