Thanksgiving Bread Stuffing

15 - 20 lb.  Turkey
36 slices white bread
1  1/2 cups turkey broth
6 Tbsp bacon fat
3 Tbsp butter
3 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup thinly sliced celery
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp marjoram

12-14 lb. Turkey
24 slices white bread
1 cup turkey broth
4 Tbsp bacon fat
2 Tbsp butter
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 tsp salt
sprinkle of ground pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp marjoram

Note:
Bacon is made leaner than it used to be, and 1/2 lb. of fried bacon might yield only about 3 tablespoons of fat. To accommodate this, the recipe may be altered to use 3 Tbsp bacon fat and 6 Tbsp butter (for large turkey) or 3 Tbsp bacon fat and 3 Tbsp butter (for 12-14 lb. turkey).  The combination should add up to 9 Tbsp or 6 Tbsp, respectively.

Melt bacon fat and butter in large frying pan.
Add celery and cook about a minute.  Add onion and spices, and saute all, till onion is soft.
Add broth. Turn off heat.

Broil the bread to make toast. (This has to be constantly monitored, to avoid burning.)
Trim the edges off the toast and discard.
Cube the toast and put in very large bowl.
Add the broth mixture and toss to mix.
Add the eggs and mix.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Quiche Lorraine

1 unbaked pie shell
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. water

1/2 lb. sliced bacon, cooked crisp, and drained
1/2 lb. grated Jarlsburg swiss cheese (or Austrian swiss)
5 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
dash of dry nutmeg


Preheat oven to 430
Mix together egg yolk and and water, then brush pie shell with it.
Break bacon into small pieces and sprinkle over bottom of pie shell.
Sprinkle the cheese on top of the bacon.
Combine eggs and cream in medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Mix in seasonings.
Pour mixture over cheese through a wire strainer.

Bake at 430 for 12 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 and bake 1 hour.
Place on rack to cool about 10-15 minutes, then serve.



Hint:  Save the bacon drippings to use in recipe for Thanksgiving bread stuffing.

Butter-Based Pie Crust

2 cups flour
1  1/2 sticks (12 TBsp) butter (I use the lightly salted butter. Do not let it warm to room temp.)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar (for dessert pies only)
ice water

(This recipe can be halved successfully, for a one-crust pie)

Mix flour and salt in a bowl, then add butter

 Using a pastry blender, mix the butter into the flour until it's crumbly

Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture begins to stick together enough so you can form a dough ball.

Form pie dough into a ball.
If preparing the two-crust recipe, cut the dough ball in half.
Place dough on floured surface and using the palms of your hands start the circular form it will take.

Rub some flour on the rolling pin, and roll the pie dough, from the center outwards. When half-way to desired size, turn the pie crust over (lightly flour the surface before the flip), and continue to roll it out, to form the pie crust. (The upper pie crust should be wider than the pie plate, so the dough hangs over the side a little.)

 

Two-crust pie:
Carefully and lightly, fold the crust in half or quarters for easier handling, and place in pie plate.
Trim edges so they overlap the edges of the pie plate about 1/2 - 3/4 inch.
Fill pie crust then place the second pie crust on top.
Crimp edges of bottom and top of pie crust together by lightly pinching the edges between thumb and the middle of index finger.


One-crust pie:
Carefully and lightly, fold the crust into half or quarters for easier handling, and place over filling.
Crimp edges of pie crust by lightly pinching the edges between thumb and the middle of index finger.

Hint: try not to overwork the dough or you'll lose the flakiness of the pie crust.

Easy Lasagna

Makes 4 (large) to 6 (small) servings.

Ricotta mixture
16 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
grated parmesan cheese (see instructions for amount)
shredded mozarella cheese (see instructions)
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp salt
2 grinds of black pepper
* * *
spaghetti or pasta sauce (about 24 oz jar or 2.5 to 3 cups homemade sauce)
lasagna noodles
cooked sausage
fried peppers (green & red)

Mix ingredients for ricotta mixture in a large bowl -- add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after each.

Line 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with tomato sauce

Drain lasagna and rinse in cold water. Remove any excess moisture from the noodles by blotting with paper towel, before adding to the baking dish. (Hint: use pizza cutter to cut the noodles to the proper length, so they'll fit in the baking dish.)
Place first layer of noodles in baking dish, slightly overlapping side edges.
Spread almost half the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles.

Sprinkle 1 TBsp parmesan cheese over ricotta, followed by 1 TBsp mozarella.
Lightly add some of the tomato sauce, sausage and the fried peppers

REPEAT for next layer - noodles, cheeses, sauce, sausage and peppers.

Third layer is noodles only.
Cover third layer with tomato sauce, sausage (lightly) and peppers, and sprinkle 2 TBsp parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil, making a tent-like top so it won't stick to the cheese.

Bake in 375 oven for 55 minutes.
Remove foil and add mozarella cheese to cover the top of the lasagna.
Sprinkle lightly with oregano.
Lower oven to 350 and bake 12-15 minutes, until mozarella cheese is melted and almost turning brown.

Let cool about 15 minutes before cutting.

Quick and Easy Chicken Pie

1 rotisserie chicken (I use the Plain Roasted Chicken found in the grocery deli or prepared foods section)
3 cups turkey or chicken broth
2 tsps minced onion (fresh.) -- If using minced dehydrated onion, only use 1/4 tsp.
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
salt, to taste
sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked carrots, sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked potatoes, cubed or bite-size pieces
1 butter-based pie crust or Jiffy or Betty Crocker pie crust

Preheat oven to 425
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. (See hint below)
Add carrots and potatoes

Melt  butter in a pan, then add minced onion. Cook about 30 seconds.
Add  flour and cook over medium-high heat, stirring with whisk until bubbly.

Add turkey (or chicken) broth to flour mixture and stir with whisk until mixture thickens.
Add salt and pepper -- taste to ensure desired flavor.
Pour broth mixture over chicken, potatoes and carrots, then carefully stir with a large spoon, being careful not to mash the potatoes and carrots.

Transfer to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish

Roll out pie crust large enough to fit over the casserole dish.
Place the crust over the dish, and cut slits in the top, for steam to escape.

Lightly cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil, to prevent them from cooking faster than the top of the pie. (optional)
Bake in 425 oven  about 12 minutes, until crust starts to turn light golden-brown.
Lower heat to 350, remove foil from the crust (if used), and continue baking for 25-30 minutes.

Hints:
*Place a sheet of aluminum foil on the rack below the chicken pie in the oven, to catch any drips.
*Don't fill the casserole dish to the brim, as it will boil over during cooking.
*When you first buy the chicken, it'll be warm. Since it's much easier to remove the meat when the chicken is still warm rather than when it has cooled off in the fridge,  I will cut the meat off the chicken and then refrigerate it, if I'm not going to make the chicken pie on the day I buy the chicken.

Coq Au Vin

(This recipe can be doubled successfully - do not double the spices.)
1 frying chicken, cut up
flour to coat chicken + 3 TBsp flour
1/4 litre (1 cup) red wine
1/4 litre (1 cup) chicken broth + 3 TBsp broth
butter
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 small onions or about 8 pearl onions
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
3 slices bacon, slightly fried
about 6-8 small potatoes (creamer, dutch yellow or red)

Coat chicken with flour

Melt 4 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in frying pan, then add the flour-coated chicken, and brown on both sides. Start with the drumsticks, then thighs so they will be in the lower layer of the stewing pot.

Place browned chicken in stew pot and continue browning remaining chicken. Add onions (cut in pieces) (or pearl onions) to melted butter (add 1 Tbsp butter if there's no fat left in the frying pan) and saute about 3 minutes.

Add mushrooms, pepper, salt, nutmeg, thyme, and bay leaves. Simmer until onions are translucent or soft.
Add wine and chicken broth to frying pan with onion-mushroom mixture.
Bring to boiling, then pour into dutch oven, over chicken.

Add potatoes to dutch oven.

Bring to boiling then cover the pot - note the time - and lower heat to simmer on stove  for 1 1/4 hours.
Roll bacon slices and fry them lightly.

Add bacon slices, cover and simmer coq au vin for another 15 minutes.

Mix together 3 Tbsp flour and 3 Tbsp chicken broth or water in a small bowl.
Add to coq au vin to thicken it. Cover and cook another 5 minutes.

Bailey's Beef Stew

1.5 to 2 lbs. Beef chuck
1 small onion, sliced
1 slice bacon
1 TBsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
McCormicks  Unseasoned meat tenderizer
McCormicks Montreal steak seasoning
1 TBsp butter
1/2 tsp. French's Worcestershire sauce
2 cups beef broth
freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 to 1 3/4  cups sliced carrots
12 small "baby white" potatoes
2 TBsp flour

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Cut fat from beef, and cut the beef into 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch cubes.

Sprinkle the beef cubes with meat tenderizer, then Montreal steak seasoning.
Put flour in paper bag, add beef cubes and shake to coat them with flour.

Place the vegetable oil, beef fat, bacon, and onion into skillet..

Cook over fairly high heat (#8 of 10 on the stovetop dial).
When onion is soft and lightly browned,  remove and put in dutch oven.
Remove bacon when it becomes crisp. (Discard bacon.)
Put the lowest simmering heat under the dutch oven (on the stove), just to keep it warm. 
Continue to cook the beef fat until most of the fat has liquified (just a couple minutes more).
Discard fat from skillet and quickly place beef cubes in skillet.

Do not layer beef cubes.
Brown cubes on each side, then place in dutch oven.

Add 1 TBsp butter to skillet, followed by 1 TBsp flour (use the flour left over in the paper bag).

Whisk while cooking - about 1 minute.
Add beef broth, pepper, and worcestershire sauce to the butter-flour mixture, whisking to stir.
When broth mixture begins to boil, add to dutch oven, covering the beef cubes.

Bring beef  mixture to a boil again (should take just a few seconds) then cover the dutch oven and place in the oven.
Note the time -- bake for 2 1/2 hours.

At the 2-hour point, prep and cook the vegetables:
Boil potatoes for 15 minutes.
Boil carrots for 10 minutes.


After the stew meat has cooked for 2.5 hours:
 Add the drained potatoes and carrots to the stew.

 Carefully mix vegetables into the beef stew

Note the time -- bake (covered) for another hour.


To thicken the beef stew juice, mix 2 Tbsp. flour and 2 Tbsp beef broth (or water) together. Mix into stew (if you use the whisk, careful not to break up the potatoes and carrots) and cook 5 minutes more.