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Turkey

November 23, 2010 By
Man Carving Turkey at Christmas Dinner

Turkey, table, family, blah blah blah

It is Thanksgiving week. We all know that. We all are under some sort of pressure right now. And if you aren’t…..you are one good woman.  I’m personally balancing a family, a home, and a job and have not done ONE SINGLE THING for Thanksgiving. And….I’m stressed.

Let me add to the stress by telling you that we are completely ditching the normal Thanksgiving scenario for something completely out of character for us.

We are packing up and heading to the beach for a few days. Just us. A mom, a dad, and 3 kids.  No grandparents. No cousins. No aunts and uncles. Nada. Just us.  My stress is having to get us packed and out the door. Your stress might be the house, the table, the food, all the crazy family members. ;)   Regardless, we are covered in some amount of stress right now.  Don’t let the details of the day and week keep you in a stressed out place. Keep the focus on the people in our lives as well as Jesus Christ Himself.

I’ve finally said, OUT LOUD, that it is Thanksgiving. It’s not bringing the President of the United States over for dinner.  I’m going to readjust my sails, sit back, enjoy the scenery, and simply thank God for these people in my life.

Make it simple. Make yourself say it out loud right this second…..

Come on!!! You can do it!!!!  I’m saying it with you…..

“I’m thankful Lord for these people you have so graciously given me.  I’m truly, truly thankful for them.  I’m NOT worrying about the blah blah blah this week. My heart is thankful for the people.”

Sometimes the blah blah blah needs to be tended to and should be tended to, but it’s not worth the stress. Throw it in the trash.

See? That wasn’t so bad! Hang onto it sisters!!! Claim it in Jesus Name!!!

I love y’all. And, I’m thankful for you.

Hugs and blessings,

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Roasted Turkey

November 17, 2010 By
Cooked Turkey

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime

I used to just buy my turkey, plop it in a pan, and roast it in the oven with butter smeared on it. It was good, but it was kind of dry. Then I saw an episode on Food Network by Alton Brown about brining a turkey. I tried it a couple of years ago and have been hooked ever since! The brine makes the turkey juicy, moist, and gives it a flavor that butter and salt just can’t compete with!

After your brining is complete, then you can cook your turkey. Here are my recipes for both my brine and my turkey. Hope you enjoy!

Turkey Brine

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon vegetable broth
  • 1 cup sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon dried sage
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 gallon ice water

Directions

  1. In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
  2. When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.
  3. Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator overnight (or you can put the turkey in a cooler and load it down with lots of ice to keep the turkey cold)

Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • salt to taste
  • 1 (12 pound) whole turkey

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt. Set aside.
  3. Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove any large fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose to the end of the drumstick, being careful not to tear the skin.
  4. Using your hand, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg. Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast. Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat.
  5. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast in the preheated oven 3 to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 180 degrees.

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Turkey Tetrazzini

November 6, 2010 By
MC900446412

When you have turkey leftovers, this is the very best way to spend them!  This dish will make your house smell wonderful and it tastes fantastic.  My whole family will gobble this up–hee hee!

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced thin (about 4 cups)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
10 ounces spaghetti
3 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey, including cooked giblets if desired
1 cup cooked peas
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs

In a large heavy saucepan cook the mushrooms in 1/4 cup of the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until most of the liquid they give off has evaporated, stir in the flour, and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add in a stream the milk, the broth, and the wine, stirring, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes. ( I add a teaspoon of tarragon also, just because I love the flavor) – In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the spaghetti until it is al dente and drain it well.

In a large bowl combine well the spaghetti, the mushroom sauce, the turkey, the peas, and salt and pepper to taste, stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, and transfer the mixture to a buttered shallow 3 quart casserole. In a small bowl combine well the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan, the bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the Tetrazzini, and dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into bits. The Tetrazzini may be prepared up to this point 1 month in advance and kept frozen, covered. Bake the Tetrazzini in the middle of a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the top is golden.  From Debbie Elrod, Seymour, TN

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Cajun Fried Turkey

November 4, 2010 By
Man Carving Turkey at Christmas Dinner

There is nothing better than a crisp, hot piece of skin from this wonderful turkey.  We love to make this every few years.  It isn’t an every year kind of turkey for us, but it IS very, very good. I love when we get to partake of it.  You could say I am THANKFUL for it.

2 t. salt
1 T plus 2 t. cayenne, divided
10-12 lb turkey (fresh, not injected with butter or other seasonings)
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c. onions, finely chopped
1/4 c. celery, finely chopped
3 T. minced garlic
2 T. ground pepper vinegar
1 T. plus 1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1/2 c. turkey (or chicken) broth
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
5 gallons peanut oil (can subst. vegetable oil)

Mix together 2 t. salt and 2 t. cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside this mixture to rub on turkey.

Combine melted butter with onions, celery, garlic, pepper vinegar, 1 T. salt, 1 T. cayenne, black pepper, broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Inject into turkey (with this). Rub salt/ cayenne mixture on the outside. Refrigerate overnight.

Fry the turkey, using a turkey fryer (like this), according to instructions and with the peanut oil. Heat oil to 400 degrees. Lower the turkey into the hot oil. Adjust the flame slightly down to maintain a temperature of 350 degrees. Oil should be hot enough to bubble during the frying, but not so hot that the turkey burns. Make sure that the turkey remains submerged or turn very carefully every 10-15 minutes. Let the turkey fry until the juices run clear–about 3 minutes per pound (about 35-45 minutes). The turkey will look very dark brown when it is done. Don’t be afraid that it has burned; this is the right color. Carefully remove the turkey and place breast side down on the platter with paper towels. Let drain about 5 minutes, turn over and drain and cool for 15 minutes more before slicing. From Bessie Gartman.

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