Baby Dumpling's Poppa

How to Cook a Thanksgiving Dinner

I've been meaning to write complete instructions for preparing a full Thanksgiving holiday feast, but once Baby Dumpling was born I haven't had the time or brain power to get it done.  Tonight we're in luck.  Baby Dumpling is asleep with a clean diaper and a full tummy.  I'm secondary on watch tonight so I have a little time.  If my brain can still manage I'll do my best to put some simple easy to follow instructions for preparing a holiday meal that your guests will compliment you on.  It's very simple, I feel that if you keep it simple and enjoy what you're doing it will be great.  Let's get started with the shopping list.

1. Turkey (if feeding more than 5 get one that's over 20 pounds, if less than 5 get a 15-17 pounder).
2. Roasting pan, the large disposable kind.
3. Roasting bag, turkey size.
4. Whole Cranberry Sauce (Ocean Spray is the recommended).
5. Stove Top Stuffing Turkey flavor.
6. Celery
7. 2 Cans of Mushrooms (Stems and Pieces).
8. Flour (if you don't have any you'll need to buy it.  You need a couple of teaspoons to coat the roasting bag).
9. Turkey Gravy (Jar or Mix, mix is a little harder to work with and you may want to just use the jar if you've not practiced with mix before).
10. Potato's (at least 5 pounds)
11. Half and Half cream
12. Green beans with almonds (I usually buy the ByrdsEye but you can really choose any vegetable dish you like, but remember that your guest need to eat this stuff and green beans are a safe veggie).
13. 1 pound of cram sweet butter. (DO NOT USE MARGARINE!!)
14. Salt & Pepper (if you don't already have it).
15. Eggs if you plan to make Deviled Eggs ( you can find the instructions on this site).
16. Pumpkin Pie (I usually buy Marie Calendar).
17. Whipped Cream (any kind that you prefer).

I will give instruction based on a few things: First you have a microwave, Second you have a mixer/blender. If you don't have these things then let me know and I'll try to post other ways of pulling this event off.  Here we go with preparing a Thanksgiving Meal:

If you plan to make Deviled Eggs (see instructions) try to prepare them the day/evening before Thanksgiving and keep them in the fridge. 

The first thing you want to cook is the pie, it takes about 70 minutes and then must cool.  When it's done cover with Waxed Paper or paper towel (Waxed Paper is better). 

Prepare the Turkey:   Preheat your oven to 350f.  You need to take 1 stick of butter and soften it.  Don't melt it just make it soft.  While that's being done rinse and pat dry, with paper towel, your bird and place it on a large clean open surface.  Once your butter is soft you need to apply it between the skin and the breast meat.  That's the area near the largest opening on the turkey.  You gently slide your hands between the meat and the skin to break the membrane hold the two together.  Once you've done that you want to wet your hands and put about 1/2 teaspoon of salt on your hands and rub it on the meat, then put in your softened butter between the skin and the meat, please make sure you don't tear the skin.  After that you will take another stick of butter and cut it into 4 pieces and kind of mash it on the outside of the bird near the breast and drum sticks.  Now sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of salt all over the turkey.  Once you've done that you can now prepare the roasting bag.  To prepare the roasting bag, just add 2-3 teaspoons of flour, twist the end closed and shake the flour around to coat the inside completely.  You don't need to dump the excess flour.  Now put the bag in the roasting pan then put the turkey in the bag.  Take the twist tie and seal the bag completely..(this is not exactly what the instructions for the bag says but it's worked for me over the past 15 years).  Once you've sealed it tight take a fork and poke 3 holes in the top of the bag.  One near above drum stick and 1 near the top center.  Now place the turkey in the oven, you want it placed nearest to the bottom, and make sure the bag is completely tucked inside the pan.  You Don't want the bag to touch anything when it expands during the cooking or the fire department will be at your house on Thanksgiving.  NOTE: SMALLER TURKEYS COOK ABOUT 15 MINUTES PER POUND, UNDER 15 POUNDS.  LARGER TURKEYS, OVER 15 POUNDS COOK AT 10 MINUTES PER POUND OR UNTIL THE MEAT SEPARATES FROM THE BREASTBONE.    DON'T FORGET TO POKE THE 3 HOLES IN THE BAG.  Once the turkey is done, remove from oven but don't cut the bag open until ready to carve.

Stuffing: Cut the celery into very small pieces (about 1/8 of an inch or smaller), and open then drain the cans of mushrooms.  Follow the directions on the box with the exception of adding both celery and mushrooms to the water then bring to boil.  Then set it aside.

Potato's: Peal the potato's and dice them up into a large boiling pot.  Add some salt and bring to boil.  Let it boil for about 20 to 30 minutes.  Drain all the water.  Add 1/4 stick of butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some pepper.  Start to blend using a hand mixer.  While mixing add about 1/4-1/3 cup of half and half.  Continue to mix until everything is smooth and creamy.

Cranberries:  Open the can place in bowl and refrigerate.

Prepare Green Beans according to instruction then set aside.

Open the jars of gravy and pour into micro safe bowl.  Microwave just before serving.

Check the turkey, look for the meat separating from the breast bone.  If that is happening then turn the oven down or off and prepare to remove it from the oven.

These instructions are just to give an idea of how and what you can do, to fit certain needs you may need to make adjustments.  I will check for comments or questions until and including Thanksgiving day and try to respond quickly to questions or problems you may be encountering.  Please feel free to let me know how it turns out or if you have trouble.  I may make adjustments to these directions if I think they are not quite right.  Happy cooking everyone and enjoy.

Stir Fry for beginners

Stir fry is very simple, you don't need to buy too much special stuff.  Actually the primary things that you need to buy is the cooking soy sauce and sesame oil.  Cooking soy sauce is different than the table soy sauce so you need to be careful when making your purchase.  It can be picked up in most Asian markets.  If you're not sure ask.  Some are sweet and some are salty, I prefer the salty.  So here's a list that might help to get you started:

• 1/4 pound or less of Chicken or beef or shrimp (you can do one or mix them, but I'll only explain using 1 because these cook at different speeds.)

• Celery (4 stocks)

• Mushrooms (cut is the easiest, just don't use canned)

• Napa cabbage

• Frozen Broccoli ( you can use fresh but I use frozen)

• Baby Bok Choy or some other type of greens

• Green onion

• Garlic

• Ginger (very small amount)

Start by chopping the celery into bite size pieces and put in a bowl then set aside.  The Nap cabbage and baby bok choy have 2 parts.  The stock part and the leave part.  You want to separate them then chop.  Put the stock part with the celery and the leave part into a bowl and set aside.  You'll use that at the end.  Chop the green onion, crush the garlic and peel a very small piece of ginger then chop very fine and put in a bowl then take a handful of sliced mushrooms and add it to the bowl as well.  Chop the meat you chose into bite size pieces or strips and place that into a bowl. Once you get everything chopped and in bowls (there is a reason to put them into separate bowls) you take your frying pan with large sides or wok.  Heat on high put some oil, not too much just enough to lightly cover the bottom (1/2 tsp), add the soy sauce (1 tablespoon) and the frozen broccoli.  You need to stir almost constantly, after all it's called stir fry for a reason.  After about 3-5 minutes add the bowl of celery and friends.  Continue to stir.  You may wish to add some salt, pepper and a pinch of chili flakes if you desire.  Keep stirring for about 3 more minutes, then add the mushrooms bowl with friends and meat.  If you bought sesame oil you want to add about a tablespoon now.  Keep stirring for another 4-5 minutes or until the meat looks cooked.  Then add your leafy bowl and stir.  Turn off heat your done.  I serve this 2 different ways.  I usually take it for lunch with top romen noodle.  If you take this for lunch with top romen you'll need a large bowl to cook the noodle in the microwave.  Put the top romen in a bowl covered with hot water, microwave for 3 minutes.  Drain the excess water and add the season packet then mix.  Add your stir fry on top and microwave for 1 minute.  That's lunch.  It's healthy and per serving costs less than $2.00 my estimate is about $1.00 even using London broil for the beef.  You could have it over rice it you want or eat it just the way it is.  Stir fry is an easy thing to adjust, try different things with it and discover what works well and what doesn't.  If you have questions you can always post it here and I'll answer it usually within a day. The only thing to remember is stir fry means stir while frying.  Don't put the stuff in the pan and watch burn.

Spaghetti Sauce

You can buy spaghetti sauce in a jar or a package but unless you add stuff to the sauce it just doesn't come out quite right.  Here's the way I do it.  I buy the package of sauce mix: 1 package, 3 cans of tomato sauce 8 oz. (not paste), 3 cans of sliced mushrooms, 2 cans of sliced olives and a zucchini.  You can buy any pasta you want but don't forget the fresh shredded Parmesan cheese.  The cheese is very important so don't use the graded cheese in the can if at all possible.  If you want a meat sauce I recommend you buy a lean roast that's on sale and grind it yourself, or get the leanest ground beef you can.  You start your sauce by adding the 3 cans of tomato sauce and 3 cans of water.  Add your sauce mix and mix it well, you don't want any clumps.  Turn on the stove on to medium temp.  Add the mushrooms and olives, don't drain the juice, dump it all in.  Cut the zucchini, I usually dice it about a 1/4 to a half inch thick.  Stir everything together and cover.  Once it starts to boil reduce the heat and stir occasionally, you need to watch the consistency.  Now start the meat in a frying pan.  If you made your own ground beef you might want add a little olive oil or it could stick.  When the meat is about half done, drain any fat or oil (if you used store bought ground beef you might consider rinsing it with hot water to remove the excess fatty oil).  Add that to your sauce and stir. After about 20-30 minutes the sauce is cooked, but it might still be very watery so you must reduce the liquid by simmering it.  This could take as long as an hour, but when it's almost the thickness that you want turn it off, leave covered and let it rest while you cook your pasta.  When you cook your pasta, don't add any oil to the water, that prevents the sauce from sticking to it.  What you need to do is use less pasta, more water and stir constantly making sure to separate it.  Don't overcook the pasta, watch the time carefully and remember to taste it before you decide it's done.  When you decide it's done drain it and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.  Don't leave the pasta in the water when it's done.  You want it to drain.  If you have left over pasta you can place it in a bag and store it in the fridge for the next day.  To quickly warm cooked pasta, just drop it into boiling water for about 30 seconds then drain.  Don't forget the cheese.

Please feel free to leave a comment or 2.  Your participation would be greatly appreciated.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs are good if they're done correctly.  You don't need to be fancy with them either.  Here's a simple way that I do them.

First boil the eggs, that gets a little tricky because you don't want to boil them too hard so they crack before they're done.  Start by placing the eggs in the pan, add salt then water.  Add enough water to fully cover the eggs.  Bring to slow boil on high then reduce to medium or low depending on how hard the water is boiling.  It's o.k. once the water starts to boil reduce to low.  This will take a little longer to cook them but they'll turn out better.  After the eggs are boiled, run cold water over them.  Be careful because they are very hot and will be for a while.  Once the eggs have cooled enough, place them in the refrigerator until cold.  When you peel them try to get that thin membrane between the shell and the white.  That's what usually gives people gas when they eat the egg, the body can't digest it all that well.  After you've peeled the eggs and rinsed off the excess shell, you'll want to dry them completely.  Be careful not to damage the white, that will make the egg look bad.  Once they're dry cut them in half long way and place the yolk into a bowl.  Use a large bowl that will allow you to mix the other stuff without trouble.  I usually place the egg yolks into a food processor to get them almost to powder form.  That's why you make sure the egg is fully dry before cutting.  If you don't have a food processor just use a fork or potato masher.  You basically don't want clumps of yolk.  Next add some dry mustard, I use about 1/2 to 1 tsp per 15-18 eggs.  Start with just a little, remember that once you've added you cannot take it away.  Next add about 1-2 tbsp of mayonnaise and 1-2 tsp of regular yellow mustard.  Mix this all together until you have a uniform, not too wet, bowl of egg yolks.  You should taste it to make sure you have enough but not too much dry mustard.  The problem with dry mustard is once you tasted it and decide to add more you'll have trouble tasting it and that could lead you to adding too much.  It's always good that after you've tasted it 2-3 times have someone else who hasn't taste it.  Once you've got the right consistency and taste, place your egg whites on a plate or cutting board, get 1 large and 1 small spoon.  Scoop out enough of the egg yolk to fill the egg white on the large spoon then scrape it off into the white with the small spoon.  Try to do this in one motion because the yolk will pull out and you would have to start all over again.  Once all the yolk mixture is done, I usually sprinkle a little paprika on the egg, not so much for taste but more for appearance.  If the eye likes the look, and the tongue likes the taste you have a winner.  Appearance and presentation in any dish is just as important as taste. 

Tip:  If your yolk mixture is too wet, place it in the fridge for a while and it'll dry out a little.  Just don't leave it too long.  If you added too much dry mustard just add more mayonnaise to thin it out.

Please feel free to leave a comment or 2.  Your participation would be greatly appreciated.

Nina's Spicy Indonesian Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

- 3-4lbs chicken (legs, thighs cut in small pieces, but wings or drumlets are best)

- A bunch of small shallots, slice thin (if you use the regular shallot from grocery store, it tends to bring sweetness .. which you don't want) try to get them from an Asian grocery.

- 2 sprigs of lemon grass.. cut in 2-3 inches to make it easy to cook, then whack!!.. (if you think you can handle eating them cooked, it's best to slice them very fine..

- 1" of ginger... smack it with the biggest hammer you have

- 3-4 green onion, chopped fine

- 8-10 kefir lime leaves.. squeeze them to allow the fragrance to come out

- a bunch of Indonesian basil ..pick the leaves from the stem (it smells and tastes completely different than sweet, Thai, Italian or regular basil)..

- Thai chillies (as much as you can take)... chop fine

- sugar and salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat a deep skillet/wok over medium-high until it's warm...

2. Put the chicken cuts on the skillet then cover them up with all the ingredients (except the basil). Cover with a big lid and cook until juice starts coming out from the chicken and boiling.

3. Turn the heat down to low... then continue cooking (covered) until chicken cuts are cooked and juice reduced. Stir occasionally to ensure that all chicken cuts get the seasoning and not burned in the bottom of the skillet. Don't forget to taste...!!

4. Add basil, cook a while until it's soft.  Remove the lime leaves, lemon grass and ginger. Then it's ready to serve.

Roast Chicken

There are a few ways of cooking roast chicken.  One way is in the oven using a roasting bag and there are 2 types of roasting bags.  One comes with the seasoning and the other is just the bags.  The one without the seasoning included is good if you're using your own, you do need to remember to add a little bit of flower to the bag before you add the meat otherwise the bag will stick and ruin you food.  The way I usually cook roast chicken is with the George Foreman Rotisserie.  It doesn't matter how you cook it as long as the seasoning is good.  Rotisserie seasoning can be purchased at the grocery in the seasoning isle.  When preparing the chicken, first you rinse it with cold water and remove the extras (neck, liver, heart) then pat dry with paper towel.  Lay it breast side up, you notice the skin just above the opening slide your finger between the skin and the meat.  Try to separate the skin from the meat without tearing the skin.  Once you've done that add your seasoning between the skin and meat.  The reason you do this is because if you put it only on the skin the flavor won't get to the meat.  After you put it between the skin and meat then apply it to the skin.  If you're using a bag, remember to preheat the oven to 350 degrees,  place the chicken in the bag and seal it tight.  Poke 3-4 holes in the top with a toothpick and place it in the oven.  Reduce heat after 1 hour of cooking to 250 then cook for 1-1 1/2 hours until you can see the breast separating from the bone.

Clarified Butter

Sometime when you want to cook something (saute) the butter burns.  That's because of the stuff that's in the butter.  If you are going to saute shrimp, mushrooms or other things you should start with clarified butter.  Making clarified butter is fairly easy.  First put the butter in a sauce pan, set the heat on low until the butter melts.  The white foamy stuff on the top needs to be skimmed off with a spoon, you might notice some residue on the bottom, try not to let that mix back into the butter.  Once you've skimmed the foam off, spoon or pour the rest of the butter into a separate dish or into the frying pan you are going to use.  Try to leave the stuff on the bottom in the pan.  The reason you do this is so the butter won't burn so easy and make your food taste like burnt butter.

Easy meal not quick

A lot of men don't usually cook until they have children, then it becomes a little crazy.  I decided to put some of my easy to cook and easy to clean meals out just in case someone needs help with meal preparation.

Tonight it's roast beef.  What you need:  Roasting bag and seasoning mix (it's in the gravy isle at the grocery), 3-4 pound roast (chuck roast is good if you're a first timer), about 5 medium sized potatoes, 4 large fat carrots.   

You could just follow the directions on the package, but I've found that it doesn't turn out as good as it could so I've made some adjustments.  Put the roast in the bag.  Peel the potatoes place them in the bag, wash the carrots then place them in the bag, either on top or the side of the meat.  Mix 1/4 cup of water and seasoning in a bowl then pour over the roast.  Close the bag tight with the plastic tie, I know the directions say leave room for steam to escape, but that lets too much steam out.  Poke 3 small holes in the top of the bag with a small pointed knife or tooth pick.  Preheat oven (that means turn on the oven and wait for it to reach the desired temperature) to 350 degrees.  Place the roast on the center rack make sure nothing is above it or the bag might burn to it.  Cook at 350 for 1 hour then reduce to 200 degrees for 2 hours, turn off the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cut open the bag be very careful because the steam will burn you.

If you're using a top round roast, start at 350 for 1 hour, reduce to 250 for an hour then 200 for 1 to 1 and a half hours.