Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Vegetables

Combination Convection Steam

When meatloaf is made with lean meats such as turkey it can be formed into a roll and cooked directly on a baking pan with a side of vegetables for an easy one dish meal.  Because turkey is so lean it’s best to use dark meat.

Ingredients:

1 - small yellow onion, finely chopped

2 - cloves, garlic minced

1 - carrot, finely diced

6 - cremini mushrooms, finely diced

½ - teaspoon mixed Italian seasoning

1 ¼ - lbs dark ground turkey meat

¼ - cup breadcrumbs

1 - egg, lightly beaten

¾ - cup ketchup or BBQ sauce

½ - teaspoon Kosher salt

Ground pepper

Preparation:

Saute the onions over moderate heat for a few minutes then stir in the garlic and cook for a few minutes. 

Stir in the carrots, mushrooms and Italian seasoning and cook covered with a little water or stock until the carrots have softened, about 8 - 10 minutes.

Heat the oven to Combination Convection Steam 350 degrees

Combine the turkey, breadcrumbs, egg and ½ cup of the ketchup or BBQ sauce and season with the salt and pepper.

Stir in the cooked vegetables and place the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.

Shape the mixture into a long thin log and brush with the remainder of the ketchup or BBQ sauce.

Toss the vegetables with a little oil and arrange on the baking sheet next to the turkey.

Allow approximately 35 - 40 minutes to cook the turkey and 10 minutes for resting before slicing.

Serves 4 - 6

Larissa Taboryski

Lemon Basil Risotto

Steam Mode

Risotto is a versatile side or main dish that can be prepared year round with a variety of seasonal vegetables.  This recipe that uses grated lemon zest and chopped fresh basil is perfect for spring and summer menus.

Preparing risotto in the oven is of course not the authentic method, however since there is no stirring involved it’s very convenient and the results are very good.  I like to start it on the cooktop, sauteing the onion with butter, adding in some wine then the rice and stock before adding to the Steam Oven.  If you are in a hurry you can just put all the ingredients in an oven casserole and place in the oven and it will still taste very good.

The risotto can be cooked in an oven to table casserole making it easy to serve but the best part is cooking a delicious meal without having to stand at the stove.

Ingredients: 

4 - tbsps unsalted butter

1 - small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 - cup Arborio rice

¼ - cup dry white wine

3 - cups chicken or vegetable stock, heated

1 - tbsp unsalted butter

⅛ - cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 - lemon, zest only

¼ - cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Preparations:

Heat the Steam Oven in the Steam Mode.

Melt the butter in a medium sized saute pan, stir in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until transparent.  

Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains evenly with the butter, add the wine and cook over moderate heat until the wine has evaporated.

Scrape the rice into an oven casserole and add 2 ½ cups of the heated stock. 

Carefully place in the Steam Oven and set the timer for 25 minutes.  

Open the oven carefully to avoid getting a burst of steam in your face, stir the rice and test it for doneness, if the remaining liquid is required stir it in at this time. 

When the rice is tender, remove from the oven, let it stand for a few minutes before stirring in the remaining butter, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and basil.

Larissa Taboryski

Chicken Enchilada

Convection & Convection Steam Mode

Anytime you are making a recipe that requires shredded chicken you have the option of either steaming or steam roasting some chicken pieces in your Steam Oven for tender juicy chicken with the added bonus of flavorful juices.  There are a lot of ingredients in this crowd pleasing casserole but it assembles very quickly; allow at least 40 minutes for it to bake in the oven.

Steam Roasted Chicken:

4 - bone in chicken thighs or two bone in chicken breasts

½ - teaspoon ground cumin

¼ - teaspoon granulated garlic

¼ - teaspoon Kosher salt

1 - tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation:

Heat the oven in the Convection Mode to 425 degrees.

Combine the seasoning and oil and rub over the chicken, place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, then change the Mode to Convection Steam 350 degrees and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the juices run clear.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool, skim the fat from the pan juices and add to the casserole, then shred or slice the chicken and stir into the casserole.

Steamed Chicken:

Assemble the  ingredients as noted above except the oil.

Heat the oven in the Steam Mode 212 degrees.

Place all the ingredients in an oven casserole with ½ cup of water and steam for 35 - 45 minutes until the meat comes easily away from the bone.

Set the chicken on a plate to cool before shredding.

Reserve the liquid, add a little to the casserole and reserve any extra for cooking.

Casserole Ingredients:

2 - tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 - medium yellow onion, finely chopped

3 - cloves garlic, minced

1 - yellow or red pepper, seeded and diced

1 - 4.5 oz can green chilis

1 - 15oz can corn OR

2 - cups frozen corn, defrosted

1 - 24 oz can black beans or your preferred beans

1 - 24 oz can enchilada sauce

18 - corn tortillas, cut in half

2 - cups shredded Cheddar mixed with

2 - cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation:

Heat a large skillet or saute pan over moderate heat.

Add the oil and increase the temperature to medium high, add the onion and saute for a few minutes to soften, then stir in the garlic and cook for a minute.

Add the pepper, chilis, corn and beans, stir well to combine then add all but ½ cup of the enchilada sauce and stir in the cooked chicken.

Spread ¼ cup of the reserved enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13 oven casserole dish and arrange ⅓ of the tortillas over the sauce.

Spoon ½ of the chicken and bean mixture over the tortillas and top with half of the cheese.

Layer in another ⅓ of the tortillas and  spoon the remainder of the chicken and bean mixture over the tortillas and ½ of the remaining cheese.

Top with the rest of the tortillas, spread the remaining reserved enchilada sauce over the tortillas and top with the remaining cheese.

When baking this casserole in the Steam Oven there is no need to cover it.

Heat the oven in the Convection Steam Mode 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

Change the Mode to Convection and increase the temperature to 400 degrees and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.

Be sure to let the casserole stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8 - 10

Larissa Taboryski

Banana Stuffed French Toast

Convection Steam - Casseroles

French Toast breakfast casseroles are delicious, easy to make and best of all it's a great way to discreetly use up berries, apples or bananas.  Since the bread has to absorb the liquid before baking you can even make the casserole the day before and just pop in the oven the next morning.

Ingredients:

1 - loaf unsliced challah bread or white sandwich loaf

2 - cups whole milk

6 - large eggs

¼ - teaspoon vanilla extract

1 - cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted

2 - large ripe bananas, peeled and cut into ½” thick rounds

2 - tablespoons unsalted butter

2 - tablespoons brown sugar

Preparation: 

Preheat the oven Convection + Steam Mode -  350 degrees.

Lightly grease a large baking dish, that will fit in your steam oven.

Melt the butter and sugar in a medium sized skillet over moderate heat, when the sugar has melted stir in the bananas and cook gently until the bananas have softened slightly.

Shave the crust from the bread without taking too much of the bread away and cut into 1” thick slices. Lay ½ of the  bread slices into the baking dish, cutting the slices to fit snuggly.

Spread the cooked bananas over the bread and top with the rest of the bread slices.

Whisk the milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a large measuring jug and pour over the bread pushing the bread down so that it is submerged.

Top with the sliced almonds and  let stand for 40 minutes to an hour or overnight before baking.

Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is lightly browned.

Serves 6 - 8

Larissa Taboryski

Arroz con Pollo

Convection Steam Mode & Convection Mode

There are many versions of chicken and rice dishes and this recipe is one of my favorites, there are several options to adapt it to Steam Oven cooking.

In the traditional recipe the spice rubbed chicken is seared on the cooktop then set aside while the vegetables are sauteed and the remaining ingredients combined.  The chicken is then returned to the pan and everything continues to cook together.

Steam Oven Options:

1. Cook the spice rubbed chicken pieces in the Convection Steam Mode while cooking the rice and vegetables on the cooktop.  Cool and slice the chicken and combine with the chicken and pan juices with the rice.

2. Sear the spice rubbed chicken pieces in the Convection Mode while sauteing the vegetables on the cooktop.  Add the rice and stock to the pan, nestle the seared chicken pieces in the rice and place the pan in the Steam Oven uncovered to cook for 30 - 35 minutes.

Chicken:

8 - pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (legs and thighs work best)

2 - tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1 - teaspoon Kosher salt

½ - teaspoon granulated garlic

1 - teaspoon ground cumin

½ - teaspoon mild or spicy smoked paprika

½ - teaspoon ancho chili powder

1 - teaspoon ground turmeric

1 - teaspoon dried oregano

Set the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, and combine the oil and spices in a small bowl and rub into the chicken.

Vegetables and Additional Ingredients:

1 - tablespoon olive oil

1 - large yellow onion, diced

1 - medium yellow pepper, diced

1 - poblano chili, diced (if you like some spice)

3 - cloves, garlic minced

1 - Portugese mild or spicy Linguica sausage diced

1 - 14oz can chopped tomatoes

1 - cup short grain rice or Arborio

2 - cups chicken stock

Garnish:

½ - cup Manzanilla Spanish olives

¼ - cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Steam Oven Method 1:

Heat the Steam Oven in the Convection Mode 425 degrees.

Cook the chicken for 12 - 15 minutes then change the oven Mode to Convection Steam 375 degrees.  Cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces.

When the chicken has cooled, slice it  (or leave whole if you prefer) then skim the fat from the pan juices and stir the juices into the rice mixture.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over moderate heat, add the oil, increase the temperature to medium high and saute the onion for a few minutes to soften.

Stir in the peppers and cook for a few minutes until the edges begin to brown.

Add the garlic and stir for a few minutes then add the sausage, cook for another minute or so then add the tomatoes and cook for 4 - 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice and add the chicken stock, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until the rice is tender.

Gently stir in the olives, add the chicken and garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Steam Oven Method 2:

Sear the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet in the Convection Mode 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and change the Mode to Combination Convection Steam 350 degrees.

Saute the vegetables as directed above in a large ovenproof pan and once you have added the liquid, nestle the chicken pieces into the pan and cook uncovered in the Steam Oven for 30 - 35 minutes until the rice is tender.

Garnish as directed.

Serves 6 - 8

Larissa Taboryski

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder with all its wonderful marbling is a delectable cut of meat and very easy to cook, provided you allow plenty of time for the cooking. Pork shoulder can be roasted at low temperatures and served with rice and beans or over polenta with a side of sautéed bitter greens. Any which way, it will be delicious. 

Pork shoulder can also be braised, slowly cooked in a sauce. Usually a BBQ sauce is used then shredded for pulled pork. This is another really popular preparation.

As with all meats, let the pork sit out of the refrigerator for at least an hour before cooking and for best results. Place it on a rack in a shallow pan to allow the Convection heat to circulate around the meat. The pork can be roasted in either a Combi Steam oven or a Convection Oven.

Keep the temperature low and allow 3 - 4 hours, it will be well worth the wait.

Ingredients

1 pork shoulder 3 - 5lbs

1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp mild chili powder

1 tbsp dried mixed Italian seasoning

1 tbsp Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

Heat the oven in the Convection Steam Mode (Combi Steam Oven) to the Convection Mode (Convection Oven) to 300 degrees. If your oven does not have a Convection mode use the Convection Bake mode 280 degrees.

Puree the onion, garlic and seasonings in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Stir in ¼ cup of olive oil and the vinegar to make a thick paste.

Place the meat fat side up on a rack in a shallow pan. Score the meat in a cross-hatch pattern and rub the puree all over the meat. Pour enough water into the bottom of the pan to cover the surface and slide the tray into the oven.

Check the meat after 2 hours and add a little more water to the bottom of the pan if needed.

Check the meat again after 3 ½ hours to see how tender it is. The final result should be meltingly tender. Remember you can’t go wrong if you keep the temperature low.

Larissa Taboryski