Nikoli’s Kitchen

Thanksgiving Special! Brining & Roasting your Turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! As voted by you I made this episode all about Thanksgiving! I'll talk about what I'm thankful for, what else I'll be making on Thanksgiving day, and the featured recipe this week is a turkey brine that my bird is currently sitting in right now for this Thursday's big meal. I also take you through my roasting technique and another that doesn't use oven bags- and finally, I talk about making a gravy out of the delicious pan drippings. Thank you all so much for listening, and thank you for coming on this journey with me. Please have a safe and happy holiday!
Featured Recipe Timecodes
24:37 - Intro25:30 - Step One (Brining)30:23 - Step Two (The Night Before)31:30 - Step Three (Roasting Day)36:44 - Step Four (After the Oven)
 
Featured Recipe for this Episode
1 gallon of water4 16-oz. cans of beer (I went with a lager)1 sprig fresh rosemary, roughly chopped2 sprigs fresh sage, roughly chopped4 sprigs fresh parsley, roughly chopped2 large or 3 small sweet onions, quartered1/2 cup garlic cloves1 large or 2 small cinnamon sticks1/2 T whole cloves3 T black peppercorns3/4 c saltPeel from 1 lemonJuice from 1 lemon1-1/2 T fresh ginger, roughly chopped6-8 bay leaves
Add all ingredients except for the lemon juice to a large stockpot.Bring to a boil on high heat and boil for 8-10 minutes.Strain the stockpot through a colander into a large bowl. Add lemon juice and allow to cool to room temperature.Refrigerate the brine.Once your brine is refrigerated (I let it go overnight), place your turkey in a stockpot or container large enough to fit the entire bird and (gently) pour the brine in over the bird. Return to refrigerator.
IF YOUR BIRD IS FRESH-
You'll want to brine for maybe a day. It's already thawed so the salt and flavors will have no problem penetrating the meat. 
IF YOUR BIRD IS FROZEN-
Brine it for 3 days. The bird will thaw and the salty brine will penetrate the meat and flavor it as it thaws. 
The Turkey!
1/2 cup of herbed butterA turkey!Dressing or aromatics for stuffing as desired
The night before you are prepping to roast, remove the bird from the brine.Pat dry with paper towels.Rub half of your herbed butter into the meat of the breast between the breast and the skin.Rub the other half of your herbed butter over the skin of the breast itself.Refrigerate the turkey uncovered overnight.
On roasting day, remove the turkey from the fridge.If you are stuffing it with either a dressing or aromatics, prepare and stuff the bird now. Generally speaking, a stuffed bird takes an additional 30 minutes in the oven.
IF YOU USE AN OVEN BAG-
Preheat your oven to 350°.Add 1 T of cornstarch to an oven bag and spray the interior with cooking spray.Place the bird inside of the bag and place that into a roasting pan on an elevated rack.Cut a few 1-inch slits in the top of the bag.Roast the bird in the bag for approximately 8-10 minutes/lb if not stuffed, 9-12 minutes/lb if stuffed. (minutes per pound will be higher if the bird is smaller and lower if the bird is larger as well because of sustained heat over time).
IF YOU DON'T USE AN OVEN BAG-
Preheat your oven to 325°.Place the bird into a roasting pan on an elevated rack.Roast for approx 18-20 minutes per pound if stuffed, 16-18 minutes per pound if not.
Start checking the temperature about 30 to 60 minutes before the turkey should be finished. Insert your meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh (unstuffed) and the stuffing (if stuffed) to check temperature. You want it to be 165° internally to make sure it's safe. Make sure the thermometer doesn't touch the bone for an accurate reading.Remove the turkey from the oven. If stuffed, remove the stuffing to a separate oven-safe dish. If you want to make sure the stuffing got cooked all the way through, pop it back into the oven. Transfer your bird to a large platter and tent with foil. Rest the bird for 20-30 minutes before carving.
About halfway through the bird's resting cycle, pour all of the juices left in your roasting pan into a saucepan (also check the platter where your bird is resting because you'll find some there). Feel free to add anything else you might like here- maybe some extra onion or garlic or something of the like. Bring to a boil and reduce it for a bit, adding seasoning to flavor- for me, gravy is never the same twice and depending on what your drippings taste like you need to add things in variation while it's in the pot. If the drippings won't make enough gravy, add some water & turkey better than bouillon (1 c to 1 t ratio) and increase the volume (your total volume here should be approx 4-1/2 cups).Strain out the gravy to remove anything you added or that came over from the roasting pan. Return it to the saucepan.Add 2 T of cornstarch to 1/4 cup of cold water and stir it together until the cornstarch is mixed in.Add your slurry to the pan drippings. It will immediately begin to thicken up. Cook for a few minutes and season until it reaches the desired taste/thickness.
 
Important Links
Main Link: https://www.nikoliskitchen.comApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nikolis-kitchen/id1539797549Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nikoliskitchenGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/4/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL25pa29saXNraXRjaGVuL2ZlZWQueG1sSpotify: Discord: https://discord.gg/qjYfvEC3KZFeed URL: https://feed.podbean.com/nikoliskitchen/feed.xmlFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nikoliskitchenTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/nikoliskitchenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikoliskitchenReserved Seating Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nikoliskitchenSpreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/nikolis-kitchenStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/nikolis-kitchenPodchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/nikolis-kitchen-1544850YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theredraylivesTwitch: https://twitch.tv/nikoliskitchen
 
Credits
"Inspiration," "Starlight Memories," and "Snowfall" by Lucas King. Find this and more amazing music by Lucas and subscribe to him on YouTube by visiting https://www.youtube.com/user/LucasKingPiano!
"Daybreak," and "The Climb" from Music for Makers. Sign up and get a royalty-free song delivered to your inbox every Monday at www.musicformakers.com!

Quick Bites - Herbed Butter

Hi everyone and welcome to the first edition of Quick Bites! In these aptly-titled bite-sized episodes, I'll share a quick recipe with you! That's it! No frills, no fuss, five minutes or less! Thank you so much for listening, and thank you so much for going on this journey with me.
Ingredients-
2 sticks butter1 T rosemary, finely chopped1 T thyme, finely chopped1 T sage, finely chopped1 T parsley, finely chopped2 T garlic, finely choppedzest of 1 lemonsaltfresh cracked black pepper
Instructions-
Let the butter sit out and get halfway to room temperature. You still want it to be malleable, but not as soft as it gets at room temperature. It's important to note not to mix this by hand- use a utensil like a wooden spoon or something! You don't want to touch the butter with your hands and melt it.Add all of your herbs, salt, and pepper to the butter and mix it until well-incorporated. Store the butter for later use. 
Important Links
Main Link: https://nikoliskitchen.comApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nikolis-kitchen/id1539797549Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nikoliskitchenGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/4/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL25pa29saXNraXRjaGVuL2ZlZWQueG1sTune-In: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Food--Cooking-Podcasts/Nikolis-Kitchen-p1382347/Discord: https://discord.gg/qjYfvEC3KZFeed URL: https://feed.podbean.com/nikoliskitchen/feed.xmlFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nikoliskitchenTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/nikoliskitchenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikoliskitchenReserved Seating Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nikoliskitchenSpreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/nikolis-kitchenStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/nikolis-kitchenPodchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/nikolis-kitchen-1544850YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theredraylivesTwitch: https://twitch.tv/nikoliskitche
Credits
"Daybreak," and "The Climb" from Music for Makers. Sign up and get a royalty-free song delivered to your inbox every Monday at www.musicformakers.com!

Marinated Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

Hello, good morning, hi! Welcome to another week of Nikoli's Kitchen where today, I'll be breaking down a skirt steak marinade and chimichurri recipe, as well as talking about Mexican street corn. I also talk about gratitude for all of the amazing listeners and peers that have tuned in to the show and helped me spread the word about its launch. Thank you so much for listening, and thank you so much for going on this journey with me.
Jocelyn Adams' Food Blog: https://grandbaby-cakes.com/marinated-skirt-steak-chimichurri/Food with Feeling: https://foodwithfeeling.com/easy-mexican-street-corn/
Featured Recipe Timecodes
13:35 - Intro14:40 - Step One (Skirt Steak Marinade)15:35 - Step Two (Chimichurri)17:57 - Step Three (Cooking the Skirt Steak)
 
Featured Recipe for this Episode
For this recipe I grabbed a 1-lb. skirt steak. The original recipes for both of these were adapted from Jocelyn Adams' food blog at https://grandbaby-cakes.com/marinated-skirt-steak-chimichurri/. She also mentions on her blog that this could easily work for flank steak. I had never made skirt steak before but I've done marinades similar to this with flank steak and it definitely works for that as well. You could also use this marinade for a top round or something of that ilk- but for a top round you'll want to let it marinate for a bit longer than 6-8 hours.
Skirt steak marinade
1/4 cup soy sauce1/4 cup Worcestershire1/4 cup red wine1/4 cup red wine vinegar1/3 cup lime juiceZest of 2 limes1/2 onion, sliced10 cloves garlic, chopped1/4 cup olive oil
Combine all of these ingredients in a large ziploc bag and add in your skirt steak. Leave this to marinate between 6-8 hours or, tops, overnight. Anything more than that is overkill; steak takes to marinade really well and you don't want to overdo it. This cut DEFINITELY needs marinade, however- it is simply too tough without it.
Chimichurri
1 cup fresh parsley1/2 cup fresh cilantro1/4 cup olive oil1/2 medium onion diced12 garlic cloves1/2 cup fresh lime juice2 T red wine vinegar2 T red wineZest of 2 limes1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon red & black pepper
Add all of the ingredients to a blender and mix until well-blended. The cilantro can honestly be increased if you are a bigger fan of it, I was just worried it was going to overpower the dish and I like it sparingly.
Grilling/Searing your steak
For this, you want a HIGH HEAT sear. Sear this over a very hot grill or in a hot cast iron pan (use an oil with a higher smoke point). My directions will be for stovetop but can easily be adapted to a grill.Take your skirt steak out of the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels.Add 1 T oil to a cast iron skillet and turn it to mid-high. You'll want an oil with a higher smoke point such as peanut oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, or the like. Season your skirt steak well with salt & pepper- there's no need to add it to the marinade since you're adding it here and adding it to both would be overkill.Once your pan is good and hot (you'll see a bit of smoke wisping off and it looks really shiny), place the steak in at the bottom first, laying it on the pan away from you to avoid any potential splashing.Sear this for 2 minutes per side depending on the temperature you want- I wanted something around mid-rare and 2 minutes per side ends up on the rare side of mid-rare. If you want it done more mid-rare or mid, then I'd go to 2-1/2 minutes to 3 minutes per side.Remove from the heat and allow it to rest for AT LEAST five minutes. Once you are ready to slice, cut thin slices against the grain. Between this and the marinade you'll ensure a super-tender piece of meat with every bite. Pour some of the homemade chimichurri over the top. 
Important Links
Main Link: https://www.nikoliskitchen.comApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nikolis-kitchen/id1539797549Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nikoliskitchenGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/4/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL25pa29saXNraXRjaGVuL2ZlZWQueG1sSpotify: Discord: https://discord.gg/qjYfvEC3KZFeed URL: https://feed.podbean.com/nikoliskitchen/feed.xmlFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nikoliskitchenTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/nikoliskitchenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikoliskitchenReserved Seating Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nikoliskitchenSpreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/nikolis-kitchenStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/nikolis-kitchenPodchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/nikolis-kitchen-1544850YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theredraylivesTwitch: https://twitch.tv/nikoliskitchen
Credits
"Aeon," "Always," "Inspiration," and "Snowfall" by Lucas King. Find this and more amazing music by Lucas and subscribe to him on YouTube by visiting https://www.youtube.com/user/LucasKingPiano!
"Daybreak," and "The Climb" from Music for Makers. Sign up and get a royalty-free song delivered to your inbox every Monday at www.musicformakers.com!

Red Wine Infused Brownies

Hello and welcome to the pilot episode of Nikoli's Kitchen! This show is a culinary journey of positivity and scratch-made food. Come with me as I discuss what I've been eating and the challenges I face along the way, be it diet, budget, and everything in between. Take part in weekly food challenges and submit ingredients for me to cook in random recipe challenges! We'll also break down a recipe each week for you to make at home.
In the first episode I talk about new beginnings, the skirt steak and chicken 'n waffles I made this past weekend, and then I break down a red wine-infused brownie recipe in the featured recipe segment. Thank you so much for checking out the show and thank you so much for going on this journey with me.
Featured Recipe Timecodes
22:11 - Ingredients List23:48 - Step One (Reducing the wine)24:43 - Step Two (Chocolate Prep)25:21 - Step Three (Combining everything)25:31 - Step Four (Sugars/etc in)25:40 - Step Five (Eggs)26:48 - Step Six (Flour)26:58 - Step Seven (Baking)28:10 - Step Eight (Homemade Ganache)
 
Featured Recipe for this Episode
Brownies:
4 cups red wine1/3 cup white sugar2 sticks butter10 oz chocolate (good quality chocolate/baking chocolate, get it as dark or semi-sweet as you like, minding the sugar)2/3 cup dark brown sugar2 t vanilla5 large eggs3/4 c flour1 t salt
 
Chocolate Red Wine Ganache:
8 oz heavy cream8 oz baking chocolate2 c red wine1/8 c sugar
Brownie Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.Add wine and white sugar to a large saucepan and cook, over medium heat, until the liquid is mostly gone. You'll notice a distinctive change in the liquid state from a simmer to a foaming or frothing as the liquid evaporates. Stir this and don't let it burn. Remove from heat and let it cool before using it. You can do the wine reduction for the ganache here as well since it's the same, just set aside some of the syrup for later.Add two sticks of butter (1 cup) and the chocolate to a large glass or metal bowl.Fill a saucepan with 2 inches of water.Place bowl over top of the saucepan and turn it to high; the boiling water will melt the chocolate and butter. Stir frequently to combine.Remove from heat once melted and allow to cool (it should just be warm to the touch, then you're ready). Once this is cooled and your wine syrup is cooled, add the wine syrup into your chocolate mix.Add brown sugar, salt, and vanilla and stir to combine. Add one egg at a time, stirring until it is incorporated. Note- if you want to whisk these in quite a bit you're going to add a lot of air that will make your brownies more on the cake-y side. If this is something you like, by all means, whisk each egg as it goes in.Sift 3/4 c flour into the bowl and stir together just until it is incorporated. Grease or spray a 9x13" or an 8x8" baking dish. Your brownies will obviously come out thicker in the 8x8" pan and not being as thin you won't get that kind of "crunchy" brownie edge like you do with a thinner 9x13" brownie. Spread batter out into the baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes (9x13") or 30-40 minutes (8x8"). This depends largely on what consistency you want. To get them rich and fudge-y in the middle you want a fork/toothpick inserted into the center to come out with brownie on it, but it shouldn't be liquidy or drip off it. Remove and allow to cool.
Ganache Directions:
As above, reduce the red wine and sugar until it turns into a thick syrup (this makes maybe 1/3 to 1/4 cup tops). Remove from heat. This needs to be warm to the touch ONLY before combining it with the cream and chocolate or you'll risk breaking your chocolate.Chop the chocolate into fine bits and add to a glass/metal mixing bowl.Heat heavy cream over medium heat just until it starts to simmer along the edges. Don't let your cream come to a boil as it'll be too hot and you'll break your chocolate. It just needs to start simmering around the edges of the pan. Pour into chocolate and begin to stir, continuing to stir until it is incorporated well and the surface has a shimmering quality to it.Add the red wine reduction and stir to combine.Pour the ganache over your cooled brownies and allow it to set at room temperature, this took a few hours for me.
 
Important Links
Main Link: https://www.nikoliskitchen.comApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nikolis-kitchen/id1539797549Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nikoliskitchenGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/4/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL25pa29saXNraXRjaGVuL2ZlZWQueG1sSpotify: Discord: https://discord.gg/qjYfvEC3KZFeed URL: https://feed.podbean.com/nikoliskitchen/feed.xmlFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nikoliskitchenTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/nikoliskitchenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikoliskitchenReserved Seating Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nikoliskitchenSpreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/nikolis-kitchenStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/nikolis-kitchenPodchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/nikolis-kitchen-1544850YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theredraylivesTwitch: https://twitch.tv/nikoliskitchen
Credits
"Aeon," "Always," "Inspiration," and "Snowfall" by Lucas King. Find this and more amazing music by Lucas and subscribe to him on YouTube by visiting https://www.youtube.com/user/LucasKingPiano!
"Daybreak," and "The Climb" from Music for Makers. Sign up and get a royalty-free song delivered to your inbox every Monday at www.musicformakers.com!