Tuesday, November 23, 2010

 

Recipe Time!


Sometimes, students ask me about some sentencing issue, or the requirements for whatever term paper they are working on, or "blah blah blah" about criminal law and their mother who is in prison. More often, though, what I hear is "Professor Osler, do you have a recipe for great Thanksgiving stuffing?"

The answer is always "indeed I do!" and today I will share this recipe with my friends at the Razor. If you have a favorite Thanksgiving recipe of your own, feel free to share it in the comments section below.

Osler's Awesome Stuffing


Ingredients

1) 28 slices white bread, lightly toasted (do not use cinnamon bread, as pictured)
2) 3 tablespoons butter
3) 1 large onion, finely chopped
4) 2 eggs, lightly beaten
5) 2 cups chicken broth
6) 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
7) 1 teaspoon garlic powder
8) salt and pepper to taste
9) 1 oz. of "Silly Putty" brand non-toxic play putty (make sure it is labeled "non-toxic")

Directions

1. Allow the toasted bread to sit approximately 24 hours, until hard.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. Crush the bread into crumbs with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs in a large bowl.

4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and slowly cook until soft. Remove from heat and drain.

5. Mix the eggs and chicken broth into the bread crumbs. The mixture should be moist, but not mushy. Use water, if necessary, to attain desired consistency. Mix in the onion, celery, rubbed sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

6. Press the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is brown and crisp.

Comments:
Cranberry Pecan Cake
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 or 1½ (depending how sweet the tooth) cups of sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1¼ cups sifted flour
pinch of salt
1 12oz. bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup roughly chopped pecans or hazelnuts or any other nuts you have around (no pun)
Preheat oven at 375.
Mix butter with sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs. Incorporate flour and add cranberries and nuts (I roast them slightly for a richer taste).
Bake in a round pan for about 45 minutes. The cake is textured, tart and sweet at the same time. Hope you give it a try. Enjoy.
And Happy Baking!

PS No need for greasing the pan...the butter in the recipe is sufficent to loosen the cake when it's done.
 
Since you were so kind as to help get my gears turning, I offer you these easy to prepare Persian dessert recipes:

HALVA (flour version)
Halva is a paste-like sweet that can be eaten in small pieces like candy or used as a spread on sweet bread.
1 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/4 t. crushed saffron threads

Boil the sugar and water until the sugar is melted; keep warm. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the flour gradually, stirring constantly. stir-fry until the mixture turns a tan color. Remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar/water mixture and stir vigorously. Add the saffron to the remaining sugar/water and stir vigorously into the flour mixture. Spread into a dish and shape into a slab with scalloped edges. Garnish with slivered pistachios.

HALVA (cream of wheat version)
1 c. cream of wheat uncooked
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk or water
2 T. raisins (optional), 1/2 t. ground cardamom, sliced almonds
Place butter, cream of wheat and raisins in a saucepan and cook, stirring constantly until it becomes light toast-colored. Add the milk or water and sugar and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until it is thick like peanut butter. Place on a serving plate and sprinkle with cardamom and almonds.
 
Also note, the cream of wheat version is much tastier.
 
Lane's Smoked Turkey:

Step One: Get'cha self an offset smoker. This is not an RRL you place slightly ajar, it is a type of barbecue grill.

Step Two: Get'cha self some oak and hickory chips or logs, and some natural lump charcoal.

Step Three: Take yo' turkey and unfreeze it. Brine it overnight in soy sauce, water, a little rice wine vinegar, and some pepper.

Step Four: Take the turkey out of the brine, and brush it with olive oil. Then rub it up with a dry rub comprised of rock salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, parsley flakes, bacon bits and allspice. Rub the turkey inside and out.

Step 5: Stuff the turkey with onions, apples, carrots and celery. Pour a can of real or Mexican Coke inside.

Step Six: Load the fire box with the coals and some of the chips or logs, with a mix of 2/3 in favor of oak over hickory. Let that burn until the smoker is at 325°. This is hot for a smoker, so keep that temperature up by throwing on fresh chips and charcoal.

Step Seven: Put the bird inside an aluminum roasting pan with a wire rack inside.

Step Eight: Cook until the meat reaches a temperature of 180° F, measured from the thigh.

Foil can be used to slow the burn if you need to. Occasionally baste the turkey in its own juices.
 
I like it that all the recipes (so far) come from guys.
 
Cranberry Relish

1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers (seeded)
1 orange or tangelo
3 scallions
sugar
orange juice

Make one day before ~ best when it sits and the flavors meld together...

In a cuisinart with standard blade; chop up the cranberry. Add the orange, whites of scallions and hot pepper(s). Mixture will be finely chopped.

TASTE...

Now add sugar and/or orange juice to your preferred level of sweetness.

This can be served 'raw' or you can cook it. If you prefer it cooked heat it up on the stove after all the chopping and sugar has been added.
Refrigerate over night.
Bring to room temp before serving.
Garnish with greens of the scallion!

Great on turkey sandwiches.

p.s. can't wait to try the cranberry pecan cake - yum!
 
White Chocolate Almond Bark Party Mix

1 lb white chocolate "bark coating" (sold in the candy making section of grocery stores or craft stores)

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1 box of golden grahams cereal

2 cups roasted peanuts

--Mix the cereal and nuts together

--Melt the chocolate according to bag instructions

--Pour white chocolate over the mixture and stir to coat

--Line counters with wax paper. Pour the mixture over the paper and spread as much as possible. Careful, it will be hot.

--Let sit for at least an hour, then break it up in small chunks.

--Store in an airtight container. Might want to refrigerate if it is warm or humid.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING :)
 
Anonymous's Smoked Caeser Salad:

1) Purchase a Caeser Salad kit at your local H-E-B, Kroger, Cub, In-N-Out, Best Buy, etc. This should include romaine lettuce, caeser salad dressing, and seasonings.

2) Purchase a 3' x 3' metal grate and a bicycle helmet.

3) Using duct tape or Krazy Glue, apply the helmet near the rear of the underside of the metal grate

4) Carefully arrange lettuce on the top half of the grate, in front of the bicycle helmet.

5) Locate RRL.

6) Ever so carefully, place helmet on RRL's head and fasten down with the strap mechanism. He will look around and spew profanities for a few minutes, but will soon realize it is not worth the trouble and will light a cigarette. Most likely, he will smoke continuously for the next hour or so.

NOTE: using duct tape to place a GPS tracker, of the kind often placed in teenager's cars, on the helmet will assist in finding RRL after the fact.

7) After 1 hour, locate RRL again.

8) Remove helmet from his head. The lettuce should be imbibed with the cigarette smoke by now, and any further concentration of smoke might cause cancer in your Thanksgiving guests.

9) Top with dressing mixed with crushed cigarette butts (can be found around RRL's feet or in an ashtray). Enjoy!
 
Anon 9:24-

I tried that recipe last year, and would suggest not putting in the butts at the end. I put in dried cherries or cranberries instead.
 
Remember kids, smoking is the breakfast of champions!
 
Go to store.
Buy 6 pack of beer
repeat.
 
Tired of the same old jell-o shots? Try Rummy Bears!

One bag-o-gummy bears
One bottle light rum
Soak over night in fridge.
Drink excess rum that bears did not absorb.
Serve chilled.
 
Osler, you never should have mentioned beer at lunch to this crowd.
 
I've been delegated the task of making stuffing for the people we're eating with this year, a bunch of Jewish people from Israel who have never had it before. I think I'm going to try your recipe, only I'm going to substitute 3/4 of the bread for cornbread.
 
What are you supposed to do with the Silly Putty? Am I missing something?
 
Like a baguette with soup, the Silly Putty is the traditional side with this stuffing.
 
Pecan Pie - DIANE DORE ( DIANE'S RECIPE WITH NO CORN SYRUP - FANTASTIC - BILL's FAV!!!! )

I thought that you might like this. I made one for Thanksgiving and it is out of this world...very simple to make, no corn syrup and everyone loved it. I think it's the best recipe for pecan pie that I've ever found.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 5 Minutes
Servings: 8


Ingredients:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans



Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts.
3. Pour into an unbaked 9-in pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.
 
OK Osler i have been totally looking for a great stuffing recipe!!! BUt I want to know what is RUBBED sage? Like Fresh sage? OR dried that you rub to release the oils?
 
I was looking for a stuffing recipe with maybe nuts in it too, or dried apricots or craberries you think I could add some to this one? Shoudl the break be kind of dried out? What if you used to cubes that you get in a bag What kind of white bread? Like French? Italian? Corn bread? Brioche? I have many questions. I also have a raging tonsil infection right now and I am on Percocet because of the pain and you dont wanna know... but anyway.... I have questions.
 
I am totally going to try the cranberry cake But Like a CAKE PAN?? Or like you mean round like a Bundt pan? Again... questions...
 
Tyd - looking at Osler's recipe you should be able to add chopped walnuts or pecans to it and cranberry with little or no problem. If you use dried cranberry you may need to add a little extra broth.

My guess, since he gives a measurement for the sage, is this is the dried store bought variety. No direction to chop or mince the herb.

ps - your pecan pie recipe looks interesting. Especially since it lacks Karo Syrup.
 
It is nuts to use dried sage. Use a full handful of fresh.
 
One recipe skillet cornbread -

4 cups cornmeal
2 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Salt
4 eggs beaten
4 cups buttermilk

Heat a cast iron skillet in a 350 degree oven, then melt 1/2 cup butter or bacon grease in the skillet. Mix cornmeal, soda, & salt, beat in eggs and buttermilk.A little sugar (1 Tbs) will give a nice brown crust - good for eating, not so good for dressing. Pour fat into batter, stir, and pour into hot skillet.

Bake for 45 min. to 1 hr.

Put 1/2 loaf bread out to get very stale ( we like orowheat oatnut, but use your preference)

Crumble cornbread, bread in a large pan or trashbag
Add 2 cups chopped onion
2 cups celery chopped
black pepper, salt, fresh or dried sage, homemade chicken or turkey stock, and 6 or so eggs. It should be moist but not too sloppy.

Scientifically mush it all together in the bag and taste for flavor - raw eggs won't kill you, or I'd have been dead years ago.

Put in two or so pans till 2-3 inches thick and bake for an hour or so. check every 30 minutes or so and add some broth if it dries out too much.

This can be scaled up or down to fit the crowd, but the iron skillet is essential for flavor.

Lee
 
"Dump" Salad
A Thanksgiving recipe of old

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 med container cottage cheese
1 reg tub cool whip
1 small box orange jello

Dump (fold) all ingredients into a large bowl. Chill and serve.
YUM

I would share my family recipe for stuffing, but it is secret and I have no idea about measurements. Suffice it to say, it is cornbread based. No other stuffing is truly stuffing...
 
Anon 8:13 - I agree on the dried sage. I have fresh herbs growing in my garden year round; including sage.

Tyd... Just remember if you use 'fresh' you don't need as much.
 
I keep fresh herbs going year-round, also! The fresh sage is so much better. I love thyme, too, but it doesn't take well to long cook times.

Cornbread dressing is the one true dish for Thanksgiving - at least in the south. Only Yankees use that all light bread stuff!

Some people like oysters in theirs - not my preference, but will work with almost any recipe.

As you can tell, mine is very carefully measured and rigorously tested. I'm a cook, not a chemist! Although, I did minor in it...

Lee
 
Hey Guys thanks fior the insight oijn the fresh sage I did buy fresh, actually and alspo rosemary and thyme I will suse for something else. i will add toasted pecans and also some dried cran berries to this and will let you know how it turns out making it ahead, tonight. Also I m,ay take pics I do that sometimes.
 
ALso if it is not too late I want to share a recipe for my sweet potatoes Often thney are just so cloyingly sweet and I found this mirancle thing that I LOVE LOVE LOVE

Take 5 sweet potates and bake them in the skin Just poke a few holes and line the sheet pan with tin foil or parchment so it wount be a mess then allow them to cool,.



Then put in a bpowl with like half a stick of butter some salt and like the juice of 2 or 3 FRESH LIMES OMG it is SO SO GOOD! you just puree it in a food processor and THAT IS IT!!!! You can leave out the butter but I like it in there maybe add a little salt


It is so light and fluffy esp in a meal that i s so laden with heavy things And then also it is sweet but also tart I love this and have made it every year..
 
sorry I have bandaids on my fingers and hard to type!!!

ALso ABout the Pecan pie The recipe is great wiht out the corn syrup It not SOSOSOSOSO overlyu sweet so that you can eat it and with less of that then you really taste the pecans I make this for Bills church every few months and I get every old lady asking me for the recipe it is AMAZING ALSO have a great recipe form my mother in lasw for Sour Cream Coffee Cake It is Excellent and gets great reviews

I will put that here too. AN d her recipe for COFFEE COOKIES SOOOO good and interesting be\ut they will SERIOUSLY keep you up for days Might be good for law studentst?


MARY JO's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This is a recipe from Bill’s mom and it is AMAZING!

½ lb. (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp. Salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Alternate dry ingredients and sour cream. Add vanilla.

Spread ½ of the batter in a tube pan which has been greased and floured. Sprinkle with a mixture of ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Cover with the remaining batter.

Bake at 350o until it tests done with a toothpick. (The original recipe says 1 hour and 20 minutes. I think it only takes 40- 50 min utes.)


Bill cooks this in a bundt pan. He makes TWICE the amount of the cinnamon sugar mix and puts that in the middle You have to really make sure you grease the pan and buttering and flouring is probably better That Butter Flour SPRAY does not work well for this. Watch so that it does not burn also.



Coffee Cookies
Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies

These are best if allowed to sit for a few hours (if you can resist).

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup instant coffee powder, or 6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon instant coffee-and-chicory powder
2 tablespoons plus 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
2 ½ cups plus 3 tablespoons cake flour

Cream the butter with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Set aside.
In a small bowl mix the coffee, vanilla and egg yolks until the coffee is dissolved. Add coffee mixture to the butter mixture and beat on high speed until well-blended and an even color, scraping the bowl. Add the flour and mix on high speed until well-blended, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving about 1 ½ to 2 inches between cookies. Bake at 350° until cookies are very lightly browned on the edges, about 16 to 18 minutes. Cool until cookies start to harden, about 3 to 5 minutes, then remove from pan with a spatula and finish cooling on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. (If you live in a humid climate, store uncovered.)
 
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Sorry I typed it once but it put it in the blog liek 5 times???
 
Tyd, take off the oven mitts when you type.
 
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