Thanksgiving 2010: Jalapeno Cornbread Dressing, my favorite

Chocolate Cornucopia and Milk Chocolate Rum Raisin and Dark Chocolate Truffles

Top photo: finished Jalapeno Sausage Cornbread Dressing, bottom--the ingredients

I made so many things this year that I chose one recipe and dish to feature--the cornbread dressing. I will describe some of the other things I made, though. I wanted to wow my granddaughters, Grace and Kyndal with something really different so I made a chocolate cornucopia and truffles. Some of the truffles were milk chocolate with rum raisin milk chocolate filling, some were dark chocolate and kahlua rolled in toasted nuts, coconut, and sprinkles. Judging by how quickly they disappeared I think they were very good. I had the granddaughters break up the cornucopia which they really enjoyed.

I also made a New York cheesecake for my daughter, Helen. She wanted just plain cheesecake, no fancy toppings, and gluten free. I found gluten free graham crackers and they tasted just like the regular ones. The cheesecake was silky smooth and delicious.

Here's the entire menu:

Spicy cranberry chutney

Sweet potato souffle with chipotle peppers

Sauteed green beans with almonds

Jalapeno and sausage cornbread dressing

Brined and Roasted turkey

Smoked turkey

Gravy

Baked acorn squash

Sweet potato rolls

Brown butter pecan pie

Rum raisin truffles and chocolate cornucopia

New York Cheesecake

I also made hot smoked salmon on Friday for a second family dinner, pictured here. We had leftovers from Thanksgiving that and the salmon for Will, who is a pescatarian.

My thoughts about the menu this year:

Cranberry chutney--excellent, sweet, spicy with lime and orange zest and juice. I'd make it again.

Sweet potato souffle--ick--overcooked it--enough said.

Sauteed green beans--fresh green beans, blanched and sauteed in olive oil with toasted almonds. Simple and wonderful

Jalapeno and sausage dressing--best thing!

Brined and roasted turkey--my first time brining and probably my last--too salty and changes the texture of the meat in a weird way

Smoked turkey--8 hours in the smoker for a 10 pound turkey. The day after is the best and it was tender and flavorful. I used a simple spice rub and just set in directly on the rack. I'm going to experiment and try wrapping it in a butter soaked t-shirt like my friend, Chef Lisa.

Baked acorn squash--simple, just a little butter and seasonings, and very tasty

Sweet potato rolls--from Artisan Baking Company were wonderful

Brown butter pecan pie--another favorite this year--next time use the vanilla bean

Rum raisin truffles--loved them--a good Christmas gift for sure

New York Cheesecake--should have taken a photograph.

Jalapeno Cornbread Dressing

4 T butter

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups corn kernels

2 T minced garlic

1 cup diced red bell pepper

3-4 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced

8 ounces bulk pork sausage (omit for vegetarian version) Brown, drain, and set aside.

2 eggs

3 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 T freshly chopped cilantro leaves

2 T freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

8 cups cubed and toasted cornbread (or use my gluten free green chile cornbread found on previous blog post)

I made my own cornbread for Thanksgiviing but used Central Market cornbread last week for a potluck and it was fine. Toast cornbread by putting in on a sheet pan and in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees. Melt butter and sweat vegetables until tender. Whisk together eggs, stock, cream and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Combine all items, including cornbread in a 4 quart lasagna pan and cook covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 20 more minutes.

The spicy jalapenos, tender cornbread, and all the flavors worked so well together. I would have been happy just eating a bowl of this dressing.

It's bittersweet to be able to make anything I want for holiday dinners now. While I love choosing my own menu I really, really miss my parents and their special holiday cooking and I missed making the icky things my children had to have--the pink stuff ( a cherry, cool whip, fruit concoction) and the sweet potato casserole (with the tons of brown sugar and butter) for Alexandra, as well as the canned cranberry sauce for John David. Glenn always wanted green bean casserole. My mother always had to have canned yams cut up dotted with butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup, and pumpkin pie. I made my fancy and not good sweet potatoes this year and missed hers. She also always made up a "relish tray" of pickles, peppers, olives, and the like. I skipped that this year and I'll admit I preferred the cheesecake and pecan pie over the pumpkin pie, though. My father used to get up early and make turkey stock and stuffing. He was an Army food service expert and used to making Army size portions. He also believed in brown food. I remember him showing me how to make roux when I was a child, and his gravy was excellent, much better than mine. I wish I knew how to make his dressing. I have tried many times but it's never the same. It had a combination of herb bread stuffing, cornbread stuffing, celery, onions, sausage and then various seasonings. Although I don't make the same foods I remember those Thanksgiving dinners fondly and would love to taste his highly seasoned dark brown stuffing and great gravy again. But now I make my own lighter dishes, spiced up with peppers, and nothing out of a can.

Sitting around the table with my four children and their partners, my grandchildren, and Steve was a special time. I hope one day my children reach back in time and make something for their families that I loved.

On Saturday, my son John David, called to ask me a question (about cooking ) and mentioned that Lauren, his wife, who couldn't be at the family dinner, really liked the dressing. He wanted the recipe. I told him I planned to post it here and thought to myself with a little sadness how I wish I had asked my father many, many years ago for his stuffing recipe.

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Private Cooking Lesson with Linda Johnson: Brunch

Today's Menu: Lemon Yogurt Muffins

Potato Vegetable Hash

Migas with Sausage

Fresh Fruit with orange liqueur
Potato Vegetable Hash

Linda cooking the migas

Linda wanted to make some brunch dishes for this lesson and she plans to make the same dishes on an upcoming trip to visit family. We started with the lemon yogurt muffins. The combination of lots of lemon zest, finely chopped pecans, and tart yogurt gives thems muffins a really nice flavor. They have a cake like texture and are very moist.

We also made a potato and vegetable hash. It took a while to shred all the potatoes, zucchini, and carrots but the combination of these ingredients with garlic and rosemary was great.

Potato and Vegetable Hash

3/4 cup shredded carrots

3 cups shredded zucchini

3 cups shredded Yukon gold potatoes, shredded, rinsed and drained

After shredding, cut crosswise into squares.

1-2 T olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried rosemary

In a large skillet over medium high heat add olive oil and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then add the zucchini and spices and cook for 10 more minutes. A crisp crust will form as you cook the mixture.

6-8 servings

I was very pleased with the fresh fruit dish we made. Simple, healthy, but delicious.

Fresh Fruit with Grand Marnier

1 cup strawberries

2 kiwis

1 banana

2 navel oranges

3 T honey

1 T Grand Marnier (or orange liqueur)

3 sprigs fresh mint

1 cup blueberries (or raspberries)

Add mango, papaya, or other fruits as desired and available

Wash and cut strawberries into quarters. Peel and dice the kiwi, peel and slice the banana. Peel and segment the oranges, cutting off the membranes. Squeeze the juice over the fruit.

Stir the honey and Grand Marnier. Chop mint leaves and stir into the fruit mixture. Add the berries. Serve within 2 hours.

For the migas, search my blog for the recipe. I am not going to post the recipe for the lemon yogurt muffins at this time. I want to make a couple changes to the recipe and try it again.

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Grace's Birthday Party: Nachos and Cupcakes

We went to Houston for my granddaughter's birthday. Grace was in favor of cupcakes so I made 3 types: Chocolate fudge with cinnamon and chocolate buttercream frosting (with Callebaut chocolate!), Buttermilk with cream cheese and sprinkles, and a gluten free chocolate with chocolate fudge frosting. Grace and her friends helped with the frosting and decorating and they had a blast. My daughter, Helen, is on a gluten free diet and she was happy to have some tasty cake. For the gluten free cake I used a mix from Central Market, and for a cake mix it was really good. When I left Houston I placed the remaining cupcakes in Helen's freezer and she told me later she enjoyed them the entire week and planned to serve some to her friends this weekend.

For the family and friends meal on Saturday we had nachos. This seemed like a versatile choice given the varying dietary challenges. I made a vegetarian chili with tofu, guacamole, cheese sauce, pico de gallo, beef, and chopped a lot of fresh vegetables, and we just piled the ingredients on some thin corn tortilla chips. Everyone seemed to enjoy the spicy chili, the fresh vegetables, and the spicy pico de gallo. I loved the idea of the "gourmet" nacho buffet for a family gathering with so many different preferences and will definitely use do it again soon.

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Family Sukiyaki Dinner

Sukiyaki Ingredients

Table is ready

Time to eat!

My son John David, his wife Lauren, and our granddaughter Kyndal were coming to visit on Sunday and he requested our family sukiyaki dinner. My mother always prepared this dinner on special occasions and for company and I always have fond memories of her standing over the skillet with her chopsticks, making sure everyone gets their desired items before she ever tasted a single bit. He said he wanted me to teach him how to make it so he could prepare it for his own family and friends.

Sukiyaki is a Japanese "hot-pot" dish prepared at the table. It contains thin slices of beef, vegetables, noodles, and tofu in a special broth and is eaten with rice. The traditional way of eating sukiyaki is to dip the hot items in raw egg to cool them, but I've found many people are squeamish about this practice. I found a pasteurized egg product that can be used instead, but I personally still use a beaten raw egg sprinkled with togarashi (hot pepper).

Most of the preparation is done in advance and the sukiyaki is prepared in front of the diners.

On a cold evening the steaming skillet of meat and vegetables is so appetizing. Here's the family recipe:

1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced beef (I prefer rib-eye steak, frozen and sliced very thin.) (Sukiyaki can also be made with chicken or skip the meat altogether.)

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 bunch of scallions, cut into 2 inch lengths

1 white onion, sliced

1 block medium firm tofu, cut into bite size squares

12 oz shirataki (yam noodles, rinsed, drained, briefly boiled in water, drained again)

1 cup bamboo shoots, sliced

8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 cups udon noodles, cooked in advance (or packaged type which are already cooked)

4 cups napa cabbage, cut into large pieces

Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce (ok to use low sodium)

1/2 cup sugar (ok to reduce a little)

2 T sake

1 cup water

Mix together and put in pitcher or glass container for the table.

Arrange all ingredients on attractive platters. I put the meat on a separate dish and put noodles in their own bowls. Make sure everyone has a bowl of hot white Japanese rice and a bowl of beaten egg. (Also, try poaching your egg in the broth if the raw egg is a turn off.)

Heat the skillet an add a teaspoon of oil. Saute the beef until lightly browned and move to one side of the skillet. Add a few of each of the other ingredients, except the udon noodles. Add sauce to barely cover the ingredients. Cook until the vegetables are done, but this will only take a few minutes. Do not overcook. Serve each diner a taste of each item until pan is empty. You can ladle sauce on their rice if you like (but don't do that in front of Japanese people--it's not cool.) Add more of the ingredients to the skillet and cook again. Toward the end, start cooking the udon noodles. They seem to soak up a lot of broth so I always cook them last.

Leftover sukiyaki on top of rice is delicious as well.

I hope John David makes sukiyaki in the future and thinks of his grandmother and mother.

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Private Cooking Classes with Linda Johnson

No bake Cheesecake with raspberry sauce

Beef and bean chili

Vegetable quesadillas with cheese

Linda Johnson

I was fortunate to meet Linda Johnson at the Azle Farmer's Market this summer. She picked up one of my brochures and called me inquiring about private cooking lessons. She has been treated for a condition which required chemotherapy. During the course of her treatment she attended a nutrition class where she became much more aware of the role of food in health and the concept of nutrition as medication. She was ready to start making changes but didn't really know where to start so lessons were the answer for her. While Linda has always cooked she admitted she is stuck in a rut typically making casseroles and high fat dishes. She does not eat many fresh vegetables or fish, nor does she usually cook with many spices or herbs. Linda was completely open to trying new things and is very easy going, making her a pleasure to work with.
Our first class was on September 25. We made seared chicken breasts with Dijon sauce, stir-fried chicken and vegetables, and Indian shrimp. I gave her master recipes for various types of light pan sauces for the seared chicken and showed her how to sear the chicken breast over high heat, not crowding the pan, and cook it until it was done but not "cooked to death" like most of us tend to cook chicken.
We used a variety of thinly cut vegetables for the stir-fry along with some fresh ginger and garlic and a light sauce with low sodium chicken broth and soy sauce. Lastly we made an Indian shrimp and vegetable dish.
She really enjoyed the seared chicken breasts and has since made many versions of it. I believe she has also made the stir-fried meat and vegetables again. I don't think the Indian shrimp was a big hit. I was happy to hear that her husband, Baker, who usually didn't eat bell peppers, was able to enjoy the stir-fry. She was anxious for the next class.
Our second class was on November 6. Linda had read a blog entry I posted on the taco party I had for friends and asked if we could do a class on chili with various toppings. She asked that her classes contain appetizer, entree, and dessert dishes. Our menu for the class was:
Appetizer: Open-faced vegetable quesadillas
Entree: Beef chili with toppings
Green chile cheese cornbread
Dessert: No Bake Cheesecake with berries

For the appetizer we sauteed onions, mushrooms, and poblano peppers. We took some whole wheat tortillas and placed them on a cookie sheet, sprinkled some goat cheese and Monterey Jack cheese on them along with the vegetables and cooked them for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. We topped with with a little chopped cilantro and cut them into wedges.

The chile was a simple beef and bean chili spiced up with some chipotle chiles, poblano peppers and good ancho chile powder. We used 2 pounds of lean ground beef and 4 cups of beans, added liquid and some roux to keep the chili from being so heavy with meat. We topped it with shredded cheese, sour cream, crumbled corn chips, and a little cilantro. I explained to Linda that while I might put out a lot of toppings for the crowd such as different cheeses, chips, sour cream, diced onion, limes, cilantro, etc., I personally will put just a taste of the chips and cheese on my chili along with the onions and cilantro. Linda called for Baker to come in and sample the finished chili and he declared it to be tasty. I heard later that they happily finished the whole batch and it improved with age.
We made green chile cheese cornbread with goat cheese (see blog entry from Azle Farmers Market with this recipe). Linda had not ever tried goat cheese before and she said she liked it.

We made the dessert first so it would have time to chill.
Basically we took a typical graham cracker crust but with less butter and sugar, made the cheesecake with cream cheese and sugar and 1 vanilla bean. Linda had never used vanilla bean before. I'll admit it's a little pricey, but in this recipe it really stood out. We added some fresh lemon juice and a little cream. We put the crumbs in the bottom of a ring mold, added the cheesecake filling and chilled it. After we removed it from the mold we placed some fresh raspberries which had been made into a sauce on top. This was a refreshing dessert after the spicy chili. I showed Linda that the dessert could be made in large or small glasses as well.

By the end the kitchen was full of great smelling food, a large pot of chili to enjoy later, cheesecake parfaits in the fridge, and cornbread and quesadillas. I went home and cooked a quick dinner for my family but I kept thinking about the delicious food at Linda's and when I would make my own chili dinner.

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Short Leash Mobile Hot Dog Eatery, Phoenix

Jalapeno cheese stuffed spicy corn dog

The Aiko

When I was in Phoenix back in August I happened upon a food truck, Short Leash Mobile Hot Dog Eatery, at the Phoenix Public Market. I had already eaten dinner so I didn't try anything but I was charmed by their concept. Hot dogs named after their own and others pet dogs with photos of the dog next to their namesake hot dog. Adorable! And the hot dogs sounded so delicious-- The Aiko-- mango chutney, diced jalapenos, red onions, fresh cilantro and mayo on naan bread or The Igby--coleslaw and crumbled blue cheese drizzle with tangy bbq sauce.

I planned to come back next time I was in Phoenix, no telling when that would be. Fortunately, I became a Facebook fan of Short Leash and have been getting updates about them all along so I would not forget them. They have been wildly popular in Phoenix and have been written about extensively. As luck would have it I'm back this week and remembered that Wednesday afternoon and evening was the day they would be at the Public Market. I walked down there this evening and there they were! I ordered the Aiko, although I was tempted to order the special Devil Dog, with roasted red peppers, green chile, sauteed onion, pickled jalapenos and pepper jack cheese. Too bad I can't come back...

As I was enjoying my Aiko, which by the way was awesome, one of the owners, Brad Moore, came out and gave me a sample of the spicy corn dog. We had been talking earlier about my visit in August and they remembered me telling them I was from Fort Worth. Brad went to Texas Wesleyan and has family in Ft. Worth. Brad and Katherine Moore are the nicest couple and their business is doing well which makes me very happy. Brad said it was physically harder than they imagined and I believe it. They are featured in this month's Arizona magazine, page 50, but I have been unable to locate a copy.

Both the Aiko and corn dog were so tasty. Now I have to get dressed to go to an evening reception at the Sheraton Hotel with free food (my experience is that the vultures will swoop in and gobble it down before you can get to it). But I will not be hungry, thanks to Short Leash.

I love Phoenix.

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Baking Like Crazy Week

cupcakes, cupcakes, everywhere
Key Lime Pie
Snickers cheesecake bars, sticky finger bars

Sugar cookies

Let's see--did I really sign up to bring 4 dozen pink iced ribbon shaped cookies for a breast cancer awareness fund raiser? How about some Snickers cheesecake bars, and some sticky fingers bars, and an extra large key lime pie? Then did I plan a lunch party the very next day involving me bringing a main dish? Oh and the very next day was the "cake and punch" where I was going to supply 60-70 people with gourmet cupcakes. Am I crazy? That's what my daughter asked me when she saw me from Sunday night until Wednesday at noon when I was putting the final touches on the cupcakes. I couldn't complain in front of her because she is wise at the age of 20. She would just look at me and say, "Mom, you did this to yourself." She would be right. My friend, Susan, asked me to make some things for her fundraiser a long time ago and I told her I would. I didn't think it would fall on the same week one of my staff members was leaving. I started making the cookies Sunday night, made the Snickers cheesecake and sticky fingers bars and key lime pie Monday. This key lime pie involves hand squeezing a whole bag of key limes to make a cup and a half of juice. I make it in a 2 inch tart pan with a graham cracker/pecan crust. I saw this pie at Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg, selling price $50.00. When Rebecca Rather put the recipe in one of her cookbooks I was anxious to make it. It is very, very good. It's in the Christmas recipe book, by the way. I put together the Snickers cheesecake bars based on a couple different recipes I've used over the years. Basically it's a layer of brownies, a layer of Snickers bars, then a layer of cheesecake. I made some white chocolate ribbons and placed them over a little chocolate ganache. The sticky fingers bars are also a Rebecca Rather recipe in her first cookbook, Pastry Queen, and involves a cookie layer, egg/butter/sugar layer, and peanut butter, some chopped peanuts and a drizzle of chocolate. I baked them in 13 by 9 inch pans, cooled them overnight, and cut them into large pieces, just 8 pieces per pan. The key lime pie is always very pretty and was placed in a silent auction. It sold for $63.00. The bars sold immediately and were very popular. I think the jumbo size and their appearance in general is very tempting.
Now to the going away party--

The fact that she worked in my department for eleven years made her leaving a big deal, not to mention the fact that I love her dearly. I had to make her something special. Usually the cake and punch celebrations involve the giant Costco cake so with me being her supervisior expectations were high that we would have something different. I planned to make four different cupcakes and cheesecake: Carrot with cream cheese frosting, chocolate filled with salted caramel with chocolate buttercream, chocolate fudge, butter cake with cream cheese frosting, and individual pumpkin cheescakes. I would make 10 dozen total. That is 120 cupcakes. Hello--can I do this after work on Tuesday??? I didn't factor in how tired I would be from Sunday, Monday and Tuesday cooking and baking. I also had to work all day. Like I said, crazy. I managed to make everything between 4 PM and 11 PM and fell into bed very exhausted. I still had to come home at noon and frost the cream cheese cake cups, remove the cheese cakes from the silicone molds and pack everything into boxes. As things typically happen, there were some issues in the transportation, but I managed to get the cupcakes into the building and people from my department artfully arranged them on the cupcake stands I brought with me. It was a beautiful display and the cupcakes were very well received. The salted caramel filled chocolate with chocolate buttercream was out of this world and I will make them again soon. Some people loved the carrot cake ones, and even the plain butter cakes were popular. The pumpkin cheesecake was also a big hit. The next day a woman at work asked me how much I would charge to make her 2 dozen of the chocolate cupcakes with buttercream and salted caramel. The ingredients alone cost around $15.00. (1 pound of Callebaut just for the frosting). I looked up the local Cupcake Cottage to get an idea of what people out there are charging for cupcakes. $2.95 per cupcake and that is for the plain and simple ones. Cream cheese, chocolate, etc. cost .30 extra per dozen. As their prices I would have paid $390.00 for the cupcakes. Wow! I didn't want to tell the woman at work it would cost her $78.00 for 2 dozen cupcakes, so I told her I would charge her $20.00 a dozen, thinking she would be shocked and give up the idea. She immediately said, "that's fine". Hmmm... we'll see.

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