Sausage & Bread Stuffing

Sorry, we ate it all.

A Thanksgiving staple in the Webster house.

4 pound version:
4 c bread cubes (dried the day before)
1/3 c butter
1/2 c minced onion
1/2 c chopped celery
1 tsp salt
1/6 tsp pepper
1 tsp each sage and thyme
breakfast sausage
1 egg

12 pound version:
12 c bread cubes (dried the day before)
1 c butter
1.5 c minced onion
1.5 c chopped celery
1 tbls salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbls each sage and thyme
breakfast sausage
1 egg (Must be wrong number for this amount.  I haven't ever made this quantity, but I'd increase the eggs proportionately.)

Brown onions and celery in the butter.  Add sausage and brown.  Mix egg with 1/4 cup water.  Mix everything well.  Bake.

Okay, I have a bunch of notes to this:

• I typically make the smaller batch using a package of purchased, seasoned bread cubes.
• Because I used seasoned cubes, I would not add extra salt.  (Maybe add pepper, and definitely added more sage and thyme, but Grandma also had a note to add poultry seasoning to taste and I don't bother.)
• I don't know what the deal is with the 1/4 cup of water, but that seems very inadequate to me.  I just dump in a can of chicken broth, mixed with the egg.  It may be relevant that I never actually use stuffing to stuff the turkey though.  It seems like way too much trouble to get in and out so I just bake it as a side dish.
• I don't know how much sausage Grandma used, but I use one pound of either breakfast sausage, or sometimes you can get sausage seasoned for stuffing.  Either is good.
• I probably also use more celery than recommended.

Cowboy Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (enough For A Deep Dish Pan)
• 2 whole Yellow Onions, Sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 8 slices Bacon
• 8 whole Large Eggs
• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream Or Half-and-Half
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• READ THE NOTES, SUE, AND MAKE 3/4 BATCH LIKE IT SAYS

Preparation

Fry the onions in the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat for at least 15 to 20 minutes (maybe longer), stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Fry the bacon until chewy. Chop into large bite-sized pieces and set aside to cool. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pie crust and press it into a large fluted deep tart pan (or a deep dish pie pan). 

Whip the eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a large bowl, then mix in the onions, bacon, and cheese. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet, cover lightly with aluminum foil, and bake it for about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the quiche is set and the crust is golden brown. (The quiche will still seem slightly loose, but will continue to set once remove from the oven.)

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. If using a tart pan, remove the quiche from the pan, cut into slices with a sharp serrated knife, and serve!

Thanks to Pioneer Woman

NOTES:

• Adding salt is unnecessary.
• I made 3/4 batch and made it pie-sized instead of in a tart pan.
• I used Costco bacon bits instead of starting with raw bacon
• Frozen pie crust, baby.  Easy, cheap and delish!

Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
• 12 ounces fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 cup powdered sugar

(Source)

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 10 cup Bundt pan. Sift together 2¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.

Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.
Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Notes: Very dense and moist. This would be difficult to overbake. This exactly filled my cathedral bundt pan to the top, and released well with lots of baking spray.

Moo Shu Pork (or Beef, or Chicken...)

Pancake recipe source

Filling recipe adapted from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook (highly recommended!)

PANCAKES

1½ cups (7 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour

¾ cup boiling water

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (or other oil)

½ teaspoon vegetable oil

FILLING

Marinade

1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp. rice wine or dry cherry

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 lb. boneless pork loin or pork chop, sliced into thin strips

OR Leftover grilled meat (skip marinade and cooking steps if using already-cooked meat)

Sauce

2 T. rice wine

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. hoisin sauce

1 T. sesame oil

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 T. oyster sauce

1/4 tsp. five-spice

2 T. peanut or vegetable oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp. dried)

2 green onions, chopped

6 fresh shittake mushrooms, sliced into thin strips

6 napa cabbage leaves, sliced into thin strips

2 medium carrots, shredded or sliced thinly

1 c. bean sprouts (or substitute extra cabbage)

To Make Pancakes (Can be done ahead of time)

1. Using wooden spoon, mix flour and boiling water in bowl to form rough dough. When cool, transfer dough to lightly floured surface and knead until it forms ball that is tacky but no longer sticky, about 4 minutes (dough will not be perfectly smooth). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

2. Roll dough into 12-inch-long log on lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Turn each piece cut side up and pat into rough 3-inch disk. Brush 1 side of 6 disks with sesame oil (I don't own a brush, so I used nonstick spray.  Classy but effective); top each oiled side with unoiled disk and press lightly to form 6 pairs. Roll disks into 7-inch rounds, lightly flouring work surface as needed.

3. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil. Place pancake in skillet and cook without moving it until air pockets begin to form between layers and underside is dry, 40 to 60 seconds. Flip pancake and cook until few light brown spots appear on second side, 40 to 60 seconds. Transfer to plate and, when cool enough to handle, peel apart into 2 pancakes. Stack pancakes moist side up and cover loosely with plastic. Repeat with remaining pancakes. Cover pancakes tightly and keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towel. (Pancakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw wrapped pancakes at room temperature. Unwrap and place on plate. Invert second plate over pancakes and microwave until warm and soft, 60 to 90 seconds.)

To Make Filling

1. If using raw meat: In a medium bowl, stir together the marinade ingredients and add the pork.  Stir to coat and let stand for at least 20 minutes.  Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot.  Add the pork and stir-fry until the outside is no longer pink, 2-3 minutes.  Transfer pork to a plate and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients and set aside.

3. Add 1 T. oil to the skillet.  Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion and stir fry until aromatic, about 30 seconds (don't let it burn!).  Add the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts (and pre-cooked meat, if using).  Stir-fry until the vegetables begin to wilt, about 4-5 minutes.  Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir to combine.  Add the meat, if you haven't yet.  When vegetables are cooked, remove from heat.

4. To serve, put pancake on your plate, add filling, and roll like a burrito.

Serves 4 polite people or 2 delighted adults.