Cooking a turkey

 Natasha's Kitchen

12 lb turkey, (Anything from 11-15 lbs will work, but bake time will vary), thawed*
Salt & Pepper, for the inside and outside of the bird

For the Flavored Butter

1 cup unsalted butter, softened, (2 sticks)
2 Tbsp olive oil, not extra virgin, plus more to drizzle top
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon, plus 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
6 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1/2 Tbsp salt, I used sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

.75 ounce container fresh rosemary*

.75 ounce container fresh thyme

.75 ounce container fresh sage*

ADD Paprika

For the Stuffing

1 large onion, quartered (no peeling)
4 garlic cloves, halved (no peeling)
1/2 bunch parsley
1 lemon, quartered

Remove thawed turkey* from the fridge about 30 minutes before you start working with it. If the turkey is closer to room temperature, it will bake more evenly. Remove the neck and bag of giblets and pat dry turkey with paper towels. Let it sit in a roasting pan lined with paper towels to soak up any excess water. Fold the wings behind the turkey so they don't scorch in the oven.

Seasoning, Stuffing, and Tying up a Turkey

Amy likes to cook the turkey in a turkey roasting bag to  help keep the juices in.

• Season inside of turkey cavity generously with about 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
• Make Flavored Butter – In a medium bowl or in a food processor*, combine: 2 sticks softened butter, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest, 4 Tbsp lemon juice, 3 pressed garlic cloves, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Mash /stir with a fork until well combined (the lemon juice doesn't easily stir into butter but keep mixing and it will happen after a few minutes).
• Separate the skin from the turkey breast by pushing your fingers under the skin. Do this from the front and the back of the turkey; being careful not to tear the skin.
• Stuff 2/3 of the butter mixture under skin then spread the butter around by massaging over the top of the skin. This butter keeps the turkey breast tender, juicy and provides rich flavor.
• Pat skin dry and rub remaining butter over the outside of the turkey (breast, legs, wings). Drizzle all over the top of the turkey with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper; I just love a crisp, salty skin.
• • Stuff turkey cavity with quartered onion, 4 halved garlic cloves, 1/2 bunch parsley and quartered lemon. Use kitchen string to tie turkey base and legs together; crossing the legs to better close up the turkey cavity, plus it looks extra fancy on the table.

  How to Roast a Turkey

  • Prep – Pre-heat the oven to 430˚F on the bake mode. Place oven rack in the lower part of your oven (mine was on the second level from the very bottom).
  • Make Foil Shield – to protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy: Fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of your triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry. You'll apply this shield later in the roasting process.
  • Place an oven-safe meat thermometer into the bird; beneath the drum stick; deep into the dark meat. Start roasting uncovered at 430˚F for 20 min.
  • Baste – Remove from oven; quickly baste with butter from the bottom of the dish. You can use a baster or tilt one side of the pan and collect drippings with a large spoon. Now apply prepared foil triangle to turkey breast area.
  • Reduce oven to 350˚F and bake for another 2 hours 30 min for a 12 lb bird. (Once you have reduced the oven to 350˚F, you will bake about 13 min for every pound of turkey). The turkey thigh should register at 170˚F on the temperature probe and the breast at 160˚F to make sure it's fully cooked through then remove from the oven (keep in mind the turkey temp continues to rise slightly after it's out of the oven*).
  • Rest Turkey – Transfer turkey to serving platter and cover loosely but fully with foil. Let turkey rest for at least 1 hour. It will become more tender and easier to carve, the longer it sits. Keep the drippings from roasting pan for turkey gravy. Now you can decorate around your turkey and make it festive. I used kale for my greens, then added small apples, sliced oranges and quartered lemons.
• Cook at 430 for 20 min and then 350 for about 5 1/2 hours, basting occasionally.

Apple Crisp

Apple Filling -
10 apples with peel, chopped in 1-2 inch chunks
2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
1/2c brown sugar
1/4c butter
Dash of lemon juice

Oat topping crisp

1 c  flour
1  cup old fashioned oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter.

Mix apple filling.in bowl, in separate bowl mix oat topping

Spray 9x9 pan  with oil, then put apple filling in pan. and layer with oat topping

Bake in oven 350 degrees 40-60min

Lion House Rolls

House of Nash Eats 

Serves 24

• 2 cups warm water
• ▢⅔ cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
• ▢2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• ▢¼ cup sugar
• ▢2 teaspoons salt
• ▢⅓ cup salted butter softened
• ▢1 large egg beaten
• ▢5-6 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
• ▢¾ cup salted butter melted to use during shaping and after baking

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Stir together the water and dry milk powder in a large bowl of a stand mixer until the milk powder dissolves. Add the yeast and let it proof for 5 minutes until foamy.
  2 cups warm water,⅔ cup instant nonfat dry milk powder,2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• • Mix in the sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of flour and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
    ¼ cup sugar,2 teaspoons salt,⅓ cup salted butter,1 large egg beaten,5-6 cups all-purpose flour
  • Switch to the dough hook and add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until a soft, only slightly sticky dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I almost always use 5 ½ cups of flour, but you might need a little more or less. Knead for 5 minutes by mixer or 10 minutes by hand until the dough is smooth, supple, and elastic.
  • Transfer the dough to a large bowl greased with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Turn the dough over in the bowl so it is coated on all sides with oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
  • When the dough has doubled in size, generously dust a clean counter with flour, then turn out dough onto the floured surface and divide it in half using a bench scraper. Working with only half of the dough at a time, roll out into a large, approximately 11"x14" rectangle, about ¼-inch thick, and brush with ¼ cup of melted butter.
    ¾ cup salted butter
  • Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice the rectangle in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 12 small rectangles, approximately 2″x4″ each. A good guide is by making an “L” shape by holding your palm out flat with the thumb extended and cutting the rectangles to be the same length and width as the “L” shape.
  • Roll each rectangle up and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, placing the tail edge of each roll flat on the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough, then cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
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  • Close to the end of the rising time, 
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  • heat the oven to 375°F and melt the remaining ¼ cup of butter. When the oven is hot, bake the rolls for 14-16 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter while still hot.

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  • NOTES- Make Ahead:

    To make-ahead, freeze the dough before the second rise. Shape the rolls like normal, then wrap the baking sheet with the shaped rolls in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and pop them in the freezer before they begin to rise for the final time. When you are ready to bake them, remove the tray from the freezer and allow the rolls to sit at room temperature for 4 hours until they have had a chance to thaw and complete their final rise before baking, then follow the baking instructions like normal.

    Storage:

    Store: Place rolls in an airtight container, freezer bag, or covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

    Freeze: Baked Lion House rolls will freeze well as long as they are already completely cool before you put them in the freezer. Just use a Ziploc bag or freezer-safe container to protect them.

Salads and Thanksgiving Recipes

 Cindy Dixon loves to have many salads for Thanksgiving. 
She inspires me. So I want incorporate these salads into Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Cauliflower And Broccoli Salad- Valentina's Corner

1/2 pack bacon, chopped & cooked (8 oz)
3 cups raw cauliflower, small florets
3 cups raw broccoli, small florets
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 cup mild cheddar, grated
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup craisins (dried cranberries)

Dressing-
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar

Instructions
Cook bacon pieces, set onto a paper towel to cool. 
Cut broccoli and cauliflower into small florets. Finely chop onion

Prepare the homemade salad dressing. Combine the mayo, sugar, and vinegar.
In a bowl add the broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, sunflower seeds, cranberries, bacon and red onion. Add dressing. Combine well and enjoy!

Cabbage Salad

A bag of cabbage salad (or shred cabbage, carrots, kale)

1 Bag of dry Ramen Crushed up (uncooked)

Slivered almonds

Dressing-

2 T vinegar

1/4c oil

2 T sugar

1 packet of Ramen Seasoning (oriental)

Halloween dinner

 Buy orange dyed Pumpkin soup bowls from Lee's

Make a soup

Make Cake Mix spice Cupcakes and decorate with icing and sprinkles and candy

Icing- white, purple, black, orange, green, yellow, white, red

Buy candy bones, candy eyes eyes

Mummies 

20 portions

DBL-      Original recipe- 12 portions-

4.5 t      2 1/4 teaspoon dry active yeast
2c         1 cup warm water
4T         2 tablespoon granulated sugar
4T         2 tablespoon oil (I used olive oil)
4-6c       2  1/2 – 3 cups all-purpose flour
4t           2 teaspoon salt

12 hot dogs
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

1. In the bowl with a whisk, combine yeast, sugar, and warm water.  When the yeast becomes foamy, add  oil, 2-4 cups of the flour, and salt.  mix until combined.  Knead  for about 7 minutes, stopping to add flour (up to one cup more).  The dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl but not to the sides.  It should be slightly sticky with no visible flour.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl, oil the bowl, and place the dough back into the bowl.  Cover and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Punch the dough down and roll into a log.  Cut the dough into 12 equal portions.  Roll each portion into eight-inch pieces, and twist around the hot dogs.  Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. To make the egg wash, whisk one egg with one tablespoon of milk.  Brush the top of each dough wrapped hot dog, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

9/24/24 one time i added 2 c of dry regular oats to the blender and added that to the roll mixture, then added 3-4 c of white flour.