Turkey Pot Pie

Question: Do I have any readers left? To those of you who still check this site, I apologize to you and thank you for not giving up! I know that 5 months (to the day!) with no posts is a long time, but regular job & family + new baby + part time consulting work = no time for blogging!

OK, on to the real reason we're here: turkey! I love it. I know a lot of you don't, but that's because it is frequently overcooked or not seasoned properly. Alton Brown has a great recipe, which I frequently make just for the leftovers! When I have a small crowd (or big turkey), I normally only serve half the turkey during the holiday and save the rest for a later date:

Fast forward to 2:21 for how to easily do this.

The point is, that weeks after whenever you last cooked turkey, you can still have turkey in an even more delicious form: Pot Pie. This pot pie is very easy and not too time consuming because you don't bother with pastry crust - you just use biscuit dough, which is much simpler to deal with.

Ingredients
Filling:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
  
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  
• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cooked turkey breast half, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
  

Biscuit Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
  
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
  

Directions

Combine dry biscuit ingredients in a food processor. Pulse 3 times to mix. Add the chopped and chilled butter, pulse 5-10 times until the mixture is crumbly. While food processor is running, slowly pour in buttermilk. Turn off the food processor as soon as the last of the buttermilk is in. Briefly knead to ensure all the flour is integrated and form into a large disk. Wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 425. Melt 1/2 stick butter in a dutch oven or oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat. Sweat the onion, celery, and bell pepper with the kosher salt for 5-7 minutes, or until the celery is crisp-tender (keep the temp low, do not brown). Add the garlic and sweat for another 45 seconds. Evenly sift in the 1/4 cup flour using a wire strainer, stirring constantly. When the flour has evenly coated the aromatics and has just started to loose it's raw white color, add chicken broth, stirring to dissolve all the four. Add the carrots, potatoes, thyme, rosemary, pepper, and bay leaf and simmer on low heat, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Add the turkey and peas and simmer just until the peas are thawed and the turkey is warmed through. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Roll the chilled biscuit dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Cut into biscuits and cover the filling as evenly as possible. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until biscuits are light gold on top.

Savory Bean Stew over Polenta

I love the winter because it gives me a chance to eat hearty soups and stews. Nobody wants to sweat over bean stew in July, but it's perfectly divine in January. Not only is this recipe warm and filling, it's also inexpensive and healthy - good for your post-holiday budget and waistlines! It might be January's perfect food.

Ingredients

Stew

• 1 tablespoon plain olive oil
• 1 cup of equal parts chopped onion, celery, and red/green bell peppers
• 1/2 cup dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup dried pinto beans
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth, divided
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• salt and black pepper

Polenta

• 3 cups water
• 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• black pepper

Directions

Cover the beans in 2-3 times their volume of water. Soak 6-8 hours (or overnight). Pour beans and water into a large saucepan and bring to a low boil. Cook for 90 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

NOTE: The black beans will dye the other beans purple! This does not affect their flavor but does make it look funny. You may want to both soak and cook the black beans separately.

Heat oil in the same saucepan over medium-low heat. Sweat chopped vegetable with a pinch of salt for 5-7 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and translucent. Stir in cooked beans, tomatoes (with juice), and herbs. Make a slurry with 1/4 cup broth and flour and stir into bean mixture. Bring to a boil and add the remaining broth. Simmer, stirring frequently, over low heat for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

While the stew is simmering, prepare polenta. Bring 3 cups water to a boil and add the salt. Gradually stir in cornmeal, whisking constantly. Once all the cornmeal is integrated, reduce heat and simmer and 5 to 8 minutes or until polenta thickens and hold it's shape, but still soft. Season to taste with black pepper. Spread polenta over plate or large soup dish and top with stew.

Shepherd's Pie

Although lamb is the traditional meat for this dish, I use lean ground beef because it's quite a bit easier to come by. Sauteeing the mushrooms and onions separate from the beef gives the stew a deep, rich flavor, without toughening the meat (which can happen if you brown it too long).

Ingredients

• kosher salt
• 4 russet potatoes, cleaned, optionally peeled, and cut in half crosswise (so they are as spherical as possible)
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14 ounces) plain tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• spice mixture - grind together in a spice mill or coffee grinder
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flake
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Put the potatoes into a large pot and cover with 2-4 inches of cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 2 quarts of water in the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until a paring knife slides through without much resistance (do not overcook so they start to fall apart). Drain and mash -

Meanwhile, put the beef into a large dutch oven over medium low heat with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Gently cook the meat until it is no longer pink, stirring frequently - you are not trying to deeply brown the meat, just remove it's raw red color. Pour the meat into a large bowl and set aside.

If there is not 2-3 tablespoons of grease leftover from the beef in the dutch oven, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt for 5 minutes, until the onions have softened and started to brown. Add the garlic and saute one more minute, until the garlic is fragrant and lost its raw bite. Deglaze the pot with the canned tomtaoes. Add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar, spice mixture, and cooked beef. Stir well to combine. Gently fold in the bay leaves, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes and uncovered for 10, gently stirring occasionally.

Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the stew from heat and fish out the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice. Spoon on the mashed potatoes and smooth into an even layer on top. Sprinkle on all of the cheese and put under the broiler for 1-3 minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble. Serve immediately

We plate the 3A's their portion, then top our portions with cheese.

Lamb "Korma"

I am not an Indian food expert - although I do love to cook and eat it! My problem lies in terminology: Based on several Wikipedia articles, I'm pretty sure that a "saag" always contains spinach, "vindaloo" is marinated in wine or vinegar, and "tandoori" is roasted in a clay oven, "keema" is made with ground meat, and "korma" is made with stew meat - although I'd appreciate any correction by someone who has actual first-hand knowledge of Indian culture and cuisine. One thing I do know for sure: the following recipe is tasty. Even if it isn't "real" Indian food, it is at least Indian-inspired, and for that I thank my subcontinental friends.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons oil, divided
• 2 pounds lamb stew meat (or lamb chops that have been cut off the bone and cut into 2-inch cubes, or you could use beef stew meat like chuck)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons garam masala (an Indian spice mixture containing cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper, and cinnamon)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (for medium heat) or cayenne pepper (hot), optional
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup half-and-half or milk
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Lightly salt the meat and toss in two tablespoons of the oil. Working in batches, quickly brown the meat in a large skillet over high heat (do not crowd the pan). Reduce the heat to medium. Add one tablespoon oil and sweat the onion with a pinch of salt for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the garam masala, chili flakes, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 more minute. Add the meat (and any collected juices), sweet potatoes, beans, half-and-half and yogurt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add lemon juice, and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Serve over rice or pita bread.

Kale & Sausage Stew with Greek Flair

This is a family favorite.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 pound uncooked Portuguese sausage or hot Italian sausage
1 ¼ cup hot chicken broth, divided
6 cups (4 oz.) coarsely chopped stemmed washed kale
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat olive oil in large pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender. Break sausage into bite-size pieces and add to pan. Brown sausage on all sides, about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add kale and ½ cup chicken broth. Stir. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until kale is tender.

Beat eggs with lemon juice in a heatproof bowl. Gradually add remaining ¾ cup hot chicken broth to egg mixture into kale and sausage mixture. Simmer over low heat 1 to 2 minutes or until egg mixture is slightly thickened. (Do not bring mixture to a boil or eggs will scramble).
Serve over rice.

5-Alarm Chili

Long-Time readers of this blog (i.e. you members of the 4-month club) will remember that I have already posted a chili recipe here (in fact, it's recipe #1). That chili, while good, was rather middle-of-the-road. I've recently tried out a more bold recipe. The heat in this recipe comes from canned chipotle chiles packed in adobo sauce - a wickedly hot concoction which takes the normally milder flavor of jalepenos and kicks it up several notches. Another interesting ingredient is beer, although as a teetotaler I used a non-alcoholic variety (remember when cooking with alcohol, you can cook out a lot of it, but never all of it). If you don't like the malty essence that comes from cooking with beer, you can use pretty much any flavorful liquid that you like: cola, tomtato juice, broth - just make sure it dosen't get bitter or too salty when you cook with it.

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds stew beef (I like chuck, but you can use round), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 1 tablespoons chili powder (homemade would be best, see note on my previous post)
• 2-4 canned chipotle chiles, diced (more is hotter)
  
• 2-4 tablespoons of adobo sauce from the chipotles (again, more is hotter)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin (freshly toasted and ground would be best)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  
• 1 jar (16 ounces) salsa, hot or medium (as you like it)
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer or ale (regular or non-alcoholic)
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Directions

Toss the beef to coat with the oil and salt in a large bowl. Open the windows and/or turn on your range vent (this should produce a lot of smoke if done correctly). Working in small batches (about 1/4 of the meat in each batch), brown the outside of beef in a large dutch oven set on high heat (I use setting 9 out of 10 on my stove). As each batch finishes, remove to a clean bowl. When all the meat is browned, reduce heat to medium and saute the chiles, adobo sauce, cumin, and turmeric for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is very thick and brown (don't inhale the fumes - they are quite pungent!). Add salsa and beer and deglaze the pan while bringing mixture to a full simmer over medium-high heat. Add browned beef and any accumulated juices back to the pot. Add tortilla chips. Stir everything to combine. Put the lid on (or cover tightly with foil) and bake at 220 degrees for 3-4 hours (or 350 for 1-2 hours, but it won't be as tender. The best would be 185 for 8-10 hours!)

Beef and Ale Stew

I love to cook beef chuck in my slow cooker. After several hours with the low, moist heat, it is fall-apart tender and extremely flavorful.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds of beef chuck roast or stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup sliced carrots (about 1/4 inch thick)
• 1 medium bell pepper, sliced into thin strips 1-2 inches long
• 12 ounces beer or ale (regular or non-alcoholic)
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 packet Italian dressing seasoning (.7 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
  
• 1 pound mashed potatoes (if making homemade, don't use too much milk or cream - they need to be somewhat thick and hearty)

Directions

Toss beef with oil and salt in a mixing bowl. Heat a large skillet or fry pan over high heat. Working in batches (so as not to crowd the pan), sear the beef so it is brown on the outside (there may some smoke from the high heat, so open a window or turn on the vent). As each batch browns, place the beef in the (turned-off) slow cooker.

When the last of the beef is browned, reduce heat to medium and deglaze the pan with beer. Add tomato paste, bouillon, seasoning packet, Worcestershire, pepper, and sugar and whisk to combine, scraping all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

Add the vegetables and sauce to the beef in the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and turn slow cooker to high. Cook for 4 hours and serve over mashed potatoes.

Chile Verde with Beans

The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be used with almost any kind of pork you have around. Shoulder and rib cuts work very well, but you could probably use loin or sirloin cuts or chops. Bones and other connective tissue in the meat will add moisture, body and flavor.

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds country style pork ribs (see note above about using other cuts)
• 1 pound dried beans (great northern, pinto, or black all work well), soaked overnight and drained (check for bad beans or rocks first!)
• 6-8 cups water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) diced green chiles
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons oregano

Directions

Place all ingredients except pork and water in a slow cooker. Stir to evenly distrubute spices. Add pork, keeping the pieces evenly distributed and surrounded by beans (as much as possible - this might be difficult in a smaller slow-cooker). Add enough water to cover everything by an inch or two. Put on lid and cook on high for 8-10 hours. Check every couple of hours to ensure the food stays covered with water, adding hot water as needed to keep everything submerged.

Beef Stew

Today we have recipe written up by my wife, Michelle. This stew is especially good served in sourdough bread bowls.

• 3-4 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1” cubes
• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, medium chop (1½ cups)
• Celery, large chop (¾ cup)
• Carrots, large chop (¾ cup)
• ¼ c. flour
• chicken broth and beef broth, 1 can each
  
• 3-4 garlic cloves.
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 6 small potatoes – red bliss or Yukon gold
• 1 tsp. rosemary, crushed (in mortar or blender)
• ½ tsp ground thyme
• 2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped – divided
• 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 4 oz. peas, frozen

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place cubed beef in a large bowl. Season beef with salt, drizzle lightly with oil, then toss to coat. Lightly brown the meat (in batches) in a Dutch oven on medium high heat. As the batches cook, remove beef to a clean bowl, set aside. Add 2 Tbs. vegetable oil to Dutch oven. Saute celery, onion, and carrots on medium high heat until onions begin to cook down and carrots are softening. Sift flour into veggie mix (use a mesh strainer or flour sifter). Cook until flour is lightly browned.

Turn heat down to medium. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant. Add equal parts beef and chicken broth to just barely cover everything (about 1½ cup each) & deglaze the pan. Add potatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and 1 Tbs. parsley. Bring mixture to a simmer, then place in oven. Cook for 2 hours.

Remove stew from the oven, and add peas and 1Tbs. parsley. When peas are heated though, serve.

8-12 servings

Pleasant Springs Chili

I made this for a church activity a couple of months ago (The 2^nd Annual Pleasant Springs Ward Chili & Pie Cook-Off), and this seemed like a good recipe to christen my blog with. I’ve always said that good chili is not simply cooked, it is crafted. I’ve been working on this recipe for years, and I think I’ve finally come up with my final version. Please note that there are no beans in this chili - I believe a good chili either has meat or beans, so if you like meat (and I do), you must leave the beans out!

Ingredients

2-4 lbs of stew beef (chuck shoulder, bottom round, etc.), cut into one-inch cubes
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
2 jalapeño chilies, seeded and chopped with ribs removed (leave in the ribs if you like it hot)
1 jar (16 oz.) of Pace Thick and Chunky Salsa¹ (mild, medium, hot - your choice)
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder²
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup crushed tortilla chips. (I like Tostitos Yellow Corn)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°. Toss cubed beef with oil and salt in a large bowl until evenly coated. Heat a large dutch oven over high heat. Working in small batches, evenly brown the beef on all sides³. As each batch finishes, move the browned beef to a clean bowl. Once all beef is browned and in the bowl, reduce heat to medium and add the jalapeño, sautéing until just starting to brown around the edges. Add the tomato sauce and salsa. Use a wooden spoon or spatula and deglaze the bottom (scrape any brown bits off the pot). Dump the beef (and any collected juices) back into the pot. Add the spices and the chips and stir thoroughly to combine. Bake in the oven for 3 hours or until the meat is as tender as you like it⁴.

Notes

1. Yes, I call for a jar of salsa. I like Pace and it works well, but that’s not to say others won’t work also. If you are offended by the thought of putting commercial salsa in “homemade” chili, then you can go out to the farms, pick the best produce (in season), and spend 30-60 minutes (depending on how fast you work) cleaning, chopping, and sweating your vegetables. I don’t have the time for that, and since thats exactly what Pace does down in San Antonio, I’ll let them do the work for me.
2. Homemade chili powder is best. I actually do make my own. You can find many recipes on the internet (Alton Brown’s is good) or you can come up with one on your own. I find a good ratio of spices to be 50% dried & ground chilies and 50% other stuff (cumin, oregano, garlic, paprika, etc.), however it is a matter of personal preference. It is best to toast whole spices in a dry skillet and cool completely before grinding in a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or blender.
3. The idea here is to brown the beef on the outside without cooking it through. The less cooked the inside of the beef is now, the more tender the finished chili will be. To accomplish this, you want the pot as hot as you can get it. Working in small batches is essential. If you crowd the pot (no space between each piece of meat or the meat not in a single layer), steam and juices will build up that cooks the meat without browning it - which will certainly toughen the meat and reduce the flavor and texture of the chili. Please note that if you do it correctly you will generate some smoke (from the high heat), so you should turn on your range vent and open a window.
4. If you don’t have 3 hours, you can do 2 hours at 250° or 1 hour at 350. The quicker you cook it, the tougher the meat will be (see #3 above).