Orange-Glazed Steaks

This is one of the greatest recipes we know.  We got it off the internet YEARS ago.  We always use whatever critter our husbands have in the freezer.  Beef, deer, elk, whatever you have will work.

Orange-Glazed Steaks

2/3 c dry red wine (we usually use merlot)
1/2 c fresh orange juice
1/3 c fresh lime juice
1/2 c honey
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (we use the kind in the jar)
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4-6 lbs steaks

1. Lay steaks in a shallow glass baking dish.
2. Mix all marinade ingredients well in a separate bowl, until honey is dissolved.
3. Pour marinade over steaks.
4. Cover and marinade overnight.
5. Bring the steaks to room temperature.
6. Remove steaks from marinade and cook to desired temperature (we usually grill them on the BBQ, but broiling them would work, too).
7. Place the marinade in a large skillet and bring to a boil over high heat.
8. Continue to boil until the liquid is syrupy and mahogany-colored.  Remove from heat.  There should be about a cup of glaze.
9. While cooking the steaks, brush the glaze on both sides of the steaks.
10. You can use remaining glaze for sauce when serving.

p.s.  We have made this dish a LOT and we can never get the glaze to thicken.  These steaks are amazing without adding any glaze upon cooking or serving.  We keep trying the glaze just for principle now.  LOL

p.p.s.  UPDATE 12/3/13:  After making this dish most recently, we have mastered the glaze! 

1. Using a large stock pot, bring glaze to a boil.
2. Turn heat to medium and cook, uncovered for 2 hours for a thick glaze.  For a thinner sauce, 1 hour and 45 minutes.
3. Stir occasionally.
4. This taught us the lesson "LOW AND SLOW".

Noodles and Butterballs

This soup.  It is requested for special birthday dinners.  It can be found at nearly every Jones' gathering.  It's a traditional German recipe.  We know it from Travis's Grandma Emma Jones.  When talking to Travis & Steve, they both said "She got it from here mother".  Wherever it came from, let me just tell you.  If you don't like soup - you will after trying this.  Won't ya, Nicole?

Noodles and Butterballs

1 package frozen egg noodles (24 oz)
1 whole chicken, thawed, rinsed
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 cans chicken broth
Chicken base, to taste
1 cube  (1/2 c) butter
1 c milk or 1/2 cup evaporated milk (plus more if mix is too dry)
2 eggs
1 can plain bread crumbs (15 oz)
Allspice to season (Allspice substitute recipe to follow)
[Carrots, Celery, Yellow Onion all diced.  Optional.  The original doesn't have all of these veggies - but we prefer it].

1. Place the whole chicken in a large stock pot.  
2. Cover with water.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Boil until chicken falls off the bone, it took us 3 hours.  While we were making this, we asked both Travis and Steve how long this takes for the chicken to be done.  They BOTH said, "Until the chicken falls off the bone."  And it really does ... in the water ... fall off the bone. 
5. Remove chicken from pot and let cool.
6. Leave broth in pot.
7. Skim fat from top of the broth.
8. Carve chicken into bite sized pieces.  Discard bones and skin.  Keep meat in a bowl and set aside.
9. Make the butterballs:
1. Melt butter.
2. Mix butter, milk, eggs, breadcrumbs, and a generous amount of allspice.  We use 2 tbsp.  This is best done with your hands.
3. Roll batter into 1" sized butterballs.
10. Make soup:
1. Bring broth to a boil.
2. Add 2 cans of chicken broth and chicken base.
3. Add vegetables and cook until they are tender.
4. Add chicken.
5. Then add frozen noodles and butterballs.
6. Cook all ingredients together until "I don't know, until the noodles are soft."  By this time, we're seeing a trend.  Steve & Travis are just going to answer the same.  LOL  Anyway, the noodles get soft and float to the top.  It took us about 30 minutes.
11. Stand back and watch it disappear.

Photo courtesy of Aunt Charlene Bartlome

Photo courtesy of Travis Jones

 Allspice substitute

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Mix well.  Yield 1 tsp.

Thanksgiving Feast - Dessert - Pumpkin Pie

We call this "Don't Eff Up My Pumpkin Pie" recipe.

We love to make pies, but we generally don't have time to create two.  So we usually get the Pumpkin Pie from Costco.  I got really ambitious one year and made the Pumpkin Pie our mother always makes the night before our big dinner.  It turned out amazing.  Travis (who was upstairs in the man cave all day watching shows) said, upon trying a piece, "Where did you get this?"  I said, "I made it."  He said, "No really, where?   You don't even like pumpkin pie."  I said, "No, but you all do.  How is it?"  He said, "Wow, La.  I'm impressed.  It's really good."

Then I got too confident.  The next year, we tried this recipe from Tyler Florence.  To which Travis said, "You'd better not eff up my pumpkin pie."

Pumpkin Banana Meringue Pie

Pie Crust:

2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
5 tsp sugar
Pinch kosher salt
12 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 egg yolks
Ice water

For the filling:

2 whole sugar pumpkins
6 bananas
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg white
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 c heavy cream
Pinch kosher salt

For the meringue topping:

4 large egg whites
6 tbsp confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Pinch salt

Directions

Crust:

1. Combine the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. 
2. Mix in the cold butter with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 
3. Work in egg yolks and 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water until the dough holds together without being too sticky. If it's still crumbly, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. 
4. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. On a floured surface, roll the dough into an 11 to 12-inch circle with a floured rolling pin.
6. Ease the dough into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing firmly into the bottom and sides. 
7. Trim the excess dough, then pinch the edges. 
8. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Split the pumpkins down the middle and scoop out the seeds. 
3. Arrange on a roasting tray, cut side up, and roast for 20 minutes. 
4. Remove the pumpkins from the oven and lay bananas (in their skins) around and between the pumpkin halves. 
5. Return to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes. 
6. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before handling, about 5 minutes.
7. Scoop out the pumpkin flesh and add to a food processor. 
8. Peel the bananas and add the flesh to food processor as well. 
9. Add the 3 eggs, sugar, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons butter, nutmeg, heavy cream and salt. Puree until smooth.
10. Put a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 375 degrees.
11. Pour the filing into the prepared pie shell. 
12. Lightly beat the egg white. 
13. Brush the pastry edges with the egg white and sprinkle with a bit of sugar. 
14. Carefully arrange the pie on the preheated baking sheet, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake it until the pie is set but still jiggles slightly, about 50 minutes. 
15. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Topping:

1. Beat the egg whites, powdered sugar, cream of tartar, and a pinch salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until glossy medium peaks form, being careful not to over beat.
2. Spread the meringue mixture over the top of the pie, covering right to the edges. 
3. Using the back of a spoon press lightly into the meringue and pull up on the spoon to form peaks all over the surface of the meringue (alternatively you can use a piping bag with a large star tip if you choose).
4. To cook the meringue, preheat the broiler with the rack in the highest position. 
5. Put the pie under the broiler and broil until the meringue is set and golden brown, about 7 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning, as it cooks quickly. 
6. Remove from the broiler and cool before serving.

After it was all done (after burning the meringue the first time, Travis was able to salvage the pie and the second meringue by using his torch to cook it) it was so pretty.  Then I took a bite.  I promptly spit it out.  And then I cried.  It was just AWFUL.  After my reaction, no one else would try it.  It really tasted so bad.  Like pumpkin-banana flavored dirt.  And we ruined Travis's favorite part of this whole meal.  Never again.  If you all are brave enough and try it, do let us know.  We know a couple of things we did wrong (we didn't roast the pumpkin long enough and really...does a homemade crust ever turn out?)

The biggest lesson of this whole feast is this:  Get the can of Libby's Pumpkin puree and follow the recipe on the back (using the Pillsbury pre-made pie crusts).  Our mother has done it for years.  When I made it, it turned out awesome.  It's tried and true.  

 

Thanksgiving Feast - Dessert - Cherry Pie

Most of the recipes we've posted to this point haven't been shared, or tested, by anyone else.  But this recipe has.  Our friend Paige heard about this "mishap" and said she'd been looking for a good cherry pie recipe. And she's made it several times since!

This recipe was the reason for the "Read the recipe all the way through" lesson.  Two years ago, we were very ambitious with about 15 recipes for the meal.  We decided to do this one first so it could it could bake while we prepared other dishes (and we needed to use the oven in "shifts" to get the timing right for everything to be done at once).

First 10 minutes of the big day and Nicole dumps the whole can of cherries into the prepared pie crust.  Without draining it.  "But without the liquid from the can, how does it get so juicy?"  Baking is magical, Nicole.  It just does.

Cherry Pie

1 1/3 c sugar
1/3 c flour
2 cans pitted, red tart cherries, DRAINED
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp butter
2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts (there are 2 to one box usually)
Red food coloring, optional

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Lay out one of the pie crusts into 9" pie pan, and press to form to the pan.  Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together sugar and flour.
4. Mix with cherries. 
5. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring, if desired.
6. Pour into pie crust.
7. Sprinkle with almond extract.
8. Pat with butter (evenly spaced)
9. Cover with second pie crust.
10. Seal and flute.
11. Add several slits in top of crust.
12. Cover edge of pie with 2-3 inch thick strips of aluminum so edges won't burn.
13. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
14. Remove foil.
15. Bake for 10-15 minutes longer until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits.

Tip:  Put large cookie sheet on the shelf under the pie.  Just in case it bubbles over so your oven isn't a mess.  

We serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

What NOT to do.  LOL

YUM!

Thanksgiving Feast - Dinner - Turkey

The main event!  The turkey!

We have taken liberties with this recipe.  We'll put in brackets the differences from the original.

Turkey

18-20 lb turkey, thawed completely
[3] 1 Orange, cut into quarters
2 onions, cut into quarters
[6] 5 bay leaves
[Herb butter] 1/2 c (1 cube) melted butter
[6] 1 celery stalk, cut in half, include leaves
Paprika
[Emeril Essence - Recipe to follow] Season Salt
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp pepper
2 large sauce pans full of water and [one can of chicken stock]

1. In the bottom of roaster, squeeze 2 oranges and drop quarters in.
2. Put one onion, 3 bay leaves and 3 celery in the bottom of the roaster
3. Prepare turkey as directed.  Our directions are this:
1. Unwrap turkey
2. Pull out baggie from inside (giblets)
3. Rinse inside and outside
4. Pull out flesh from top
5. Pull out baggie with neck in it
6. Trim "hangy-outies"
7. Cut off "bottom flappy"
4. Place turkey in roaster, breast side down.
5. Pour water and stock onto turkey and into roaster.
6. Spread herb butter on outside of turkey (both sides) and between skin and meat.
7. Add one orange (squeeze juice in), one onion, 3 bay leaves and 3 celery to inside of turkey
8. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and Essence.
9. Cook at 350 degrees for 4-5 hours (legs will start to fall off).
10. Check often and add more water/stock as needed to keep it hydrated.

Emeril's Essence

2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme

Mix all ingredients and store in an air tight container. 

Attempt #214 At Homemade Salsa

I don't like candy.  I'm not a big dessert eater...if I do eat dessert, it's just a couple of bites.  But chips and dip?  Chips and salsa?  Goodness, I could eat my weight in it.  So, I'm always on a quest to find the best salsa and then make it.

My sister-in-law, Maria's mother makes the best salsa I have ever had.  I have the recipe and it turns out okay...but it's nowhere close to hers.

I tried my own from the internet and it turned out to be spaghetti sauce. HAHA

Now this year, the goal is to recreate Chili's salsa, as per our Dad's request.  He may be stopping on his way here and buying some.

This is the original recipe I found on Pinterest:

1 large can (29oz) whole tomatoes, drained
1 small can whole or sliced jalapeños (not pickled) less if you want less spice
1/2 of a small onion
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lime juice

Mix all in blender.  Serve with chips.

Here's what I did, based on what I had in the pantry, and what I did to try and "fix it":

Salsa  

28 oz can whole tomatoes
2 Serrano peppers
3 tsp garlic, minced
1 whole yellow onion, 4" in diameter
juice of one lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all in blender.  Serve with chips.

HELP

The texture was PERFECT.  I couldn't ask for a better texture.  But with the first bite, all I taste is tomato sauce.  It's the second chew that has the good flavor and a little bit of heat.  

How do I get that first bite to have flavor?

I spooned some out and tried vinegar, black pepper, more lime juice.  Nothing helped...it just made the salsa taste like vinegar, pepper and lime.  

Thoughts:

1. I used minced garlic from a jar.  Does fresh garlic really make that much difference?  And the recipes I found only used garlic salt.
2. I used fresh peppers, not canned.
3. I used a yellow onion.  Should I have used a white onion?
4. I thought letting it refrigerate overnight would help.  It still tastes good, bites 2-4, but that first bite is just tomato sauce.

So all you salsa makers out there.  Please weigh in.  Comment below, on Facebook or Pinterest.

Thanks in advance!!

See?  Just look that awesome texture!

Thanksgiving Feast - Dinner - Herb Butter For The Turkey

I saw this on one of the Food Network Thanksgiving specials.  Bobby Flay used fresh herbs, but we didn't want to spend the money when we had the dried already.  It still is phenomenal.

This accompanies the turkey recipe, but it's so good it deserves a post by itself.

Herb Butter

1 1/4 sticks of butter, softened

2 tbsp sage

2 tbsp rosemary

2 tbsp thyme

3 tbsp parsley

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Mix all in a food processor* until well incorporated.
2. Rub on outside of turkey and between skin and meat.

You can make this the night before, refrigerate after it's mixed thoroughly.  Set out to thaw before 

Double this recipe if you're cooking an 18+ pound turkey.  

*Update 10/26/17:  A dear friend, Adam Mahmud, made our delicious turkey recipe for his boys for Thanksgiving 2015.  It's taking me a very long time to gain access to our blog to make updates (recommend not changing your phone number until after you've updated your security measures!)

but, finally, here we are.  Adam didn't have a food processor so he used a blender. Strongly recommend not doing that. :)  I wish I had THAT photo for the blog.  HAHA  A big thank you, Adam, for being brave enough to try our recipe (you were the first!) and I'm delighted all of you enjoyed it!