Creamy Orzo with Asparagus & Parmesan

There are two dishes that I make often and always enjoy, and they couldn't be more different.  Risotto and Orzo.  Say either one of these words and I feel like I'm being enveloped by a big down comforter.  Just a giant feeling of comfort.  This current dish exudes the same feeling.  Almost as if someone very special was reaching out for a huge hug.

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1 Tbs butter
¼ to ½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I'll admit it, I used about ½ cup)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Bring a large sauce pan of water to a boil.  Cook the orzo until tender, about 10 minutes.  After 5 minutes, add asparagus to pot (allows flavors to meld and keeps clean up to a minimum, who doesn't like that?!)

Once orzo and asparagus are cooked and tender, drain and return to pot.  Immediately add Parmesan cheese and butter, allowing both to melt. Slowly add cream to the mixture while stirring.  Continue to stir and add cream until desired consistency reached.

Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with some crusty bread and you've got a meal.  Or is a perfect side to a nice grilled steak or juicy roast chicken.

Serves 4



*Derived from sugarandaspice-celeste.blogspot

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

A couple of weeks ago I made another version of this recipe.  Both are good.  They are slightly different in flavor, but both still very good.  Besides, is there a wrong way to cook with a potato??  I'm thinking No.

Ingredients:

3 lbs red potatoes, unpeeled
1 Tbs plus 2 tsp kosher salt
1½ cups half-and-half
¼ lb unsalted butter (Again, I use salted butter and cut out the adding salt step.  Yes, again, I know I would have more control over the amount of salt if I used unsalted butter, but in a busy schedule, this is what I do)
½ cup sour cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Quarter potatoes and place in 4 quart saucepan and 1 Tbs of salt and cold water to cover.  Bring to boil, lower heat to and simmer, covered, for 25 - 35 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender.  Drain.

Heat half-and-half and butter in saucepan.

Transfer potatoes to large bowl and mash with hand masher.  Slowly add hot cream and butter.  Continue to mash.  Fold in sour cream and Parmesan, and remaining salt and pepper.  Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.  Note: if potatoes are too thick, add more hot cream and butter.

Serves 6 to 8

*Derived from Food Network Magazine

Smoky Bacon-Biscuit Dressing

I'd really like to say that I made these biscuits from scratch, after all, I do have the recipe.  But after looking at the number of hours of sleep I'd have to give up, on top of what I was already giving up, I opted for store bought rolls.  Still an absolutely wonderful dressing!

Ingredients:

12 4" cream biscuits, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes, toasted
1 lb sliced smokey bacon, cut into 1" pieces
2 yellow onions diced (this is where it gets . . . a little dicey (sorry, I couldn't resist), I bought a prepared stuffing vegetable mix from Trader Joe's that included the onions, celery, and carrots all chopped for me)
5 celery stalks diced
8 oz sliced button mushrooms
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs chopped fresh sage
2 Tbs chopped fresh thyme
Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
5 cups chicken stock

Preparation:

In deep saute pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels and drain.

Pour off all but 3 Tbs of fat from pan.  Set pan over medium high heat and add onions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Add celery, mushrooms, parsley, sage, and thyme.  Cook until celery is soft, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to large bowl.  Add bacon to bowl and season with salt and pepper.  And biscuits and stock and stir to combine.

Transfer dressing to baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake until dressing is lightly browned, about 20 minutes more.

Serves 10

*Derived from Williams-Sonoma

Cranberry Clementine Sauce

I love cranberry juice, but cranberry sauce always kind of alluded me.  I don't think I really got it and all you could do with it.  The flavors can be so varied and so rich.  Making my own cranberry sauce and relish over the last couple of years has showed me what I've been missing.  The possibilities are proving to be endless!

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries
6 clementines, peeled and sectioned
½ cup orange juice
½ cup cranberry juice
¾ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 cup dried cranberries

Preparation:

In small sauce pan, combine fresh cranberries, clementines, orange and cranberry juices, sugar, cinnamon stick, and star anise.  Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the dried cranberries and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until sauce has thickened. Serve at room temperature, or cold.

Serves 4

*Derived from Food Network

Herb-Roasted Turkey

Here it is.  The star.  The big kahuna of the Thanksgiving meal.  All eyes are on this bird!

Ingredients:

1 fresh or previously frozen turkey (I used 12lbs as we were a small group of 4 adults and 2 small kids)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 Tbs turkey herbs (From Williams-Sonoma that I am convinced I paid too much money for, in too big of a container.  I'll research and have a reasonable priced alternative by next Thanksgiving)
1 bay leaf
8 Tbs (or 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used salted butter and omitted the "salt to taste" up above.  Yes, I know if I used unsalted butter, I'd be using less salt.  Just not wanting to by different butter than I use every day.)
¾ cup turkey or chicken stock (I used chicken stock)
½ cup Madeira wine (I just used more chicken stock)

Preparation:

Let turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 325°.  (A friend of mine convinced me, years ago, to buy a roasting oven.  It frees up so much oven space for the other dishes.  While I was totally convinced, I ended up at Target a few days after Thanksgiving and ended up buying a Rival 20 Quart Roasting Oven on clearance.  Can I just say: Best. Purchase. EVER.  I only use it a couple of times a year and store it in 2 large trash bags in the garage.  But so worth it.  SO love it!)

Remove the giblets and neck and reserve for making gravy, if desired.  Rinse the turkey, inside and out, with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Season the turkey, inside and out, with salt and pepper.  Place 2 tbs of the herbs and the bay leaf inside the body cavity.  If desired, truss the turkey with twine.  Spread 2 Tbs of butter between the skin and meat of turkey.  Rub approximately 2 Tbs olive oil over outside of turkey and sprinkle with remaining turkey herbs.  Transfer to oven or roasting oven.

In small saucepan over low heat, melt remaining 6 Tbs butter and stock (with Madeira, if using).  After 30 minutes of roasting, begin basting the turkey with butter mixture.  Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (away from bone)registers 165°, and inserted in thigh registers 175°.  If breast begins to cook to quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil.  Total roasting time for this small turkey was about 3 ½ hours.

Transfer turkey to warmed platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and lest rest about 20 minutes before carving.

*Derived from Williams-Sonoma

All-New Green Bean Casserole

Ok, I'm just going to say this.  And anyone can bash me all they want.  Not a fan of the traditional green bean casserole.  Have never even understood the green bean casserole.  This one, however, changed my mind completely.  So yummy.  So tasty.  Even the hubs was asking for more (but not the kids, what can I say?)  Also, as my per usual Thanksgiving prep, I trimmed the green beans, minced the shallots, and pre-measured the butter, then saved the items in a large Ziploc bag several days before Thanksgiving.  The flour, half-and-half, and stock I measured Thanksgiving day.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ lbs green beans
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs unsalted butter (I always cheat and use salted butter, just saves a step)
10 oz button mushrooms sliced (I always purchase the pre-sliced, a little more $, but what a time saver!)
3 Tbs minced shallots
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 tsp soy sauce
8 oz fried onion pieces (original recipe called for frying shallots, but I found these Gourmet Fried Onion Pieces with zero preservatives, hydrogenated oils or artificial color at Trader Joe's, and I could not pass them up)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Bring saucepan of salted water to boil over high heat.  Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

Drain and rinse beans under cold water.  Set aside.  In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until browned, about 6-7 minutes.  Stir in shallots and cook until softened, 2-3 minutes.  Sprinkle with 3 Tbs flour and stir well.  Slowly stir in half-and-half, stock, and soy sauce and then bring to boil, stirring often.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.  Stir in green beans, season with salt and pepper and transfer to prepared baking dish.  (The casserole can be prepared to this point 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate)  Bake until liquid is bubbling, about 20 minutes (30 if it has been refrigerated).

Remove casserole from oven, scatter with fried onions and serve.

Serves 6 to 8

*Derived from Willaims-Sonoma
 

Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Toasted Pecans & Cranberry Vinaigrette

This salad was really very good.  The flavor and texture was right on.  I, however, do not like goat cheese, so I subbed buffalo mozzarella.  I now believe I could have used another cheese that allowed me to crumble it, such as feta.  But buffalo mozzarella is so lovely, how could I not use it?!?!

Ingredients:

¾ cup dried cranberries
1 ½ boiling water
3 Tbs fresh orange juice
 1 ½ Tbs cider vinegar
1 ½ Tbs Dijon mustard
6 Tbs canola oil
3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
10 oz arugula
1 ¼ cups pecan halves, toasted (I used toasted peacan pieces)
5 oz goat cheese crumbled (I used buffalo mozzarella, but you could also use feta)

Preperation:

Put cranberries in small bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Let sttep for 10 minutes, then drain.

In another bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar and mustard.  Slowly whisk in oil.  Fold in cranberries and parsley, season with salt and pepper.

Put arugula in serving bowl. Toss with cranberry vinaigrette, scatter pecans and cheese.  Serve immediately.

Serves 8 to 10

*Derived from Williams-Sonoma

 

Creamy Stuffed Mushrooms

Another simple, yet tasty appetizer that graced my Thanksgiving table.

Ingredients:

One prepackaged container of small cremini or white mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
Cream cheese at room temperature
Chives

Preparation:
Remove stems from mushrooms.  Sprinkle caps with salt and pepper, fill each with 1 tsp cream cheese.  Broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots, about 8 minutes.  Top with chopped chives.



*Derived from Food Network Magazine

Deviled Crab Dip

Usually I go all out for Thanksgiving, after all, it is my absolute favorite holiday of the year.  This year, however, with my husband's schedule being even crazier than usual, I was forced to pare it back a little.  That being said, my appetizers were a little less work than usual, which does not mean less flavorful or less appealing!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ready to eat crab meat
3 Tbs mayonnaise
1 Tbs Dijon mustard (I used regular yellow mustard)
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs parsley
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste
Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and serve with crackers.

*Derived from Food Network Magazine