Apple Bacon Stuffing

A twist on a classic side dish on everyone's table on Thanksgiving, traditional stuffing. I like to experiment in the kitchen, and as I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family last year, I was thinking that the stuffing was plain and boring and I wanted to try something different. I added some Granny Smith apples to give it a tangy sweetness and then added Bacon, because Bacon makes everything better! And what I ended up with was delicious and raved about by my whole family.

Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

16 oz. crusty, artisan-style bread

1/2 lb. bacon, diced

1-1/2 cups chopped tart apple, such as Granny Smith

1-1/2 cups chopped celery (about 3 large ribs)

2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)

1/2 cup chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

3 cups low-salt turkey or chicken broth (homemade or canned)

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, more as needed

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup melted unsalted butter (optional)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

vegetable oil or cooking spray, for baking dish

Directions:

Tear or cut the bread into 3/4-inch piece until you have 8 to 10 cups. If working a day ahead, lay the pieces out on a rack and leave them uncovered on the counter to dry overnight.  Otherwise, spread the bread out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 275°F oven, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until it is crisp and mostly dry; it will continue to dry a bit as it cools. Depending on how moist the bread is to begin with, oven-drying takes 15 to 45 minutes.
In a large skillet, cook  the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and fully cooked.  Add the apple, celery, and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're slightly softened but still have some crunch. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Add the bread to the large mixing bowl, along with the flat-leaf parsley, thyme, and sage, and toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour 2 cups of the broth over the stuffing.  If the liquid isn't immediately absorbed and pools at the bottom of the bowl, you have enough; just toss the mixture occasionally for a few minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  At first, the bread cubes may feel wet on the outside and still be dry on the inside, but they'll even out as the stuffing cooks.
If the bread immediately sucks up the initial 2 cups of liquid, add another 1/2 cup of broth and taste the mixture.  The bread should be moist but not soggy.  Add up to another 1/2 cup of broth if necessary.
Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper as needed. If the mixture doesn't taste as rich as you'd like, add enough melted unsalted butter to suit your taste. Once you're satisfied with the flavor of the mixture, stir in the beaten eggs.
Heat the oven to 375° F.  Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with oil or cooking spray.  Spread the stuffing in the dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the top is lightly browned and crisp, another 20 to 30 minutes. 

Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Turkey

It's that time of year again, the Holiday Season. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which also means getting up bright and early the next day to take advantage of the Black Friday sales to get your Holiday shopping done. Here are some recipes to enjoy for Thanksgiving that will get you fueled up for your shopping adventures the next day. First, the main dish of the Turkey day, The Turkey. Sticking with our theme to feature celebrity chefs in this blog, I have a great recipe for the Perfect Roasted Turkey, Courtesy of Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa.

Ina Garten, courtesy Foodnetwork.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Time:

3 hr 20 min

Prep

30 min

Inactive

20 min

Cook

2 hr 30 min

Yield:

8 servings

Level:

Intermediate

                 

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 fresh turkey (10 to 12 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme
• 1 whole lemon, halved
• 1 Spanish onion, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.

Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.

Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.

Slice the turkey and serve.

©Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 fresh turkey (10 to 12 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme
• 1 whole lemon, halved
• 1 Spanish onion, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.

Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.

Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.

Slice the turkey and serve.

 

Brandon Scawthorn's Macho Tacos

I have decided to feature Brandon again because he is so impressive and creative for such a young age. This is his twist on a traditional taco, he calls them "Macho Tacos" Enjoy:

Anne Burrell's Shrimp, Tomato and Feta Salad

Anne Burrell:

 

You may recognize Anne Burrell by her trademark spiky blonde hair or from the Food Network from one of her multiple shows such as Secrets of a Restaurant Chef , Worst Cooks in America  or Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell. What many may not know is Anne has a long history in the Culinary field in many areas. She has worked in top restaurants in New York, spent a year in Italy, studying the culture and practices and worked alongside famous chef Mario Batali, even appearing on Iron Chef with Batali over 20 time, working as his sous chef. She then took her talent and experience to teaching at the Culinary Institute of America for three years. She then joined the Bastali-Bastianich empire, where she accepted a job with Italian Wine Merchants. It was during this time that Anne met Mario Batali at a Wine tasting. Anne released her first cookbook in 2011, Cook Like A Rockstar which became a New York Times Bestseller.

 

Photo and Bio Credit to foodnetwork.com

 

Anne is a great chef to watch as she brings her restaurant style cooking and reveals techniques that you can use at home in your own kitchen so you can prepare a restaurant quality meal for your family at home. Anne focuses a lot on time management, which can be the difference from your meal being just ok to restaurant quality. I chose to feature this recipe because it shows Anne's Mediterranean influences in the dish and it is quick and healthy.

 

 



Shrimp, Tomato and Feta Salad

 

 

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

30 min

Cook Time:

10 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

 

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 pound (21/25) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Crushed red pepper
• 1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut in various shapes
• 1/2 pound feta, crumbled
• 1 pint assorted cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and medium diced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 bunch fresh oregano, finely chopped
• Red wine vinegar
• Kosher salt

Directions

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Add 2 cloves garlic and a pinch crushed red pepper and bring to a high heat. When the garlic is golden brown and very aromatic, remove it from the pan and discard. Add the shrimp to the pan, sprinkle with salt and saute until the shrimp have turned pink and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. When the shrimp have cooled, cut them in half lengthwise and reserve.

Toss together the tomatoes, feta, cucumbers and onions. Smash and finely chop the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add it to the veggies. Add the oregano and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Add in the shrimp and toss to combine. Dress the salad with the vinegar and olive oil and season with salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before eating. 

 

 

Cooking in the Fast Lane with Brandon Scawthorn

This is Brandon Scawthorn, a 10 year old kid from Texas. You may be wondering why Brandon is being featured in a celebrity chef blog. Well this kid competed against 7 other kids in a competition called Rachael vs Guy Kids Cookoff. The winner of this competition would get their own web series on the Food Network website. Watching these kids compete was unbelievable, as the kids were just as knowledgeable as some culinary students that have spent years trying to learn everything. Brandon won this competition, earning himself a web series which he titled 'Cooking in the Fast Lane with Brandon'. the reason for the name is because he also drives racecars at just 10 years old, hence the fast lane mention in the title. He also makes his meals on his show in less than 20 minutes. From prep time to plating, he only has 20 minutes. It is a great web series hosted by a very bright young kid.

Today, Brandon is going to show us how to use your leftover rice from dinner last night and create another meal out of it. He will show us how to make some Baked Salmon over Fried Rice. Enjoy.

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 salmon filets (about 3 ounces each)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked long-grain rice
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• Sesame seeds, for garnish

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the salmon in the oven until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep warm.

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and crack the eggs into the pan, stirring with a metal spatula to scramble and chop them finely. Remove the eggs from the pan.

Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the same pan and saute the onion and carrot until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the cooked rice. Stir well, mixing the vegetables and rice together. Fry for a few minutes, mixing constantly with the spatula. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the soy sauce and keep stirring. Turn off the heat.

Transfer the fried rice to a plate, top with the salmon, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Guy's Malibu Oysters

Guy Fieri is the host of many TV shows, including Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, Guy's Big Bite, and Rachael vs Guy Challenge. Guy's Malibu Oysters are the perfect pass around appetizer for your event, and they go well with the Maine Lobster bake theme if you choose that. This recipe is adjusted to be tried at home and only uses 4 oysters, if you are making a larger batch, please adjust recipe accordingly.

Ingredients

• 4 Oysters, BBQ size (large)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbs white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbs parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp olive oil
• ½ cup baby spinach, julienne
• 2 Tbs red bell pepper, fine dice
• 2 Tbs red onion, fine dice
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 1 cup PicNik dried potatoes
• ½ cup havarti cheese, shredded

Directions

Pre heat a grill to high. Shuck the oysters and set aside in refrigeration or on ice, keeping in the shell
In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, white vinegar, parmesan cheese, salt, freshly cracked black pepper, cayenne and white pepper
In a small sauté pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the bell peppers and red onions and sauté for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and the spinach. Turn the heat to low, cover and allow the spinach to wilt. Gently combine this with the mayonnaise and vinegar mix, then stir in the dried potatoes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Divide evenly into four portions and top each oyster with the mixture. Sprinkle with the havarti and place on hot BBQ, covered for 5-6 minutes or until bubbly and cooked thru.
Let sit for 3-4 minutes and serve.

At Harpswell Island's catering company, we don't just do lobster bakes, we can design a menu that's perfect for you. Whether it is a comfort food menu, Italian food, or a menu focusing on healthy foods, we can do it all. This blog will highlight some of the other foods we can do for you at your event. We will also focus on celebrity chefs in this blog and pick some of their favorite dishes to feature. Because each celebrity chef is different in their own way, they have their unique traits about them that make them special, there will be some variety in what is featured and some kitchen tips from the chef's will be included. I hope you enjoy my blog and learn a thing or two you can use in your own kitchen.