Turkey Stuffing

This stuffing was not put into the turkey because I read somewhere that it would take longer to cook. I don't know about that but, the stuffing was moist and absolutely delectable cooked this way.

Ingredients:

Day-old French Bread (cut into cubes)

Celery (sliced into pieces about 1/2" thick)

Apple (cut into cubes)

Onion (diced)

Butter

Turkey Stock

Salt and Pepper

Method:

1- Brown bread cubes in butter. Remove and set aside.

2- Sweat onions and celery in more butter (mmMMmm yuummmmm...).

3- Add the bread cubes and apple into the sweated celery and onions and add turkey stock slowly. Add it just so to keep the stuffing moist.

4- Simmer/ cook on low heat for about 15 to 20 mins, checking constantly and keeping it moist.

5- If you need to, season with salt and pepper (I bet you wont have to because I didn't ;) ).

Cranberry Sauce

I was mightily please with myself for making this from scratch. But being the scatterbrain that I am, I forgot to serve it with my beautiful turkey and almost cried in frustration when I realized I forgot it, after my guests had left. Oh well, my friends and I used it as jam for breakfast and boy did it taste good.

Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Water

4 cups Frozen Cranberries

Method:

1- Bring water and sugar to boil in a saucepan.

2- Mix frozen cranberries in and simmer for about 10 mins.

3- Turn heat off when the berries have all popped.

4- Sauce will start to thicken while it cools.

Enjoy. If not as sauce for your turkey, at least with your toast in the mornings :P

Tip:

- You can add spices of any choice in this. For example, cinnamon, clove and so on and so forth. Just add it in with the berries.

Rosemary, Parsley and Thyme Turkey

This was my first time ever making roast turkey. The experience was harrowing and exciting at the same time but the end results was totally and utterly enjoyable.

Ingredients15lb Turkey

Celery (roughly chopped)

Carrots (roughly chopped)

Lemon

Onion (Halved)

Rosemary

Parsley

Thyme

Olive Oil (or Butter.. hhmmMMmmm yuuummmmmm)

Salt

Pepper

Method

1- First of all, leave the turkey out overnight so that it's at room temperature before it goes into the oven. This will help the turkey cook evenly :D If you buy a frozen turkey, defrost it a few days before to avoid frozen disasters.

2- Preheat the oven to 400F.

3- Remove the innards of the turkey and keep to make stock for the stuffing. Wash the bird once over to make sure there are no feathers or anything weird that might freak and gross people out.

4- Squeeze out the lemon and together with some thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt and pepper, rub it inside the cavity of the turkey. Then stuff the halved onion and the roughly chopped carrots and celery sticks. Sew up its backside so that nothing falls out :P

5- Start cooking the turkey at about 400F for the first 1/2 hour. And then reduce the heat to 350F for 2 hours. Then for the last hour and a half, reduce the heat to 225F.

6- Let turkey rest/stand for about 15 to 20 mins before carving and serving it.

Tips:

-My turkey's breast turned out a bit too dry unfortunately for the poor bird. So my brother's tip was to put about a cup or two of water in the pan with the turkey and then cover it with foil in order to let it cook in its juices and not dry out. Remove the foil with about 1 hour left to go and this should help the bird retain its juices.

- As this was my first time ever making roast turkey, I don't know what the usual timing and temperature are. And so I suggest that you check out a "Turkey Cooking Calculator" website before starting.

Chicken RICE!!!!

With the New Year drawing near, I knew that I just

HAD to prepare a small dinner gathering for all of us who weren't fortunate enough t

o go home or just anywhere else. And so, with t

he Koreans being a minority (M and A stayed with me coz they were booted out of residence) and the Singaporeans (E, D and G) plus the one Burmese (Mz) craving for something asian, I decided to do some research on our one phenomenal dish...

CHICKEN RICE!! :D

This was so easy to make (a bit of a hassle but the result... SO rewarding) that if it wasn't my New Year's resolution to lose weight, I would cook m

y rice like that all the time.

So here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

Chicken

Whole Chicken Legs (Traditionally, it's a WHOLE chicken but as you know... I'm on a budget so this works out cheaper for me!!)

Scallions (We call them Spring Onions back hom

e)

Whole Garlic

Rice

3 cups of rice

4 1/2 cups of Chicken Broth (obtained from cooking the chicken)

half a garlic (chopped finely)

2 tbsp oil

Garnish

Corriander/Cilantro (leaves only)

Cucumber (sliced thinly)

Spring Onion (sliced thinly and diagonally)

Sauce

1 part soy sauce

1 part sesame oil

Method:

Chicken

1- Boil the garlic and scallions for the chicken in a pot of water that is just enough to cover the chicken.

2- When the water comes to a boil, put the chicken in and turn it down to a simmer.

3- Simmer for 40-45 mins.

4- When chicken is cooked, plunge into ice cold water for 5-10 mins to make the skin firm.

5- Don't discard the broth that you cooked the chicken in.

Rice

1- Wash the rice. (Obviously)

2- Drain the water and leave the rice to dry.

3- Heat up the oil in a pot (if its a thick bottomed pot, it's better, the rice doesn't burn or stick as much). Fry the garlic until fragrant.

4- Fry the rice in the garlic and oil until translucent. About 10 mins.

5- Add the broth from previously and cook for about 15 mins. (Until the water recedes and it looks like there's little bubble holes in the rice)

6- "Fluff" the rice with a fork.

To Serve:

1- Cut up chicken (I left mine the way they were because I don't have a butcher's knife).

2- Pour the sesame/soy sauce over chicken.

3- Garnish with corriander, spring onion and cucumber slices.

4- Put chicken in the middle of the dining table. (Communal dish :P)

4- Heap rice onto individual plate, and dig in :D

And so... it was a great way to end the year :D

First Christmas Away

Oh well...

The thought of spending my first ever Christmas away from my family seemed a fun idea at first- especially with my parents falling asleep at 10pm usually and leaving my sisters and I to our own devices. But, when this festive seasoned rolled around and I realized that I had no family whatsoever here, I started to get depressed.

Until I remembered that although we might not be related through blood ties, the friends that I have met here and bonded with for the past few months have become in a way, family. (As cheesy as that sounded... it's true)

And so, in appreciation and gratitude of these wonderful people, I decided to make Christmas dinner :D

The Menu:

Rosemary, Parsley and Thyme Turkey

Turkey Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce

Mince Pie

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole (Courtesy of our Great Chef C)

Pasta and Red Wine Sauce (Courtesy of the Charming A)

and last but not least.... C and I constructed this beauty well into the night:

Gingerbread House

The dinner was a smashing success I have to say. The food played a part in it of course... but what was more important was the warmth I felt with these crazy bunch of people crowding out my kitchen and making an uber amount of noise.

"We accept you for who you are!!"

Thanks guys :D