How you doin’? I got a phone call last week from a lady who got stuck on one of our recipes. It became very clear to me that she hadn’t read the recipe through before starting to make her cake.
 
I advise everyone working with our recipes to read the recipe all the way through before starting—it only takes a minute or so.
 
From now on all of my recipes will start with, Read the recipe all the way through before starting. Measure all ingredients and have at your side. That way you will be able to fully understand any tips from my ChefSecret and any other notes that will help you successfully achieve the best tasting food.
 
Okay, let’s talk about the Thanksgiving Feast. Over the next several recipes I will help you prepare the best Thanksgiving Feast ever. I will walk you through some of my favorites that I love to serve for this special day to my friends and family.
 
Please, please, please don’t buy one of those packets of turkey gravy. Even worse, don’t waste your money on the bottled gloppy stuff. It’s easy to make your own Turkey Gravy from scratch and you can do it a day (or a few) ahead of time to make sure you don’t over stress your range top.
 
My Make Ahead Real Turkey Gravy looks and tastes much better than those frantic, last-minute versions. This savory gravy is made with roasted vegetables,  turkey wings and other parts before you roast your turkey on the big day. Doing this ahead of time frees up valuable kitchen time and space needed for all the other dishes of your Thanksgiving meal.
 
You can make my Thanksgiving gravy up to four days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat, stirring often, on the stove. You can also freeze this gravy for up to three months. Transfer to airtight freezer bags, squeezing out as much air as possible, and freeze flat. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove.
 
I chilled it so the fat would solidify on top to make it easier to skim it off. It makes things so much easier to just take the fat off and use that for the roux adding great depth of flavor.
 
My Make Ahead Real Turkey Gravy is perfect for pouring over sliced turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes… or pretty much anything else! Make a double recipe so you have enough for leftovers.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook Time:  4 hours
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 cup chopped white onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 large turkey wings, diced heart and gizzard (do not use the liver)
2 tablespoons cold water
10 cups cold water
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
Kosher salt and fresh-ground ground black pepper to taste
 
Directions

1. Read the recipe all the way through before starting. Measure all ingredients and have at your side.
2. Preheat an oven to 400° F.
3. Combine the onions, carrots, celery and oil in a large roasting pan; toss to coat. Place turkey wings and parts on top of vegetables.
4. Roast in the preheated oven until turkey wings are browned and vegetables are caramelized and softened, 45 to 60 minutes.
5. Transfer turkey wings and vegetables to a large stockpot.
6. Place the roasting pan over a stovetop burner set to medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons cold water into the pan and bring it to a boil, scraping up and mixing in any browned bits (that where the flavors at).
7. Pour mixture into the stockpot and add 10 cups cold water, thyme and garlic.
8. Bring the turkey wing mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until meat falls off the bone, about 3 hours. Skim off turkey fat throughout the process, reserving 2 tablespoons for the roux.
9. Strain the turkey stock and reserve 6 cups stock; discard all solids (veggies and turkey bones).
10. Heat the butter and reserved turkey fat in a large saucepan over medium heat.
11. Whisk in the flour to make a roux and cook until it smells like cooked pie crust, 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Slowly pour in reserved turkey stock, whisking constantly.
13. Increase the heat to high and simmer gravy until thick and warmed through, about 5 minutes.
14. Season with the cayenne, salt and black pepper to taste.

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ChefSecret: Make friends with your butcher and ask him for any extra turkey parts he has put away in his freezer. Anything you add during the roasting process will enrich your turkey gravy 4-fold.
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Quip of the Day:  Q. What side of a turkey grows more feathers? A. The outside!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Sauce #Gravy #TurkeyGravy #MakeAheadTurkeyGravy #Turkey #Roux #RoastTurkey #HolidayRecipes2025 #ThanksgivingRecipes #HappyThanksgiving #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
                                                                       
                                                                                                  ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? Are you looking for inspiration for tonight’s dinner? A lot of us ran short of ideas when faced with cooking 3-meals a day during the Covid lockdown. We tried to help our readers with fresh ideas that are uncomplicated. Simplify is the name of the game! In fact, you can have a delicious chicken dinner with very few ingredients or just a few more by making a 100% from-scratch Salsa Verde recipe at the bottom of this blog.
 
The Salsa Verde is the key ingredient with this recipe. It gently cooks the chicken thighs and permeates them with great south-of-the-border flavor. Look for salsa verde that has a thicker texture. Broiling the dish at the end with some gooey cheese puts it over the top. Serve with Mexican rice and beans and a bottle of Corona.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield:  3-4 servings
 
Ingredients 
6-8 (8-ounces) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup jarred thick salsa verde (or make your own—see my recipe below)
1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
Kosher salt, to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish, optional
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 425° F.
2. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Season the chicken thighs evenly with pepper.
4. Place the seasoned chicken thighs in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or 3-quart baking dish.
5. Drizzle the chicken with the oil.
6. Pour the salsa verde over the chicken.
7. Bake until the salsa is bubbly and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 140°F, about 20 to 25 minutes. (Note: the chicken is not fully cooked at this point).
8. Remove the chicken from the oven.
9. Turn on the broiler.
10. Sprinkle the cooked chicken with the cheese and return to the oven.
11. Broil until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F, and the cheese is melted and browned in spots, about four minutes.
12. Season the chicken with salt to taste.
13. Garnish with cilantro.
14. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.

 
ChefSecret:  You can shred the chicken, toss it with the sauce and cheese and make Chicken Verde tacos or burritos.
 
                                     Oven Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
To cook the tomatillos, you can either roast them in the oven, brown them on the stovetop, or boil them. Roasting in the oven or browning on the stovetop will deliver the most flavor.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Yield:  3 cups
 
Ingredients 
1-1/2 pounds tomatillos (about 12 medium size toms)
1/2 cup chopped white onion
3 cloves (or more) garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 stemmed, seeded and chopped jalapeños (use more if you like more heat)
1/2 teaspoon kosher or to taste
 
Directions

1. Preheat a broiler, and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Set an oven rack about 6-inches from the heating element.

To prepare the tomatillos and cook

1. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse well. Cut the tomatillos in half and place them cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.
2. Add a few garlic cloves in their skin.
3. Place the sheet pan under a broiler for about 5 to 7 minutes to lightly blacken the skins of the tomatillos.
4. Combine the cooked tomatillos, garlic and seasonings, then pulse in a blender:
5. Place the cooked tomatillos, lime juice, onions, garlic (if using), cilantro, jalapeño peppers in a blender or food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
6. Season with salt to taste.
7. Cool the hot salsa and then refrigerate.
8. Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.

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ChefSecret:  Go the extra mile and make your own Salsa Verde.
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Quip of the Day:  In what part of Mexico do kangaroos live? Cancunroo
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entree #MexicanDinner #SalsaVerde #Chicken #Tomatillos #Cilantro #ChickenThighs #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025