So, I put together our Thanksgiving menu, trying to keep it healthy yet tasty. Here's what I came up with:
Roasted Carrots with a Pomegranate glaze
Baked Brussel Sprouts with a pistaccio-cranberry pesto
Steamed Green Beans sauteed with some onions and bacon crumbles
Mashed Garlic/Parmesan Potatoes/Cauliflower (I'm planning on mixing cauliflower into the mashed potatoes)
Sweet Potato casserole with lemon and pecan topping
Stuffing...I could use some help here. I really love stuffing, but last year the healthy stuffing I tried to make was disgusting. I'd love a great, easy, healthy, flavorful recipe for stuffing if you have one. Ideally it'd include cranberries, sage, celery - maybe even nuts.
Turkey...I'm still debating whether I should attempt making one. I've never made a turkey or chicken in my life, and I'm scared to death to try. But, it'd be nice to learn. Does anyone have any simple turkey recipes or ideas?
For dessert Henry will make his pretzel/strawberry/creamcheese thing, and we'll either buy a Cheese Cake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake or I'll make my baked apples (super easy, cheap and healthy! Just core your apples, fill the middle with either jam, or some raisins, nuts, cinnamon and cardamon and then wrap them in aluminum foil and bake them for, dunno 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees).
So, I think we'll have a delicious meal. Except no one to share it with yet. Anyone want to come over for dinner?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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13 comments:
Franzi, my tip for turkeys is to buy the turkey bags that you can bake it in (by the ziploc bags, etc.). It doesn't get any easier than this. Literally all you do is put a little flower in the bag, rub the turkey with a little butter and seasoning and throw it in the bag and cook it. You don't have to do anything the whole time it cooks and it comes out super juicy and flavorful every time.
Wish we were coming!!! ):
Sounds yummy but I have a whole list of traditional family recipes that I MUST have for it to be Thanksgiving so for me, there is very little budge room as far as menu/recipes goes. Don't be intimidated by cooking a turkey; it is sooo easy! The turkey bags are great to keep it moist so I second that tip. I love a very traditional sage and onion stuffing, made healthier by using whole grain bread but if you are looking for cranberries and nuts I won't be of any help. Enjoy! I LOVE Thanksgiving and it is fun to start developing your own family menu and traditions.
Ok, so I'll try a ziplock bag. How do I know when the turkey is done? Does it need to be thawed before it goes in the bag? How long does thawing take? Or what is it you guys usually do with your little birds? I definitely want a nice and juicy one.
I'm excited to develop some Thanksgiving traditions for our family. Clearly, I'm not bringing any traditions for this holiday into the family, and the only tradition Henry seems to have is an overload on sugar tradition (a gazillion pies for Thanksgiving). I think we'll be bagging that tradition for the sake of our health and waist lines.
But, I'm excited to find different Thanksgiving meal things that we love and that are healthy, so that we can make them part of our typical meal each year without feeling too guilty about what we're eating.
Go Turkey!! Do you have the Better homes and gardens red checkered cook book? It gives you step by step on how to tie up the bird and season it, how long to cook and how to tell when it's done. Bags are great, but since we don't have them here in Germany - it can be done without by covering the bird with aluminum foil. They have a traditional stuffing recipe in there too with sage and onions I'm pretty sure, if not it is in the JOY of cooking cookbook. And Reni's suggestion of using whole wheat instead of white bread is good. One thing we have found out, is that rubbing the turkey down (already thawed) the night before with salt and pepper and letting it sit in the fridge overnight, makes a huge difference in the flavor of the meat. Good luck with dinner!
I wouldn't do a Ziploc bag. I don't think it would be large enough and it might do something weird in the heat of the oven...and if you're concerned about cancer-causing stuff leaching from the plastic to the food, I would just suggest basting every 30-45 minutes. I've always had a moist turkey that way. If you use a bag, make sure it's made for baking turkeys.
I have an awesome turkey recipe. I'll share it with everyone. My friend made it for a Supper Club dinner and the first time I made it, it turned out fantastic.
Herbed Turkey
1 15 lb fresh or frozen turkey, thawed (takes a few days to thaw in the fridge)
1 c fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 c fresh sage leaves
1/4 c fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 c fresh thyme leaves
12 garlic cloves
1. Prepare garlic-herb rub by placing last 5 ingredients in food processor & process until finely minced.
2. Prepare turkey: discard giblets & neck. Rinse with cold water & pat dry. Trim excess fat starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast & drumsticks by inserting fingers gently pushing between skin & meat. Spread garlic-herb UNDER loosened skin, & rub over breast & drumsticks. Gently press skin to secure. Lift wing tips up and over the back; tuck under turkey.
3. Roast turkey at 325 degrees until meat thermometer inserted into meaty parts of thigh registers 180 degrees...about 3 hours for 15 lb turkey. Let rest on carrying board 15-20 minutes before carving.
Savor!
Mini rotisserie style turkeys is the way to go. Much tastier and waaaaaay easier.
Henry
I will come over :) Can you please send some recipes for the things you make?
Quinn and I just discussed yesterday what will be served at the Burgdorf Thanksgiving and we will try this stuffing this year: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2010/09/13/caramelized-autumn-fruit-stuffing-cups/
Urm, Angie, I'm not stupid enough to use a normal Ziploc bag and try roasting a turkey in it. So yes, I was going to get an 'approved' turkey bag, but apparently there are some from the Ziploc brand... :)
So, I think I may try the turkey then, even though Henry keeps trying to tell me to buy ready rotisserie chicken. I'll look into the recipe you linked to Meike. Oh, and I don't really have any recipes except for the pesto and the sweet potato casserole. The rest is my creation. But you can find the pesto recipe on foodgawker. :)
Quinn, I don't have any of the cookbooks you mentioned, so I guess I'll have to google stuff. :)
When you purchase the turkey bag it comes with detailed instructions on how to defrost properly, how long to defrost your turkey depending on how big it is and how long to cook it and what temperature too. Something I learned the first time cooking a turkey, is that it always takes longer to defrost than expected, so plan accordingly. If it is defrosted too soon that’s ok, because it can just go in the fridge again until you cook it- but if it takes too long to defrost it can throw your whole meal off :)
A lot of the turkeys already have a little pop up thingy that pops up when the turkey is done inside. It takes DAYS to defrost a turkey so definitely plan for that or buy a fresh one just before Thanksgiving if you can find any. And you should give chicken a try to. Its even easier than a turkey because the size is much more manageable. We have roast chicken at least twice a month. Its very economical because you throw the carcass in a soup pot after to make some yummy broth for chicken soup. Even for my large family we get 2 meals from a single chicken. You could probably get 3 or 4.
Seriously, the turkey is the easiest out of the whole meal. And yes, the bag works pretty well. (und benutze bitte auch keine Einkaufstüten dafür ;) Your sides sound delicious - please share the recipes!! (pomegranate glaze & pistachio-cranberry pesto, mmmhh... I could see that with asparagus as well.) Never tried to mash cauliflower into the potatoes but I can see it. I do mash garlic into it. We fry up green beans in olive oil and garlic, super simple & tasty. I also make an apple cranberry salad that is quite yummy - better than it sounds. I like sweet potatoes - just the way they are (not with the 6 lbs of sugar, butter & marshmallows in it the way my in-laws make them) And we use the stuffing mix out of the box, probably not the healthiest, but I like it and haven't really studied up on how to make stuffing. I think I might leave that one up to Seth.
Anyway, your dinner sounds very gourmet. Bon appetit & happy thanksgiving!
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