Collected Quotidian » Holiday cooking

Holiday Dressing

Jana — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:59:04 +0000

This started out as my grandmother’s recipe. But, in the several times I’ve made it, it has become my own. While I keep it traditional for Thanksgiving, I play around with it at other times. It’s a great way to use up stale bread of any kind. It is another recipe that is very adaptable to whatever you can imagine. Play with it. I’ve made a Greek dressing using extra garlic and oregano. Next time I make it, I want to try a Ruben-esque theme- rye bread, caraway seeds, and corned beef.

Holiday Dressing

1 whole loaf of crusty bread (french, baguette, ect)
2 Tablespoons fennel seeds
1 cup walnuts, mildly crushed (opt)
1 lb Sweet Italian, Hot Italian, or Breakfast sausage (opt)
6 Tablespoons butter
4 onions, chopped
1 box golden raisins (or half cranberries)
2 T rubbed sage
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brandy (opt)
6 eggs
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Tear the bread into bit size pieces, cover with a towel, and leave out at least overnight to dry. Having the bread dry with keep it from absorbing too much liquid later and becoming soggy. It gives your dressing a nice texture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a mid-sized skillet up to a medium-hot temperature.  Add the fennel seeds and allow them to toast until fragrant. As soon as you smell them, take them off the heat. Remove the seeds to a small dish, then add the nuts to the same hot, dry skillet and allow them to toast 3-5 minutes, taking care to stir them constantly to prevent burning. Pour the nuts off into a large bowl.

Add olive oil to the same skillet, then fry the sausage until it is cooked through (about 8-10 minutes). Remove the sausage to the same large bowl containing the walnuts.

Add the butter to the skillet, allowing it to melt and blend with the sausage drippings. If you’re not using sausage, add an extra tablespoon butter or bacon drippings.

Add the onions, sauté 2 minutes, then add the raisins and sauté two minutes longer, or until the raisin are plump.

Sprinkle the sage over the vegetables, sauté 1 minute, then add the garlic and toasted fennel seeds.
Sauté two minutes longer, then add the entire mixture into the large bowl with the walnuts and sausage.

To the same big bowl, add the bread, eggs, salt, pepper and brandy. Add enough stock to thouroughly wet the ingredients, but remember, you can always add more. You don’t want it to be too soggy. Prepare to get messy. Using your hands (or salad servers), thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Think toss rather than clump. Squeezing the stuffing will destroy its texture.

Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking pan, add the stuffing, then cover tightly with a piece of buttered aluminum foil.

Allow the stuffing to cook 35 minutes, then remove the foil and allow it to bake 30 minutes longer, until the top is nicely crisped, lightly browned, and no liquid bubbles up when you press the crust.

Roasted Broccoli

Jana — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:58:07 +0000

I love roasted vegetables. Roasting intensifies flavors instead of seeping them into water, the way boiling does. Of all vegetables that I’ve roasted, broccoli comes in second only to potatoes. Broccoli just seems to be meant for the oven. The whole stalk caramelizes and all of the little “leaves” get crispy. Add Parmesan cheese to that, and what not to love? Velveeta cannot compare.

2-3 heads of broccoli
1 lemon
Parmesan (opt)
2 tbs olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 350° to 425°. Higher is better, but if you’re sharing the oven with other dishes, the lower temperature will still get the job done.

Cut broccoli into florets. Turn it upside down and hold the end of the stem. Starting at the bottom of the crown, slice diagonally through the florets. If any pieces come off too big, cut them in half. Don’t forget about the stem! If it looks tough, peel it first. Then slice it into roughly the same size as your florets.

Place the broccoli in an even layer on a half sheet pan and drizzle olive oil over them. Zest the lemon over the top. Then roll it gently on the counter, cut in half and squeeze the juice over the broccoli, using your fingers to strain out the seeds. Grate cheese over the top. Sprinkle a pinch of salt.

Roast for 20-25 minutes. Taste test. Add a little more lemon or cheese if you want. Serve immediately.

Mashed Potatoes

Jana — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:57:24 +0000

I just have one word of advise for this recipe: More. Always make more mashed potatoes than you think you’ll need. Not only are they a tasty (and thrifty) meal stretcher, but leftover potatoes can be turned into fried potato patties which are quite possibly the mother of all comfort food.

Yukon gold or russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 per person)
1/4- 1/2 cup milk
4-6 tbs butter
salt

The Proper Method:

Peel the potatoes if you wish. Cut them into equally sized pieces. Same size = same cooking time = no lumpy potatoes. Add the chunks to a big pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook potatoes for 15- 20 minutes. Smaller pieces will cook faster. After 15 minutes, start testing for doneness. They are done when you can crush them between tongs. Drain in a colander.

In the empty pot, place milk and butter. Set over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the potatoes and mash with a potato masher and hand blender. Serve immediately.

The Oh-No-I-Forgot-the-Potatoes-And-Dinner-Is-Ready Method

Cook potatoes as above, taking care to cut them into small pieces.

Drain potatoes and put back in pot. Add milk and butter. Mash as the butter melts. Throw pot onto table to serve.

*If you are worried your potatoes will get cold, cover the bowl with foil and put them in a low oven until ready to serve.