skinless turkey breast half or 2 turkey breast tenderloins (1 1/2-2 lbs)
up to 1 Thsp vegetable or olive oil
up to 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced, to taste
2/3 cup port (optional)
2 cups chicken or turkey broth
1 Tbsp cornstarch
8 oz. dried cranberries
1 stick cinnamon or 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 orange or tangerine, peel on (but washed and blemishes trimmed off), thinly sliced
Trim fat from turkey if needed; place turkey in slow cooker and start it warming while you make the sauce.
Cook onions in oil until lightly browned, about 10 min. Combine port or some of the broth with cornstarch, mixing to remove lumps. Add to onions and stir well. Add remaining stock and simmer, stirring, about 7 min., until sauce thickens and becomes translucent. If using ground cinnamon, stir it into sauce now.
Pour sauce over turkey. Cover with cranberries and orange slices; add cinnamon stick if using that form. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hr., until turkey is done and sauce is thick.
Adapted fom: The gourmet slow cooker, vol. II : regional comfort-food classics / Lynn Alley. Ten Speed Press, 2006. 9781580087322
The rest of the story
Our local food bank often has turkey -- especially ground turkey, but larger chunks are frequently available. They also have a lot of chicken, but I've been trying to get more protein and iron and it seems turkey is the thing for that. So I dug around and found this turkey recipe.
Not too surprisingly, it turned out pretty similar to cinnamon orange chicken, a little less bland with the cranberries and not quite so much in need of rice or noodles under it. I wonder how it would come out with cranberry juice (real juice, not that flavored sugar-water "cranberry juice cocktail" stuff) instead of some or all of the broth. Hmm, and maybe ginger, cardamom, and/or grains of paradise with the cinnamon. When cranberry season comes around next year I'd also like to try it with fresh cranberries (by the time I finish this batch, get another suitable package of turkey, and want to make it again this season will be over). In the meantime I've got quite a lot of chopped figs....
Possibly it was supposed to be more oniony. I only used 1/2 cup of pre-chopped, frozen onions, since I consider onions more of a seasoning than a vegetable.
The food bank tends to have lots of onions in the late fall and winter, but like supermarkets they usually only have fairly large ones, much bigger than I'm going to use in one dish. I've read that it's not healthy to keep an onion once it's been cut, so I could potentially waste a lot of half onions here. So instead, I bring home several onions, chop them up while I'm hanging about the kitchen watching something cook, and stick them in the freezer. This way I have actual onions ready to go, no more bother than onion powder but a lot nicer. I'm unlikely to make stuffed onions or use the things in huge honking wedges, so that pretty much covers my onion needs. If I did decide to use larger pieces of onion, I could always start again with a new onion; the frozen ones will keep.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
Showing posts with label citrus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label citrus. Show all posts
03 March, 2019
11 January, 2017
Newsletters: 13 July, 2011
Excerpt from the Market Newsletter originally published on 13 July, 2011. View the full newsletter for all the photos and links.
In the garden
The WSU Master Gardeners say July is a good time to start planning for fall and winter crops. Start broccoli, cabbage, and kale for transplanting; plant carrots, peas, and rutabagas directly. Normally beans, cucumbers, and summer squash come on in July but they may be a little late this year. Keep an eye on the zucchini, though, so they don't sneak up on you and get too big for anything but zucchini bread before you pick them. There's always Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch night (8 Aug.) but the more you catch at the 6-inch stage, the quicker you'll be able to get rid of the ones you missed.
This also a good time to stop watering your lawn and let it go dormant. It'll get rather brown but I promise it'll spring right back when the fall rains begin (whether you want it to or not), and you won't have to mow it for most of August. That'll give you more time for wandering the night with overgrown zucchini.
In the kitchen
I'm told July is Nectarine and Garlic Month -- I hope that doesn't mean we should eat them together! As tempted as I am to go hunting for recipes that use both (come to think of it, I may have one), I think it's time for some more exotic (or at least unusual) summer drinks.
Bee sting
1 Tbsp honey, warmed if possible
1 Tbsp balsamic or raspberry vinegar
1.5 cup seltzer or sparkling water, chilled
ice cubes
Combine honey and vinegar; add water and stir once. Serve over ice.
Source unknown
Salty puppy
coarse salt
crushed ice
1 cup grapefruit juice
club soda, chilled
fresh mint, for garnish (optional)
Moisten rims of 2 glasses and dip in salt. Fill with ice and divide juice between them. Fill with club soda.
Source unknown
Lotus blossom
1 ripe banana, peeled and chunked
1 ripe peach, peeled, pitted, and chunked
1 ripe nectarine, "
dash almond extract
24 oz. chilled ginger ale
Puree all ingredients except ginger ale until smooth. Pour ca. 1 c each into 5 tall glasses and fill with ginger ale. Stir gently.
Source unknown
In the garden
The WSU Master Gardeners say July is a good time to start planning for fall and winter crops. Start broccoli, cabbage, and kale for transplanting; plant carrots, peas, and rutabagas directly. Normally beans, cucumbers, and summer squash come on in July but they may be a little late this year. Keep an eye on the zucchini, though, so they don't sneak up on you and get too big for anything but zucchini bread before you pick them. There's always Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch night (8 Aug.) but the more you catch at the 6-inch stage, the quicker you'll be able to get rid of the ones you missed.
This also a good time to stop watering your lawn and let it go dormant. It'll get rather brown but I promise it'll spring right back when the fall rains begin (whether you want it to or not), and you won't have to mow it for most of August. That'll give you more time for wandering the night with overgrown zucchini.
In the kitchen
I'm told July is Nectarine and Garlic Month -- I hope that doesn't mean we should eat them together! As tempted as I am to go hunting for recipes that use both (come to think of it, I may have one), I think it's time for some more exotic (or at least unusual) summer drinks.
Bee sting
1 Tbsp honey, warmed if possible
1 Tbsp balsamic or raspberry vinegar
1.5 cup seltzer or sparkling water, chilled
ice cubes
Combine honey and vinegar; add water and stir once. Serve over ice.
Source unknown
Salty puppy
coarse salt
crushed ice
1 cup grapefruit juice
club soda, chilled
fresh mint, for garnish (optional)
Moisten rims of 2 glasses and dip in salt. Fill with ice and divide juice between them. Fill with club soda.
Source unknown
Lotus blossom
1 ripe banana, peeled and chunked
1 ripe peach, peeled, pitted, and chunked
1 ripe nectarine, "
dash almond extract
24 oz. chilled ginger ale
Puree all ingredients except ginger ale until smooth. Pour ca. 1 c each into 5 tall glasses and fill with ginger ale. Stir gently.
Source unknown
30 December, 2015
Cinnamon orange chicken
3-4 lb chicken pieces
12 oz. orange juice
1 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
salt and pepper to taste
generous sprinkle of ground cinnamon (Saigon cinnamon* if available)
1 tsp. corn starch
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
Place chicken in slow cooker and pour orange juice over it. Sprinkle with raisins and cinnamon and stir in. Cover and cook on med. for 1/2 hr., then low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove about a cup of sauce and combine it with the corn starch, mixing well and removing any lumps. Return the sauce-corn starch mixture to the pot and stir in. Add mandarin oranges, turn pot to high, and cook for half an hour.
Serve sauce over chicken pieces, or pick chicken off bones, stir into the sauce, and serve over rice or pasta.
From: Dana Huffman.
-------------
*Saigon cinnamon is a particularly strong cinnamon found in specialty stores. Adapt the type and quantity of cinnamon to your taste, but I think this recipe is pretty bland without enough cinnamon to thoroughly coat most of the top.
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
12 oz. orange juice
1 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
salt and pepper to taste
generous sprinkle of ground cinnamon (Saigon cinnamon* if available)
1 tsp. corn starch
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
Place chicken in slow cooker and pour orange juice over it. Sprinkle with raisins and cinnamon and stir in. Cover and cook on med. for 1/2 hr., then low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove about a cup of sauce and combine it with the corn starch, mixing well and removing any lumps. Return the sauce-corn starch mixture to the pot and stir in. Add mandarin oranges, turn pot to high, and cook for half an hour.
Serve sauce over chicken pieces, or pick chicken off bones, stir into the sauce, and serve over rice or pasta.
From: Dana Huffman.
-------------
*Saigon cinnamon is a particularly strong cinnamon found in specialty stores. Adapt the type and quantity of cinnamon to your taste, but I think this recipe is pretty bland without enough cinnamon to thoroughly coat most of the top.
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
23 December, 2015
Tangerines, mandarins, satsumas, clementines
native to: southeastern China
in season: winter
Tangerines are the US term for what Europe calls mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata, of the Rutaceae family). Mandarins were once imported to the US via North Africa and picked up the name from the city of Tangiers, the residents of which are also called Tangerines. However, when a modern store labels something as a "tangerine," it is probably a Fairchild or Darby mandarin orange, having seeds and a slightly tougher peel. "Satsuma" is the Japanese word for mandarins, now associated with a seedless variety having a leathery skin. These are most often canned, since they're tender and don't ship well. Clementines, often marketed as "Cuties" or "Sweeties," are sweet, nearly seedless, and the easiest to peel. Some sources say clementines are a cross between mandarins and regular oranges, while others just list them as a cultivar of mandarins.
Remember those arils the pomegranate discussion mentioned a couple of weeks ago? Well, tangerine sections are also arils. Tangerine seeds are safe to eat, but unpleasantly bitter.
Like oranges, tangerines are low in calories and of course have no fat or cholesterol. They have even more flavonoid anti-oxidants than oranges and provide plenty of vitamins A and, of course, C. They're also a good source of fiber and provide calcium, potassium, magnesium, and other minerals. Research is also finding phyto-chemicals and other compounds that protect against cancer, arthritis, obesity, and heart disease in citrus fruits.
Pesticides are widely used on citrus crops, so you should wash conventionally-grown fruits before peeling to keep the gunk off your hands. Beyond that, it's not a big concern if you're only eating the insides, but stick to organic fruits if you're planning to use the peel: candied peel, tangerine peel tea, zest....
Read more:
label-style nutrition information for tangerines
a comparison of different varieties of mandarins
mandarins and other citrus fruits at Nutrition and You
oranges and tangerines compared at LiveStrong.com
The Fruit Pages
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
in season: winter
Tangerines are the US term for what Europe calls mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata, of the Rutaceae family). Mandarins were once imported to the US via North Africa and picked up the name from the city of Tangiers, the residents of which are also called Tangerines. However, when a modern store labels something as a "tangerine," it is probably a Fairchild or Darby mandarin orange, having seeds and a slightly tougher peel. "Satsuma" is the Japanese word for mandarins, now associated with a seedless variety having a leathery skin. These are most often canned, since they're tender and don't ship well. Clementines, often marketed as "Cuties" or "Sweeties," are sweet, nearly seedless, and the easiest to peel. Some sources say clementines are a cross between mandarins and regular oranges, while others just list them as a cultivar of mandarins.
Remember those arils the pomegranate discussion mentioned a couple of weeks ago? Well, tangerine sections are also arils. Tangerine seeds are safe to eat, but unpleasantly bitter.
Like oranges, tangerines are low in calories and of course have no fat or cholesterol. They have even more flavonoid anti-oxidants than oranges and provide plenty of vitamins A and, of course, C. They're also a good source of fiber and provide calcium, potassium, magnesium, and other minerals. Research is also finding phyto-chemicals and other compounds that protect against cancer, arthritis, obesity, and heart disease in citrus fruits.
Pesticides are widely used on citrus crops, so you should wash conventionally-grown fruits before peeling to keep the gunk off your hands. Beyond that, it's not a big concern if you're only eating the insides, but stick to organic fruits if you're planning to use the peel: candied peel, tangerine peel tea, zest....
Read more:
label-style nutrition information for tangerines
a comparison of different varieties of mandarins
mandarins and other citrus fruits at Nutrition and You
oranges and tangerines compared at LiveStrong.com
The Fruit Pages
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
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