Classic Roast Turkey

Ingredients:

Brining Liquid

2 quarts water (at the very least)

1 1/2 cups coarse salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 large red onion, sliced

1 head of garlic, smashed (8 to 10 cloves)

2 bottles white wine

Brine Add-Ins (Optional)

2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons dried coriander

1 tablespoon dried fennel

1 tablespoon dried cumin

1 whole cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

4 bay leaves

4 large sprigs fresh sage

Turkey

One 16-pound turkey (approximate)

1 Sausage Bread Stuffing

Extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a 2-quart pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with the salt and sugar, stirring occasionally until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Cool completely and place in a clean 5-gallon bucket with the onion, garlic, wine, and any of the optional spices or herbs. Stir in the remaining water completely to combine. Add the turkey. Cover and store in a cold place for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. Turn bird occasionally.

Drain the turkey, pat dry, and bring to room temperature an hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Stuff the cavity and neck of the bird with the stuffing. Truss or tie the cavity closed. Tuck the wings under the breast and place in the roasting pan. Rub the bird all over with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the bird for 2 to 3 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of a leg reaches 165 degrees. After 1 hour, baste every 30 minutes with pan juices. After 2 hours, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

1 large pkg instant vanilla pudding, (6 ounces)
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk, (14 ounces)
1 container whipped topping, (16 ounces)
sliced bananas
vanilla wafer cookies

Directions:

Mix pudding and milk; add condensed milk. Blend well; fold in half the whipped topping.

Alternate layers of pudding, bananas and vanilla wafers; top with remaining whipped topping and a few banana slices.

Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Easter Egg Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:

 

3 tbsp light butter spread, melted

4 c mini marshmallows

6 c. crisped rice cereal

1-3 tbsp extra butter

1 dozen plastic Easter Eggs, washed and dried, then the insides buttered

Directions:

 

Melt the butter in a large pot.  Add marshmallows and melt over medium high heat, stirring constantly.  Add cereal and stir to coat completely.

Using buttered hands, fill the large side of the plastic egg to overflowing, allowing about 1-2 inches of the mixture to be mounded up.

Close the small end of the egg to the big end to seal, and make sure they close securely – if they pop open, the egg will likely come apart.

Allow to cool for 2-4 minutes then remove the molded egg onto a plate decorate with sprinkles, jelly beans, chocolate drizzle, etc.

Honey Baked Ham

Ingredients:

6 pounds bone-in ham
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place ham on a rack in a foil lined roasting pan. Bake the rounded side up for one hour.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix all ingredients together. Stir until it forms a nice thick glaze.

Rub on half of the glaze and bake for 30 minutes more. Flip the ham over and rub on remaining glaze and bake for 1 hour more. Remove from oven and allow the ham to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar, plus 4 teaspoons
8 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

Arrange 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins or custard cups in a large metal baking pan.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.


In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy and lemon-colored. Slowly add 3/4 cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture to the remaining hot cream, and whisk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin, and whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Divide among the prepared custard cups.


Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the custards are just set in the center but not stiff, 45 minutes to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.


Sprinkle each custard with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. (Alternately, preheat the broiler, and broil until the sugar melts and caramelizes, watching closely to avoid burning and rotating the cups, about 1 to 2 minutes.) Place on small dessert plates and serve.

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

Hot Chocolate

4 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup sugar

Garnishes

Espresso shots
1 toffee candy bar, crumbled (recommended: Heath Bar)
Mini marshmallows
Cinnamon-Sugar, recipe follows

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat 4 cups of the milk over low heat, being very careful not to let the milk boil. In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa, sugar, and the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Add the cocoa mixture to the warm milk, and continue to warm the cocoa until hot.

Pour into 4 mugs and serve along with the garnishes.

Parmesan Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch diameter) nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about another 2 minutes. Season the onion mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl and set aside. Reserve the pan.

Meanwhile, grate the potatoes in a food processor using the grating attachment blade. Use a kitchen towel to help squeeze out the water from the grated potatoes. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add the Parmesan and the basil. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Warm the remaining olive oil over high heat in the same pan that was used to cook the onions. When the pan is hot, but not smoking add the potato mixture. Use a spatula to press the mixture down into the pan firmly and evenly. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the potato mixture until the bottom is golden brown and the pancake can move in the pan, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low if the pancake is browning too fast in places. Place a large plate on top of the pancake and flip the pancake out of the pan. Turn the heat on the pan back up to high. When the pan is hot slide the pancake back into the pan and cook until the bottom is golden and is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Slide the pancake onto a serving platter, slice, and serve.

Standing Rib Roast

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 bunch rosemary, leaves finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 (8 to 8 1/2-pound) bone-in standing rib roast
Kosher salt
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pound baby carrots, tops trimmed
3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
1 cup red wine
2 cups rich chicken stock
2 bay leaves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl combine the cayenne, rosemary, and garlic. Add enough olive oil until it becomes a loose paste. Coat the roast with the rosemary-garlic paste and really massage it into the meat. Season generously with kosher salt.


Put the onions, baby carrots, celery and mushrooms in the bottom of a roasting pan. Toss with a little olive oil and salt, to taste. Add the wine, 1 cup of chicken stock and the bay leaves. Put the roast on top of the veggies and put into the preheated oven until the roast is really brown and lovely, about 25 to 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F for another 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Occasionally during the cooking time, spoon some of the juices over the meat. If the liquid level in the pan goes down too much, add the remaining 1 cup of stock. It also would be a great idea to rotate the roasting pan about halfway through the cooking process.


Check the temperature of the meat by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of the roast. For medium-rare it should be 125 degrees F and 130 for medium. Remove the roast from the oven to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.


Taste the veggies in the pan juices and season with salt, to taste, if needed. Skim off any excess fat. 

Slice the roast and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with the veggies and the pan juices.