Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Vegetables

This isn't really as much of a recipe as it is a dish recommendation.  I make these each year for Thanksgiving and other big dinners and everyone loves them. Very simple and savory.

Use whatever amount of the following veggies that you need to serve your guests.  These are the ones that I find work well together and that everybody likes:

Carrots (cut into pieces about an inch to two inches long)
Cooking onions (quartered and left in large pieces)
White button mushrooms

*****OPTIONAL*****
Fennel (one bulb quartered and cut up into one inch pieces)


Wash and clean vegetables appropriately trimming mushrooms as needed.

Toss cut up veggies in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.

Roast uncovered at 350 degrees until the carrots are soft.  Serve hot.  If cooked ahead of time, reheat in the microwave just before serving.

Please let me know how you liked this recipe!!!! I will feature you on my blog!

Allan

Homemade Stuffing - Savory Holiday Stuffing

This is my mother's famous recipe-We'll call it Jeanette's Famous Stuffing

2-large loaves of white bread, torn apart or cubed and dried (about 2 days at room temp, or 1/2 hour oven)
1-medium onion
2-3 stalks celery
3 small or 1 large can chicken broth or 4 cups chicken/turkey broth from giblets
2-tsp rubbed sage
2-tsp poultry seasoning
1-stick real butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan bring chicken broth, butter, onions and celery to boil and cook on slow heat until the celery and onions are tender; about 10-15 minutes

In a large bowl, add bread and sprinkle evenly with the sage and poultry seasoning.

Pour hot broth with the onions and celery evenly over the bread and mix as you pour just enough to evenly coat the bread (you can add more broth if necessary to moisten the bread).  The stuffing should be moist but not mushy. Slightly hard or solid on the inside of the pieces is desired as the remaining moisture will slowly seep in especially if the stuffing is cooked in the bird.

If stuffing a chicken or turkey, my mother fills the bird's cavity with hot stuffing and immediately cooks the bird until done.  This makes the best stuffing in my opinion as the juices from the turkey are absorbed for added flavor. 

If cooking the stuffing separately, bake until the consistency is to your liking.  Remember, everything is already cooked and all you are doing is baking away some of the moisture while leaving all of the flavor at this point.

According to television chefs, if stuffing a bird, heat the stuffing in the microwave until piping hot so that it does not keep the inside of the bird cold while the bird is in the oven and never stuff the bird and then refrigerate without cooking immediately.

People ask my mother for this recipe constantly. I think once you try it, you'll never make stuffing differently.  Simple but oooh sooo savory.

Allan

Apple Pie - My Favorite Recipe

Apple Pie

make or buy a two layer pie crust

5-6 Granny Smith apples (or other sturdy, hard apples)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
pinch of ground cloves
2 tbls of butter
____________
1 tbls of corn starch

peel, core and cut apples into slices

place apples, sugar, butter, spices and two table spoons of water into a large sauce pot and heat on medium to high heat on top of stove

cook until the the apples begin to soften. drain off all but about two table spoons of liquid and add the corn starch by sprinkling it in and stirring to avoid clumping.

pour apples into unbaked pie shell, add top crust, pinch sides, brush with egg wash (beaten egg) or milk if you like

Bake at 375 degrees until the upper crust turns dark golden brown.  Let cool before serving.

Allan