Chef Penny Moline shows you how anyone can cook with passion! Keep it simple, Keep it fresh, Keep it safe. And share it with someone you love!

The safest way to thaw your turkey is in a refrigerator.  Other methods like running cold water over the turkey, (which think about how much water you waste... because the water needs to be running over the turkey at all times) or putting it in a mircowave oven, or putting it on the kitchen counter to thaw are not safe.  You run the risk of bacterial growth and contamination....think how terrible it would be to have all your Thanksgiving guest get sick....

I would like you to do a couple of things with your turkey to keep you safe....

First:  Thaw your turkey in your refrigerator. 
                                                                       8 to 12 pound turkey  2 to 3 days
                                                                       13 to 16 pound turkey 3 to 4 days
                                                                       17 to 20 pounds 4 to 5 days
                                                                        21 to 24 pounds 5 to 6 days

After your turkey has been thawed....be sure you wash it under cold water....and BE SURE TO TAKE THE GIBLETS AND THE NECK FROM INSIDE THE TURKEY....BEFORE COOKING!


                                                                                        

Crust:
2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup ground almonds
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick of butter melted

In medium size bowl mix together dry ingredients.  Stir in melted butter.  Mix until moistened and press into the bottom of a spring form pan.  Set aside.

Filling:
8 ounces white baking chocolate
4 packages of 8 ouncs cream cheese  (32 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a double broiler melt the white chocolate and set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat room tempature cream cheese, and sugar until whipped and fluffy.  Add eggs and yolks bit by bit beating after each additon.  Add flour and vanilla and mix breifly to combine.
Pour into crust and bake at 350 for 45 to 55 minutes or until when shaken gently...about the size of a quarter is wobbly.
Turn off oven and leave with door closed for 30 minutes to an hour.  chill for 1 hour.

Raspberry sauce:

1 10 ounce package frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Place in a sauce pan and cook until the raspberries are sofented and the sauce is thick. Strain thru a china cap, and cool...  Drizzle on cake.  Choclate swirls would be a beautiful and fresh raspberries to decorate.

1 box graham crackers
2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding (you can use any flavor you like)
1 small container of cool whip
3 cup milk

Icing
3/4 cup cocoa
5 ounces butter melted
4 tablespoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons milk

Spray a 9 by 13 pan.  Line the pan with whole graham crackers.  Mix pudding with 3 cups of milk...beat well and then blend in cool whip.  Pour 1/2 of this over the graham crackers.  Place more graham crackers on top of pudding and do  another layer of graham crackers.  Make the icing, spread 1/2 of the icing on crackers.  Pour the rest of the pudding on the icing.  Place another layer of crackers on pudding.  Spread the rest of the icing on crackers.  Refrigerate.

A student of mine gave me this recipe.... I couldn't get enough...hope you enjoy!

Brownie:
7 ounce butter
3/4 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup flour

melt the butter and add the cocoa.  Mix until combined.  add the sugar, salt, vanilla.  Mix well.  Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition.  Mix in the flour.  Pour batter into a 9 by 13 pan and cook for 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.  Take out and let cool completely.

Make chocolate frosting and spread over the brownies.  This is the fun part.... mix and Mash the brownies and frosting until it is all combined.  If the brownies are falling apart, place in the fridge to help set it.  Roll into balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Place in the freezer for 5 minutes. 

Melt 2 cups of chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons crisco.  Remove the brownies from the freezer and dip each on in the melted chocolate.  Place back on the parchment and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

Remove from the freezer....and enjoy!

Fresh cranberries or frozen whole 12 ounces
sugar 1 cup
water 1 cup
orange zest from 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick

Combine ingredients and simmer 15 minutes.  Take off from heat and chill.  Wonderful!

Cream Cheese 1 pounds
sugar 1 cup
eggs 4 each
egg yolks 3 each
pumpkin 1 pound
flour 3 tablespoons
cinnamon 2 teaspoons
clove 1 teaspoon
ginger 1 teaspoon
vanilla 1 tablespoon
heavy cream 1 cup

Cream the cream cheese, sugar, add eggs, and egg yolks.  Add pumpkin and cream.  Add flour and spices to combine.
Add vanilla and heavy cream and mix.   Pour into a crumb crust.
Bake 400 degrees for 15 minutes reduce to 275 and bake about 45 minutes.

2/3 cup butter or shortening
2 2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin (16 ounce)
1/2 cup water
3 1/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
2/3 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips

heat oven to 350 degress.  Mix sugar and butter or shortening.  Add eggs pumpkin and water, mix in flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder cinnamon and cloves.  Stir in nuts or chocolate chips.  Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes.  Frost with cream cheese frosting! 

Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream cheese 8 ounces
butter 4 ounces
powdered sugar 1 pound
vanilla 2 teaspoons

Cream the cream cheese and butter add sugar and vanilla.

6 large beef steak tomatoes washed.


1 clove garlic minced
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
1/2 cup gouda cheese grated
1/4 cup parmesan grated
1/2 cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix ingredients together.  Cut the top off from the beefsteak tomato and cafefully scoop out the inside and reserve.  Using a melon baller is great for this.  Divide the filling between the tomatoes.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.  Use the inside part of the tomato as a garnish so chop that up small.  Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with a stem of basil.  Beautiful..  Mozzarella cheese could be used instead of the gouda or it it in additon!

Crepe Batter:
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted bitter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
Melted butter for your pan

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Combine the wet ingredients.  Add together and mix until batter is smooth.  Let rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.  You can store this for up to 12 hours.
Heat your crepe pan or small omlette pan.  Brush with butter.  Add enough crepe batter to coat the bottom of the pan give it a swirl and a a twril to ensure it is coated.  Reduce your heat until the bottom has a little bit of color.  Using a rubber spatula loosen the crepe off the bottom of the pan and turn over.  Cook until a little bit of color.  Stack the crepes between layers of waxed paper as you make more.

Cheese Filling:
1 1/2 cup cottage cheese
3 ounces cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract

Place the cream cheese in a food processor or blender or a stand mixer for that matter and blend until smooth.  Add cottage cheese and blend until very smooth.  Stir in a bowl the sugar, eggs and vanilla and add the cream cheese and cottage cheese by hand.  Keep this in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Coulis:
1 pound fresh or frozen berries, strawberries, raspberries, blue berries, marion berries any that float your boat or a combo of them
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Combine berries, sugar and lemon juice and cook on the stove until the sugar has dissolved.  Taste and add more sugar if needed. ( If it turns out too thin for you... add a slurry of corn starch and cold water and place back on the stove.  1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons of corn starch to the same amount of cold water.)

water 1 cup
butter 6 tablespoons
salt 1/8 teaspoon
All purpose flour 1 cup
eggs 3 each
cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon

Bring water to a boil, add butter, salt and heat until butter has melted and water is at a boil
Add flour all at once
beat until smooth and cook for about 4 to 8 minutes until some of the starch has left the flour
remove from heat and cool slightly, add in eggs one at a time
Add cinnamon
Fry in oil unitl golden brown
roll in additional sugar and cinnamon