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Waiting all year for turkey soup!

We had bad luck with our turkey this year. For some reason an entire half refused to cook. I wound up carving half, which was more than ample to serve the five of us, and I threw the rest of the turkey—undercooked half, carcass and all— into the freezer. This morning I took it all out and turned it into a heavenly pot of soup. With a rich, smokey flavor, this is absolutely my favorite soup. The main ingredient is a turkey carcass, and you can usually find someone who is happy to part with theirs after the holiday. On more than one occasion I’ve left a Thanksgiving dinner with the carcass in a bag—the best possible party favor.

Turkey Soup

To make the stock:

  • 1 turkey carcass
  • extra gravy (optional)
  • 2 onions, halved
  • the leafy tops of a bunch of celery
  • a bunch of parsley
  • 2 Tbs. salt

To finish the soup:

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1-2 cups of greens, chopped: bok choy, kale or swiss chard
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 large sweet potato, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • egg noodles or matzo balls

In your largest pot, cover the turkey carcass half-way with water, add the other stock ingredients and bring to a boil. As the carcass cooks you’ll be able to break it apart and push it down so that the entire thing is covered with water. Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours. Strain out the broth into another large pot or into a very large bowl. Set the strained boney parts aside to cool. While that is cooling, add the rest of the soup ingredients to the stock, bring back to a boil, and let simmer. When the sweet potatoes are soft, mash some of them against the side of the pot, and then stir them back into the stock to thicken and sweeten the broth. When the bones are cool enough to handle, pick through them and remove all usable meat, then chop and add the meat to the soup. While the soup is heating, cook your noodles. To serve put a spoonful of noodles in the bottom of each bowl and then ladle over the soup.

Throw the carcass in your largest pot, along with the onions, parsley and celery tops. Cover half-way with water.

Strain the stock into another large pot or bowl.

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Cranberry-Orange Chutney

This has a magnificent color and is best served in a clear bowl. The lace-work beneath the bowl is a piano scarf made by my great-grandmother, Dora Ann, for whom I am named. Dora made the lace by hand.

From the Colorado Cache cookbook, this is our favorite thing to make with cranberries. The ingredients are bizarre but the complex flavor is extraordinary. This has become the only cranberry “relish” we serve at the holidays. It makes quite a bit, and will keep in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.

Cranberry Orange Chutney

  • 4 oranges, peeled, segmented and cut into 1/2″ pieces; and 1/4 c. thinly slivered orange rind
  • 1 lb. cranberries
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. orange juice
  • 1/4 c. crystalized ginger, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. Tabasco
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 whole clove garlic
  • 3/4 tsp. curry powder
  • 3/4 c. raisins

In a saucepan, heat everything except for the orange segments. Cook until the berries pop. Remove from heat. Discard the cinnamon and garlic. Stir in the oranges. Serve warm or chilled. Will keep for 6 weeks in the ‘fridge.

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Mandel Bread

Mandel bread is the most basic of Jewish cookies, and has always been a staple on our holiday cookie platter. They look like biscotti, but are as delicate and crumbly as a butter cookie. Crisp, browned, and crunchy, these cookies are not for soft-cookie lovers. The secret is that they are baked three times, slicing and rotating the cookies for even browning. For my husband, who happens to be a soft-cookie lover, I take out  some of the ends (which we lovingly refer to as the mandel butts) after the first bake so he can enjoy the goodness. Traditionally made with almonds (mandel=almond), feel free to substitute your favorite nut, to add mini chocolate chips or chopped, dried fruit.

 

Ingredients

  • ½ lb butter
  • 2 Tbs. Crisco
    (optional)*
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 3 c. flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • ½ c. chopped pecans
  • 1 c. mini chocolate chips
    (optional)

Directions

  1. Cream butter, Crisco and sugar.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla, and then the dry ingredients.
  3. Stir in the nuts and/or chips.
  4. Refrigerate dough for about 2 hours (or spread the dough thin along the edges of a metal bowl and freeze for 20 minutes).
  5. Hand roll into eight 1″ rolls, placed about 4 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets, then flatten using the palm of your hand.
  6. Bake at 350° for 20–25 mins, or until very slightly browned.
  7. Remove from oven and cut into ¾” diagonal slices, turn each cookie 90° onto a cut edge and return to oven to bake for another 8–10 mins.
  8. Remove from oven and flip each cookie over onto the other cut edge, return to oven for another 8–10 mins.
*makes a bit flakier cookie

After the first baking, the mandel bread is sliced. Use a very sharp knife (or one that is serrated) so that you are slicing through the dough without pushing it down.

Turn each cookie onto a cut edge, return to oven, repeat.

Members of our temple got together to bake on Sunday.

 

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Short-cut Chicken Soup with Rice

This rich and flavorful broth cured my cold.

I know I’m supposed to make chicken stock from scratch, but at the tail end of a cold, who wants to fuss with that? I wanted some chicken soup, and I wanted it in an hour.

Spicey, Ricey Chicken Soup

  • 3 qts. prepared chicken stock (I like College Inn brand)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2/3 c. uncooked brown rice
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 1/2 c. parsley, chopped
  • 1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, sliced thick
  • 2 cloved garlic, crushed
  • 1 lb. chicken tenders (boneless, skinless chicken breast)
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • salt to taste

Saute the onion in 2 Tbs. olive oil. When onion is soft, stir in the rice. After a minute or two, add 2 cups water along with all other ingredients except for the chicken and remaining olive oil. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into small, bite-sized chunks and brown in the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the chicken to the soup and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Season to taste.

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What to do with the leftovers: Brisket Soup

A meal in a bowl.

Jewish meat staple or not, moist and flavorful or not—my kids don’t like brisket. This is a small problem after I have just roasted six pounds of meat. Necessity being this mother’s nudge to invent, I developed Brisket Soup. It might look like vegetable beef soup to the kids, but I know better. Yesterday’s dinner: “I don’t care for brisket;” tonight’s soup, “thumbs up.”

Brisket Soup (Vegetable-Beef Soup)

  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 6 c. roasted, chopped brisket
  • 2 c. chopped cabbage (optional)
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 1 large sweet potato, chopped
  • 1 c. green beans, cut
  • 1/4 c. parsley, chopped
  • 1 Tbs. salt
  • pepper
  • 2/3 c. macaroni
  • 2/3-1 c. meat gravy
  • small can of chopped tomatoes (optional, if you want a tomato base)

Saute the onion in olive oil, add all ingredients except for the macaroni, Cover with 3-4″ of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 hours. Fifteen minutes before serving add the macaroni.

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    Beer-roasted Brisket—sublime?

    An electric knife is ideal for cutting this into the thinnest possible slices.

    Brisket is the easy-to-prepare, default, Jewish meat course, served at holiday meals, not uncommonly with the obligatory kugel side dish. We eat it because it’s tradition. Honestly, it’s usually neither here-nor-there, only made palatable by eating it with a generous dollop of apple sauce. This recipe, however, from my mom, results in a juicy and flavorful piece of meat.

    Doug and I were part of an interfaith group in Albuquerque, with whom we shared holiday meals. It was there that a writer friend labeled this brisket “sublime.” We’ve never quite figured out how a piece of beef could merit praise like “sublime,” but our friend clearly loved this recipe. Unlike other favorite recipes which can be made at the last minute, this is best cooked the day before. After the meat cools, it is easy to lift the cooled fat off from the meat juices; also the chilled meat slices beautifully into lovely, thin strips.

    Ruth’s Beer-roasted Brisket (best if prepared one day in advance)

    • 5 lb. brisket
    • 2 tsp. salt
    • 1/2 tsp. pepper
    • 2 onions, sliced
    • 4 stalks celery, sliced
    • 1 bottle chili sauce (look for Heinz or Del Monte brands, near the ketchup)
    • 1 beer

    Season beef with salt and pepper and put in a large roasting pan. Place onion, celery, and chili sauce on the meat, and add 1/4 c. water to bottom of pan. Roast uncovered at 325 degrees, basting often for 2-1/2 hours. Pour on the beer, cover and roast for an additional 1-1/2 hours.

    (If desired, at this point you may eat the meat. It will not slice very well, however it will be moist and tender like a delicious roast.)

    Let meat come to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Lift off fat and slice meat as thinly as possible. Place the meat back into the juices and reheat either on the stove top, or in the microwave.

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    Jam favorites: Blueberry Conserve & Spiced Cherry

    These two are the more unusual varieties of jam that I can.

    I like to buy these tiny 1/4-pint canning jars. Two or three of these sampler jars, packaged together, make a nice gift.

    Leo, my brother-in-law, loves spiced cherry jam and several years ago he asked me to make some. I’m sharing that recipe, developed after some trial and error. The blueberry conserve is a combination of blueberries, lemon and orange slices. Both of these are extra tart, and great on a biscuit with some strong coffee.

    For each of these recipes, cook up the ingredients until thick, as in any jam recipe. Then spoon into hot, sterilized jars and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

    Spiced Cherry Jam

    • 4 c. tart cherries
    • 2-1/2 c. sugar
    • 1 tsp. almond extract
    • 1 tsp. cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp. allspice
    • 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
    • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

    Blueberry Conserve

    • 4 c. blueberries
    • 3 c. sugar
    • 1 large lemon, peel and all, sliced paper thin, then cut in half
    • 1 medium orange, peel and all, sliced paper thin, then cut in half

    Here I am with this year's crop of canned jam. (photo by Max Walker)

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    Gert’s Yeast Cookies (Rugelach)

    These are my mother’s favorite cookie.

    This is, by far, the finest pastry in my mother’s recipe book—my Great Aunt Gert’s yeast cookie, which is a traditional rugelach. Some rugelach recipes use cream cheese while others use sour cream and yeast; this one uses them all. They are exquisitely delicate with a meringue filling that melts in your mouth.

     

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • ½ lb. butter (2 sticks)
    • 2/3 of an 8 oz package
      of cream cheese
    • 3 packages of yeast (6¾ tsp.)
    • 3 egg yolks, beaten
    • ½ c. sour cream
    • 4 c. of flour (or a bit less)
    • confectioners sugar

    For the meringue filling

    • 3 egg whites
    • 1 c. sugar
    • ½ tsp. cinnamon
    • for the filling topping
    • chopped walnuts (or pecans), about 1 c.
    • raisins, about 1 c.

    Directions

    1. Blend together butter, cream cheese and yeast.
    2. Mix in egg yolks and sour cream, then flour, a little at a time, until the dough is quite stiff and not too sticky. Shape into a ball and set aside.
    3. To make the filling: beat the egg whites until stiff, then slowly mix in the sugar and cinnamon.
    4. To assemble (see photos): cut the dough into 10 equal portions. Make a ball out of each and, on a board dusted with confectioners sugar, roll out into a 9˝ circle. Spread a portion (one-tenth) of the filling over the circle of dough. Sprinkle with nuts. Using a pizza slicer, or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8–10 wedges. Place 3 or 4 raisins on each wedge. Roll up, starting from the outside of the circle. Cover and let rise for 30 mins.
    5. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375° until golden brown (about 20–25 mins).

    The temple bakers stocking the freezer with rugalah for upcoming onegs. (Kirsten, Jennie, Rae and Vicki)

    Roll them from the outside of the circle into the center.

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    Beef Stew

    This only takes 30 minutes to get started, and then you can put it on the lowest flame on your back burner and forget about it until dinner. Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the ingredients. I made mine today without green pepper, mushrooms or parsley.

    Beef Stew (serves 6-8)

    • 2 Tbs. olive oil
    • 2 c. coarsely chopped onion
    • Lawry’s season salt
    • 1 lb. stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 28 oz. canned tomatoes, cut into large pieces
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 c. frozen peas
    • 1 c. frozen green beans
    • 2 carrots, sliced
    • 2 stalks celery, sliced
    • 1 green pepper, chopped
    • 1/2 lb. mushrooms, quartered
    • 2 medium potatoes, cubed
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2 Tbs. basil
    • 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
    • 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
    • 1/2 c. red wine
    • additional salt and pepper to taste

    Liberally season the meat with Lawry’s season salt, and brown, along with the onion, in the olive oil. Add everything else and simmer for 3 hours. Serve in a shallow bowl, ladled over a fresh biscuit.

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    Witches Brew Soup

    This soup is packed with a lot of vegetables, and the sweet potato makes it lusciously sweet for the kids.

    This was our Halloween brew, served up tonight to friends and neighbors before, during, and after trick-or-treating. I kept the pot hot and ready, along with a loaf of challah and some good butter. Traditionally I serve this to my kids and their friends as a way of infusing their bodies with mega-nutrients prior to trick or treating. This accomplishes three things: 1. They take in some vitamins in addition to all of the candy that they will later eat. 2. They’re full of the good stuff so that they’re not as hungry for so much candy. 3. It gives me the illusion of having some control over their diet on Halloween.

    Plus this is such a fun pre- trick or treat activity! Print out the top half of the following recipe for them to refer to as they eat. Ask them to try and identify all of the ingredients while they are eating. (The “real” recipe follows.) Next year, invite the neighborhood kids in.

    Witches Brew Soup

    • 3 cups fresh goblin toes, chunked
    • 1 cup diced hippo spleen
    • 1/2 cup lightly shredded eel skin
    • 2 cups abdomen of preying mantis, cut in half
    • 1 cup arachnid bodies
    • 1 cup frog kidneys (canned or fresh)
    • 2 cups irises of owl eyes
    • 1 cup frozen or canned devils teeth
    • 1 cup packed creeping violet leaves
    • 1/2 cup tortoise knee caps
    • 3/4 cup dragon’s dandruff
    • salt and garlic to taste

    Saute eel skin in a little extra virgin olive oil. Add all of the ingredients in a big cauldron. Fill cauldron with enough fresh mountain river water (be sure it’s clean) to just cover. Boil for 3 hours. Serve hot. Enjoy!

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    Witches Brew Soup (serves 8-10)

    • 1 large sweet potato, chunked
    • 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 2 cups fresh green beans, cut in half
    • 1 can black beans
    • 1 can kidney beans
    • 2  carrots, sliced
    • 1 c. frozen corn, or one can
    • 1 c. packed kale, chopped
    • 1 stalk celery, sliced
    • 1 c. sliced cabbage
    • 1/2 c. brown rice
    • 1/4 c. chopped parsley
    • 1 tsp. basil
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 clove garlic, crushed
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Saute onion in a little extra virgin olive oil. Add all of the ingredients in a big pot. Fill cauldron with enough water to just cover. Bring to boil, then simmer for 2 or 3 hours. After the vegetables are soft, use the back of a large spoon to smash some of the sweet potato chunks against the inside of the pot. This will thicken and sweeten the broth.

    copyright 2010 Dori Gordon Walker