I know it’s been a VERY long time since I’ve posted, but my life has gotten very, very busy!  So far this year, I’ve been juggling my job, a new puppy (her name is Honey), planning and preparing for my brother’s wedding and I’m working on a new website called JotandGot.  Always on my grind! Making moves, son! But I digress.

My best friend Lindsey makes a mini-Thanksgiving dinner which actually includes cooking a turkey breast and all the fixins’.  I found a recipe on AllRecipes and tweaked it to suite my own tastes.

I’m not sure if you like cranberry sauce, but I do so I used it to add an extra element to it.  If you decide to go this route, I would start it before you make the meatloaf because it takes a while for it to reduce and cool.  Hope you like it!

Thanksgiving Meatloaf

The Basics

• 1 pound ground turkey (I used 93/7)
• 1 cups chicken-flavor stuffing mix
• 2 eggs; beaten
• 1/4 cup milk or chicken stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 rib of celery, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Onion soup mix (optional)
• ½ tsp sage (optional)
• Cranberry Glaze (optional; see below for recipe)

The Rundown
1.        Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.        Mix all together in a bowl. If the mixture is too wet, just add more stuffing until it can hold a shape.
3.        Season as you would a turkey. I used onion soup, sage and salt and pepper, but use whatever you like!
4.        I like making free-form loafs, but use a loaf pan if you prefer. Bake for 30-45 mins until temperature reads 165 degrees F in center of loaf.
5.        Serve with gravy or coat with cranberry glaze.

Cranberry Glaze

• 2 cups cranberry juice
• 1 ½ tbsp of sugar

1.        Put juice and sugar in a small sauce pan.
2.        Heat until rapidly boiling, medium-high heat.
3.        Let reduce until it’s about ¼ the original size. It’ll take about 15-20 mins.
4.        Put in a small bowl and let it cool (you can try putting it in the refrigerator to help the process along).  It will thicken as it cools.
5.        Drizzle or baste meatloaf with glaze.

 Turkey ala king is one of my favorite comfort foods.  My mom usually makes it after Thanksgiving with the leftover turkey, so it always reminds me of the holidays.  But you don’t have to wait until the holidays to make this hearty dish!  I had leftover turkey legs.

The Basics

• Cooked turkey – I like dark meat, but the choice is yours!  About 2-3 cups
• Cream of mushroom soup – 2 cans
• Small onion – diced
• Celery – 2 stalks chopped
• Mushrooms – I used sliced baby portobello.  About 2-3 cups
• Spices – I used Italian seasoning, sage and salt and pepper.  You can also use ground thyme and rosemary.
• Water – Or you can can use chicken/turkey broth or even milk. 1 cup
• Extra virgin olive oil – about 2-3 tbsp.
• Toasted bread

The Rundown

1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Saute onions for about 3-4 minutes
2. Add celery and mushrooms. Sautee for about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add turkey and cream of mushroom soup.
4. Add water/broth/milk.
5. Add seasonings to taste. 
6. Heat until boiling, then reduce to low heat.
7. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes.  Serve on top of toast. Enjoy!

I was completely amazed on how delicious and easy Emeril’s chicken marsala recipe was.  The chicken was cooked perfectly and the mushroom sauce melted flavor and was a creamy dream.

I made a few alterations and it turned out just as well.

• I used beef broth because that’s what I had on hand.
• I substituted the chicken breast with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. 

I definitely recommend that you really brown the chickens well.  This means having your oil well heated before you add the chicken.  If the chicken isn’t browned well, the flour coating may melt off when you are cooking it in the marsala sauce.

I used a pretty cheap bottle of wine (which cost me around $5), and I’m really interested to see how the flavor changes with a better bottle.

I’ve already made used this entree twice and I’ve served it with mashed potatoes and the other time with a chicken & garlic rice pilaf.  I tip my hat to you, Mr. Lagasse.  Bam, indeed!

This is a different twist on a very classic dish.  I wish I could say I planned it, but I came up with it with ingredients I had on hand.

The garlic and herb spread is definitely the star of this.  The spinach makes a colorful appearance, but doesn’t leave a strong taste — which is great if you have vegetable-resistant eaters!

The Basics

• Ricotta cheese – I used low fat and I didn’t see a major difference in the texture.
• About 1/8 cup parmesean cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 beaten egg
• Lasagna noodles – uncooked
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 bottle of marinara sauce – I like the green pepper and mushroom kind.
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Garlic and herb spread – Found in the fancy cheese area in the grocery store.
• Spinach – I used fresh, but you can use frozen if you have it.  Just make sure it’s thawed and drained to removed excess water

The Rundown

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
2. In a saucepan, heat the oil under medium heat.  Add turkey and cook until all turkey is throughoutly cooked.  Break up any big chunks if you can.  Add sauce carefully and let simmer on low heat.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix beaten egg, parmesean cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and ricotta cheese.
4. In a separate bowl, mix garlic and cheese spread and spinach.
5. In a rectangular deep baking dish, add a thin layer of sauce.
6. Layer noodles.
7. Add a layer of sauce.
8. Spoon over 1/2 layer of ricotta cheese mixture.
9. Add a layer noodles.
10. Spoon over all of the spinach and cheese mixture.
11. Add a layer of noodles.
12. Add a layer of sauce.
13. Spoon over the last layer of ricotta cheese mixture.
14. Add layer of noodles.
15. Add a layer of sauce.
16. Wrap in aluminum foil.
17. Baked for about 30-45 minutes until noodles are tender.  Enjoy!

Years ago, I had one of the most delicious appetizer I’ve ever tasted.  But to be fair, almost anything in a cresent roll tastes amazing! LOL!  There are different variations of this including broccoli and/or bacon.

The only thing I would change is adding shredded lettuce in the middle…or perhaps a flower (ala “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”). 

The Basics
2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced
3/4 cup shredded cheese – I used mexican blend because I had it on hand
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 sliced tomato
2 cans of Crescent rolls (8 count)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
salt and pepper
garlic powder

The Rundown

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix chicken, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, parsley, and a few sprinkles of garlic powder and salt and pepper
2. Arrange the crescent rolls on a large round pan (like a pizza pan) so that the triangles overlap each other and one corner is facing outwards. You might want to flatten the dough now so it’s easier to fold over later.
3. Spoon mixtureon the the inner part of the crescent roll.  Don’t spread it up to the outward tip because you’re going to fold that over.
4. Top with tomato slices. I tried to spread it out evenly so that sometimes the tomato slice peeked through.
5. Fold over the corners and try to tuck it into the inner ring. 
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 11- 13 minutes or until the crescent rolls are cooked through.

I like most coconut-based curry dishes, but I’m still learning to appreciate the more earthier, spicier kinds.  My favorite is Japanese curries because they are so silky smooth. 

Lately I’ve been venturing to other food regions of the world.   A co-worker introduced me to lamb korma, which is yummy Indian curry made from ginger, coconut milk, cumin and a bunch of other spices. 

I found a package of premade vegetable korma at World Market (closest one to me being in Newport News) and decided to add meat and some more vegetables.  I like using premade sauces and mixes when trying to cook new foods, because it lays the foundation of the flavor profile — and you have to do something REALLY wrong to mess it up!

The Basics

• Pre-made vegetable korma
• Coconut milk
• ginger powder
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• carrots – washed, peeled and sliced
• green bell pepper – washed and diced
• 1 lb ground chicken – defrosted
• 2 tbs cooking oil
• Cooked white rice

The Rundown

1. In a medium-sided pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add ground chicken and cook until chicken is completely cooked.  Stir occassionally.
2. Add vegetable korma to chicken.
3. Add coconut milk. Spice with ginger powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add carrots and bell pepper and lower heat.  Cover and cook until vegetables are soft (about 15-20 minutes).  Serve over white rice and enjoy!

 Do you ever get bored eating the same ole tired food, day in and day out?  One of my go-to people to consult is my BFF Lindsey.  Company chicken is one of her husband’s favorite recipes so I wanted to give it a try.

I’m not sure why it’s called “company chicken”, but I suppose it’s a type of meal you can make for guests.  Whether or not you have company, if you love hollandaise sauce and artichokes you should definitely try this one out!

The Basics

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• parsley (optional) – cleaned and chopped
• 2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts – drained, with tougher leaves removed
• hollandaise sauce
• Cooked white rice

The Rundown

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Put artichokes in an oven-safe dish, then add chicken on top.
4. Bake chicken until cooked.  It’ll take about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare hollandaise sauce.
6. Remove chicken from oven.
7. Place chicken and artichokes on a bed of rice and drizzle hollandaise sauce.  Enjoy!

I definitely needed a hardy meal after battling through all the last minute Christmas shoppers! I’m always surprised that traditional Filipino meals are super easy to make.  Somehow I always think it takes hours of marinating and cooking.  This version of chicken afritada is the real deal, unlike my version using oyster sauce.

The Basics

• Chicken, with bones and skin – I used chicken wings, but you can use thighs or drumsticks.  My parents cut them in half.
• Tomato sauce – I use the bigger can because I like a lot of sauce.
• Frozen peas and carrots
• Red bell pepper – washed, de-seeded and diced
• Chick peas/garbanzo beans (optional)
• Onion – peeled and diced
• Garlic – about 2-3 cloves, peeled and diced
• Salt and pepper
• Soy sauce – about 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice – just a squeeze
• Cooking oil

The Rundown

1. Marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice for a minimum of 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a big sautee pan or a pot.  Brown the chicken over medium-high heat.
3. Add onions and garlic.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce.  Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and cover.  Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
5. Add peas, carrots, red bell pepper and chick peas.  Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are well heated.
6. Serve over rice.  Enjoy!

Making your own chicken broth has so many benefits.  First of all, it’s cheaper than buying cans or boxes from the store.  Also it’s a very thrifty way to use spare chicken bones if you de-bone your own chicken.  Also you can add your own flavor, such as roasted garlic.

Second of all, it’s healthier.  You will be able to control the amount of salt and the fat left in the broth.

The Basics

• Chicken bones
• 2 onions – quartered
• Water
• Celery – roughly chopped
• Cloves of garlic – You can also add roasted garlic for a more intense flavor.
• Salt

The Rundown

Put all the ingredients in a pot, except water.  Add enough water to to cover the chicken.  Bring to a gentle boil.

Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.  Add salt to taste.

Remove from heat and let it cool completely.  Skim off the fat.  Using a strainer and a bowl, strain out all the protein, cooked chicken and veggies.

I like storing my broth in zip-top sandwich baggies so that I can use small serving portions at a time.  Stack the baggies in a large plastic container and freeze.

Soy-yu chicken, chicken cooked in sweet soy sauce and ginger sauce, is one of my childhood favorites.  I’m fairly certain that my dad just made this recipe from scratch, but I think he was inspired  Hawaiian cuisine.

Its super easy to make and all my friends who have tried it loved it!

The Basics

• Chicken, with bone and skin removed – I like using chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Soy sauce – About 1/2 to 1 cup
• Fresh ginger; about an inch thick piece – peeled and cut into slivers
• Sugar – About 1/2 cup
• Water

The Rundown

This can’t get any simpler.  In a pot, add 1/2 cup of sauce sauce, 1 cup of water, the fresh ginger, and 2-3 tbsp of sugar.  Bring to a boil, then add the chicken.

Boil for about 20 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.  I would leave it uncovered so the sauce can reduce.  Taste the sauce.  If it’s too sweet, add a bit more soy sauce or water.  If you don’t taste any sweetness, add a tbsp of sugar at a time until desired sweetness.

Serve with rice.  Enjoy!