Cavey’s Holiday Helper

Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, New Years … they’re all approaching fast. Which means you should be preparing for your Holiday feast. What’s that? You’re not ready?? Not sure what to make??? Never fear … Caveman is here! Just read on for some suggestions on how to make your celebratory spread highlight your time with friends and family.

Of course, nothing piques an appetite quite like some sumptuous appetizers. You could throw a bowl of nuts on the table and call it good. Though, at C3 we take our pre-meal hors d’oeuvres pretty seriously. A recent favorite of the Cave crowd has been Cavey’s Colossal Shrimp Cocktail. These giant seafaring crustaceans are plump, succulent, delicious, and relatively easy to make. Plus, you can make them ahead of time, and then plate them just before your guests arrive. Other tasty starters include our Baked Brie with Peach Sauce; Lamb Wontons, Teriockeye Salmon Wontons, or – if you are feeling fancy – our incredible King Crab Wontons.

With Hispanic influences solidly embedded into California cuisine, it is no surprise that Tamales are a savory Christmas tradition that we have heartily embraced in the Cavehold. While we are solidly in the Gringo category on the census questionnaire, we will hold our Killer Chili Rojo (Red Pork) Tamales and Killer Queso (Cheese) Tamales up against any competition from South of the border. The masa (dough) in these two recipes is smooth, almost creamy, with a fantastic flavor all on it’s own, while the fillings are so scrumptious and hearty. A perfect blend that makes for a fiesta for your taste buds. While they are labor intensive recipes, it really is a very easy dish to pull off. Besides, if you gather your masses together for an assembly line when it comes time to actually fill and roll the tamales, it goes by very quickly.

Side dishes are always a key to making any Holiday meal a memorable gathering. 2x Baked Potatoes are always a welcomed Holiday treat. Yes, they are truly the “angioplasty special”. But, you aren’t starting your New Year’s resolutions for another week or so! Besdies, it’s the Holidays … live it up!! If you need to tone it down a bit, you could always opt for our Roasted Red Balsamic Potatoes for a tasty tater alternative. Other sides you might consider are our Sauteed Asian Veggies, Caramelized Red Pear Salad, and our annual must-have Super Spinach Soufflé. You can’t go wrong, no matter what you choose.

The main course usually goes one of two ways for the Holidays: turkey or beef. Since we recently enjoyed a T-day Turkey Brined bird over Thanksgiving, along with some Phenomenal Focaccia Stuffing, we are opting for our world renowned Glazed Teriyamic Prime Rib. Whether you call it Prime Rib, Standing Rib Roast, or a bone-in Ribeye Roast this is one recipe that is full of flavorful nuances. It is a delectable dish that will have everyone at the table silent, save for the occasional mewl of palatable pleasure.

A sweet treat is always the way to end a marvelous meal. Unfortunately, the Cavewoman does most of the baking and dessert making around here, and the vast majority of her incredible recipes have yet to make it onto this cyber rag. However, we do have a few posted up that might merit consideration. At the top of the list are her Hand-Dipped Holiday Cookies and other treats. These are an easy way to take some of your favorite store-bought cookies and turn them into something special to cap your Christmas-Hanukkah-Kwanza-New Year’s soirée. Plus, you’ll see that you also get to make pretzel/nut clusters, as well … my personal favorite. Some other temptations include our Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Easy Peasy Cherry Crumble Cake, or simply top some ice cream with either our Cognac Marinated Mint Strawberries or Candied Kahlua Pecans. Any of these will certainly put the finishing touches onto your Holiday bill of faire.

I know! I know!! I’ve given you so many options to choose from. But, isn’t that better than being stuck in menu limbo like you were before you read this post? Yeah … I thought so! Besides, you could always just celebrate ALL the Holidays … it will give you an excuse to make more than one Holiday meal! 😉 Let us know how it goes.

The entire Cave clan wishes you a happy, healthy, and delicious Holiday season.

©2016 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Let’s Talk Turkey … And More!

Without a doubt, the Thanksgiving feast is the all-time favorite meal in the Cavehold. The combination of good times with family and friends; the enticing colors, aromas, and flavors of the Fall season; and to be able to celebrate all that we are thankful for all makes for a memorable and savory Holiday. With that in mind, we are going to share most of the recipes and tips that help to make our Turkey Day such a favorite for us and our guests.

First, unless you will be cooking a fresh bird or some other type of main course, you need to consider when to start defrosting your turkey. Click here to discover how to safely and effectively thaw the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dinner. We describe both the Refrigerator Method (preferred) and the Cold Water Method (acceptable). Once you have your bird returned from it’s frozen state, you’ll want to check out our famous T-day Turkey Brine to ensure your fowl is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. It’s so good, I’ve been threatened with great bodily harm if I ever change the recipe.

You can’t have a Holiday Turkey without some tangy-sweet cranberry sauce. Unfortunately, far too many modern homo-sapiens are good with the canned variety of the berry relish. We strongly advise you to adopt the Neanderthal way of thinking and give our Cave’s Cranberry Sauce a go. It only takes an extra 20 minutes in your meal’s preparation, and you will end up with a C-sauce that will forever have you shunning the pre-made type in the future. Plus, it’s easy … just the recipe on the package with some molasses and either wine, port, cognac or brandy added. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it until chow time – which actually also helps it to set up better, both, flavor and consistency wise. The only problem with early prep is keeping everyone away from it until the big meal … the Cavewoman is our biggest offender on that!

Another essential feature of the T-Day meal, that can also be prepped ahead of time (something we recommend doing whenever possible for this labor intensive repast), is the all important gravy. Our Cavey Gravy is readily prepared the day before the big meal. Then, all you need to do on Thanksgiving is add some turkey drippings and reheat. Best of all it is a flavor filled moisture making sauce that goes good on the bird, mashed potatoes, stuffing … you name it!

Unfortunately, we have yet to post our delicious Focaccia Bread Stuffing recipe. But, we promise to take pictures next week and post the recipe before Christmas. Though, another side dish considered a staple on the Thanksgiving plate is the mashed potato. We have long used our scrumptious Garlic Mashed Taters for this crucial purpose. They are loaded with flavor, easy to make, and are sure to be a hit with your Turkey Day crowd. BTW, you can also see our video version of this recipe … it’s a hoot!

Another fun and flavorsome player in our Turkey Day lineup are Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys. These unique, colorful, and tasty yam birds have become a real favorite of the Cavekids … not just to eat, but to make as well. They really look forward to working in the kitchen on these with their Cavenana. Put one of these on your guest’s plate, and we guarantee they will be ooing and cooing about how cute they are. That is, until they taste it and start oohing and awing about how delicious they are! Yams, orange, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, butter … what could be bad about that, right?!?! Plus, they are real hit with the vegetarians in your life.

This next dish has become a regular for just about all of our Holiday meals, no matter what time of year we are celebrating. The Cavewoman’s Super Spinach Soufflé is a warm, zesty, delicious dish that you probably won’t have any leftovers on, since everyone always wants seconds, and even thirds, on. While it is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference!

Of course, every T-Day in the Cavehold is filled with football, family and friends. Which means we are together for an extened period of time. So, we always have plenty of apps, from shrimp cocktail with Cave’s Quick Cocktail Sauce to our scrumptious Baked Brie with Peach Sauce. Post-dinner, we somehow always have room for the Cavewoman’s apple pie and pumpkin pie. But, one of her biggest winners in the dessert selection are her incredible Pumpkin Whoopie Pies … a unique and welcome change to the usual T-day sweet treats. Give these a try and we promise you will be smiling with delight as they melt in your mouth.

We hope that the above recipes help inspire you to create a fantastic feast for your Holiday crowd. Whether you employ these or concoctions of your own, we wish that your Thanksgiving is filled with the warmth of family and friends; the flavors and aromas of the occasion; and, most importantly, the spirit and essence of the season. In other words, Happy Thanksgiving!

©2015 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

A Neanderthal Thanksgiving

Well, the big day isn’t until tomorrow, but the cooking almost certainly starts in earnest today. So, if you are looking for a few last minute Turkey Day ideas, I thought I’d share the annual standards we employ in the Cavehold.

I just posted my famous Cavey Gravy recipe the other day. But, you’ll need to put that gravy on something (though, some have considered just grabbing the gravy boat and a straw! 😉 ). Of course, the main event (ie. turkey) is a prime candidate to be smothered in that savory sauce, which calls for a start 24 hours before you pop it into the oven. That’s because we always use our T-day Turkey Brine to ensure a moist, flavorful bird. White wine, grapes, garlic, and rosemary are the mainstays of this magnificent marinade.

One thing that most Thanksgiving gobblers agree on: mashed potatoes are a must! Plus, they are another traditional landing pad for the gravy. But, if you are going to cook like a Caveman, you are going to have to bump it up a notch or two. We accomplish that with our tasty Garlic Mashed Taters. Milk, sour cream, and cream cheese are all combined into this recipe to create a creamy, delectable side dish … which does make it the “Angioplasty Special”. Though, if you are only cranking these spuds out once or twice a year, your cardiologist shouldn’t mind too much. I can attest that your taste buds won’t complain one bit!

Every meal calls for a vegetable. But, even the most anti-veggie attendee can’t turn their nose up on the Cavewoman’s incredible Super Spinach Soufflé. With eggs, two kinds of cheeses, milk, and butter it is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish, either. So, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference! I guarantee if you try this one at your T-Day feast once, it will become a regular participant in your family’s faire for years to come.
HINT: I highly recommend that you get some Cougar Gold from the WSU Creamery for this recipe. It adds the perfect flavor that just pushes the entire dish over the top.

Holiday cooking has always been where my Mom shines brightest in the kitchen. Her creative mind is always at work … but, none more so than when she puts her signature touch on a recipe. This is plainly evident with her Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys – an ingenious spin on the traditional Thanksgiving yams. This unique, colorful, and tasty dish has become a real favorite of the Cavekids … not just to eat, but to make as well. They really look forward to working in the kitchen on these with their Cavenana, and this year is no different! They’ve already been asking us if their grandmother was “bringing all the stuff to make Yam Turkeys”. Put one of these on your guest’s plate, and I guarantee they will be ooing and cooing about how cute they are. That is, until they taste it and start oohing and awing about how delicious they are! Yams, orange, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, butter … I mean, what could be bad about that, right?!?!

You can’t call it a Thanksgiving meal without cranberry sauce. However, far too many call it “good” with a canned variety of the tangy berry relish. If you are in that crowd, I strongly advise you step out of your canned comfort zone and give my Cave’s Cranberry Sauce a go. It will only take an extra 20 minutes in your meal’s preparation, and you will end up with a C-sauce that will forever have you shunning the pre-made type in the future. Plus, it’s easy … just the recipe on the package with some molasses and either wine, port, cognac or brandy added. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it until chow time – which actually also helps it to set up better, both flavor and consistency wise. The only problem with that is keeping everyone away from it until the big meal … the Cavewoman is our biggest offender on that!

Most of all, we wish you the sweetest of Thanksgiving Holidays, filled with laughter, love, and memories to last a lifetime!

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. These recipes originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. These recipes may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies them.

Passover Primer

With Passover quickly approaching, we thought it might be a good time to remind you of some of the dishes that will grace our Seder table as we munch on matzoh while telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Granted, we are cutting it a bit close, but all of these recipes are doable in time for the “first night” to help make your Seder spectacular.

While a beef brisket is the traditional dish found on most Passover menus, we like to bump it up a notch with a prime rib instead. To make sure it is tender and full of fantastic flavor we turn to our Glazed Teriyamic Prime Rib. Whether you call it Prime Rib, Standing Rib Roast, or a bone-in Ribeye Roast this is one recipe that is full of flavorful nuances that will have you and your guests mewing with delight. It’s simple, too! Just put together some Teriyamic Marinade, marinate it overnight, and then roast or grill it to perfection. Give this a try if you are looking to break away from tradition … at least as far as the main course is concerned! 😉

While we get a bit iconoclastic with the above recipe, we are truly traditionalists at heart. Especially when it comes to the rest of what graces our Seder dinner plates. And, nothing is more traditional than Haroses (aka Apple-Walnut Relish)! Whether you call/spell it haroses, charoset, charoses, haroset, charoseth or haroseth, it is all the same basic dish – an apple and walnut relish that is a staple of the Passover Sedar. It is meant to symbolize the mortar ancient Jews used to build the pyramids while enslaved in Egypt. But, Haroses isn’t just for Passover, anymore! At least in the Cavehold. We will also use it as a side-relish or topping for fish, chicken, and even pork chops (I can just hear the cries of “Sacrilege!” from the Kosher crowd as I type this 😉 ). This one is easy, too (what else would you expect from this site). All you need are some apples, walnuts, Concord Grape wine, honey, cinnamon, and a food processor, and you are good to go! Really good!!

Another Seder staple is Horseradish. It not only belongs on the traditional Seder plate, it is also a requisite part of the modern “Hillel Sandwich” where it is combined with Haroses and matzoh just before the main meal is served. While we use shavings from a Horseradish root for display and eating purposes, we also like to have plenty of Prepared Horseradish on hand, as well. It goes great with everything from the Hillel Sandwich, to Gefilte Fish, to the Teriyamic Prime Rib (or brisket, for you folks who just can’t break any traditions). Again, it’s very easy to make with just 4 ingredients and a blender or food processor being the necessary components. The only problem may be locating some Horseradish root … we had to go to four stores before we found some! Also, I want to warn you to keep your face away from the blender/processor when you remove the lid. Unless, of course, you enjoy the tears you get when chopping onions … in that case, this will be quite a rush for you! 😆

What Passover repast would be complete without some succulent sweets to top off the meal? Of course, anything with flour and/or yeast is verboten. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t have some delicious desserts waiting for you after the last prayer is offered and the last song is sung. One of our all-time favorites is a slew of Mouthwatering Macaroons! These, too, are simple to make and always a crowd favorite. What’s not to love, coconut, vanilla and sweet condensed milk (aka “nectar of the Gods”)? Plus, if you want to take them to the next level, as we tend to do around here, dip them in some dipping chocolate (as seen here). We serve them both, dipped and undipped. Though, I have to say, the dipped ones always seem to disappear first!

These are just a few of the dishes we will be enjoying while regaling the Passover tale. I must say, though, that Passover reminds me of the old joke: What is the definition of every Jewish Holiday? They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat! We hope that you and yours enjoy the upcoming Holiday weekend, whether you celebrate at the Seder or Easter table.

©2012 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Thanksgiving Prep

I don’t know about you but, for the Caveclan, Thanksgiving is the holiday we look forward to the most. A day filled with friends and family, fantastic football, and fabulous food is certainly a day worth giving thanks for. Which is why, when the Cavewoman and I wed, we chose Turkey Day as the one we would host for the entire family. Yeah, it is a lot of work in the kitchen. But, seeing everyone slumped into the couch, satiated and smiling, is worth every moment spent hoping not to burn the gravy or undercook the bird.
Over the last dozen years, we have incorporated some of our families’ recipes with our own to create a meal that has become a tradition … to the point we are threatened with embarrassing public revelations from our pasts if we change anything. Making blackmail truly the most sincere form of flattery you can receive! 😉 With that in mind, I want to share with you some of the recipes we’ll be employing next week for the big day. I hope to also post a few new recipes over the next week that we will be enjoying this year, as well.
Before getting to real meal, we try to tempt our guests palates with some basic, yet delicious appetizers. And, shrimp cocktail is about as basic as it gets. However, a chilled shrimp is only as good as the sauce that accompanies it. You could make your own sauce from scratch. But, that is time consuming and, as you know, we like to make things as easy as possible around here. Thus, with necessity being the mother of invention, came the recipe for Cave’s Quick Cocktail Sauce. As the name suggests, it’s quick, it’s easy, and man is it goooooood! If there is any doubt about how good it really is, on a holiday known for leftovers, there are never any leftover shrimp!
As good as those little crustaceans bathed in that sauce are, man (and, more specifically, the vegetarian Cavewoman) can’t live on prawns alone. So, we also whip up an incredible veggie friendly Baked Brie with Peach Sauce. When coupled with the dried cherries and pecans, this gooey plate of yum becomes a huge hit. Serve it up with some quality Lavosh or water crackers and let the feasting begin!
NOTE: Even though you will want to dig right in, be sure to let the baked brie cool for about 10 minutes after pulling it from the oven as the melted cheese inside the brie casing can get quite hot. Nothing worse than burning your tongue on that first bite and not be able to taste the full flavor of the rest of the meal. Yes, this is the voice of experience talking! 😳

Too often, one of the cornerstones of the Thanksgiving meal is taken for granted. The cranberry sauce! Serving it right out of the can isn’t worthy of the time and effort most will put into their holiday spread. You could just follow the rather simple directions that come on a bag of fresh cranberries … at least that is a huge step up from pre-made. But, if you want to bump it up a major notch, I suggest you take the few extra steps recommended in our Cave’s Cranberry Sauce recipe. It’s still very simple to make. But, instead of having your cran-sauce be just an also-ran on the plate, it will become one of the stars of your holiday meal. In fact, you just might find yourself making this dish throughout the year!
Of course, it isn’t Thanksgiving without a turkey. However, it isn’t much of a Thanksgiving, foodwise, if your bird isn’t flavorful, juicy and tender. Fortunately, there is one thing you can do to help assure you achieve all three of those lofty goals: marinate your turkey in brine! My now-famous T-day Turkey Brine is one of those modified/modernized family recipes that has been handed down from my Cavenana to my Cavemom, and most recently to me. Combing wine, fresh grapes, garlic, rosemary and various other ingredients for an overnight marinade creates a turkey that is perfect nearly every time. Turkeys done this way usually don’t have much in the way of drippings because the bird retains so much of the moisture. But, it also helps make the meal’s main attraction tender, moist and full of flavor.
Like I said, these are just a few of the recipes we will be whipping up in the coming days. We should have a few more to share before you start winging it around the kitchen. No matter what you end up making, we wish you and yours a safe, savory and happy Thanksgiving. And, don’t be bashful about telling the people sharing your holiday table how thankful you are for having them in your life – it is the only true fail-safe ingredient to a successful T-Day gathering.

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

R&R BBQ Sauce

Anybody who’s ever been to a bar (or frat party) knows that Rum and Coke go together like milk and cookies. But, who knew that Rum and Root Beer could team up for a phenomenal barbeque sauce? Well, oh my, do they! Although this was developed specifically to go with my BBQ Rub-a-dub and Dutch Oven R&R Pulled Pork, it really stands up incredibly well on it’s own! Ribs, chicken, tri-tip … you name it. This sauce will make your taste-buds do a victory dance!

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Root Beer
2 Cups Ketchup
2 Shots (3 Ounces) Dark Rum
1/4 Cup Molasses
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBSP BBQ Rub-a-dub (or the smokey rub of your choice)
1 Tsp Red Crushed Pepper
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tsp Sea or Kosher Salt

RECIPE

In a medium-large saucepan, combine all ingredients.

Turn the heat on medium and stir or whisk well until all ingredients are fully combined.

Continue to stir occasionally until just before sauce begins to boil. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Be sure to continue stirring every 10-15 minutes.

When done, remove from heat for 15 minutes. Then serve, use to baste, or cover and refrigerate. Will last up to three weeks … but, probably not! 😉

Prep Time = 10 minutes
Cook Time = 2 Hours
Makes 1.5 Quarts

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Balsamic Thyme 4 Mustard? Sauce

Great as a marinade, or as a topping sauce, for pork, fowl or game!

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1.5 Teaspoons Sweet Hot Mustard
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Simply place all ingredients into a small bowl and mix well.
NOTE: I almost always use fresh garlic in my recipes. However, there are occasions, such as this sauce, where I don’t want the overwhelming flavor of fresh garlic … just the hint of it (or I’m just too lazy to chop it ;)). That’s when I pull out the jar of pre-minced garlic.
HINT: If using as a topping sauce, be sure to warm it up over a medium-low flame in a small sauce pan before using.

Prep Time = 10 minutes
Cook Time = N/A
Marinates/Tops 1-2 Pounds of Meat

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Hoisin Galbi Marinade

I apologize that this blog has been recipe-free the last few days. Instead of making excuses, how about if I just serve up three tasty recipes in 24 hours?!?! First, this classic Korean meat-marinade … with a Caveman twist.

INGREDIENTS

4 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Molasses
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp Sweet Rice Seasoning
1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger, finely grated
1 Green Onion, chopped

RECIPE

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Marinate meat in a plastic zip-lock bag for 4 to 24 hours, refrigerated. Works well with beef, pork, chicken, and even fish that lend themselves to marinating, like salmon.
HINT: If you like a little heat in your food, use Sesame Chili Oil instead of the plain variety. Craving even more heat??? Squirt in some Sriracha Sauce.

Prep Time = 15 minutes
Cook Time = n/a
Marinades 2-3 pounds of meat

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Cavinaigrette

A great, light dressing with an Italian flair. Makes a good marinade, too.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar (preferably aged)
1/2 Tbsp. Chopped Garlic
1 tsp. Red Wine (or more to taste)
1 tsp. World Spice Merchants “Italian Herbs” (or any dried Italian herb blend)
1 tsp. Teriyaki Sauce
1 tsp. Molassas
1/2 tsp. Sugar (or more to taste)

RECIPE

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Toss into your favorite salad, drizzle on a sub sandwich, or marinate some chicken or fish in it before grilling.

HINT: Make this at least 20 minutes before use so that the herbs get fully rehydrated.

Prep Time = 5 minutes
Cook Time = n/a
Serves 4-6

©2009 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

T-day Turkey Brine

I have had several requests for my Thanksgiving Day Turkey Brine. Since we are coming up on the big day, I thought I’d share.

INGREDIENTS

1 to 1.5 full bottle of White Wine (if you use a whole bottle, have a spare ready for basting purposes – see note below)
1/3 – 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Medium bunch of Red Seedless Grapes, rinsed and halved
2-3 Tbsp. Chopped Garlic
2-3 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary (Dried is okay to use, too. Can also substitute Sage or Thyme, according to taste)
2 Tbsp. World Spice Merchants “Biscayne Citrus Rub”
2 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
1 tsp Seasoned pepper

RECIPE

Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Be sure to crush the grapes slightly, in your hands, as you put them into the bowl Mix thoroughly.
Place bird in a large trash bag (or extra-large brining bag) and cover with brine, being sure to get some of the mixture into the body cavity. Loosely knot bag (or zipper brining bag), place bagged bird into roasting pan (in case the bag leaks) and refrigerate overnight. Be sure to turn the bird several times for even marinating. Remove Turkey from refrigerator at least 20 minutes before cooking. Remove Turkey from brine, prepare and cook turkey as you prefer.
NOTE: Turkeys done this way usually don’t have much in the way of drippings. So, as noted above, have some spare wine handy for basting purposes. You can also use some of the leftover brine during the first 1-2 hours of cooking (Be sure to allow at least an hour and a half of cooking time after last use of brine for basting). Also, I like to leave a bunch of the grapes outside the bird, and a few inside, while cooking – it adds to the flavor.
Turkey will be moist and full of flavor. Enjoy!

Prep Time = 15 minutes
Marinate Time = 24 hours
Marinates 1 Turkey

©2009 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.