Pastry Cream

All purpose pastry cream, but I will be using this for Taiyaki filling! Maybe with strawberries?

I followed the recipe and instructions from Instructables except I scalded the mlk/butter on the stove instead of using a microwave and did a few other things my own way.  All ingredients are from the site, I mostly followed their directions, but the instructions are a combination of my words and theirs.  Original recipe can be found here:

https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-Creme-Taiyaki-Custard-Filled-Waffle-Fi/

Ingredients for Custard Filling

• 1 3/4 Cup of Milk
• 4 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 1/2 Cup of Sugar
• 5 Tablespoons of Flour
• 2 Tablespoons of Cornstarch
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
  
  Cut the butter and add to milk in heavy bottomed sauce pot on the stove - scald the milk by bringing to 180* - when bubbles are just about to start.  Then cool to 110* before using in recipe.
  
  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then whisk 4 egg yolks in a larger bowl until they lighten in texture and color.  Add the dry ingredients to the egg yolks and whisk until combined into a smooth, thick paste.  When the milk/butter has cooled, add about 1/3 cup to the yolk mixture and whisk until smooth.  Repeat until all the milk is incorporated.  Wipe out the pot, place a strainer over the pot and slowly pour the mixture back into the pot.  Put over low/low-med burner and whisk continuously - make sure that you have everything you need ready to go because this becomes even more critical the longer you are into the cook! 
  
  The custard will begin to thicken - when it becomes very thick and starts pulling away from the sides remove from heat and continue whisking for an additional minute or so - err on the side of longer. Remove custard to low flat container to cool - lay plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and cover completely.  Cool as quickly as possible - I put an ice pack below it and an ce pack in a paper lunch bag on top of the plastic wrap before refrigerating for at least 2 hours.
  
  For pipings and fillings for things like creme puffs and regular uses, whisk it until smooth and its ready to use.  For Taiyaki, I am thinking I may want to try it thiccccccc and unwhisked.  Will discuss in Taiyaki post.

Chicken (turkey/whatever) Por Pie

Nailed it last time and annoed iwthin an inch of my life that I coulsdn't find the recipe I based it off of ... that one had more veg ... the only thing i wouled have changed last time was using less vef.  Let's go ...

Preheat oven to 350*

Thaw 1 Cup frozen mixed veg (maybe more?)

1 can condensed Cream of Chicken soup

2 pie crusts

3 C cooked shredded/cubed/whatever chicken/turkey/whatever

Combine chicken/turkey/whatever, soup and veg - salt and pepper to taste - press one pie crust into bottom of 9 inch pie plate (bonus points: separate one egg - brush bottom crust with egg white only, mix yolk and remaining egg white with a splash of milk and use as egg wash for top pie cruat).  Or you could blind bake the bttom pie crust ... or use any or all of the above in whatever combination you choose.  Or not - I usually don't bother and ...whatever!), pour in filling, top with second pie crust and cust a vent in the center.  Bake 40-45+ min until golden, let set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Yissssssss.

There is also leftover mashed potatoes and fancy potatoes - future variations should include mashed potato toppintg and/or fancy potato incluaions.  There is an orphan pie crust that needs used ... thinking BOTH. Maybe cream of mushroom soup and usine only green beans instead of mixed veg and getting those leftover fried onions into the mashed potato topping for a sort of green bean casserole leaning pot pie ...

Chocolate Chip Cookies

 2.25 C AP Flour

Cranberry Relish

1 bag (12 oz) fresh whole Cranberries, sorted through, washed and drained well
1 large Navel Orange - sliced into wedges, skin and all
1 large Red Delicious Apple - sliced into wedges, barely cored, mostly to remove seeds
1/2 - 1 C granulated sugar - matter of taste, tradition calls for 1 C but I experiment with going lower

This is my Grandma McLellan's recipe - not sure where she got it from, but this is a recipe she always made for the holidays and I always made with her using her white KitchenAid stand mixer that she bought on the day that the plane flew into the Empire State Building in the 1940's (need to look that up and link it ...)  My mom still has the grinder attachment for it that we used - the mixer finally gave up its last a few years ago so the relish making fell to me and my setup.

Traditionally this is a 1-1-1-1 recipe: 1 bag of cranberry, 1 navel orange, 1 apple (my grandmother always used red delicious - I have never tried another variety - its purpose is to blend into the background and add to the sweetness to balance the orange and cranberry) and 1 cup of sugar.  I have experimented with lowering the sugar and have been happy with the results I get anywhere from 1/2 cup for a nice tart condiment where you can really taste the orange and cranberry to the full 1 cup that is just sweet and tangy and wonderful and works so well with turkey or ice cream or ... so many things.

Just slice the apple and orange into wedges that will fit well into your grinder of choice - I use a KitchenAid stand mixer with their sold-separately grinder attachment - and run those and the cranberries that you have sorted through to remove bad ones, washed and dried through the grinder into a bowl,  Once everything is ground, add the sugar.  I would suggest adding 3/4C of sugar to start (unless you really like straight up cranberry and orange flavor - start at 1/2 C!) - mix well with the ground fruit, store in fridge, give it a mix the next day as the flavors will have continued to blend.  If you want it sweeter, add more sugar at this point, mix well and come back in a few hours, mix and taste again.  But before adding more sugar than you started with, give it a chance to meld together.

Green Bean Cssserole

340 g frozen French cut green beans, thawed
10.5 oz can Cream of Mushroom soup
1.5 C Fried onions - 1 C + 1/2 C ... plus maybe more ...

Oven to 350

Than the beans and drain well. Mix with the cream of mushroom and at least 1 C of fried onions and put in casserole dish.  Bake 30 min - remove from oven and top with at least 1/2 C fried onions, bake additional 10 min and remove 

~fin~

gravy w/o drippings

 ganked from:

https://thetoastykitchen.com/how-to-make-gravy-without-drippings/

Ingredients

Basic gravy

• ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
• 16 ounces (453 g) broth, chicken, turkey, or vegetable
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt, to taste

Thanksgiving gravy (optional additions)

• ½ small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Instructions

Basic gravy

• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
• Whisk in flour until no lumps remain. Cook for one minute.
• Slowly add broth to pan, whisking to incorporate. Add pepper and whisk to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, for about 5-7 minutes, or until desired thickness is achieved.
• Remove pan from heat and season with salt to taste.

Thanksgiving gravy

• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add minced onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
• Whisk in flour until no lumps remain. Cook for one minute.
• Slowly add broth to pan, whisking continuously. Add poultry seasoning and pepper, whisking to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, for about 5-7 minutes, or until desired thickness is achieved.
• Remove pan from heat and season with salt to taste.

Notes

• Gravy can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months. 
• If frozen, transfer your gravy from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before serving to thaw.
• Reheating gravy: Pour gravy into a saucepan and warm over medium heat. Whisk until warmed through. Add water as needed if gravy is too thick. 
• Don't have poultry seasoning? Try adding a combination of thyme, rosemary, and sage instead. 
• Chicken broth can be substituted with any type of broth you have on hand, like turkey, beef, pork, or vegetable broth.
• How much gravy do you need per person? Plan to prepare between ⅓ to ½ cup of gravy per person, erring on the higher end for holidays like Thanksgiving.
• If doubling or tripling this recipe, gravy will take longer to cook and thicken

Tenshinsan

 Sauce:

3 tsp potato/corn starch
3/4 C chicken broth
1 T sugar
2 T Soy sauce
1/2 T unseasoned rice vinegar
1/2 T Sake

Omelet: 

4 eggs
4 scallions
    whites to cook ahead of omelet
    2/3 greens to add to omelet mixture
   1/3 greens for garnish
Surimi - about 6? sticks - lost track - think it was 6 

1    Heat neutral oil in skillet - add scallion whites - cook until soft

2    Add enough neutral oil to pan to equal about 1 T ... then add about 1 T sesame oil

3    Mix omelet ingredients together -when oil in skillet is hot, add omelet ingredients to skillet

4    Gently stir while cooking into large, soft curd style omelet - when done, turn out onto rice

meanwhile in sauceland ...

Combine all ingredients COLD, bring to boil over med/high heat and reduce until thicker, bubbly and shiny

Omelet goes over fresh, hot, fluffy rice, sauce goes over omelet, reserved scallion greens go over sauce

~fin~