Make Ahead Thanksgiving Gravy

 I am a planner in pretty much every aspect of my life, including in the kitchen. When it comes to holiday meals or parties I like to do as much ahead of time as possible. For a meal like Thanksgiving, it is essential to be organized and efficient if you want to get all the food out on time, piping hot. Even the calmest of kitchens can get a little crazy between making sure the casseroles all get cooked, the turkey isn't dry , the potatoes are mashed, and the ham gets glazed....You should/want/desire to be feeling THANKFUL but wind up cursing and yelling at your sister to throw you the potholder! (Or does this only happen in my kitchen Thanksgiving morning?)

Over the years, I've tried making a few different gravies for Thanksgiving, traditional ones made with the neck and giblet of the turkey, a gravy with chicken stock and cognac, and one with a roux and pan drippings. They were all tasty; but didn't make enough quantity for leftovers and more importantly couldn't be made ahead of time. So while the rest of the food was sitting there getting cold--- I was at the stove vigorously whisking up a gravy.  For me, it was the most frustrating part of Thanksgiving. Last year, I even thought of just using store bought gravy, but really, the gravy is the star of the Thanksgiving table. The gravy makes the meal and I wanted a good one! In the past, I noticed that my mother in law always had plenty of gravy to go around and I really enjoyed it; so I asked her for her recipe and she happily obliged. The best part of this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time, frozen, and reheated on the stove! This is my second year making it and I love how that small but very significant part of the Thanksgiving table is now stress-free!

Another tip for a relaxing Thanksgiving? Have whoever didn't help with cooking ( usually the guys enjoying their 5 hours of football on the couch) do the cleanup, and go have a glass of wine!

Gravy
makes 4 cups
Adapted from www.mealsthatmatter.org

A Food processor and immersion blender are suggested for this recipe. If you don't have those kitchen tools available, you can use a blender.

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 ribs celery, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 small yellow onions, roughly chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups low sodium chicken broth (I use Better Than Bullion)
4 cups low sodium beef broth (I use Better Than Bullion)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
10 whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a food processor, pulse carrots, celery, and onion in about 5 quick pulses until they are in tiny 1/8 inch pieces. In a large, heavy pot, heat butter over medium high heat until butter starts foaming. Add vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are well browned, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add flour. Stir constantly until the rough is a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, add broth and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Reduce heat to medium low and add thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Simmer, stirring on the stove until gravy is reduced and thickened, about 45 minutes. When gravy is a nice consistency, remove bay leaves, then take immersion blender and blend vegetables into the gravy until all vegetables and peppercorns are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve or let cool and freeze.

To reheat add frozen gravy to a large pot with 2 tablespoons of water over medium heat. If gravy separates continue to whisk until reincorporated. Serve hot and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Soy Ginger Chicken Linguine

                                                                
Random things I am currently obsessed with: lamb gyros, rose gold jewelry, intarsia sweaters, and cooking in my slow cooker. My slow cooker or as it is better known in my house by the label of crock pot, was a wedding gift; a 4 qt Red Rival that does a fantastic job. However, it is starting to show signs of use and is sometimes a little too small.....This fact became laughably apparent last month when I made a chili and spent most of the time hovering around trying to keep the lid secure and all the ingredients inside the pot. (Thus defeating the greatest benefit of cooking with a crockpot, the "fix it and forget about it" aspect!) Right now I have my eye on this 6 Qt beauty Here at Target.(Hint, hint, Merry Christmas!) Over the years, my crockpot has been put to use at least a few times a year for dinners like beef stew, carnitas, and stroganoff; but until now I didn't really use it routinely. Now I find that if I put it to use at least once a week it cuts down on my stress level, frees up time, and provides a hot and filling meal for my family with plenty of leftovers for eating or freezing. 

 This recipe is adapted from a similar one on Martha Stewart.com except that I changed it quite a bit and made it into a pasta dish. The chicken part of the recipe on it's own would be good served over rice as well.

Soy Ginger Chicken Linguine

For chicken:

8-9 chicken thighs, bone in and skin removed 
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 red onion, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander

Garnishments: 

1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions sliced
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped

For Linguine:

1 lb linguine
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons soy sauce


In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients for chicken, minus the garnishments.  Cook on low 
until chicken is falling apart,  about 5 hours. Remove bones and any little fatty skin bits. Turn the cooker to warm and start on the pasta portion.

Cook pasta until al Dente in a large pot of salted, boiling water and drain. In the same pot over medium heat, add the sesame oil. When you start to smell the sesame oil, about a minute, add red pepper flakes, cook 1 minute and add soy sauce. Add slow cooker chicken and then linguine.. Mix together until well combined. Top with garnishments and serve!

Coast Food

Last November, my mom and stepdad bought a house in Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast. Forever dubbed "The Coast House" by my 4 year old, it is a home they hope to retire to; but for now it is a place where we can gather with family and get away from it all. Although, only 80 miles from Portland, when I visit , I feel a world away. A house where bacon is cooked up every morning, without concern to waistlines or cholesterol. A place where the biggest worry is deciding what to cook or where to eat..... Seahawk Bread and chowder from Tidal Raves? Fish and Chips from Gracie's or J's? Or should we just pick up some fresh caught seafood at Barnacle Bills? I'm not kidding,  these are serious Coast House decisions! However, there are a few staple meals that I usually prepare on our visits, here are two of them:

Smoked Salmon Pasta

I make this pasta both in full fat and reduced fat versions. I haven't noticed a huge difference in taste between them, however the full fat version creates a smoother, creamier sauce. If entertaining, I would suggest using whole fats, but feel free to substitute for non fat choices. This recipe easily doubles to feed a crowd as well. When I feel like splurging, I also double the amount of smoked salmon. (That doesn't hurt as well.)

* make sure to use cold smoked salmon (lox). Do not use hot, canned, or hardwood smoked salmon or your pasta will be far too salty.

16 ounces penne pasta

4 ounces cold smoked salmon (lox), chopped into small pieces.

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced

2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup heavy cream

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, cubed & at room temperature. 

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup dry white wine; Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigo

2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

* optional grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of boiling, salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to Al Dente. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until cooked to a light golden brown color about 10 minutes. Add garlic, cook one minute. Add white wine, and cook until slightly reduced, 3-4 minutes. Add the cream cheese and continuously stir until fully incorporated, then add the cream. Add tomato paste and stir. Add smoked salmon and continue cooking and stirring, until sauce is thick and creamy. Remove from heat and add hot penne pasta. Mix together. Serve with a little grated Parmesan sprinkled on top and enjoy!

Steamed Clams and Mussels

This is a very simple recipe and can be used for both mussels and clams. With mussels, instead of wine, I like to use beer. Choose a non hoppy, malty beer, like an amber ale. I suggest Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale.

3 tablespoons Salted butter

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup dry white wine ( if using mussels, substitute amber ale )

3 pounds clams or mussels in shell

Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add shellfish and cover with a lid, cook about 5 minutes until shells are opened. Discard any unopened shellfish.

Beer Bars

My Husband....

I have to admit something to you. I have become a beer snob. Being a snob about anything isn't exactly flattering, so this isn't something that I am especially proud of, but somehow, someway, it just happened. I realized this blight on my character a few Fridays ago as I drove 12 miles in traffic with the rain pouring down to get my growler filled. There are perfectly good grocery stores down the street from my house, but I wanted fresh beer, damn't. (see, this is the extent to which I will go for my beer.) Sometimes I drive my poor husband a little crazy in my quest for not only fresh beer, but "special" beers, making him drive across town because I heard such and such a place has ___ beer on tap.  How this happened to a girl from California who grew up drinking Coors Light out of cans on canal banks I'll never know, but it is what it is. The only good thing about this is that at least I can share some of my favorite beer watering holes with you.....

Saraveza

This Cozy little spot in North Portland has some of the coolest tabletops in town, a constantly changing tap selection that will satisfy any beer geek, a refrigerator full of rare bottled beers for sale, and homemade jalapeño poppers. Once a month they even give away free bacon with your pint of beer! What's not to like?

Apex

This SE PDX beer bar isn't exactly my kind of place atmosphere-wise. Think pinball machines, heavy metal, and graffitied restrooms. (My husband loves it of course.) However, the 50 tap beer selection (which is displayed on flatscreens above the bar)can't be beat. Before going I don't even need to check my Taplister app to see what they are serving, because I know they are going to have more than enough good stuff on tap to choose from.

Produce Row

The enclosed back patio of this place is the real draw for me here. In the Winter, they have heaters set up, so you can enjoy your pint without a jacket. The beer menu has a few choices of each style, and I just adore their whiskey and beer pairings. You feel equally at home here with a large group or on a date.

whiskey & beer pairing

Mainbrew

This blog post might be insinuating to the contrary, but having two energetic (but adorable) little girls, leaves little time to be out and about beer tasting. Luckily, there is a homebrew supply store close to my husband's work that has over 300 different types of local and hard to find bottled beers as well as 6 rotating taps. They almost always have a keg of Boneyard (my current favorite brewery) on tap for growler filling. If you can't decide on a beer, they also sell grenades (32 ouncers). Mainbrew's staff is friendly and knowledgable, beer is categorized into sections based on style, and they even have a kid's play area so you can take your time browsing! Thursday evenings they offer "Thirsty Thursday" beer tastings!

A Long Time Coming: Super Bowl Flank Steak

Hi. It's been awhile. Not much has changed, except that life seems to be moving faster and faster everyday. So quickly in fact that as I watch my girls I am torn between immense pride in their daily growth and a nagging feeling that maybe the four of us should just hide out in a cabin in the woods for a few years... In between all these ordinary and extraordinary occurrences of life, I have developed a few new little obsessions; namely tea, my iPhone4, and Pinterest. These new habits have mainly been positive, and often very interconnected. For example, a recent Saturday had me dragging my husband to a tea house, ( with the promise they sold beer there as well)that I had found with my Yelp app. I had obtained directions from Suri, and also the information that it just so happened to be near a much loved home decor store, where I hoped to find a few items that would help a few of my pinboards come to fruition.

While we sat enjoying our beverages (Oolong & IPA), my hubby, ( who is not a big fan of Facebook) brought up the notion that before people were allowed to post on Facebook, something should pop up asking the user " are you sure?" or " do you really want to post this?" , maybe " would you want your grandma to see this?" , etc. The idea was meant partly in jest, but rooted in seriousness. I mean how much of our time is spent getting way too much information otherwise known as TMI most of it from people you wouldn't have coffee with, yet they are your Facebook "friends"? I got to thinking about how nowadays anybody can just google you and find out half of your personal business. I mean, the internet is a stalkers dream! Or how your boss can send you an urgent email on a holiday or at midnight and you can't just ignore it or pretend you didn't get it because he made sure that one of your company perks was a paid for Blackberry and data plan! I continued to digress into why the Internet SUCKS but then I stopped myself. It's true, the Internet , like everything , has its faults, but it also has its virtues. The power of information for one, and the spreading of ideas and creativity that has only been possible through the Internet. The very personal function that the Internet provides in keeping us connected to each other. Like your friend from grade school whom you haven't seen in over a decade but somehow you have been able to interface with one another through blogging, Facebook, and "pinning" together. All of that makes you realize why you were friends in the first place, and you just know that you would be sharing a pot of tea or pitcher of beer together if you were to actually live in the same city, state, or country. That's the magic of the Internet, it keeps friends from becoming strangers.

Food also brings people together, which is why every culture has celebrations that focus on eating and drinking. Personally, I can not think of a holiday that I do not associate with a specific food or beverage! One of the great American cultural events is the Superbowl. You may not care or even know what teams are playing but you better believe you showed up at the party expecting buffalo wings and jalapeño poppers! This past Superbowl it was a given that those items would be served, but I also wanted a great main dish to wow my guests with. Not finding quite what I wanted on food blogs or pinboards, I appealed to Facebook. Quickly, I received a response from my friend Chad, a Major in the United States Marine Corps. He was overseas serving our country in the Middle East. Being the sports enthusiast he is, I should have known he would possess a killer, crowd-pleasing recipe for game time. Chad may have been thousands of miles away, watching the Superbowl at 3am, but it felt like he was in Oregon watching it with us because we were eating his food. And that I think, is the real power of the Internet.

CHAD'S MARINATED FLANK STEAK

2 Flank or Skirt Steaks
1 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Medium Onion, diced
7 Cloves of Garlic, diced
3 Tablespoons Honey
5 Tablespoons Powdered Ginger

Combine all ingredients in large pan or bowl. Marinate steaks 24 hours, turning every few hours. About 2 hours before serving, remove steaks from refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Grab your grill master (in my case, my hubby) and grill steaks on each side, 4-5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. I served these steaks with flatbread and pickled vegetables.