Hearty gulash

This one we created from the combination of a number of recipes we found online. It's really good with dark bread. We had it with buttered pumpernickel.
Ingredients

• 1 ½ onions
• 1 ½ lbs beef chuck
• 2 carrots
• ¾ lbs potatoes
• 1 parsnip
• 1 leek
• 1 bell pepper
• caraway seeds
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups of water
• buttermilk
• sour cream
• parsley
• hungarian paprika
• salt
• pepper

Method

1. Chop onion. Fry it in pressure cooker with the caraway seeds. Then chop the meat. Fry it in cooker.
2. Add all the other chopped ingredients. Add the tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper, the add the water.
3. Put on the lid and pressure cook for 12-15 minutes.
4. Add appropriate amounts buttermilk and sour cream, and some chopped parsley.
5. Eat with bread. Yum.

Leek and Swiss Chard Tart

We got this from Martha Stewart's website, here.
Ingredients

• 1 medium disk Pate Brisee
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed well (4 to 5 cups)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and ribs discarded, leaves shredded (4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1/3 cup whole milk, warmed
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

1. Turn out pate brisee onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 10-inch springform pan with a removable bottom. Using a paring knife, trim dough to form 1 1/2- to 2-inch-high sides. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line dough with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edge just begins to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Bake until pale gold, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add wine and Swiss chard leaves, and cook until liquid has evaporated and chard has wilted, about 5 minutes.
4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour until incorporated. Slowly whisk in milk, and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.
5. Combine leek mixture, milk mixture, mustard, and egg. Season with salt and pepper, and stir.
6. Spread leek mixture into tart shell, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Bake until top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly, and serve warm.

Pecan pie

We got this from the back of Karo Corn Syrup.
Ingredients

• 1 cup light corn syrup and molasses
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1 unbaked pie crust
• 1 tsp bourbon

Preheat the oven at 350. Stir the ingredients with a spoon. Mix in pecans. Pour into pie crust. Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool for two hours. Store pie in fridge.

Magnificent Turkey

The turkey this year was amazing. We first brined it (using one recipe, here) and then roasted it using another (here), which we modified.

Brine

• Zest (in wide strips) and juice of 5 oranges
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 12 black tea bads
• 4 bay leaves
• 6 cloves
• 12 peppercorns
• 1 cup bourbon

This recipe is not for a Kosher Bird, which is already brined. Use only for a frozen or fresh bird.
Unwrap the turkey and remove the neck and giblets (reserve for broth later). Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry. Fill a large pot with 2 quarts water; add the orange zest, orange juice, 2 cups kosher salt, the sugar, black tea bags, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and bourbon. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Add 4 quarts cold water and let cool. Submerge the turkey in the brine, adding water to cover, if necessary. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Turkey

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 lb bacon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack.
Combine the butter and sage in a mixing bowl, mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated and the butter has flecks of green in it; season with salt and pepper.
Remove the turkey from the brine; rinse and pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go. Take an aluminium can and cut it in half, fill the resulting cup with broth and butter and put it deep in the cavity. Fill the rest of the bird with the stuffing and onion without packing too tightly; cook the remaining stuffing separately in a buttered baking dish. Truss the turkey; place it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and cover it with generous amounts of bacon, cover the bacon with whatever butter remains. Put the turkey into the oven.
Roast until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes per pound. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving. Whisk the reserved 2 tablespoons flavored butter into your gravy just before serving, if desired, or thicken with cream and flour.