Milk Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Just before Christmas I was reading one of my favourite blogs A Charmed Wife and I read her post about Peppermint Dark Chocolate Fudge. Now I am not a big fan of dark chocolate, or not a fan at all. But I thought I could make this a Milk Chocolate Peppermint fudge. It turned out great!!
Here is what you need to make it:

• 2 Cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 Can sweetened condensed milk
• a pinch of sale
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (add more if you really like peppermint flavor)
• 4 crushed candy canes

How you make it:

In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt the chocolate chips with the condensed milk and your pinch of salt.

Stir almost constantly.Once they are all melted together remove from the heat; stir in the peppermint extract right away.

Spread evenly into a prepared 8 inch baking dish with a spatula. (Baking dish should be lined with waxed or parchment paper)Sprinkle the candy canes on top. Chill 2 hours or until firm.

Once it is ready remove from the baking dish, peel off paper, and cut into squares. It can be stored up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

ENJOY!!

Dutch Oven Beef Stew

I got a lot of new kitchen supplies for Christmas and I am looking forward to trying them all out. I decided to test out my new cast iron Dutch oven. I have wanted one of these for a long time, and was so excited to use it.

Here are the ingredients you will need for this aromatic beef stew:

• 2lbs stewing beef (cut into small chunks)
• 1 cup chopped sweet onions
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 3 med. potatoes chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup beer
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup flour for coating beef

Here is how you make it:

Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Coat your beef chunks in flour and add to the heated oil. Braise the beef for a few minutes.

Add onions, carrots and potatoes.

Pour in Beer and Beef broth.
Add Salt, Pepper, Thyme, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and summer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally, adding more beef broth and/or beer if necessary.
ENJOY!!

Bacon-Wrapped Roasted Turkey

This is my very first attempt at cooking a turkey. My goal was to make a moist turkey with some amazing flavor. Some friends came over for an Ugly Sweater Holiday dinner.

Ingredients:
a 12- to 14-pound turkey
2 large yellow onions, cut into wedges
1 ½ pounds sliced bacon
1/2 cup white wine
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup water

Defrost your turkey completly. I put it in a sink with cold water and changed the water every few hours until it was defrosted (for 2 days).

Heat oven to 325 F. Place the turkey on a roasting rack set in a large roasting pan. Fill the pan with the onions. (I added the onions after, but it would have been much easier before)

Carefully separate the turkey's skin from the flesh, trying to avoid breaking the skin. Work strips of bacon under the skin, running them along the tops of the breasts. Three to 4 slices should fit on each breast. Pat the skin back into place over the bacon.
Place several strips of bacon inside the cavity of the bird, unless you plan to stuff it. Wrap several strips of bacon around each leg, interlacing them to keep them in place. Lay strips across the top of the whole bird, weaving them.

Roast for 3-to 3-1/2 hours, or until the breast registers 160 F and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170 F. Allow the turkey to rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and let it rest another 10 minutes.


Gravy:
Add the white wine to the roasting pan and place over medium heat on the stovetop. Heat, using a silicone spatula to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom. Strain the mixture into a small saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix the flour and water.

Bring the drippings in the saucepan to a boil over medium-high. Slowly pour in half the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Return to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Adjust the thickness of the gravy with more of the flour mixture or water until you get the desired consistency. Be sure to simmer for several minutes after each addition of flour.

ENJOY!!