Herb Roasted Turkey

I didn't really use a recipe for this, but I'll try to give you a good overview of what I did.

I melted about 4-5 tablespoons of real butter and then mixed in some rosemary, oregano, marjoram, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

I brushed the turkey all over with the butter mixture. I used the remainder of the butter and brushed it under the skin. To separate the skin from the meat I took a wooden spoon handle and carefully separated it a little at a time so that I wouldn't break the skin.

Next I cut up a red onion I had in the fridge and some carrots and placed them inside the turkey cavity (in hindsight I would also add a few cloves of garlic as well). I placed the turkey in a disposable roaster pan and then took some lemon juice and squirted the outside and inside with it (if I had had real lemons I would have put them inside the cavity as well).

I put it in the oven at 325 degrees for about 3 hrs and 20 min, basting it about every 30 minutes with its own juices. When I took it out I tented it with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes.

This is the first turkey I have every done all by myself. Kyle brought the turkey home from his work party and I had no room in my freezer for it, so I just decided to cook it after it had thawed out.

The end result was a gorgeous, moist, delicious bird!

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

• 12 slices of bread-buttered (you can also use non-seasoned stuffing bread from the store)
• 4-6 eggs
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 lbs. sausage, ham or bacon
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1/2 can evaporated milk

Directions

1. Butter and broil bread, to dry. Tear or cube and place in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle 2 cups mild cheddar cheese on bread.
2. Mix together the eggs, 2 cups shredded cheese, and dry mustard. Pour over bread and cheese.
3. Fry and crumble sausage or bacon, (if using ham, cut into cubes) and spread over egg mixture in pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. In the morning, mix 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup and 1/2 can evaporated milk. Pour evenly on top of casserole. Cover and bake at 300 degrees F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Uncover the last 15 minutes.

This has been the traditional Christmas morning breakfast for as long as I can remember. This is one of my favorite traditions that my family has. I made this for our family party on Saturday and it turned out pretty good, it was a touch dry so next time I will probably make more sauce to go on top.

Gnocchi

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes


• 2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 egg

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a for or potato masher.


2. Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. (Add in flour 1/4 cup at a time) Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.


3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in Gnocchi and cook until they have risen to the top about 2-3 minutes. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce!

This is my first attempt at making this. I was very pleased with how it turned out. We put a garlic tomato sauce with chicken over it. This is a dish that Kyle loves from his mission, and he enjoyed it a lot! This will be one I make again.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15 0unce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1-2 cloves garlic (depends on size) - minced
• 1 (6 ounce) box chicken-flavored dry bread stuffing mix
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Toss the cubed chicken with the salt in a large bowl. Place the chicken in a layer into the bottom of the baking dish. Stir together tomatoes, water, garlic, and stuffing mix in a large bowl; set aside to soften. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the chicken, then sprinkle with the Italian seasoning. Spread the softened stuffing mixture on top. (I like to sprinkle more cheese on top.)
3. Bake uncovered until the chicken cubes have turned white and are no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes.

This is pretty quick and easy to make and it tastes amazing!!!

Mediterranean Stuffed Swordfish

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) swordfish steak (about 2 inches thick)
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite size pieces
  
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
  
  

Directions

1. 
   
   Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate. (you can also pan fry or broil)


2. 
   
   Cut a slit in steak to create a pocket that is open on one side only. In a cup, mix together 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice; brush over both sides of fish. Set aside.


3. 
   
   In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook spinach in oil until wilted. Remove from heat, mix feta with spinach, and stuff into pocket.


4. 
   
   Arrange fish on grill, and cook for 8 minutes. Turn over, and continue cooking until cooked through.

I got this recipe off of Allrecipes.com This has been one of my favorite sites to find recipes on.

This dish turned out great! I used a pan fry method when cooking because we don't have a grill and its so cold outside. I added just a few special touches of my own to make it even better. Try this one out and let me know how it goes!

Happy Cooking!!

Welcome!

This is a blog that is going to be all about my passion for cooking and food.
I've loved to cook ever since I can remember. I'm no expert by any sense of the definition, but I do pretty good. If you have any comments or recipes you want to see featured here let me know! I'm always up for a good challenge!