Turkey gravy from pan drippings

This recipe couldn't be simpler.  You simply deglaze your roasting pan and thicken the deglazing liquid with a little flour.  Wondra flour is a great product to use here, since it's designed not to clump.

This is taken from an Alton Brown instructional video, which unfortunately didn't have a written-out recipe to accompany it.

Turkey gravy from pan drippings

Remove the cooked turkey from the roasting pan.  Place the pan on your stovetop and heat it to medium from below with 2 burners.

Add to deglaze the pan:
1 c. red wine
3 c. low-sodium chicken stock

Whisk until all the browned bits have become resuspended.  Pour the resulting pan liquid through a strainer into a Pyrex mixing cup.

Skim the fat from the top, and spoon the fat back into the hot roasting pan.

Add and whisk for 1 minute:
1/3 c. Wondra flour

Add the remaining liquid back to the pan.  Whisk while simmering until the hot liquid just begins to thicken.  (It should coat the back of a spoon.)

Pour into a gravy boat and serve.

Cornbread stuffing with sausage, apples, and bourbon

I don't have an Old Family Recipe for Thanksgiving stuffing, so one of my friends sent me theirs.  It sounded delicious, but involved making turkey stock and cornbread from scratch, and most of the quantities for spices were after-the-fact guesswork.  So I went hunting on the Food Network for a kissing cousin and found this recipe from the Neelys, who are Southern and therefore know a thing or two about cornbread.

Most of the flavor from this dish comes from the Italian sausage, so it pays to get a really good brand that packs a big punch.  (I used a spicy Italian turkey sausage.)  Also, stick to Granny Smith apples, since they don't fall apart during cooking.  Chop the apples on the medium to large side to provide texture in the finished dish.  (This is especially important if, like me, you're leaving out the nuts.)  As for the cornbread, you can either make it yourself, cube it, and dry it out, or buy pre-made cornbread stuffing from the grocery store.  I went with the pre-made stuff and it came out great.

Cornbread stuffing with sausage, apples, and bourbon
serves 6

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take the casings off 1 lb. of Italian sausage.  Break it down into smaller pieces, similar to hamburger, and brown until cooked through (5-7 min.) in a large skillet.

Add and saute until softened:
1 medium white onion, diced fine
2 stalks of celery, chopped

Add and saute for 2 minutes:
1 Granny Smith apple, diced medium
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1 tsp. minced fresh sage

Add and simmer for 2-4 minutes until alcohol flavor is gone:
1/2 c. bourbon

In a large bowl, combine:
1.25 lb. cubed and dried cornbread
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
2 c. low-sodium chicken stock (or other stock of your choice)
2 eggs, beaten
optional: 1/2 c. chopped pecans or other nuts

Add the sauteed sausage and vegetable mixture to the bowl. Stir together until totally mixed. Pour into a large oven-safe casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Fajitas

Another Budget Bytes winner.  I serve these in medium sized flour tortillas, with sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and cubed avocado, tossed in lime juice and salt.  Amazingly, just two tortillas will feed an adult for dinner.  This recipe tends to make about 10 tortillas worth of filling.

Fajitas in the Oven
serves 5

Preheat oven to 400.
 
Combine seasoning mix in a small bowl:
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or just use 1.5 tsp sweet paprika)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp corn starch

Slice and combine in a large 9x13 glass casserole dish:
1 onion, diced
3 bell peppers (pref. a mix of green, red, and yellow)
1 can tomatoes, drained
1 lb. uncooked chicken, cubed
2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

Stir to coat with oil, then sprinkle seasoning mix over casserole dish and mix to coat.

Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes, stirring once half way through.

Finish with 2 tbsp. of lime juice. and 2 tbsp. garlic olive oil.


Shopping list
1 lb. chicken
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion
3 bell peppers
10-pack of medium tortillas
toppings (if desired): salsa, avocado, sour cream/plain Greek yogurt

Check the pantry
corn starch
spices
vegetable oil

Macaroni & Cheese

This is my mother's kid pleasing homemade version of Kraft macaroni and cheese. Culinary knowledge time: the sauce is a simple derivation on an Escoffier mother sauce. It starts with a roux of butter and flour, which turns into a Bechamel/white sauce with the addition of milk. You finish it with shredded cheese, making it a Mornay sauce.

Macaroni & Cheese
serves 6

Cook 2-3 cups of dry macaroni noodles of your choice in boiling salted water (I prefer shells). While pasta water is coming to a boil...

In a stove-to-oven safe pot, melt:
2 tbsp. butter

Add slowly, stirring or whisking to prevent lumps:
2 tbsp. flour (Wondra flour if you can get it, to avoid clumps)

Cook together for about 2 minutes to remove any "raw flour" flavor.

Warm in the microwave, then add slowly to the roux:
1.25 cups milk

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Stir until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add and melt together until smooth:
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups grated sharp cheddar

Drain the cooked pasta and fold it into the cheese sauce.  Transfer the pot to the oven (or pour the contents into an oven-safe vessel) and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas with Radishes

This recipe comes to me from Bon Appetit (April 2004) via Smitten Kitchen (July 2008), and of course I've changed it as well, because I couldn't find dill seeds ANYWHERE.  Even Whole Foods disappointed - there was a slot for them in the spice rack next to the dill weed, but it was empty, mocking me.  Coriander seeds made an excellent substitution, however, and I have no complaints.

The radishes show a strong tendency to stick together in large stacks while cooking, so determined and attentive stirring is required.


Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas with Radishes
serves 6

Saute until shallots begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

Add and saute 2 minutes:
12 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed

Add and saute 3 minutes:
2 cups radishes, thinly sliced (about 1 large bunch)

Add and stir for 1 minute:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

Off the heat, add:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper, to taste

Pork Chops with Vinegar & Peppers

This recipe is substantially de-convoluted from the Cook's Illustrated version. The original called for browning the chops on the stove, then finishing the whole dish in the oven.  However, this easily adds 20 minutes to the cooking time.  It's much more practical on a weeknight to pre-cook the chops fully, then bring them back together with the peppers at the end.

Pork Chops with Vinegar & Peppers
serves 6

Cook over medium high heat until done, 4-5 minutes per side:
6 pork chops (pref. bone-in and thick cut)

While chops are cooking, saute for 2 minutes:
1 small white onion, chopped finely

Add, and saute 4 minutes more:
3 large bell peppers red/orange/yellow mix, cut into a large dice
2 anchovy fillets, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 5 inches long)

Add and simmer for 6-8 minutes, until reduced to 1/3 cup liquid:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup water

Discard rosemary sprig. 

Turn off heat and add: 
1 tbsp. garlic olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Return pork chops to pan to heat through, then serve.

Shopping list:
6 pork chops
1 large white onion
2 sweet bell peppers, pref. red and yellow
fresh rosemary
anchovy fillets, or anchovy paste (1 tsp = 1 fillet)

Check pantry:
garlic
butter
white wine vinegar

How to cook a steak

This method was introduced to me by my friend Joe.  It's most suitable for fattier cuts like rib-eye and works best with really good cuts of beef, e.g. USDA prime.


How to cook a steak

1. Take the batteries out of your smoke alarm.
2. Turn the oven up to 500 and put an empty cast-iron skillet in the oven to pre-heat.
3. Place the steak on a cutting board and blot off all the moisture with a paper towel.
4. Rub kosher salt (as much as you can hold between two fingers and your thumb) into each side of the steak.  Let it stand for 3 minutes, then dab all the moisture off again.
5. Sprinkle with pepper to taste, then cover the steak in peanut oil (or canola oil, although it has a lower smoke point).
6. Turn on the largest, hottest stove burner to high.
7. Take the pre-heated pan out of the oven and put it on the hot burner, and put the steak on the pan. The house will start to fill with smoke, so get fans going.
8. After 1 minute, flip it over and sear the second side for 1 minute.
9. Then flip it back over and put the pan into the hot oven.
10. After 2 minutes, flip the steak over and cook for 2 more minutes.
11. Place the steak on an elevated cooling wrack to drip and tent it with aluminum foil.  Let rest for 5 minutes.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo
serves 4-6

Serve over 1/2 lb. linguini or spaghetti.

Shrimp
Toss together, then saute on high for about 30 seconds:
1 lb. medium-large shrimp, peeled (can also substitute 1 lb. sea scallops)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil

Turn shrimp and add 1/4 cup cognac (or brandy).  Set cognac on fire, then pull pan off the heat.  Set shrimp aside.

Sauce
Saute over low for 7-10 minutes:
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. raw garlic, minced (about 9 cloves)

Add, then increase heat to medium for 8 minutes:
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
28 oz. diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup dry white wine

Add and heat through:
reserved shrimp
1 tbsp. raw garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves
1 tbsp. olive oil

Chicken & Lime Soup

This is a wonderful recipe taken straight from Budget Bytes.  It looks like a typical tomato-based soup, but its flavor profile is completely different.

Chicken & Lime Soup
serves 6

Dice, then saute for 5 minutes:
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium jalapeno (seeds removed)
3 stalks celery
2 tbsp. olive oil

0.5 tsp salt

Add and bloom for about 1 minute:

1 tsp. dried oregano
0.5 tsp. ground cumin

Add and stir in, then saute 1 minute more:
14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
8-oz. can diced mild green chilies, drained

Add and simmer, covered, for 1 hour:

6 cups chicken stock

2 raw chicken breasts, whole
1 tsp. salt (if using low sodium products)

While the soup is cooking, separately cook 1 cup dry pasta (if desired).

After soup has simmered for 1 hour, remove the whole chicken breasts and shred them.

Add to the pot to finish the dish:
shredded chicken breasts

1 tbsp. garlic olive oil
2 tbsp. lime juice (or juice of 1 lime)
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

salt to taste

two cups cooked pasta (if desired)