The key for this stuffing recipe is making your own buttermilk cornbread. This way, you can control the moisture and sugar levels, and it also makes your whole kitchen smell like a buttered corn muffin. Cubing and lightly toasting the cornbread preps it for maximum flavor absorption without compromising its sturdiness.
INGREDIENTS:
Buttermilk Cornbread
9 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided, plus more for pan
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1½ lb. hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 bunches collard greens, stems and ribs removed, leaves torn or cut into 2″ pieces
1½ cups heavy cream
2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
RECIPE PREPARATION
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 300°. Cut cornbread into 1″ cubes and divide between 2 large rimmed baking sheets.
Toast, turning over halfway through, until outsides are dried out and some of the sides are golden brown, 45–55 minutes.
Increase oven temperature to 350°. Lightly butter a 13×9″ baking dish. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Arrange sausage in a single layer in pot and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, about 4 minutes. Break up into bite-size pieces with a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer sausage to a large bowl.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add 8 Tbsp. butter to same pot; swirl to melt and to coat bottom of pot. Add onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5 minutes. Add collard greens and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Add cream and 1 cup broth and bring mixture to a bare simmer. Cover pot and cook until greens are softened, 7–9 minutes.
Add vegetable mixture to bowl with sausage; mix in remaining 1½ cups broth, then eggs.
Add cornbread and carefully toss once (don’t break up pieces). Let sit 5 minutes, then gently toss again.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL GRAYDON + NIKOLE HERRIOTT, FOOD STYLING BY REBECCA JURKEVICH, PROP STYLING BY KALEN KAMINSKI
Let sit until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes more. Transfer stuffing, still being gentle with it, to prepared baking dish. Dot surface with pieces of remaining 1 Tbsp. butter and cover with foil.
Bake stuffing until hot in the center when pierced with a paring knife, 20–25 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until surface is deep golden brown and there are some crispy bits of sausage and greens on top, 25–30 minutes more.
Do Ahead: Cornbread croutons can be made 2 days ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature. Stuffing can be assembled but not baked one day ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Collard Greens
It’s important to follow the measurements for the salt and to use a low-sodium stock (or, better yet, a homemade one) for this recipe—otherwise, the gravy could wind up being too salty.
RECIPE PREPARATION:
Mix brown sugar, spices, pepper, and 3 Tbsp. or 4 ½ tsp. salt in a small bowl to combine; sprinkle all over surface and inside cavity of turkey. Place turkey on a V-shape roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan (if using a disposable pan, place it on a rimmed baking sheet). Chill, uncovered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
Let sit at room temperature 1½–2 hours.
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Smear butter all over outside of turkey. Arrange turkey wings (if using), neck, and giblets, then onions, celery, and garlic around turkey and pour in wine. Roast on center rack until skin is golden all over, 25–35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300° and continue to roast turkey, rotating 180° halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150° (temperature will rise as the bird rests), 1½–2 hours. Carefully transfer turkey to a cutting board and tent with foil.
Increase oven temperature to 450°. Push vegetables, neck, giblets, and wings (if using) into center of roasting pan and sprinkle flour over. Roast until flour is very lightly browned in a few spots, 12–15 minutes. Scrape contents of roasting pan into a large saucepan. Add thyme and broth. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by nearly half and gravy is thick enough to coat a spoon, 25–30 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan; discard solids. Stir in soy sauce; season with more salt if needed. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat while you carve the turkey. Thin with a bit more stock if needed.
A warm and healthy Beef and Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie loaded with so many beautiful flavors….where do I start? The beautiful beefy filling? The crispy Parmesan cheesy top? Or the creamy layers of pumpkin?
This recipe has been handed down to me by my one and only mother. I may only ever change a couple things, but really, this is perfection.
The beef mixture inside this Beef and Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie is like beast mode a la Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Terminator of Shepherd’s Pie…or Cottage Pie. Whichever one rocks your socks. So much happening it may not be like your normal average Shepherd’s Pie, but since when are we normal anyway?
One slice of this mountain of glory and you’ll be so full and fulfilled in every way possible, you won’t want a nothing else after it.
Ingredients:
1 kg | 2lbs butternut or kent pumpkin , washed, peeled seeded and cubed (I usually use 1/2 a kent pumpkin)
2 tablespoons gravy powder , whisked in 1/4 cup boiling water (until free of lumps): or you can substitute the gravy
powder with cornflour/corn starch.
4 cups baby spinach leaves , washed
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 200C | 400F. Combine pumpkin and potatoes with just enough water to cover them, in a large saucepan/pot over medium heat, and boil until tender. Alternatively, microwave or steam them until soft. Drain well, add the butter/spread and mash until smooth and creamy. Season with salt to suit your tastes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a separate large pan over medium – high heat. Add onion, carrots and capsicum, and cook stirring for about 5 – 10 minutes, or until onions become transparent. Add the garlic and cook stirring again, for about 2 minutes. Add beef and fry until meat is browned on all sides (break up all lumps with your wooden spoon). Add the tomatoes, cover pot with lid, reduce heat and simmer until tomatoes soften. When tomatoes are soft, add the peas, salt and vegetable stock powder, and simmer again covered with lid for about 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft and cooked through. Add gravy powder or cornflour/corn starch mixture. Cook stirring to combine all ingredients together until a sauce forms, reduces and thickens. Stir the spinach and parsley through, and take off heat.
Evenly spread half the pumpkin/potato mash into a large oven proof baking dish. Spoon the beef mixture over the top, and spread remaining pumpkin mash over the top of the beef.
Sprinkle evenly with parmesan cheese.
Bake until the top of the pie turns a golden brown and sauce is bubbling underneath (about 20 minutes).
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My daughter, Jaime, made what she calls her Fall Wreath decorated with mini pumpkins, silk leaves, and her initial, the letter “V” covered in burlap. She used a wire wreath form and knotted on tulle ribbon in fall colors.
She decided this wreath will hang on her door from now thru Thanksgiving. She had some leftover silk leaves and tulle ribbon so she glued the leaves on a mason jar, tied a bow, and made a fall candle holder.
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My daughter Jenny made this adorable Witch Hat for Halloween. She used tulle ribbon knotted on to a wire wreath form and tied on the witch hat and legs she found at Walmart.
I made this fall wreath last year using a wire wreath form and mesh material. I used zip ties to secure the mesh on to the frame. For step by step tutorial click here!
If you’ll be using tulle strips or ribbons you just cut strips to the desired length and knot them onto the frame until you reach the desired fullness. Here’s a tutorial that shows how to knot tulle onto a styro-foam form, It’s the same basic idea but when using a wire form you need to tie on more tulle. Click here!
It’s a great time to make fall wreaths. You’ll find a big selection of rolls tulle ribbon at Walmart and most craft stores!
Do you know how the products you are buying were made? Are they environmentally friendly? Do you budget? If you answer yes to these questions then it means you are a conscious consumer.
Over the past decade consumption levels have increased across the globe. As the income level rises, so is the greater access to a wide variety of consumer products. Presently, unconscious and unethical consumerism has brought about several problems such as pollution and erosion of income savings. It is for this reason that the idea of a conscious consumer is being propagated.
Therefore, how do you become a conscious consumer?
Know the Product Background Ever wondered how your favorite snack or t-shirt is manufactured? Well, many people are not aware of how many of the products they consume are made.
Over the years, several companies have been accused of unethical and inhumane manufacturing practices regarding their products. So, to be a conscious consumer, it is prudent of you to dig a little and find out the background details. How are they made? Where are they manufactured? Who manufactures them? How are they shipped?
Knowing all this will ensure that you consume products that have been ethically produced. Besides, it will allow you to hold accountable the companies should they contravene the consumer protection laws and regulations.
Avoid Unbudgeted Spending Currently, consumption rates have increased tremendously as people’s spending powers also increase. However, it is prudent to undertake sound budgeting to ensure conscious consumption every day. It calls for sound financial and budgeting skills.
Start by determining your net monthly income and then use it to budget as per your needs. As a conscious consumer, you should be able to meet most of your monthly needs comfortably without feeling the need to overspend. Moreover, with a budget, you will minimize spending your money on unnecessary purchases.
Aim for Lower Cost Purchases Well, with lots of money comes the power to spend. Nonetheless, it is imperative to cut on cost where necessary. Shop well, shop less, and shop consciously.
If you can find a way to make purchases at a lower price, then take it. By doing so, you will be able to save extra cash on the side for other essential life investments such as education.
Aim to cultivate a more conscious consumer mindset by distinguishing between wants and needs. For instance, you could make purchases on second hand retail stores, where surprisingly, you will find quality stuff for low prices. But as you do that, also be mindful of the quality of your purchases. You do not want to buy a piece of furniture only for it to break within a few days.
Embrace Environmental Consciousness Much of the products people consume have their raw materials sourced from the environment. So, it makes sense to take care of Mother Nature in return.
One way would be to ensure that you minimize using plastic products and embracing disposable and biodegradable made products. For instance, instead of buying products from fast food stores that serve using plastic cups and plates, you could opt to visit a store that uses disposable take out boxes.
Proper management of trash is also an excellent way to cultivate ethical consumer consciousness. As a conscious consumer, you should prioritize on recycling and reusing where necessary.
Boneless turkey breast pounded skinny and filled with breadcrumbs, mushrooms, dried cranberries and sage, rolled and tied and cooked. My father jogged my memory the opposite day tfhat Thanksgiving turkey ought not to be a full bird. If your gathering is just few individuals, and you don’t wish to own many weeks of turkey leftovers, there’s no have to be compelled to roast a fifteen avoirdupois unit gobbler. You could roast simply some turkey legs if you wish meat or if you favor white, stuff and roll a turkey breast.
The following formula is for simply that, a turkey breast, pounded skinny, unfolds with a stuffing of breadcrumbs, bacon, porcini, shallots and dried cranberries, and rolled up into a roulade and cooked.
Now, the sole issue I see with preparation simply the turkey breast is that you just find yourself with scant drippings for gravy. If you wish gravy the maximum amount as I do, I like to recommend adding a fatty wing to the cooking pan, and victimization those drippings for your gravy.
Even if you end up not eating the skin, it’s important to wrap it around the turkey roll for roasting. It will bathe the turkey in flavor and will keep the breast from drying out.
INGREDIENTS
1 boneless turkey breast (about 2 lbs)
Butter, olive oil, OR bacon fat
Salt
1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 thick slice of bacon*
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 Tbsp chopped dried cranberries
1 teaspoon minced sage
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 Tbsp turkey or chicken stock (can sub water)
1 turkey wing (optional)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup turkey or chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Poultry seasoning
*If you don’t eat bacon, you can skip, just use a generous tablespoon of butter instead, to sauté the shallots.
METHOD
1 Rehydrate and chop the dried porcini mushrooms: Place dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl. Cover with hot water and let sit for 15 minutes or so while the bacon in the next step is cooking. Once rehydrated, then chop.
2 Cook then chop the bacon: Slowly cook the bacon in a medium frying pan on medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Once cool enough to touch, chop. You should have at least a tablespoon of fat in the pan. (If not, add butter or olive oil to make up the difference.)
3 Make the stuffing: Heat the same pan on medium (do not drain the fat rendered out of the bacon), add the minced shallots and cook until the shallots begin to brown. Add the chopped dried cranberries, minced sage and chopped mushrooms. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the breadcrumbs, the parsley, chopped bacon, and the turkey or chicken stock and stir well. You want a rough paste, something that will stick to itself. Remove from the heat and allow the stuffing to cool.
4 Remove the skin, then pound turkey breast to even thickness: To make the stuffed turkey breast, remove the skin from the turkey in one piece and reserve.
Put the turkey breast between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and gently pound with a mallet until it is about 1/4 inch thick. (It may be easier to butterfly the breast first, depending on how big the breast is.)
5 Spread stuffing over turkey breast, then roll up: Trim the pounded breast until it is roughly a rectangle. Spread a thin layer of the stuffing over the breast, leaving about 3/4 inch border around all sides.
Starting with one of the shorter ends of the turkey rectangle, roll up the turkey breast.
Lay the skin over the top of the rolled breast and tuck any under the edges.
6 Tie up the turkey breast: Tie the rolled turkey breast tightly with kitchen string (cotton, not nylon!) and set it on a roasting pan. Paint it with olive oil, or smear butter or bacon fat over it and sprinkle with salt. If you want more drippings for gravy, place pieces of a turkey wing on the roasting pan as well.
7 Roast: Roast at 400°F for 20 minutes, then drop the heat to 325° and roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the breast reads about 155° on a meat thermometer.
8 Rest: Once the turkey reaches that temperature remove it from the roasting pan and tent it loosely with foil. Let it rest at least 10 minutes, and up to 25 minutes.
9 Make gravy with pan drippings: While the turkey breast is resting, if you want, you may be able to make a little gravy with the drippings. If you are only cooking the breast, and not the optional turkey wing as well, you may not have much to work with. But even a little bit of drippings can flavor a gravy. (If you really don’t have much fat to work with, you can melt two tablespoons of butter into the roasting pan.)
Take the roasting pan with drippings and place over two burners on the stove-top on medium (if using turkey wing, remove first). Sprinkle with flour and stir until the flour is incorporated into the drippings.
Slowly add stock, whisking constantly, until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning or ground sage or thyme. Let simmer on the stove until thickened to your preference.
Stuffed Turkey Breast with Bacon, Cranberry, Breadcrumb Stuffing
It’s important to follow the measurements for the salt and to use a low-sodium stock (or, better yet, a homemade one) for this recipe—otherwise, the gravy could wind up being too salty.
The beef mixture inside this Beef and Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie is like beast mode a la Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Terminator of Shepherd’s Pie…or Cottage Pie. Whichever one rocks your socks. So much happening it may not be like your normal average Shepherd’s Pie, but since when are we normal anyway?
She had some leftover silk leaves and tulle ribbon so she glued the leaves on a mason jar, tied a bow, and made a fall candle holder.
