Where the various cuts of meet come from
Minestrone Soup
1 Chopped Onion
2 Peeled & Chopped Carrots
2 Minced Cloves of Garlic
2 Chopped Celery Stalks
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Cups Chopped Greens
2 Small Zucchini Cut Into 1 Inch Cubes
1 Large Potato, Peeled And Cut Into 1 ½ Inch Cubes
14 Ounces Chopped Tomatoes
1 Quart Chicken Or Vegetable Stock
14 Ounces Cannellini Beans
¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
Salt & Pepper To Taste
Garnish With Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
In a large stock pot, heat the oil, then sauté the onion, celery, carrots and garlic until soft. Add the potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes and broth. Mix together. Ensure the vegetables are covered by liquid by at least 1 to 2 inches, adding water to cover the vegetables if needed. Bring to a boil, and then cook for about 20 to 30 minutes over low heat until vegetables are tender. Add the parsley, basil, salt and pepper and mix well. Add the cannellini beans and chopped greens. Cover and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Serve warm and garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
I Love Cabbage!
Victoria’s Fig & Bacon Cornish Game Hens
1 Pound Bacon
1 Large Yellow Onion
8 Sliced Garlic Cloves
4 Halved Cornish Game Hens
12 Thyme Springs
12 Halved Black Figs
8 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cook bacon over medium heat until semi-crisp. Don’t overcook the bacon. Save the bacon fat. Pat hens dry with paper towels, season with salt & pepper. Heat bacon fat in skillet over medium heat, brown halved hens skin side down for about 5 minutes. In a large Dutch oven, sauté in olive oil, onion and garlic. Transfer hens to Dutch oven on top of onion and garlic. Pour any remaining bacon fat over hens. Pour lemon juice over hens. Place figs and bacon evenly on top of hens and top with thyme sprigs. Bake for 2 ½ hours on low oven rack.
Green Bean Casserole
1 Can (10 ¾ ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
½ Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce
Dash Ground Black Pepper
4 Cups Cooked Cut Green Beans
1 1/3 Cups French Fried Onions
Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Bake at 350° F for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle on top with the remaining onions. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
Roast Turkey
Oven to 500˚
12-lb. turkey
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper, to taste
12 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. finely chopped sage
2 tbsp. finely chopped thyme
2 tsp. paprika
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 lemon, quartered
Heat oven to 500˚. Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper and let come to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the sage, thyme, paprika; set herb butter aside.
Transfer turkey to a rack set inside a roasting pan and stuff turkey with carrots, onions, celery, and lemons. Tuck wings behind turkey and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Brush turkey all over with herb butter, reserving some for basting. Pour 2 cups water into roasting pan and roast turkey, brushing once with more of the herb butter, for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350˚ and continue roasting, brushing occasionally with herb butter, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh, without touching the bone, reads 165˚, 2 1/2–3 hours. Transfer turkey to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil, and let sit for 30 minutes before carving.
Serves 12
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
Make this gravy using the drippings that remain in the pan after you’ve cooked the roast turkey. For additional flavor, add to the finished pan gravy any juices that accumulate on the platter as the turkey rests.
7 tbsp. of the pan drippings from turkey
roasting pan
6 tbsp. flour
2⁄3 cup dry sherry
4 cups turkey stock or chicken stock
1. Pour off all but 7 tbsp. of the pan drippings from turkey roasting pan, then set pan on top of stove over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden, about 2 minutes.
2. Gradually stir in sherry and stock, scraping browned bits stuck to bottom of pan; then increase heat to medium-high and cook until gravy has thickened slightly, 8–10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
