Almost Like Thanksgiving Soup

When you have leftover chicken or turkey, or just love the flavors of Thanksgiving, this soup is like a Thanksgiving dinner in a bowl.  The stuffing dumplings and soup go together so well.  I used a bag of cornbread stuffing mix to make my dumplings and I'm sure they would have been better with leftover Thanksgiving stuffing but we ate all of that a long time ago!

Almost Like Thanksgiving Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry (optional)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups cooked turkey, cubed  (ok to substitute cooked chicken)
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
garnish with fresh parsley

Saute onions, carrots, and celery in 2 T unsalted butter (or olive oil) over medium heat until soft (5 minutes) Increase heat to medium high and add mushrooms and garlic.  Saute 3 minutes, stirring often.  Sprinkle flour, thyme, nutmeg and pepper over vegetables; cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly.
Deglaze with sherry, simmer until nearly evaporated, then stir in stock, turkey, and cream.  Bring to a boil and reduce to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.  Season with salt.  Garnish with parsley and serve with stuffing dumplings.

Stuffing Dumplings

3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups bread, diced, crisped in 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes (or use cornbread, cornbread stuffing mix, or any stuffing mix)
2 strips bacon, diced
4 ounces crumbled cooked breakfast sausage (optional)
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 T minced fresh sage
2 T minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine milk and eggs in a large bowl.  Add bread and soak until all liquid is absorbed.  Set aside.
Saute bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove and set aside on paper towel.  Saute onion and celery in drippings until soft, then fold in bread mixture with reserved bacon and remaining ingredients.  Form dumplings using small scoop or spoon.  Bake until brown, 20 minutes.

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Favorite Thanksgiving 2013 Recipes



People have been requesting my recipe for Crawfish Crab Cornbread Dressing so I'm finally getting around to writing on my neglected blog. 

Between making gourmet brownies (think peanut butter crunch topped Belgian chocolate, German chocolate, or pecan pie) and holiday food I have been very busy in the kitchen.  I have not been making too many healthy dishes though.  This time of year I get a little carried away, but right after Thanksgiving Day I went back to eating the lighter, more plant based foods I enjoy.  Thinking about what I made for Thanksgiving, by far the most popular dish was my Crawfish Crab Cornbread dressing.  I had tasted a similar dressing at a work luncheon a couple years ago and knew I needed to make it one day.   I took my already popular and loved family favorite cornbread dressing and added a few things such as crawfish, crab, and Creole seasoning.  People couldn’t get enough of it, including Jason’s (my future son in law) son, Joe.  Apparently that was the only leftover he wanted to eat for days.  The other dish that was well liked was my grandmother, Elton Hollar’s, creamed corn.  During my November visit to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, I asked my aunt Mabel to give me the exact instructions on how it was made.  It’s very simple but much, much better than corn casserole or canned creamed corn, in my opinion.

I also smoked a fresh turkey after brining it for 24 hours.  It was really moist and delicious!  I have a secret technique now, thanks to my friend, Lisa Wright, which gave it the most amazing golden brown skin.  I put some cheesecloth in melted butter and Creole seasoning and wrapped the turkey in cheesecloth before putting it in the smoker. 

Crawfish and Crab Cornbread Dressing

Chef Julia Dunaway

Makes 10 servings

4 T butter

8 ounces spicy pork sausage, removed from casing, browned and drained (I used Jimmy Dean’s.)

 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

½ green bell pepper, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups frozen Louisiana crawfish tails, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup lump crab meat

2 scallions, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme

2 T Creole seasoning

6 cups crumbled cornbread (I use Central Market cornbread or make my own from scratch—don’t use Jiffy box mix—too sweet.)

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook the onion, celery, peppers and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the crawfish and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the sausage and mix well.  Place all ingredients in a large bowl and add the seasonings, cornbread, stock, cream and eggs.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Dressing may be covered and refrigerated for  up to 1 day or freeze for several weeks.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Add more stock if you like a moister dressing.  Serve immediately with Louisiana hot sauce or Sriracha.

 

 

 

Creamed Corn

 

 

 

Creamed corn

Elton Hollar (Zack Steele’s mother)

5-6 ears fresh corn, cut from the cob and corn juices scraped off

2 pieces bacon, cut into pieces and fat rendered

2 T unsalted butter

Add corn and 1 cup of water and butter to the bacon drippings.  Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for approximately 5 minutes.

Mix 2 T flour into ¼ cup water and add to corn mixture.

Add ½ cup half and half or cream.

Season with salt and pepper.

 Add ins:  green chile, jalapeno pepper, chopped bacon, cheese

 

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Yakitori and Onigiri for Tanabata Luncheon

We had a Fort Worth Japanese Society luncheon recently celebrating Tanabata. Tanabata is traditionally celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month.  Also known as the Star Festival,  Tanabata has its roots in a Chinese legend about the love between a young princess, Orihime, who was a weaver, and a handsome young cowherd named Kengyu (represented by the stars Vega and Altair). As a result of their great love for each other, the weaver neglected her work weaving cloth for the gods and the herdsman neglected his cattle.  In punishment, Orihime’s father, the emperor of the heavens, moved the star-lovers to opposite sides of the Milky Way and stated that they would only be allowed to meet once a year: on the seventh day of the seventh month. On this night a flock of heavenly magpies use their wings to form a bridge that the weaver can cross to join her lover. The magpies will only make the bridge if July 7 is a clear night; if it rains, the lovers must wait another year. One popular Tanabata custom is to write one's wishes on a piece of paper, and hang that piece of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree, in the hope that the wishes become true.  Colorful Tanabata festivals are held across Japan in early July and August. Among the biggest and most famous ones are the Tanabata Festivals of Sendai in August and Hiratsuka near Tokyo in July.

I coordinated the food which included takoyaki by the Japanese language teachers, Akiko and Mikako, cold zaru soba noodles by Harvey Yamagata,  my chicken yakitori, a classic Japanese festival food and some onigiri, traditional rice balls. 

 

The smell of yakitori reminds me of my recent trips to Tokyo, Japan where we walked by “yakitori alley” every day.  Businessmen in their expensive suits sat on milk crate chairs at tiny outdoor tables munching on freshly grilled yakitori.  The smell was irresistible.  I found the best yakitori recipe in my Hiroko Shimbo cookbook, The Japanese Kitchen, which comes very close to the authentic Japanese yakitori where the cook dips the skewered chicken into the tare (sauce) until the sauce tastes like chicken. I stood outside grilling the chicken under the covered overhang while it rained.  People arriving at the Japanese Society were excited to smell the festival food and couldn’t wait to taste it.

The onigiri was a good compliment to the flavorful chicken and other foods and it tickled me to see the young children eating one after another.

 

RECIPES:

Yakitori or Chicken on Skewers

Adapted from The Japanese Kitchen, by Hiroko Shimbo

Yakitori is a dish of chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, threaded on skewers and cooked over a charcoal fire.  During the cooking, the chicken is either salted or basted with a sweet sauce.  Use the best chicken you can find—free range, organic, local for the best taste!

 

Sauce:  Tare

 8 chicken wings

¼ cup sake

1 1/3 c Mirin (sweet cooking wine)

3 T sugar

1 1/3 c soy sauce

 On a grill or in a broiler, cook the chicken wings until they are charred over about half their surfaces.

In medium pot, bring the sake and Mirin to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and add the sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring.  Add the soy sauce and the chicken wings, and bring mixture to a boil.  Cook over low heat for 30 minutes.  Strain sauce through a strainer lined with cheese cloth or a fine metal strainer will work fine.  Cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate and use within a month.  Reheat the tare before using, and once a week between uses.

 

Chicken thigh or breast with onions on skewers

 1 chicken thigh, boned, with or without skin

1 chicken breast, boned, with or without skin

1 bunch of scallions, or young leeks, white parts only

Soak 12 , 6 inch bamboo skewers at least 1 hour

Cut chicken into 1 X 1 ¼ inch pieces.

Cut onions into 1 ¼ inch lengths.  Thread two pieces chicken and three pieces of onion alternately on skewer.  If using skin, fold in the edges of skin and tuck between the chicken meat and onion to prevent sin from burning.

Cook the skewered chicken for 4 minutes, turning several times.  Remove from heat and brush with tare.  Return to heat 2 minutes, turning several times.  Remove from heat and baste with sauce again.  Return to heat and cook 2 more minutes.  Remove and baste with sauce before serving.

Take care not to burn the yakitori.  Use medium heat and cook for at least 4 minutes with no sauce.  As soon as you put the sauce on it watch for burning and reduce heat immediately and remove all the skewers until the grill cools a little.  Don’t overcrowd the grill or the skewers will not cook inside.  This dish is best for a small group and eaten as soon as it comes off the grill.

 

Make ahead instructions:  Since I had to make enough yakitori for 40 people and knew there was no large grill available at the FWJS I grilled the chicken (not on skewers), then soaked it in the yakitori sauce for an hour, drained the sauce, then chilled the chicken until the next morning.  I cut the cold chicken into pieces and threaded it on the soaked skewers along with the scallions at the FWJS building.  I had a small charcoal grill fired up and ready to go, grilled the skewers and basted them with more sauce.  Since they were fully cooked it was easy to get them hot in a short time and they were ready to serve.

At home, when it's more relaxed, I like to sit on the patio next to the grill and cook the yakitori a few at a time and serve them as they cook. 

Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

 

4 cups of freshly cooked Japanese-style rice

2 sheets of nori seaweed, cut into/2 inch wide strips

Salt

Fillings:  Some classic fillings are pickled plum (umeboshi), bonito flakes just moistened with soy sauce (okaka), bonito flakes mixed with pickled plum (umekaka), flaked cooked salted salmon (shake or shiozake), cooked salty cod roe (tarako), chopped up pickles (tsukemono), and tsukudani, various tidbits - bonito cubes, tiny clams, etc. - cooked and preserved in a strong soy-sugar-sauce.

The key to making good onigiri is to have freshly cooked, hot rice. You can't make good onigiri with cold rice.

Wet your clean hands with cold water, and sprinkle them with salt. Take 1/4th of the rice and place on one hand. Make a dent in the middle of the rice with your other hand. Put in about 1 tsp or so worth of filling in the dent.

Working rapidly, wrap the rice around the filling, and form into a ball. To make the traditional triangular shape, cup your hand sharply to form each corner, and keep turning it until you are happy with the shape.  You can also use a plastic onigiri mold.

Wrap the rice ball with 1-2 strips of nori seaweed, or sprinkle with furikake (seaweed flakes) or sesames seeds.

Repeat for the rest of the rice.

To bring along on picnic, wrap in plastic film.  Some people prefer to carry the nori strips separately, and to wrap them around the onigiri when eating, to preserve the crisp texture of the seaweed.

Takoyaki--octopus balls made of savory pancake batter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mexican Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Pecan Glaze

I first tasted this cake at the Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg, Texas.  When I got one of my all time favorite cookbooks, The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather, I was excited to make the cake.  I have since made it many, many times. The extra vanilla and cinnamon give it a special taste.  I like the fact that you don't have to get out the mixer or a bunch of bowls to make it and it always turns out perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexican Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Pecan Glaze

Chef Julia Dunaway

Adapted from The Pastry Queen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Ghirardelli is what I use.)

3/4 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Chocolate Pecan Glaze

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 cups sifted powdered sugar (sift, then measure)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 12 cup Bundt pan generously with Baker's Joy or grease and flour it well.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat.  Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth.  Add the water and whisk until smooth.  Do not let the mixture boil.  Remove from heat and add the sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla all at once.  Whisk until smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and whisk together.  Add the dry ingredients to the saucepan and whisk until incorporated with the chocolate mixture.  There may be small lumps, but that's ok.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 40-45 minutes; the cake is done when it has pulled away slightly from the sides of the pan and feels firm to the touch.

 Glaze

Arrange pecan in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Toast at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.  Chop the pecans into large pieces.

Melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan.  Add the milk, cocoa, and powdered sugar and whisk until glossy.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla, salt, and pecans.

Loosen the cake with a knife or spatula and turn the pan onto a serving plate or foil covered 10 inch cake board.  Spoon the glaze onto the cooled cake.  The cake will keep up to 3 days, covered, at room temperature. 

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Coconut Cake

Chef Julia Dunaway

I've had many requests for this cake recipe.  It makes a very light, flavorful cake people have described as having layers of flavors.  I think the coconut milk and the lighter version of cream cheese frosting makes a big difference.  The original recipe comes from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes, by Alisa Huntsman.

Makes an 8-inch triple layer cake

For the cake:
5 large egg whites
½ cup of milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3 cups of cake flour
2 and 1/3 cup sugar
4 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter (8oz.) at warm room temperature
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 ½ cups of sweetened flaked coconut for garnishing cake

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Butter the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a parchment circle and butter the circle.

Put the egg whites in a bowl and whisk slightly. Add the ½ cup of milk and the vanilla and whisk to mix thoroughly; set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, beat dry ingredients well in order to break up any lumps. Add the butter and coconut milk on low speed and beat just to combine. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy about 2 minutes.

Add the egg white mixture in 2 or 3 additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Divide the batter among the pans.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake taster inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Then turn the cakes out and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To assemble the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on an 8-inch cake round. Cover this layer with 1 cup of the buttercream frosting. Spread it evenly all the way to edge of the cake. Then sprinkle ½ cup of shredded coconut on top. Add the second layer and repeat the process. Top with the final layer of cake and frost the top and sides of the cake.

Place the remaining 1 ½ cups shredded coconut on a large baking tray. Pick up the cake and hold it on the palm of one hand over the tray. Using the other hand scoop up the coconut and press it to the sides of the cake. Continue with this process until the sides of the cake are covered. Set the cake on a serving plate and sprinkle any remaining coconut on top of cake. Chill cake for at least one hour to allow frosting to firm up a bit.

Cream cheese buttercream frosting

12 ounces of cream cheese, slightly chilled
1 stick of butter plus 6 tablespoons of butter (7 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup of confectioner's sugar, sifted after measuring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup of water
3 egg whites

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until slightly fluffy and smooth. Add the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time, mixing until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and mix until fluffy. Set aside at room temperature while buttercream is made.

Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Continue to cook without stirring until the syrup reaches the softball stage 228 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, place the egg whites in mixer bowl and have the mixer ready to go. When the syrup is ready, turn the mixer on med-low and begin mixing the egg whites. Slowly add the hot syrup to the whites taking care not to pour onto the beaters, it may splash. When all the syrup is incorporated, raise the speed on the mixer to med-high and beat the egg whites until mixture has cooled and stiff meringue forms.

With the mixer on low, begin adding the cream cheese mixture by the spoonful. When all is incorporated, raise the speed to medium and whip until frosting is smooth and fluffy.  If frosting seems too soft, chill until it sets up a little more.  Don't be tempted to add more contectioner's sugar or it will be too sweet.

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Korean Beef Bowl from Azle Taste Tour 2013

Chef Julia Dunaway

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups organic baby spring mix, shredded into strips with a knife

1 pound grilled marinated beef (recipe below)

4 cups cooked short grain Japanese rice (or cooked brown rice)

1/2 cup spicy aioli

½ cup pickled carrots (recipe below)

½ cup cucumbers, sliced into julienne strips (1/8 x 1/8 x 2.5 inches)

¼ cup scallions, cut into fine strips

Roasted sesame seeds for garnish

Sriracha, as needed

Reduced sodium soy sauce, as needed

 

Marinated Beef

 

1 pound thinly sliced beef (rib eye is recommended)

Ask the butcher to slice it paper thin.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar—white, brown, organic cane, honey, agave, or sweetener of your choice

4 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon regular soy sauce

2 scallions, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chipped

1 tablespoon roasted white sesame seeds

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 whole onion, sliced

 

Place meat in a large plastic bag.  Mix marinade ingredients together and pour over beef.   Marinate at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.  Cook on grill over medium high heat very quickly and remove.

Slice into strips.  Saute onion slices in skillet sprayed with non-stick spray for approximately 5 minutes or until soft.  Mix with meat strips.

 

Rice

 

Cook 2 cups short grain sushi or Japanese rice following rice cooker instructions or instructions on package.  Keep warm.

 

Spicy Aioli

 

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons Sriracha

 

Mix together and place in a squeeze bottle.

 

Pickled Carrots

 

2 cups julienned carrots

¼ tsp salt

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon mirin

 

Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and Mirin, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Add to carrots.  Cover and chill.  Makes 8 servings

 

Assembly

 

Select a medium size bowl, not too deep, and place a handful of shredded spring mix.  Top with ½ cup cooked rice and 3-4 ounces grilled beef.  Squeeze small amount of spicy aioli on top.  Place a pinch of carrots, cucumbers, and scallions on top.  Finish with a pinch of roasted sesame seeds.  Add Sriracha for extra heat and a splash of soy sauce, if desired.

 

Other options:

 

Top beef bowl with a fried egg or sprinkle of cheese, crushed sesame chips or tortilla chips, cilantro, basil, and thinly sliced jalapeno peppers.  You can also add sautéed shiitake or cremini mushrooms, lightly sautéed spinach, or any vegetable you like.  Raw daikon radish or other pickled Asian vegetables can also be added.

 

2013 Taste Tour Chefs

 



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Spicy Curry Rice Omelet

Every now and then I like to have a couple eggs.  I get the best ones I can find—organic and all that—and enjoy them in dishes such as the omelet muffin or this one, a version of the Japanese “omelet rice”.  This dish is versatile because you can use any type of vegetable you have on hand.  If you don’t like onions, skip them, or omit the mushrooms.  Use whatever you like, even leftover meat or ham.  When I was growing up, in the age of bologna sandwiches as a staple, we used to have “bologna fried rice” with fried bologna, onions, scrambled egg and rice!  Yes, that sounds kind of gross now, but at the time I thought it was pretty good.  This combination of onions, mushrooms, small amount of oil, and healthy curry powder—which contains ingredients which are good for brain health—is a healthier dish.  Go easy on the oil, use brown rice and even egg whites only if you want an even lighter dish.  This is a humble meal but I was amazed at how wonderful it tasted when it took so little effort to make.  With a bowl of miso soup this would make a great dinner.

Spicy Curry Rice Omelet

Makes 1 omelet

1 tsp canola oil

½ cup sweet yellow onion, chopped

1-2 crimini mushrooms, sliced (optional)

½ tsp curry powder (Pioneer Brand Organic Curry Powder if available)

1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce

1 cup cooked brown or white rice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 eggs, beaten

Sriracha, for serving

Several small sheets roasted seaweed

 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the curry and soy sauce and stir to mix. Add the rice and season it with salt and pepper to taste, and stir to mix.  Set the seasoned rice aside, but keep it warm.

Spray skillet with non-stick spray.  Add the beaten eggs, quickly spreading them to make an omelet.  Place the rice mixture in the center of the omelet and fold the sides over the rice.  Place the serving place over the rice and flip the omelet onto the serving plate. 

Squeeze desired amount of Sriracha on top and serve with additional soy sauce and roasted seaweed.

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