Tag: thyme
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.
Herbed Ricotta and Potato Gnocchi
- 1 one pound russet potato
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup freshly ground Pecorino Romano
- 1 cup plus more flour
Cook the potato till soft to the fork. Take the skin off and put the potato through a potato ricer into a bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme, chives, egg and cheese. Mix well. Gradually add the flour, one tablespoon at a time till the dough comes together and not sticky- try not to over knead the dough. Separate into four sections and roll each into ½ inch thick logs on a floured surface. With a knife, cut bite-sized gnocchis. Place on a floured cookie sheet and let sit for an hour. Make the sauce in the meantime.
Marinara Sauce
- 1 can San Marzano tomatoes (chopped or whole, if whole, crush them with fingers)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper as necessary.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi for 2 to 3 minutes or till they float to the surface. Serve with marinara sauce and freshly grated 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.
Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned
- 2 teaspoons bay seasoning
- Salt
- 1 pound andouille sausage, casing taken off
Sprinkle the bay seasoning and salt on the shrimp and keep in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
- ¼ cup extra light olive oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ large green pepper, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 3 to 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh or frozen okra
- Salt
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook on medium heat to create a brownish red roux- it should take about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, celery, thyme and bay. Saute on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the white wine, tomato sauce and chicken broth. Add the okra and sausage. Break the sausage with the back of spatula. Bring to a boil and lower the heat. Place the cover and cook for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for another ten minutes. Check for seasonings. Add the shrimp and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with rice.
Bolognese Sauce with Spaghetti
I would highly recommend this recipe for bolognese sauce- it is easy to make and really delicious! The pancetta and sausage flavor it amazing.. definitely worth a try…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 large Italian sausage links, meat taken out of the casings
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- Salt
- Pepper
- ½ pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, rosemary and thyme. Stir and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add one teaspoon of salt. Add the pancetta and sauté on medium heat till the vegetables are soft and pancetta is crispy. Add the beef and sausage and separate vigorously with the back of a wooden spoon while stirring. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium high heat. Add the white wine and scrape off all the golden brown bits from the bottom. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato sauce, broth and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low heat with lid on for 2 hours. Stir every 15 minutes or so to check the consistency. Once the consistency is according to taste, check for seasonings and serve with spaghetti.
Pasta Cinghiale- My Version
Our favorite dish to order at our favorite Italian restaurant (Arturo’s) is pasta cinghiale… it is really, really delicious and if I close my eyes, I am transported to Umbria where wild boar dishes are in abundance. I have tried to make this dish at home before but this time I found wild boar sausages and decided to use them to replicate my favorite dish…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ pound wild boar sausage, casings off, crumbled
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Salt
- ½ to 1 cup pasta water
- ½ pound penne, cooked al dente
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till golden brown. Take the sausage out with a slotted spoon and add the mushrooms and more olive oil if needed. Saute on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and thyme and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes on medium heat. Add cooked pasta, cream, pasta water and salt to taste. Bring to a gently boil and turn heat off and serve.