tasty turkey pasta

Shortly after I moved here, I saw turkeys on sale for a very good price so I got one.  Served dinner to a friend who'd helped me move, stripped meat and froze it in portions, and made gallons of stock.  Such a win!

So now I'm trying to get through the portion of meat (to justify cooking a chicken I recently bought) and looked up a lot of turkey recipes.  I had turkey tetrazzini on the mind but I don't really eat cheese now and I'm not interested in using canned soups and I wanted to use what I had on hand.

So this came up which I made some changes to and ended up with a very nice turkey pasta dish.  It took longer than I expected but I think it'll be easier and quicker next time (use the right pans, for one thing; cast iron for this was rough because it's so heavy).

Turkey Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

• chopped cooked turkey (I usually freeze in baggies of about 2 cups)
• 6 ounces egg noodles (half of a package)
• 1 T butter
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (I used crimini as they were on sale)
• 2 T flour
• 1 c broth/stock
• 1 c milk/half and half (I mixed them)
• 1 c frozen pease
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp salt
• 1tsp pepper 
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 T breadcrumbs (I used panko)
• 1 t smoked paprika

Directions

Cook noodles, set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Add mushrooms and cook for 7-10 minutes.

Add flour, stir vigorously for two minutes. 

Slowly whisk in broth and milk until well-combined (to create a roux).  Bring to a boil to thicken sauce, cook for two minutes.

Add frozen peas, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Cook for a few minutes; add in turkey and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from heat, add noodles.  Put into well-greased casserole and put breadcrumbs and paprika on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

halibut chowder

This recipe for halibut chowder I took from here, making some modifications.  Very tasty!  I think my burner went out, so I was struggling with heating properly, but it still worked ok.  Since I'd never made a chowder before, I figured I should follow the directions.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 cups chicken stock
• 2 large carrots, shredded 
• 1 cup half and half
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1pound halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the potatoes and garlic, and continue cooking until the potatoes have softened slightly, about 10 minutes.
3. Pour in the chicken stock and carrots. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. 
4. Add the milk/cream, season to taste with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes, then stir in the halibut. Continue simmering uncovered until the halibut is flaky and no longer translucent in the center, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

yogurt struggles

I am having the worst luck with yogurt since moving to Alaska, so I want to keep notes here until I figure it all out.

I got some very healthy heirloom starter in April or so and was pretty good about it, but then I had to study for a big exam and move 5,000 miles and it got neglected.  In July I made a batch and transported starter in a cooler; in August I made a batch and it was fine and I dried some, and that's what I'm trying to use now.

I reconstituted dried bits and sometimes the yogurt works, though it's still clumpy and grainy.  The best luck I've had is with Darigold whole milk in a thermos when the milk is 115 degrees when mixed and put in thermos.

Last time I did that, I got good yogurt (though still kinda grainy, which I think will work it self out and I can blend for smoothness).  But last night I did it and when I opened the thermos it appeared runny (now into the fridge and we'll see).

Sigh.

***
9/28 -

Last weekend I did a batch of 4 pints in a cooler that I have.  It's hard to keep the water around 110-115 because it's 60 degrees in my house; I need to figure out something to put on top of the jars to keep the heat in better.  I kept it for about 8 hours and then refrigerated it after it set out an hour or so; while still soft, it was less grainy and more yogurty.

So I'm doing it again.  Fingers crossed.  Milk cooled to 115 degrees then jarred; cooler as high as 120 because it's dissipating so quickly.

I am hoping to get the starter going stronger and then being able to use the instant pot.

This worked pretty well.  Nice sweet mellow flavor and yogurt-y texture if a bit soft.

9/29
Tried Instant Pot again; 2 tsp for 2 quarts.  FAIL.  AFter 8 hours there was hardly any texture change to yogurt so I put it in the fridge; not much happened there either, so after a couple of hours I added another T of starter and put it back into the IP for another 8 hours.  Still failed.  Oh well.

9/30
INstant Pot again; 2 Tbsp for 2 quarts.  In for 11 hours; some yogurt texture if still soft and a lot of whey, but jarred it up and we'll see in the morning.  Nope.  IP is a fail no matter what I seem to try, and it makes no sense because the temperature seems right and it works for everyone else.

10/6
Back to the cooler, 6 pints.  Put into jars when at 118 (kitchen temperature is about 60, so it loses heat quickly).  Cooler water at about 125.  I put on top two milk containers with water around 130, to hopefully cause less heat loss.  I plan to keep it in for about ten hours and check the temperature of the cooler every two to three hours to add hot water if necessary. 
This worked very well.  I only had to add hot water once midway.  The yogurt was great at ten hours - solid-ish.  The only issue now is that it's still clumpy.  I can whisk it smooth and it's fine, but I'd like to figure out what's going on with the clumps.

So happy I'm not wasting milk anymore!  (NOt that I ever wasted it of course - it becomes bread, I shared with a friend who uses it in smoothies, etc.) 

rice and lentils with Mediterranean flair

From here.

Saute:

• onion until soft
  

Then add in

• 1 c. lentils for a few minutes
  

And then:

• a few cloves of garlic
  

Add:

• 1 can tomatoes with basil, etc.
• 4 c liquid (water, or I used turkey stock, or tomato puree in lieu of the can of tomatoes & some of liquid)
• 1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
• 1 c. brown rice
• pepper and a bit of salt (depending on what else is added)
  
• basil, etc.
• Anything else of this theme that you find in the fridge - such as preserved lemons, artichoke hearts, capers, sundried tomatoes ... 
  

Cook 50 minutes.

Stir in feta (2/3 c. or so)

Very tasty, this will go into the rotation.  Even though the lentils cost $4.89 for a pound.  Sheesh!  I'll find a cheaper source, and for feta.