Turkey Cider Butter Baste

Here is a quick recipe if you have some butter, herbs and apple cider lying around!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

• 2 cups of apple cider
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter
• zest of one lemon and a squeeze of fresh juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2  tbsp of fresh herbs (poultry blend) I used rosemary, sage and thyme

Directions:

Boil your apple cider in sauce pan till reduced to 1/2 cup. Add your butter, zest, juice, salt and pepper, and fresh herbs.

Stir till butter is melted and incorporated into the sauce. Chill till ready to use.

I slather this stuff under the skin of the turkey, on top and brush some in the cavity of the bird before I stuff it! Yum the flavor is heavenly!!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

• Servings: 6-8
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 cups of old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup of raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Cream together the butter and sugars till light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat till smooth. In another bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar.

Stir in the oats and raisins just until combined. Drop by tablespoon unto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 min till golden brown.

Apple-Fig Cookie with Caramel Icing Drizzle

Apple Fig Cookies

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp of vanilla
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of cloves
• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg (I used freshly grated nutmeg)
• 2 granny smith apples peeled and grated (should equal 1 cup -1 1/4 cups)
• 1 cup of finely chopped dried figs

Directions:

First off,  turn your oven on to 400 degrees F. Beat the butter, sugar, and egg until smooth. Add the vanilla and the grated apples till combined. Stir together the dry ingredients (flour, salt and spices) and add them to the wet ingredients. Lastly add your figs and stir just until the ingredients come together.   Over stirring will = tough cookies. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Cook for 10 min. Allow to cool to room temperature on a rack before adding the icing.

 

Caramel Icing

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 15min
• Difficulty: easy
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Caramel Icing:

• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1 tbsp of cream
• 1 cup of icing sugar

Directions:

In a small saucepan brown the butter until a medium golden color. Off heat add the vanilla and cream. Whisk in the icing sugar and stir till smooth. Drizzle over cooled apple cookies.

Salmon with Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc

I made this last night and it was heavenly!!  I cooked the salmon on my wood barbecue till it was flaky on the outside and soft, slightly underdone in the middle.  It just melted in your mouth:)  Mashed potatoes was the foundation to lie this beautiful piece of fish on 🙂

I created this version of a French Beurre Blanc.  In English this means white butter. This hot butter sauce is a bit tricky to make,  you have to constantly whisk or the sauce may break…. then you will be left with a grainy unattractive mess! Some people may add a tbsp or so of heavy cream to act as a stabilizer.

LemonCaper Beurre Blanc

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 30min
• Difficulty: moderate
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Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of dry white wine
• freshly squeezed lemon juice from one lemon
• 1 tsp of lemon zest
• 1 shallot chopped rough
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp of fresh chives chopped fine
• 2 tbsp of fresh parsley chopped fine
• 1 tbsp of capers
• 2 tsp of Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter cubed and chilled

Directions:

Place your chopped shallot in a sauce pan. Add the dry white wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and then reduce mixture till you have 1/4 cup of liquid. Strain mixture and discard the shallots. I press on the shallots to extract all the extra juice.

Return to the sauce pan and have your heat set at medium high. Now comes the fun part.  With whisk in hand and your cubed butter you will start to add the cubed butter few chunks at a time. Whisk on and off the heat till incorporated. The sauce will start to thicken and be silky. Keep adding the butter and whisking on the heat and off the heat. I usually do 10 seconds on and 10 seconds off. By that time the cubes are usually melted and its time to add more. Once you have used up all your butter then you will whisk in the lemon zest, Dijon mustard, parsley, chives, capers, salt and pepper.

Serve immediately with the fish. This sauce would also be lovely  drizzled over asparagus.

Bon Appetite!

Blue Cheese Compound Butter

So Simple and So Delicious!

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 10min
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

• one stick of butter
• 3 oz of crumbled blue cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp of freshly chopped chives

Directions:

Yep you guessed it, put all ingredients in a bowl and mix together 🙂  Then place the mixture on a piece of plastic wrap, form into a log and place in the fridge to get firm.  When ready to use, cut a section off and top off on any hot veggies or protein desired.

Of course you know it has to be steak! I place the pat of mixture right on my steaks a few minutes before I plan on taking them off the grill. Cheers!