Baked Sticky Chicken Legs

I created this recipe one day when me kids asked to go to Habachi and we couldn't afford to go. I used a Habachi-like sauce to bake the chicken in and served it with rice.

4-5 lbs Chicken Legs

1 tbsp corn starch

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

The Sticky.

Mix corn starch and water in a bowl until dissolved. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic and mix until well combined. 

The Chicken. 

Place chicken legs in a large baking dish. Pour marinade over chicken toss to coat. Bake chicken legs for 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear basting with the sauce every 10-15 minutes.

Stir Fry 1

This is a totally customizable recipe add or subtract any veggies or meat you like. And it's super quick to make in less than 20 minutes you can have this meal ready.

Habachi Sauce Ingredients:


1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 sugar
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp ginger
1 tbsp corn starch or flour


In small bowl, mix all ingredients together. I marinated my Dry-fry tofu in this mixture for 30 minutes prior to cooking. (do not marinate meat)


Stir Fry Ingredients:


1 bunch broccoli chopped
2 carrots grated
1 pkg baby corn
1 pkg extra-firm tofu, dry-fried (see recipe HERE) or 1lb meat of your choice cooked.


Directions:


In large wok or fry pan heat 1/2 cup water over med-high heat. Add broccoli, cover and steam for 5 minutes. Add baby corn and steam for another 2-3 minutes. Add carrots and steam another 2-3 minutes. Add marinated tofu including all habachi sauce to vegetable mixture (if using meat, add cooked meat and habachi sauce). Continue to cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until sauce has thickened and veggies are tender crisp. Serve over your favorite rice.

Leftover Turkey Sub

This is super quick less, than 15 minutes and can be as healthy or as unhealthy as you want. We used the leftover turkey from our roasted turkey dinner and the toppings were leftover stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy. Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

1 loaf italian bread

4-5 slices your favorite cheese

2 cups leftover or deli turkey sliced

Additional add-ons, use what you have:

cranberry sauce

stuffing

gravy

mayo

lettuce or baby spinach

Directions:

Set oven to broil. Cut the bread in half lengthwise. Place the bread cut side up on a baking sheet. Arrange cheese on one half of the bread and the turkey on the other. Broil for approximately 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. While you're waiting heat up the leftover stuffing and/or gravy. Remove bread from the oven and stack the two halves together. Slice into 6-8 servings. Serve additional add-ons buffet style so everyone can create their own delicious sub. 

Turkey Noodle Soup

The turkey recipe from yesterday came out great! If you have 2 cups of leftover turkey you can make this great soup. No turkey? That's OK too. Simply ask the deli counter to cut you 1 inch thick slices of real turkey breast to equal 2 cups(not the processed stuff). This is a quick recipe maybe 30 minutes tops. I serve it with some fresh whole grain bread if I have it. 

Turkey Noodle Soup

Serves 6 to 8

What better way to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving than to make a satisfying pot of turkey noodle soup? Our hearty version gets a nutritional boost from kale and whole-wheat elbow macaroni.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
2 cups whole-wheat elbow macaroni
2 cups (10 ounces) cubed or shredded cooked turkey breast
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Method

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook 6 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, 4 cups water and thyme and bring to a boil. Add kale and macaroni and return to a boil. Cook about 5 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. Stir in turkey and pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or until turkey is heated through. Remove thyme sprigs before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 220 calories (35 from fat), 4g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 30mg cholesterol, 220mg sodium, 32g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 17g protein

Thanks to Wholefoodsmarket.com for this recipe.

Easy Roasted Turkey

Serves 10 to 12

While you can prepare this turkey recipe without the brining step, I highly recommend you give it a try as this process produces wonderfully succulent meat. 

Ingredients

1 (14- to 15- pound) turkey
1/2-1 cup Salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
2 cups gluten-free chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
Pepper to taste

Method

Brine the turkey overnight (at least 12 hours) by submerging it completely in a salt water solution made from a ratio of 1/2 cup salt to one gallon water. (Alternately, you may brine the turkey for 4 hours using a ratio of 1 cup salt to one gallon water). Rinse the turkey well and pat it dry.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix thyme, carrots, celery and onions together in a small bowl. Stuff turkey cavity with the vegetable mixture and scatter any remaining vegetables around the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour broth and wine over vegetables in pan.

Arrange a rack over the vegetables in the pan and arrange the turkey on top of it, breast side down. (You may use either a flat rack or a V-rack). Brush half of the melted butter all over the turkey, then season with pepper. Reserve remaining butter for later use.

Roast turkey for two hours, breast side down, basting once. Remove from oven and turn turkey breast side up, being careful not to pierce the skin. Brush turkey with the remaining butter and season again with pepper.

Return turkey to oven and continue roasting until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 2 hours more.

Set turkey aside to let rest for 30 minutes, then carve and serve, drizzled with the pan drippings.

Easy Roasted Turkey

Today is Sunday, last night my fiancé came home with a frozen turkey. A gift from his company. It takes 3 days to defrost in the refrigerator. Since we are not home Christmas night, he has to work Christmas Eve and I don't have any room in my freezer we will make this in three days. I have only cooked this recipe once and I think it came out good. I will be home on Tuesday and we do not have anywhere to go so timing is perfect. Wednesday night before I go to be I will start the brining that way around 1:30pm I can start cooking the turkey. I will probably whip up some mashed potatoes to go with and crack open a can of cranberry sauce too. It's a good size turkey so I am sure there will be leftovers which is good because we have dance on Thursday and I'll whip up a quick casserole or some sandwiches.

This is the recipe I plan to use:

Easy Roasted Turkey

Serves 10 to 12

While you can prepare this turkey recipe without the brining step, I highly recommend you give it a try as this process produces wonderfully succulent meat. 

Ingredients

1 (14- to 15- pound) turkey 
1/2-1 cup Salt 
1 teaspoon dried thyme 
2 carrots, roughly chopped 
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped 
2 yellow onions, roughly chopped 
2 cups gluten-free chicken broth 
1/2 cup white wine 
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted 
Pepper to taste

Method

Brine the turkey overnight (at least 12 hours) by submerging it completely in a salt water solution made from a ratio of 1/2 cup salt to one gallon water. (Alternately, you may brine the turkey for 4 hours using a ratio of 1 cup salt to one gallon water). Rinse the turkey well and pat it dry. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Mix thyme, carrots, celery and onions together in a small bowl. Stuff turkey cavity with the vegetable mixture and scatter any remaining vegetables around the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour broth and wine over vegetables in pan. 

Arrange a rack over the vegetables in the pan and arrange the turkey on top of it, breast side down. (You may use either a flat rack or a V-rack). Brush half of the melted butter all over the turkey, then season with pepper. Reserve remaining butter for later use. 

Roast turkey for two hours, breast side down, basting once. Remove from oven and turn turkey breast side up, being careful not to pierce the skin. Brush turkey with the remaining butter and season again with pepper. 

Return turkey to oven and continue roasting until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 2 hours more. 

Set turkey aside to let rest for 30 minutes, then carve and serve, drizzled with the pan drippings.