COOKIN' WITH NANA
Soul Cooking West Coast Style.
Collard or Mixed Greens with Smoked Turkey Parts.
Ingredients 5 - 7 Bunches of Collard Greens, 2 - 3 lbs. Clean and cut are one large bag already clean and cut. 2 cups of onions, cut into 1/4 2 lbs. Smoked Turkey Wings, Turkey Leg, Turkey Tails, Ham Hocks, or Shank 1 - 2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning 2 - 3 tsp Crushed Red Pepper 2 tsp Onion Powder 2 tsp Garlic Powder 8 cups chicken broth or 8 cups of water, and add 8T chicken broth powder to the water 2 tbsp Distilled White Vinegar 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar for balance Salt and Pepper for taste
Getting Ready for
Thanksgiving
It's time to start getting
ready for the big day. This week, it's mostly paperwork. I feed about 20 people and need enough food to cover a big Thanksgiving dinner and a massive bag to send home with everyone to eat over the weekend. This requires organization, so this week I'm making lists: Menu, groceries needed, groceries on hand, shopping list, to-do list, cooking schedule. I used to do all of the cooking myself, but I have grandkids in training, so I get a lot of help.
Let's get cookin', starting with the Turkey and Ham, and finishing off with all the sides and desserts. Since we're all trying to eat healthy, I'm going to
update my recipes and try to take a little fat out without losing that good old-fashioned taste.
ULTIMATE BRINE FOR TURKEY
This is the brine recipe my sister makes every year for her holiday turkey. Give it a try.
1 1/2 cups, Kosher salt*
1 1/4 cups, brown sugar
10 whole cloves
3 teaspoons of black peppercorns
1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) apple juice or cider (non-alcoholic)
the peel from one orange or one tangerine (colored part only - not the white pith)
[optional: 3 teaspoons, dried thyme and/or 3 teaspoons, dried sage]
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partially covered). Allow brine to cool
completely.
Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body
cavity). Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse it in cooled
brine. Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered).
Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey,
rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual. [See note under "basic technique" for extra
step to get the crispiest skin.]
* Kosher salt is the ONLY type of salt to be used in making brine (it is sweeter
and purer than ordinary table salt).
**Be sure the container you used for bringing a turkey is non-reactive: use enamel,
glass, crockery, or stainless steel - never use cast iron or aluminum. The pot
should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be
sufficient to cover the bird).
This recipe satisfies my craving for Mexican food, and it's low in fat, easy to prepare, fast, and it's under 300. 10 servings (serving size: 1 taco)
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 to 3 drained canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
10 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Preparation
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, and beef; cook for 6 minutes, or until browned, stirring to crumble the meat. Stir in corn and the following 6 ingredients (corn through chiles). Bring to a boil; reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup beef mixture into each tortilla.
Calories:
266 (25% from fat)
PERFECT PINTO BEANS RECIPE
How to Cook Pinto Beans
(Crock Pot and Stove Top)
Clean Your Pinto Beans: Dried pinto beans need to be sorted and cooked to remove any small rocks or bad beans not caught by the factory cleaning equipment. They also need to be washed. I usually sort mine into a bowl, add some cold water, and stir them around well. Then I pour that into a colander and rinse well again with my sink sprayer.
Overnight Soak: Rinse and sort 1 pound ( 2 cups) of pinto beans. Place in a large pot. Add enough COLD water to cover beans by 2 inches. (About 8 cups) Let stand overnight or at least 6 to 8 hours. Drain, soak, then rinse the beans.
Quick Soak: Rinse and sort 1 pound (2 cups) of pinto beans. Place in a large pot. Add about 8 cups of HOT water. Bring to a rapid boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain, soak water, and rinse.
Cooking Directions for Crock Pot: Place drained and rinsed pinto beans into a crock pot. Add about 6-8 cups of hot water to cover the beans. Add seasonings (except salt) and add smoked turkey tails. If you don't have any smoked turkey tails, use 2-3 tablespoons of butter or margarine instead. Set on High temperature and let cook 6 to 8 hours, or all day. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) about 1 hour before the dish is finished cooking.
Cooking Directions for Top of Stove: Place drained and rinsed pinto beans into a large pot. Add about 6 cups of hot water to cover the beans. Add any desired seasonings (except salt), then add turkey tails, butter, or margarine. Bring to a boil. Lower the temperature, cover the pot, and simmer for at least 2 hours or until done. Best if simmered 4 hours or more! Add about 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) about 1 hour before the dish is finished cooking.
Cooking Directions for Vegetarian Pinto Beans: Follow the directions above, just add 4 cups of Vegetable Broth and 2-4 cups of water. ELIMINATING THE MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTS.
TIP: Use the same recipe for Red Beans.
February is all about Grilled Vegetables!!!
Daniel 10:2-3 NKJV In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
Week One: Grilled Eggplants
This recipe can be used on just about any vegetable, add fresh herbs, spices and salt to taste.
Ingredient
4 baby eggplants (4 ounces each)
Slice each of the eggplants lengthwise in half.
Toss eggplants in prepared vinaigrette as directed below. Grill until tender. Each serving: About 90 calories
vinaigrette
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons coarse mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Combine garlic, mustard, honey, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar in a bowl, then slowly add oil while whisking constantly.
To the prepared vegetables, add the vinaigrette and blend thoroughly.
Place the vegetables on a medium-hot grill and cook for 2 to 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness.
Toss eggplants in prepared vinaigrette as directed above. Grill until tender
Each serving: About 90 calories
BLACK EYED PEAS1 or 2 smoked turkey tails
Ingredients
1 pound smoked turkey tails
5 bunches collard greens - rinsed, trimmed, and chopped (4 bags of *pre-washed greens
2-3 cups water (just to cover the meat)
5 cups chicken stock or (low-sodium chicken stock in cans or cartons)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
Preparation:
In an extra-large pot, bring smoked turkey tails and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 30 hours.
Immerse greens in a sink full of water and wash well to remove sand and grit. Lift out, drain water, fill sink, and repeat the procedure approximately 3 or 4 times to ensure they are clean and free of sand, grit, and insects. Cut out the thickest part of the stems running down the center, then coarsely chop the greens.
Increase the heat under the smoked turkey tails to medium-high; add about 1/3 of the greens to the pot. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until wilted. Add the remaining greens in two more batches until all the greens fit into the pot.
Stir in the broth, garlic, vinegar, sugar, black Pepper, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours or until the greens are tender. When done, taste and adjust **seasoning.
Smoked turkey tails and cut meat from bones. Dice and add back to the greens. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a serving bowl. If desired, pass the juices (also known as pot liquor) for dipping cornbread.
*Wash your pre-washed greens just one time, yes, they need to be cleaned because no respectable soul sister would just dump a bag in the pot.
** If it needs a little salt, this is the time to add the salt.
SWEET POTATO PIE
Ingredients:
3 - Frozen Unbaked 8" Or 9" Single-Crust Pie Shells
4 - Pounds Uncooked And Unpeeled Sweet Potatoes
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Butter
2 - Cups Sugar
3 - Large Eggs
2 - Cups *Evaporated Milk
1 - Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 - teaspoon Salt
1/2 - teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation:
Boil the potatoes until tender. When you stick a
fork in them, it should go in easily, but you don't
want them to fall apart. Let the potatoes cool and then peel them.
Blend your sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl with a blender to remove strings.
Next, cream the softened butter with the sugars. Add to the blended sweet potatoes
and continue to mix while adding the eggs one at a time. Add your milk,
vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt, and mix thoroughly.
Finally, pour the mixture evenly into your three frozen unbaked pie shells. Bake for
1 hour and 30 minutes at 350 degrees on the center rack of your oven. Bake until the knife inserted in the center comes out clean. The pie will puff up like a soufflé and then will sink down as it cools.
Tip:
I double the recipe and bake two pies at a time.
* DO NOT use sweet condensed milk
Beat the potatoes with an electric mixer on "medium" for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the beater blades, then wash off all the string with tap water. Repeat this step 5 to 10 times until all the string is gone.
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