To Stuff or not to Stuff...

Alton Brown's Good Eats Roast Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving!

So here's my question.  Do you stuff your turkey?  With so many "other" ways to cook a turkey, how many people still roast a stuffed bird each year?

I recently spoke with my mom who nearly disowned me because I am not stuffing my turkey.  I like Alton Brown's Roast Turkey recipe.  He brines it and roasts it, but with no stuffing.  Instead he uses aromatics like sage, apple, onions, and rosemary to flavor the bird.  I did it last year and it was a mighty juicy turkey.

Typically on Thanksgiving, or at least for the past few years, we have gone to some friends' house where they smoked a turkey last year, and I believe plan on doing it again.  Well, you can't very well stuff a smoked turkey.  For one thing, it would take forever to cook it.  And for another, who wants smoked stuffing?  That just doesn't excite me.

The Gravy

What about frying a turkey?  You can't stuff a fried turkey.  Although, I'm convinced only rednecks fry turkeys in their back yards, holding a can of beer, saying things like, "Hey, Billy Joe, watch this!" as they plunk the frozen projectile into the hot oil.  Or maybe I've been watching too many YouTube videos.  I'm sure many people have safe fried turkeys on their thanksgiving tables.  I know my dad did it one year, minus the beer and the redneck friends, of course.

The Turkey, unstuffed

So is it against everything that is tradition to not stuff the bird?  Mom says I'll never hear the end of it, but look at this scrumptiously, golden delicious bird.  How can you say that's wrong?

My turkey this year, the one pictured here, was perhaps the best turkey I have ever eaten.  The breast meat was juicy and tender.  The gravy was sumptuous, with such a concentrated flavor that I really wanted to just drink it.  The stuffing was still delicious, and all the people at both my Thanksgivings told me so.

Sorry, Mom.  I'll keep my turkey unstuffed, and my dressing on the side.  But thanks for the recipe!

Falling for Squash

I love fall.  I love the smell of fall.  I love Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (but not until AFTER Thanksgiving, people!).  I love cooking chili and soup, and all those other cold weather things that smell up the house.  I especially love fall because of squash.

Before becoming the main food preparer in the family, the main way I got squash was mashed.  And that's OK.  But then I discovered squash and how incredibly versatile it is.  My mom and I made this Texas Beef Brisket Chili Recipe and it has squash in it!  It's from Bon Appetit, so really how could it not be good? (And its good, really good)

At the local San Luis Obispo Farmer's Market, I decided to get a butternut squash.  Instead of boiling and mashing it, I diced it up into cubes, tossed it in some olive oil, sprinkled some salt and pepper on it and roasted it in the oven like I do potatoes.  Suddenly, a whole new world of squash opened up!  Another time I sliced it up into little fry shapes and made them a little southwest with some chili pepper and cumin.  Who knew the sweetness of a Butternut Squash would go so well with a little spice!  Roasted squash is also a nice addition to chili.  It's a great vegetable to throw in at the end.  The sweetness can sometimes cut some of the spice and add some low calorie filler! Needless to say, I don't remember the last time we had mashed squash.  Now if only I could get Ryan to eat it!

Acorn squash is another fall favorite, but as far as I'm concerned, it should be mashed.  I make it like my mom did, face down in a pan of water.  Then flip it, fill it's little concavity with butter and brown sugar and enjoy!

Summer is a great time for squash too.  Zucchini and those cute little yellow summer squashes make a great saute with some onion.  I use about 3 Tbsp of the Land O' Lakes Light butter and it makes a fantasticly buttery sauce.

Similar to squash are sweet potatoes.  (If you're wondering the difference between sweet potatoes and yams like I did, go here)  What Thanksgiving dinner is complete without sweet potatoes?  Ok, maybe they are complete here in California, but not in the South.  My sister especially likes the sweet potato casserole with the brown sugar and marshmallows on top.

Inspired by a Lean Cuisine called Beef Barbacoa, I made a slow cooked beef in a spicy sauce and on a separate occasion, I made the chipotle sweet potatoes that accompany it in the frozen meal.  With the beef, I made a "clean out the fridge" type casserole that had in it... you guessed it, squash!

Spicy Adobe Beef
2-3 lb Tri-tip or pot roast
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomatoes with green chilis (also called Rotel)
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 Tbsp chopped garlic (about 2-3 cloves)
1/2 large onion, diced

Throw it all in the crock pot and cook it on low for 6-8 hours.  A warning about the chilis!  I used the whole can and it was HOT.  I like it hot, but if you don't, scrape out the seeds inside, or just use 1 chili per pound of meat.  And use the adobo sauce.

Black Bean and Rice Casserole

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups diced, roasted butternut squash
1/2 cup (or so) Spicy Adobe Beef juice
1 cup Mexican Blend shredded cheese (or whatever you've got)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the rice. Combine all the ingredients in a casserole dish.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Cover for first 20 minutes and then uncover for last 10 minutes for 30 minutes of total cooking time.  Makes about 6-8 servings.

When you serve these, put the beef and the sauce on top.  It is so good!  It has a kick though, so the rice casserole helps to calm that down.

If you'd rather try the Chipotle Sweet Potatoes:

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes
1 lb uncooked sweet potato, cut into cubes
2 Tbsp Land O' Lakes Light Butter
2 Tbsp Fat Free Milk
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin

Cook the sweet potatoes in salted, boiling water until tender.  Drain and transfer to bowl.  Add the Butter and milk and combine until creamy.  Add the chili powder and cumin.  Salt to taste.

So as a reminder, add some squash to your next meal.  You might find it a nice addition to chili, casseroles, or just as a great side dish.  Happy Fall!