'Friends'Giving 2016 recipes.

'Friends'Giving 2016 recipes.

So since I don't have local family members on the Saturday after Thanksgiving I setup to host up to 15 friends for a feast.   Also since I have no choice on being Gluten Free, my entire meal is gluten free and cows milk dairy free.   But anything but taste free.

My Turkey is never frozen and from a local farmer (Walk Ahead Farms) every year.

This year bread and desserts are from JP's Pastry, a local certified GF baker in the Raleigh area.   I am using his dinner rolls and a pumpkin cheesecake.

The rest of the meal designed to serve 10-12 is as follows.

Main Course:

Turkey (16lb):
This year I mixed a new spice blend from Tadiciones Andines that mixes Yellow Hot Pepper and Black Mint (Salsa de Aji Amirillo con Huacatay) with butter and massaged this mix under the skin as well as on the skin.   Added 4-6 cups water to tray.

Cook first 2 hours at 325 Covered.   Baste with liquid.  Cook for next 2 hours 350 covered. Basting along the way every 30 minutes.   Cook for another hour uncovered in order to brown the skin at 350.

Turkey should be moist and cooked through at end of this process.

Appetizers and Sauces:

Eggs de Diablo (Deviled Eggs):

• Boil 2 dozen eggs
• Half the eggs
• Reserve the cooked yolks
• To make the Yolks added back to the halved eggs:
• Mash the Yolks with Chipolte goat cream cheese (from a local farmer Prodigal farms)

Cranberry Sauce:

• 1 bag of cranberries never frozen
• minced Lime, Orange, and Lemon peel
• Cook for 30 minutes at boil.
• Immersion blend the mixture
• Add in Coconut sugar
• Cook for 1 hour at extreme low to ensure complete blending of sugar.

Sides:

Peruvian Corn (Choclo) salad:

• Peruvian Corn (Choclo)  boiled 20 minutes with sugar
• Greek Feta Sheeps Milk Cheese cubed small
• Parsley diced small
• Red Onion diced small
• Toss with a Dressing made of a mix of:
• Lime
• Mustard
• Avocado Oil.
• Pepper if taste indicates required.

Chicken Causa:

• 8 baked potatoes (Cut small and boil 30 minutes and drained)
• Mash potatoes with Aji Amirillo and garlic
• Boil the Chicken and then mince the chicken by hand.   Mix with an herbed goat cream cheese (from a local farmer Prodigal farms) mixed with 1/2 cup warm chicken stock.
• To assemble:
• Lay a 1/2 inch thick layer of the potatoes
• Cover with the Chicken mix
• Lay another 1/2 inch thick layer of potatoes.
• Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight and serve.

Cauliflower Salad:

• 1 head cauliflower riced
• Dry roast the riced cauliflower for 3 minutes on stove.
• Cool cauliflower before adding to salad
• 1/2 small red cabbage head minced small
• 1/2 red onion minced small
• 1/2 bag of shredded carrots (or 6 large carrots shredded)
• Toss with a Dressing made of Aji Amirillo, mustard, and Avacado oil.

Brussel Sprouts:

• 3 bags of Brussel Sprouts halved and cleaned
• 6 slices of bacon chopped finely.
• Cook the bacon with Salt and Pepper at low medium to ensure the most fat rendered for about 5 minutes. 
• Add in the brussel sprouts once bacon starts turning brown and up the heat to high
• Cook for 3-5 minutes at high to give the brussel sprouts a nice sear.
• Add in maple syrup and lower the heat back to medium for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve.

Chili for 2016 Farmers Market fall chili cookoff

This is the recipe for the chili I made for the 2016 Wake Forest Farmers market chili cook-off event on Nov 19, 2016.   One of the requirements of this cook-off was to buy the majority if not all ingredients from the market.

Ingredients:

• 5lbs goat soup bones (Walk ahead farms)
• 1lb goat stew meat (Walk ahead farms)
• 1lb spicy pork sausage (Walk ahead farms_
• 2lbs beef stew meat (not sure who I purchased from)
• 5 chocolate Trinidad peppers (Gabbbies)
• 7 lemon drop peppers (Gabbies)
• 4 Red Jalapeno peppers (Gabbies)
• Ghost Pepper Salt (Savory Spice Shop)
• Roasted Garlic Powder (Savory Spice Shop)
• 1 large red onion chopped roughly
• Blackstrap Molasses (Grain Mill Wake Forest)
• Honey ( one of the three honey vendors at market)
• Blueberry Jam (Susan West)

To make the sauce:

• 2 hours low and slow cook off soup bones
• After two hours strain liquid to smaller pot.
• Add in the peppers (De-veiened and seeded) as well as all dry spices as well as the onion.
• Cook for another hour or two.
• Using a immersion blendor, blend sauce.
• Add in the blackstrap molasses, honey, and Jam and then on real low heat cook two hours.

To finish the chili:

• Place all meat in slow cooker including the meat taken from the bones used to start the sauce.
• Pour the blended and thickened chili sauce over the meat.
• Cook approx 8 hours at really LOW setting.   Slow and low is key here.   
• Two things get accomplished, the meat gets flavored and the sauce thickens even more.
• Check spice level 2 hours in, after meat cooked to ensure that no further spces need to be added.   The sauce should taste complete as this point, just a little raw.   Add more of what is missing.   Looking for a deep smokey flavor with a kick.   Add spices if any mix well and then let cook slowly for rest of time.
• Serve

Ground turkey and cauliflower salad

This was a meal I created to bring with for a party/potluck.  I needed some merging that can be eaten hot or cold.  This is created using the concept that the Thai chicken salad wraps are based on. 

Ingredients:

4 lbs ground turkey

1 whole cauliflower 

2 cans hearts of palms chopped fine

10 scallions chopped fine

1 head red cabbage chopped fine

Ancho chili powder

Crushed Urfa chilis

Guajillo powder

Ground cumin

Ground turmeric

Ground coriander

Sumac berries

Ground celery seeds

Markut lime powder

White balsamic vinegar powder

Salt

Ground White Sarawak pepper 

Lime juice

Coconut oil

Instructions:

Put 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a hot pan large enough to hold 4 lbs or ground meat easily.  You want space to move the meat around.  

Add the meat.

Add in all the spices except for the lime juice and keep stirring and moving the mixture around the pan until all the meat is cooked and starts to brown. Roughly 5 minutes on high heat.

Remove meat from pan and place into bowl and allow to cool down.

Take the cauliflower and either cut into small chunks or rice in food processor (note this works for either size just less cook time for riced)

Put 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in same pan as before to keep the flavor profile you built with meat for the cauliflower.   Note the turkey meat being used be the cauliflower will both soak up the oil during cooking process.

Cook until the cauliflower turns brown.  Small chunks about 5 minutes on high heat and riced about 2. Finish off with the lime juice for the last minute of cook time and place in same bowl as cooling meat.   Let both cool while you chop up the veggies.  

Once the cauliflower and meat ad cool enough that they no longer steam add in the scallions, red cabbage, and hearts of palm.   

Mix well and serve warm or cold.

To make this vegetarian just leave out the meat and then add the spices to the step of cooking the cauliflower and you have a vegan and vegetarian version where no flavor will be lost.   Also in addition you could add the following veggies as example not complete list:   Bell peppers (haven't tried since I can't have them, but the flavor profile should work), carrots, broccoli, sliced/diced Brussels sprouts (raw or cooked with cauliflower), the red cabbage can also be cooked for a changed flavor profile of dish.

Elk and goat piri piri meatloaf

I've been wanting a meatloaf for some time, and for some reason just never got around to making one.   This came together really well. 

Serves 6 meals with sides.  

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground elk meat
• 1 pound ground goat meat
• 2 small chicken eggs
• 1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
• Piri piri spice to taste
• Toasted onion 2 tablespoons
• Turmeric 2 tablespoons
• Medium yellow curry 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 cup shredded or chopped goats milk sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients except cheese in bowl. 
• Form a 'bowl' with roughly 3/4 of the meat
• Full bowl with the cheese
• Cover the cheese with remaining meat and blend top and bowl seamlessly
• Bake in oven at 425 for 1 hour
• Serve and enjoy

Simple arepas

This is a recipe I got from a great Venezuelan lady.  I have modified it slightly to work for my tastes.  If you are in the Raleigh NC area look up bracci's.

Serves:1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup PAN pre-cooked white corn meal (GF).
• 1/2 cup water
• touch of salt

Instructions:

• Add water and salt to a bowl mix quickly
• Add the corn meal and mix with your hands until it approaches a 'playdough' like consistency
• Note that if the consistency is not right add a touch of cornmeal or water.  (Not thick enough cornmeal, too thick water)
• Once mixed completely then let sit 2-5 minutes
• Grab a handful of the mix and roll into a ball.  
• Place ball on some wax/parchment paper and press down softly until a disc is formed.   This disc should not be too thin, possible a little less then a fingers width in depth.
• If the disk is showing 'cracks' on the edge then you did not have enough water in the mix add a couple drops and redo until this resolves.
• This should make two discs.
• Place some parchment paper on a pizza stone (I prefer pizza stones for making bread products)
• Cook for 30 minutes at 350.  
• The arepa then can be cut to produce a pocket.  note that the inside may seem a little gummy this is too taste.   This is a proper Venezuelan style.
• If you prefer crispier arepa's, I cook mine for 45 minutes at 385, this leaves almost no gumminess on inside, and a nice crispy exterior.

Fillings:

• Can be anything.  Note that sweet fillings will not be standard Venezuelan but don't shy away from fun :)
• My favorites so far are:
• Breakfast:   Scrambled eggs, Bacon, sausage, and a spot of cheese
• Lunches and Dinners:   Any ground or diced meat with veggies and cheese.   I typically spice out the meal with south American or middle eastern flavors.

Alternate uses for this recipe:

• The base arepa recipe if pressed much thinner can be made to an empanada or rolled around a sausage or other meats to form something like a taquito.   This recipe can be modified as needed to make hundreds of different meals, making this very flexible and a great base meal.

Peruvian lamb leg stew

This came out of a need to make a stew with a Peruvian flair.   This is a standard lamb stew, but with some pretty standard Peruvian pastes.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium potatoes rough chop
• 1 white onion rough chop
• 2 lbs boneless leg of lamb rough chop
• 3 tablespoons Mirasol paste
• 3 tablespoons homemade garlic scape paste (1-2 tablespoons garlic paste sub)
• 1-2 teaspoons 4 corners salt and pepper blend
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions:

• Sweat onions until translucent in hot oil
• Add the pastes and mix thoroughly 
• Add meat and brown while continue mixing to cover meat
• Add potatoes mix roughly and pat down until one layer
• Add water to cover
• Close lid on pot
• Very low boil for 1 hour
• Serve and enjoy. 

Potato, carrot, and turnip soup

Ingredients:

• 1 medium potato
• 1 large yellow carrot ( didn't want to change color of soup)
• 1 small 'baby' turnip
• 1 small handful of mixed grains of paradise and Szechuan peppers
• Salt
• 1/2 cup shredded goats milk sharp cheddar
• 1 cup cashew milk

Instructions:

• Rough chop potato, turnip, carrot and add in pot and cover with water with salt and pepper
• Low boil 1/2 hour until everything tender
• Immersion blend result should get very thick. 
• Add cashew milk and shredded cheese 
• Simmer 1/2 hour
• Serve and enjoy

Turkey meatball and Bokchoy soup

Having some left over frozen turkey stock from my last turkey I made I wanted to make a riff on a chicken bokchoy soup.  

Ingredients:

• Bag of baby Bokchoy from local farmer (any Bokchoy is great.  I prefer the smaller ones, but even a large one cut up will be great.  )
• 2 lbs ground turkey meat
• Szechuan pepper salt blend
• Turkey stock (prefer home made myself, local farmer sells parts like back/wings great for making stock if you haven't made turkey recently)
• Soy sauce
• 1 chicken egg
• GF breadcrumbs

Instructions:

• Making the meatballs:
• Mix the ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, and Szechuan salt blend until balls can be formed.   The mixture if you grab handful will stick together when you try and lift handful from rest of bowl.  
• Bring a tablespoon of coconut oil to heat in a deep soup pot (8 quart usually good)
• Place the turkey meatballs at bottom spaced out so you have room to roll them.  You may need to do multiple batches.  Brown/sear the balls.  
• Add the stock and cook for 20 minutes.  
• Add the Bokchoy and cook for 2-4 minutes and serve with a touch of soy sauce and enjoy.  

Lamb Stew

Found a great deal on a lamb chuck roast and was in a stew mood.   So this recipe was created

Ingredients:

• 1 White Onion, roughly chopped.
• 3 1/2 pounds of lamb chuck roast (roughly chopped and deboned and fat removed)
• Smokey BBQ Blend (http://drummingupabettermeal.blogspot.com/2015/07/bbq-spice-blends-i-love.html)
• 1 dried Limon Chili
• 1 dried Guajillo Chili
• 1 dried panca seco chili
• 1 dried cascabel chili
• 6 cups water
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 6 tablespoons Black Strap Molasses

Instructions:

• Start with the bones and fat from the lamb chuck roast and add 3-4 cups water enough to cover and a splash of apple cider vinegar.  low boil for 30 minutes to make a quick bone broth.  Once done remove bones and fat.
• In another pot add the dried chilis and 3-4 cups water and low boil for 60 minutes.  
• Immersion blend the chili
• Add the Molasses and quick immersion blend and let sit for 30 minutes
• Combine the bone broth and the chili sauce.
• In a pan bring the coconut oil to het and once ready to start frying add the chopped lamb. 
• Brown lamb for 5 minutes until a good sear on all sides.
• Add in the sauce and the rough chopped onions. 
• Mix well
• Reduce heat to just above a simmer and cover for 1 hour.
• Enjoy and Serve over Baked Potato or Rice.

Chicken in cashew sauce over noodle

Instead of using a peanut sauce which is more traditional I had to modify these recipes due to my wife's allergies to peanuts.   So I use Cashew as an alternative and thankfully she's not allergic.   Also I had leftover roasted chicken that needed to be used up.  Note that this recipe can be made with any leftover white meat or bird.

Ingredients:

• 1 small chicken breast (roughly 1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons cashew butter
• 1 cup cashew milk
• My Sazon Blend http://drummingupabettermeal.blogspot.com/2015/08/sazon-blend-i-like.html)
• Korean Chili threads
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions:

• Warm up the coconut oil until the oil is hot enough to 'fry' the chicken when added.  Add the chicken and liberally sprinkle with the sazon
• Start browning the chicken.
• Mix the cashew butter and milk to create a viscous liquid
• Add in the chili threads and the cashew milk and butter mix
• Cook at a low simmer for roughly 10 minutes until the liquid thickens.
• Serve over Kelp noodles (my favorite noodles) and Enjoy.

Chicken Gizzard and Heart stew

My wife absolutely loves this stew.   She makes it often for herself so decided to add it to my list of recipes.   Due to the inclusion of tomatoes this is a recipe I myself can't eat, but I do make a similar stew without tomatoes (http://drummingupabettermeal.blogspot.com/2015/07/simple-rustic-chicken-heart-stew.html)

Ingredients:

• 3 lb's of chicken hearts and gizzards (cleaned and rough chopped)
• 4 Russet Potatoes
• 1 tomatoes diced
• 1/2 diced yellow onion
• Peruvian chili lime spice blend  (Alternately Mirasol paste or even rocotto is an option here)
• Oregano
• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock

Instructions:

• Heat up two tablespoons of Coconut oil and add in the onions.  Cook the onions until translucent.
• Add the tomato and the chili spice and warm up the tomatoes
• Add the organ meat and cook for 5 minutes browning the meat.
• Add in the stock and the potatoes and oregano 
• cook at low boil roughly 30 minutes.
• Serve and Enjoy.

Simple Turkey soup

The farmer I buy the majority of my meat from had a special going on Turkey thighs, which are larger then chicken thighs. Since it was raining all weekend here I decided a good soup was what the day called for.

Ingredients:

• 2 Turkey thighs
• 3 stalks of celery
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cups concentrated turkey stock from last years Thanksgiving turkey.
• 4 russet potatoes rough chopped

Instructions:

• Place the turkey thighs in about 6 cups of water and low boil for 1 hour
• Add the celery, carrot, onion, and the previously made stock and low boil for another hour
• Fish out celery, carrot, onion, and turkey thighs.
• Place the rough chopped potatoes in the stock and low boil for 20-30 minutes until potatoes fall apart to touch.   Sample stock and salt to taste if needed.
• While the potatoes are cooking, mince the turkey thighs by removing the skin and pulling apart the meat into thin strips for the soup.  Ensure skin and bones are not in the meat.
• Once potatoes are done cooking add the meat back in.
• Serve and Enjoy.