Friday, January 9, 2009

Something new...sort of

Do you have one of these? If not, you really should. I know, I know, who needs yet another way to cook something, for Pete's sake? You do. You just do. I would NEVER have purchased one of these for myself. I mean come on, how much difference could it possibly make. We all have roasting pans. Probably more than one. Who needs some other item (big item) taking up space in our cupboards, demanding more space, being all heavy and hard to clean ( don't use soap for heaven's sake).

I love this thing. My father-in-law, such as he is, bought us this last year for Christmas. He wants us to lose weight. He is not subtle about this. He just gives us health food books and stuff to cook healthy meals. Not subtle at all. Oh well, I will never ever turn down a kitchen gift item. Love them all.

So what if he has absolutely no interest whatsoever in his only grandchildren? He gives good kitchen/cooking gifts! You just have to take what you get in the freaky family lottery that marriage can be. As my father LOVES to tell me, "you marry the whole family, not just the person." Thanks Dad, that helps, not at all. Not with the sideshow I married into. But, more about that, so much more about that later.

But I digress. I do that. Lots.

Day before yesterday, I roasted a frozen solid (and I am talking, I could have gone bowling with this sucker) turkey breast in the clay cooker deal. Holy Moses! Just the best, most moist, delicious bird! Yes the thing weighs a damn ton, yes it is not easy to clean, yes you have to soak it ahead of time, but the results, oh the results!!

So once you get the ice block/turkey breast in there. Chop up some onions, celery, maybe a few potatoes or carrots and throw them in around the bird.

Rub that bad boy with some olive oil (or if that gives you the willies, spray some Pam on him) and cover him with ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed rosemary and any other herb that you like. Put the cover on and bake him up. I have even roasted the poor thing partially with the stupid gravy bag thingy inside. I know, a novice mistake, but the second time (yeah, the second time) it was frozen solid in there. Getting it out would have required a chainsaw and the jaws of life. Besides, I think it adds to the final product.

I let the bird cool a little, just so I don't end up with third degree burns. Who needs that? And then pull it apart. Now I have plenty of roasted turkey for Mr. Smith. And Mr. Smith LOVES turkey. He might even love turkey more than he loves me. Just kidding, honey. I know that's not true...right?

So last night we had roasted turkey sandwiches with center cut bacon (yum), roma tomatoes and red leaf lettuce on Double Fiber Bread. Can't beat that. And I have plenty of turkey left to make Turkey Pot Pie or Turkey a la King. I love getting multiple meals out of something.

On top of that, I threw the turkey bones in a big stock pot with the carrots, potatoes and all that yummy juice from the roasting pan and got about 2 gallons of rocking turkey stock. I am not sure what I am going to do with it, but man do I feel like a Frontier Gal, using everything, not wasting anything.

This is so much better than pulling out menus, settling for something I don't really want, eating something some stranger made, paying out the nose for the privilege and then having all that packaging to throw away, not to mention all that fat and a those nasty calories to work off my big butt. Not worth it, not at all.

Tonight we are having Broccoli Soup with some homemade Potato Rolls. Jury is still out on the rolls. Have yet to make the recipe with any success. I will have to get back to you on that one.

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