Wild Rice and Turkey Salad

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Here is something which would be great for school lunch, something you can basically make out of leftovers! It's a simple, nutritious salad with some sweet elements (dried cherries) which keep it interesting and fresh-tasting. Instead making a sandwich that could get soggy while it sits in your kid's locker, how about sending all the ingredient separately and they can make a sandwich when they are ready to eat?

Ingredients
2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
15 oz. cooked wild rice
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
2 cups cubed Havarti cheese
1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. raspberry vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Just combine everything and let sit, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour to let flavors combine, or even better make it the night before. Then send it to school along with some whole grain bread, some fresh spinach and sliced tomato, and some fresh fruit. Now that is a good lunch.

Pastilla

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Moroccan Pastilla is a dish I learned about 35 years ago when I started cooking in a kitchen in the East Village called “Montana Palace.” This place was a catering kitchen and production bakery doing really innovative foods from around the world, in 1975 no less. This dish is quite simply a show stopper and no one ever makes, it because it is a bit of work but I say, aren’t your friends worth it? Traditionally this dish is made with Pigeon but I use turkey leg meat, which is all dark and rich and delicious and cheap. It is also traditionally made in a round pan and dusted with powdered sugar on the top in festive patterns. This recipe is done in a rectangular pan. It's up to you!

Ingredients
2 pounds chicken thighs (or 4 turkey legs)
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
12 parsley sprigs
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tumeric
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 eggs
2 cups almonds, blanched, browned on the stove
1 pound Phyllo pastry dough
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1 pound of clarified butter

Procedure
In a large pot, cook chicken with salt, pepper, tumeric, cumin, and ginger along with enough water to cover. Cook on medium low heat covered until chicken is soft and falling from the bones. Remove from liquid, skin and debone the chicken, and cut meat into small pieces, chop in the parsley and set aside.

In same large pot, (drain the liquid) and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil then add the six eggs one by one, beating as you go. When all are beaten in and almost set, remove mixture and let cool, dividing into two parts. Chop the browned almonds and divide into two. Lightly butter your 9 by 12 baking dish and then start the assembly process.

Begin the assembly by placing four sheets of the phyllo dough, brushing butter over each sheet before placing the next on top. Next, place in 1/2 the egg mixture and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top. Place two more phyllo sheets (with butter between), and place 1/2 the chicken. Sprinkle this with sugar and cinnamon too. Next Place 2 more phyllo sheets (with butter between), and place 1/2 the almond mixture in, sprinkling with sugar and cinnamon on top. Cover this with 2 more phiyllo sheets, and start this assembly process again. Two sheets phyllo, almonds, two sheets phyllo, chicken, two sheets phyllo, eggs, two sheets phyllo. Brush the top of the last sheets of phyllo with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees until golden, 25-35 minutes.

If you make this in a round pan, you can turn it out onto beautiful festive platter and dust the top with powdered sugar. I get a doily and dust the sugar over that to create a beautiful pattern. Or you can serve it in the pan. With a beautiful salad and a side of couscous you have it made. This will easily serve 8 people.

Turkey Balls, yes I said Turkey Balls

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Personally, I love turkey leftovers and could eat the whole meal for about 3 days before getting tired of it. But some people don’t feel that way. However, you certainly aren’t going to throw good meat away, so here is a slightly funky old Italian recipe for Turkey balls made with cooked turkey, which can be served with pasta and some fresh grated Parmesan cheese for a complete change of pace. This recipe is from the Talisman Cookbook by Ada Boni.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked, chopped turkey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch cinnamon
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 egg yolk
3 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 cups turkey or chicken stock
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon flour

Procedure
Mix turkey meat with salt, pepper, cinnamon, cheese and egg yolk. Soak bread in water and then squeeze out excess water and add to turkey mixture and blend well. Form mixture into 12 balls. Place 1 tablespoon of butter in large saucepan and add tomato paste and stock and cook 5 minutes. Add turkey balls to stock and simmer for 20 minutes, Remove balls from broth and place on platter. Boil remaining broth rapidly until it reduces by half. Blend together the melted butter and the flour in a small cup and add to hot liquid and whisk till thickened. Pour sauce over balls and serve. Serves 4. I personally would add pasta, maybe spinach fettuccine.

Lamb meatballs

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Lamb meatballs are good. In this sweet little recipe from The El Farol Cookbook, written by chef James Cambell Caruso who now owns La Boca, he used local New Mexican ground lamb. That is an excellent but expensive choice. You could substitute New Zealand lamb or even go with beef, pork, or turkey.

Ingredients
2 pounds ground lamb
2 whole eggs
1 cup Panko (bread crumbs)
1/2 cup toasted Pinon nuts, chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon toasted Coriander seeds, ground
1/2 tablespoon toasted Cumin seed, ground
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper

Procedure
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients well by hand (wear gloves!) or use a wooden spoon. Chill mixture for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375. Roll meat into golf ball-size balls and arrange on a sheet pan. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with Romesco sauce.

Southwestern Cobb Salad with Lime Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Here is a great salad you can do ahead and enjoy on the porch during those balmy summer nights. If you are not a meat-eater substitute smoked tofu for the turkey, but there is no real substitute for bacon, even vegetarians admit that!

Ingredients for 2 large salads
3 cups crisp romaine, washed and torn
2 ears grilled corn, rubbed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin, cut off the cob
1 cup Maytag blue cheese or buttermilk blue, crumbled
6 slices Applewood smoked bacon, cooked and diced
6 ounces Smoked turkey, diced
1 cup Smoked grape tomatoes
1/2 cup thin sliced red onions, boiled in rice wine vinegar, salt and sugar to cover, till tender then drain
1 diced avocado, drizzled with lime juice

Ingredients for dressing
2 tablespoons Dijon
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/8 teaspoon lime oil
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
Salt and pepper
2 shakes Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 cups olive oil

Procedure for dressing
Put everything but oil in blender. Add oil slowly through the top till thick and emulsified.

Now finish salad — arrange all the beautiful ingredients on top of the greens and dress right before serving.

Rula Gives Good Bird

Rula's Tips for a Fabulous Thanksgiving!

Greetings, fellow Pilgrims! Rumor has it that there has been some seasonal poultry abuse in Santa Fe over the years, and taste buds and families have suffered. As a result of this situation, Stacy (being the community-minded good soul that she is) has asked me to step in and pass on my top tips for a successful Thanksgiving dinner. Here are some surefire hints to improve the evening's meal. Sorry, but I can't do anything about your relatives!

1. Start with a quality turkey.   If possible, buy a free-range, fresh bird, not one that's been in the freezer since last year and is pumped full of water and preservatives. The Amish turkeys are excellent. You could go organic or heirloom, but the price will be astronomical, so prepare yourself. If you do buy a frozen bird, give it 3 to 4 days to defrost in your fridge, that's the safest way.
2. Invest in a meat thermometer.   Don't rely on those plastic pop-up things to tell you when to pull the bird from the oven, because they are unreliable. Besides, only cheap turkeys come with those things, and when your observant guests see the hole created by pulling the plastic plug out of the skin, they will know they spent too much on the wine. A simple instant-read thermometer will take all the guesswork out of telling when it's done. Open the door of the oven, insert the thermometer into the bird, and let it sit there for about 15-30 seconds till the needle stops. Turkey should reach between 165-170 degrees. Check the bird in a variety of spots: where the leg meets the breast; in the thickest part of the breast; and in the back.
3. Rub it!   It doesn't matter what you choose, but rub something into the skin. A classic rub used by Mother of Rula is about 1 tablespoon each of salt and black pepper, and 1/4 cup each of garlic powder and Hungarian paprika. Mix with water or olive oil till you form a paste, and rub it in. Don't forget to season the cavity with herbs as well. Take the extra rub and add water to it and pour it into the roasting pan, which will give the gravy a great base. You can also do a Balsamic vinegar and Herbs de Provence rub, or a smoked paprika, Madeira, and butter rub. You get the idea. All a rub is, is a combination of seasonings and liquids (and usually some fat) which will soak in and flavor the bird from the outside in.
4. Don't just sit there ... baste!   Nothing insures a moist bird and tender skin like a well-basted bird. As the bird cooks, the fat will drip into the roasting pan, mixing with the rub ingredients and the water and create a beautiful base for the gravy. If your oven tends to evaporate out all the liquid as it cooks, keep replacing it with hot water.
5. Make good side dishes.   That way, if you incinerate the bird, nobody will notice. This can take a variety of forms. Homemade cranberry sauce is a must! The simplest and best cranberry-orange relish is on the Ocean Spray cranberry bag. All you need is a food processor or meat grinder — no cooking! It's easier than opening the can and letting the jellied stuff wobble on to a plate. If you want to get more gourmet, may I suggest a cranberry and fig chutney made with Port and rosemary? You can e-mail me for the recipe. I also suggest you don't forget about your veggies. Buck tradition: skip the French's-fried-onion-and-frozen-green-bean casserole, and try sautéing some fresh green beans with roast chestnuts and caramelized shallots. How could that be bad?
6. Stuffing was not invented by Pepperidge Farm, so look further.   Yes, you can do the box stuffing, but how uncreative can you be? Cornbread, foccacia, ciabatta, even sourdough baguettes can all be used for stuffing. You can buy them a few days ahead of time, cut them in cubes and dry them out in a slow oven till crisp. Try combining one or two sexy ingredients with the bread base: oysters; Andouille sausage; diced dried pears or apricots; caramelized apples; spiced pecans — to name a few. Remember, don't skimp on the butter and use some of the pan juices to moisten the stuffing.
7. Just because he's your Father and he says so, doesn't mean he's the best person to carve the bird.   Even the most perfectly cooked turkey can be turned into a big mess by an unskilled knifeman. Evaluate your guests and politely ask the one with the best culinary background to do the honors. If that job rests on your shoulders, here are some tips. First, remove the wings and legs at the joint where they meet the breast, then slice off the breast meat on a 45 degree angle into thin slices. Now turn the bird over, and slice off some dark meat from the thigh. You can slice the meat off the legs or serve them whole, depending how primal you want to be.
8. You can never have too many desserts!   After a huge Tryptophan-laden meal, nothing says "American tradition" like gorging on cakes and pies until you pass out on the couch. Having company for dinner? Let them bring dessert. You might even direct them to your favorite bakery. I say leave nothing to chance. If you insist on baking, don't go nouvelle on us now, stick with the classics: pumpkin pie; pecan pie; or something chocolate. This is no time for spelt crusted tofu pie. Haven't you suffered enough?