And the Best Picture Oscar Entree goes to...YOU! Come and accept your award-winning chow and pass it around to your Oscar party guests. So sit back and watch the Best Picture Oscar-nominated movie trailers below and my Oscar Entrees that are a feast for your eyes.
And click on any Best Picture Oscar Entree nomineename to be directed to the original blog post for all the award-winning recipe prose and cinematic culinary imagery.
My first Best Picture Oscar-nominated Entree is for the movie A Star Is Born, and it's a delicious Zankou Chicken Meal sure to tickle the ivories in your mouth! This 21st Century musical is a feast for the ears, so check out the movie trailer below.
I've been to the Los Angeles landmark Hollywood Bowl for many music concerts and this A Star Is Born Zankou Chicken Meal is fitting for a live music setting.
The Green Book is a concert pianist tour taking place in the South, so a cool The Green Book Daiquari Drive Thru is a welcome stop from the dusty road.
The Favourite Fish & Chips is a Best Oscar Entree that should be served with a silver spoon, or make that a fork. The nominated historical costume drama takes place in a castle and is full of palace intrigue involving 18th Century Queen Anne.
My crown jewel of a recipe is worth a knighthood for scrumptiousness. So check out my The Favourite Fish & Chips recipe from behind the red velvet rope.
My next Best Oscar Entree is one you can really sink your teeth into, Black Panther Plantains. The latest Marvel Comics superhero movie is a great change of pace to the usual whitewashed special effects blockbuster.
The rock group Queen is profiled in my next Best Picture nominated recipe. And my colorful pastry, Bohemian Rhapsody Sprinkles Cupcakes, will have you stomping along to the sports arena anthem "We Will Rock You!"
My Bohemian Rhapsody Sprinkles Cupcakesrecipe was originally created when gay marriage was legalized first in Los Angeles. I am proud to present my gender-busting recipe video:
Best Picture BlacKkKlansman goes undercover to expose the swampy underbelly of racist America. And my Best Picture Entree, BlacKkKlansman Deep Fried Frog Legs, is as swampy a recipe as you can get!
My cajun brother the Swamp Chef is a friend to all races and even turns a different color to prove it in the recipe video below.
The last Best Picture Oscar Entree is Roma Turkey Carnitas, Mexican-style. The movie Roma title is named for a Mexico City neighborhood. Tied with The Favourite for most Oscar nominations, Roma is the film to beat. The movie is about the movie director's housekeeper.
My Best Picture Entree nominee Roma Turkey Carnitas is a humble but delicious street food that all classes of people will crave.
Do try out any of my Oscar Party Entrees - you're sure to get a Standing O. So have your acceptance speech ready because the golden statuette for Best Entree at an Oscar Party belongs to you, the host with the most.
And I'll leave you with a video I made a while ago, where the Academy of Motion Pictures had an Oscar exhibit, along with a podium with a real Oscar. All you had to do was stand in line and take a picture with it -- well you can be sure I showed up for that! Just check out the video below:
As for year-end lists,my Top 9 Recipes of 2018 is one you can really sink your teeth into. And all of my top picks are deliciously cheap to make. Just click on any recipe name to see the original 2018 blogpost for tasty photos and my money-saving tips, and be sure to play any embedded video below. The ranking order is random and not by delectability, so go ahead and dig in!
1. Country Gravy with Sausage
Let's start with a Southern breakfast I had as a child, Country Gravy with Sausage. Rich creamy gravy studded with breakfast sausage over hot biscuits are a heavy lift, but oh so satisfying. I also add eggs over-easy to mine.
2. Cherry Pancakes
On the flip side fresh fruit for breakfast is my preferred start of the day. I can't wait for cherry season and when it comes I slice and pit fresh ones for Yogurt with Cherries and Cherry Pancakes.
3. Spinach and Cheese Omelet
It only takes an extra minute of sauteing spinach and you have the makings of a delicious Omelet. I take it a bit over the top with the addition of cheese.
4. Avocado Toast
Here in California avocados are everywhere, even drooping from neighborhood trees. And while Avocado Toast has been played to death on local menus, there is a reason...it's freaking good! Nothing to this recipe, the hard part is picking an avocado that will turn rich and creamy. Click on the recipe name for my avocado picking tips.
5.Mom's Shrimp and Rice
If you are a frequent visitor to my food blog, you know when Mom is in the kitchen the sparks will fly and a delicious homemade recipe is always the result. I grew up in a small town where my grandfather worked as a shrimp boat captain, so you know Mom's Shrimp and Rice is the real thing and deserves to be a Top 9 Recipe every year!
6. Chicken & Tuna Salads
This is a 2fer Top 9 Recipe using canned tuna or poached chicken to make mayo-creamy salads. I like myLoaded Tuna Saladwith the addition of sliced green olives and a chopped boiled egg, I think you will too.
I enjoy a bit of crunch with my Chicken Salad. Fresh chopped celery is added along with typical mayo and mustard, pickle relish and chopped onion. And I like to serve it between a sliced toasted bagel -- soooo goooood!
7. Mushroom Cream Soup
Cold days and nights are perfect for my Mushroom Cream Soup. I use heavy cream for the recipe, but if you want a lighter vegan version just click here to see it. I'm not sure why, but all kinds of mushrooms have been showing up at my local 99c only Stores, including Shiitake, Portabella, and Oyster mushrooms. You can use any local shrooms you get on sale with my recipe, even plain white button mushrooms.
8. Lamb Curry with Vegetables
This Top 9 Recipe is not for the faint of palate. Pungent lamb is combined with a spicy curry sauce, but with my addition of fresh veggies, the strong flavors are softened. So I think anyone can enjoy the recipe.
9. Turkey Carnitas Mexican Pork Carnitas are the norm, but lately, I've noticed aTurkey version at my local Latin Market, made with turkey thighs and legs, and I thought to make my own version. Carnitas are for tacos and burritos, and this recipe is a tasty take on my local taco truck favorite. If you have pork dietary restrictions, then this recipe is for you. Serve it at your next party and it will be a favorite for your guests, too.
It has been a fruitfully abundant year of recipes here at the Cheap$kate Chateau. I did the heavy lifting for you, so now all you have to do is pick a recipe link and save yourself some hard-earned cash by trying out any of the above. And if you have a favorite recipe of mine, then leave a comment to share.
And make sure to keep checking in here from time to time. I create yummy-looking blog posts with a dollop of humor, and while my tastes are cheap, my recipe flavors are top shelf !
My latest recipe is a lighter version of Mexican-style Pork Carnitas. I often look for Pork Carnitas being slow-cooked by street vendors, like Leo's Taco Turck, in a Los Angeles alley or sidewalk. I just pull over and get in line for a luscious Carnitas taco after being on the town late at night.
Hey, with my easy to make Turkey Carnitas recipe, you can cut in line and have a taco or burrito anytime!
I know there are a lot of you who have dietary restrictions against pork products, so this recipe is for you. So all my Jewish or Muslim readers can now enjoy real L.A. street tacos, right at home.
And with Christmas right around the corner, Turkey is extra cheap. And this recipe travels well if you are a designated potluck provider.
For my recipe, I use two dark meat drumsticks, that weigh in about a pound each. They are often on sale for less than a $1.50 per pound at my local Latin grocery store. For extra-tender and juicy Turkey Carnitas, dark leg meat is the way to go, you can use thigh meat or even turkey wings, too. For Thanksgiving or ChristmasTurkey Carnitas the sales are on full blast!
I get my spices and dried herbs at the local Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores. I use garlic powder and dried onion, but you can use fresh veggies if you like. So between dollar store spices and meat sales at an ethnic grocery, a lot of dinero is staying in your pockets!
Click on any photo to see larger.
I first noticed Turkey Carnitas in cafeteria-style heating bins in the deli section of my local Latin market. And they are not cheap at about $7 per pound, so I decided to just make some myself.
Latin market Turkey Carnitas
Theirs seem to be drier than my fresh made, but that could be the result of hours under heating lamps - which do give Turkey Carnitas an extra chrispy edge. To get that I just bake some cooked meat in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to get some crunchy bits.
I flavor Turkey Carnitas with typical spices and herbs thatPork Carnitas also use. The most important ones are: cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Extra spices include thyme, bay leaf, and chopped or dried onion - so if you don't have those, it's okay to leave them out.
The trick is to slow-cook or braise the turkey legs in water and/or broth for 2 to 3 hours until tender. With Pork Carnitas, pork shoulder is used that has fatty skin and marbling. They are slow-cooked in it's rendered fat, for that luscious flavor.
My Turkey Carnitas are lean and mean, since there is little fat in turkey legs. I do leave the skin on, but you could take it off. Since turkey is much more pungent than pork, this helps make up for the extra fatty flavor you get with typical Pork Carnitas. And two turkey legs will feed the whole family!
Flour and corn tortillas are cheap these days, too. All I do is add a little oil on a pan and heat them up for a minute - stack on a plate and cover with a paper towel to keep warm.
You can use your fave jar of salsa for your taco topping. If you like your tacos gringo-style then chop some tomato, iceberg lettuce and open a bag of shredded cheddar cheese. Or kick it up a notch and click on any of the following salsa names to get my homemade recipes: Roasted Salsa Verde (tomatillo,) Red Chili (2 dried types - but same recipe,) Pico de Gallo, Mango, and anAvocado Crema.
My cheap$kate recipe is easy to make, just turkey legs and a few spices and herbs that are slow-cooked -- so all you need is a little patience, and the payoff is bigtime. And I just use dried herbs and spices, so you don't even have to chop anything.
So if you're looking for a dish to serve at your next taco party then try out my Turkey Carnitas. Let your guests do all the work and build their own. Just set out some chopped onion, cilantro and your fave salsa, oh and kick it up a notch with some sliced avocado, too.
Turkey Carnitas - VIDEO
Play it here, video runs 3 minutes 10 seconds
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients (about 12 tacos)
2 turkey legs - about 3-4 pounds total. Okay to use thighs or wings. Use a turkey breast too, although it's a bit drier to my tastes.
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano - fresh or dried.
1 teaspoon thyme - fresh or dried.
1 tablespoon dried onion - okay to use 1/2 chopped onion.
1 tablespoon dried garlic - okay to use 2 chopped cloves garlic.
1 teaspoon red chili powder - okay to substitute with paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups water or broth
Directions
Add turkey legs to a large pan or pot, over a medium heat. I leave the skin on. It renders very little fat, but okay if you want to remove it.
Sprinkle on the spices including cumin, oregano, thyme, dried or fresh onion and garlic, chili or paprika powder.
Salt and pepper to taste, or about a 1/4 teaspoon salt and half teaspoon pepper.
Pour in 2 cups of water or a favorite broth. On your stovetop, bring the cooking pot to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook covered for 2 - 3 hours until meat separates easily with a fork.
You are cooking the Turkey Carnitas so the broth reduces and intensifies and the meat becomes flavorful.
Check every hour or so, and add water or broth if it cooks out, but it's okay for the liquid to reduce by half for an intense pot liquor to drizzle over finished Turkey Carnitas.
Rotate the meat a couple times during simmering so all sides evenly cook through.
Done when meat is fall-apart tender. Use a fork to see how easily turkey flakes off the bone.
Traditionally Carnitas are fine chopped and piled into flour or corn tortillas. When you peel turkey from the bone, look for small fine bones and chewy cartilage to remove.
For serving, just take turkey pieces and chop them into small 1/4 inch pieces. You could also do the "pulled pork" method of using 2 forks to pull the tender chunks apart to shred.
You can drizzle on some of the "pot liquor" or broth if you are storing the Turkey Carnitas to serve later. Or if you are keeping it warm in the oven, make sure to drizzle on plenty, so cooked meat stays moist.
The above method is the easiest way to make Carnitas. Outdoor sidewalk vendors cook it similar in a large pot or pan filled with pork shoulder and thick skin, intestines, tongue and other parts, slow cooking for hours in the rendered fat and broth. And when you order, the cook just plucks out a hunk of meat and chops it into small pieces to pile on a warmed corn tortilla. The main difference here is way less fat and grease!
You can top Turkey Carnitas Tacos with my Pico de Gallo (recipe here,) or simply with chopped onion and cilantro. Go Americano with your favorite salsa, iceberg lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheddar cheese.
For a Carnitas Burrito, add some of my Mom's Mexican Rice (recipe here) with a heated can of pinto beans, along with the above mentioned chopped veggies. If you have a favorite salsa then use that...and don't forget the hot sauce!
I've also had Turkey Carnitas with a crispy crust.
Roasting for Crispy Bits
This is a lean way. Just add the larger chunks of tender braised turkey to a roasting pan and bake about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. To keep the Turkey Carnitas extra moist add some of the broth to the roasting pan, just enough to barely cover the bottom. You just want to lightly brown some of the turkey pieces for crunch. Don't worry about all the small boiled bits, just add them to the larger roasted pieces and chop them up altogether.
