I have to admit turkey is one of our favorite homemade soups, maybe because I only make it a couple of times a year. We really should roast a turkey more often so I can make soup!

Ingredients for a simple, basic soup:
1 turkey carcass
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
1 – 3 tablespoons Watkins chicken soup base
3/4 teaspoon Watkins pepper
water

Instructions: In a large kettle or stock pot place leftover turkey carcass and cover with water. On high heat bring water to a rapid boil. Lower heat, cover and allow to simmer for an hour or so. I like to let it simmer for a couple of hours.

Remove pot from the heat and allow stock and bones to cool enough to handle. Strain broth into large pot or bowl. Reserve strained broth. Be sure to save any pieces of turkey meat before emptying strainer. Remove any turkey meat that remains on the carcass, discard bones. Cut meat into bite size pieces.

Return reserved broth back to a kettle or pot. Add unions, carrots and celery stirring to mix all ingredients together well. Bring to a rapid boil Add black pepper, chicken soup base to taste and optional ingredients such as corn, barley and lentils if desired (see below). Bring back to a rapid boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Taste and add more soup base if needed. Add turkey meat bring to a boil and turn off heat. If adding frozen peas (see below) add them now.

When I make meat and broth based soup I generally add everything except the kitchen sink, so I end up with a thick soup that’s almost a stew, filled with lots of vegetable and grains. If you fancy this type of soup or want to add more nutrition here are some more ingredients to add.

Choose one or more of the following additional Ingredients for a heartier soup:

1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup small pasta or noodles
2 parsnips, diced
1 cup kernel corn, frozen or canned
1 cup green beans, frozen or canned
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup frozen peas (I like to add these at the very end)
1 -2 cups roasted turkey meat, diced
leftover turkey gravy

I generally add only one grain, rice or barley or the pasta, not all of them.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon Watkins baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon Watkins ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon Watkins purest ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups milk (2% or skim)

1 cup pumpkin puree, fresh or canned

2 beaten eggs

2 tablespoons Watkins Original Grapeseed oil

Directions: Measure all dry ingredients and place in a large bowl. Mix together until well blended.

Directions: Measure all dry ingredients and place in a large bowl. Mix together until well blended.

In another mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients. Mix wet ingredients together with a wire whisk until fully combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir only until combined. It’s important that you don’t over-mix the batter, yes it should be lumpy!

Preheat a non-stick skillet or cast iron griddle on medium heat. If you aren’t using a non-stick pan, spray with cooking spray or add a teaspoon or two of oil to the pan, so pancakes don’t stick.

Using a ladle, pour about ½ cup of batter to the skillet per pancake. Allow to cook until bubbles form on top and edges look dry, then flip and cook on other side. Cook for a couple minutes more until browned.

Serve with maple syrup or your favorite pancake toppings. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Basic Pancake Recipe

If you prefer regular pancakes here’s the recipe!

2 cups flour

2 cups milk

2 eggs (beaten)

2 tablespoons Watkins original grapeseed or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla

Directions: In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until blended. Add milk, beaten eggs, oil and vanilla, stir until just combined. Preheat lightly greased griddle or frying pan. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into pan per pancake. Cook until pancakes begin to bubble. Flip once and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve with maple syrup, jam or fruit. Makes approximately 8 pancakes

It’s not hard to make pancakes from scratch! This recipe has been added Real Food Wednesday list on Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s blog.
How do you like your pancakes?

• Precook the entire package or several packages at once, cook until almost done. Store the pre-cooked bacon in the freezer until needed. This way you can reheat just the amount you need with out all the grease and mess. Heat in the microwave or a fry pan.
• Cook bacon in a counter top grill, this keeps all the grease and splatters to a minimum.
• Cut bacon strips in half, they are easier to work with. Plus it looks like you have more pieces on your plate.  Great tip if you are watching your calorie or fat intake.
• Drain cooked bacon on paper towel to remove excess fat. Pat with a fresh paper towel to remove more grease.

Place desired number of eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Immediately cool eggs in cold water to prevent the yolks from turning grey.

Thanks to Megan for the beautiful egg photo, click the image to see more of her photos.

Here’s how to cook long grain rice:

1 cup white long grain rice
1 & 1/2 cups water

Place rice and water in a 1 quart sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover with a light fitting lid and cook for twenty minutes. (see tips below)

If you prefer a healthier whole grain version, here’s how to cook brown rice:

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water

Follow directions above but cook for 45 minutes or until rice is tender.

Tips for cooking, serving and spicing up rice:

• Watch the rice carefully, as soon as it comes to a boil, turn down the heat and cover with a lid.
• Don’t remove the lid before the suggested cooking time is up, you are basically steaming the rice so if you lift the lid, you let out the steam and the moisture. It will take longer to cook and may become over done or died out on the bottom of the pot.
• Don’t stir rice while cooking, after it’s cooked you can gently fluff it with a fork if you like.
• If you find your rice isn’t fluffy or is too sticky, try washing it first. Rinse the rice with cool water, several times or until the water doesn’t look milky. My mother always washed rice before she cooked it, I do as well depending on the variety.
• Need more rice? Simply double or triple the rice and water, keeping the same ratio and use a larger sauce pan.
• Cook extra, it keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. Re-heat cooked rice in the microwave, or add a couple tablespoons water to reheat on low in a pot on the stove top. Cooked rice is perfect for making fried rice, adding to casseroles, salads, rice pudding and more.
• Spice up your rice by adding 1 teaspoon Watkins chicken or beef soup base along with the water, then cook as usual.
• You can also add more flavor by adding some herbs and spices before cooking; try cumin, curry powder, garlic, omelet and soufflé seasoning, onion, sage, or tarragon.

If you follow the above tips, with practice you’ll be cooking and serving perfectly done rice every time!

The easiest method of cooking salmon is to simply season it with a little lemon pepper or fish and seafood seasoning; pan fry the steaks or fillets at medium-high heat in a little grapeseed oil. Cook for about 5 minutes per side or until the flesh has changed a lighter color and no longer looks opaque. The flesh is very delicate so take care when turning the pieces so the fish doesn’t break or fall apart.

As a general rule for each inch (2.5 cm) thickness it takes 10 minutes to cook fresh salmon, you’ll need to allow 12-15 minutes per inch if it’s partially thawed and 20 minutes per inch if the fish is frozen. You’ll need to add 5 minutes to total cooking time if salmon is wrapped in foil (see below).

How to Cook a Whole Salmon

The easiest way to cook a whole salmon is to bake it in the oven or cook it on the barbecue. Lay the whole salmon on a large piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with Watkins cooking spray. The foil needs to large enough to wrap around the fish to make a sealed package. You may also use parchment paper if you are baking it in the oven. Season the fish with fish and seafood seasoning or the herbs and spices of your choice (see below) as well as slices of lemon or a 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Cook for the time indicated above or until the fish is done.

Other spices to use with salmon are basil, black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, chili powder, curry powder, cloves, dill, marjoram, oregano, tarragon and thyme.

The secret to moist, delicious salmon not to overcook it, and a sprinkling of just the right, good quality spices!

First husk the corn, this is simply peeling off the leaves and corn silk that cover the vegetable.

Place the corn on the cob in a large pot along with 2-3 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes or until the kernels have changed color, they’ll turn a darker yellow. Pretty easy right?

If you are having a barbecue you can cook your corn right on the grill. Place the husked cobs on a medium hot grill, then turn cobs every 5 minutes until it done on all sides. Some people say to soak the corn in water for half an hour before you grill it but I’ve never bothered. You can wrap the corn with a dab of butter in tin foil and grill it as above.

Serve your corn on the cob with butter, flavored butter, regular or butter salt and black pepper!

The secret to great corn on the cob is to cook freshly picked corn, the husks and silk should be green, not dry. The kernels should be plump and milky went pierced with your finger nail.