Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast Roasted with Vegetables: Two Meals in One Dish

Posted on November 23, 2012 | 4 comments

Did you not get enough turkey yesterday? Or do you have too many leftovers and are looking for tasty ways to use them? This recipe features many of the flavors of Thanksgiving in a one dish meal. And part two of the recipe is a hash — a perfect way to make a second night’s meal, or to use extra Thanksgiving leftovers.

We didn’t cook the whole feast ourselves yesterday but joined a large, extended family gathering. I brought pies. The hosts are great cooks and so gracious that they actually send every guest home with a large to go container of leftovers. Still, I couldn’t wait for the tastes of Thanksgiving last weekend. I also make this recipe with chicken, but the chicken just didn’t look as good in the store as the half split turkey breast. Normally I wrap chicken breast in prosciutto or stuff the turkey with a mix of pancetta and fresh herbs, but this time I had bacon at home. To be perfectly honest, we preferred the taste of the prosciutto over the bacon. Any of them will work for adding moisture and flavor, so use what you like! Similarly, any number of vegetables will work. Use whatever you have on hand. Winter root vegetables are particular well suited to the dish and mushrooms add a lot umami.

Meal One: Turkey Breast Wrapped in Bacon Roasted with Vegetables

  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Vegetables (Sweet Potato, Mushrooms, Fennel, Onion, Garlic, Parsnips, Potato, Bell Pepper, Butternut Squash, Leeks, Carrots etc.)
  • Black Pepper, Cayenne
  • 1 Split Half Turkey Breast, Bone-In (can also use Chicken)
  • Prosciutto or Bacon
  • Fresh Herbs (Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley, etc.)
  • 1/4 cup of Sherry, Marsala or White Wine

Preheat oven to 400° F. Add oil to a large oven proof skillet, pan, dutch oven or baking dish. Chop the vegetables into chunks (slightly larger than bite-sized as they will shrink down) and add them to the pan. Sprinkle with pepper and cayenne (salt is optional since the bacon/prosciutto is salty). Stir so that all are coated with a little bit of oil, and add a little more oil if needed.

Sprinkle pepper and fresh herbs on the turkey breast. Wrap with slices of prosciutto and bacon so that just the top is covered. Place on top of the vegetables. Toss any extra herbs in with the vegetables. Roast in the oven until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. (I remove it just before then as I find the temperature continues to rise slightly.) Move the meat to a serving dish. If the veggies need more time, throw them back into the oven. If they are near done, add the sherry, marsala or wine, and stir. Place back in the oven for 3-5 minutes. (This can also be done on top of the stove, if using a skillet or dutch oven.) Using a spatula or wooden spoon, scrape up the caramelized bits, stir and serve.

Notes:

  • If you are using chicken it will be definitely be done before the vegetables. So either cook them alone a little before adding the meat, after, or both.
  • For a nice variation, stuff the turkey with pancetta and herbs instead of wrapping. Make a slice length-wise down the breast and stuff.
  • For a true taste of Thanksgiving, use sage, among other herbs. I try to avoid eating sage while breastfeeding, however, since it can reduce milk production.
  • This is easily a one dish meal, but this time I served it with my favorite green salad of late: baby kale, citrus, fennel and feta.

Meal Two: Turkey, Roast Veggie and Bacon Hash

  • Leftovers from the above dish, or any combination of leftover meat, potatoes and/or veggies
  • 6 or so eggs, beaten

In a large pan heat any fat that has congealed in the leftovers. If needed, add a little oil. Remove the bacon (if any) from the meat and chop finely. Add to the pan. Remove the meat from the bone and cut into bite-sized chunks. Add the meat and vegetables to the pan. Add the eggs. Stir occasionally, like scrambled eggs, until the eggs are done and the other ingredients are heated though. No seasoning is usually needed since the leftovers are seasoned. Can be served with hot sauce and/or ketchup.

What is your favorite way to use leftover turkey?

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Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash

Posted on November 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Quinoa is an all around great for you food. It is an ancient grain, originally the primary nutrition source of the Incas, and has been popular the last 10-15 years–with good reason. It is naturally high protein. Unlike other vegetarian sources of protein, like lentils and other beans, which must be combined with something like rice in order to provide a complete protein, quinoa is one of the few grains that is a complete protein on its own. Although we are not vegetarian, there are many reasons why I try to reduce how often we eat meat, including environmental, economic and health concerns.

Quinoa is also a great source of fiber, iron, magnesium, essential amino acids and other nutrients. It is naturally low fat, low calorie and gluten free. I serve quinoa as I would rice, along side fish, chicken or vegetable mains. It is also great mixed into salads. I love it most, however, mixed into stuffings and veggie burgers. Whenever making it (which I usually do simply, with just water in a rice cooker) I make extra so as to have leftovers.

This recipe is a twice baked butternut squash with quinoa and parmesan cheese mixed in. I made it super simple as I was juggling a squirmy little one. I would normally sauté an onion, at least, and maybe a carrot, some celery, garlic, etc. and mix it in. But it tasted surprisingly flavorful as is!

Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe

  • 1 large Butternut Squash (any winter squash will do)
  • 1 cup cooked Quinoa
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt, pepper, paprika and/or a seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Reserve the seeds and toast them for snacking (click here to read how.) Salt and pepper the squash and place on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat. Bake until soft, or when a fork is easily inserted, about 35-50 minutes, depending on the size of the squash.

Remove the squash from the oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop out most of the flesh into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mix, and then refill the shells. Bake another 20-30 minutes, or until the stuffing is heated through.

Tips for Feeding Baby:

This is a great dish for babies. Even the earliest eaters (6-7 months) will enjoy the baked squash mixed with quinoa (reserve some for baby before mixing in the egg.) Quinoa on its own is impossibly messy, but mixed with squash it sticks together much better (and tastes better), especially for the independent babes who want to feed themselves. My daughter enjoyed this both with her hands and practicing her growing spoon and fork skills. We served her just the stuffing, while the presentation in the half shell of a squash is pretty enough for company!

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Mike’s Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cranberry Gelée

Posted on November 19, 2012 | 3 comments

Along with my favorite Chocolate Espresso Pecan Pie, another holiday dessert I have made a couple years in a row is this Pumpkin New York Cheesecake with a Cranberry Gelée topping. The recipe (and photo) comes from one of my friends from high school.  Mike shared: “I had the plain Cheesecake recipe ever since my first job in 8th grade as a busboy. It is still to this day my favorite cheesecake. It lends itself to flavor variations quite well, but for my money, you just can’t beat the pumpkin variety.”

Pumpkin New York Cheesecake with Cranberry Gelée Recipe

Makes two cakes: Divide everything in half for one.

CRUST:
8 cups ground cinnamon graham crackers
3 sticks melted butter

Add butter to crumbs until mixture molds in your fist. Then press evenly into 2 buttered 9” spring form pans. Bake 10 minutes at 375° F.

FILLING:

Soften 3 – 8 oz packages of cream cheese. Beat cream cheese together with 3/4 cups sugar until fluffy.

ADD:
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup sour cream
MIX WELL.

IN SEPARATE BOWL:
Mix:
One large can of pre-seasoned pumpkin pie filling
5oz evaporated milk
2 eggs
Increase spice as desired, remembering that the cheesecake will dilute the flavor a bit.

COMBINE FILLINGS

POUR into graham cracker crusts

BAKE at 350° until center is firm.
(Note: Baking in a water bath will prevent the top from drying out and cracking.)

LET COOL completely.

Topping
Cranberry Gelee Topping for Pumpkin Cheesecake

2 Cups Fresh Cranberries
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
A sprinkling of fresh orange peel zest
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries with 1/2 cup water and cook over moderate heat until they begin to pop, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine sieve. Rinse out the saucepan.

Add the sugar and 1/4 cup of water to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until dissolved. Stir in the orange juice and strained cranberry puree. Let cool.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water, and let stand until softened, 5 minutes. Microwave for 10 seconds or until completely melted. Stir to make sure it’s smooth, and then whisk the gelatin into the cranberry mixture, and pour over the cake; shake it gently to even out.

Refrigerate until set, at least one hour and up to two days.

Remove cake from fridge 10 – 15 minutes before serving. Tastes better when it’s not quite so cold.

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Chocolate Espresso Pecan Pie

Posted on November 13, 2012 | 2 comments

The holidays are coming! My favorite part of getting ready for the holidays has to be baking. I’m happy to share my favorite recipe, a chocolate espresso pecan pie, with you here. It is, just as the title implies, a pecan pie made more decadent, yet less cloyingly sweet, with dark chocolate, espresso and cocoa nibs. Cocoa nibs are 100% chocolate, in its raw and natural state. They are crunchy, slightly bitter and remind me vaguely of fresh peanuts. I’ve made this pie at least half a dozen times and it never disappoints! Serve with fresh whipped cream, a cup of black coffee, and you have my perfect dessert.

This year, while transcribing the recipe for the chocolate espresso pecan pie, I decided to research alternatives to the original recipe’s suggestion of corn syrup. Apparently in Louisiana, cane syrup is considered traditional in pecan pies. Others have also used maple syrup and honey. I think using brown sugar plus a little bit of liquid would give a great flavor, complementing the pecans. I will probably end up using the same as last year: a mix of brown rice syrup and organic, non-GMO, corn syrup.

Update (1/2/13): I made the pie again for Christmas with honey in place of the corn syrup. I highly recommend warming up the honey until it is liquid, and even watering it down a little, before adding it in. If not, thick honey will be hard to mix by hand. I personally felt like I could taste the honey, but my family liked it, and some even preferred it.

Chocolate Espresso Pecan Pie Recipe

Recipe adapted minimally “Chocolate Espresso Pecan Tart” from Evan Kleinman of KCRW’s Good Food

  • 1 (9-inch) unbaked all butter pie crust (recipe follows)
  • 6 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, broken into chunks
  • 3 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup brown rice syrup, homemade cane syrup, honey, maple syrup or corn syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 Tablespoon Trablit Coffee Extract
  • 1 1/4 cups pecans
  • 1/4 cup Cocoa Nibs

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Scatter the chunks of chocolate over the pie crust.

In a medium bowl with fork beat eggs slightly. Add sugar, syrup, butter and coffee extract and stir until blended. Stir in pecans and Cocoa Nibs. Pour into pie crust.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Notes:

I sometimes brush the bottom of the uncooked crust with a little egg white, just before filling. I also keep the crust, once it is in the dish, in the fridge up until the last minute, to keep the butter in it cold. (The chunks of butter are what create flakes!)

All Butter Pie Crust Recipe

Makes a double crust. Since the chocolate espresso pecan pie only needs a bottom crust, use the other half for a quiche, a pumpkin pie or freeze for an easy pie crust in the future. From The Baker’s Dozen Cookbook via eggbeater.

  • 2 Cups all purpose flour
  • 4 Tablespoons sugar (optional, I usually omit)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter
  • ice water, to incorporate

Cube butter evenly and freeze. Place all dry ingredients in the bowl of a Kitchen-Aid mixer. When butter is frozen, use paddle attachment with mixer on the very lowest setting, and drop butter in a few pieces at a time. Stay close by. Put ice and cold water in a measuring cup. When the chunks of butter are slightly larger than pea size, dribble in the ice water until dough does not appear dry and JUST begins to come together. Turn the dough out onto a dry surface and push together with the heel of your hand. Try not to knead or overwork the dough, you want it to come together so you can roll it out. This dough can be used right away! This amount makes enough for a top and a bottom. If you are not going to use it right away, double wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for up to a month.

 

  

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Mama Bird’s Belly Butter

Posted on November 12, 2012 | 7 comments

When I found out the winner of our first contest was pregnant, I couldn’t resist making her some of my favorite homemade belly butter in addition to her prize of a wedge of homemade Humbolt Fog-inspired cheese. I made up this recipe for stretch mark preventing belly butter when I was pregnant. I used it daily and credit it for sailing through pregnancy without a single stretch mark. Like my Iced Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Recipe (another natural pregnancy remedy) I have been wanting to share it for some time and figured this was a great excuse for sharing it without fear of triggering pregnancy rumors in my extended family.

Photo credit: Kari Pfeiffer

Researching stretch marks, I learned that the biggest risk factor is genetics. Since my mother did not escape her pregnancies unmarked, I was extra motivated to try to prevent them. The second biggest factor is simply dry skin. This formula uses all natural ingredients, many of them food grade, to nourish, feed and hydrate the skin. I believe this allowed my skin to expand as needed and bounce back better afterwards. I am sensitive to artificial perfumes, and was all the more so during pregnancy, and I had an aversion to the smell of all the stretch mark creams that were commercially made. Like all mothers, I wanted my growing babe to have the best start, so turning to natural ingredients, instead of rubbing chemicals into my bump, was a no-brainer. You could easily add a drop or two of essential oils to add a scent, but I preferred the butter as is, smelling like chocolate and coconut–yum.

Mama Bird’s Belly Butter Recipe

Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan on very low heat. Heat just until melted. Whisk and remove from heat. Pour into a jar or covered bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until solid.

Instructions:

The butter will most likely stay a solid at room temperature (unless the room temperature is very hot, i.e. over 80-85° F). Melt a small amount by rubbing it between your hands and massage into the belly (and anywhere growing). The butter is most easily absorbed by damp skin, so after a shower is ideal. Use at least once a day and more often as needed when skin is starting to feel tight or itchy. Although the vitamin E can help preserve the shelf life, I prefer to make small batches frequently. (This amount usually lasted me two weeks.)

Variations:

If you do not have one of the ingredients, other options to substitute in include Olive Oil or Argan Oil. You may notice that your finished product is more solid or less solid depending on the products you use and the brands you use. One tip is to keep in mind the relative hardness of the oils/butters. Here’s what I have found, listed from firmest to runniest: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Vitamin E, Avocado Oil. Don’t ever add water to your mix to make it runnier as this can speed up molding, but add a little more Avocado Oil or Olive Oil if you would like it softer. Conversely, if you want it harder, use a little more Cocoa or Shea Butter. Feel free to experiment!

About the Ingredients:

Coconut Oil has fatty chain acids that work to regenerate and rebuild the connective tissues that cause stretch marks. Massaged daily into the skin, it can help keep the skin on a growing belly supple and flexible. Purchase unrefined coconut oil as it has more of the healthful properties (it also smells more “coconuty”).

Cocoa Butter contains natural antioxidants and is one of the most stable fats. Although a recent double blind study did not find it better than placebo in preventing stretch marks, it was found to be moisturizing and soothing and daily use prevents dry, itchy skin. Depending on the brand, it can smell quite like chocolate.

Shea Butter originates in Africa and has been used for ages for all kinds of skin care concerns, including dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, burns and stretch marks. Shea butter enhances the skin’s natural barrier function, increases the moisture levels, and helps with cell regeneration. It also helps with capillary circulation, helps sooth irritated skin, helps protect against UV rays and helps with restructuring effects on the epidermis. Try to purchase it unrefined.

Avocado Oil is my new favorite cooking oil. It can be used up to 500° F, as opposed to olive oil, which really shouldn’t be heated above 325° F, or it scorches and coverts to trans fats. Avocado has a mild, neutral taste, making it a great replacement for vegetable oil. Used topically on the body, avocado oil is wonderful for moisturizing and is rich in vitamins, fatty acids and antioxidants, including vitamin E.

Vitamin E is a very powerful antioxidant that prevents the formation of free-radical particles. Free radicals break down skin cells and create aging and depletion of nutrients. Vitamin E is known as a natural scar remedy when massaged into the skin. It stimulates the collagen in the skin, which can provide a noticeable difference when it comes to texture and strength. The antioxidant also promotes cell growth and is also a natural anti-inflammatory. Although not a preservative, vitamin E, as an antioxidant, can also help prolong the shelf-life of the belly butter.

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Posted in How To, Natural Remedies, Pregnancy

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