Wish Fulfillment, The Blog

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but the festivities are still in full swing! Lots of us are still taking advantage of the long weekend with shopping, spending time with those we love, and more feasting! If you have leftovers from last night but need a fabulous “new” dish to whip up for another complete meal, try this Asian-inspired pasta dish! It uses leftover poultry and cucumbers, or any raw veggies you want to toss in, and guarantees a unique and light dressing that is just what your tastebuds are craving after those heavy eats!

Turkey Pasta Salad

Photo and recipe courtesy of Food Mayhem

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Pasta Salad:

• 1 box (1 lb) dry pasta (any shape)
• 3 cups shredded chicken or turkey
• 2 large cucumbers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped scallion
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and set aside. (I usually do this the night before just to get it out of the way.)
2. Cook pasta as instructed on the box. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
3. Toss together pasta, chicken or turkey (is using), cucumber, cilantro, scallion, and sesame seeds. Dress and toss. Serve immediately.

Only one more day before we gather around the dining table and remember all that we have to be thankful for! Whether it’s grandma’s top secret stuffing recipe or fancy fusion turkey dumplings, there are so many recipes to choose from every year that it can be more overwhelming than anything. We’ve compiled a classic assortment of Autumn recipes that keep it simple while still being delicious! Have you ever really enjoyed green bean casserole, or had mashed potatoes that made your knees weak? The fresh ingredients and tested techniques in these recipes have taken these comfort foods and made them shine both on their own and alongside the turkey and fixings!

Perfect Green Bean Casserole

Photo and recipe courtesy of Dirty Kitchen Secrets

Ingredients

• 600g green beans- halfed and rinsed
• 700ml milk
• 1 small onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves-smashed
• 1 small whole nutmeg
• 45g flour
• 45g butter + 1 tablespoon for the mushrooms
• 240g chestnut mushrooms
• 2 large red onions
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Parmesan for sprinkling- Optional

Directions

1. Rinse the green beans well. Place them in a deep pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Blanch them for no more than three minutes. Remove, strain and leave for later. You can do this step well ahead of time and then re-heat the beans in a little water when ready to serve.
2. As soon as you put the beans on the stove, add the milk to a saucepan with the whole nutmeg, bayleaf, onions and smashed garlic. Bring the milk to a simmer and be sure to keep stirring so that it doesn’t burn. This shouldn’t take more than two to three minutes. Turn off the flame and let it sit to infuse about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove all the ingredients from the milk.
3. In a well buttered pan, add the mushrooms and cook on high flame for no more than a minute or so. Remove and strain.
4. Add the butter (45g) in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and let it melt on medium-low flame.
5. Add the flour (45g) and using a wooden spoon keep stirring till all is incorporated.
6. Keep stirring for about 2-3 minutes till the roux starts to froth and most of the flour flavor is cooked off.
7. Begin adding the strained warm milk a little at a time. About 1-2 tablespoons to start with and continuously stir.
8. Switch to a whisk and keep adding the milk slowly, continuously whisking, adding more as the milk is incorporated.
9. Once you’ve added all the milk, let the sauce cook for a further ten to fifteen minutes on low heat and keep stirring very often. Now, if you wish you can make the sauce a couple of hours ahead of time then you will need to keep it warm in a bain-marie. Add the sauce to a pyrex bowl and place over a pot filled with warm water. The sauce will thicken so just before serving add more warmed milk to it while whisking till desired consistency is reached. Remember to add the milk little by little. You can also cook the roux the night before, keep it in the fridge covered, then follow the rest of the steps about twenty to thirty minutes before serving. Make sure you start with a warmed roux.
10. Add salt and freshly ground pepper.
11. Drizzle the vegetable oil into a sautee pan and when the oil is hot, add the onion rings. Cook, stirring very often, till they are golden and crispy.
12. Lather the hot green beans with the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with some parmesan if you like.
13. Top with the crispy onions. Alternatively and if you are making certain bits ahead of time, you can add all the chilled ingredients in a casserole, add the bechamel sauce and then bake in a pre-heated oven 350F/160C/3G for about 10-15 minutes.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Photo and recipe courtesy of Dirty Kitchen Secrets

Ingredients

• 1 kg potatoes of choice, peeled and rinsed
• 100g butter- more or less to taste
• 150ml milk- more or less to taste
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Ricer

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes into quarters- making sure they are as even as possible, in order to cook evenly.
2. Cover them with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Quickly lower and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Test them with a knife- if it goes through them smoothly, then they are ready. Cooking time will depend on the potatoes…so you will need to test them.
3. Drain the potatoes then return to the pot, on a low flame, and let any remaining water evaporate. It shouldn’t take longer than 30 seconds.
4. Pass a few at a time through a ricer.
5. Add all the ingredients you want- butter, cream, salt, pepper, mushrooms, spring onions, etc…
6. Using a fork, mix it all together in no more than 2 laps. Taste and season accordingly. Always remember the more you work the potatoes the more they will become like gum.

Roast Turkey

Photo and recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 3 cups coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• 5 cups sugar
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, plus freshly ground pepper
• 1 fresh whole turkey (18 to 20 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, giblets and neck reserved for gravy

Directions

1. Put salt, sugar, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and 10 cups water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat; let brine cool completely.
2. Add turkey, breast first, to the brine. Cover; refrigerate 24 hours. Remove from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Stir together melted butter and wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down sides of turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture; let soak.
4. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey all over with softened butter; season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into bowl. Reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Roast 30 minutes. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Roast, brushing every 30 minutes, 2 1/2 hours more; cover with foil if browning too quickly. If making gravy, add giblets and neck to pan 1 1/2 hours after reducing temperature; roast 30 minutes, and reserve.
6. Discard cheesecloth; rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees and stuffing reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour. Transfer to a platter. Set pan with drippings aside for gravy. Let turkey stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired.