11/25/09

6 More Rolls and Another Kitchen Tip for Thanksgiving


I don't normally try a new recipe for Thanksgiving.  I'm a traditionalist and like looking forward to certain foods at Thanksgiving.

I thought this Outback Bread recipe would be an excellent roll recipe.

It was a hit, especially with the kids, when I told them it was "chocolate" bread.

It's actually wheat bread.  With a little chocolate thrown in.  Let's keep that between ourselves, why don't we?



This bread looks great intermingled with the other traditional Dinner Roll, doesn't it?








O.k.  Just one last minute tip for all of you who are scrambling to put your Thanksgiving dinners together.

Make your favorite mashed potatoes early, and keep 'em warm in your crockpot.

Come on, I know you have one.

Or your mom does.

Dust it off and put it to work so you don't have to ~





Sit back, relax, and enjoy your friends and family on Thanksgiving.


Enjoy!


11/23/09

9 Herbed Roasted Turkey Breast: Step by Step

Last year, I did a post on Ina Garten's Herbed Roasted Turkey Breast.  Her recipe is SO good, I've made it several times.  Each time, I get the "oohs" and "mmmms" from the guests which tell me it is a definite winner!

This is such an easy, simple recipe.  You will not be disappointed!

The recipe starts with cloves of garlic.

I keep these double bagged in my freezer.

The frozen garlic is so easy to peel and I absolutely love my garlic press. Easy to use AND clean!

I like a finely minced garlic and this lovely tool does the job for me.

Add dry mustard. This Pampered Chef measuring spoon makes it easy to fit into a small spice jar.

The recipe calls for fresh rosemary leaves.

If you don't have any, don't worry.

Just find some dried rosemary and use half.

Update: Did you know you can freeze rosemary and other herbs? 

The recipe calls for chopped fresh sage leaves.

Sage is going to be my next plant in my herb garden next year.

Use half of what the recipe calls for when using the powdered stuff ~


Thyme.

I have fresh thyme that is in the freezer.

I didn't have time to get it out...

Next time....

Ina uses Kosher salt in her recipe.

I'm not sure what that is...

I'm from Utah, and I like the Real Sea salt...

this has a sweeter, less bitter taste than table salt.



Fresh ground pepper.

Finally, a fresh ingredient...



Good olive oil.

Extra virgin is what I used.

I'm sure you can use whatever oil you want to use.

Olive oil has a flavor all its own.

Fresh squeezed lemon juice....

Not really...it was the bottled stuff.

Next time, I will invest in real lemons ~

Stir it all together.

Take a deep whiff.....  You will love the aroma!

Here is my 8 pound turkey breast.

Plenty of white meat to go around!

*sigh*

I have this aversion to handling raw meat.

And meat with bones.

Wash, pat it dry, and put it in a roasting pan.


Ina likes to stick her hands under the skin to put the seasonings in. 

I have found that a small dinner spoon to do just the trick.

You want to separate the skin from the ... uh ... meat.

Leave the skin intact near the bottom of the turkey...

you don't want the seasonings to drip out~



After you have separated the skin, spoon half of the seasoning mixture between the two sides of the breast.

It's worth it, it's worth it, I keep telling myself...

Let me introduce you to another favorite tool of mine.

The silicone pastry brush.

He gets to spread the other half of the seasoning on the outside of the turkey.

I love you, Mr. Silicone brush...


If you have an oven probe, use it~  it takes all the guesswork out of cooking the turkey.

Every turkey breast has a different weight and you do NOT want to overcook it.

If you don't have a probe, invest in an instant read thermometer.  You can get one for around $25. 

Worth every penny!


Here's the last ingredient.

White cooking wine. 

It's all about flavor.

And not drying out the poor thing...


Pop that turkey in the oven at 325 degrees and set your probe temp to 165°F, if you have one.

At 2 hours, the turkey was beginning to brown, so I put aluminum foil over it.

At 2 1/2 hours, it was done!


The turkey package said 3 1/2 hours...go figure. I trust my thermometer!


After taking it out of the oven, put a large piece of foil over it and let it sit for at least 20 minutes to allow all the juices to redistribute throughout.

My guests arrived 45 minutes later, and the turkey was still hot.

Slice just before serving and enjoy the best piece of turkey you have ever had!

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Herb Roasted Turkey
from the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds
1 T. minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 t. dry mustard
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary leaves (I only had dried)
1 T. chopped fresh sage leaves (I only had powdered; used 1/2T.)
1 t. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. freshly ground pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 c. dry white wine (I used Fre alcohol removed white wine)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. (it was runny, but worked just fine) Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half the paste directly on the meat. (A small spoon worked better than using my fingers) Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. Test in several places. If the skin is over browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with pan juices spooned over the turkey.

11/19/09

8 Kitchen Tip: Making Your Own Brown N Serve Rolls


If you want to make your dinner rolls up to seven days in advance for your Thanksgiving dinner, I would recommend this brown and serve method.

I have used this method for my Dinner Roll and Orange Roll recipes. You can use your favorite Cinnamon Roll recipe or my  Feather Wheat Roll recipe.  One year, I gave a dozen Orange brown and serve rolls  to each of my neighbors at Christmas time.  My neighbors loved popping these rolls into their ovens, drizzling sweet, orange icing on top for their Christmas morning!  If you plan to give this type of roll away, include the baking directions and a Ziploc baggie of icing.

The rolls will look pale and a little wrinkly on top.  Do not worry, they will puff up and brown beautifully when they are baked the second time prior to serving ~

Brown N Serve Directions
1.  Shape rolls as desired.
2.  Place on greased baking sheets, about 2" apart.
3.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rolls rise in warm place until doubled in bulk.
4.  Bake rolls at 275 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until rolls just start to change color.
5.  Cool in pans/sheets for 20 minutes.  This will allow the centers to continue baking.
6.  Remove from pans/sheets and finish cooling on wire racks.  This will prevent rolls from becoming soggy.
7.  Wrap in plastic bags and refrigerate up to 1 week.

Baking Brown N Serve Rolls
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  Place rolls on ungreased baking sheet.
3.  Place rolls in heated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
4.  If desired, brush baked rolls with melted butter or margarine.

Enjoy!

11/16/09

14 Kitchen Tip: Make Ahead Dinner Rolls - Fridge



You can prepare your dinner rolls the day before Thanksgiving and have them HOT and fresh out of your oven minutes before the meal.    
How great is that? 
I thought I would put it to the test.  I used my traditional Dinner Roll recipe and got to work.

   My mom used this roll shape frequently.  She would pinch off a piece of dough and begin tucking in the edges.  If you want your rolls to all be the same size, cut your dough into 24 equal pieces prior to shaping.  If you have a kitchen scale, you can use that.
Make sure bottom is pinched securely...
placing them in a well greased pan with room to grow.  Spray the tops of the rolls and cover with plastic wrap.  Make sure there is no room for air to get into the rolls and dry them out.
Your rolls are now ready for rising in the fridge.  You can use them anywhere from 2-24 hours.  Any longer than 24 hours and the rolls will begin to develop a fermented, sourdough like flavor.

Update:
If you are like me and don't have a lot of room in the fridge for all your lovely rolls, here are some ideas:  Divide the rolls out and have  friends, neighbors or relatives babysit them and bring them to the dinner.  If you live in a colder climate in the winter (like Utah), another idea is to store them in the garage if the temperature is between 35-40 degrees F.  Make sure they are in a safe place, and covered well ~

When you are ready to bake your rolls, take them out of the fridge and allow to get to room temperature.  This can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is, size of rolls, etc.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Take the plastic off the rolls, and bake as the recipe directs.
Within minutes, you will have hot, buttery rolls, ready for your Thanksgiving or special dinner!
Want to make your rolls earlier than 24 hours and have them hot-n-ready for dinner?  Stay tuned for the brown~n~serve method...










11/12/09

8 Cost of Bread: Dinner Rolls


I have been teaching bread classes in my neighborhood a couple of times per month for the past little while.

I decided to teach a roll making class today to prepare for Thanksgiving and it was SO much fun!  I really enjoy the hands-on teaching approach.  Each gal brings their mixer, spatula, rolling pin and baking pans to the class. I provide the ingredients in a "kit" which helps the class run smoothly. At the end of the class, the students take their rolls home and bake them.

Because I provide the kits, all I ask in return is a donation to cover the cost of ingredients.  Previously, I posted the cost analysis for making Homemade Bread (grinding own wheat) and Homemade Bread (using storebought wheat).  I thought it would be interesting to see how much my Dinner Roll recipe ingredients would cost.  I know that 36 rolls at Costco are around $4 and Lion House is selling their rolls for $5 per dozen. 

Are you ready?

Drumroll.....

For 2 dozen, homemade, light, buttery dinner rolls...

$1.12!

Yep, one dollar and twelve cents.

Now, I bought everything in bulk and went to Sam's Club.  Yes, this includes butter and eggs, which I thought would increase the price.  Yes, this included tax.

What it did NOT include was the energy of the oven, the time to make the rolls, the extra butter, plastic wrap and parchment paper.

Do you have 90 minutes to spare? (there are 60 min. roll recipes out there, but they usually have more yeast)

Do you have $1. 12?

Wanna have HOT, delicious, buttery rolls for Thanksgiving? 

Then jump on over to the Dinner Roll recipe and give it a try!

11/4/09

14 The Secret to Fluffy Rice

Ever wondered how to make light, fluffy rice?
Now you can.  All you need to do is rinse your rice in cool water.

Strain your rice through a colander or sieve.
Do this 2-3 times or until the water is fairly clear.  I watched several Japanese students do this and always thought, "But the rice isn't dirty..."
The rice ISN'T dirty.  It's full of starch.  Rinsing it removes the starch that causes the rice to be sticky.

Cool, huh?







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