Tag: rosemary
Make Ahead Turkey Stock for Thanksgiving Gravy
Time to make your own turkey stock!!! It makes a big difference if you use homemade, with your own flavor profile..
By this time of year, most grocery stores have turkey necks and backs for just a few bucks. I buy a pack and roast them simply with olive oil, salt and pepper. I let them hang out in the oven till the pieces are golden brown and delicious looking. I then add them to a big pot full of chicken broth, and lots of vegetables and aromatics. For me garlic and fresh herbs are a must- like thyme, rosemary, etc. I like my gravy dark brown and so use a box of beef broth to richen the color. The stock cooks for at least an hour or two until the liquid is reduced quite a bit- in this case I reduced it to 3 cups. From here you have an option to continue the process and make the gravy and freeze for later. I find the gravy consistency compromised after it is frozen- so I stop at this point and freeze the stock.
You can take it out two days before thanksgiving and let it thaw in the fridge and make the gravy the morning of.
- About a pound or a pound and a half turkey neck and back
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.
On a lined baking pan, place the turkey parts. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper. Roast for an hour or till the parts are golden brown. Take out of the oven and keep aside.
- Two boxes of 32 oz chicken stock
- One box of 32 oz beef stock
- 1 large onion, cut in half
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half
- 1 cup carrots, roughly cut up
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
In a large stockpot add the chicken stock, beef stock, onion, garlic, carrots, thyme and rosemary. Add the roasted turkey parts and bring to a boil. Once the liquid comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 2-3 hours or till the liquid is reduced to about 3 cups. Strain the liquid out by pressing all the goodness out of the cooked vegetables. Take out in a container and refrigerate over night. Skim the excess fat off and freeze till needed.
Pasta Primavera with Rice Pasta
Another gluten free, vegetarian recipe!!
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 10 oz Cremini mushrooms, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 cups homemade or store bought marinara sauce
- ½ pound rice pasta, cooked
- Salt
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Heat a large frying pan with olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and shallots. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and mix well. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Check for seasonings and top with Parmesan cheese.
Pork Ragu Lasagna with Pesto Bechamel
Pork Ragu
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups fresh tomato sauce
- Salt
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the pork and cook on high heat and separate the meat with a wooden spoon. Saute for a 3 to 4 minutes on medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add salt if necessary and turn heat off and keep aside.
Bechamel Sauce
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon powdered nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup fresh or store bought pesto
Heat a medium saucepan and add the flour and butter. Melt the butter on medium high heat. Cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Slowly add the milk and whisk to make sure all the lumps are taken out. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the nutmeg and salt. Turn the heat off and keep aside. Add the pesto and mix well.
Lasagna
- 1 cup shredded Pecorino Romano
- 12 lasagna sheets (I used no boil pasta)
Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
Line a 9 X 11 glass pan with a quarter cup of béchamel sauce. Cover the bottom and add four pasta sheets. Spread one cup of meat sauce on top. Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded Pecorino. Place another 4 sheets on top. Pour about ¾ cup of béchamel sauce- spreading it all over the pasta. Add another cup of meat sauce. Add ¼ cup of shredded Pecorino. Place another 4 sheets on top and cover with the remaining béchamel sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take the cover off, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for another 15. Serve hot with salad and garlic bread.
Healthy Shrimp Bisque
- 12 ounces jumbo shrimp, deveined and shelled
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil. Saute the shrimp on high heat for 30 seconds on each side. Sprinkle salt and take out onto a lined platter. Cut each shrimp into three and keep aside.
- ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ cup carrots, chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white wine
- 1½ cups seafood or shrimp broth
- 1½ cups low-fat milk
- Salt
- ¼ cup half and half
- Juice of half a lemon
Add the pancetta into the same saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic and carrots. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add the thyme and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the white wine and scrape off the brown bits from the bottom. Add the broth and milk. Whisk the liquid on high heat and bring to a boil making sure all the lumps are smoothed away. Lower the heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the shrimp pieces and cook for 2 to 3 minutes making sure the shrimp is cooked. Add the half and half and turn the heat off. Check for seasonings and add salt if necessary. Add the lemon juice and serve hot with crusty bread.
Braised Short Ribs with Citrus Gremolata
I would highly recommend this dish for the holidays. I served it with polenta and it was an amazing dinner. Oh, and don’t forget a copious amount of red wine…
- 4 pounds short ribs, excess fat removed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Pepper
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
Place the short ribs in a large glass dish and sprinkle the salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Refrigerate overnight. Take out an hour before cooking.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups red wine
- Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil until smoking. Brown the ribs on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes each in two to three batches. Keep aside. Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for minute. Add the flour and sauté for another minute. Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Add the chicken broth and red wine and bring to a boil. Add the ribs back into the liquid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours or till the meat is falling off the bone.
Take out of oven and take the ribs out onto a platter. Strain the braising liquid and squeeze all the moisture out of the solids. Discard the solids and return the liquid to the saucepan. Reduce to desired consistency- there should be about a cup and a half to two cups of liquid remaining. Check for seasonings and return the ribs back into the liquid. Top with gremolata and serve.
Citrus Gremolata
- 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Zest of one lemon
- Zest of two clementines or half a navel orange
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, cover and keep aside.
Cheesy Turkey Meatballs
Another recipe for our favorite thing to eat in my house- meatballs!! These are absolutely yummy…
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook over medium low heat for 4 to 5 minutes till all the fat is rendered and the pancetta bits are golden brown. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat off and set aside to cool.
- 1 pound dark meat ground turkey
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs soaked in ¼ cup milk (let sit for 10 minutes before adding to the turkey)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups tomato sauce
In a large mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, parsley, cheese, egg, soaked breadcrumbs, salt and the cooled pancetta mixture. Mix well and keep aside.
Bring the tomato sauce to a boil in a large saucepan, form the meatballs and gently slide them into the sauce. Cover with lid and lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or once the meatballs are cooked through. Serve warm with spaghetti.
Pancetta and Meyer Lemon Roast Chicken Breast
Meyer lemons are still in season- make use of them! This is a great recipe…
- 4 to 6 bone-in chicken breasts with skin
Compound Butter
- ¼ cup good quality butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup pancetta, chopped fine
- Zest of three meyer lemons
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl and carefully insert about a teaspoon of the mixture under the skin of each chicken breast. Rub any leftover mixture on top of the chicken breast and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Marinate chicken for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½ to ¾ cup chicken broth
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat a large frying pan (oven proof) with the olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces with skin side down for 3 to 4 minutes or till golden brown. Transfer to oven and finish cooking till the internal temperature shows 160 degrees F.
Take out of oven and take the chicken pieces out of the pan. On a medium heat, add the flour to the bottom of the pan and stir, taking off all the bits and pieces from the roasted chicken. Slowly add the broth, whisking to avoid any lumps. Mix well, bring to a boil and check for salt and pepper. Serve chicken with gravy.