Congratulations to Kristin Wilson, from Calgary, who was the Grand Prize winner in our Cook with Wolfgang Puck contest. We flew Kristen and her mom, Denise, in to meet Wolfgang Puck and his team, here at our studios.

In this video, you can watch Kristin & Wolfgang prepare Kristin’s winning recipe - Creamy Pumpkin Rotini with Turkey Sausage & White Beans.  Yum!

Kristin will be joining us during our 10AM ET Wolfgang Puck show, doing a little taste-testing and judging Wolfgang’s cooking. We’ll see what she thinks!

Have the Wolfgang Puck Rice Cooker? Below is Kristin’s recipe so you can try this prize dish at home.

Creamy Pumpkin Rotini with Turkey Sausage & White Beans

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dried rotini pasta
• 3.5 cups chicken stock
• 1 can evaporated milk (385 mL)
• 1 can pure pumpkin (14 oz.)
• 1 can white kidney beans (19 oz.), rinsed well and drained
• 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. each sea salt and pepper
• 3/4 lb. cooked turkey sausage, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions:

1) Add pasta, chicken stock, evaporated milk, pumpkin, beans, garlic, butter, salt and pepper, and turkey sausage to the Wolfgang Puck Rice Cooker and stir together. Close lid and press COOK.

2) Combine parmesan cheese and sage in a small bowl and set aside.

3) When rice cooker switches to KEEP WARM, about 25 minutes, open lid and give mixture a good stir. Add parmesan cheese and sage, give another good stir to combine, close lid and press COOK again.

4) When rice cooker switches to KEEP WARM again, about 5 minutes, give another good stir (mixture should be very bubbly) and let stand with lid open about 5 minutes to stop boiling and allow mixture to thicken. Serve immediately with extra parmesan and parsley, if desired.

Serves 6

Tune in to our Everyday Gourmet shows today and you’ll see incredible power of the BlendTec Total Blender. Fresh batters, smoothies, soups & sauces are a blend away with this one machine.

Our friends at BlendTec are sharing some the back-to-basics recipes that they will be preparing on-air. Leave processed foods behind, and make fresh alternatives right in your own kitchen:

Basic Fresh Fruit Smoothie
This is a basic smoothie recipe which can be used with any kind of fruit, juice, or yogurt. Use your imagination!
Directions- Add ingredients to the blender jar in the order listed then secure the lid and press the Smoothie Button. Makes 24 ounces

• ½ cup juice concentrate (refrigerated)
• 1 rounded cup of fresh or thawed fruit
• ½ cup yogurt
• 2 level cups of ice

Note:
For a Strawberry-Banana smoothie, use Apple or Apple-Raspberry juice concentrate, fresh strawberries and a half banana (if slightly on the green side you get great texture with a mild banana flavor), and strawberry-banana yogurt.

Basic Green Smoothie
This is a basic green smoothie recipe which can be used with any kind of fruit, greens, or juice.
Directions- Add ingredients to the blender jar in the order listed then secure the lid and press the Smoothie Button. Makes 16-24 ounces

• ½ cup juice concentrate (optional)
• 1 whole banana
• 1 rounded cup of fresh or thawed fruit (pineapple is wonderful)
• 1 cup fresh greens (Kale, spinach, collard greens, etc.)
• 1½ cups of ice

Basic Nut Butters- Cashew, Almond or Peanut
This is a basic nut butter recipe which can be used with many types of raw or roasted nuts.
Directions- Place ingredients in the blender jar then secure the lid. STEP 1- Press the Speed Up button once to start the cycle and allow the Total Blender to run at speed 1 for 50 seconds. STEP 2- Remove the center portion of the lid, and only when the blender has stopped, use a rubber spatula to scrape the nuts towards the center of the jar. Replace the lid and press the Speed Up button until it reaches speed 5. Allow the blender to run the full cycle. Repeat STEP 2 as often as needed until butter has formed around the blade and it reaches the desired consistency. Makes about 2 cups of nut butter

• 3 cups roasted nuts
• Optional- 3 tsps peanut or vegetable oil (recommended with raw nuts)

During a recent visit to The Shopping Channel, TV guest cook Ken Kostick shared tips for making the most of the local harvest product available at your supermarket. Using the best vegetables the season has to offer, he shares a 3-step simple recipe for creating a rich, hearty soup to warm the cockles of your heart.

For more recipes, visit The Shopping Channel Cookbook.

With the weather turning cooler and the harvest season upon us, we’re all starting to think about seasonal entertaining and big family meals. Below, Chef Connie Willis shares two of her classic Thanksgiving recipes: Brine-Roasted Turkey & Hot N Spicy Cranberry Sauce.

Chef Connie Willis is guesting our Premier Performance Anniversary show today on The Shopping Channel. Limited-time pricing on all you’ll need to prep wonderful holiday meals. 

Connie Willis’ Brine-Roasted Turkey
1 (12- to 14-pound) fresh turkey
2 gallons water (32 cups)
2 C. kosher salt
2 C. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. peppercorns, coarsely cracked
2 oranges quartered
2 lemons quartered
4 sprigs of rosemary
6 sprigs of fresh sage
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
6 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Stuffing
1 yellow onion, cut into eighths
1 celery stalk large diced
1 carrot cut into 1-inch rondelles
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, olive oil or butter (your choice)
2 1/4 cups turkey or chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

The night before roasting the turkey, make the brine:
In a saucepan, combine 4 cups of water, salt and sugar, and heat over medium heat, stirring, until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the peppercorns, set aside and let cool.
Rinse the turkey inside and out then place the turkey in a very large pot, and add the remaining 28 cups of water and the brown sugar mixture, stirring to blend, along with the oranges and lemons (squeeze them as you add), the rosemary, sage, thyme and garlic. (If your pot isn’t quite large enough, use less water and slightly less of the brown sugar mixture. If the brine doesn’t quite cover the turkey, place it breast side up to start, then turn over after a few hours, or place something with some weight on it which will hold the entire turkey under the brine)
Refrigerate for 12 to 15 hours.

Directions:
Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and let it come to room temperature — about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325° F

Put the turkey on the rack of a large roasting pan. Lightly season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper to taste and any other of your favorite spices to taste. stuff with the vegetable mixture into the cavity-onions, celery, carrots and parsley. Tie the legs together with twine, and then rub the whole turkey with vegetable oil, extra virgin olive oil or butter (its up to your taste buds!). Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Place the turkey breast side down in the pan and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove from oven, turn breast side up, and baste with 3/4 cup of stock. Continue roasting until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the breast, and 175 degrees F in the thick section of the thigh. (3 to 3 1/2 hours total cooking time, basting once every hour with 3/4 cup of stock).

Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving, keep loose fit foil on top of it. Reserve the pan juices for making gravy, if desired.

Serves 8.

Connie’s Hot N Spicy Cranberry Sauce 2 tbsp butter
2 minced jalapeño peppers (cored and seeded)
2 celery stalks, trimmed and diced
3 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 cups fresh cranberries
Juice of 2 oranges (6 tbsps)

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the jalapeno and celery; saute over medium-high heat until tender. Add brown sugar, cranberries and orange juice and bring to a boil. When you see a boil quickly reduce the heat to medium. Then cook until the berries pop! The sauce will develop and thicken, stirring constantly. This can take 5- 10 minutes.

Always taste your food! If it needs more heat minced more jalapeño peppers, if it needs more sweetness add more brown sugar and allow it to simmer a bit longer until it dissolves.
(Some people like to add crushed walnuts…if you like them too, add them!)

Serves 8.

Mary, our Web Producer for the Kitchen category, works closely with our merchandising dept and the Wolfgang Puck team to ensure we always have great recipes posted online to accompany Wolfgang’s top quality cookware items. She has not disappointed this time.

Check out these two new perfect-for-summer drinks that can be whipped up easily with the Wolfgang Puck Immersion Blender.

Wolfgang Puck Recipes

Hot Summer Mojitos for a Crowd (Makes 8 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, tightly packed
Zest from 4 limes
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
Juice from 10 limes, (include the 4 limes from above with zest removed)
4 - 6 cups ice cubes
2 cups excellent quality white rum, more or less or omit as desired
3 cups club soda, cold
Garnish:
8 long sprigs fresh mint
8 lime wedges or wheels

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine mint leaves, lime zest and sugar in Immersion Chopper Bowl. Attach lid and pulse till zest and mint are finely chopped. Now the sugar is infused with flavor.
2. In a 2-quart serving pitcher add sugar mixture and top with lime juice, ice and rum. Blend using immersion wand till mixed.
3. Add club soda and pour (strain first if desired) into tall, chilled glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs and lime wedges.

Note: To juice limes more easily, roll them under your palm on a counter using firm pressure. Then, place them in a microwave for 10-15 seconds.

Florida Sunshine Breakfast Smoothie (Makes about 2 quarts)

INGREDIENTS:
3 oranges, peeled and quartered
1 medium papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
2 bananas, peeled
2 cups frozen peaches 1 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek
2 tablespoons honey (more or less as desired)
2 cups ice cubes
2 cups fresh tangerine or orange juice (more or less as needed)

DIRECTIONS:
Layer all ingredients in an attractive serving pitcher and add half of the orange juice. Use the Immersion Blender Wand to puree to desired smoothness and thickness. If too thick, add remaining juice, too thin, add ice cubes and/or more frozen peaches.

Visit The Shopping Channel Cookbook for more tasty ideas from our celebrity chefs.