Thursday, August 23, 2012

One of the easiest things you'll ever make



So I'm buying 1/4 of a cow that is due in next week, so I'm trying to make room in my chest freezer in the basement to fit all of the meaty goodness coming my way.  Out came the turkey breast.

This is a little lengthy process (over 2 days), but it's very little hands on work, so it's great!

Ingredients:


  • Bone in turkey breast 
  • 3-4 tablespoons Penzey's Greek Seasoning (or whatever Greek seasoning you like, or really, whatever seasoning you like)
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • Olive oil
  • Arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)-for the gravy (optional)
  • Kosher salt
Okay, day 1, get your turkey out of the package and rinse it.  Grab yourself a large stock pot (large enough to hold the turkey breast while it's submerged in water) and fill it with cold water and kosher salt.  You want to make a brine, and a standard one is 1 cup of salt per 1 gallon of water.  I used about 2.5 cups of salt for my brine and it was just a tad on the salty side, but I like salt, so it didn't bother me.

So, get your briny water ready and dunk the turkey breast in and stick it in the fridge overnight.

Next day, take the turkey breast out of the brine and rinse it with cold water.  Put the turkey in a crock pot (it's great if you've got a large oval one) and cut some slits in the skin and stick the cubed butter under the skin all over.  Next, drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top and rub the Greek seasoning all over.

Put the cover on the crock pot and cook on high for 1 hour then on low for 5-6 hours or until the juices run clear.

Now this last part is optional, but tasty good.  When the turkey is done in the crock pot, preheat your oven to 450.  Place the breast in a baking dish and drizzle a little more olive oil over the skin and bake for about 5 minutes, just to crisp the skin a little bit.

While the turkey is in the oven, again, optional, but tasty good, take the liquid from the crock pot and put it in a skillet and bring to a low boil.  Mix in some arrowroot powder or cornstarch to thicken and, stirring frequently, keep on a low boil until it starts to thicken, then reduce to a simmer for a few minutes.

Let the turkey stand for a few minutes, slice, serve and enjoy!


Thursday, August 9, 2012

Goat cheese "risotto"


  • 6 cups of cauliflower, riced
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
  • 1-2 cups of chicken stock
  • 4 ounces goat cheese 
In a large saute pan, add the oil, garlic and onions and saute over medium heat until tender (about 5 minutes).  Add the cauliflower rice and let get a little brown (about 2-3 minutes).  Add the chicken stock (I used 1.5 cups, so start with 1 cup and add as needed) and increase the heat a bit until you get a low boil, then bring down to low.  Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and add the goat cheese in and stir.  Resume cooking another 10-20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Salt and pepper to taste.

*Note-the goat cheese is a subtle flavor here, but it was perfect for me.  If you want more of the tangy flavor, add another ounce or two!