Friday, May 16, 2014
SANDRAS PERFECTLY ROASTED TURKEY with HOMEMADE MOIST STUFFING
| Ive provided options to either stuff the turkey, and/or bake the dressing separate, as many people have varying opinions regarding this... |
Prep: 30 Mins. |
Bake: 3-1/2 Hrs. |
Stand: 15 Mins.
Posted by Sandra
INGREDIENTS
***Stuffing
1/2 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
| Dressing as its called, or stuffing if you choose to do so inside the turkey |
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon savory
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
8 cups stale whole-wheat bread, broken into one-inch pieces
3 to 4 cups poultry stock (depending on how moist you like your dressing)
***Turkey
1 (10 to 12-lb.) turkey, giblets removed
light olive oil, to rub on skin
kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
METHOD
Melt butter in large skillet and add all ingredients except the bread and stock. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the bread and stock and mix well using clean hands, or if you prefer a large spoon. Let stuffing cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, place the turkey into a large bowl (for easier handling) neck side up, and remove giblets (I save these for the gravy). Rub the bird with oil. When stuffing is cool, fill both the main turkey cavity and neck cavity with stuffing. (*and/or bake remaining or all of dressing in a dish as outlined below). Place the turkey into a roasting pan, on a rack, and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 3 hours while basting on the hour, and then increase the heat to 450 degrees and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the thigh reaches 180 degrees and/or meat in the breast reaches 170 degrees (please do not let thermometer hit the bone to ensure correct readings). Remove from oven, and lightly tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes for juices to redistribute. Remove the stuffing to a large bowl, carve the roasted turkey, and serve immediately. – Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*To bake dressing in pan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13”x9” baking dish. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
**If you choose not to stuff the turkey, the roasting time will be less ~ be sure to keep an eye on your thermometer!!
Spicy Orange Chicken Wings Its Not a Party Until the Panda Wings Come Out!
We are right smack in the middle of chicken wing eating season, and with the Super Bowl just around the corner (Go Jets!), I figured it was high time for a new wing fling. The recipe could not be simpler to make, and if you can somehow manage to whip up a batch of these oven-fried chicken wings to glaze, youll be in sticky-finger-heaven.
Since this was my first time trying this, I went very basic, and was extremely happy with the results. It was very similar in taste and texture to the Panda orange glaze, and done so with no gloppy cornstarch, which is not very nice cold.
Next time I will try the additions of ginger and garlic, and maybe some toasted sesame seeds. In the meantime, I really hope you give these a try, and please let me know how your particular variations come out. Enjoy!
Spicy Orange Chicken Wings Ingredients (enough for about 5 lbs of wings):
2 big tablespoons Sambal, or other Asian-style chili paste to taste, or may sub red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup orange jam or marmalade, (strain if contains an excess of orange rind pieces)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
"oven-fried" Buffalo chicken wings
Suggestions for optional additions:
finely minced garlic cloves
finely grated fresh ginger, optional
minced green onions
toasted sesame seeds
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Tangy Tang Shake
Tangy Tang Shake

Ingredients:
- Milk 2 cup
- Yogurt 1 cup
- Vanilla essence Few drops
- Mango Tang ¼ cup
- Ice 1 cup
Method:
- Put 2 cups of, 1 cup yogurt, few drops of vanilla essence and ¼ cup mango tang in the blender and blend it. Add in 1 cup ice and blend it again. Pour it in glasses and serve.
Masala rawa idli
Masala rawa idli

Ingredients
- Semolina 1 cup heaped
- Yogurt 1 cup heaped
- White lentil 1 tsp
- Yellow lentil 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds ½ tsp
- Green chilies chopped 2
- Coriander leaves chopped 2 tbsp
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Salt ¾ tsp
- Soda by carb 1 tsp
Method
- Roast semolina in 1 tbsp oil, remove from flame and keep in a bowl to cool, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil add mustard seeds with white lentil and yellow lentil, stir fry until golden brown, mix it with semolina, add beaten yogurt, chopped coriander leaves and green chilies, salt and soda by carb, mix well, keep aside for half an hour, greased the idli stand with oil and steam idli for 15 minutes or until done, serve hot with coconut chatni.
Ingredients for coconut chatni
- Fresh coconut grated ½ cup
- Green chilies 3
- Roasted gram 3 tbsp
- Coriander leaves 2 tbsp
- Salt ½ tsp
- Yogurt 2 to 3 tbsp
Ingredients for baghar
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds ½ tsp
- White lentil 1 tsp
Method
- In a blender grind together, fresh coconut, green chilies, salt, coriander leaves, yogurt and roasted gram until smooth, remove chatni in a bowl give baghar, heat oil in a pan fry mustard seeds and white lentil on low flame until light pink add to the coconut chatni, mix well and serve with rawa idli.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
I Know a Good Idea When I See One
Youve heard that expression "march to the beat of your own drummer," yes? Well, I feel like I embody everything about that cliche. Except for the marching and having my own drummer part. I mean, just look at me! Red hair (by choice thankyouverymuch), fair skin, and a face full of make up in D.C., where many ladies think a swipe of mascara counts as whore make up. Sigh.
But its not just physical. Oh no, Ive been doing my own thing from day one. Whether it was abstaining from the devils juice until the age of 21 (true story--Google+ me for the story. haha, JK! Nobodys using Google+) or starting a magazine in college when everyone around me told me it was a bad idea (its still there btw, 5 years after I graduated, nbd), Ive always felt free to be me and pretty stubborn against peer pressure.
That said, sometimes you see something someone else does and you cant help but think to yourself, "Screw paving my own way! Im following in these well-paved footsteps." And thats exactly what I did when I saw this manicure on Cupcakes and Cashmere.
It pretty much begins and ends with this Martha Stewart glitter. I mean, its pretty and sparkly. Im fairly certain thats the recipe for curing anything that ails you.
Once your nail color has dried, apply a layer of top coat to the top half of your nail. Like Emily, I chose the ring finger.
Then, dip a small brush--I used a make up brush I never used--into your glitter and lightly tap it onto the wet top coat.
Apply a top coat to the rest of your nails and voila! Copycat-worthy nails!
FISH VINDALOO
1 kg good fleshy fish cut into slices
2 medium sized onions chopped
2 teaspoons chilly powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
2 tablespoons vinegar
Salt to taste
2 tomatoes pureed
2 tablespoons oil
Wash the fish well and lightly fry in a little oil till the pieces become firm. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and fry till light brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for a while. Add the chilly powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, tomato puree and salt and fry for some time. Add the fish and the vinegar and mix well. Add a little more water and cook till the gravy is slightly thick.(Slices of Shark fish can also be used in this recipe to make Shark Fish Vindaloo. However the pieces need not be fried before hand since shark meat is already firm)
Tapas Tasting at La Tasca!
This is part two of my review of La Tasca, Spanish Tapas Bar and Kitchen, if you havent seen the first part you can find it HERE
Monday – Saturday : 09:30 – 23:00, Sunday: 09:30 – 22:00
We started with the Spanish Rustic Bread Board, freshly baked Spanish ciabatta, onion and olive and an really interesting torta (a crispy, rosemary and thyme bread biscit from Seville). This was served with an extra-virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar dip. The torta is the one wrapped in the waxed paper, it was a bit like really good rough puff pastry, with layers of crispiness. All the breads were good and Delisioso dipped in the oil and vinegar.




Read More..
La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar & Kitchen
39-43 Renfield Street
Glasgow, G2 1JS Tel: 0141 204 5188
Monday – Saturday : 09:30 – 23:00, Sunday: 09:30 – 22:00

These dishes are part of a new menu which has been developed for La Tasca by Executive Chef Antonio Bennetto using as many authentic ingredients as possible.

On this plate from left to right Croquetas de Manchego, hand crumbed Manchego cheese and fresh spinach; Croquetas de Pollo - hand-crumbed chicken breast both are served with garlic mayonnaise; Patas Bravas - fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce. The Croquetas were crispy with tasty fillings, I wasnt so impressed with the Patas Bravas which was a bit soggy, the potatoes not fried enough, the sauce was just spicy enough but Ive had better.

There were two Tapas dishes that I really loved, one was the Spanish Style Lemon Chicken shown in the little white dish above, it tasted divine with a lovely sticky lemon glaze on chicken and mediterranean vegetables. The other dish I loved was the Festival of Mushrooms, I dont have a photo but it would look like a dish of sauted mushrooms, but the taste - WOW! According to the menu it is afestival of chestnut, button and porcini mushrooms sauted in garlic butter and white wine. We all agreed that it was one of the stars of the night.

This dish is Pollo Marbella, chicken cooked with smoked paprika, chorizo, mixed peppers, onion and a white wine and cream sauce. It had a real depth of flavour and piquancy.

Vegetarians were not neglected, there are lots of dishes From the Vegetable Garden and this goats cheese and tomato ciabata slices called Montadito La Tasca was a real winner. As you can see all the food is also really well presented.
Now for a bit of a Spanish pronunciation lesson!
Tortilla tor-TEE-yah
Paella pie-eyya
Chorizo chor-REE-zo
Albondigas al-bon-dee-gas
Pollo POH-yoh
Queso KEH-so
Jamon am-ON
and finally, here are the select bunch of Scottish Food Bloggers who were invited to dine at La Tasca, many thanks to Becca, the PR, and to Suzanne the General Manager at La Tasca, Renfield Street, Glasgow. I would definitely return as I really enjoyed the food, the service and the general relaxed ambiance.
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| Jac, Emma, Mark, Graeme, Claire (Briony not in this picture) |
If youve been inspired to make some Tapas yourself, remember to include some chillis and enter it in the Sweet Heat Challenge which Im hosting this month. There are lots of recipes online but here is a link to get you started: BBC Good Food Tapas recipes
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