New Take on an Old Rub for Turkey & Chicken

I grew many of my own herbs this year, and have been trying to incorporate them into my recipes.  I previously put the recipe for the Best Turkey Ever on my blog, but these were made with commercial products.  Although this one has a commercial product in it, it also contains my own Italian Herb Mix and Black Sage.

The Italian Seasoning Mix is all dried herbs:

1 Part Rosemary-I don't like this much, but the herb mix isn't right without it.

3 Parts Oregano
2 Parts Marjoram
3 Parts Basil
2 Parts Thyme
1 Part Black Sage or regular if that is what you have on hand
1/4 Part Red Pepper Flakes or to taste-Grind this prior to placing in the other ingredients in the bullet in the next step.

Using the Italian Herb Mix:

It is great in spaghetti sauce.

2 Cans of Crushed tomatoes
1 Small individual serving bottle of nice dry red wine
1 scant Tablespoon of good cocoa powder (not a Nestle Quick type powder). I use Penzy's Spices; check it out here.  I use this in any tomato dish to amp up the flavor.
1 Teaspoon Sugar or equivalent of sweetener or choice
1 small onion ground in a blender-I don't want to see the pieces
2 carrots
2 or more cloves of garlic-to taste
1 Bay Leaf-Again I prefer the Penzys Brand, see it here

Cook this on low, in a heavy bottom pan for at least 1 hour so the herbs cook into the sauce well.  I will cook it until it reaches the desired consistency.  I use the heavy bottom to prevent sticking and scorching of the sauce.  You do need to stir this regularly to test the consistency.

This sauce is great warmed up, and improves after refrigeration over night.  It really is almost better the next day.  Serve over spaghetti.  Use in lasagna, or anywhere else you would use spaghetti sauce.

About Penzy's Spices.  I don't work for them, they don't pay me anything to push their spices.  I just appreciate good quality, and fair prices.  They have stores all over the country now, but I have been buying from them since I found them online in Chicago.  I bought 1 Pound of bay leaves from them.  I had no idea how much that would be, but everyone at work got some.  It is a massive amount of herbs.  I paid $15.00 for that then.  It would have filled over 50 of the regular spice jars, and the leaves would be broken and crumbled.  One ounce will fill a wide mouth quart jar and cost 7.30 now.  I use these for everything.  I just don't know how to cook without them.  LOL 

The most interesting part of this story is, that I tried to order some from them once and was told they didn't have any because they had to send the last order back to their supplier.  I asked them why they sent them back, and the lady said "He just didn't approve of the quality.  He wasn't going to sell that inferior product even if it meant he was going to have to tell his customers he didn't have any."  This speaks volumes for they type of herbs that are sold there.  I eventually got the bay leaves, and they were excellent.

Salad Dressing

This is good for Italian dressing with juice two lemons, or 1/4 C balsamic vinegar or 1/4 raspberry vinegar, and 1/2 parts oil; I prefer olive or canola oil.  I use 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Italian Seasoning Mix.  Shake until it emulsifies.  This is sooooo easy, and sooooo much better for you than the store bought stuff.  Keeps in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.  It really doesn't last long at my house.  We eat salads a lot.

Making the Turkey and Chicken Rub

I just hand crush the herbs before putting them into the spice grinder. (I use my Magic Bullet with the flat grinding blade for this.)  To this I add:

3 Tablespoons Italian Herb Seasoning
1 Tablespoon of Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1 Tablespoon of parsley
1 Teaspoon of dried mustard
2 Teaspoons black pepper or pepper melange or to taste
2 Teaspoons onion powder

I grind this all together until it has a slightly fine grind, but don't make it a powder. See picture above for consistency.

To use on a turkey or chicken, spray the bird with oil, I used olive oil.  Rub the herb mixture on the outside skin.  Lift the skin on the breast, and rub the herb mixture under the skin directly on the breast meat. 

Place two bay leaves under the skin on each breast. 

Sprinkle some of the rub mixture inside the bird along with a bay leaf,  onion wedges, carrot, celery and a lemon or orange. Use just enough to loosely fill the cavity. 

Tie up the legs and cook as directed by the package. 

I put it into a shallow pan/dish with a wire rack to hold it off the bottom of the pan.  I put 1 can of chicken broth in the bottom of the pan.

I use a 350 Degree oven, and tent the bird with foil until the last 1/2 hour of the cooking time. 
Times will vary depending on the size of the bird.  I use the pop up timers for mine, but you can find all kinds of charts giving approximate times for the size of the bird.

WARNING:  This is not a complete guide to cooking poultry.  Please look up recommendations from the USDA here.

I hope you enjoy the Italian Herb Mix and Rub.  It really was a smash at Thanksgiving this year.  Everyone loved the rub, and said it was the best ever.  UhOh do I need to change the name of the other one to the Second Best?.

Thanks for stopping by.
Namaste
 

Perfect Snack or Hot Weather Meal

This article is beneficial to Fibromyalgia patients, but the energy benefits described here benefit everyone.  The almonds have plenty of magnesium and the apple delivers the malic acid. Which gives low energy the one/two punch, bang zoom a trip to the moon.

This is one of my favorite snack combos; an apple and 1 ounce of almonds, and I can turn it into an evening meal by eating 3 ounces of almonds, and carrot and/or celery sticks. This combo is loaded with vitamins, but the mineral magnesium and malic acid content is what makes it an excellent choice. 

The apple is, of course, what I consider a perfect food. I eat at least one apple a day, because it really can keep the doctor away. The peel should be left as the concentration of vitamin C and malic acid is just under the peel, along with most of the soluble fiber.

I have included a couple of tables with the nutritional values for both of these foods. It is not surprising that both of these foods get huge accolades from most nutritional experts and doctors. With the low ratio of calories to nutrients they are a good clean burning powerhouse. Magnesium is an essential mineral abundant in almonds, and malic acid is an alphahydroxy acid derived from apples and other fruits which makes this snack a good energy source combination.  Read More here.

This is a low calorie, high energy snack of the kind that will stick with you for a long time.  The sugar to protein ratio will have this moving through your system at a slow, steady pace to keep the energy level high.  There won't be that crash associated with sugary snacks, and there is no sodium if you get unsalted almonds.

I want to say something here about organic apples.  I always buy organic as apples are number one on the 2012 Dirty Dozen List for the highest concentration of pesticides.  The link leads to my pinterest and article about the Dirty Dozen here.  There are huge conversations about this between health care providers, dietitians, USDA, FDA and produce farmers associations, and they can't agree on this issue.  Frankly, I don't care what any of them say.  My own intelligence tells me what I need to do, and that is buy organic when I can afford it.  Other times, I will buy conventionally grown and wash it really well with a cleaner I make myself.  Cleaner Recipe here.  I buy the ones in the bags as they are cheaper, and have less wax on them.  The wax coating is to help keep them longer, but makes it harder to clean the pestisides off them.

Nutritional Value of Unsalted Almonds 1oz Serving-Snack Size

Macronutrients

Calories 170
Protein 6 g  12% DV
Carbohydrate  6g 2% DV
--Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
----Soluble Fiber 0.057g
----Insoluble Fiber 2.436g
--Sugar 2.0g
Fat  15g  8% DV
--Cholesterol 0mg  0%
--Saturated 1.5g 8% DV
--Monounsaturated Fat  10g--This is a good fat
--Polyunsaturated Fat 3.0g--This is a good fat
Vitamins
--Vitamin E 10 IU 35% DV
--Thiamine 0.06mg 4% DV
--Riboflavin  0.22mg 4% DV
--Niacin 0.95mg 4% DV
--Vitamin B6 0.03 mg 2% DV
--Folate 17 mcg 4% DV
--Biotin 6 mcg 2% DV
Minerals
--No Sodium
--Potassium 207mg 6% DV
--Iron 1mg 6% DV
--Calcium 75mg 8% DV
--Magnesium 84mg 20% DV
--Phosphorous 147mg 14% DV
--Zinc 1mg 6% DV
--Copper 0.27mg 14% DV

 Nutritional Value of one medium Apple

One Medium 2-1/2 inch apple, fresh, raw with skin

 

Calories 80

Carbohydrate 21 grams

--Dietary Fiber 4 grams

--Sugar 16 grams approximately

Vitamins

--Vitamin C 8mg

--Vitamin A 73 IU

--Folate 4mcg

Minerals

--Calcium 10mg

--Phosphorus 10 mg

--Iron .25mg

--Potassium 159mg

 

Sources

University of Illinois Extension

USDA National Agricultural Library

 

I put this here in hopes that my children and grandchildren will want to explore my blog, and find out what good nutrition is all about. However, this is also something that I like to do just for myself, and hopefully it might help others.

 

 

Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients

6 chicken breast halves or the equivalent of chicken tenders (I just fill the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan).

I pint of spaghetti sauce

½ bag of Kraft Finely Shredded 4 Italian Cheeses

2 bay leaves stuck in the sauce.

Instructions

Lay the chicken in the pan, this works with frozen chicken as well as fresh.  Sprinkle the cheese on the chicken and pour the spaghetti sauce on top.  I have used Ragu Spaghetti sauce when I’m out of my own or don't have time to make the fresh.

Bake for one hour at 350°F.

You can cut the sauce recipe into smaller portions, and make it fresh and use it without canning it.  It is really easy to make in small batches.  I rarely use commercial sauce anymore.

You can sprinkle parmesan cheese of this before serving, but I can’t get that past my nose, and I ate this after the pictures were taken.  Plain mozzarella cheese works on the chicken for backing, but then it isn't parmigiana.  I don't bread the chicken, as I wanted it to be low calorie, and low carbohydrate.

This is good with veal or eggplant.  

Food as Medicine:

This is very low carb, high protein, diabetic friendly and downright good.  This has an extra load of lycopene if you use the sauce recipe linked here.  Lycopene is a great antioxidant.  I like to think of my recipes as good preventive medicine.  Good eats, with good nutrition value.  Free range organic meats are best for you.  I can't help thinking that hormones that plump up chickens and cows, can't help but do the same to us.  The ratios of omega 3 to omega 9 are much higher in the free range animals.  The omega 3 is what is so good for you, and also found in Salmon.  Omega 9 is what will raise you cholesterol, but coupled with the higher Omega 3 and in lower proportions the impact is far less when eating red meat.  I am not a doctor, or nutritionist, but you can look these facts up on the web.  It is easy information to find.  Here is a link to one of my favorite places for grass fed and free range meats.  They deliver to where I live, and I get over into their neck of the woods on occasion.  I don't work for them, but the advantages are worth looking at.  It is also good for the environment.

I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Zucchini Boats

Ingredients

One Quart Italian Tomato Sauce, I use my own sauce

1 pound ground meat-beef, turkey or chicken

1 Cup Cheese, I used the Cheddar and Colby Jack for this photo, but mozzarella works great also.

4 Medium Zucchini

Preparation

Heat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

Brown the ground meat, and add the Italian Sauce to the meat.  I use really lean meat, but if there is lots of grease or water drain that off.  I have used almost any kind of canned sauce for this, but prefer my own home canned.  Keep sauce warm on the stove while prepping the other ingredients.

While the sauce is warming up, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise.  Use a melon baller to remove the seeds, and make the boat shape.  Be sure to leave some of the zucchini for the flavor.

Place the zucchini in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.  I don't like to cook tomato sauce  in a metal pan unless it is coated with ceramic or enamel.  Tomatoes are acidic, and will corrode metal pans, and give your dish a metallic taste. Yuk.

Fill the zucchini's center cavity with the meat sauce.  And sprinkle the cheese on top.

Bake the dish in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until a fork stuck into the zucchini indicates that it is cooked completely.  The zucchini should be tender, but not mushy.  If the zucchini are really large, don't put the cheese on right away.  You really only want to melt it, so wait for the last 10 to 15 minutes to add it.  If you stick with the medium size, then I just add the cheese right away and save myself some time.

Since I'm a cheap date, I like to serve this with Riunite Lambrusco wine, and a salad made with my own homemade Herb Salad Dressing:

Juice of One or Two lemons, about 1/4 cup of juice
1/2 Cup of Good Light Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of Penzey's Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder

If you like a sweeter dressing I use some Stevia Powder, just a small pinch, but sugar will also work if you don't have a problem with it.  I don't recommend Truvia or any Xylitol sweetener as this puts the flavor off.  I sometimes want some sweet, and other times not.

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake to emulsify the dressing.  If you add some citric acid (Fruit Fresh), or vitamin C crushed up it will last about one month in fright, but will last two weeks in the refrigerator with no preservative.  (Chemist meets Food Science.) Yes, I used the word "preservative", however, citric acid and vitamin C are good for you stuff; see the links.  It is all that stuff with the weird names, that aren't good for you.

I hope you enjoy these.  I grew one zucchini plant this year for the first time.  I have enough zucchini to feed an army.  I have frozen tons of it, and use it in everything I can.  LOL

Fresh Italian Tomato Sauce for Canning

It’s easier than you think.

INGREDIENTS

20 pounds of Roma Tomatoes[1]

2 medium onions

2-6 garlic cloves-to taste or Substitute 3 tablespoons Tastefully Simple Garlic-Garlic

Scant 1/2 cup of Good Olive Oil

2-187 mL Merlot Red Wine[2]

3 Tablespoon Italian Herb Mix-I prefer Penzy’s as it is very good quality.

2 Tablespoon Dried Sweet Basil-also from Penzy’s

4 Bay Leaves

2 Teaspoon of Ground Stevia[3]

2 Teaspoon Sea Salt-for low sodium users, but it is still marvelous,add to your              taste. You really don’t need any salt to can this.

Fresh ground pepper mélange to taste-black will be adequate if no mélange is available.

1 Teaspoon High Quality Cocoa Powder[4]

1 Teaspoon ground red pepper flake.  Just process with the flat blades of you magic bullet or other such grinder.

INSTRUCTIONS

Tomato Pereparation

Use the large jar on a magic bullet, or a blender.  I prefer the magic bullet as it pulverizes them better, but you can get more in the blender.  Clean the roma tomatoes, and take most of the seeds out ( don’t worry if they don’t all come out.) 

I leave the skins on the tomatoes, as they are pulverized in the processor. This dramatically increases the lycopene in the sauce; as the skins are where most of it is.  It also reduces the preparation time.  You won’t even know the skins are in there.  Along with a couple of bullets full I will throw in the onions and garlic, if used, to also pulverize.  That way all those finicky eaters will not even know they are there (read grandson here.)

I squish as many tomatoes into the jar of the bullet as possible, and shove the blades into the jar and whip it up.  If you are using a blender, don’t pack it in like that as it won’t process as easily.  There may be some small chunks, but they will cook down, and disappear. Pour this into a non-resistive pan, like ceramic, or enamel or Teflon (without scratches).  You do not want to cook tomatoes in a metal pot, as they pick up the metallic taste, yuk.  Tomatoes are extremely acidic, and will actually begin to corrode a metal pot, which is what gives it a metallic taste when cooked for as long as this sauce will need to cook.

Once all the tomatoes, onions and garlic are ground up, I add all the rest of the ingredients.  Let this cook uncovered for at least 2 hours or more, until it is reduced to a consistency that you like.  Make sure that you stir this occasionally as it might burn, but if the heat is low enough to prevent it from splattering all over the stove, then it shouldn’t stick or burn.  I will taste this about 1 hour into the cooking, and adjust the seasoning.  Make sure you let this cook in a while before going to the next step.

This is enough for about 7 pints.  You will process these according to the instructions found on-line from USDA or the Ball Blue book.  I will add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the can.  Some things to think of are removing the air bubbles with a knife or tool designed for this, by running it down the sides of the jar; fill jar leaving ½ inch head space.  Sanitize the jars and tools by placing them in the boiling water of the canner, I just leave the empty jars in the water until I’m ready to fill them. 

If you want to make more, just increase the seasonings accordingly.  I find this to be an excellent size for how my home garden produces tomatoes.  By the end of the season I will have about 28 pints, with very little effort.  I use an organic growing method, so my tomatoes don’t require enormous amounts of cleaning.  If you use commercially grown tomatoes, clean them well.  I would even remove the skins from those, just to reduce the amount of pesticides that I ingest.

Ideas for Use

I add ground beef to mine for meat sauce.  I make spaghetti and baked zucchini boats.  This is also good as a sauce for chicken or veal parmesan.  Recipes on the way shortly, just have to make them so I have pictures for the recipes. 

I always leave a little out for a meal instead of canning it all.  This is wonderful the next day; it actually improves with age, as do most tomato based sauces.  

Enjoy.  

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[1] You can use others but they all have more water, so add a few more pounds of tomatoes, and longer cooking time. I did find that having some sweeter tomatoes like early girls and grape in the batch improved the taste a bit.

[2] I use two of the bottles from the small 4 pack bottles; the sauce is richer because of this.

[3] This is Green powder, but white powder if adequate if it isn’t available; this cuts acid in tomatoes without added calories.

[4] Use this in all your tomato based sauces, soups and stews to add a rich flavor to the sauce, but no chocolate taste.