Let's finish our menu for both dinners. For those who don't eat poultry, I made two meat dishes for the two occasions. You may think that this is too much work, but, again, as I said, if you get organized from the start, you will not be overwhelmed and you will have all the time to enjoy the company of your guests. In fact, from where I come from, having people for dinner means that you should not spend your time in the kitchen leaving your guests to themselves. When my grandma or my mom had company everything had to be ready beforehand and they went to the kitchen only to serve the food, or supervise the cook while plating the food. Hors d'oeuvre were ready in the fridge in the serving platters to greet the guests as they arrive. You have to understand how shocked I am when I see on TV programs where people are looking for houses with "an open concept" kitchen, so they can be cooking while their guests are out there. This means that these people usually do not cook, because if they did cook on a regular basis they wouldn't like to have a sofa, or any furniture for that matters, in a space open to the kitchen with all the fumes. Have you seen the hood of your range if it's not regularly cleaned? That would be your sofa in an open concept living space!
To get organized for a big dinner is not that difficult, you only have to plan your menu, chose items that don't need individual cooking or frying, and limit the items that need to be prepared a few minutes before serving. So the best option is to chose a meat dish that can be marinated overnight and cooked in the oven with no hassle. That's what I did on both occasions.
EASY EYE ROUND
I often choose this cut of meat because it's lean and when sliced it comes in perfect circles, so it's more attractive for children and you're not going to supervise them while eating to remove fat or cut it for them. I've tried several ways of cooking it until I managed to find the easiest way to do it. For this recipe i had to make it big to serve a lot of people, you can use only one piece of meat. You'll need:
2 beef eye rounds
3 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture
Salt and pepper
Rinse the meat and with a sharp knife remove the fat that is usually on the lower part of it. They say it makes it tastier, I don't think so, and it will melt and remain in the pan, so you will have to remove it eventually before you use the liquid to make gravy. So remove it from the start. The flavor will come from the marinade, not from the fat. In a small bowl, mix the onion mixture with salt and pepper, then rub the mixture all over the meat. Transfer the meat to the cooking pan. Chose one that is large enough to hold both pieces of meat without touching, and it should be high enough to reach at least half of the meat height. Cover with aluminum foil, refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove from fridge, let stand for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature then cook in a 375 degree oven undisturbed for 2 hours (I put it in the oven with the turkey). Remove the foil and let it cook for another 30 minutes. By then it should be browned on one side, so turn it in its sauce and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and cover with foil until it's time to carve it. Slice the meat and arrange it in a serving platter. Use the liquid to make gravy by simply adding a couple of tbsp of flour, whisking it until completely dissolved and thickened. Adjust seasoning and serve in a gravy boat.
EASIEST ROAST EVER
While shopping for Thanksgiving dinner I came across a different cut of beef. It was a cut from the side of the beef, where you have the ribs, but these were removed. It was about 16 inch X 10 and 2 inches high. What made me think of it was that it had almost no fat. So I bought it and took my chances. It turned out that I had made a good choice. It cooked very quickly and came out tender and delicious. You don't need a recipe for that. Simply rub it with my usual onion/garlic mix with salt and pepper, but add to it as I did a good pinch of cajoun seasoning. I thought it would give it a kick, and it did. Cover it with foil, refrigerate it overnight and cook it as the previous dish. But with this cut, be careful after you remove the foil: you have to check on it after 15 to 20 minutes, then turn it once and give it no longer than 15 minutes more. It will melt in your mouth.
AND FOR DESSERT....
I made an easy Oum Ali (original recipe on 12/3012). This time with hazelnuts, almonds, coconut and 3 (4 oz) container of peaches in syrup I had in the pantry. I prepared it the night before and put it in the oven after I removed the turkey and the meat.
EASY LEFTOVERS FIX
Just toss some chopped lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, top with slices of meat, white and dark meat from the turkey, each one on a different side, and your favorite cheese, I used Jarlesberg in this one. Use your favorite dressing and voila: you have a chef salad.
2 beef eye rounds
3 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture
Salt and pepper
Rinse the meat and with a sharp knife remove the fat that is usually on the lower part of it. They say it makes it tastier, I don't think so, and it will melt and remain in the pan, so you will have to remove it eventually before you use the liquid to make gravy. So remove it from the start. The flavor will come from the marinade, not from the fat. In a small bowl, mix the onion mixture with salt and pepper, then rub the mixture all over the meat. Transfer the meat to the cooking pan. Chose one that is large enough to hold both pieces of meat without touching, and it should be high enough to reach at least half of the meat height. Cover with aluminum foil, refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove from fridge, let stand for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature then cook in a 375 degree oven undisturbed for 2 hours (I put it in the oven with the turkey). Remove the foil and let it cook for another 30 minutes. By then it should be browned on one side, so turn it in its sauce and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and cover with foil until it's time to carve it. Slice the meat and arrange it in a serving platter. Use the liquid to make gravy by simply adding a couple of tbsp of flour, whisking it until completely dissolved and thickened. Adjust seasoning and serve in a gravy boat.
EASIEST ROAST EVER
While shopping for Thanksgiving dinner I came across a different cut of beef. It was a cut from the side of the beef, where you have the ribs, but these were removed. It was about 16 inch X 10 and 2 inches high. What made me think of it was that it had almost no fat. So I bought it and took my chances. It turned out that I had made a good choice. It cooked very quickly and came out tender and delicious. You don't need a recipe for that. Simply rub it with my usual onion/garlic mix with salt and pepper, but add to it as I did a good pinch of cajoun seasoning. I thought it would give it a kick, and it did. Cover it with foil, refrigerate it overnight and cook it as the previous dish. But with this cut, be careful after you remove the foil: you have to check on it after 15 to 20 minutes, then turn it once and give it no longer than 15 minutes more. It will melt in your mouth.
AND FOR DESSERT....
I made an easy Oum Ali (original recipe on 12/3012). This time with hazelnuts, almonds, coconut and 3 (4 oz) container of peaches in syrup I had in the pantry. I prepared it the night before and put it in the oven after I removed the turkey and the meat.
EASY LEFTOVERS FIX
Just toss some chopped lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, top with slices of meat, white and dark meat from the turkey, each one on a different side, and your favorite cheese, I used Jarlesberg in this one. Use your favorite dressing and voila: you have a chef salad.
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