GOBBLE GOBBLE Tips & Tricks for a Delicious & Easy Thanksgiving

Tip & Trick #1- BRINE THAT BIRD!!!

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Brining is an extremely popular cooking technique that treats meats especially poultry like turkey, by seeping  the meat in a brine mixture (usually just salt and cold water) it not only flavors the bird but also helps keep its moisture. It is a technique that tends to show up a lot during the holidays especially Thanksgiving. While popular it isn't a technique many people are fond of because of the extra time it takes however this one little extra step will ensure you and your family a perfectly cooked bird.

The brine in the brining process is usually just a mixture of salt and water, however over the years this has changed. Now and days people add herbs, spices, whatever they really like in order to flavor and keep their meat moist and juicy. The brining process does take some time usually 12-24 hours before the meat is cooked. To make it a bit simpler for you guys here is a quick trick: Put your turkey in a large pot or brining bag (you can get this at grocery stores) and pour in Italian Dressing, yes Italian Dressing and then poor enough cold water to cover the bird. Put it in the fridge and let it sit overnight. The next day take your bird out rinse under cold water and then pat dry with paper towels (You don't want any water on the bird before you cook it otherwise the skin won't crisp up). You can add whatever other seasonings you like to your bird at this point. Italian dressing is basically just oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and spices basically what you usually add to a brine so instead of getting your hands all dirty and having to buy and put in every ingredient separately, all you need is a couple bottles of Italian Dressing. It usually takes around 2 bottles of dressing for a 16 pound bird but you can adjust accordingly to your tastes.

Tip & Tricks #2- COOK/ PREPARE SIDES AHEAD OF TIME

To save you guys from stress and agony when it comes time to cooking Thanksgiving dinner this tip will sure keep you happy. Certain side dishes like cranberry sauce and pie can be cooked ahead of time and kept in the fridge for when you need it. You can also partially boil your potatoes the night before and finish cooking them the morning off. This usually saves you a good amount of time between making everything else. Another thing you can prepare are your casseroles. You can either mix the ingredients together and set aside for it to be cooked on Thanksgiving day or make and cook ahead of time and them freeze them and just heat them up when it comes time to serving. The only thing you should be stressed about is the bird and not the side dishes.

Tip & Trick #3- PREMADE IS OKAY!!!

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No matter if you are a professional chef or a home cook we always need a bit of help. There is no shame in buying dishes pre-prepared for you especially if you have a big family to serve. Stores these days can cook up a whole Thanksgiving dinner so don't fret if there are one or two things you just don't have time to make. Plan out your dinner and for the dishes you simply don't have the time to make and your relatives are just to lazy to help save yourself the stress and go to a store and just order your dishes for the people there to make. You can always pass it off as your own, I won't say anything ;)

And lastly just enjoy. As cliche as it sounds holidays are a time to get together with love ones whom we don't get to see as often due to the stress of our everyday busy busy lives. So try not to stress and make sure you end up in a food coma with a food baby at the end of the day!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Holiday Tips & Tricks #1: How NOT to OVEREAT During the Holidays

Throughout the year, we always try our best to eat healthy and not necessarily because we want to be healthier but rather an excuse to stuff ourselves on delicious holiday food. However no matter how healthy you ate throughout the year, it is never good to overstuff yourselves on any occasion. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you not to overeat but still able to enjoy the food regardless!

1.) Stuffing or Dinner Rolls

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 VS.

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PICK ONE!!! Carbs and starches make up the majority of a holiday meal. When it comes to stuffing and dinner rolls try to stick with one (I prefer stuffing). This way you can still have your other delicious starches like mash potatoes.

2.) DO LOAD UP ON THE PROTEIN

Whether you eat turkey or ham during the holidays this is one area where you do not need to fret about too much. Between the starches and desserts our blood sugar rises significantly. Do load up on the meat. The protein will help you keep your blood sugars at bay and turkey is rather a healthier meat compared to others.

3.) Portion control

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If you are the chef during the holidays you have a lot of power on your hands. Some foods like stuffing or casserole can be easily portion sized. Instead of baking the stuffing or casserole in a giant dish bake them in muffin tins. Not only you will be saving some calories you also have a cute presentation for your family and friends (not to mention the muffin tins will crisp up the edges YUM).

4.) Cranberry Sauce...

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While cranberries are full of nutrients and antioxidants cranberry sauce is LOADED with insane amounts of sugar to combat the cranberries' tartness. Instead of so much sugar cut it in half and replace the other half with fresh squeeze fruit juice like apple or orange. If you don't have fresh fruit on hand use a natural sweetener like Stevia or Truvia. Also went eating cranberry sauce, even with the replacements do limit yourself to no more than 5 tablespoons. There is still a good amount of sugar even with the substitutes.

5.) Skip the Crust

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Pies Pies Pies the ultimate holiday dessert and the most dangerous around this time of year. When possible especially if you are having pumpkin pie skip the crust and just eat the filling. You will not only have yourself a bunch of calories but let's get real the filling is always the best part!

GOBBLE GOBBLE #1- Apple Fennel Sage Stuffing

Hey Hey! Welcome back to another year of GOBBLE GOBBLE! GOBBLE GOBBLE is a series of easy and delicious DIY Thanksgiving recipes. Let's get cooking!!!

APPLE FENNEL SAGE STUFFING

This is a simple stuffing recipe that is sure to please the crowd. While it is simple don't underestimate the flavor this little dish packs. This recipe like most my recipes does not have exact measurements. Just make according to your own taste and preference and of course the amount to people you are serving.

You will need:

-Honey Crisp or Pink Lady Apples (These are not too sweet so they will hold their shape while cooking)

-1 Fennel Bulb 

- Sage (Dried or Fresh)

- French Bread (Make sure it is day old bread)

-Chicken or Veggie Stock

-Salt & Pepper to taste

-Chicken or Veggie Bouillon

-Garlic & Shallots

-Carrots & Celery

How to make:

1.) Cut up your apples, fennel, and bread to about the same size (this will ensure even cooking)

2.) In a large pot saute your garlic, shallots, carrots and celery until tender but still with a slight crunch in butter & olive oil (at this time add salt & pepper to taste and add your sage)

3.) Put in your apples and bouillon

4.) In a separate bowl put the bread in and pour the apple/fennel mixture into it and add enough stock to moisten the bread but not drench

5.) Pour stuffing in a glass oven proof dish and top with some cubes of unsalted butter and bake until the top is nice and golden

If you are a carnivore feel free to add sausage or whatever kind of protein you prefer!

Summer of Food

TURKEY MEATBALLS

Easy, healthy and delicious! Great for you and your whole family (kid-friendly). There really isn't exact measurements to this so just play around and add as much or little as you like :)

What you will need:

-Ground Lean Turkey (the leaner the better, healthier for you and your family)

-White Button Mushrooms (or any other mushrooms you prefer) Chopped into tiny pieces

-Garlic & Onion Powder

-Salt & Black Pepper

-Ground Thyme

-Poultry Seasoning

-Cumin

-Egg (1 egg per pound of turkey- for binding the ingredients)

-Bread Crumbs (I just toasted some bread and crumbled it up but you can buy breadcrumbs at the store)

-Olive Oil & Butter

-Optional Red pepper flakes for some extra KICK!

How to make:

In a large bowl put all your ingredients together and use your hands to mix. Form balls into the size of your choice.

In a large pot put your butter and olive oil on high heat and cook your meatballs until it is nice and golden brown and the meat isn't pink anymore. Depending on your size of your meatball cooking time varies.

I cooked my halfway and then finished cooking them in some tomato sauce I had left in the fridge.

You can serve these like they are or put them in pastas, sandwiches etc...