Post Thanksgiving Turkey and Rice Soup..... a no brainer!

Ok, two days after Thanksgiving and you are sick of looking at the bird and the leftovers.  Hopefully you haven't tossed the bones, because that is truly nectar on the hoof... well claw....  Assuming you are like me, and save EVERY chicken carcass, turkey carcass, ham bone and lobster shell to make stock out of, you still have the ole girl in the fridge.  GREAT!!  My carcass was so big, had to split it up between my 8qt stock pot and my 5.5 qt Le Creuset pot.  This soup is SO simple, I have never actually written the recipe down - primarily because it changes every time, depending on what I have on hand.  Here is the recipe - the best thing about this is you can put whatever you feel like into it and it will taste awesome!  Here is the recipe for the stock:

Turkey Stock:

I had to split the bird into two pots

1 Turkey carcass after it has been picked clean, including any jellied fat from the platter - plus wings, and leg/thigh bones
1 Bouquet Garnis - or a sprinkling of rosemary, thyme, basil and oregano ) I put one in each pot - plus a sprinkling of the herbs.
1 tbs salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 onion, quartered with skin
4 cloves of garlic crushed with skin
4 carrots, quartered
4 stalks of celery, including leaves

 I also added leftover carrot/turnip casserole, some fresh parsely, some leftover roasted Brussels Sprouts - you get the idea.

Fill the pot to about 1 inch below rim, and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 3 or 4 hours. Cover for the first hour, then let simmer open. Add water when the level gets about 2 inches down, the longer it simmers, the better.  Let it reduce again to about 2 inches below top, and cool.

Strain the water through a pasta strainer - bits and pieces of stuff are fine in the broth.  Discard the solids, and refrigerate.

For the Soup:

To the stock, add:

5 carrots, 3 celery stalks, split in half, then chopped into 1/4 inch thick pieces

A nice fire helps with the soup experience!

Leftover turkey meat, cubed into about 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup mixed rice ( white, red, and wild) or just wild rice
3 cups water to thin the stock
Any leftover mashed potatoes, or mashed sweet potatoes.
Some spinach for color.

Add water carrots, celery and rice to the broth, and bring to a boil.  Simmer for an hour, then add turkey, potatoes, spinach and anything else you feel like tossing in.  Cook for 1/2 hour till all is warmed... serve with thick bread, and a nice white wine!

Enjoy!

Back to business..... hopefully! Herb Roasted Chicken, with Brussels Sprouts, and Mixed Rice

Comfort food at it's best!

Ok, so it's been a while since I have posted..... mea culpa.  Been busy with a new job, and more than a little bit lazy!  So I am making a New Years Resolution....... yes I know it's not new years yet..... just time for a change!  I will try and  put at least one post per week up on the blog - and I hope to make them a little more .....cooking..... oriented - not just recipe oriented.  Let me know what you think.

So, today was a Sunday, cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, and windy as hell.  Ok, that doesn't mean testicles for you dirty minded folk out there - in the 1800's,  a "brass monkey" was the square of brass screwed into ship's deck that held a stack of cannon balls.  When it got cold, it contracted, and the balls rolled all over the place.... hence the saying "cold enough to freeze..."  Well, you get it.  Today's history lesson.

What did I say about cooking...???  lol.  Ok, so cold - we got that - I had a nice fire going, and decided to roast a fresh chicken I picked up at Carlo's yesterday.  Carlo's is our local meat market - good guy, good friend - awesome product.  If you live anywhere near East Lyme, Ct - GO THERE!!!  Well worth it!

This is about as simple a meal as you can get.  First off the chicken:  Pre heat the oven to 425.

Nice and crispy - 175 degrees

1)Remove neck and giblets from body cavity if there.  Separate the skin from the breast, and add 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed spread evenly under the skin.
2) Brush extra virgin olive oil over  the top of the chicken.  Add salt, pepper, lightly sprinkle garlic powder, thyme powder, rosemary and tarragon over the top of the chicken.
3) Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan.  Add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to pan, and place in oven.
4) Baste with a basting bulb every 20 minutes.

Set timer for 1.5 hours.

For the Veggies:

Beautiful stalk of sprouts - for less than five bucks!

1) I bought a stalk of sprouts.  $4.99, and it was enough for about 8 servings!  Can't beat that!  Peel outside layers of sprouts, and cut into quarters.  Add one full shallot, cut into 1/8 inch slices, then separate the rings.  Take 3 cloves of garlic, and slice thin.  Add 1/2 cup chopped peppers.  Place all in a steel mixing bowl, add 3 tbs olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.  Toss.
2)  Place on a shallow baking pan, and place in oven when there is 15 minutes left to the bird.  Stir once about half way through.

Rice - Simply cook to package directions.  I used a blend of white, red, and wild rice - simmered with a little butter and salt.

This is a simple, tasty and  perfect winter meal.  I saved the left over meat, and the carcass and pieces separately to make broth out of tomorrow night..... yum!

Ingredient List:

1 whole chicken
6 cloves of garlic, pealed and sliced
1 tsp salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and tarragon
3 tbs olive oil
1 1/3 cups chicken broth, or boullion
20 or so Brussels Sprouts
1 Shallot, peeled and sliced whole
1/2 cup chopped frozen tri color peppers
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt, pepper
1 cup mixed rice
1 1/2 cup water
1 tbs butter.