Recipes – Page 53 – The Pajama Chef

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

November 21, 2013November 22, 2013 Sarah

For our early Thanksgiving dinner, Ben really wanted turkey. Problem was… we didn’t plan ahead enough to defrost a turkey AND my meat thermometer is busted so I would have had to buy another one of those to cook the big bird. Fortunately, I saw a recipe earlier this month for turkey breast. Who knew you could just buy part of a turkey? Certainly not I! But I am so glad to know now that I can… because this was absolutely delicious, fabulously easy, and all in all… amazing.

This turkey breast was so flavorful and so tender. It was just as easy as making a roast chicken in the oven, and while there was no dark meat for Ben to enjoy, we’ve been eating turkey leftovers all week. Can’t be disappointed with that! There were even a few bones so I could make some turkey stock in the crockpot. Yum yum! I hope you’ve been enjoying my Thanksgiving recipes this week… I can’t wait to share one last dessert recipe tomorrow! 🙂

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast [from Good Cheap Eats]
click to print

Ingredients:

3-5 pound turkey breast half
1/4 cup salted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
sprigs of thyme and rosemary, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the turkey breast in a roaster or baking dish.

In a bowl, stir together butter, thyme, tarragon, and sage. Cut slits in the turkey breast skin, then brush butter mixture evenly over the turkey. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the herbs around the turkey breast.

Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 45-90 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Time: 2 hours.

YIeld: 10 servings.

Potatoes, Recipes, Sides

Chipotle-Cilantro Mashed Potatoes

November 20, 2013November 22, 2013 Sarah

Thanks for coming back for another edition of Thanksgiving week! On Monday I shared my recipe for Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls. On Tuesday, it was Mixed Vegetables Mornay [my fave side ever!!]. And today, it’s mashed potatoes.

I know, I know. Mashed potatoes are super classic… and you probably don’t even need a recipe to make them. BUT hear me out! These mashed potatoes are something extra special, because they’ve got a Southwestern flair to them! Chipotle peppers and cilantro are an awesome flavor combo, so why not add ’em to mashed potatoes??!

I seriously couldn’t get enough of these potatoes. And I’m not a mashed potatoes girl. I prefer baked potatoes or fries, anything really besides mashed potatoes. These potatoes are different though. They’re interesting and spicy, but not hot or anything out of control. I thought about adding some cheddar cheese–and I’m sure that would be awesome, but before you add a bunch of cheese… just try ’em! The cilantro adds SO much flavor. I know these mashed potatoes are far from traditional but you should definitely give them a try! Feel free to add more butter or use cream instead of milk if you like, but since I was making these for two, I decided to be a little less liberal with the indulgent stuff. And truthfully, I think these potatoes were creamy and flavorful enough without tons of cream and butter. They’re amazing, and I think I’ll go have a bowl now! Be sure to come back tomorrow for some turkey, and Friday for pear crisp! Yum yum and YUM!

two years ago: KC’s Dilled Carrots
three years ago: Layered Taco Dip

Chipotle-Cilantro Mashed Potatoes [flavor combo idea adapted from Food Network Magazine, November 2011]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 pounds potatoes [Yukon Gold or Russet]
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1/4-1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons chipotle pepper in adobe sauce, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced [loosely packed]
Kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Wash and dry potatoes, then cut into quarters and place in a pan. Cover with cold water by an inch or two, then add 1 tablespoon Kosher salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat. Cook, uncovered, until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain potatoes and let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel potatoes and transfer to a bowl.

Add butter and milk, then mash with a fork or potato masher. Stir in chipotle pepper and cilantro, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Time: 60 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings.

Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Mixed Vegetables Mornay

November 19, 2013November 22, 2013 Sarah

Thanksgiving week continues with one of my favorite side dishes of all times… Mixed Vegetables Mornay! I know vegetables aren’t on most list of crave-worthy, holiday-table-worthy comfort foods, but after you try these Mixed Vegetables Mornay, I bet they will be on yours! At first glance, frozen mixed vegetables aren’t that exciting. But when you taste this fabulously cheesy, buttery mornay sauce, you’ll know why they should be–and why this dish tops my list of veggie comfort.

In my family, this side dish is the equivalent of the quintessential holiday green bean casserole. I like to think it’s a little bit better than that though–a little healthier, a little more flavorful, and a lot more awesome. I love green beans and mushrooms, but out of a can? No thanks. I like to opt for this dish instead. And it’s cheesy, so what more can you ask for? 🙂

Mixed Vegetables Mornay is super simple to put together, so don’t be afraid of the fancy-sounding sauce. It’s basically a Béchamel sauce with Parmesan cheese. If you can make a roux, you can make mornay sauce. And when you do, try really hard to save some for the vegetables. Fresh mornay sauce is great, but it’s excellent when it bubbles up around all the veggies….and paired with some toasted and buttered bread crumbs? Oh my goodness. I could eat these veggies for BREAKFAST they are so tasty! Be sure to come back tomorrow for another dose of Thanksgiving week, and if you missed my Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls from yesterday, check them out too! 🙂

two years ago: Crockpot Saucy Italian Chicken
three years ago: Lime-Soy Chicken

Mixed Vegetables Mornay
click to print

Ingredients:

32 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
up to 2 cups skim milk
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch nutmeg
pinch thyme
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted [or olive oil]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch casserole dish and set aside.

Cook vegetables with 1/2 cup water for 5 minutes in the microwave until crisp-tender. Drain well, reserving cooking liquid for mornay sauce. Place vegetables in prepared dish with 1 tablespoon butter and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, stirring to combine.

Meanwhile, prepare mornay sauce. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Fill measuring cup with cooking liquid and top off with enough milk to equal 2 cups. Then sloooowly add milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thick [about 3 minutes] then stir in garlic powder, nutmeg, thyme, and parmesan cheese. Simmer for 5 minutes, then pour over seasoned vegetables. Top with bread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter or oil.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy!

Time: 50 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings.

Breads, Recipes

Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls

November 18, 2013November 22, 2016 Sarah

Last week, I texted Ben randomly during the day at work and asked if he wanted to have Thanksgiving dinner a little bit early. As I expected, he was ALL in. So this weekend, we got to cookin’, and had ourselves a delicious feast on Sunday afternoon. Turkey, chipotle-cilantro mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, mixed vegetables mornay, pumpkin cloverleaf rolls, and harvest pear crisp with candied ginger. It was GLORIOUS! For my dream meal I would have had stuffing too–but Ben doesn’t like it, and I couldn’t find the kind of bread I wanted, so that didn’t happen, but everything else was divine and I can’t wait to share the recipes with you this week! So, I officially declare this to be THANKSGIVING WEEK on the blog and I will do my absolute best to post all five new recipes this week. I’ve already shared my cranberry sauce before so I won’t repeat that… but just because it is old doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying! 🙂

I had a hard time deciding what to share first, so I just picked my absolute favorite thing… bread. Ahh, delicious carbs! 🙂 With pumpkin too! Doubly good, huh? I seriously am not sure if there is anything I could love more than soft, pillowy rolls, warm out of the oven with just a touch of butter.

I made the dough for these rolls in my bread maker. If you don’t have a bread maker, definitely consider investing in one if you have the space. I bought mine from a Craigslist post for $20. It was a wedding gift that had never been used, so that couple’s loss was our gain! I am not a huge fan of how bread bakes in it, but it is super convenient for preparing dough while you are doing other things, like pulling together a huge meal for two people just for the heck of it.

Please don’t judge how these Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls were shaped. It takes a time or two [or four] to get the hang of shaping the balls, and I will warn you–the dough is really sticky, so use flour and/or cooking spray liberally. I read too late that cooking spray is better for shaping rolls than flour is because it won’t dry the dough out… so I will try that next time. Regardless of how the rolls are shaped, the taste will be out of this world!

The rolls are slightly sweet, with a delightful orange flavor. The flavor is really strong at first, but after a day it tones down a bit. But if orange isn’t your thing, feel free to leave that out and add a little bit of warm spice like cinnamon or nutmeg, some vanilla, or even something a little more savory like garlic powder.

Ben and I absolutely adored these rolls! I’m sure you didn’t need clarification on that, but for what it’s worth–they were great! I can’t wait to enjoy one for breakfast with some jam. Yum! As much as I would love to say that they were so amazing because they included pumpkin [aka my favorite thing about fall], I really don’t think that was it. They are just super soft, melt-in-your-mouth rolls. Even if you are scared of baking with yeast, try these rolls! In a bread maker, they are so simple and easy–almost foolproof. Since the dough is so sticky, I think it would be hard to knead this dough by hand, but you could try it in a stand mixer–just use these tips on converting the recipe. I hope you give these rolls a try for your Thanksgiving table! They’re so appropriate for the season. I know they will be my go-to for many years to come! Enjoy, and be sure to come back all week long for more Thanksgiving recipes. 🙂

one year ago: Pork, Apple, & Ginger Stir Fry
two years ago: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bars
three years ago: Balsamic Roasted Chickpeas

Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls

Servings: 16
Time: 2 1/2 hours
Print

from The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons salt
zest of 1 orange
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour [562 grams]
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast [1 package]

Directions:

Place ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. For me, it is: liquids and salt, dry ingredients, and yeast in a well.

Set bread machine on dough cycle. Grease two muffin tins with cooking spray.

When finished, turn dough out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, divide dough in half, then divide each piece in half again. You should have four pieces. Then divide each of those pieces in half again–making eight. Finally, divide in half again so you have 16 pieces.

Roll each piece into three equal sized balls. Gently place in a muffin cup, and repeat with remaining dough.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes, until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and then bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Linked up with: Tuesday Talent Show.

Quinoa, Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

November 13, 2013November 13, 2013 Sarah

How many new foods have you tried because you read about them on a blog? For me, it’s probably been a lot–namely a lot of veggies I didn’t grow up eating and/or didn’t know how to prepare, cheeses, grains, etc. I’ve never really been a picky eater, but reading blogs and cookbooks certainly have revealed gaps in my foodie education. Since I’ve been reading blogs, one of my favorite new foods has been butternut squash. Sure, it’s a pain to cut, but it’s just. so. tasty! And it makes this quinoa–one of my favorite foods ever, btw–an essential dish for your fall cooking season. Period.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy butternut squash is roasted and tossed in a salad, particularly this quinoa salad. I made this several times last winter and just never got around to sharing it here, so I was so happy when I realized this week that it was finally butternut squash season again! What makes this salad so good is the always delightful pairing of sweet and spicy seasonings, some strong cheese, and some salty meat. Molasses! Lime juice! Feta! Canadian bacon! All the good things, huh?! 🙂

One of the key flavors here in this nutty salad is the molasses. It does a double duty as a marinade for the roasted squash, and as a dressing for the salad itself. Molasses is totally underrated, but it lends such rich flavor and subtle sweetness to this dish. It’s such a great fall flavor that I want to play with more! In the meantime, enjoy it on this fabulous side dish or light lunch. I can’t wait to make this many more times this fall and winter, and hope you try it out too! 🙂

one year ago: Carnitas
two years ago: Thai Seared Shrimp with Tomato, Basil, & Coconut
three years ago: Apple City Barbecue Sauce

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
click to print

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash, cubed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon chili powder
juice of 1/2 a lime
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup quinoa
2 cups broth [chicken or vegetable, as desired]
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped and soaked in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes then drained and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons molasses
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/2 cup canadian bacon, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and cut a large butternut squash into 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, molasses, chili powder, lime juice, and a generous amount of black pepper. Add cubed butternut squash, then toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on two large rimmed baking sheets, then bake for 30 minutes or until fork-tender.

Meanwhile, cook quinoa in broth according to package directions. Stir in soaked and dried red onion, molasses, lime juice, crumbled feta, and chopped canadian bacon. Fold in cubed butternut squash, then season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 4-5 servings.

Linked up with: What’s Cookin’ Wednesday.