Dinner

Holiday Turkey Brine: Part 3 – Roasting the Turkey

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Over the last several days, in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday, I have done a trial run of brining and roasting a turkey.  In the first post, Holiday Turkey Brine, I provided a recipe for a brine that makes enough for a twenty pound turkey.  The second installment was Holiday Turkey Brine: Part Two – Brining the Turkey. Today I want to show exactly how I prepared and roasted this brined turkey.

My bird was on the smaller side – a mere 13-14 pounds. Here’s a general guide for how much you will need:

12-15 lb turkey for 10-12 people
15-18 lb turkey for 14-16 people
18-22 lb turkey for 20-22 people

In a perfect world we would all have an organic heritage turkey that we hand fed and raised in our backyards and slaughtered ourselves. Just joking there. But seriously, it is nice to have a fresh turkey that has not been injected with lots of antibiotics and gluten-containing saline solutions. When I purchased what I thought was a “fresh” turkey I did not understand the meaning of “Kosher”. Turns out it means, among other things, the poultry has been soaked in unsalted water for half an hour and then packed in salt for about an hour. This means it has been partially brined. I ended up letting this kosher bird brine for about 18 hours but it probably could have gone for less time and been fine. That’s one of the nice things about brining, it is not an exact science.

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Broccoflower with Spicy Italian Sausage

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The paleo diet has been the catalyst for eating an incredible amount of vegetables.  I would venture to say I eat more vegetables than most vegetarians I know.  In fact, the paleo diet has led me to eat veggies I had purposely avoided, (kale), ones I simply ignored, (beet greens), and others I did not know even existed, (pink banana squash). The following recipe includes a food I was never motivated to try until now: Broccoflower.

Broccoflower is in the same family as cauliflower and broccoli. Because the two are so closely related they are easily cross-pollinated. The result is something that looks like green cauliflower. Romanesco broccoli is very similar to broccoflower but looks a little different due to an interesting pattern displayed by the floret.  I found the broccoflower to be truly a cross between broccoli and cauliflower in both appearance and taste.  It was milder than cauliflower and the texture, especially of the stalk parts, was very similar to broccoli.  In the following easy recipe I employed the same “ricing” technique I have used with cauliflower. But the green color of the broccoflower really added to the aesthetics of the dish.

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Thai Curry with Squash and Avocado

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Thai Curry with Squash and Avocado

Thai Curry with Squash and AvocadoThai food is one of my absolute favorites and fortunately it is extremely paleo-friendly. One of the first thoughts I had when investigating the paleo diet and discovering the benefits of coconut products was, “I can eat thai food without guilt now!”

One of our family’s favorite restaurants of all time is Origin Thai. Their French-Thai menu contains amazingly delicious dishes that serve as inspiration for future culinary adventures. I would love to be able to make Origin Thai’s Royal Massaman Curry completely from scratch because it has been one of our favorites over the years. But if you are anything like me you have to be strategic about how and when to make more elaborate dishes. This recipe for Thai Curry with Squash and Avocado is inspired by the original recipe but should be placed in the “semi-homemade” category.  

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Banana Squash and Leek Soup with Bacon

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leeks in garden

This Banana Squash and Leek Soup recipe is the result of a few different factors coming together. It is the first year we have grown leeks in the new raised garden beds and I needed a suitable venue for these beauties.leeks in gardenSecondly, I impulsively purchased a gorgeous pink banana squash and found myself wondering what to do with such an enormous vegetable.

pink banana squash
Big Boy demonstrates the monstrous pink banana squash

And, of course, the weather is getting cooler and the family is ready for some seasonal soups. So combining the banana squash and leeks to create a hearty paleo recipe just made sense. Add some bacon and all is right with the world!

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Dry Rubbed Barbecue Pork Ribs – Paleo Style

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paleo barbecue pork ribs with sauce
paleo barbecue pork ribs with sauceEver since the paleo diet unshackled me from the fear of eating animal fat I have been on a mission to indulge in foods previously avoided. Barbecued pork ribs is one of those foods. My goal with this recipe was to create something delicious that would be paleo, which means, among other things, having very little or no sugar. It was also important the dry-rubbed ribs be good enough to be eaten without sauce.  Of course, barbecue sauce is pretty indispensable in the minds of most people and my family is no exception.  So I have also included a spicy barbecue sauce recipe that contains no high fructose corn syrup and only 2 tablespoons of sweetener.  

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Barbacoa Beef Recipe for Crockpot or Pressure Cooker

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Paleo spirit barbacoa on platter

As a displaced Texan living in the Northeast I am always on the lookout for great barbecue, Tex-Mex and Mexican food. I love where I live but there is a definite dearth of these types of restaurants – at least not with the quality I expect. Okay, I admit it, I am a food snob … Read more

Ancho Chile Pulled Pork Barbecue

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Paleo Carolina Pulled Pork | Paleo Spirit #paleo

Paleo Carolina Pulled Pork | Paleo Spirit #paleo

Even though I am originally from Texas where beef barbecue is king, I attended grad school in South Carolina and developed a serious appreciation for pulled pork with mustard based sauce.  This recipe for Ancho Chile Pulled Pork Barbecue contains a decent amount of mustard and vinegar for a REALLY tangy taste reminiscent of Carolina Pulled Pork.  The ancho chile powder and tomato paste mellow out the mustard a bit which gives the sauce a unique flavor. Almost every barbecue sauce you find in the grocery store is full of high fructose corn syrup. Eating Paleo means eliminating sugar as much as possible so this recipe contains no sugar yet does not sacrifice flavor.

Another great aspect of easy pulled pork recipes is cost. The pork shoulder and pork butt are fairly inexpensive cuts of meat.  I purchased the 9 pound pork shoulder at $1.29 per pound.  This Paleo barbecue recipe makes more than 12 servings which means it is seriously economical. You will likely also have left over sauce you can use to spice up other dishes.

Paleo Carolina Pulled Pork | Paleo Spirit #paleo

Ancho Chile Pulled Pork Barbecue Recipe

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Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

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Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

Kale Salad LR

While the squash and zucchini plants have suffered some damage from the dreaded vine borers, the kale plants are still going strong.  I used to say “I don’t DO kale” but have come around to the dark green side in a major way.  The following recipe came to mind when I realized that one of the benefits of kale is its ability to stand up to heavier sauces in its raw state.  Warm bacon dressing is used with spinach in part because it tastes good and also because spinach is more substantial than lettuce and can tolerate that type of dressing. Kale is even more hearty so I decided to try out a warm andouille sausage dressing that would match up well with the texture and taste of this particular green.

Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

G and I have been getting very comfortable with the concept of eating “dinner for breakfast” so it no longer seems weird to us to have kale in the morning.  This recipe also calls for fried eggs which is something easy to make in the morning and it really goes well with the salad.  G doesn’t like the egg on top of the salad and just eats it separately.  Personally, I think the egg on top is delicious and the egg yolk adds a nice creaminess to the dressing.

Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

Ingredients

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Purslane: Weed in the Morning, Haute Cuisine at Night

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My sons and I took a jaunt into New York City yesterday for a screening of the film “Farmageddon“. We met up with my husband, G, for dinner at Lupa Osteria Romana that same evening. Lupa, one of chef Mario Batali’s endeavors, is one of my favorite restaurants in New York. I have eaten there a … Read more