Black-Eyed Pea Soup w/Smoked Turkey & Collard Greens

With the weather being so chilly and precipitation in the air, a good hearty soup is always in order. I try to find lots of different soups and stews, just for variety and it keeps the blog from getting boring! This one I came across while watching one of my favorite chefs, Emeril. Needless to say it has that Louisiana touch to it. I soaked Black Eye Peas overnight so when I was ready they were too. Onions, Celery and a Bell Pepper made their way into the stock pot first, with a little Olive Oil. Once tender in go 2 Smoked Turkey Legs. Cover them with water until the meat is about to fall of the bones then pull them out to cool. Add in the beans and cook for about 45 minutes. While they simmer, grab another pan for the Collard Greens. Saute' Onions and Garlic then add the greens to the pan. Once they're wilted, add in some stock (I used Turkey Stock), and let them steam for 10 minutes. While everything is cooking pull the meat from the bones and set aside. Once everything is ready, ladle soup into a bowl and garnish with the Collard Greens and Turkey. After dinner the Turkey and Greens went into the left over soup for lunch tomorrow.

Cioppino

One of our favorites..Cioppino, which is a wonderful fish stew made from a plethora of our offshore favorites. The only way to do this one right is to have plenty of people around, that being said Wendy's sister's family was in for the weekend and they are seafood lovers so we swung by the fish market for Clams, Mussels, Squid, Shrimp, Salmon, Halibut and even a Dungeness Crab. Good thing Julian was here as I don't think I could have shelled all the Shrimp or picked over the Clams and Mussels. Since I make my own Fish Stock, I just went to the freezer for a few quarts, into the pantry for Tomatoes. Onions, Celery and the biggest Fennel Bulb I can find. Cook down all of the veggies, and some White Wine, the stock and tomatoes for a delicious broth, then add the Crustaceans, then the rest of the fish. Served a heaping bowl along with Anchovy-Garlic Toasts.

Greek Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Last night we decided on Chicken. I looked to see what we had in the house as the weather was pretty lousy and I didn't feel like going to the store. It's not usually to difficult as we keep a fairly stocked pantry and freezer. I pulled out some Boneless Chicken Breasts and a bag of Spinach, then went to the fridge and found a container of Feta and a lemon, perfect! I made a mixture similar to what one would find in Spinach Pie. Next I pounded the breasts to a 1/2 inch thickness seasoned them and loaded them with the stuffing. Tied them closed, and seared them in a little Olive Oil, then finished them in the oven. A side of Brown Rice Pilaf, then finished with a Lemony Wine Sauce. Um, Um, Um!!

Football Sunday

Yes the gang was still here for the Ravens/Steeler game, but rather than just tailgate food this week we were talked into Sushi. We have the utmost respect for the Sushi Chefs that we typically visit as it is quite a task to prepare your own. We did our shopping a local Asian Market with a great fish counter. They fixed us up with Tuna, Salmon, BBQed Eel, Crab stick. Got a few Avocados, cucumbers, rice paper and a few other goodies while we were there.

The newest addition to our extended family, Ada brought her parents and Uncle Jonathan with her for the game. So we put them to work, Montana did the Dumplings and Shumai on the stove and David, our expert sushi maker was on hand to guide me through the process, again. after an hour of cooking and then cooling rice we began our quest and I must say we did a great job! There was none left

Eggs Benedict

We did a whole lot of cooking while the family was in town. After all the left over turkey for the last few days, it was suggested we make Brunch, so Eggs Benedict it was! While Syd was busy whisking away at the Hollandaise Sauce, I poached a dozen eggs. We didn't have asparagus so we substituted Spinach for the green. Layered the English Muffin, Canadian Bacon and egg, then spooned the warm sauce over the top. A few capers finished this one off.

Thanksgiving Relived

The kids couldn't make it in this year for Thanksgiving so we promised them the Turkey dinner they missed. I found a recipe from Anne Burell for an Apple Cider brined turkey. We mixed the brine on Sunday which included sugar, salt, a bunch of spices, cider vinegar and the apple cider. Put the 15 pound volunteer in a large bucket and covered him with the solution for 3 days. On Wednesday we pulled him from his cold bath, dried him, coated his skin with a butter spice rub and let him sit for another day. On Thursday, we put him in a hot oven for 40 minutes, then lowered the temperature to 340* for about 2-1/2 hours til he was a beautiful golden brown. We made a Stuffing of Wild Rice and Goat Cheese, along with Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Root vegetables, and topped it all off with an Apple Cider Gravy. This was one of the juiciest Turkeys ever! Bad news though, I started carving before I got the camera out so you missed the beautiful bird, sorry! But enjoy the rest of the pictures and use your imagination for the whole bird.

Chef's Salad

We're trying to eat more heath conscience, that being said we opted for a Chef's Salad tonight. A bed of assorted greens, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, a few slices of chicken, ham, and roast beef all topped with pomegranate seeds and an olive oil balsamic dressing.

Spiced Rubbed Chicken Under a Brick

Got this great idea for an Indian inspired flavoring for a roasted chicken. First I split a whole chicken and removed the backbone, then made a rub of Ground Cumin, Cinnamon, Allspice, Turmeric, and Pepper, completely covered the 2 halves with the rub, wrapped them in plastic wrap overnight. Once ready to cook, I heated a large frying pan with olive oil and placed them skin side down pressing hard and placing a brick on each piece. Once browned, flipped them over and reapplied the brick with pressure then into a preheated 400* oven to finish cooking. While in the oven I boiled a pot of water for a bottom layer of Tagliatelle with a touch of lemon juice. Added a salad of field greens for a delicious supper.