Ninjabread Men

I self-gifted some new cookie cutters this year, and was excited to find a perfect recipe in my Food Network Magazine.

Gingerbread Cutouts
My cookie cutters weren't quite 3 inches, so the cook time was significantly lower (about 5 minutes on the top rack, then 3 minutes on the bottom rack). These were super fun to make, and were a huge hit at the Ugly Sweater Party we attended this weekend. I also got to use my Vitamix blender to make powdered sugar!

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sugar Snap Peas and Acorn Squash

It all started because sugar snap peas were on sale. While they weren't quite up to par with the early spring sugar snaps at the Dane County Farmers Market, they were a nice reminder of warmer days. I was also craving pork tenderloin, so I went on the hunt for a quick marinade for a weeknight dinner. Here's what I came up with:

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin (Ina Garten)
I made one tenderloin and halved the amount of marinade. I'm also impatient, so the meat only marinated for 45 minutesin the fridge. It still tasted quite delicious!



  

Microwave Acorn Squash with Honey
While the pork is in it's last few minutes of roasting, cut one acorn squash in half and scoop out the flesh. Place cut side down on a microwave-safe plate lined with plastic wrap. Microwave in 5 minute increments, until fork tender (took about 8-10 minutes). Put a small dot of butter inside each half, and drizzle with honey.

Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas
Trim the tough ends of the sugar snaps while the pork is resting. Heat a tsp of olive oil over medium heat and saute the sugar snaps for about 2-3 minutes, and add some seasoned salt.

Oven Baked Risotto with Sausage and Bell Peppers

Usually I skip any recipe that requires constant attention because I like to multitask in the kitchen. Because of this, I almost always glaze over recipes for risotto due to the endless stirring that is necessary. However, last Christmas I received a new cookbook, Homemade, from my husband. In my first flip through the book, I came across this recipe, and it changed the way I think about risotto, and has become a regular addition to my meal plan. I made a few modifications to the original recipe using ingredients that are easy to find and keep in stock. The recipe is also great for us because it only makes about 2-3 dinner-sized servings.

Risotto doesn't have to be difficult.

1T extra virgin olive oil
8oz ground sausage (Paoli Local Foods has my favorite)
1 red bell pepper, cubed
1 green bell pepper, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
Sriracha hot sauce to taste
2/3c Arborio rice
2/3c white wine (a mini bottle of cooking wine is the perfect amount)
2/3c canned tomato sauce or puree
1c chicken stock


1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Crumble the sausage in the pan and turn once. Add the peppers, onion and garlic.
3. Sprinkle 2/3 of the rosemary in the pan and dribble with as much hot sauce as you can handle. Be careful--I've made this too spicy a few times, and you can always add more later if needed.
4. Pan fry the mixture, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes (okay, I said this was stir-free risotto, it's just occasional stirring).
5. Fold in the rice and fry for one minute. Add the wine and stir in the tomato sauce and stock.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring (only should take about 30-60 seconds).
8. Cover the pan with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake 18-20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed, and the rice is cooked through. There will still be a little bit of sauce left in the pan. That's okay.
10. Cool slightly and sprinkle with remaining rosemary.

Curry Chicken

At least once a week, I have that feeling of "What can I make tonight that doesn't require a trip to the grocery store?" My go-to recipe for chicken is easy, delicious, and only requires about 20 minutes of prep time. This time around, I didn't have any red potatoes, so I replaced them with carrots. Cooking for two, I make the whole recipe, but with two chicken breasts instead of four.

Curry Chicken (Martha Stewart)

The first time I made this, the amount of liquid made me nervous, so I scooped some of it out. Don't do that! The brothy goodness is the best part. I typically add a little ground ginger and cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit, and I double the garlic (it's not possible to have too much garlic, in my opinion).

Sarah Wright

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Roasted Delicata Squash

When I first received a delicata as part of my share of a local farm, I was intrigued by its shape and color. To my surprise, I happily discovered in the farm's weekly newsletter that the skin was edible too!

While there are several complicated gourmet recipes for preparing delicata squash, my go to method is to roast it. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds and fibers. Place the halves cut side down in a 9x13 pan and fill with about half an inch of water. Roast for 35-50 minutes until a fork easily pierces the skin. Serve with a tiny bit of butter and a pinch of salt. Tastes like heaven, and the skin isn't bad either (and is a great source of fiber).

Pumpkin Corn Muffins

I'm cheap. After making apple butter pumpkin pie, I couldn't possibly let half a can of pumpkin puree go to waste. A few weeks ago, I searched the Internet for "what to do with leftover pumpkin" and came up with several tasty possibilities: spicy pumpkin hummus, chicken enchiladas with pumpkin cream sauce, pumpkin gnocchi, and pumpkin corn muffins. After the culinary marathon of Thanksgiving, I decided to go for the simplest choice - the muffins.

 

Make Jiffy corn muffins according to package directions, adding 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree to the batter. The pumpkin adds a delicate moistness, and they taste great drizzled with honey. Bonus points for the added boost of Vitamin A.

Turkey Noodle Soup

Well, winter is officially here. For the first time in 2012, we pulled out our warm coats to brave the chilly air. Last Wednesday, in search of the perfect ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner, I purchased a few too many components, so today, I decided to cook up some soup to help warm things up a bit.

Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
1 T evoo
1 T butter
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
3 carrots, cut into large chunks
3 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
4c low sodium chicken broth
3c chicken stock
Sprigs of thyme and rosemary
1c uncooked pasta
2c shredded cooked turkey breast
s & p

1. After a full day of chopping on Thursday, I opted for the quick method by putting all the veggies in the food processor for a few whirls to dice them up.
2. Heat oil and butter in large pot over medium heat.
3. Saute veggies in oil for about 5 minutes.
4. Add broth, stock and herbs and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add the turkey breast, increase heat, and bring to a boil again.
7. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, about 10 minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper and serve with leftover stuffing or dinner rolls.

I'm thankful for a lot...including this meal

This year was my first attempt at Thanksgiving feast glory. Was it glorious? YES. The key? Butter. Lots of butter. Here's what was on the menu:

 

 

• Cider Brined Turkey with Bacon Herb Butter
• Simple Is Best Dressing
• Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes (kept warm in the slow cooker)
• Red Wine Gravy
• Perfect Cranberry Sauce
• Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Lemon
• Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

For the turkey, I used a combination of several recipes. I had a 13lb free range turkey from Minnesota and a Turkey Perfect Herb Brining Kit to work with. I followed the basic instructions for brining, but replaced 1 qt of the water with 1 qt of apple cider. The turkey brined for about 14 hours, and then sat uncovered in the fridge for an hour to dry the skin out a bit.

When the turkey was ready for prime time, the bacon herb butter went under the skin, and I seasoned the turkey with a little salt. Then, it was time to stuff the turkey with aromatics. In went chunks of carrot, celery and onion along with a few lemon wedges, garlic cloves, a couple sprigs of thyme, and rosemary.

For roasting, I followed some tips from Alton Brown for roasting the perfect turkey:

1. Create a tin foil breast plate for the turkey (protects the meat from overcooking). Set aside.
2. Roast for 45 min at 450F.
3. Remove turkey and reduce heat to 350F. Cover turkey breast with foil plate.
4. Roast at 350F until temperature probe reaches about 163F (took about 1hr 50 min for a 13 lb turkey).
5. Remove from oven and rest for 30 min before carving.

Thanks to the brining, butter, and love, the turkey tasted amazing. Delightfully juicy and tender. I will surely be making this turkey again.