Turkey or Chicken with Veggies

Hi,

I just made this the other day. It's a great dish because it can bake in your oven and when you come home your house will smell wonderful and there's hot dinner in your oven! The original recipe came from Sunset's Casserole Cookbook, which I think is out of print. I've made a few changes, mostly adding more vegetables.

2 turkey thighs or one large chicken breast (or 2 if they're small and one leg with thigh (about 2 pounds total)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Remove any fat chunks and any loose skin from the poultry. Lightly coat the bottom of a heavy 3 quart casserole or baking dish. You'll want something with a cover. Place the poultry in the bottom of the casserole in one layer. Lightly salt and pepper.

1/2 cup chicken broth or 1/2 cup water with 1/2 bouillon cube
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Mix the above items together. If you have a 2 cup measuring cup you can just mix all of this together in the cup. Pour into a small pot and cook stirring over medium heat, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Remove from heat.

1 large onion, cut into half rings about 1/2 inch thick
4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices
4 ribs celery, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch thick pieces
yellow turnip, peeled and cubed into 1 inch squares
3 cloves garlic, minced
(parsley, you can throw some on top after baking, if you have some hanging around.)

Place all the veggies on top of the poultry. Spoon sauce over top. Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. I think the last time I baked it for almost 3 hours and it came out fine. The poultry is falling off the bones, hot and savory. The perfect thing for a late winter snow storm like we're having today. You can serve this just by itself or you can add a green veggie on the side or a salad.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do.

Hugs,
Mameekosan  

Roast Fresh Fennel - Another Delicious Veggie Recipe

Hi,

Well, I couldn't resist. There at Trader's Joe were two fresh fennel bulbs nestled in plastic for less than $3. The last time I decided to try fennel; we had to make an emergency trip to the er with K after she sliced her finger on the mandolin. Well, this recipe requires no mandolin and hopefully for you no trip to the er. It requires just some cutting and then some time in the oven for roasting. So, if you need something quick and immediate, this might not work for you, but if you have 45 minutes, you can  get the fennel into the oven roasting while you prepare the rest of your dinner.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If you have parchment paper or aluminum foil, cover the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet. This will make clean-up a breeze.

2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 fennel bulbs
salt and pepper

Slice the fennel in half through the bottom vertically. Take a wedge out of the bottom to remove the core. Slice the fennel across to make half rings about 1/2 inch wide. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoons of olive oil on bottom. Arrange fennel on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle additional olive oil on top and toss to coat the fennel.

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese shredded

Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for about 45 minutes until the fennel is fork tender and the top is golden brown. I think this makes a great side to a protein such as baked chicken or even a can or sardines.  Remember: no trip to the er!

You can also make acorn squash or kabocha squash this way as well. 

Hugs,
Mameekosan