What a Crock!

Let's talk about Crockpots...

Most of us have one lurking in some unreachable corner of our cabinets somewhere next to the spring-loaded sugar cookie gun and vacuum sealer contraption.  I'll be honest, I think that Crockpots are under rated.  I know that they are not a "Kitchen Essential" but they are darn handy!

I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the time the a Crockpot is used in America, it's being used to make a pot roast.  We have limited our usage of this great kitchen tool to the degree that it's a waste of cabinet space. 

A little history:  Back say oh about 200 years ago, you know, the founding of our great country.  Yea, um, they didn't have Crockpots, they had Dutch Ovens.  A simple cast iron deep dish pot with a lid.  That  pot was filled up early in the morning with whatever they had to throw in it and covered with coals and buried in the ground.  By the time they got back from mending fences or whatever they were doing, they had a hot meal and even the toughest cuts of meat would come out fork tender.  That simple contraption entered the 70s and for whatever reason we decided to electrify it.  Here is a better and slightly more accurate history of the Crockpot.

Needless to say somewhere in the late 70s the Crockpot was a standard kitchen appliance.  It was used to cook all sorts of stuff and Betty Crocker had some truly great old school recipes for the time.  Fast forward to 2011 and we value Crockpots about as much as we do shag carpet and a water picks.

 

So how do you get the most out of your Crockpot?

Glad you asked...

 America's Test Kitchen has some great recipes in their Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook.  There are also some wonderful web resources out there.  I've listed a few that I find helpful:

http://www.a-crock-cook.com/crock-pot-recipes.html

http://busycooks.about.com/od/favoritecrockpotrecipes/a/favoritecrockpo.htm

http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/126473/7_crock_pot_recipes_that

http://www.recipe4living.com/articles/the_25_best_crockpot_recipes_countdown.htm

Now these are just a few resources that I use.  There are hundreds more out there and some you will find that you like more than others.  So, take some time and look around these sites, there are some amazing recipes designed just for your Crockpot.    

For Example:  Crockpot Oatmeal, Crockpot Mac-n-Cheese, and Crockpot Lasagna.

These are just some of the really good and fun recipes that are out there.  I encourage you to get creative. 

Some words of wisdom:

If you are going to use your Crockpot, use the low setting.  These recipes are designed for their ingredients to be in a low temp, low pressure environment.  Starting it later and using the high setting is not a good idea.  It will work but it's much better if you follow the recipe as it is written. 

Don't be afraid to experiment, it's only food.  Every cook has made hundreds or thousands of mistakes in the kitchen.  All of those mistakes has and will continue to make us better at what we love to do. 

When it comes to seasonings, it is often best to add your seasonings later in the cooking cycle of your recipe.  Herbs like thyme and Cilantro can turn bitter after long hours in the Crockpot.  So it may be a good idea to add them an hour or so before you plan on serving.  

At the end of the day, you are your harshest critic.  For some reason, in our western culture, we seem to think that if we cannot be perfect then we should not even bother trying.  I say that's just a crock.  Have fun, eat well, and love much.

 

Chef Pat @ CFL

The Day After...

Ok, now that the turkey is in the refrigerator, the stuffing is gone and the mashed potatoes just don't quite taste the same reheated, what do you do with the leftovers?

Here are some great suggestions.

1.  Freeze it - Using your turkey to make a turkey and vegetable stew later in the year will be an easy meal when you are tired and dont want to mess with making a big meal, especially when the weather gets really cold.

2.  Turkey Pot Pie - Nothing says comfort food like a homemade pot pie. 

3.  Turkey and noodles  - This is an Ohio staple. 

4.  Turkey BBQ - I know it sounds unusual but give it a shot.  Use a fresh potato bun (hamburger bun) with piping hot turkey and BBQ sauce.  Some potato chips and a pickle and you will be dreaming of summer BBQs in no time at all.  This really goes great with a tall glass of sweet tea!

5.  The Ever Popular Turkey and Cranberry Sandwich - I believe that some people look forward to this sandwich as much as they do to the actual Thanksgiving meal itself.   Be sure to use a nice sourdough bread then add your turkey, some mayo, lettuce, and top it off with some cranberry sauce.

6.  Turkey Salad - A modification of the traditional Chicken Salad. 

7.  Turkey Enchiladas - Add a few green chilies, some onions and a can of tomatoes to your leftover turkey and wrap it in a flour tortilla and top with your favorite enchilada sauce.  A great way to change up on flavors in the colder months too.

8.  Turkey & Rice with Mixed Vegetables - Make some brown rice, add a can of cream of mushroom soup and cup or two of cooked turkey and half of a bag of frozen vegetables.  It's a wonderful comfort food and it goes great with a couple pieces of toast.  Plus, it's a very easy dinner to make when you don't have time to prepare a full on meal.

9.  Broccoli, Turkey, Rice, and Cheese Casserole - Add your cooked rice, cooked curkey, frozen broccoli, a can of cream of mushroom soup and a little shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 45 min.  Very easy and very yummy!

10.  Turkey and Dumplings - Again a standard comfort food.  Use your favorite recipe for chicken and dumplings and swap the chicken for the turkey and you have yourself a great meal that you can eat on for a few days.

 11.  Make a nice big salad and a use your turkey as a topping. Turkey is a lean meat so you will not be hurting your self by using turkey to supliment your salads.

12.  White Chili - White Chili is an often overlooked chili recipe but it's extreamly flavorful and good for you.  There are hundreds of recipes for a white chili on the internet.  Find some that look good to you and just use your turkey in place of chicken or pork in the recipe. 

The point is, get creative.  There is no need to let your holiday bird go to waste.  Turkey is an American staple and it has many, many uses.  The only thing that will limit your use of your leftover turkey is your imagination.

What are your favorite leftover turkey recipes?

Chef Pat @ CFL

Time To Talk Turkey

We've all had turkey on Thanksgiving.  We all expect turkey on Thanksgiving.  But if we are really honest it's the side dishes that make the meal.  We all love to see that big bird on the table but honestly, don't we also love the Green Bean Casserole, Candied Yams, Stuffing, and Pumpkin Pie even more.  Well all that is about to change.

I want to show you how to cook a turkey so that it really is the best part of your Thanksgiving Day meal.

To end up with a perfectly juicy and flavorful bird we need to start with a fresh bird.  Some frozen kosher birds are also outstanding but I do prefer a fresh turkey.  Thankfully we have Bowman & Landis just up the road.  If you don't have the benefit of a local turkey farmer your grocer should be able to point you in the right direction.  Remember, if you are using a kosher or self-basting bird, there is no need to brine it.  It will only make it too salty.

So once you get your bird you need to clean him well.  Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.  Inside and out.

Next you will need to prepare a brine.  Brining the turkey will cause it to absorb water that is loaded with salt, sugar, and other flavors that will enhance the flavor of your turkey and keep it nice a juicy.

For your brine:

1 Cup of Kosher Salt
1 Cup packed brown sugar
4 oranges quartered and crushed
8 cloves (whole)
1 T of pepper corns
1 gallon of apple cider
8 cloves of garlic (Diced)
1 sprig of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
1 gallon of water

Bring half of the water to a boil, add all ingredients except the water and cider.

Ensure that the salt and sugar are dissolved.  Add the water and cider to the brine mixture.

Once the mixture is cooled off Line a 5 gallon bucket with a trash bag or two.

Place your bird into the bag and pour the brine over it. push out all of the air in the bag and tie it off.  Pull the bag out of the bucket and place it in a cooler that is lined with ice.

Let your bird sit in that brine for no less than 24 hours & no longer than 48 hours.  Turning 4 times each day.

Once your bird has bathed in your brine, rinse it off and again pat it dry.  Discard the brine as it is tainted with the blood of your bird and is a cocktail of bad stuff waiting to happen.

Once your bird is dry, let it come up to room temp.  So, let it sit in your roasting pan on the counter for a couple hours.  Once it's up to room temp.  we are almost ready to put it in the oven.

Add some onions, carrots, and celery to the bottom of the roasting pan with some chicken broth to assist with making gravy later.

First generously dust your bird with olive oil, salt, and pepper, inside and out.  Preheat your oven to 425
Using a V-Rack place your bird, breast down, in the rack.  Ensure that your bird is coated with the salt, pepper, and oil on its back side too.

After an hour, remove your bird from the oven.  Flip it breast side up and reduce the heat to 325 and finish cooking for about an hour and a half or so.  Using a thermometer verify that the turkey is at 170 in the thickest part of the breast.

Let the bird rest for 40 min or so prior to slicing it.

This is the recipe that I've been using for years and it is a real hit with the family.  The times are for a fairly large bird, about 20lbs.  You will need to make asjustments based on the turkeys weight.

Enjoy it and don't be afraid to play with the brine a little, try using honey and garlic or even a teriyaki sauce or whatever, have fun with it...

As always, let us know your thoughts and have an amazing Thanksgiving holiday!

Chef Pat CFL

The Holiday Season: Lots of Food, Lots of Calories

If you're anything like me, on thanksgiving day I pile my plate high and wide with all of the food that is forever associated with Thanksgiving: Turkey, Stuffing, Taters and Gravy, Mac & Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Candied Yams and the list goes on and on...

So, how do we make it through the holiday season without another New Year's Resolution that is bound to be broken?

Ok. First off you have to WANT to do this. It's not going to come easy. If you're going to have your cake and eat it too then guess what, you gonna look like you ate cake! Not that cake is bad...

The point is, the choice is up to you as to how you want to handle the holidays. If you want to commit to a healthier version of the traditional holiday meals it starts with the little things.

Here are 12 simple ideas to help you traverse your holiday family meals with a little less food guilt.

1. Use a smaller plate. The bigger the plate that you use the more your gonna put on it. Go small...

2. Once you have your plate in front of you, take the time to really enjoy it. Don't just inhale the food. Taste it! Chew each bite, savor it, get the most out of each bite you take. Follow each bite of food with a drink of water. Not a gulp, but enough of a sip to clean your palate to get you ready for the next bite.

3. Pass on the butter. For your dinner rolls and mashed potatoes and cornbread and sweet potatoes, hold off on using additional butter. I promise you that there is plenty of butter already in the dish, you do not need to add more. By skipping the butter, you are saving yourself loads of cholesterol, fat and calories that you honestly will not even miss.

4. This next one is a little touchy so be ready... If you are like most Americans, Thanksgiving dinner has as many emotional pitfalls as Golden Coral has deserts. If you are emotionally charged, don't eat! Take a breather, maybe a little walk or something like that. The point is, if you are using food to calm you down, all hopes are lost in trying the eat healthier.

5. When dishing up your plate, us a small spoon. Most of us use a serving spoon that can serve up a cup and a half of mashed potatoes. Try using a soup spoon instead. You portions will be smaller and it will be easier to manage your intake.

6. After you have gorged yourself on the bird and all the other fixins, take a walk. It's a great time to talk to a sister or brother or friend that you've not had a chance to catch up with in a while, plus it gets your body working on using all of that fuel that you just consumed.

7. I don't know a person alive that can pass up a pecan pie or a pumpkin pie on Turkey day. So, instead of having 1/8th of a pie to yourself, buddy up with someone and have them take half of your piece.

8. Alcohol. Based on my family experience, alcohol is best left out of the equation for Thanksgiving. However, if you do consume alcohol, set a household limit to two drinks or something along those lines. This will limit your intake and it can also help to diffuse difficult emotional stuff that seems to pop up at family events.

9. Dress up for your dinner. Wear your favorite jeans or dress, your favorite top and shoes and all of that. Dress up and dress nice. If you are looking good and feeling good before your meal, you'll still want to look and feel good after your meal and that will help curb your eating.

10. Take your vitamins. If you are a daily vitamin person, then don't skip on this day. Give your body what it needs.

11. When dealing with leftovers, get stuff in the freezer right away. If you reserve some leftovers for grazing the next day then that is great, just get the rest of it in the freezer for soups or casseroles or whatever you are going to make with them. The less that is readily available to eat, the less you will eat.

12. Remember, Thanksgiving was originally celebrated after years and years of unbearable hardship from the original settlers of this great country. It was the Native American's benevolence that allowed the settlers to survive. You may want to echo that same idea. Take your leftovers to the local fire house or to a church that is serving lunch that day to the homeless.

So, there are 12 solid ideas that you can do to have a fun filled holiday meal and also help keep the pounds away.

We here at CFL would like to wish you and all of your family members an amazing, joy filled Thanksgiving day. Remember, kindness has to start somewhere, why not with you.  Bon Appétit!

 

Tell us what you think!!

Chef Pat @ CFL

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