Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Brined, Dry-Rubbed, Herb-buttered Best Turkey Ever

Brine (make Tuesday night or early on the morning before Thanksgiving)

1 cup coarse sea salt

1 bottle cheap white wine

4 cups (1 box) Chicken Broth + 2 boxes water

2 heaping Tbsp. Minced garlic

Bunch each of fresh thyme, sage and rosemary

2-3 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Rustic Herb Spice Mix

2 whole lemons zest and sliced

1 whole apple slices

1 orange zest and sliced

1 tsp. Pepper

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. Dried sage

1 tsp. Dried thyme

Brining bag 

this recipe works for 14 to 20 lbs turkey

Directions:  cook in large soup pot all ingredients just until salt is dissolved.  Let completely cool.  Once cool add 4 cups of ice.  Do not put turkey in this brine until it is cold!!!  If you make the brine on Tuesday evening, then brine can chill in refrigerator overnight.

Remove goblets from turkey.  Place giblets in a closed container in refrigerator.   You need them tomorrow for the gravy.

Place turkey in brining bag.  Place in a very very large bowl, with bag closure at top.  Slowly add brine.  Seal bag and set in refrigerator for at least 24 hours and no more than 36 hours.  Turn every approximately 8 hours.  Remove turkey from brine reserving about 6 cups of brine for bottom of turkey roasting pan and some of the fruit as well (you can ho ahead and put this in your roasting pan while the Turkey sits).  Before cooking, Rinse with cold water slightly.  Preheat oven to 425.  Let turkey sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Now it's time for the Dry Rub.

Dry Rub

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/4 paprika

Mix dry rib ingredients in a bowl.  Rub about half inside the turkey, and about half on the skin of the turkey.  Cover entire turkey.  Put bird on rack breasts down.  Twist wings so they are lying flat on the Turkey's back and tie with unflavored dental floss.  

Stuff turkey with 1 apple quarter (seeds and core removed) and 1 orange quartered.

For bottom of roaster add to brine:

3 tbsp. Mined garlic

1 onion quartered

Fresh sage, rosemary and thyme.

2 cups water

Cook at 425 uncovered for 30 min

While turkey cooks, make your Herb Butter.

Herb Butter:

3/4 stick melted butter

2 tbsp. Olive oil

1 tbsp poultry seasoning 

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp. Minced garlic

1 tsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. Thyme

Mix all together to make herb butter.

After 30 min, turn oven down to 325.  Flip turkey over so breasts are up.  Baste with some of  the butter and continue roasting for 1 hour covered with foil.  Baste with some of the butter again.  Remove apples and oranges from turkey cavity and add to bottom of pan.  Add water to bottom of pan if it ever gets dry, there should always be liquid in the pan.  Roast another hour, baste.  Scoop some liquid from bottom of pan into cavity.  Continue to roast, and baste for 30 minutes at a time until Turkey is done.  About 30 minutes before turkey is to temperature, remove foil cover to make sure skin gets crisp and brown but not burnt.  If you run out of herb butter baste with the liquid on the bottom of the pan.  Internal temperature should be 170 when turkey is done.  Remove from oven and let rest 15 to 20 min before cutting so you don't lose the juices. Serve hot with Gravy and Thanksgiving sides.

About 1-2 hour before Turkey is done, start your gravy.

Do not get rid of the roasting pan, you need some of this for your gravy!

Gravy:

Cook turkey neck on low simmer in water 1 to 2 hours with 1 tbsp. Tastefully Simple Rustic Herb Seasoning.  Remove neck and throw away, then add all liquid from bottom of roasting pan once turkey is done.  Pour it through a strainer as you don't want the onion/large herbs/lemons etc.  Mix to combine.  Makes a lot.  Pour through gravy strainer to remove fat.  Amy take more than 1 attempt as all the gravy should not fit in the strainer at once.  Pour back into medium pot and cook.  Mix 2 cups cold milk (want about 1/2 milk to other liquid) with 2 to 3 tbsp. Corn starch.  Add to gravy to thicken.  Cook on high to desired consistency.  This should make enough gravy to save half.  If gravy is too salty add more milk and cornstarch until it is the right salt level for you.

Thai Basil Chicken

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast thinly sliced

1 red onion thinly sliced

3 bell peppers thinly sliced

1 + 2 Tbsp fish sauce 

2 Tbsp. Sherry (optional)

1 tbTbsp. honey (or sugar)

1 Tbsp  hot water

1-2 Tbsp. Olive oil 

2 Tbsp. Minced garlic

1 tbsp. Garlic chili sauce

2 tbsp. Soy sauce

2 cups cleaned and shredded fresh thai basil leaves or sweet basil leaves

Rice noodles (prepare according to package instructions)

Put thinly sliced chicken in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. Fish sauce and 2 Tbsp. Sherry.  Set aside.  

Make sauce.  Mix 2 tbsp fish sauce. honey, water, garlic chili sauce, and soy sauce together.

In large skillet cook chicken in oil until almost done.  Add veggies and cook a few minutes.  Ad. Garlic and cook a a minute or so until veggies are done.  Add sauce.  Mix to coat and serve hot over rice noodles.  Remember the sauce is the best part. 

Focaccia

 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

2 tsp. honey (or 2 tsp. sugar)

2 1/2 cups warm water

5 cups flour

1 Tbsp. salt

3-4 Tbsp olive Oil

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

Pesto, Italian or other fun seasoning for top

If desired, veggies or olives for the top

Directions:

Mix together yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl.  Let sit a few minutes.  Add flour and salt.  Mix until incorporated.  Pour about 3-4 over the ball of dough and make sure the whole ball is covered in oil.  Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm area of the kitchen for 3 hours.

Do not mix again, take dough and place on 13 by 9 inch jelly roll pan (with sides preferred).  With your hands spread dough out by pushing it down to about just about fit in the pan.  Let rise again for another 2 hours (a few more is fine too).

Preheat oven to 450.

Poke your finger randomly all over the dough.  Cover with seasoning of your choice.  You can also top with sliced veggies or olives (bell pepper, red onion, onion).  Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes golden brown.

Creamy Carrot Soup

 Ingredients:

2 lbs carrots peeled and rough cut into slices

1 sweet onion rough chopped

4 cup chicken broth

4 cups water

2 Tbsp chicken bouillon

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp salt + more to taste

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. cumin

2 slices bacon (diced)  Precooked or raw

2 ounces cream cheese

Directions:

Add all ingredients except bacon and cream cheese to crock pot.  Add bacon diced if raw.  If bacon is precooked, then add it later.  Cook on high in crock pot for 6-8 hours.  Add cream cheese and precooked bacon.  Immersion Blend.  Serve with hearty bread.