Older Bolder Life

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the (Pre) Thanksgiving Friday Feast: The Ultimate Adobo Turkey

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Years ago (and by that I actually mean several decades ago) there was a small quarterly magazine featuring spicy foods of the American Southwest published out of Albuquerque that we subscribed to.

It was simply titled Chile, in all honestly wasn’t that professionally done, but was packed with great recipes, tips and tricks for growing chiles of all sorts, and a smattering of advertising for all things chile-heads loved back in that day. Sadly, and I’m guessing in part given their laser-sharp focus on spicy foods of the Southwest, the magazine vanished in 2006 or 2007, leaving behind little or no trace of their prior work.

We folded a number of their recipes into our family food lexicon, including one for what they called a recado turkey, which was a turkey rubbed with a vinegar and olive oil based rub, actually more like a slather, rich with toasted and coarsely ground peppers and other big, vibrant spices.

Truth be told, it wasn’t my wife’s favorite turkey preparation – the flavors were pretty bold and could be almost astringent at times – but the kids and I loved it, enough that we’d often do two turkeys (especially if entertaining), one a classic brined and roasted bird, and then our special recado turkey.

Much to my chagrin the back issue of Chile which holds the magic recado recipe is packed in storage in another state right now, and several friends and I have been chatting this past week about different ways to spice up the menu for Thanksgiving next week.

As we often do when we’re searching out novel preparations for creative and spicy foods featuring the melting pot cuisine of Texas and the Southwest, I reached out to Chef Libby in Austin and she suggested we give her Ultimate Adobo Turkey a spin. She described it as a pretty classic spin on adobo, built around two acids for tartness (cider vinegar and freshly squeezed orange juice), an impressive handful of toasted guajillo and ancho chiles along with fresh garlic, and a well-balanced spice array.

I was easily convinced to give the recipe a spin, and decided to incorporate the cooking method that the team at Bon Appetite is pushing this year – cutting up your turkey into several more manageable pieces pre-roasting, almost akin to spatchcocking, but with two distinct advantages. One, with the legs and wings removed, it’s much easy to slather everything with the adobo. And two, the cut-up turkey cooks much faster, with both sides browning well when using the rack. The turkey pictured was a smaller one (about eleven pounds), but I think we’ll be using this method for years to come no matter how big the bird.

The adobo is outrageously good; Libby folds at least half a cup into her favorite gravy recipe when serving on her own table or for catering gigs, and a couple of tablespoons folded into your homemade avocado oil mayo recipe will change your leftover turkey sandwiches forever.

You’ll want to try this one – it’s hands down the best turkey prep we’ve ever enjoyed.

8 dried guajillo chiles
6 dried ancho chiles
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp + 1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme leaves
1 inch of cinnamon stick, smashed
4 whole allspice
2 cloves
2/3 cup ACV
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
1 tbsp good salt

Wipe the chiles clean, then stem, seed, and toast in a large skillet (cast iron wins here) over medium-high heat until fragrant, pliable, and slightly changed in color.

Place the toasted chiles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water and soak until softened (20-25 minutes). Drain the soaking liquid when softened.

While the chiles are soaking, toast the spices over medium-low heat until fragrant; keep them moving in the pan so they don’t burn (this should only take 2-3 minutes).

Into your trusty blender goes the ACV, orange juice, oil, toasted spices, garlic, salt, and the soaked – and drained – chiles; puree until very smooth. Be patient here, the mixture will likely be thick (add more orange juice if liquid is needed to get it moving), and you want to be sure and break up the whole spices.

Prep your turkey (see the discussion above), pat it dry, the coat all the turkey pieces with the adobo, reaching as far under the skin as you can. Place the rubbed turkey/turkey pieces on a rack in a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and throw in the fridge for at least 8 hours and up to a day.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425, and line a clean baking sheet with three layers of foil, top with a clean rack, and then arrange the turkey/turkey pieces atop the rack. Add 1 cup of water to the baking sheet. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes at this temperature, rotating the rack front to back at 15 minutes.

Reduce the oven to 300, add water to the pan if needed, and continue to roast until the breast temp reads 150 and the thighs 170 on an instant read thermometer, adding water every to the roasting pan every thirty minutes or so as needed. Total cooking time depends on your turkey size, but should be somewhere around 75-90 minutes.

When done, tent (loosely) with foil and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving (60 is better).

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Monday: Curry Vinaigrette

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We’re always on the lookout for interesting and flavorful vinaigrettes, not only for the obvious use as salad dressing, but as a quick dip or drizzle for proteins and vegetables, and even for folding into homemade avocado oil mayo to fancy things in the spirit of a high-brow, flavored aioli.

I’ve shared recently that we’ve also been on something of a curry blitz of late now that the weather has finally cooled off here in North Texas, and this Curry Vinaigrette has caught my wife’s eye in particular.

Admittedly the tablespoon (or a tad less) of curry powder sounds like a lot – it is – but the acids (vinegar of your choice below and the lemon juice) really balance this dressing out nicely, as do the garlic and dijon mustard notes. By the way, I’ve made this using a coarse-grind Creole type mustard and it was delicious as well.

Given the use of fresh garlic this dressing should be used within a week of making it; ours is always gone within a day or two!

1/2 cup avocado or good olive oil
1 tbsp (scant) good fresh curry powder

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, your choice
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp good Dijon mustard
A grind or two of fresh ground pepper
Good salt to taste

To get started, bring the curry powder and your oil of choice to a gentle simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and cool.

When the oil has cooled, combine your vinegar of choice, the lemon juice, the prepped garlic, and the Dijon in your trusty blender, then stream in the curry oil (with the motor running of course) to make a smooth, thick emulsion. Add the salt and pepper, adjust to taste, and go to it.

Will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Texican Skirt Steak Stir Fry

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This past week I’ve been chatting now and again with new friend Lucia about some of the great fusion cuisine we’ve both enjoyed lately down here in Texas.

Lucia hails originally from the Northeast, though recently lived in Houston while attending Rice University and she grew to love the amazing food culture in Houston during her years there. Her stories of enjoying some of the hole in the wall places serving up Korean and Tex Mex fusion dishes particularly resonated with my wife and I, as we’ve spent time in Houston as well enjoying some of the same foods. To be perfectly honest, my wife and I have enjoyed the Asian influence on Texas cuisine for years now, including the Vietnamese and Thai influences that have been simmering under the Long Star for decades.

That said, we’re big fans of skirt steak, given its deep beefy flavor, quick cook whether grilled or sautéed, attractive price point, and the fact it is most often used to make the classic fajita / taco of choice in these parts.

We’ve been playing around with several quick stir fries using skirt, and have finally settled this one, weaving together an Asian-inspired spice and seasoning array with classic Texas-styled fajitas, including sweet onions (1015s in these parts), poblanos, and a couple of red jalapeños for pop and color.

Slicing the skirt (against the grain of course) thinly makes for a quick cook; use high heat, cook quickly, and get a nice sear on the skirt before removing it to give the vegetables time to soften and gain some color.

As always, consider this a base recipe to work from, and throw in whatever suits you – red bells or Mediterraneo Dulce peppers for instance – and there’s plenty of room to adjust the spices as well, though the combination below is amazingly tasty.

1 and 1/2 lb. skirt steak, trimmed, sliced across the grain into 1/4-inch (or less) thick strips
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 and 1/2 tsp + 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 and 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 and 1/2 tsp granulated sugar (optional)

2 medium sweet onions, trimmed, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1-2 medium poblanos, stemmed, seeded, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1-2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds (optional)
3-inch piece of ginger, peeled, sliced into thin rounds

1 tbsp avocado oil (perhaps just a bit more)
2-4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3 tbsp grass-fed unsalted butter (in several pieces
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Combine the sliced skirt steak with the sesame oil, 1.5 tsp tamari or soy sauce, salt, and sugar; stir to combine well, cover and set aside for 30 minutes or so (if longer, throw it in the fridge).

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables and gather (mise en place) the rest of the ingredients.

Heat your large skillet over high heat, add the oil, then spread the marinated meat in a single layer and sauté undisturbed (DON’T turn the meat!) for 2-3 minutes until it begins to brown around the edges. Now stir the steak, turning to brown the uncooked side for another minutes. Now remove the steak to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the sliced onions and poblanos, tossing now and again until they being to soften (5-6 minutes or more); add the sliced jalapeños and ginger and cook another 2 minutes.

Now return the meat to the pan, add 1/3 cup water and the fresh ground pepper, stir well, and cook another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are as soft as you’d like and the ingredients have a glossy coating.

Remove from the heat, stir in the butter pieces, lemon juice, and remaining tamari or soy sauce until all ingredients are well-coated. Taste and adjust for salt, then serve hot and go to it.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Vegetable Monday: Curry Dressed Carrot and Beet Salad

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Here’s a somewhat unusual salad we’ve recently been playing around with as part of our all things curry run we’ve been enjoying the past few weeks – a Curry Dressed Carrot and Beet Salad. It’s one you can put together any time of year given the availability of the root vegetables, and would certainly fit very well on a well-rounded holiday table these next few months.

While I happen to love beets in just about any form, my lovely wife is a bit more skeptical, and she originally thought this dish might be too ‘beet-forward’; no problem – slicing the beets very thinly (mandoline ideally or by a careful hand) and salting them for a short time softens them yet keeps the beets delightfully crunchy.

We thought the real star of this salad was the curry vinaigrette; it’s ridiculously easy to put together, very well balanced (not bitter at all with the amount of curry), and delicious. We’ll be pouring this dressing over salads and other roasted vegetables all winter…

1/2 cup avocado or good olive oil
1 tbsp good fresh curry powder (see note above)

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tbsp good Dijon mustard

3 -4 small to medium beets, peeled, thinly sliced on mandoline
3-4 medium carrots, peeled, shaved into ribbons with a veg peeler or a spiralizer
Lemon juice to taste
Good salt to taste

Optional
1/3 to 1/2 cup toasted pistachios

Over medium heat in a small saucepan, bring the curry powder and you oil of choice to a simmer, then remove from heat and cool.

While the oil is cooling, we like to go ahead and prep the beets, place them in a medium bowl, sprinkle with generous pinch of salt and let them rest for 10-15 minutes (they soften slightly). When the time has passed, come back and prep the carrots and add to the bowl.

To make the dressing, combine the ACV, the prepped garlic, and the Dijon in your trusty blender, then stream in the curry oil (with the motor running of course) to make a smooth, thick emulsion. Taste for salt and adjust, then pour over the vegetables, tossing gently.

Season with a spritz of lemon juice, taste and adjust for lemon and salt one final time, and top with the toasted pistachios if using.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Coconut Yogurt Chicken Stew

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After a number of particularly hot weeks during the first half of what most of the country calls the “fall season”, cooler weather, complete with fog, rain, and some blustery winds, has finally arrived in our neck of the woods.

We have a number of soups and stews that we’ve always enjoyed in our late fall – early winter rotation, though lately we’ve been leaning toward Indonesian and Indian flavors and recipes, often using coconut milk and a number of warming spices like curry, cumin, and cloves.

This Coconut Yogurt Chicken Stew is a prime example; it’s modeled after a Somali recipe recently reviewed on Bon Appetite and suggested by our friend Chef Libby down in Austin. After tinkering with it a bit, we upped the heat with more peppers, adjusted the spices to a bolder profile, and subbed in healthier sweet potato (purple sweet potatoes winning the prize here).

The original recipe called for chicken thighs, which are unquestionably delicious, but we think it’s even better with shrimp or an assortment of meaty mushrooms.

This is one of those recipes that looks complicated but really isn’t; you’ll be much more efficient if you mise en place your ingredients as you cook through. And, by the way, this recipe is probably even better after sitting for a day or two, so cook the full recipe as shown and enjoy it again a few days down the road.

And finally, a note for the keto police – yep, that’s steamed rice in the images above. Both my wife and I have increased our daily activity volumes fairly dramatically over the past several months, and have added a bit more carb occasionally – like the scoop of steamed riced in the images here.

3 medium tomatoes, cored, rough chop
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, rough chop
2-3 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, rough chop
1 large serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded, rough chop

1/2 cup EVOO or avocado oil
2 large onions, large dice
2-3 large garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
1.5 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped (might want more)
1 and 1/2 tbsp good, fresh curry powder (see note above)
1 and 1/2 tbsp fresh ground cumin
1 and 1/2 tsp fresh ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Kosher salt, see below

1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt
2 tbsp organic tomato paste
1 large sweet potato, scrubbed, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 large carrot, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, breasts, mushrooms, or shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (14-ounces) full fat coconut milk
1 cup cilantro, rough chop, including small tender stems

To serve
Additional chopped cilantro
Cauliflower rice (or steamed rice)
Fresh spinach

To get started, mise en place at least the first 14 ingredients (down through the spice list). Now blend together the chopped tomatoes, red bell, and the two spicy peppers; we like to leave a bit of texture here; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot, then sauté the onion and garlic until they begin to soften, note you’re really not trying to add any color to the mixture at this point. Now quickly stir in the ginger, curry powder, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, and a generous pinch or two of salt; stir until well combined and fragrant (wow, this smells so good) for another couple of minutes.

Now stir in the tomato paste and then the yogurt; cover and simmer for 1o-12 minutes. Add the prepped sweet potato and carrot, cover again and simmer for another 16-18 minutes.

Finally stir in the coconut milk, chicken (or mushrooms or shrimp), and the roughly chopped cup of cilantro and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced a bit.

We typically enjoy this one over riced cauliflower (or the occasional “real” rice) or a bed of fresh baby spinach, topped with more cilantro and a dash of the hot sauce of the week.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Creamy Mushroom Sauté

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A couple of weekends ago, a new friend who happens to be the executive chef of an up and coming restaurant group here in the DFW metro chatted me up about the simplicity of what is in reality a culinary masterpiece – fresh mushrooms sautéed until they’re crispy over fairly high heat in a carbon steel (or cast iron pan).

That conversation set me off hunting down some of the bounty of fresh mushrooms coming in this time of year, and fiddling around with several different approaches to the mushroom game.

My wife’s favorite has been simply mushrooms sautéed in avocado oil over high heat until they’ve developed a brown, crispy edge, then finished with a simple garlic-herb butter (use your imagination – and what’s on hand in terms of fresh herbs – to quickly pull one together to suit you).

One the other hand, my absolute favorite has been this Creamy Mushroom Sauté that Chef Libby in Austin sent me; she noted it was probably crafted initially to be served over pasta, and you can certainly venture down that pathway with your favorite gluten free or alternative grain pasta, though I think this one is damned tasty over cauliflower rice (I used this one for the images).

The lemon is essential, as is deglazing the pan with white wine or cognac, and using a good Parmesan really adds too.

See what fresh mushrooms you can dig up at your favorite higher end grocer and give this one a spin.

1 pound (or a little more) mixed fresh mushrooms, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
5 tbsp avocado oil or EVOO, divided
1 tbsp good salt (approximate)

2 shallots, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine (or cognac)
1 cup heavy cream
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp grass fed butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more at service
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

Heat 2 tbsp of your oil of choice in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook half the mushrooms in a single layer until the edges begin to crisp and brown – don’t move them for 3 minutes or so, then toss gently and brown all sides. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining mushrooms and 2 tbsp of oil, salting them lightly when removed from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the final tbsp of oil to the pan, then sauté the shallots until they begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook another two minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine or cognac, simmer to reduce by at least half. Add the cream, bring to a low boil, and simmer for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.

Now remove from the heat and immediately add the lemon juice and zest, butter, Parmesan, and plenty of pepper (to taste). Finally stir in the parsley and the crisped mushrooms and adjust for salt and pepper.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Monday: Quick Cucumber, Mint, and Onion Salad

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Now and then we like to throw together a quick salad for dinner or lunch; mostly on those days when my task list is long and time is short, and we’re hungry for some tasty, crunchy greens with a bright, interesting dressing.

This Quick Cucumber, Mint, and Onion Salad is one that we’ve been reaching for over and over again lately as we amble through a warmer than average fall season here in North Texas. With decent knife skills this one literally requires five minutes or less of hands-on prep time, is bright and colorful, and the mint adds a nifty flavor profile that’s a little out of the ordinary.

You can use any onion you have on hand; the salad is prettier with a red onion thinly sliced in (the last time I made it my only red onion had gone off, so a sweet white onion went in the salad in the pictures). Don’t have any Persian cucumbers at your market today? English cucumbers work great as well, and are pretty much available year round.

And play around with the vinegar; the recipe calls for unseasoned rice vinegar, though we’ve made it with a champagne vinegar we happened to have on hand and it was delicious as well.

6-7 Persian cucumbers, sliced thin OR
2 English hothouse cucumbers, sliced thin
1/2 small to medium (red) onion, thinly sliced into strips
1 and 1/2 tsp good salt, more to taste
1/4 unseasoned rice vinegar, though see note above
1/2 to 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, torn if very large
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional
1 tsp sugar of choice

Prep the cucumbers and onion, then combine gently in a mid-size bowl and toss gently with the salt. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes until the cucumbers begin to release some liquid; gently express as much liquid as you can from the cucumber and onion mixture, then transfer to a clean bowl.

Now toss the vegetables with the vinegar, pepper, and sugar if using, then the mint leaves; adjust for salt and pepper.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hash with Spicy Aioli

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Last weekend our kids in Montana (Livingston and Missoula, though the Missoula-based daughter was working a gig in Australia at the time) saw the first genuine snow-storm of the season roll down from Canada.

Our son and his wife in Livingston, at least during the cooler months of fall and spring and during the heart of winter, often make a “throw everything in” hash for brunch on their carb-refeed weekend day.

It’s still much more like summer than fall here in North Texas, but I’ve broken out some of our favorite hash recipes lately too, including this new favorite Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hash with Aioli.

Our friend Chef Libby sent a Bon Appetite link for a recipe very similar to this one recently, along with a list of the modifications she’s made to align the recipe more to the Texas-biased catering clientele she serves down in Austin. Libby has an amazing palate, and is immersed in the eclectic, Tex-Mex fusion food world that’s been simmering in Austin for some time now.

Using the drained chorizo (or sausage) drippings to flavor up a quick aioli is sheer genius; she favors the immersion blender method for making up a quick aioli (as do we); she most often blends in some chopped cilantro (perhaps some lime juice as well) when making a big batch, and said this dish, topped with a poached egg or two, with an interesting yet simple salad on the side is one of the most popular requests in her entire fall menu lineup.

2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch slices
Kosher salt

1/4 C + 1/2 C avocado oil (olive oil works well here, see note above)
1 pound fresh ground chorizo (or spicy Italian sausage)
1 medium onion (your choice, I like red here)
1 pepper of your choice (poblano, red bell, several jalapeños, etc), diced
1-3 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp cumin

For the aioli
1 large egg yolk
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 tsp fresh lemon juice (ACV in a pinch)
Reserved chorizo oil mixture
Salt to taste
Optional: 1-3 tbsp chopped cilantro

To serve
3-4 green onions, sliced on a steep diagonal
More ancho chile powder to sprinkle
Your favorite table salsa or hot sauce
Consider topping with a poached egg or two as well

Prep and slice the sweet potatoes, then parboil for 10-12 minutes until relatively easily pierced with a fork, drain, set aside to cool. When cool, cut the slices in half or quarters pending size.

While the sweet potatoes are cooling, heat 1/4 cup of avocado oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; now sauté the onion and pepper of choice for 3-4 minutes until they being to soften. Add the chorizo (or sausage), the ancho chile powder, and the cumin, then cook until browned and cooked through.

Now, for an unusual step – remove the skillet contents to a metal fine-mesh sieve set over a measuring cup; drain the chorizo thoroughly. You’re looking to harvest roughly a 1/4 cup of chorizo oil; when that much has collected, add another 1/2 cup to make 3/4 cup total.

Now it’s time to make the chorizo (or sausage) aioli. I’ll always use this technique to make aioli (or mayo); you can also do this by hand drizzling in the oil slowly. Otherwise, throw all the aioli ingredients into a tall, narrow container (yep, including the oil), and use your trusty immersion blender to stir up a smooth, beautiful chorizo aioli in seconds.

Now reheat the original skillet you used previously (add a tsp or two more oil if needed) and toss the chopped sweet potato pieces in, cooking with an occasional shake and turn until they’re beginning to crisp and brown.

Remove from the heat, quickly stir in the chorizo mixture and roughly half the aioli; mix well. Plate, top with the chopped green onions and what ever else you wish, drizzle with the remaining aioli and go to it.

Enjoy.