Recipe(tried): The Heart of the Home and A Cozy Dinner

Have you ever noticed that all kitchens are in the middle of a home? Some may be in the back or even in the front of a house but I have noticed that many kitchens are right smack in the middle of a home. Hence the famous saying, "the kitchen is the heart of the home".

My kitchen is my refuge, it is the first place I go to in the morning and the last one I am in before I retire for the night. It is the one place that I feel most comfortable in, it is where I tie on a vintage apron, where I peruse my magazines and cookbooks for inspiration, it is where I feel my Mother's spirit the most and feel closest to her, it is the heart of my home.

Whenever we have company over for dinner or host a dinner party, everyone congregates around the kitchen. Try as I might, to steer them into other rooms and even the sunroom, the kitchen is where everyone likes to hang out. I guess everyone just feels comfortable in a kitchen.

Ah yes, the ubiquitous kitchen, it is where fun begins and great memories are made. Children and their mothers dye Easter eggs in the kitchen, Christmas and birthday presents are wrapped on the kitchen table, and homework and projects are all done on the kitchen table. And let's not forget the homey "coffee klatches", what better way to catch up with neighbors than around the kitchen table with coffee and poundcake? The kitchen table, where store coupons are cut, where delicious meals are served, where the morning newspaper is read with a good cup of coffee and it can sometimes be found right dab in the middle of a kitchen or perhaps tucked away in another room not far from the kitchen.

Today's dinner menu was inspired by sitting around the kitchen table and thinking of something "homey", something my mother loved and wouldn't be the big production of a turkey dinner. I thought of turkey breast and all the trimmings and came up with this yummy menu. I used lots of shortcuts but still kept the flavor!

Enjoy your kitchen and share your heart!
The Menu:
Herb & Citrus Turkey Breast & Gravy
Mashed Red Potatoes with Sour Cream & Garlic
Sweet Corn
Cranberry Jelly
Sweet Potato Casserole with Walnut Crunch Topping
French Bread 
Sliced Homegrown Tomatoes with Cilantro Dressing
Biscuit Donuts Dusted with Vietnamese Cinnamon & Sugar
The Recipes:

HERB AND CITRUS TURKEY BREAST AND GRAVY
Serves 4

1 turkey breast
lemon pepper seasoning
seasoned salt
parsley
oregano
butter
Montreal Chicken seasoning
1 (12 oz.) jar Heinz Homestyle Roasted Turkey gravy

Rinse turkey breast and pat dry. Place in shallow baking pan. Spread butter over the top and sprinkle the seasonings over. Pour 1 cup water in pan around turkey breast. 

Cover with foil tightly and roast in oven at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours covered. Take off foil last 30 minutes. Place turkey breast on a plate while you pour pan drippings into a small pan. Place turkey breast back in pan and pour 1/2 cup water around and roast another 30 minutes.

In pan with turkey drippings, add the jar of gravy and mix well, heat and serve with sliced turkey breast.
MASHED RED POTATOES WITH SOUR CREAM AND GARLIC
Serves 2

2 or 3 red potatoes
1 garlic clove
sour cream
butter

Boil potatoes with garlic clove til tender. Drain and mash potatoes with garlic clove, add sour cream and butter and mash.
SWEET CORN
I use Bird's Eye Super Sweet Corn kernels in the microwave. Follow directions in back of bag. Delicious!
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
WITH WALNUT CRUNCH TOPPING
Serves 6-8

I used Vietnamese Cinnamon which is stronger than regular cinnamon. I found it at TJMaxx.

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (buy 2 lbs)
1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup flour

FOR THE TOPPING:
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon
1/3 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a shallow 2-qt. casserole. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the potatoes, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, butter, salt and vanilla and scrape mixture into prepared casserole.

Make the topping by putting all the topping ingredients in a small bowl and mixing with a fork. Sprinkle over the top of casserole.

Bake uncovered in 350 oven for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
FRENCH BREAD
I use Pillsbury Crusty French bread.
SLICED HOMEGROWN TOMATOES WITH HONEY CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE
Yield: About 1 cup 

There is nothing better than homegrown tomatoes!

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 Tablespoon grated orange zest
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, no stems
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 cup light olive oil

Place lime juice, zest, white wine vinegar, cilantro, honey, brown sugar, salt, garlic, and Dijon mustard into a blender. Process until smooth. While blender is running, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream and process until thickened. Do not over-blend. 

Refrigerate any leftovers and use within 3 days, recipe may easily be doubled. 
BISCUIT DONUTS DUSTED WITH
VIETNAMESE CINNAMON AND SUGAR
Makes 10 doughnuts

Ever wonder how the Chinese make those marvelous, light as a feather little donuts they serve on their Buffets? Well, I asked one of them and they told me they use buttermilk biscuits!

1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon 
vegetable oil (for frying)
1 (12 oz.) tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough

In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon; set aside.

Fill a wide shallow pan with only 1 inch of oil. Heat the oil to 370 degrees F.

Meanwhile arrange the biscuits on a baking pan. Using a 1-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut out the center of each biscuit. Save the little hole to make bite-size donut holes.

Drop the doughnuts into the hot oil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown, turning doughnuts if necessary. Transfer the doughnuts immediately to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Serve warm.