Pear-Applesauce

Here I find myself again on a Sunday afternoon with some fruit that has hit the "use it or lose it" stage of life.  A bit beyond the prime eating stage but not yet a fruit fly breeding ground, I had some apples and pears laying about that needed to be converted to something tasty.

You can do this recipe with only apples, but hey use what you have around!

Step 1: Gather your fruit - this was about 2lbs

Step 2: Beware of little helpers

(our newest addition, Abby, and the usual suspects Milo & Sissy)

Step 3: Peel, core, and cut your fruit into large chunks and add 1/3cup apple cider (or juice or water) and 1 1/2 TBS brown sugar

Step 4: Cook down over low heat for 30min.

Step 5: Buzz your cooked fruit to create a smoother texture

You can opt to use a potato masher for a chunkier texture, but we prefer less chunky around here.

Step 6: Top with a touch of cinnamon and serve!

Perogie

Christmas Eve in my house brings a meal that is affectionately referred to as the "beige meal."  Meaning everything is approximately the same color, unless I decide to get creative and add fabulously colored veggies.  

The traditional Slovak Christmas Eve meal is what we consume; the recipes are never written down, just passed down from generation to generation.  My Grandma Rose taught my Mom, who in turn taught me.  So with that I wanted to share my favorite part of the meal with you, Perogie!

Step 1: Create and roll out your dough

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1TBS olive oil

Sour cream, as needed to form a smooth dough

Step 2: Make and cool a batch of mashed potatoes, don't forget to add some shredded cheddar cheese to the mix

Step 3: After the dough is rolled out and cut into squares, fill with a small amount of potatoes, dab water on 2 sides, and fold over to form a triangle.  Make sure to work as much air out as possible and seal the edges completely to avoid any "blow-outs"

Step 4: Place in a single layer on floured parchment paper

Step 5: Boil until the pasta dough is tender (they will start to float a little before they are done)

Step 6: Drain and serve

My family eats them boiled and topped with onion butter.  My husband's family adheres to the Polish tradition and prefers them fried up and served with sour cream - so I will take some of perogie, cool them down, and toss them in a non-stick pan with some butter to get them a little crispy.

From the Moose Treats family to yours, Merry Christmas and best wishes for a wonderful, happy, and healthy holiday season and New Year!

Stuffing - and a treat

So this post is LONG overdue, better late than never though.  A Thanksgiving tradition in my house is my dad's homemade stuffing, so he joined us for some guest cooking in the Moose Treats kitchen!

Step 1: Dice up - 

3 stalks of celery

1/2 bell pepper (any color is fine)

1/2 medium onion 

Step 2: Cube a 1lb loaf of white bread into 1" chunks

(homemade is always best, but store-bought is fine)

Step 3: Sauté the vegetables until softened, season with salt, pepper and parsley

Step 4: Add 2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock and bring to a boil.  

Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes.

Step 5: Add the vegetable mixture to the bread and stir to combine

Step 6: Put in a lightly greased oven-safe dish, cover and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Step 7: Grab yourself a serving before it disappears!

And as promised, a treat!

Brining the turkey (adapted from Alton Brown):

6lb bone-in turkey breast

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 gallon chicken stock

peppercorns

bay leaf

ground ginger

cumin

1/2 gallon cold water

Bring everything except the water to a boil and dissolve the salt & sugar.  Cool, add the water, and stash in the refrigerator until cold.  Add the turkey and refrigerate for at least 8 hours - I do mine for 24 hours, and if the bird is still partly frozen that's just fine, throw it in anyway, but please make sure you have removed any giblets or wayward gravy concentrate packets (yes, found one of those this year)

Roast at 450ºF for 30 minutes, tent and continue roasting at 325ºF until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF.  Rest for 30 minutes before carving.  And you did remember to save any drippings to put in the gravy, right?

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!!!

Chocolate Mint Brownies

A Christmas tradition around my house growing up was chocolate mint brownies.  They are super easy to make but are incredibly tasty.

Step 1: Make the glaze.  For this mix milk, powdered sugar, green food coloring and a splash of peppermint extract. 

 Go easy on the extract as it is strong stuff.  To get the right consistency just add sugar and milk as needed to get a smooth and flowing mixture but thick enough that it won't just ooze everywhere.

Step 2: Make your favorite brownies

Step 3: Once your brownies have cooled completely add the green glaze

Step 4: Let the glaze sit for an hour or so to start setting, then drizzle with melted chocolate.  Go crazy, have fun, pretend to be Jackson Pollock for a few minutes!

Step 5: Allow the brownies to set overnight then slice and serve

Chicken Kiev

After a request from my husband, I present Chicken Kiev (or something kinda like that anyway)!

Step 1: Butterfly (fancy way of saying cut in half along the side with cutting all the way through) your chicken breast to make it a bit thinner

Step 2: Smash it with a hammer!  No really, flatten it!  I do this by putting the chicken between two sheets of wax paper and using a hammer (but a meat mallet would probably be easier)

Step 3: Add your compound butter (wait, you did make that ahead of time, right?).  I like to mix my butter with garlic and oregano, but you can use pretty much any dry herbs you like.

Step 4: Roll up your chicken

Step 5: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is fine too)

Step 6: Dip your chicken in flour, followed by a beaten egg, and then into panko bread crumbs

Step 7: Fry at 375ºF in oil (I like vegetable oil, but canola or peanut oil would be fine too.  Do NOT use olive oil for this).  Cook time will be approximately 4 minutes per side.

Step 8: Drain and serve