Crisp It, Cheese it, And Put an Egg On It

By the Saturday or Sunday following Thanksgiving, after a more than a couple of cranberry topped turkey sandwiches and big pot of turkey soup, I’m ready to be done with Thanksgiving for another year.  But, what about all those potatoes, stuffing, and roast vegetables that always seem to be the last things to go?

Crisp it, cheese it, and put an egg on it I say!  Any gravy left, even better.  If not, a handful of pickled jalapenos or spoonful of kimchi never hurt.

Heat a bit of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Once hot, spread the leftovers evenly over the bottom of the pan, being sure to chop up any of the larger pieces first…and maybe forgo the creamed spinach.   Be patient, give them time to crisp up, if there’s a lot of butter in the mashed potatoes it may take a bit longer than usual. 

As soon as they’re golden and crispy, flip in sections and brown for another few minutes.  Top with a generous pile of shredded cheddar or other mild cheese then turn down the heat and cover. 

While the cheese is melting, fry or poach your eggs in another pan.  Just before the eggs are done, plate your crispy cheesy leftovers and top with the eggs. 

Now, Thanksgiving 2020 is officially over.

Dry Brined Turkey

Whether you’re making a big turkey, or a single turkey thigh, dry brining guarantees crisp and juicy results with only a minute or two of effort.  Just make sure you plan for at least 24 hours of brining time, two to three days for a larger bird.

Wash and pat dry your turkey and set aside.  In a small bowl, mix together a teaspoon of sugar with four tablespoons of kosher salt. You can also add black pepper, herbs, or spices to the mixture if you’re looking for some additional flavor. These quantities should give you enough dry rub for a small turkey, adjust accordingly.

Using your hands, rub the mixture all over the turkey, including the cavity if you’re making an unstuffed bird. Place the turkey in a rimmed roasting pan breast side up and refrigerate uncovered…yes, uncovered. Then stuff and roast as you normally would, no need to wash or dry off again.

Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes

If being glazed with maple syrup and garlic wasn’t enough, what makes this dish especially perfect for Thanksgiving this year is that quantities can be easily knocked down to one or two servings for smaller gatherings.

Pre-cook your sweet potatoes by baking or boiling them whole for about 25 minutes, or until barely fork tender.  Let cool and cut them into quarter inch chunks.  This step can even be done the day before and refrigerated overnight.

As you’re nearing serving time, heat a little bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Once hot, add the sweet potatoes and toss frequently.  When they’re browned to your liking, turn down the heat to medium low and stir in some thinly sliced garlic and a generous pour of maple syrup. 

Continue to cook for another three or four minutes, tossing now and then so they glaze evenly.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Easy!

Squash Kale Feta Pizza

Tis’ the season of squash and kale, and together with some feta they make for an exceptional Fall pizza.  And luckily, if you aren’t up for making your own pizza dough, there are two amazing local ready-made pizza crust options available.

Preheat your oven to 400.  Peel and thinly slice some butternut squash then toss with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper and lay out on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10 minutes or so.  Remove and set aside.

To prep the kale, devein about a half a dozen leaves, chop coarsely, and blanch in a pot of simmering water for a couple of minutes.  Transfer to a strainer, let it cool slightly, then squeeze as much of the water out of it as you can.   Combine in a food processor with a clove of garlic, a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt, and an eighth to a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil…run until smooth.  You’re looking for a spreadable, but not too thin, consistency.

Prep your ready-made crust according to the instructions.  Using a rubber spatula, cover liberally with the kale mixture, followed by the squash slices, and some crumbled feta. 

Bake and enjoy!

Ginger Vegetable Stir Fry

 

If you don’t do a lot of stir frys you’re missing out on one of the easiest ways to whip off a last-minute meal.  And the key to a good stir fry is simple, good ingredients, especially when it comes to the ginger and garlic…always go with the fresh stuff.  

Garlic doesn’t take much to deal with, but until someone showed me how easy it was to peel ginger by scraping it with an upside-down teaspoon, I used to think it was kind of a hassle…what a life changing event that was.  Even more life changing, throw a cut up piece of unpeeled ginger root in your food processor, you won’t even notice the skin once it’s minced up.  So, no excuses, use the real deal, and use lots of it.

After prepping all your vegetables, heat some veggie oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large heavy pot.  For this cabbage, shitake mushroom, and scallion stir fry, I started by throwing the chopped cabbage in the wok first as it takes the longest to cook. 

After a couple of minutes, add the mushrooms, scallions, ginger, garlic, and some fresh chili pepper if you want a little heat.  I like the Fresno peppers myself.

Toss the mixture often for another four to six minutes, you don’t want the veggies to soften too much, then salt to taste.  At this point you can also add some sesame seeds, and, or, sesame oil for a bit more flavor. But it doesn’t need it, the ginger and garlic are all it takes.

Devil Butter

 

Holy Shmolly!  Put down that Catalina dressing, your wings deserve better…as do your grilled meats, eggs, roast and steamed vegetables, and a whole lot more.  A friend turned me onto this compound butter recipe in a cookbook I highly recommend, Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden.

You’ll need two sticks of room temperature butter. Now, two sticks might sound like a lot of butter, but trust me, I used one stick and regretted it after the first bite.

Start by draining a quarter cup of pickled banana peppers, pepperoncini, or jalapeno slices in a strainer.  Use your hand to squeeze out as much of the juices as you can then finely chop. 

With a fork or wooden spoon, mash the peppers into the softened butter along with a tablespoon each of red chile flakes, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and Tobasco sauce, as well as a half a teaspoon of kosher salt. Once it’s well mixed, scrape it into a container and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.

For these steamed turnips, I simply tossed them right out of the pan with a generous amount of the butter and served immediately.

Tomato Butter Puree

It’s time to face a very sad reality, this Saturday is the final farmer’s market of 2020.  Luckily, here in VT, we’re able to find a lot of local produce year-round at our Valley markets, however, what we aren’t going to see until next summer are tomatoes.  While they aren’t what they were a month ago, with some roasting and a little butter you can still create a pretty epic tomato memory to last the winter.

Preheat your oven to 400, then core and quarter about a pound of tomatoes.  In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with a coarsely chopped onion, a splash or two of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a cookie sheet or oven proof dish and roast for approximately 30 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the cooked tomatoes and onions with a quarter cup of chicken stock and puree for half a minute.  Cut a couple of half inch slices of butter and with the food processor running, add one to the mixture.  After 10 seconds, add the second and puree until silky smooth.  For a thinner sauce, add some more chicken stock.  Salt and pepper to taste.

You’ll want to immediately eat it with a spoon, but you could also serve it with some roast cauliflower, broccoli, grilled chicken, or beef.

Seared Scallops with Potato Mint Hash

 

After last week’s heavy frost, one of the only edible things left in our yard is mint.  And I have to say, not only does it look good, but it was amazing in these hash browns with seared scallops. Keeping it simple is a rule to cook by!

Wash and cut a large potato into quarter inch cubes, then sauté it along with a chopped onion over medium heat.  Generously salt and pepper and continue to cook until the potatoes are golden and lightly crisped, about ten minutes.

When the potatoes are finished, turn the burner down as low as it will go, then stir in a finely chopped handful of mint and let sit.

Heat another small pan over high heat, then dust your scallops on both sides with salt and pepper.  Lightly oil the pan, and set the scallops in flat side down.  After a minute or so, flip and sear the other side.  Serve immediately over your hash browns.

The scallop, potato, mint combo was prefect, but no doubt some chicken, beef, or a couple of fried eggs on top would have been pretty good too.

Spiced Lamb Pitas

 

These grilled pitas are as good at room temperature the next day as they are hot out of the skillet. And tzatziki makes for a great dipping sauce too if you happen to have some Greek yogurt and cucumber around.

When it comes to spicing the lamb, you could keep it as simple as some minced onion and garlic, or go a more flavorful route with some cumin, coriander, oregano, harissa, paprika, or cinnamon.  Fresh mint or parsley work well with any of these options, and salt and pepper are a must whichever way you go.

After working your spices into a pound of ground lamb, check your flavors by cooking off a pinch of the mixture in a hot pan.  Once you get it where you want it, gently slice open four pita breads half way around then use your hand to spread a quarter of the mixture evenly around the bottom half of each pita. If it rips a bit, no worries, once cooked it will hold together.

Add a small splash of olive oil to a hot skillet, followed by the first filled pita. Cook for a minute or two per side, adding a little more oil as needed.  When it’s golden and crispy, set aside and start on the next one.

Brussel Sprout and Almond Salad

If you’ve been reading my column for a while you’ve probably figured out that I’m a pretty efficient, otherwise known as lazy, cook.  Less time at the stove, more time at the table.  This salad especially epitomizes my style, but when it comes to toasting the almonds there’s no way around it….it has to be done.

Place a medium sauté pan over medium low heat, once hot, spread a large handful of slivered almonds across the bottom.  No multi-tasking here, you have to stay close because there’s a fine line between toasted and burnt.  Stir them up often until they’re golden and smelling like toasted almonds, then immediately slide them out of the pan into your salad bowl.

Thinly slice five or six raw Brussel sprouts per person and toss with the almonds along with some extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  Depending on what you’re serving it with, or on top of, some nutritional yeast or shaved parmesan work nicely as well.

Cauliflower Cumin Soup

Whether we’re ready or not, soup season is here.  And this hugely satisfying cauliflower cumin is an easy way to get things started.

Coarsely chop a large onion and a whole head of cauliflower, greens and all, then set aside.  In a large soup pot, sauté the onion over medium heat in a little bit of oil or butter.  Once translucent, add a couple teaspoons of ground cumin and some ground black pepper then sauté for another minute.

Place the chopped cauliflower into the pot followed by enough chicken or vegetable stock to submerge everything by an inch, approximately five or six cups. And as you know by now, I highly recommend Better Than Bouillon condensed stock…the canned or boxed stocks don’t compare.

Simmer for half an hour or until the cauliflower is very tender.  Either puree until smooth with a stick blender, or let cool slightly and use a food processor.  If it’s turns out thicker or more cuminy than you care for, simply add some milk, cream, or more stock.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

Quick Pickled Beets and Onions

 

I know pickled beets don’t exactly sound like something that’s going to make you want to crank up the music and dance alone in your kitchen, but they may just surprise you. 

I love having them around for a last-minute side dish, a snack, or for jazzing up a salad.  And with a quick pickle, they can be ready to go in about an hour…and will last for several weeks in the fridge.

Peel and slice four medium beets.  Boil or steam until fork tender then drain and rinse with cold water. Next, slice and quarter a peeled sweet onion.

In a large bowl, combine a cup of cider or white vinegar with a cup of water, a quarter cup of sugar, and a tablespoon of salt. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve completely, then add the beets and onions and refrigerate. You could also transfer to a large jar, but either way, make sure the beets and onions are completely submerged in the vinegar.

If you want to get more of a zip, try adding a large pinch of chili flakes, some grated ginger, or fresh dill to the mixture.