Surprise Box of Ingredients From Marx Foods

Also See Below for New Marx Foods Blog Challenge

So I received in the mail a box full of ingredients from Marx Foods, a gourmet online food emporium that seriously does not disappoint. The ingredients were as follows: dried porcini mushrooms, dried black trumpet mushrooms, black truffle salt, juniper berries, and granulated honey.  The CEO of Marx Foods, Justin Marx, put me to the task (just for funsies) of coming up with a delicious meal that incorporated all of these very different flavors.  So the answer to the enigmatic equation of Surprise Box of Ingredients=X:

X=Turkey Breast seasoned with Truffle Salt, Savory Mushroom Stuffing, Candied Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta, and Chocolate Grand Marnier and Juniper Souffles

The day began on the best note you could imagine, Saturday Joe bought us hour long massages, as part of my birthday present (bday was November 26th).  Then off to Jamba Juice to indulge in something that would cleanse our bodies, and taste absolutely phenomenal.  Finally we headed to my Mecca, Genes Sausage Shop and Delicatessen, which is featured in a previous blog of mine, I highly recommend going.  Although I had my shopping list, I of course had to veer off the path a little bit when I excitedly noticed that they sold Landjäger Sausages and smoked gouda.  Sounded like the perfect pre-dinner appetizer to me.  Joe, in the meantime of my shopping extravaganza, ran off to the wine shop down the street to pick out some extra tasty varietals to go with dinner.  Finally it was time to trek back home.  We cooked, and chopped, and mixed together. All the while sipping one of the bottles of wine (you MUST drink when you cook) and me literally dancing around the kitchen, as we were jamming out to Joe's I POD.  Finally all the food was in the oven, the souffles were made and resting in the fridge, and we could sit and enjoy some more wine and tasty cheese and sausage treats.  After we finished with our delish meal, we watched the movie Inception, which happened to be AMAZING.  The souffles that we devoured during the movie only added to its awesomeness!

 Turkey Breast and Savory Mushroom Stuffing

  Ingredients

• 4 cups white bread small cubes (I used french bread), partially dried out in oven (400 F for 10 minutes, flip after 5)
• 1 cup milk 
• 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
• 4 tbsl of sweet cream salted butter
• 4 slices of pancetta or any thick, smokey, bacon, chopped
• 1/2 medium size onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups of assorted mushrooms, sliced (in my case I used dehydrated Porcini and Black Trumpet)
• 2 eggs 
• Poultry seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• olive oil
• 1 skin and bone-in Turkey Breast (Cleaned and patted dry)

1. In a bowl place your dried mushroom, cover completely with low sodium chicken broth (about 2 cups), let sit for at least 5-10 minutes.  Then take mushrooms out of broth, reserving the broth for later use.
2. In a medium sauce pan, over medium-high heat, cook up your bacon til just crisp.
3. Add in 2 tblspn of butter, let melt completely, then throw in your onion, celery, and garlic.  Let sweat until completely tender (about 3-5 minutes) over medium heat. Add tsp or so of poultry seasoning, and some cracked black pepper.
4. Take your reserved chicken broth and pour into the sauce pan.  Give everything a good stir. Let it heat all the way through over medium heat.  Then turn down to low.
5. In separate bowl add your one cup of milk and 2 eggs.  Mix thoroughly.  Slowly add your milk/egg mixture to the broth, directly in the middle of the pan, stirring constantly (you don't want scrambled eggs!)
6. Add all of your mushrooms, and let cook for about 3 minutes.
7. In whatever pan or casserole you plan on cooking your stuffing in, place your bread cubes.  Pour the contents of the saucepan evenly over the cubes.  Mix thoroughly, and continuously until all your bread is evenly coated and on the soft side. (if cubes still seem too dry you can add a little more chicken broth to the pan).
8. Take your Turkey breast and lather it up with olive oil.  Place on top of your stuffing, and season to taste.  Lightly sprinkle some of the poultry seasoning, and then truffle salt all over the top.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and cook at 375 F for 30 minutes.  Then take off foil and cook until timer pops up out of turkey or a meat thermometer reads 170 F (probably another hour).
10. Place turkey breast on cutting board, let sit a couple of minutes then carve.
11. If serving your stuffing out of the dish you baked it in, sprinkle some of the truffle salt evenly over the top, or scoop into serving dish and then sprinkle the truffle salt.

Candied Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Ingredients

• 2lbs of cleaned brussel sprouts
• 1/3 lb of thick cut bacon or pancetta chopped
• 2 tblspn of granulated honey
• olive oil
• crack pepper to taste

1. On a baking sheet, preferably with sides, place your brussel sprouts.  Toss them with the raw pancetta/bacon.
2. Drizzle olive oil over sprouts, and toss so they are completely covered.
3. Crack pepper evenly over the top
4. Sprinkle your 2 tblspn of Granulated honey evenly.
5. Bake at 375 F for 30-40 minutes or until tender.

Chocolate, Orange, and Juniper Souffles

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar, plus 1/4 cup
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed (dry) juniper berries **used my coffee grinder to crush the berries**
• 3.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, plus 7 ounces chopped
• 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• pinch of salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar mixed with 1 tblsp of crushed (dry) juniper berries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Butter and sugar 6 x 6oz ramekins.
2. Heat the butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, grand marnier,vanilla, and 1/2 tsp juniper berries in a double boiler over medium heat until the butter melts. Remove the butter mixture from the heat, add the 3.5 oz chocolate, and let sit until it melts, about 3 minutes. 
3. Place the chocolate mixture in a pie dish and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Use a spoon to form the chilled mixture into 6 evenly-sized balls about the size of a walnut and place in the buttered/sugared ramekins.  Place them back into the freezer.
4. Meanwhile, place the flour in a double broiler and slowly whisk in the milk. Add the salt. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks and continue to whisk constantly. The mixture will thicken to the consistency of mayonnaise in another 3 to 4 minutes. 
5. Remove the mixture from the heat. Stir in the 7 ounces of chocolate and set aside to let the chocolate melt.
6. Place the egg whites in a large bowl with the cream of tartar. Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping until firm peaks form.
7. Add the 1/4 cup of orange juice to chocolate mixture, mix well.
8. Fold the egg whites into the warm chocolate mixture
9. Spoon the souffle mixture over the chocolate balls, up to the rim of the ramekins. (At this point the souffle can be covered and kept refrigerated for 2 days.)
10. Place the ramekins in a hot water bath and bake until golden on top and the souffle has risen, about 30 minutes (40 minutes if refrigerated). 
11. Remove from the oven, dust the top with the powdered sugar and juniper berry mixture, serve immediately. 

Have You Been A Good Little Foodie This Year?

Blogger Challenge

This dog is absolutely adorable, I wish my animals would let me dress them up!

I suppose that I could have started a new blog about this challenge however I felt that my above post and this particular challenge were linked to each other for two main reasons: 1) the above recipe (s) were the direct inspiration of Marx Foods and 2) the package of delish goods is a prime example of how I have been trying to think outside the box (pun totally not intended) this past year, in terms of my culinary pursuits.  

I started this blog  about a year ago, and I feel that I have been sort of upping the ante with each post and foodie review that I make.  I've always been someone who loved to cook and bake (thanks to my mothers talents and patience with us kids in the kitchen).  However, I started off with simply replicating my mom's family recipes and have slowly grown into creating my own from scratch, or making twists to traditional fare.  The box full of "surprise" ingredients from Marx really forced me to create something delicious and gourmet without use of any of my familial recipes.  I was definitely taken out of my comfort zone.  In fact I had NEVER attempted souffle before this challenge!  It was also a bonus receiving these items because generally speaking I have to make my meals on a budget (Academic Research Scientist is definitely more about the passion then the payroll).  I do not have access to such intriguing items as truffle oil or bourbon vanilla beans, and although any good cook can make a wonderful meal from a few and very simple items, sometimes its one or two ingredients that can truly take a dish to the next level.  With a stocking full of goodies (hopefully including some truffle oil, because I am secretly obsessed with the flavor of truffles!) I could really show off my imaginative nature with some new culinary innovations thanks again to Marx Foods!