The FORKING BEST Turkey Breast Recipe is from the SousVide because the meat comes out perfect. It’s flavorful and moist and juicy. Even when you re-heat the meat it’s still super tender and super moist. Using the SousVide is the Best way to do Turkey Breast.

So set your SousVide at 140 degrees F or 60 degrees C

Today this is what I filled my bag with

1 carrot cut in quarters

1 celery rib cut up

1/2 sweet onion cut up

two small or one good sprig thyme

one small bunch sage it had maybe 4 good leaves and few teeny leaves

one good branch of rosemary

one big and two small garlic cloves smashed

two small pieces of apple

two small pieces of tangerine

fresh cracked pepper about 1/2 teaspoon

fresh ground sea salt about one teaspoon

1/2 turkey breast

about 1/4 cup of frozen turkey fat I saved from the last turkey I cooked – you need some sort of frozen fat- I usually freeze olive oil and use that but this time used turkey fat.

Put it all in your bag and insert the bag in your bag sealer.

Then remove bag and place in your SousVide

Put lid on the SousVide and leave it alone. The turkey will be amazing in 2 1/2 and up to 5 hours. I usually let it stay in around 4 hours.

Do not use any of the vegetables in the bag because all the flavor from the vegetables got sucked out into the turkey. You can use the liquid for reheating, sauce, soup or adding to rice, stuffing or potatoes.

You either remove the skin-or

Crisp up the skin still on the turkey in a fry  pan……or

What I like to do is to remove the skin and crisp it up in a 350 degree oven. It takes around an hour but this is the way to get the skin the most crisp. It comes out completely crispy and crunchy. I turn the skin over about 1/2 way though the cooking process and maybe 1/2 way though put a loose foil cover over the skin so it doesn’t burn.

The SousVide makes your home cooked turkey mouth watering moist and better than from most restaurants. The FORKING Best Turkey comes from the SousVide.

 

 

Maybe you heard of the Ramen Burger? Maybe you heard of the Cronut?  Well ladies and gentlemen……….I’ve forking invented the next big thing…… The Forking Amazing Inside Out Grilled Mac-N-Cheese Sliders. If you are a fan of the grilled cheese sandwich and also enjoy macaroni and cheese …….this is it!  Macaroni and Cheese Buns with a slice of Buttery Grilled French Baguette on the inside. A tomato slice is suggested but not necessary.

Most of the work is making the bun. You need to dust a muffin pan with cheese and panko. The filling takes about 40 minutes to prepare because the secret ingredient is cornmeal (polenta) that needs that long to cook and then you have to shred a bunch of cheese. If you can do all that the rest is a breeze but keep in mind that the macaroni buns need over-night to set.

Ingredients for 12 sliders or 12 servings

8 oz dry pasta cooked one minute less than package suggest

1 Tablespoon salt kosher or sea salt to cook your pasta with

1/2 cup cornmeal (polenta…not the instant…the real kind that takes 40 minutes)

2 1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

2 Tablespoons butter – unsalted

1/2 cup parmigiana reggiano – shredded (for crumb coating)

1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs (for crumb coating)

1/4 cup parmigiana reggiano – shredded

1 1/4 cup sharpe aged cheddar cheese – shredded

1 1/4 cup fontina cheese – shredded

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper sauce ( I suggest Franks Red Hot Original)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

pinch white ground pepper

1 XL egg – beaten

fresh cracked black pepper to taste

fresh ground sea salt to taste

non-stick spray – a neutral flavor like canola or vegetable

4 oz. stick of butter – unsalted – you might need more for grilling the bread (I just did a few sliders at a time)

8 oz. French Baguette (cut in 1/2 inch slices)

Optional ripe tomato slices.

Directions

Get out your muffin pan(s) and spray them with your non-stick spray. In a small bowl add your 1/2 C. Parmigiana Reggiano and the whole wheat panko and mix together. Add a couple teaspoons full to each and make sure you leave about 1/4 of the mixture to sprinkle over the tops of the muffins once filled. Now shake the cheese and panko around the tin so you have a light covering like this.

Set the pan to the side and now make the filling.

You start by starting the polenta on high heat with your sauce pan. Add the water, polenta, 1/4 t. salt and the 2 T. butter. Bring to boil stirring often and then reduce to simmer and then cover but keep staring occasionally or the polenta will stick for about 20 minutes then you can slowly add the cheeses and then add the spices take off heat in a few minutes you are able to stir in the beaten egg and ( at this point you might want to add salt and pepper to taste) lastly gently stir in your pasta.

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Fill muffing pans.

Now top them with remaining panko mixture.

They need about 25 minutes in your 350 degree F oven and then they look like this.

When cool enough cover with plastic wrap and let them set overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve set your oven to 350 degrees and pop the mac-n-cheese muffin out, cut in half (this is your slider bun) with the cut sides up on a lightly non stick sprayed baking sheet covered with foil. Heat till warm about 15 minutes.

While the buns are warming up grill your bread filling till golden on both sides and slice the optional tomatoes.

Put together with buns on the outside and the grilled bread in the middle.

You want the cut sides of the macaroni bun on the inside sandwiching the bread filling.

THIS is truly FORKING AMAZING!

Really awesome cheese taste and the buttery bread gives you that grilled cheese taste in with the macaroni and cheese taste. This is a crowd pleaser for sure.

Your Welcome!

 

 

These are the type of onions that are so full of flavor and so jammy too. You can prepare the very best onion soup with these onions and they go especially well with steak. Very easy to prepare they just take 1/2 a day to cook so make a big batch. It melts down a bunch and you can freeze or can it in batches.

Onions Confit are cooked in fat so you will need saved beef fat for Roasted Onions Beef Confit Style.

Traditional Confit onions are cooked 8-12 hours at 200 degrees F. I find that I get the same results doing it at #350 degrees F for about 4 hours.

Set your oven to 350 degree F

Use beef fat you saved from something like a smoked brisket

You need about a teaspoon of peppercorns, around seven bay leaves and a big splash of wine or wine and balsamic vinegar. Now fill your pan with sliced halved onions like this.

Drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil and cover them with aluminum foil.

Depending on the size of your onions and how many are in your pan they will need 3-31/2 hours in your oven covered.

They are pretty good like this after 3 1/2 hours

Then uncover them and they might need another 1/2 hour.

But here they are even better and are very jammy.

Get the onions out with a slotted spoon and throw out the peppercorns and bay leaves. Everyone loves these onions.

 

I was inspired to create this dish while dinning at Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale from the fall restaurant week menu. One of the most delicious and memorable parts of that dinner was the mound of Israeli Couscous. I could taste the blended beets blanketing the couscous. I never had such a dish and thought it was interesting. Lots of delicious Harissa came with the couscous that taste identical to my recipe for Harissa. It took me so long to do this dish because my local supermarkets (Costco, Safeway, Walmart Grocery, WinCo) don’t sell Israeli Couscous and I often forget about looking for this ingredient.  I knew I could recreate it and I did and ran with it. The flavors go together like magic. This one will dazzle most people.

I used Israeli Feta that that is less tangy and more creamy than regular feta cheese. I purchased it from Trader Joe’s. If you can find a home made Feta Cheese that would be even better!

Ingredients for the beets around 8 servings

2 lb beets (usually I peel after cooked but this time I peeled before cooking, cut up a little)

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

1 Tablespoon allspice berries

1/2 preserved lemon

1 cup water

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees. Add everything to your roasting pan. Cover with foil. Cook about one and one half hours or until beets are fork tender.

**********************************************

Ingredients for the Harissa Vinaigrette about 8 servings

2 red bell peppers roasted- remove stem, core, seeds and skin – chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon caraway seed

2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves – chopped

sea salt (fresh ground to taste)

black pepper (fresh ground to taste)

1-3 hot peppers-  (you have to wing it here. All peppers have different heat and I suggest adding your chopped hot pepper at the end and then decide on how many you want to use. This sauce should be spicy.)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 lemon just the fresh juice

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions just blend till smooth.

*************************

Ingredients for couscous about 8 servings

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup dry Israeli Couscous

1 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Directions saute couscous in olive oil on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until you see the couscous is slightly toasted. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil, cove, reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes, when couscous is done.

**************************************

Ingredients for creamy beet sauce for couscous for about 4 servings

2 oz. water

1 cup beets – chopped well (these are the beets you just cooked)

2 oz feta cheese

Directions

Blend well and mix into couscous.

******************************

Assemble and add ons to finish

Cut up leftover beets and serve them with the couscous. Use a generous amount of Harissa with each serving.

14 leaves of chopped mint (one leaf or a little more per serving)

8 teaspoons of roasted crushed pistachios  (one teaspoon per serving)

8 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (one teaspoon per serving)

1/2 cup chopped scallions (about one tablespoon per serving)

Tasty and different! Delicious…….you just might not want to be as fancy and mix the harissa into the couscous. Something that you would eat at a restaurant. You might want to make want to double or triple the Harissa recipe. It is great on eggs, grilled meats and is super awesome on spaghetti squash too.

My husband usually isn’t into this kind of food and he said it was so delicious anyone would love it. He says I should make it the next time his parents come over.

 

 

This kind of potato is easy to prepare and is very tasty.

Just wash and cut your potatoes in half.

Get out your fry pan and put it on medium heat.

Put a combination of half butter and half oil in your pan and made it about a 1/4 inch high (5 or 6 mm) or slightly higher to cover the cut surface of the potatoes well. Add a few cloves of smashed garlic and a couple sprigs of either thyme or rosemary to add some flavor to your potatoes.

Fry your potatoes until they look golden crisp add fresh cracked sea salt and fresh cracked pepper and turn over and fry up the bottoms of the potatoes about 15 minutes. Add fresh cracked sea salt and pepper to the bottoms of potatoes.

Set your oven to 400 degrees F or around 200 degrees C

Remove potatoes from fry pan and place potatoes on a baking sheet. They need to cook for about 15 minutes. I turned mine over half way though.

Yummy everybody loves potatoes.

 

I enjoyed a similar salad out at  a restaurant and I thought I could recreate it slightly better and I Forking did! This is a refreshing light delicious salad that’s easy to prepare and looks like something from a very upscale restaurant.

Ingredients for 4 servings

One medium melon. (I used a honey dew but I think just about any ripe flavorful similar kind of melon would do) Remove rind and seeds and cut in halves into thinner slices

1/2 rind of preserved lemon chopped fine

1 Tablespoon of the preserved lemon brine (if you used my recipe…because it’s fresh lemon juice and kosher salt) (as a substitute use 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice and salt to taste)

3 Tablespoons sunflower oil

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons pure honey

1 Tablespoon fresh mint – chopped fine

2 oz. whipped cream cheese (you might want slightly more to get you pastry bag working but you only use about 2 oz. at the most)

4 pinches of lavender

optional edible flowers broken down a little

Directions

Arrange melon slices on plates and set to the side.

In a small bowl add preserved lemon, preserved lemon brine, sunflower oil, vinegar, honey and mix well and pour over each serving.

Sprinkle the mint and optional flowers over each serving.

Get a disposable pastry bag and a small rose tip. Insert the tip to bag and fill with cream cheese and twist the end so the cheese doesn’t fall out.

Hold the bag and add pressure and make like sort of a hook motion.

Now do a reverse hook motion into what you already did.

Now you have some cheese that looks like a flower bud.

Make several all over the salad.

If you feel like it make a rose in the middle. Apologies for not being able to take good pictures while doing a rose. I found I can’t handle a cell phone a pastry bag and my other hand holding a flower nail very well. But I’ll try to do better another time.

For right handed people hold your nail in your left hand and make a little mountain of cream cheese on the nail.

Now go around the top to make the center of the bud leaving a small hole in the top.

After this it’s easy!!!! Just keep going around making petals starting at the top doing small ones  that get larger till it looks right to you and remove with a butter knife.

This is so delicious! The delicate whipped cream cheese doesn’t over power anything so you can taste all the delicious flavors. This really is BETTER than what I tried from some high end restaurants.

 

 

 

 

Perserved Lemons have an intense lemon flavor that will elevate most savory or sweet foods to the next level. Preserving lemons is very easy to do but you need to wait a month for them to be ready to use.

Who has a forking month to wait for preserved lemons?

I just read in Food and Wine Magazine that you can preserve lemons in your oven in about three hours. Mine took four hours but I used regular lemons instead of the sweeter and thinner skinned Meyer Lemons recommended. The recipe comes from ChefBenFord.com. He did his recipe with only three Meyer Lemons.  All lemons do come in a variety of sizes from the very small to the very large so you have to wing the time. I used about 18 small lemons total.

Chef Ben Ford’s  recipe is called Roasted Preserved Lemons. He does use Meyer Lemons. I can’t find Meyer Lemons right now from any stores in the area so I’m using regular lemons because I want some preserved lemons.

Start by washing them really well. then You basically trim the stem end.

Make like quarter cuts but not all the way threw.

Good Sprinkle of kosher or sea salt

Add about one lemon fresh juice per every lemon in your dish. In short half the lemons are preserved and half are juiced.

Put the dish in a 200 degree oven for three-four hours. You might need to turn the lemons half way threw.

To use you need to scrape out all you can from the rind.

Now you have something lemony delicious that you can use in a variety of ways. The first thing I made with my preserved lemons was a delicious Melon Salad. Can’t wait to do more with the preserved lemons.

Who has a forking month to wait for preserved lemons?

This is better!

When Life Gives You Lemons Forking Preserve Them!

 

 

 

I usually pound chicken breast, then salt and pepper them on both sides, dust them lightly with an unusual healthy flour and then pan fry them in a regular fry pan with non-stick oil. They come out with a nice crust and are very tasty, flavorful and moist.

I had my SousVide all fired up so I thought I’d cook off four already slightly pounded out chicken breast four different ways. This is another way to make perfect chicken breast and you can easily infuse them with flavors.

For boneless chicken breast you need to set the SousVide at 146 degrees F or 63.5 degrees C and leave the chicken in the water bath between two and four hours. I would make three hours  as your target if your doing one or two pouches and if your doing more I’d go to the four hours.

You need to add frozen fat of some kind. That can be butter, olive oil or animal fat. Some sealing machines do have a setting for liquids but all sealers can seal with frozen fat. You also need to add things like garlic, onion, celery, carrot, salt, pepper and herbs to make the chicken taste good.

I made up four bags of chicken breast four different ways.

 

Basic with a few extras- About 1/4 sweet onion, a couple slices of orange, 2 small pieces of apple, 1/2 celery rib cut up, 2 smashed garlic cloves,  a small carrot cut in sticks, 1 sprig thyme, small handful of basil, about two Tablespoons of frozen fat (olive oil, chicken fat or garlic confit) , About a teaspoon sea salt and about 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper

The variations below are similar to the basic recipe just a few ingredients that are different.

Lemon Garlic Dill – onion, celery, carrot, apple, orange, lemon, dill, frozen garlic confit, salt and         pepper – This one came out Forking Amazing and was my favorite!

Mexican Inspired – cilantro, onion, orange, poblano pepper, garlic, carrot, celery, frozen chicken fat, ground achiote, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper

Asian Inspired- 2 lime leaves, cilantro, Thai basil, lemon grass, fresh ginger in slices, garlic, orange, apple, carrot, celery, onion, Szechuan peppercorns, frozen chicken fat, salt and pepper

Your finished chicken can be served right away and you can easily brown it in a sauce pan on medium high heat with some either canola oil or a mixture of butter and canola or vegetable oil. Many people like grape seed oil but I never use it because anything grape is harmful to dogs and if you know me then you know that I share some chicken with my dogs. It only takes a minute or a little more time to brown the chicken in a pan.

All the chicken came out great it was all soft, moist and flavorful. However the chicken made with garlic confit was super amazing not sure why. All the flavors were far more intense with a little pop. I will have to experiment using the SousVide with frozen garlic confit more.

To make garlic confit put a bunch of garlic cloves in a baking dish or baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Cover. Put in a 350 degree F oven for about an hour or until cloves are soft and tender and whip. I keep some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest in very small salad dressing containers. The garlic confit is also excellent for using in dressings and any sauce you prepare that you don’t cook because you will never have a too strong garlic taste.

That’s a little bit of Using the SousVide with Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast.