Turkey Sausage with White Wine and Garlic, Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Peppers and Onions

I went shopping today to pick up a couple of items for dinner.  Somehow when I go to this store I end up spending a small chunk of change, today was no exception.  I picked up the sausages that contain white wine and garlic.  I thought this would make a nice meal for tonight's dinner.

Cooked Sausage
Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with a small amount of olive oil.  (I have a glass top stove and cooking with cast iron you have to be careful because if you heat it up too fast the pan will get hot and could cause the glass to break).  Place sausages into pan and cook.  Turning often so that they will cook evenly.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
small amount of olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place sweet potatoes into a Ziploc bag along with garlic.  Add a small amount of olive oil, just enough to coat potatoes.  Shake and knead bag to incorporate the oil onto the potatoes.  Pour potatoes onto a cookie sheet and place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until tender.  Turning potatoes at least once.  Serve

Sauteed Peppers and Onions
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt
Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add olive oil.  Place peppers and onions into pan, stir.  Continue to cook until onions and peppers become soft.  This could take as long as 15 minutes.  When the onions and peppers are about soft, sprinkle a little bit of salt (the salt will help to remove some of the moisture and flavor the peppers and onions).

Serve the above meal with a small salad.

Pot Roast with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus

Finally remembered to pull a roast from the freezer to thaw.  I have wanted a roast for a while but kept forgetting to take it from the freezer.  Decided to make a recipe from the Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook.

California Pot Roast
1 - 4 to 5 pound rump roast (can use chuck or round roast)
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup water
2 cups tomato sauce, fresh or canned (I used fresh)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Rub roast with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat, brown roast for about 3 minutes per side.  Place the meat in a slow cooker with the water, tomato sauce, onion and garlic.  Cook on low heat all day, for about 5 or 6 hours.
About 1-1/4 hours before you are ready to eat, combine brown sugar, dry mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour over meat, and continue cooking for another hour until fork tender.
Remove meat, slice, and place on a warm platter.  Meanwhile, let the sauce thicken by simmering on the stove for a few minutes; pour over sliced roast and serve.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
olive oil
clove of garlic, peeled
Place cut sweet potatoes and garlic into a ziploc bag, add just enough olive oil to coat the potatoes.  Pour potatoes and garlic onto a cookie sheet.  Spread sweet potatoes out so that they have enough room and are not over lapped.  Cook in a preheated 450 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 30 minutes.  The time will depend on the size of the chunks of potatoes.  You want them slightly browned and tender.

Cooked Asparagus with Citrus and Caper Aioli
I got this recipe out of a magazine at a doctors office or somewhere there was a waiting room.  I find when I am looking at magazines in a waiting room I find all kinds of wonderful sounded recipes.  I use my cell phone to photograph the recipe.  Sometimes you have to photograph it in parts but as long as you have it you are good to go.  I wish I knew what magazine this came out of so that I could give it credit (if anyone knows please comment and tell me).
For less heat, omit the Calabrian chiles and add a pinch of dried crushed red pepper.
2 large eggs
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2-1/4 cups olive oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
1 Calabrian or other hot chile pepper, stem removed (I used crushed red pepper since I didn't have the others)
1 teaspoon capers
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine first 3 ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until well blended.  With processor on, slowly pour in oil; process until smooth.  Add chile and next 3 ingredients, pulsing until well mixed.  If aioli is too thick, stir in water until it reached the desired consistency.  Makes 3 cups.
The recipe uses this over grilled asparagus.  Since we were not grilling out I decided to use this over cooked asparagus.  Place wash and snapped asparagus into a pot of salted boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.  The time make change depending on the diameter of the asparagus.  Drizzle aioli over cooked asparagus.
One note about this aioli:  I used extra virgin olive oil which has a strong taste so you may want to adjust your seasonings to your liking.  Also this aioli would be great for sandwiches.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Here is everything I cooked for our Thanksgiving day.  One thing you will notice a lack of is stuffing.  I decided I wanted to stay away from the really filling and calorie loaded bread.

Turkey
I got this recipe for our turkey from Chef Todd Schneider at the Virginia Executive Mansion.  He has many recipes posted on this site.

Our turkey has come from Auburnlea Farms in Gladys, Virginia.  The turkey is pastured raised and all natural.  The turkey is 17-1/2 pounds.

Here is the recipe.
1 bottle of dry Virginia Wine (I used Chardonnay from King Family Vineyards in Crozet, Virginia)
4 cups water
Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme
1 stick butter
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves fresh garlic
1 red onion, quartered
4 celery stalks, cut in 2 inch pieces
4 whole carrots, 2 inch cuts
1 teaspoon paprika

Make sure the giblets, neck and liver are out of the bird.  Do not throw them away.  Wash the turkey with cold water inside and out, pat dry with paper towels (inside also).

Take some of the herbs and garlic cloves and put them in the end of the cavity.  Add a little salt and pepper to cavity.  Put onions, carrots, celery and fresh herbs in the turkey.  Pour olive oil all over turkey and rub it in.  Sprinkle, salt, pepper and paprika on the turkey.  Take butter cubes and tuck in crevices on the turkey and sprinkle in pan.  Take the giblets, liver and neck and put them in the pan with fresh herbs (whole), garlic cloves and vegetables.  Add about 2 cups of water and white wine.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put foil over turkey.  Place in oven for 1 hour (this is key, it's called blasting the bird) then after 1 hour turn the oven down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Baste turkey and leave foil on.  Continue to baste turkey every half hour.  When basting the turkey check the skin, you may need to add more water and wine to the pan.  Take the foil off the last hour of cooking.  Let turkey get to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, let sit for 15 minutes before carving.


Take the juices from the pan add a pat of butter and bring to a boil.  Add some homemade chicken broth to make enough gravy.  To thicken it I use Arrowroot.

Cosmopolitan Cranberries
1 - 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries, rinsed, drained, and picked through
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vodka
3 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur

In medium saucepan over moderate heat, combine cranberries, sugar and 1/2 cup water.   Bring to boil, stirring often to dissolve sugar, then reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened and reduced to about 3 cups, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to medium bowl and cool, stirring often, until tepid, about 30 minutes.  Stir in vodka and liqueur.  Transfer to serving bowl, cover, and refrigerator until chilled and set, at least 2 hours.  (Sauce can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and refrigerated).  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Corn Pudding
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
6 large eggs
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
6 cups frozen corn (I am using the corn that we froze during the summer)

Combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk together eggs, cream and butter.  Gradually add sugar mixture, whisking until smooth; stir in corn.  Pour into a lightly greased oblong baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and set.  Stick a knife blade into the middle and it will be done when it comes out pretty clean.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

Steamed Green Beans with Walnuts
Steam green beans until done but still crisp.  In a skillet add some butter and chopped walnuts cook until walnuts are coated and have released their oil and are fragrant.  Add cooked green beans.  Saute beans just enough to coat.

Steamed Carrots
Peel carrots and cut into slices.  Add carrots to steamer and steam until done.  Place in dish and toss with a little bit of butter.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Peel sweet potatoes, cut into bite size chunks.  Place sweet potatoes in a ziploc bag along with a little bit of fresh sage.  Add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, just enough enough to coat.  Shake bag to coat sweet potatoes.   Dump sweet potatoes out of the bag and onto a cookie sheet.  Bake in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 45 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.

Also included for dinner was fruit salad and dinner rolls provided by family members.