Every year, we go “glamping” (glamour camping) at El Capitan Canyon above Santa Barbara with four other families. Jill’s friend Shari and I love cooking for the group. Shari is an outstanding cook who carries a tackle box of cooking tools on every trip. It’s a good look. I’ve learned a lot from Shari over the years, and I’m happy to share one of her recipes here.
This Korean marinade is so easy, and it’s perfect with any beef, pork, or chicken. And I always reserve one half cup (at least) to spoon over the dishes as I serve them.
Ingredients
1 cup Soy Sauce
4 tsp Sesame Oil
4 tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Crushed Hot Red Peppers
2 tbsp Fresh Ginger, gratedI often don't have fresh ginger, so I'll use 2 tsp of ground ginger instead.
2 Bunch Green Onions, Chopped
Directions
Uh . . . Mix it Together!
We love fish tacos! Our friends, especially my friend Merlin, love fish tacos. When I tell Merlin it’s fish taco night in the Matthews house, he always asks the same question, “Is it all you can eat?” Yes, Merlin, it is.
They are easy to make, healthy, inexpensive, and wildly popular. Any fish will do, but our favorite by far is salmon. Halibut, swordfish, cod, or tilapia are also great. You can gently reheat last night’s fish for some great fish tacos too. Don’t Microwave the fish. Just don’t. Jim Rome, a sports radio host, has the best take on this ever. He has taken time during several of his “sports” shows to try to teach the world never to microwave fish. It’s worth a listen. I join him in his crusade.
Ingredients
Salmon (or other excellent fish) – about 1/3 to 1/2 pound per person.
Cajun seasoning, Salt, and Ground Black Pepper
Cabbage (1 head is plenty for 8 servings)
Roma Tomatoes (1 tomato for every 2 servings)
Ranch Dressing or Sour Cream
Salsa
1 lime, plus 1/2 lime per serving
Avocados (1 avocado – 4 servings)
Corn Tortillas
Directions
Make a cream sauce of 1 cup sour cream, 3 Tbsp Salsa, zest and juice of 1 lime, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Add a little hot sauce (Cholula or other) if you like.
I have a good tartar sauce recipe tartar sauce recipe that I have not yet put on the website. But for me, with the grilled fish tacos, I much prefer straight salsa or this cream sauce.
Mix together cabbage and tomatoes, add a little onion if you want. Dress with some of the cream sauce if you like. Refrigerate both cabbage mix and cream sauce.
Prepare the tortillas by either
(1) Heating them up on a griddle (very healthy),
(2) Lightly frying them in canola oil, then resting on paper towels or hanging them in the oven over the oven rack (very awesome),
(3) Wrapping in a paper towel and microwaving for 30 seconds.
Cut up avocado into small slices.
Lay out prepared fish, cabbage salad, cut up avocados, lime slices, cream sauce, and hot sauce. Let people make their own and go to town!
I used to host Pasta Feeds before doing triathlons. (By “doing” I mean surviving. I didn’t care what place I finished but I did like that I could finish!) It was one of the only good reasons I had for doing triathlons! I usually finished in the top 10% in the swim, top half in the bike, and bottom 0.1% in the run. Oh well – At least I got to make Mom’s spaghetti sauce for my friends the night before.
I remember coming home from swim practice in high school and eating 4 helpings of this. Those were the days! This old fashioned hearty tomato sauce is simple to make. It can simmer all day and make the house smell wonderful. And it’s great with leftovers. Thanks Mom!
Ingredients
1 lb Ground BeefYou can also use Italian Sausage, or some combination of both.
1 Onion, chopped
1 Large Can Crushed Tomatoes (28 oz)
12 oz Tomato Paste
12 oz Water or Red Wine
6 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp Dried Parsley
0.50 tsp Fennel Seed (or pinch of ground fennel)*(You don't have to have this, but for me it's a really nice addition. Fennel is a key ingredient in most Italian sausages, and it blends in nicely to this sauce.)
Directions
Brown Ground Beef and onions together, adding garlic in the last two minutes. Drain, or for a little more flavor, just spoon out the excess fat.
Add everything together (Godfather style) and simmer for at least one hour.
Growing up in the South, you didn’t ask for grits at a breakfast restaurant. They just came with the bacon and eggs. They are a cheap and filling food, and have just been part of southern menus for a long time. I do not crave grits. But cheese grits, that’s a different story. My mom always made cheese grits. They’re way better than just grits, far beyond ordinary, and deserving of a special place at the table.
Using non-instant grits is critical. If you are an oatmeal fan, then you should not be a fan of instant oatmeal. Instant oatmeal is a bunch of nothing. Steel cut or the whole grain oatmeal, the stuff that takes at least 10 minutes to cook, is the way to go. Same thing with grits. Get yourself some good stone ground grits (my favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill), and you are ready to go. We serve this for dinners, pot lucks, and it’s even a staple on our Thanksgiving table.
Ingredients
1.50 cups Stone Ground Grits*We love Bob's Red Mill brand for all of our grains. See amount note in the directions. You want the right amount of grits to mix into six cups of water.
6 cups Boiling Water with 1 tsp saltYou can use a vegetable or chicken stock if you want more flavor.
4 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
3 Eggs, beaten
8 tbsp Butter (1 stick)
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Pepper, Black
1 tbsp Chili Garlic Sauce (Optional)
Directions
Cook the grits in boiling water until they reach a consistency where they won’t run off your plate and turn off heat.
Note: different grits have different measurements. Choose the right amount of grits to cook in 6 cups of water. Use some Common Core math skills here!
Add butter, and stir in until it is melted and blended.
Beat eggs in a small bowl, then spoon in some of the hot grits into the eggs and mix together (this keeps the eggs from cooking into scrambled eggs). Add back to grits and stir.
Mix in all but one cup of the shredded cheese.
Stir in salt, pepper, and if you want some spice (and you should!), the chili-garlic Sauce or your favorite hot sauce.
Prepare a nice casserole dish. A 13″ x 9″ size (3 quarts) is right. If you are using a deeper dish, you will need to bake a little longer. Use some butter or cooking spray and you’re set.
Pour the grits into the dish. You can refrigerate overnight at this point, or just go right to the next step.
When you are ready to bake, sprinkle cheese on the top. Bake at 350 degrees (325 convection) for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until just barely browned and the grits are set. 75 Minutes
It’s easier than ever to add smoking to your outdoor cooking abilities. And with the right equipment, you don’t have to devote a whole day to the effort. I used to have to tend my $100 offset smoker every 30 minutes. It was tricky to keep the temperature right and the results were inconsistent. If you know this site, you know that I love my XL Big Green Egg. It holds the temperature like a champ, but it takes a little work to get it going, but once you do, it’s a rock and needs little to no attention. And the results are fantastic. But there are easier versions – the Traeger and its copycats are even easier. Plug it in, flip a switch, and you’re smoking. If you like smoke flavor, find your right fit and make it happen.
This is just like the Roasted Turkey recipe, but better. A real smoker is just like an oven. A lot of people believe in “low and slow,” where the temperature is 225 or 250, and it takes a long time. That’s a great strategy, but I like to smoke a turkey just like I do it in the oven. Same temp, same time, but a way different flavor.
Ingredients
1 cup BBQ Rub. Choose your favorite or go with my Arkibu Rub .
Directions
Instead of dry brining the turkey, rub the turkey with the BBQ rub. There’s plenty of salt in that to do the work. Let sit for 24 hours.
Instead of preparing the oven, prepare the smoker. For me – it’s the Big Green Egg. Use the same temp as the Roasted Turkey Recipe – 320 degrees. Apple wood chips are outstanding.
Add apple wood chips, and Smoke until the breast temperature reaches 165. There’s no basting.
It’s time to turk the cookie! That’s what my mom, the infamous “Gramma Sue” who is mentioned in so many of these recipes, would say every Thanksgiving morning. It was a mistake the first time, but she was kidding after. I think.
In our Thanksgivings, we do one smoked turkey and one roasted turkey. Jill, even those she’s vegetarian, loves cooking the roasted turkey, and it always comes out great each time. This is how we do it.
Ingredients
1 Turkey (16 – 22 pounds)
1 cup Butter (2 Sticks)
1 cup White Wine or Champagne
2 Onions
2 Oranges
1 tbsp Thyme
2 Stalks celery
1 tsp Black Pepper
8 Good Chicken Broth
Directions
Make sure the turkey is thawed!! To be safe, a frozen turkey should thaw for five days in the fridge.
If you have time, brine your turkey. It makes a big difference. I do a dry brine now. Here are the two ways you can brine:
If you have time. Do a three-day dry brine. It’s retty easy really. Take a combination of 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt and 1 tsp Herbs de Provence (or Italian Seasoning if you don’t have the French Stuff) for every five pounds of tukey. And rub the inside and outside of the turkey with the mixture. Put it in a turkey oven bag and keep it refrigerated for 3 days.
If you only have one day – Do an overnight soaking brine. My Aunt Catherine gave me this recipe. Add 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup sugar for every gallon of water. You can add lemon or orange slices if you like. She adds 4 cinnamon sticks and a handful of cloves. I don’t do that, but if that sounds good to you, go for it. In a large container, soak the turkey in the brine for at least one full day.
About an hour before you are ready to cook, take the brined turkey out of the fridge. Wash the turkey under running water. Take out the neck and giblets and reserve for broth.
Fill the cavity lightly (don’t stuff it) with a quartered onion, a cut up stick of butter, and some quartered oranges. Smear the turkey with softened butter, sprinkle top with salt and pepper, and cover with a cheesecloth. Yes, I know, it’s a lot of butter. It’s Thanksgiving – give yourself permission!
Preheat the oven to 300 (convection) or 325 (normal).
Make a mixture of the remainder of butter (melted) and the white wine or champagne. Use the cheap stuff! This is for basting.
Place in a Roasting Pan on a rack, and cook for 10-12 minutes per pounds.
Note – Time this out. For me – I plan on 12 minutes per pound (it is usually more like 10 in my oven) plus 30 minutes, and then it’s dinner time. So it you put a 20 pound bird in at 9:00 AM, it takes 240 minutes (4 hours) to cook, and I’m ready to serve any time from 1:30 to 2:30.
Baste the turkey every 30 minutes, using the wine/butter mixture at first, then using the turkey’s own drippings.
When the breast meat temp reaches 165, and/or the leg temp reaches 175, take the bird out, gently take off the cheesecloth, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes and for up to two hours. If you’re going to wait over an hour, cover loosely with foil.
Making the Gravy!
While the turkey is roasting, Put the neck and the giblets (my father-in will eat giblets all day) in a sauce pan with 6 cups of water, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots, thyme, a bay leaf, black pepper, and you’re off. Cook for 2 hours, then strain.
Save the broth for the gravy. Cut up the neck meat for the gravy. We use just the neck meat and let my father-in-law take care of the giblets – not everybody likes them! Throw away everything else. Put the broth and meat aside for later.
After the turkey is done, take the bird out of the roaster and let it rest. Skim the fat off of the top of the turkey drippings. I cheat on this one. My in-laws gave me a “fat separator” that is very easy to use. I pour the broth into it, wait 5 minutes for it to separate, and pour the fatty drippings back into the pan.
Take the turkey pan with all of the fat-reduced drippings and place it on the stove. Heat, then slowly whisk or stir in 1 cup of flour, making a nice roux.
Note – If your roaster pan won’t go onto the stove, then use another pan. It’s no problem.
Slowly add the broth that you made, whisking or stirring it into the roux. Add extra broth if you need it until you have a thick, beautiful gravy. Taste and add salt if needed. Add the cut up giblets if you want. See thickening notes below.
The gravy is ready!
This is a beautiful dish for a crowd. Tender chicken, great italian red sauce, and tons of vegetables. It comes out looking like a million bucks! This recipe will serve at least 12. I use my turkey roasting pan as my cooking and serving dish for this recipe.
Ingredients
16 Chicken Thighs (Bone-In, Skin Removed)
28 oz Can Diced Tomatoes, Drained
14.50 oz Tomato Sauce
6 oz Tomato Paste
3 Onions, chopped
4 Green Peppers, seeded and chopped
2 Yellow Peppers, seeded and chopped
4 Carrots, chopped
1 Bunch of Celery, cleaned and chopped
3 Zucchini, chopped
3 Yellow (Summer) Squash, chopped
24 oz Flat Noodles
12 oz Red Wine
¼ cup Olive Oil
8 Cloves Garlic
⅓ cup Olive Oil
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
1.50 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
Directions
Chop all vegetables into small pieces.
Heat 1/2 of the Olive Oil in Large Saute Pan. Add all vegetables and saute for 10 minutes. Add Garlic for one minute. Set aside in separate bowl or plate. 10 Minutes
Add remainder of olive oil to saute pan and heat. Add chicken thighs, top side down, and brown for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Deglaze pan with red wine, scraping up all of the goodness. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and spices. If you’re not already cooking in the pan you’ll be baking in, transfer sauce to that pan.
Layer the chicken thighs, browned side up, in the pan, in the sauce. Layer all vegetables on top of that. Cover tightly with foil. At this point, you can set aside and refrigerate, or cook.
Cook, still covered with foil, at 325 (convection preferred) for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Add 15 minutes if you are taking it out of the fridge. 105 Minutes
Granny Catlett was my cousins’ grandmother. I would see her quite often, as we lived just two doors down from our cousins, Kathy, James, Joe, and Helen. My brothers and sister (there were four of us too) were always at their house getting into some kind of mischief. Granny Catlett was kind and wonderful, always quick to smile, and she was a great cook. This recipe came out every Thanksgiving. Actually, there were two versions – this one, and the one with oysters mixed in. It was a bad day when you chose poorly. Everyone in my family who cooks uses this recipe – and this recipe makes no mention of oysters.
I think this is one of the many powers of cooking for people. These recipes are way more than chemistry. They are stories, they are memories of friends and loved ones, and they make us slow down and remember. That, my friends, is a good way to live.
Ingredients
7 cups Cornbread (Make the night before if you want)
7 cups White Bread, slightly toasted
1 Bunch of Celery
1 Onion (Small – Use half if you’re not a big onion person)
4 cups Organic Chicken Broth
½ cup Butter (1 Stick)
4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Poultry Seasoning
2 tbsp Sage
2 Eggs (Beaten)
1 cup Milk
Directions
Make cornbread the night before. Crumble 7 cups of cornbread and place into large bowl.
Slightly toast 1/2 loaf of white bread. I use my oven for this. Just put the bread right on the racks and heat for 3 minutes at 350. This dries it out. Crumble 7 cups (just break and tear) and add to large bowl.
Sauté chopped Celery and Onion in the butter. Get it nice and soft.
Add all of the seasonings. Give the whole mixture a few gentle stirs to mix it up.
Add onion and celery, and everything else into the large bowl! It should be thick, pouring in large globs. Add broth if it’s too thick. Add cornbread if it’s too runny.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until it’s slightly brown on the top and a little crispy.
Note: You can prepare this the day before (no baking) and refrigerate it overnight. Take out of the fridge one hour before baking.
