Lemon Roasted Turkey

I posted a turkey recipe a few years ago that is absolutely fabulous, but you have to set aside quite of bit of time to do it right. Some people have asked for recipes that are a little more simple to make. This is one is really simple to make but will still provide a "wow factor" at your Thanksgiving Feast!

Ingredients:
1 whole turkey
1 large lemon, cut into halves
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter or olive oil, whichever you prefer

Directions:
Step 1: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Rub butter or oil over the skin of the turkey until it is completely coated and sprinkle with salt and pepper (and any other seasonings you prefer).

Step 3: Use your hand to gently separate the skin from the breast meat. Slide lemon halves under the skin with the peel side up, one on each side. The lemons will release their juices into the breasts slowly as the turkey cooks.

Step 4: Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minuters.

Step 5: Remove foil and continue to bake until the temperature in the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degress.

Step 6: Remove from oven, cover with foil and let stand for 20-30 minutes before carving.

NOTE: If you've followed these steps correctly, your turkey should look like the one in the picture below.

Gimmie My Baby Backs!

Does the global recession have you strapped for cash? Well, it's your lucky day because you've just stumbled onto a Baby Back Bail-out of epic proportions (and it doesn't even involve any government paperwork or blood-sucking politicians)! Did you know that you can make a huge rack of ribs at home, for 2-3 people, for about half of the price of a full rack at almost any barbeque restaurant? Well, now you know.

Not only are these ribs relatively inexpensive, they are also fall-off-the-bone tender and dead simple to make! The ribs in the picture are only HALF of the slab that I bought at Harmon's for $16. I'm sure you could get the same amount of ribs at Costco or Sam's for $10-12. Not too shabby for some wicked awesome, tender ribs that will feed two hunrgy carnivores!



Ingredients:
1 rack of baby back ribs
2-4 tbsp dry rub (I suggest Spade L Ranch)
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Directions:
Step 1: (Optional) Remove membrane on the bottom side of the ribs. (It's a little tricky to get started, but then just peels right off)

Step 2: Evenly coat top and bottom of ribs with dry rub and half of the BBQ sauce. I used the Spade L Ranch seasoning that is usually found over by the butcher's counter in the grocery store (click on the link to see where you can buy it in your area).

Step 3: Wrap the ribs tighly in a few layers aluminum foil. Place the ribs in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours).

Step 4: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, place the wrapped ribs (bottom side up) on a rimmed baking sheet into the oven. After about 10 minutes, lower heat to 225-250 degrees and cook for 2-3 hours.

Step 5: Remove ribs from oven and let stand for about 15 minutes before removing the foil and plastic wrap.

Step 6: Heat up the barbeque grill on high, baste the ribs with another layer of bbq sauce and begin to evenly brown the ribs on both sides. Add additional layers of bbq sauce every 3-5 minutes and continue to cook until slightly charred (to taste).

Nutty Green Beans

This recipe came straight out of the saddle bag of Boise's most notorious and utterly dominating Alleycat Bike Racer chick. Can you say dead simple and super-tasty? Try it out and you might just get hooked. I made half batches each time instead of using the entire bag and it worked out great. If you make a full batch will be need to have a really large saute pan (or possibly an electric skillet).

Ingredients:
1 2 lbs. package of fresh French Green Beans (Costco has been carrying them in their walk in cooler for about $5)
1-2 Tbsp butter
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Step 1: Melt butter and oil in large saute pan over medium heat.

Step 2: Add the entire package of green beans, stir or toss them until evenly coated. Add salt and pepper and then cover with the lid. Stir them occasionally to brown evenly, otherwise leave the lid on and let them cook for 20-30 minutes.

Step 3: Add nuts with about 5 minutes of the cooking time remaining. The more wilted and browned the beans look, the better they taste!

Makes 4 servings

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Gordon Ramsey can be a bit of a "wanker" on some of his TV shows, but the guy can flat out cook. Check out this video for perfect scrambled eggs and then give it
a try. I've made these several times and they are great. I always use sour cream
instead of creme fraiche because, honestly, who has creme fraiche other than
Whole Foods Yuppies, professional chefs and the occasional Food Network talking
head?!

Once you have the concept down, it is pretty easy to just make your scrambled eggs as you normally would, but pull them off of the heat about 15-20 seconds from when they look done, throw in a spoonful of sour cream, and stir it in to stop them from over-cooking. Add chives if you'd like, but I usually just roll with salt and pepper.

Kicked-up Ketchup

I recently got a great tip from a friend on how to spice ketchup up a bit. This is definitely a killer combo for those who like things a little spicy. I tried it out last night on some hash browns and eggs and it was friggin' awesome. I hear it is also rather tasty when baked on the top of meatloaf. Thanks for the idea Adri!

Directions:

Step 1: Pour 1/2 cup of ketchup in a small bowl or cup.














Step 2: Mix in 2-3 teaspoons Sriracha Chili Sauce.

Step 3: Substitute your spicy "fine herb sauce" in the place of ketchup on pretty much anything!