Happy Thanksgiving!

So for Thanksgiving we went to my Mother In Law’s house. I wasn’t expected to bring anything But I brought so much food:

Pecan Pie

Apple Pie

Pecan and Apple Pie

My Hubby, Normy was in charge of making the Mashed potatoes

Dinner Rolls

marinated Tomatoes

The Star of the Show! The BIRD! My Mother and Father in law did a Puerto Rican Rub on it! YUM!

Left to right – My Sis in-laws Suyzel, Tara. Mother in Law, Evelyn and then me on the far right.

My father in law cutting up the bird

Turkey!

My Cutie Nephew Hayden

The Spread

YUM!

My Plate! (I love Green Bean Casserole btw, I only get it once a year, Thanksgiving)

My Niece Bronwyn and Father in law Jim taking a break from eating, Well Jim was but not Bronwyn! She loved Aunt Jamie’s Rolls!

My family and Me! Every time we get together we feel the need to wear sunglasses and take pictures! from Left to Right – Far left is My Sil Jenn (who is prego with my niece Zoe Marie) My bro John Next to her, Then My Mom, Dad and Meeee! (I always end up on the far right)

Me and my big bro (He is 6′ 5″) and I am 5′ 9″

Parker House Rolls

Made these for My Sister in Law Tara, as she likes Butter! This Recipe calls for 4 sticks of butter! So I knew she would LOVE these!

Recipe

• 4 cups Whole Milk
• 2 sticks 1 Cup Butter
• 1 cup Sugar
• 4-½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
• 8 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
• 1 cup (additional) All-purpose Flour
• 2 sticks Melted Butter (additional)

Combine 4 cups milk, 2 sticks butter, and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a simmer, and when the mixture is hot (but not boiling) turn off heat and allow to cool to warmer than lukewarm, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Sprinkle in the yeast and 8 cups of flour. Stir to combine, then cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 additional cup of flour. Stir to combine. Divide dough in half, then turn out onto floured surface. Knead dough for 8 to 10 minutes, then form into a ball and cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place. for 30 to 45 minutes. (Repeat with other half of dough, or store it for a later use.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan.

Roll out dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut circles with a 2 1/2 inch cutter. Dunk each circle in melted butter, then immediately fold in half and place on a cookie sheet, flat side down. Press lightly to encourage sealing. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Cover with a towel and allow rolls to rise 30 to 45 minutes.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately!

Dreamy Apple Pie

For Thanksgiving I made 2 pies – Pecan and Apple! And this Thanksgiving I had a theme to use all Pioneer Woman Recipes!

Recipe

1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (I used this Recipe )

Filling

• 3 whole Large (4 Or 5 Small) Granny Smith Apples, Peeled, Cored, And Sliced Thin
• ½ cups Brown Sugar
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ⅛ teaspoons Cinnamon

Topping

• 7 Tablespoons Butter
• ¾ cups All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Brown Sugar
• ¼ cups Pecans (more To Taste)
• Dash Of Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out pie dough and place it in a pie pan. Decorate the edges as desired.

Add apple slices to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together cream, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over apples. Pour apples into pie shell.

In the bowl of a food processor (or you can mix by hand) combine butter, flour, sugar, pecans (chop if you’re not using a food processor), and salt. Mix until everything comes together in clumps. Pour topping over apples.

Attach foil to the edges and lay a piece of flat foil loosely over the top of the pie. Place pie pan on top of a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for one hour. At the end, remove foil and allow to finish baking and browning. Can bake for up to 15 or 20 minutes more if necessary.

Remove from oven when pie is bubbly and golden brown.

Serve warm with, whipped cream, or ice cream.

Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce

Again, As I stated in my previous post, I watched an Episode of Throwdown with The Pioneer Woman and Bobby Flay and it was a Thanksgiving one and The Pioneer Woman made this amazing meal and she BEAT Bobby Flay! But one Recipe that really stood out to me was her Pecan Pie because she topped it with this sauce. Never thought to put a sauce over the pie! But oh man this sauce just adds something a little extra. The pie is already amazing but when you add something with Cream, and Whiskey oh man = The Ultimate Goodness!

Recipe

• 1-½ cup Heavy Cream
• 5 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
• 3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Whiskey (can Add More If Desired)

Combine cream, maple syrup, and corn syrup in a saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes or until sauce is reduced and thick (sauce should bubble slightly as it’s cooking.)

When sauce is thick, remove from heat and stir in whiskey. Return to heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour into a container and refrigerate until completely chilled. Stir before serving.

Drizzle over pies!

Pioneer Woman’s Pecan Pie

#1 I Love Pecan Pie

#2 A Pecan Pie Recipe from The Pioneer Woman (THIS is going to be GOOD!)

#3 I watched The Pioneer Woman make this on a Thanksgiving Throwdown with Bobby Flay and she kicked his butt!

I normally don’t eat many sweets, I just like to make them and take pictures and take a little bite and give the rest away. I had 3 slices of this pie. 3! SO You KNOW its good!

• 1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (I Used “Perfect Pie Crust” Recipe
• 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Corn Syrup
• ¾ teaspoons Vanilla
• ⅓ cups Melted Butter (salted)
• 3 whole Eggs Beaten
• 1 cup (heaping) Chopped Pecans

First, whip up your pie crust using “Perfect Pie Crust” found here: Recipe

Next, mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell

.

Pour syrup mixture over the top.

Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75! (Mine was the one that took 75)

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.

Grilled Thai Beef Salad

Recipe

• 1 pound top-round London broil or flank steak, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick (I used Flat Iron Steak)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 1/4 teaspoons red curry paste or chili-garlic sauce
• 1/2 head red-leaf lettuce, torn (about 6 cups)
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup), divided, for garnish
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and dried
• 1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons (Didn’t add)
• 1 English Cucumber

Rinse and pat the meat dry. Place in a sealable plastic bag or small glass dish. In a medium bowl combine 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, soy sauce, canola oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red curry paste. Pour half the mixture into the bag with the meat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice to the bag. Seal tightly, and marinate meat in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Reserve the rest of the mixture refrigerated, to dress the salad.

Spray grill or grill pan with cooking spray and preheat. Grill steak until medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness. Let rest until room temperature then slice thinly against the grain.

Combine lettuce, sliced shallot, cilantro, basil and beef in a salad bowl, reserving a few shallots for garnish. Add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among 4 plates and garnish with reserved sliced shallots.

Killer Marinated Tomatoes

I love anything with tomatoes with fresh herbs, put the two together and I am one happy lady!

Recipe

• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, Chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
• 1-½ teaspoon Garlic Salt
• 1-½ teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• ¾ teaspoons Dried Thyme
• ½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
• ¾ cups Canola Oil
• ½ cups Red Wine Vinegar
• 3 whole Scallions, Sliced
• 6 whole Tomatoes, Cut Into Wedges

Whisk together all the ingredients except the tomato wedges. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for a couple of hours, stirring every now and then. Serve with lots of bread to soak up all the yummy marinade.

Thai Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

I have been on a Thai kick lately, let me tell you! Do you see a theme with the last few recipes posted? All Thai!

Recipe

1. 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed
2. 4 cloves garlic, 2 smashed, 2 minced
3. 1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems, plus 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
4. 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
5. 1 tablespoon cooking oil
6. 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
8. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/3 pounds in all)
9. 6 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
10. 1 tablespoon sugar
11. 1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
12. 1 1/2 tablespoons water

1. Light the grill or heat the broiler. In a blender or food processor, puree the jalapeños, smashed garlic cloves, the 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, the fish sauce, cooking oil, sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Put the chicken in a shallow dish and coat it with the cilantro puree.

 

1. Grill the chicken over moderately high heat or broil it for 5 minutes. Turn and cook until just done, about 5 minutes longer.
2. Meanwhile, in a small stainless-steel saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to a simmer, stirring. Simmer for 2 minutes. Pour the liquid into a small glass or stainless-steel bowl and let cool. Add the minced garlic, the 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, the red-pepper flakes, and water. Serve each chicken breast with a small bowl of the dipping sauce alongside.

Spicy Mint Beef

Recipe

• 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 Thai chiles, such as prik kee noo, or 3 serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced*
• 1 pound flank steak, very thinly sliced

• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup fish sauce*

• 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce*
• 2 tablespoons black soy sauce*

• 1 tablespoon chili paste in soy bean oil*
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh Thai basil leaves*
• 1 cup whole fresh mint leaves
• *Can be found at specialty Asian markets
• Serving suggestion: sticky or steamed white rice

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chiles and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the steak and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Add the shallots and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce, black soy sauce and chili paste. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil and mint until wilted. Transfer to a serving dish and serve over steamed white rice.