Amazing Turkey on the BBQ Grill

14 - 16 lb turkey

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

2 to 3 days before roasting:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator.
Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

GLAZE
2/3 cup barley malt syrup
1/4 cup malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar
6 fresh sage sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
Bring malt syrup, vinegar, herbs, and pepper to boil in small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer until glaze coats spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in butter. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before using.

Remove turkey from brine. Pat very dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle main cavity with 2 teaspoons pepper; fill with onions, celery, sage, thyme, and garlic. Close cavity with turkey lacing pins. Tuck wing tips under; brush all over with oil.

TO GRILL TURKEY
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Remove top grill rack. If using charcoal, light briquettes in chimney. When briquettes are covered with white ash, push to opposite sides of bottom grill rack, leaving center empty. Place disposable aluminum pan in center of rack (you will need to light additional briquettes, checking every 30 minutes during grilling time). Replace top grill rack. If using 3-burner gas grill, light burners on left and right sides, leaving center burner off. If using 2-burner gas grill, light burner on 1 side; place disposable pan over unlit side.
Place turkey, breast side up, on grill rack over disposable pan. Cover barbecue. Insert instant-read thermometer into hole in hood. Maintain temperature as close as possible to 350°F on charcoal grill by opening vents to increase temperature and closing vents to reduce temperature or adjusting temperature on gas grill with controls. Cook turkey 2 hours, tenting loosely with foil if browning too quickly. Brush turkey with glaze. Cover grill; cook 30 minutes longer. Brush again with glaze. Cook until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Brush with glaze. Let rest 30 minutes (temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees).

Braised Lamb Shanks

6 servings, PREP: 1 hour, TOTAL: 3 hours 15 minutes (includes braising time)
Recipe by Restaurant Saveur, Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin

6 lamb shanks (6 to 7 pounds)
All purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup chopped peeled carrots
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 cups low-salt beef broth
3 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup honey
5 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
4 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 sprigs each fresh thyme, rosemary, and Italian parsley
1 lemon, halved

Preheat oven to 325°F. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper; coat with flour. Heat oil in large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Working in batches, brown lamb on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Add carrots, onion, and celery to pot; sauté until light brown, about 12 minutes. Add both broths and wine; stir, scraping up browned bits. Add next 7 ingredients and herb sprigs. Squeeze in juice from lemon halves; add lemon halves and lamb. Bring to simmer, cover tightly, and transfer to oven.
Braise lamb until very tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Transfer to large plate. Boil juices until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 45 minutes. Return lamb to pot to rewarm. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium heat.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) I opted without them

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. I opted out of nuts so the pumpkin would really dominate.

Drop by tablespoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Yields 3 dozen

Pumpkin Crumb Cakes

makes one 13x9 cake or 18 individual cakes

Dry Mix

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder

Cake Batter

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 dry mix

Pumpkin Filling

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 dry mixture (see above)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Heat the oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder for the dry mix.

Beat the butter until whipped and creamy and then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Beat in about half of the dry mix of flour and sugar. Set aside.

Whip together the eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, brown sugar and spices for the pumpkin filling. Set aside.

Mix the rest of the dry mix with a stick of butter, an extra half cup of flour, and the spices. Add a tablespoon of water and mix with fingers until loose and crumbly.

To make a full pan of crumb cake, grease a 9x13 baking pan and pat the dough into the bottom. Pour the pumpkin filling over top and sprinkle the crumb topping over it. To make individual cakes instead, repeat using 4-ounce paper souffle cups. After they are baked, let the individual cups cool for an hour then cut the paper cups away with scissors for individual cakes.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until the filling is set inside. Let cool for at least an hour before slicing.

compliments of thekitchn.com

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Tarts

These are so adorable and taste like a cross between a sweet potato and pecan pie!

Pierce each sweet potato a few times with a fork, place in a pie plate with two tablespoons water, cover loosely with wax paper, and microwave at high five minutes or until tender.

1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato or yams
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white

2 (2.1-ounce) packages mini phyllo shells (such as Athens)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine sweet potato, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt, stirring well. In a separate bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, syrup, vanilla, and egg white. Spoon about 1 teaspoon sweet potato mixture into each phyllo shell, spreading to edges. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon pecan mixture over sweet potato mixture.

Place filled shells on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 15 servings (serving size: 2 tarts)

CALORIES 89 (39% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 0.2g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.9g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.1g; SODIUM 55mg; PROTEIN 0.6g; FIBER 0.5g

Pumpkin Chocolate Tart

Along with the Hazelnut Chocolate Tart, I made this for the first time to test at a party. This is basically a choco-tized pumpkin pie. I made the crust from scratch and wasn't impressed by it, so below I'm suggesting a store bought chocolate cookie pie crust. Not only will it save time, but less to clean up!

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
Chocolate Cookie Crust (from the baking aisle)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, creme fraiche, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake until filling is set, about 40 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool at least 30 minutes. Melt chocolate in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Dip a spoon in melted chocolate, then drizzle chocolate over tart, forming decorative stripes. Refrigerate until well set, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Pumpkin Dip

3/4 cup (6 ounces) low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
24 apple slices

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apples.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2 tablespoons dip and 2 apple slices) CALORIES 107 (27% from fat); FAT 3.2g (sat 2g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.1g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 35mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.3g; SODIUM 87mg; PROTEIN 2g; FIBER 1.4g

Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cakes

You can also prepare these cakes in two (8 x 4–inch) loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour or until done.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt); stir with a whisk. Place sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and buttermilk to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter into 5 (5 3/4 x 3 3/4–inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 5 loaves, 6 servings per loaf (serving size: 1 slice)

CALORIES 144 (32% from fat); FAT 5.1g (sat 3.1g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.2g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 25mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22.3g; SODIUM 95mg; PROTEIN 2.2g; FIBER 0.3g

Pumpkin Muffins

3/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush 12 jumbo muffin tins (each with a 1-cup capacity) with oil; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk oil, pumpkin puree, yogurt, eggs, and 1 cup sugar to combine; add 1 cup walnuts and reserved dry ingredients. Mix just until moistened.

Divide evenly and spoon batter into muffin tins; sprinkle tops with remaining walnuts and sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan. Makes 12 muffins.

Per serving: 426 calories; 25 g fat; 45 g carbs; 4 g fiber; 9 g protein

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownie Bread

I just tried this recipe and it's very tasty...not completely a brownie but also not a bread, it's somewhere in between the two. This satisfied my pumpkin chocolate obsession for the day. A nice surprise from what I expected, it was nice for breakfast with tea

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (or other nuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; spray lining.

Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl; beat until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to pan, smoothing top with a spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don't set.

With a small spatula or knife, swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

I just tried this for a comfort food dinner party and adjusted a bit from the original recipe. I prefer a graham cracker crust over pie, and changed up the chocolate a bit.



1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup peeled, chopped, and toasted hazelnuts
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

4 ounces milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 store bought graham cracker crust

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and the flour. Add the eggs, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir well. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 1 hour. Cool the tart for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Nutella Cookies!

I had some really fun Halloween sprinkles I wanted to use so I baked these cookies and brought to the office for Halloween. I baked longer than originally instructed and the cookies were crispy and a huge crowd pleaser. Next time I’ll bake a bit less for a chewier texture.

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange sprinkles, or orange sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium bowl, place the chocolate hazelnut spread, butter, and both sugars. Using a hand mixer, cream the ingredients together, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and blend until incorporated. Stir in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Shape the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls. Rolls the balls in the orange sprinkles or orange sugar, pressing to adhere. Place on cookie sheet about 4 inches apart.

Bake for 11 minutes for chewy cookies. They will be very airy and will need to cool on the sheet before removing. For crispier cookies, bake another 3 minutes and cool on rack. Yield 40-50 cookies!

Aunt Mazie's Zucchini Bread

When sharing around my office, the comments made me realize that Aunt Mazie's recipe is much different than the typical bread. More cake than bread like, it's really moist, sweet, and the nuts add a nice texture. The cinnamon and nutmeg flavors make it perfect for the Autumn season ~ my favorite time of year.

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 dashes nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350° and spray 2 loaf pans. Squeeze all excess water from shredded zucchini by ringing with a kitchen towel.

Beat eggs until frothy. Add vanilla, zucchini, and oil in a large bowl. Blend in remaining ingredients, stirring until combined. Stir in walnuts.

Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Creamy Tomato Balsamic Soup

I have a friend that went to culinary school and any recipe she recommends, I test out! This soup and bread combo (foccaccia recipe below) pairs perfectly and are an amazing Autumn meal. Thanks Trace!

1 cup beef broth, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
Cooking spray
3/4 cup half-and-half
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 500.Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500 for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.

Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Garnish with cracked black pepper, if desired. Yields 4 - 1/2 cup portions.

Pumpkin Walnut Foccaccia with Gruyere

2 loaves, 8 servings each (serving size: 1 wedge)
3/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 1/2 cups bread flour, divided (about 15 3/4 ounces)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese, divided
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour and butter to yeast mixture; stir just until combined. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 30 minutes.

Add pumpkin, salt, and nutmeg to flour mixture; stir until well combined. Add 2 1/4 cups flour and half of cheese; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Divide dough in half; shape each half into an 8-inch circle. Place dough circles on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle remaining cheese and nuts evenly over dough circles; press lightly to adhere. Lightly coat dough circles with cooking spray; cover and let rise 20 minutes (dough will not double in size).

Preheat oven to 400. Uncover dough; bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until loaves are browned on the bottom and cheese melts (shield loaves with foil to prevent over browning, if necessary). Cool on a wire rack.

Calories: 169 (30% from fat), Fat: 5.6g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 1.4g), Protein: 5.8g, Carbohydrate: 25.6g
Fiber: 1.4g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Iron: 1.7mg, Sodium: 219mg, Calcium: 65mg

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

I LOVE PUMPKIN! This recipe is perfectly rich. The texture and flavor of the sausage really compliments the nutmeg/cinnamon spices . Depending on your taste, you can use all sweet or spicy sausage, I like to split the two. This dish screams Autumn is here! Spinach salad accompanied is light - a nice crisp to the saucy pasta

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Serve pumpkin sausage pasta with pumpernickel or whole grain bread and Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion.

Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion:
1 pound triple-washed spinach, de-stemmed
1 small Golden Delicious apple, quartered, cored, and sliced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons (a couple of splashes) apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grain mustard
1 tablespoon (a good drizzle) honey
Coarse salt and black pepper

Place spinach, apple, and onion in a salad bowl. Place oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a small plastic container and fit lid on container. Shake dressing to combine, 1 minute. Pour dressing over salad, toss, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings