Category: New Menu Monday

Frigid temps arrived this weekend. No snow here, but plenty up in the mountains so the view should be pretty once the clouds disperse. I spent the weekend cooking and packaging meals so I wouldn’t have to do much during the week.

Tax time is my busy season, and I still want to put in a few hours of writing each day, so prepped meals give me a bit of extra time each day. It is definitely soup time. I made a nice Spinach-Tomato Soup and will probably make this recipe mid-week.

Spicy Potato Soup (Zuppa Toscana)

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• ½ lb spicy ground sausage (or ground beef)
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (opt)
• 1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 6 potatoes, well scrubbed, unpeeled – cubed or thinly sliced
• 2 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 oz shredded cheese – I like parmesan myself)

saucepan or instant pot

Our annual Christmas Eve dinner has always been guests’ choice. And has become a tradition, Spinach Lasagna is the requested main course.

It’s been super hectic for all of us the past few months, so we are looking forward to coming together for dinner. Haven’t decided if there will be an after dinner movie or game night.

On the board:

1. Spinach Lasagna
2. Sweet and Sour Green Beans
3. Garlic Cheese Bread
4. Ice Cream Sundae Bar

Ribeye with a great crust and a baked potato large enough for two

I usually roast a Bone-in Prime Rib for Christmas or New Year’s, but this year I don’t feel like I have the time or energy to cut and prep a full ribeye bag. That’s about the only way it’s affordable and I have no issue with having a freezer full of roasts and steaks.

I watched a video on an unusual pumpkin pie recipe from 1670 (you read that correctly), and I thought, what the heck, I’ll give it a try.

This is truly a New Menu Monday: Bourbon Maple Turkey just in time for the big T-Day

Looks odd, but really kept the bird moist.

Next to a deep-fried turkey (that someone else cooks) Bourbon Maple Roasted Turkey has to be one of my favorite ways to cook a bird  – in cheesecloth (!) no less.  A recipe I shared in 2021 when I first tried it.

Turkey basics – try to stay with a 12 to 14 lb bird  – two if you’re expecting a houseful. This size will cook quicker, stay moister, and generally taste better than a huge bird.

Second – spatchcock that baby. You’ll be able to use the back for stock and avoid dried-out white meat. This method roasts quicker, avoids the need to brine or inject the bird and lets the white and dark meats finish cooking at the same time.

Here is a great video on how easy it is to spatchcock a turkey, along with a very simple roasting recipe.

On to the Bourbon and Maple Syrup Turkey recipe: