Smoked Turkey Breast

If you think you can only have turkey at Thanksgiving, you are missing out. (Turkey lunchmeat not included LOL) Seeing as how my husband runs a barbeque store we tend to grill a lot. Thankfully it’s the one place he can cook really well without the possibility of burning down my house.

Brent can make a killer brisket, pulled pork, you name it – and I’m sure all of his recipes will end up here. This is his as well. Very, very simple and oh-so-flavorful. Brining the meat is important as it imparts flavor and juices before the cooking process begins. The rub featured here is from the Big Green Egg cookbook but you can use any rub you please.

Now, I realize there are a million different kinds of smokers. We happen to own a Big Green Egg ourselves so it is slightly different than most – but by far one of the best grills you can buy. Brent suggests tailoring the smoking to what works best for your equipment, and if you don’t know, leave a comment and he’ll be happy to help.

Smoked Turkey Breast

3-4lb bone-in turkey breast

3-4 Hickory wood chunks

For the Rub:

2 T. freshly ground tri-color peppercorns

2 T. sweet paprika

2 T. garlic powder

2 T. onion powder

2 T. Kosher salt

2 T. dried oregano

1 T. chili powder

1 T. celery seed

2 T. light brown sugar

For the Brine:

½ cup Kosher salt

½ cup granulated sugar

2 quarts water

Directions:

Mix all of your rub ingredients in a small bowl until combined; set aside.

To brine the turkey breast, stir together your ingredients until salt and sugar are dissolved. Place the turkey breast in a gallon baggie, pour in the brine, seal all of the air pockets out and let rest at room temperature for one hour.

In the meantime, preheat your smoker to 200°F. Once the smoker is to temperature, put your wood chunks directly in the center of your charcoal. Place your seasoned meat in a roasting rack fitted into a drip pan and then into the smoker. Smoke for approximately one hour per pound of meat, until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Let rest for twenty minutes before slicing.

Enjoy! KC

Protein

There is nothing whatsoever fancy about this meal. As a matter of fact it is not really worth a post, except to show you how I eat when I'm not dreaming up gourmet, calorie-laden foods. Usually I don't get home from the office until around 4:30pm when LB isn't here, and in order to eat by 5:00pm so that I am ready to work out at 7:45pm I have to cook FAST. Quick, simple, protein-packed and D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.

This is a perfect example. Eggs, bacon, cottage cheese (and a side of quinoa added later) come together in under five minutes and are really satisfying. I tend to cook my bacon in the microwave when I'm short on time, and in the few minutes that is cooking I can scramble up some eggs. Cottage cheese is a new thing for me and I'm learning to like it in small doses, preferably with salt & pepper. I've seen it served all sorts of ways but simple works best for me.

Another great option is chicken breasts. Place a frozen chicken breast in a saute pan with some Mojave Garlic Pepper, cover and let it steam while you cook up some green veggies (or my favorite spinach and egg combo). Quinoa is always a great addition as it is a perfect protein and a seed as opposed to a grain.

Eating so "lightly" can be difficult. My natural inclination is to spend a couple of hours making dinner and really enjoying it. When LB returns Sunday we'll start back to that, but I'll try to keep all recipes under an hour. :-)

Enjoy! KC

Simple Scallops

Growing up I was never a fan of seafood, but the older I've gotten the more I've come to like some things. Nights like tonight my husband doesn't get home until 7:30pm and we leave straight for the gym so I like to eat a quick protein-packed dinner before 5pm. This meal is perfect, easy to prepare and just the right amount of flavor.

For this variation I've paired my scallops with a mixture of cooked orzo with spinach and cream. Total time to complete this meal was 15 minutes.

Scallops
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1lb bay scallops, rinsed and dried
1/4 cup bacon fat
1/4 cup herb butter
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
Melt together your butter and bacon fat in a 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Gently drop in your scallops and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to "baste" the fish with the liquid.

After 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit for five minutes. Serve immediately.

*For the orzo side, I simply cooked orzo until al dente and added in some fresh spinach during the last 3 minutes of cook time. Strain completely and return to pan. Add in 1/4 cup heavy cream, salt and pepper and stir. Yum!

Enjoy! KC

My Favorite Potato Soup

Whenever I was sick as a kid, my Mama would always fix me homemade potato soup. It seemed like she would slave over the stove forever for that creamy goodness. Turns out it was nothing more than potatoes and milk but it was still one of my favorites.

A few years ago just as Fall was making its appearance I threw together this soup out of basically nothing. It was late, chilly, and I was sick and did NOT feel like going to the store. Using a few staples I had around this soup was born and has quickly become my favorite grown-up potato soup. It's slightly sweet with just a hint of spice - but if you're like me, you'll add a little extra.

Potato Soup
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 large baker potatoes, peeled and large diced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and large diced
1/2 lb. honey or brown sugar ham, diced
1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt (or Real Salt)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper
Generous pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions:
Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat and drizzle well with extra-virgin olive oil. Once hot, toss in your diced onions and ham and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to sweat.

Add in your diced apples, garlic and dry spices and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in your potatoes, broth and water and stir. (The liquid should be above the potatoes; if not, add just enough extra water or broth to cover.)

Reduce heat to medium and simmer soup for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then use an immersion blender to puree about half of the soup (you can also use a food processor.) Serve with a drizzle of heavy cream.

Enjoy! KC

Pumpkin Sandwich

 Okay, I'll admit: this sandwich alone is not really worth an entire post. However, the bread itself is - and with the addition of a couple of ingredients becomes one of my favorite Fall snacks.

This past weekend I made some homemade pumpkin puree and let me tell you - I will never buy canned again. Most of it was frozen but I had about a cup left over and was really craving some pumpkin bread. Once the bread was baked and cooled, I cut two thin slices and slathered whipped cream cheese on one then topped it with honey roasted turkey. This, my friends, is phenomenal. It's a perfect little bite when you just need something to hold you over for a bit. Sweet, savory and delicious!

Now for the bread, this is my favorite pumpkin bread recipe yet and even my husband loved it. It's very simple to put together and the taste can't be beat. It'll definitely be making appearances at holiday functions this year.

Pumpkin Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. fresh pumpkin puree
1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 c. water

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan. Combine your dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine your sugar and oil and mix on medium speed until sugar begins to dissolve. Add in your eggs and pumpkin and stir until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Blend in your dry ingredients, alternating with the water, just until moist. Pour into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

Enjoy! KC

*Recipe adapted from The Food Network.

Lemon Chicken Primavera

If I haven’t mentioned it before, I LOVE Italian food! Chicken primavera is pretty much a staple of an Italian meal, and I think the lemon just brightens up this dish so much. Of course, I love lemon on just about anything so maybe I’m partial.

This dish is quick to prepare and chock full of veggies. If you don’t have all of the veggies listed, feel free to substitute as needed.

Lemon Chicken Primavera
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini squash
1 red bell pepper
2 carrots
½ cup green olives, sliced
1 small red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pint mushrooms, wiped clean
1 head broccoli crowns
1lb whole wheat penne pasta
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil

Directions:
Grill or sauté chicken breasts sprinkled with salt and pepper until just cooked through, remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing into ¼” strips. Cook pasta according to package directions.

Slice all vegetables (unless otherwise noted) to a ¼” slice. In a large skillet over medium-high heat and generously drizzled with olive oil combine all veggies, sprinkle with salt and pepper and quickly, about 2 minutes. Add in the lemon zest and juice and and chicken, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, veggies and pasta and toss to coat. Serve warm, with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Enjoy! KC

Chili

It’s Fall now, right? At least that’s what the dramatically cooler temps outside are telling me! At the first sign of a chill I run to my cold weather recipes and anxiously await all of the evenings I can make soups and stews. My Mama is a chili master in my opinion and I was surprised to realize last night that I’ve never attempted to make it.

Now, my husband is from Kansas City and his “Yankee-ness” has a much different view of what a chili should look and taste like. As for me I’m not just a big fan of chili powder or beans in my chili for that matter – just gimme the meat! But, he made chili several times for me last year and I’ve started to like the addition of beans for texture. Still not a big fan of chili powder but I consent you do need it for flavor.

This recipe is totally winged. I eyeballed all of the seasonings and only knew my meat and veggie amounts because they were packaged. And GASP! I used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic because I was out, but I actually think I liked the taste a smidge better. It is so very versatile that you can change it how you please, but we found this to be spectacular. Even LB, who proclaimed to this bio-mom that he “Loved Chili!!” to which she responded, “But you don’t like it when I make it . . .” so obviously I did something right. ;-)

Chili
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2.5lbs ground beef (I used the 80/20 for flavor)
1 large yellow sweet onion, diced
3 cans of beans, drained & rinsed (I used black, pinto and red)
4 cans of fire roasted tomatoes, with juice
2 tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. chipotle chili powder
Chili powder (I estimate I used 5-6 tbsp. but you can change to your taste)
Handful of salt
Handful of pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl combine and mix all of your dry ingredients. In a large stock pot over medium high heat, combine your ground beef, diced onion and dry seasonings and cook stirring frequently until meat is well-browned, about 10-15 minutes. The more you brown, the more flavor you incorporate! Cooking the beef with the seasonings really helps them adhere to the meat as opposed to them just floating around the broth.

Once your meat is browned, stir in your tomatoes and beans and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

We serve over Frito’s with shredded cheese on top. Tonight, leftovers are being served over a baked potato.

Enjoy! KC