Easy Turkey Pot Pie for your turkey leftovers

Rich and spicy, filled with turkey, vegetables, potatoes and a smooth cream sauce, topped with a crusty, buttery pastry, this turkey pot pie is a wonderful way to serve the leftovers from your Thanksgiving feast.

This recipe makes six-eight servings, so this is a perfect meal you can enjoy with house guests who stay past the holiday. Goes nicely with a crisp salad and a cold glass of Pinot Grigio.
Ingredients

1 pkge. refrigerated pie crust (two crusts)
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sautéed in 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil, until brown and all of their liquid is evaporated
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. onion, chopped finely
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. good quality paprika
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground nutmeg
1-1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. heavy cream or whole milk
2-1/2 cups cooked turkey, cut in bite-sized pieces
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed - OR - 2 cups fresh peas, chopped carrots and corn kernels
Egg wash: One egg + 1 tbsp. cool water, beaten slightly with fork

Process
1. Sauté mushrooms and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. In saucepan, melt 1/3 cup (remaining) butter, add onion and sauté until translucent but not brown.
4. Add flour, paprika, salt and pepper, blend to a light roux.
5. Add heavy cream (or milk) and broth, and cook, stirring, until bubbly and thick. Add parsley and a light grinding of fresh nutmeg. Stir to combine.
6. Stir in turkey, sautéed mushrooms and mixed vegetables. Set aside.
7. Generously butter a deep dish pie plate and gently fit one of the pie crusts into it, stretching over edges to form lip.
8. Spoon mixture into crust. Brush edges with water, top with second pie crust, seal and crimp.
9. Cut slits in top crust, and brush with egg wash. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. (If desired, to keep edges from darkening too much or drying out, cover with foil for last 10 - 15 minutes of baking.
10. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Apple Pie -- Perfect for Apple Season!

An American classic, filled with juicy apples, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg!  When you're pressed for time, use store-bought pie crusts from your grocer's refrigerated section.

This pie is a big winner for not a lot of effort.  It travels well, doesn't need refrigeration on first day, is delicious alone, works in every season and gets lots of oohs and aahs when you bring it to the table.  Perhaps best of all, it takes only 1-1/2 hours start to finish (one hour in the oven), and will keep for up to two days in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Ingredients

Pastry crust: Use your own favorite pate brisée or one box of refrigerated crusts
1 large organic Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in 2" rough pieces
5 large organic Gala or other upscale apple,  peeled, cored and cut in 2" rough pieces
3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tsp. for topping
3 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon plus 1/8 tsp. for topping
1-2 tbsp. butter

In large bowl, mix ingredients well with a wooden spoon.  Let sit for a few minutes while you spread the bottom crust in the pie tin.

Fill pie tin with apple mixture.  Brush the outer edges lightly with water using a pastry brush. Dot the top of the mixture with 1-2 tbsp. butter and top with the second crust. Fold top crust over bottom crust and crimp edges to seal.

Cut vents in top to prevent bursting in oven.  I always draw a little design on the top with a sharp knife -- initials if it is a birthday pie, an apple, a fir tree for Christmas or a pumpkin for Halloween. You can be creative!

Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top and bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees on center rack of oven. This will give maximum crisp to the crust.  After 30 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and move pie to upper third of oven.  Bake 30 minutes longer. Allow to cool two hours before cutting.  Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or all by itself!

Variations:

Add to apple mixture: 1/3 cup raisins, 1/3 cup walnuts and/or 1/3 cup dried cranberries. If adding all three, reduce to 1/4 cup each.

Time to get ready for Thanksgiving!

It's never too early to start planning your Thanksgiving meal.  As always, the turkey -- roasted to a golden brown and stuffed with savory bread and sausage stuffing -- will be the centerpiece of your dinner table.

Next, the all-time, most-requested favorite on our table is our Southern sweet potato and pecan casserole. Both crunchy and smooth, sweet and savory, this casserole can be prepped two days in advance and cooked up in 45 minutes on Thanksgiving Day. Recipes below.

Here's a suggested table setting, with mini pumpkins and Granny Smith apples for color:

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving Day, filled with good things, loving family and faithful friends.

Grandma's Turkey Stuffing
(For 18 lb. bird)

Ingredients
1 package seasoned bread crumbs for turkey stuffing (Arnold)
1 stick butter
1 to 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 lb. good quality Italian sausage, out of casing
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmegianno Reggiano cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 eggs, slightly beaten with fork
Onion and garlic salt -- approx 1/8 tsp each
1 cup white raisins (optional)

1. Sauté sausage until cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain fat from pan. Set aside.
2. In large deep sauté pan, melt butter and broth. When butter is completely melted, add breadcrumbs, stir to combine until all liquid has been absorbed.
3. Pour breadcrumb mixture into a large deep mixing bowl.
4. Add seasonings, cheese, eggs and spices, mix well to combine.
5. Add sausage. Combine.

Stuff bird, reserving any extra stuffing for casserole to bake separately @ 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Southern Sweet Potato & Pecan Casserole
Preheat oven to 400F degrees.


Ingredients
For casserole:
6 cups cooked sweet potatoes
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs, beaten with fork
For topping:
2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 cups chopped pecans

Roast sweet potatoes for 40-60 minutes, or until soft. Cool, remove skin, and mash in a large bowl. Combine sweets with next five ingredients. Mix well. Spoon into a lightly-greased 13" x 9" casserole (or oval casserole of similar size).

Reduce oven temperature to 375F degrees.

Combine remaining ingredients, and sprinkle over the top of the sweet potato mixture. Bake @ 375F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Yields 12+ servings.

SPICY CHICKEN CURRY

Here's an authentic, spicy dish you can make in less than an hour!  We love it served with rice and a high-quality mango chutney. Garnish with a spritz of lemon and chopped cilantro. A sure winner, weeknight or weekend!

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil

2 c onion, chopped finely

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1/4 to 1/3 c heavy cream

Spice mixture: 

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp celery seed

2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped

Process

1. Sauté onion in oil until translucent

2. Add tomatoes, chicken, spice mixture and sauté for 15 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.

3. Add cream, reduce heat to low, and sauté until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Serve over rice, with a high-quality mango chutney.  

Garnish with a spritz of lemon and chopped cilantro. 

Enjoy with a sparkling Reisling or Kingfisher beer!

Red, White and Blueberry

More Memorial Day, Fourth of July (or any Sunday morning) fare ... fresh blueberry muffins.  They are quick and easy and really moist and delicious.  The secrets are sour cream, nutmeg and cinammon.  From start to finish, less than an hour. Here's the recipe:

  Preheat oven to 400ª. Bake at 350ª.

·           1 stick butter, melted

·           ¾ c. sugar plus additional for sprinkling muffins

·           2 large eggs

·           1 ½  tsp. vanilla

·           1 cup sour cream

·           2 cups flour

·           ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

·           ½ tsp baking powder

·           ½ tsp baking soda

·           Ground cinnamon for sprinkling muffins

·            2 cups fresh blueberries

 Mix wet ingredients

·          Cream butter and sugar with hand mixer

·          Beat in eggs, one at a time

·          Beat in vanilla and sour cream

  Mix dry ingredients

·           Sift flour

·           Stir in ground nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt

  Combine

·            Stir wet into dry ingredients

·            Fold in blueberries

  Spoon into 12 muffin cups, sprinkle tops with mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar.

  Reduce heat in oven to 350. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes, until golden brown, or until
  toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

  Options:

·           Add 1 ½ cups grated apples instead of blueberries

·           Add chopped pecans to topping

·           Fold in 1 ½ cups mashed bananas and ½ cup walnuts to batter

·           Use raspberries instead of blueberries

Zucchini Tomato Galette

 Delicious and savory, perfect for a hot summer night!

The Perfect Summertime Dessert

If you've eaten at Joe's Stone Crab in Miami, you'll know about their famous Key Lime Pie, just the best there is. They've generously shared their recipe online, and we are big fans ... making it frequently. It's a hit with young and old.

Here's the recipe. Thank you, Joe's!

Ingredients

Graham cracker crust

1 cup plus 2-1/2 T graham cracker crumbs
5 T unsalted melted butter
1/3 c sugar

Filling

3 egg yolks
Zest of one lime (1-1/2 t)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
Juice of 3'1/2 to 4 limes (2/3 cup) freshly squeezed

Topping

1 c heavy whipping cream, chilled
3 T confectioners sugar


Process

Crust
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Butter a 9" pie plate
3. Break up graham crackers, place in processor and process to crumbs.
4. Add melted butter and sugar and pulse until combined.
5. Press mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pie plate, forming a neat border around the edges.
6. Bake until crust is set, approx. 8 mins.
7. Set aside on a wire rack; leave oven on.

Filling
1. In an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until very fluffy, about 5 mins.
2. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to beat until thick, 3-4 mins longer.
3. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice, mixing until just combined.
4. Pour mixture into crust and back for 10-15 mins., or until filling has just set.
5. Cool on wire rack, then refrigerate.
6. Freeze for 15-20 mins before serving.

Topping
1. Whip the cream and confectioners sugar until nearly stiff.
2. Pipe or spread onto pie.
3. Serve in wedges, with slice of key lime if desired.

Note: This recipe was originally published by food.com, © 2017 Scripps Network.

Springtime Lamb Stew

"Marie avait un petit mouton..."

When my husband was a child, his NYC teacher asked the students to recite something in front of the class. His mom, a French American, helped him to memorize the French version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Translated, "Marie avait un petit mouton." 

We remember this cute little nursery rhyme fondly while making a delicious French lamb stew. This dish is from his mom's recipe book.

Nothing says French like an authentic French stew, especially on a cold springtime day, and this one adds a twist that keeps all of the flavor locked into the stew. Here we took license with the original French country recipe, by adding the peas as a side rather than incorporating into the stew, and by creating a buttery mash of pommes de terre au persil (parslied potatoes) as an accompaniment. This version retains all of the hearty meat and mushroom taste, and puts us in mind of Provençal forests, while adding perfect accents with potatoes, parsley and peas.

This recipe will take a few hours to prepare, so give yourself ample time some morning or afternoon and enjoy the process, as you lovingly craft a dinner with complex flavor for cherished family and/or friends that they can't get just anywhere. As with most soups or stews, for some reason this one tastes better after it has been cooled and reheated, or the next day.

It's a wonderful dinner to serve, feels very elegant and makes you appear an accomplished cook, especially when accompanied by a fine beaujolais and crusty baguette.

Ingredients

2-3 lbs. lamb steaks (round bone), cut into 1-2" pieces

1/2 to 1 c. hearty red wine (use only wine that you would drink at table!)

3 tbsp. flour

2 medium onions, chopped coarsely (about 1 cup)

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in butter

1 lb. carrots, cut into 2" pieces

1 lb. frozen peas

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into thirds 

1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped coarsely

4 - 6 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Process

1. Sauté the mushrooms in 1-2 tbsp. butter and olive oil until deeply browned and set aside.

2. In a large dutch oven, add 1-2 tbsp. butter and sauté the lamb in stages so as not to cool down the pot, until richly browned and leaving a fond or tiny bits on the bottom of the pot.

These are the crusty, caramelized bits you want to render from the meat; they are called the fond.
They will add flavor and character to your stew.

3. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the juice of the meat, sauté the onion and garlic until wilted and soft, about five minutes, stirring frequently. 

This is how your onions will look after you've added the wine and the slurry.
4. While the onion is cooking, make a slurry of 2-3 tbsp. flour and very hot water in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve the flour completely. Add to the cooked onions and stir until well incorporated.

5. Add back the meat, add in the carrots, mushrooms, bay leaf, thyme and stir well to incorporate.

6. Add more wine, about 1/3 cup. 

7. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stir to incorporate, lower heat and simmer on low heat, stirring every 10 - 15 minutes or so, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot.

8. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, boil the potatoes in salted water.

9. When the potatoes are cooked (about 10 minutes, or when a fork slides through easily), drain and mash in same saucepan, using a fork or a potato masher. Add 2 tbsp. butter and freshly chopped parsley, mix and set aside.

10. Prepare the peas according to package directions, and when cooked, add butter, salt and pepper to taste.

11. After a few hours, check the stew and adjust flavorings to taste.

12. Serve with peas and potatoes, crusty bread and a hearty beaujolais.  Bon appetit!

Gettin' Our Corned Beef On!

It's almost time for corned beef and cabbage ... now as St. Patrick's Day comes near to us on the calendar, and really anytime of the year. It's always delicious and always a big hit ... day of, and day after! You'll need a big pot of water, lots of pickling spices, a quality cut of corned beef, a bunch of yellow or russet potatoes, an onion or two and time to let it simmer on the range. Here's how we do it:

Corned beef simmering in large pot of water with pickling spices (recipe below).

Add cabbage and potatoes ...

Cabbage, cored and quartered, ready to jump into the pool!

Ingredients

One 4-lb. corned beef brisket, thin cut (get the best you can find)
2-6 tbsp. pickling spices
4-6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
One large onion, peeled and quartered
One medium head cabbage, cored and cut into 8 quarters

Process

1. Put the corned beef into a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 2 tbsp. pickling spices. Cover and bring to a boil.
2. Skim the gray residue that comes to the top of the pot. Cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Skim residue. Add 1-2 tbsp. more pickling spices to make up for ones you skimmed away.
3. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours on medium heat.
4. Add potatotes, onion, more water (boil it first) to cover corned beef. Adjust spices by adding more if needed. Simmer 30 minutes.
5. Add cabbage and simmer 30 more minutes.

Serve with Irish soda bread and a pint of Guinness! Top of the evening to you, mateys!

Lentil Soup When It Snows!

In the middle of a big late winter snowstorm ... time for lentil soup with kielbasa. Here's our version of a hearty lentil soup that fills the bill ... It's easy to make, fills the house with amazing aromas, and with the addition of kielbasa, makes a meal unto itself. Just add your favorite beverage and hot crusty Italian bread!

Ingredients
1 16 oz bag dried lentils
2-3 T extra virgin olive oil for sautéeing
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb. kielbasa, cut into 1/2" pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4" pieces
1 lb. carrots, cut into 1/4" pieces
4 c beef broth (heated)
6 c water (heated)
1 bay leaf
French fleur de sel to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Process
1. In a large Dutch oven, sauté the kielbasa in 1-2 T of olive oil until browned.
2. Add chopped onion, garlic and celery. Sauté until wilted. Add more olive oil if needed.
3. Add carrots, mix with kielbasa, onion, garlic and celery and sauté one-two minutes more.
4. Add warmed beef broth, bay leaf, warmed water, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
5. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
6. Let cool slightly and serve with your favorite beverage and hot crusty Italian bread.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May good fortune, good health and abundant joy be yours in the year to come!

DRY ROASTED RIBS 

Low-carb, almost no sugar

Our recipe for dry roasted ribs is a delicious alternative to slathering sugary, high-calorie, carb-laden sauce. Containing almost no sugar, all you need is an oven set at 300F for four hours, a little water, and the delicious ingredients that are listed below. We serve them with our Poblano Cornbread. This rub works equally well with chicken, just turn up the heat to 375F after 3 hours and roast for another 30 minutes, until brown and crispy.

Preheat oven to 300F

Ingredients

2-4 lb. rack of ribs

1 T high-quality smoky paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 T cumin, or more if desired

1 T ground chili seasoning, or more if desired

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion salt

Generous grind 5 pepper medley (Williams Sonoma)

2 T dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt or fleur-de-sel (Williams Sonoma)

Water

Take ribs out of refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes).

Mix spices well in bowl, rub generously into both sides of a rack of ribs. Place ribs on a sheet pan that has been fitted with alum foil to catch drippings and place ribs on a wire rack over pan with 1/4 c water beneath rack. Roast in oven 4 hours, turning every 20-30 minutes, replenishing with 1/4 c water as needed.

Here's what they will look like when they are ready. Carve and enjoy!