Turkeys Take FOREVER To Thaw!

I know I am incurring The Wrath of Turkey Chefs everywhere, but I admit that I *have* thawed the turkey OUT of the refrigerator before. And it wasn’t in a sink full of cold water! (It was in the cold garage for a day). I have also placed the bird in the fridge as long as a week in advance, and come the holiday I reach in the cavity and still have to chisel out the frozen giblets bag and neck. I can’t tell you how often I’ve slashed my sensitive fingers on the razor-sharp ice, trying to wrangle the skinny neck from the bird’s butt end. Ugh. Don’t get me going on WHY they even include the thing in the turkey anyway, besides from increasing the price per pound. Who uses turkey necks anymore? I just KNOW that every weekend, billions of discarded (and- no doubt– STILL frozen) turkey necks litter our landfills! LOL

Can someone please tell me how we are supposed to fulfill these insane instructions:

This is from the United States Department of Agriculture site:
Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed.

In cold water, it takes at least 12 hours for that glacier-iced-turkey to thaw. I’m supposed to stay up all night, changing the cold water every 30 minutes? Do they think I’m yoyos? LOL

So when it comes to turkey thawing, what do you do? How on earth do you get that bird de-iced in time for Christmas dinner? Reveal your secret, come on!

Easy Shrimp & Chicken Garlic Pasta

Oh have I got a new recipe for you!! This is our new favorite. I’m sorry I don’t have any photos– the food is gone as soon as I cook it! It’s an easy to make, light meal that is very satisfying.

Easy Shrimp & Chicken Garlic Pasta
Serves 6-8 hungry people
1 5-lb bag cooked, frozen shrimp
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
3 handfuls of raw kale, de-stemmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 pounds thin or vermicelli spaghetti
2 Tablespoons pesto sauce

Place the frozen shrimp in the sink and run under cold water, to thaw.

In a large wok, add the olive oil and toss in the chicken cubes. Turn on medium-high and simmer.

Remove the tails from the shrimp and toss them in the wok. Stir the chicken and shrimp until both are cooked/warmed well. Add the kale and garlic and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, until the kale softens. Turn off the heat. Add pesto sauce and stir well. Serve over spaghetti.

Tip: Do not overcook the chicken or it will turn to rubber. Don’t add the garlic until last– you want it a little raw and not burned to a crisp.

This stuff is SO good, more filling than nitrix, I think. I’d eat it every night, if I could. It’s very good for you, too, because the olive oil, garlic and kale are very healthy.

Easy Quesadillas

I went to a Chili’s restaurant for the first time last week. I’m not terribly fond of Mexican food, and I admit I did hesitate a little when going in there. But I ordered some chicken quesadillas, and they were quite yummy. I was astonished at the portion sizes there, I couldn’t even eat half of what they served! I took the rest home for the kids to try. They thought it was Greek pizza!

Well, all this quesadilla eating started to make me want to try cooking some. So I gave it a shot. My concoction turned out pretty good– very basic but nutritious. I decided to add more veggies and less meat in mine, to pack a vitamin punch; not as potent as, say, prenatal vitamins, but pretty good. Of course, there’s alwats room for improvement. Here’s my basic recipe.

Easy Quesadillas

Chicken breasts- boned, skinned and thinly sliced
White onion
Water
Chili powder
Cumin
Fresh or frozen corn kernels
Red pepper, diced
Kale, destemmed and chopped
Shredded cheese
Tortilla wraps (smaller ones work best)
Butter

Cook the chicken, onion, and spices together in a frying pan. Add a little water if necessary. Add the vegetables and cook until just tender.

Butter one side of each tortilla. Place it on a griddle and sprinkle the cheese. Add a scoop of the chicken and veggies. Fry another tortilla and add a little cheese to that. Once the tortillas turn a golden brown, slap the two together to make the quesadilla. Repeat with additional quesadillas.

I served mine with salsa, but there’s also the traditional sour cream, too. These are even good as leftovers- I had one the next day for lunch, and while the tortilla was a little rubbery, it was still very good.

Chicken and Shrimp Pasta Dish- EASY

Whenever I read the word “shrimp” in a recipe, my eyes glaze over and I pass along. I love shrimp-don’t get me wrong- but all the recipes that call for it are usually complicated uber-gourmet dishes that take 5-6 hours to make and 5-6 minutes to eat. NOT. FUN. I don’t like cooking *that* much, thank you.

But I have actually located a recipe WITH shrimp that is pretty durn good! And it’s easy! I make this from time to time. I found the recipe again after unpacking our storage boxes (we’d stored books in boxes during the house renovation). I’m going to make it later this week. It’s a very satisfying yet light meal. If the husband likes it enough, he may send flowers. You don’t have anything to lose…

Chicken and Shrimp Pasta Dish
serves 6

3-4 chicken breasts, boned and cut into large cubes
1 pound shrimp (you can use the pre-cooked frozen kind to make this super-fast to make- make sure it’s thawed first)
7 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup olive oil
6-7 garlic cloves (add more or less, depending on your preference)
2 Tablespoons FRESH basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, if desired (add more if you like it)

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the oil. At low heat, add the garlic, basil, salt, and Creole seasoning. Toss in the chicken and the shrimp. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the meats are cooked through.

Serve with cooked angel hair spaghetti or thin spaghetti. Yum.

Another quick fix is to use leftover cooked chicken with the thawed pre-cooked shrimp. It’s a wonderful meal. My family loves it (even the kids).

Chicken Barley Soup

We’re cooking again! After the massive 4-month kitchen renovation, we’re back at the stove. This recipe is perfect for a cool, autumn day. Chicken soup can be bland (which is why I don’t make it very often), but I have found that the Salamida Pinch seasoning makes the big difference. The soup is very savory with it. If you do not have the seasoning, add a dash of Worchestershire sauce and some salt to spice up the soup; or, experiment with your own seasonings.

Chicken Barley Soup
serves 6

5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
Olive oil
1 can or 2 cups chicken broth
3 cups fresh water
2 white onions, diced
2 carrots, sliced and chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
1/2 cup uncooked barley
Salamida Pinch seasoning (optional)
salt

Prepare the chicken. In a skillet, heat up some olive oil. Toss the chicken into the skillet, and saute until the chicken is done and begins to turn a little brown.

Place the contents of the skillet (oil, chicken, and any brown drippings from the pan) into a large stockpot. Add the broth, water, onions, carrots, celery, and seasoning into the pot. Cook on medium-high until the soup begins to boil; then, turn down the heat to allow the soup to simmer.

When the carrots and onions are soft, add the barley. Allow to cook for another 20 minutes or so, until the barley is soft and enlarged. Add salt, and stir.

Serve with fresh garlic bread. Yum! My kids ate this right up. My daughter had also made fresh peach pie, a perfect accompaniment to the soup. It was good to be in the kitchen again.

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