Thanksgiving Tips, Recipes, and Ideas

Today is usually my weekly Southern Sundays party.  Since the holidays are coming up and there is so much planning to do I think a break from the party for a couple of weeks is needed.

Instead I'm bringing you some wonderful Thanksgiving Tips, Recipes, and Ideas that you might like, and want to try this holiday season.

Last year I did a wonderful series of posts that are certainly worth another look.  Click on any of the links below to read about these topics.

How-To: Roasting the Turkey

These are the subjects that are discussed in the post.  Click on the link above to read about any of these.

What Size Turkey to Buy
What Size Pan to Use
Roasting an Un-stuffed Turkey
Roasting a Stuffed Turkey

How-To: Trussing a turkey

How To: Testing the Turkey for Doneness

How-To: Making Gravy

Thanksgiving Side Dishes:  All About Potatoes

Thanksgiving Side Dishes and a Slice of Pie

Here's my FAVORITE recipes!

Oven Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter

By Tyler Florence
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 3 hr 0 min
Serves: 10 to 12 servings 

1 (12 to 14) pound fresh turkey 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
Sage Butter, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven. 

Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with stuffing and, if required, truss the legs. Cover the turkey with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Push the sage butter under the skin of the turkey, being careful not to puncture the skin.

Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, and into the oven. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). If the legs or breast brown too quickly during roasting, cover them with foil.

Sage Butter: 
2 sticks butter, softened 
1/4 cup chopped sage 
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients.

Turkey Gravy
3/4 cup water
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 cups turkey or chicken stock
2 Tbs. dry sherry, Madeira or other wine (optional) (we used balsamic vinegar the other day!)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Skim and discard any fat from the juices in the roasting pan. Or use a gravy separator and pour the defatted juices back into the pan.
2. Add the water to the pan and place over medium heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer the juices to a bowl.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until bubbly. Add the flour and whisk rapidly for a few seconds to cook the flour.
4. Rapidly whisk in the reserved pan juices and the stock. Cook until smooth and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.
5. If desired, pour the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois into a warmed sauceboat or wide-mouthed pitcher. Makes 2 to 2 1/2 cups gravy.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Red Rice Stuffing

Ingredients:
4 acorn squashes, each about 1 1/2 lb.
2 Tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 box (12.5 oz.) herbed quinoa and red rice stuffing mix
3 1/4 cups water
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 cup chicken stock, warmed
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Position 1 rack in the upper third and 1 rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Cut the acorn squashes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Coat the squash cavities with the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place the squash halves, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheets and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the squash halves over and rotate the pans from top to bottom. Continue roasting until the squashes are just tender when pierced, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.

Using the stuffing mix, water, salt, butter, onion, celery and stock, prepare the stuffing according to the package instructions, adding the almonds along with the dried cranberries (included with mix). Instead of transferring the stuffing to a baking dish, spoon about 1 cup into each squash cavity. Bake the squash for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and cut the squash halves into wedges. Serves 12 to 16.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

LIBBY'S Famous Pumpkin Pie
Prep:15 mins
Cooking:55 mins
Cooling:120 mins
Yields:8 servings

This is the traditional holiday pumpkin pie. This classic recipe has been on LIBBY'S® Pumpkin labels since 1950. This pie is easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy. Just mix, pour, bake for a delicious homemade tradition.

Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Thanksgiving in August: Grilled Turkey with a Balsamic BBQ Sauce

I'm so excited about tonight!

Why?  Cause I'm going to a cooking class to learn how to cook Giada's food.  Don't you just love Giada?  I do.  Her simple Italian style that's family friendly and a little updated has always drawn my attention.  I'm so happy to be learning Giada's style of cooking, and getting to try out her recipes first hand!

I can't wait to come back and share with you the wonderful dishes that we will make.  Wish me luck, it should be an outstanding night!

Now you're really going to think I'm crazy.  But I'm not.  Swear.  I told you how I wanted summer to last and I'm not ready for fall yet.  But what I am ready for is Thanksgiving.  I love the dishes of Thanksgiving.  The standard dishes like the juicy turkey, some green beans, a little dressing.  So why not have Thanksgiving in August?  You can you know!  I won't tell.

So how about Thanksgiving in August with a summer twist?  You can prepare all your dishes with summer techniques.  I'll show you how!

How does this sound?  Grilled Turkey with a wonderful, wonderful Balsamic BBQ Sauce.  Grilled Green Beans.  Lastly, Tomato Dressing, using summer ripe tomatoes and fresh summer flavors. (The Balsamic BBQ sauce is killer but the Tomato Dressing is da bomb!)

Sounds good huh?  See! You can have Thanksgiving in August, at the least the basis of Thanksgiving anyways.  The flavors are perfect with the summer twist, and let's face it...most of don't cook a turkey that often, do we?  But I do love it!  So why not?  

Try this out and you will thank me for it later!  First up is the recipe for the Grilled Turkey and Balsamic BBQ Sauce.  I'll be posting the killer Tomato Dressing recipe next!

Enjoy Thanksgiving in August.  I know I'm "thankful" that I can enjoy these wonderful flavors more than once a year!

Grilled Turkey with a Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Serves 4

½ c diced yellow onion

1 T olive oil

1 c balsamic vinegar

¾ c ketchup

1/3 c brown sugar

2 T Worcestershire sauce

2 T Dijon mustard

salt & pepper

2 turkey tenderloins

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in vinegar, ketchup, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 ½ cups, about 10 minutes.  Set aside 1 cup for serving.  Brush the tenderloins with some of the remaining sauce.

Grill turkey over medium heat for 4 minutes, then turn and grill for 4 minutes more.  Baste tenderloin with sauce and turn and cook another 4 minutes.  Baste second side of turkey, turning for another 2 minutes or until meat reaches 165 degrees.  Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.  Drizzle sauce over sliced turkey and serve with remaining sauce.

Source: Cuisine Grilling


Shared with:  Weekend Potluck
Foodie Friends Friday

Fast & Fresh: Turkey Salad Sandwich

Today I'm making you a Super Sandwich!

A classic sandwich that's been updated so it's easy to prepare at home but every bit as tasty as the version you get in a restaurant.


Today's sandwich is a variation of the classic Chicken Salad Sandwich.  Every bit as good, but with a twist by using fresh roasted turkey instead.  How fun is that?  I was in the store the other day and having a comfort food attack, so I bought a fresh roasted turkey breast half.  You should be able to pick one up next to the rotisserie chickens.  I wanted to have turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy...longing for Thanksgiving I guess!  So when I bought this we had our wonderful dinner but only ate several slices off this gigantic half breast that I bought.  I was going for the medal on this one, picking the biggest turkey breast thinking it was so juicy, and tender (which it was!) but not thinking of all the leftover turkey. Ha!


So what to do with the leftovers???  Well a couple of things came to mind.  But since I had some beautiful croissants on hand, why not make a Turkey Salad Sandwich!


I made this for dinner last night.  I always say a great meal doesn't have to be flashy and complicated to satisfy you.  This sandwich is all about "less is more".  The ingredients are simple, but the best part is  that it is made with olive oil mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt so it's low in calories, and tastes good too!


To give this sandwich a little zip, I added dried cherries, and fresh tarragon.  A little further variation from the classic.


Do you all know about Greek yogurt?  This yogurt is popular all over for it's creaminess.  It's thick and mild tasting as well.  It's gaining more and more popularity in the US every day.  It's usually made with whole-fat cow's milk, and is good for you.  Make sure to check it out if you haven't tried it yet.  Makes a great dip too!


So if you want a nice light dinner that's Fast & Fresh, turn to this sandwich.  It would be equally  good served without the bread, in a lettuce cup.  Or you could seve it in tortilla or wonton cups that you've baked and molded in the oven.  As popular as this is everyone will enjoy this version.

Turkey Salad Sandwich


Serves 4


4 c chopped turkey
3/4 c diced celery
1/2 c dried cherries
1/4 c olive oil mayonnaise
1/4 c plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 c minced green onions
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T fresh tarragon, minced
salt & pepper
1/2 c cashews, roughly chopped
4 croissants, cut in half
4 leaves of green or red leaf lettuce


Combine the turkey, celery, cherries, mayo, yogurt, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, and tarragon in a bowl.  Mix together to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Chill until ready to serve.  


Just prior to serving add cashews.  To serve, take each split croissant and add 1 leaf of lettuce on the bottom side.  Add turkey salad, dividing among the 4 croissants.  Serve immediately, and store and leftovers in the refrigerator up to two days.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

The weather is cooling down...

We've had a n unusually warm winter here in Los Angeles.  I'm not sure that I like that.  Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful outside, it's just that I put away all my spring/summer clothing...

It's just not right that I have to dig out capris and short sleeved T-shirts during the month of January and February.  I want to wear all my cute winter clothing!  The funny thing is that even though the weather is warm people still are wearing their heavy sweaters and scarfs....they look so funny.  These die-hards that have to wear the appropriate seasonal clothing no matter what the temperature!

But as I said the weather is cooling.  I also love soup during the cooler months.  So I whipped up a soup the other night...on a weeknight no less!  It is hearty, creamy, and full of goodness.  My Turkey and Wild Rice Soup is made with ingredients that you might find in your refrigerator and pantry.  That's a good start!  The only item you made need to obtain is the turkey, or you could use chicken breasts instead. What I did to keep it simple is to go to the deli and have them slice me a 1/2" thick slice of oven roasted turkey that I could cube and throw in the soup.  It worked perfectly!   No matter the choice of meat, this soup is delicious and ready in about 1 hour!

Make yourself some homemade soup...it warms the soul!

Here are some step by step pics to get you started.

1.  Start with a chop and drop

2.  Then add your thickening, broth, and seasonings

 3.  Add the rice, turkey, and some milk...yum!

Here you go...a nice steaming bowl of soup...I love wild rice in a soup!

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

7 servings

2 t butter

1 c finely diced carrot

1 c finely diced onion

½ c finely diced celery

1 c sliced mushrooms

1 garlic clove, minced

2 T flour

3 14.5 oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth

¼ t thyme

1 bay leaf

2 c roasted turkey breast, chopped or deli turkey, cubed

1 c uncooked wild and long grain rice

½ c evaporated 2% milk

Salt & pepper

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms.  Cook until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and stir, cooking for another minute.

Add flour, stir constantly, cooking for 1 minute.  Add chicken broth and scrape the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add thyme, bay leaf, turkey, and rice.  Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.  Add evaporated milk, stir, and bring to another boil for 1 minute.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove bay leaf.  Serve.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

So every once in a while I crave food that I call "city" food.  Food unlike the southern cooking I grew up with.

Do you ever get a craving for a certain food?  Well I do and often it's lettuce wraps.  I love the ones at PF Chang's and set out trying to find a substitute that could be made at home.  I tried all sorts of yucky frozen, so called, "chicken filling for lettuce wraps"...blah - they didn't compare.

So I developed my own recipe that is quick and totally AWESOME!

I thought I had died and gone to heaven last night.
No really, I swear I heard harps when I took a bite out of these babies!

Here's the skinny of it (literally, they're healthy!)

You'll need:  oil, ground turkey, Bibb lettuce, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, hot chili sauce, sesame oil, and water chestnuts.

First, put about 1T of oil in a hot skillet.  Chop a medium onion up and throw it in the skillet with some  minced garlic.

Add the ground turkey and cook until brown, crumbling in to small pieces.

As the turkey is cooking separate and wash your lettuce leaves.  Aren't these pretty!

Once the turkey is brown, make the stir fry sauce by adding the ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce (low sodium if you have it), hoisin sauce, and the chili pepper sauce.  (You could use hot pepper flakes if you don't have this handy).

Mix the meat with the sauce until covered and cook a minute or two.

Chop about 1/2 of an 8oz can of water chestnuts.  You want them more bite size.  Add them to the turkey mixture and stir them to cover with the sauce as well.  Cook about 1 min to heat them through.  Now add the sesame oil.  This is such a great flavor enhancer...don't skip this part!

That's it for the meat.  Spoon a portion right down the middle of each leaf.  Eat it like a taco!

HEAVEN!!!  Please try these...I promise you'll hear harps...well maybe not, but you'll love them!

You can also make a quick dipping sauce by using the same sauce ingredients but changing the proportions.

Here is is.  Just spoon it over the meat once you have it plated. (Be careful this sauce is a little hot!)

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 head of Bibb lettuce separated in to leaves
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 T. minced garlic
1 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
2 t. minced ginger
1 T. rice wine vinegar
2 t. chili pepper sauce
4 oz sliced water chestnuts -- drained, chopped
2 t. sesame oil

Directions:

Add 1 T. oil to a hot skillet.  Add onion and garlic, cook 5 min until tender.  Add ground turkey, stirring often to break up the meat.

Rinse lettuce leaves, keeping them whole. Set aside to drain.

Add soy sauce, ginger, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar and chili sauce. Stir meat to cover with sauce.  Cook another minute.  Chop water chestnuts and add to the skillet.  Cook another minute to heat through. Stir in sesame oil.

Spoon meat mixture down the center of the lettuce leaf.   

Dipping Sauce

2 T soy sauce

1 T rice wine vinegar

2 T hoisin sauce

1 T. hot chili sauce

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.  Spoon over turkey mixture on lettuce leaves.