My Mother's Turkey Meatloaf

I thought all meatloaf was like this until I had some elsewhere, and was totally turned off by the sausage-like texture and ketchup flavor. This is more delicate, almost like a meaty mousse. It's also very easy (the entire thing can be made in the cuisinart) and pretty low-fat (turkey!). My mom uses crushed cornmeal stuffing for the topping; I used panko but will probably try it again with cornmeal stuffing since the panko didn't brown very much. It did stay crispy, which was wonderful. You can surround the meatloaf as it cooks with roughly chopped onion, carrot, and celery; these will cook in the meat juices and turn delicious.

You'll need:

1lb ground turkey

2 slices bread or 1c fresh bread crumbs

1 bunch parsley

1 very large onion

2 eggs

salt & pepper

1/2c panko or cornmeal stuffing

optional:

1 onion

2 carrots

2 ribs celery

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a food processor, grind the bread into crumbs. You'll have about a cup. Remove from bowl and set aside.

Clean and dry parsley well. Add to food processor and chop. Add onion and process until chopped. Add turkey, eggs, fresh breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and pulse gently until just combined. Turn out onto baking dish and form gently into a loaf shape. Cover with panko crumbs (press gently so they adhere).

Surround with chopped veggies and bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 25 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Check for doneness by inserting a thin knife into middle of loaf; it should come out clean.

We served this with Alton Brown's Mac N Cheese (above).

Extra Creamy Baked Ziti

I haven't posted in quite a while because I've been away, eating delicious things like Brazilian mariscada at Muqueca in Cambridge, dim sum at Perfect Team Corporation in Flushing, and a bucketful of creamy carbonara loaded with crispy bacon cubes for breakfast (yes, breakfast) at Prune in Manhattan. Since coming back to the Bay, I've been busy preparing to teach a new course, and have been making mostly old standbys that I've already posted or that don't particularly deserve a post.

But my latest rendition of Baked Ziti, based on my old recipe already featured here, might merit another posting. This time, I did a few things differently:

1. I made an enormous amount of bechamel, using an entire container (~4c) of 1% milk and copious amounts of mozzarella and parmesan. The result was an especially creamy, cheesy finished dish.

2. I used turkey sausage, which cuts down on the fat. I also browned the sausage meat separately and then drained it well in a strainer before mixing it with the tomato sauce I'd already prepared. Taking out the extra grease here helps the sauce stick to the pasta.

3. I mixed the pasta with the meat sauce, and put about half in the pan. Then topped that with half the cheese sauce; then the rest of the pasta & sauce, then the rest of the cheese sauce. Keeping the pasta and the bechamel separate is key here: it prevents the pasta from soaking up all the bechamel, so that the finished dish has distinct layers of cheesy goo. Yum.

Thanksgiving 2008

No pictures in this post; just an update on Thanksgiving, since people have been asking. I'm not doing a real post for two reasons-- one, we basically did the same thing as  last year, since last year's Thanksgiving was so ridiculously good; and two, I didn't have a camera on hand for pictures. Honestly, some of the tastiest things are the least photogenic-- stuffing, for example. So the menu was: (most of the recipes are on last year's post, linked above)

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

Brined & BBQ'd Organic Turkey

Gravy (made from turkey stock, which we made the day before)

Wild Mushroom Stuffing (recipe below)

Butternut Squash Gratin

Spicy Cranberry Relish

Jelled Cranberry Sauce (yeah, the Ocean Spray kind. I love the stuff.)

Lemony Brussel Sprout Hash

Sour Cream Cheesecake (my dad's delicious contribution)

The wild mushroom stuffing was really amazing, and can easily be a vegetarian main dish or brunch dish any time of the year. We tweaked last year's recipe a bit. Here goes:

Make cornbread and let it sit out overnight so it dries out a bit.

Cut the cornbread into crouton-sized (1/2inch) cubes. Toss cubes and all crumbs into bowl. Add 2T each chopped thyme & sage; add olive oil and toss until well-coated.

Spread seasoned cornbread cubes and crumbs onto a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until golden. Cubes should be crunchy. It's ok if the crumbs get a little dark.

Clean 2lbs mushrooms. We used 2/3lb shittake, 2/3lb oyster, 2/3lb chanterelle. Reserve the shittake stems.

Add shittake stems to 4c chicken (or veggie) broth and bring to a boil. Lower to a strong simmer and cover. Cook about 20 minutes, until reduced by half. Strain. You should have 2c mushroomy broth.

Slice mushrooms.  Slice 5 large shallots. Saute shallots and mushrooms in about 1T butter and 1T olive oil until golden brown, about 20 minutes (they'll release liquid, and then start drying out and browning). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the cooked mushrooms to the strained broth.

An hour before serving, beat 1c heavy cream with 3 eggs. Combine with mushroom mix and cornbread cubes only. Pour into gratin dish. Sprinkle cornbread crumbs on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, until set (a thin knife inserted into the gratin will come out clean).

Cheddar Stuffed Chipotle Turkey Burgers

Ground turkey is very healthy but usually tastes kinda like sawdust. A few preparations, like my mom's turkey meatloaf and certain turkey chilis, actually make it taste pretty good. Normally turkey burgers are dry; the idea here is for the cheese to ooze into the surrounding turkey as the burgers cook, keeping everything moist and tasty. You can easily tweak this recipe for different flavor combinations: season the turkey with cumin and stuff with roasted peppers and feta, for example.

You'll need (3 servings):

1.25 lbs ground turkey
4 chipotle in adobo, chopped
1T adobo sauce (from the "chipotle in adobo" can)
1/3c grated cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped
1T Worcestershire sauce
2T miso paste
salt
pepper
1T grapeseed oil

for the chipotle mayo:

1/4c mayo
1T adobo sauce
1 chopped chipotle in adobo

buns (I used honey whole wheat)

any condiments-- we just had a spinach salad on the side.

Mix turkey well with chipotles, adobo sauce, Worcestershire, miso, salt and pepper. Fry a little bit to taste; adjust seasoning accordingly. Form 6 flat patties. Top 3 patties with green onions and cheddar; place remaining patties on top and pinch edges to form stuffed burgers.


Heat oil in cast-iron or non stick skillet. When hot, add burgers. Cook about 10 min/side, until fully cooked through (remember, this is poultry). If they're not cooking, cover the pan briefly (thanks, Catherine) and they should be done very soon.

Serve on toasted buns with chipotle mayo (adjust the mayo ingredients, depending on how spicy you like it). These are surprisingly delicious.

Thanksgiving!

might be my favorite holiday. I don't think I have to explain why. This is the first year I've done the bulk of the planning and cooking, though I couldn't have done the latter without my mom's help (and without her, we wouldn't have had dessert, which I conveniently neglected from my menu). Please excuse the late posting; it's my sister's fault (though she is responsible for the cranberry bean shelling and brussel sprout cleaning-- step one in her path to culinary greatness).

Chestnut Soup

tasty but light enough to start off the meal

I didn't follow the recipe in this link very closely-- I doubled the veggie base and spices-- but it's a good start.

Brined and Barbecued Turkey

might have been the best turkey ever

This was a compromise between my brining plans and my dad's insistence on barbecuing, with fantastic results, thanks to Traci Des Jardins. We followed this excellent recipe but didn't strain the brine. Yay women chefs!

Giblet Gravy

lots of roux-browning, a mirepoix, giblets,
and turkey necks went into this delicious gravy

Cranberry Sauce Trio

Canned Jellied Cranberry Sauce (bottom)-- my personal favorite

Earl Gray Cardamom Cranberry Sauce (top)-- thanks to my fellow foodie Katie

Spicy Orange Cranberry Relish (right)-- modified from Jacques Pepin's recipe in this lovely book

Cornbread Pudding Stuffing

The "pudding" part is the cream & eggs that make this the best stuffing ever. An homage to my sister, the self-professed stuffing hater, who made sure there was none left before going back to college.

Recipe, in a few steps:

Cornbread: Make easy cornbread and let sit, covered, overnight (reserve the rest of the can of creamed corn). The next morning (yes, cooking is a two-day affair), cut into small cubes (the size of croutons) and toss with good olive oil, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh thyme & sage. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy. Refrain from snacking while you make the mushrooms.

Mushrooms: Stem about 2lbs of shiitake mushrooms, reserving the stems. Chop stems finely and bring to a boil with 4c chicken broth. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until reduced by half. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and reserve mushroomy broth.

Thickly slice mushroom caps and thinly slice shallots. Saute in butter and olive oil until mushrooms are browned and delicious. Toss with broth.

An hour before serving, whisk together 1/2c cream and 2 eggs. Mix with mushrooms and cornbread croutons and spread mixture in a gratin dish. Sprinkle cornbread crumbs (that gathered in a delicious mess of herbs and oil at the bottom of your baking pan) on top of stuffing and bake until set at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Butternut Squash Gratin with Fried Sage

you saw this here but without the sage, which is delicious fried in butter

Fresh Cranberry Beans

Cooked with a quartered onion and a few garlic cloves, then drained and tossed with thyme and olive oil, these are simply delicious, and only available a few weeks a year. They have beautiful speckled pods that unfortunately get thrown away. Do let me know if you know of a way to use them.

Lemony Brussel Sprouts

roughly this recipe-- we used it last year and had no leftovers.

And, of course...

yes, this is a magnum of 1988 Chateau Duhart-Milon

And the dessert I would have forgotten...

My Mom's Absolutely Delicious Tarte Tatin

You might think that all this food was enough for a dozen people. It was. We were only five.

Turkey and Two Cheese Omelet

Beat 2 eggs with a splash of milk and a teaspoon of tarragon leaves.

Dice turkey pastrami (or any non-sliced lunchmeat, or leftover meat) and fry in a dry non-stick pan until browned and crispy. Set aside.

Wipe pan clean and melt butter. Pour egg mixture into pan; cover and cook over medium low heat until edges are just brown. Flip carefully and, while bottom cooked, place diced meat, diced sharp cheddar, and diced pepperjack (or whatever cheeses you have on hand) on top. Fold into half-moon shape and serve with toast.

Breakfast: Anchovy Egg Delight

Yesterday, I bought 6 cans of anchovies at Costco. This morning I woke up with an anchovy craving. This is what came out of it. Sorry, no picture-- I hate it when my eggs get cold.

Take 2 slices thick, hearty bread (I used Vital Vitals 12 grain) and top with slices of sharp cheddar. Broil until cheese is melted.

Thinly slice 2 slices of turkey pastrami (or use canadian bacon, or real bacon). Fry them in a dry non-stick skillet. Place the slices on top of each slice of bread.

In the same skillet, fry 4 chopped anchovies with a bit of tomato sauce. Pour over toasts. Place toasts in oven to keep warm.

Fry 2 eggs over-easy or sunny-side-up (or you can poach them). Place eggs on top of toasts. Add salt, pepper. Enjoy.

Spicy Turkey Chili

I don't really like chili. This one uses more turkey than beans, and lots of spices.

Saute 1 large diced onion (with 1T kosher salt) until light brown. Stir in 2T dried oregano and 2T ground cumin. Stir in 1.25 lbs ground turkey; brown. Add 2T chile powder, 1-2 bay leaves, a generous sprinkle of cinnamon, and 1/2 can chopped chipotle in adobo. Stir to combine. Add 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, about 8oz tomato sauce, and 1-2 c chicken stock. Simmer for about 45 minutes until reduced. Drain and rinse well 1 can dark red kidney beans and 1 can cannellini (white kidney) beans, and add to chili. Cook about 10 minutes until flavors combine. Serve with yogurt, cilantro, and grated sharp cheddar.

Ground Turkey with Roasted Eggplant

Puncture a couple globe eggplants and roast until soft in a 450 degree oven (about 30 min). When cool enough to handle, peel and slice into strips lengthwise.

Saute sliced onion and shittake mushrooms. Add chopped garlic and diced serrano chile. Before garlic browns, add ground turkey, salt, pepper, 2 T soy sauce, 1 T dark soy sauce, 3 T fish sauce, 1 T sugar, the juice of 1 lime, and a splash of mirin. Saute, stirring, until turkey is cooked. Add eggplant and sliced ginger. Add garlic-chile sauce if desired. Cook until eggplant starts to break down, about 5-7 minutes. Serve over rice or quinoa.