Project Turkey: The Day After

Ahh leftovers - arguably the best part of Thanksgiving (or any holiday). Because just when you think you've reached your eating capacity for the season, it all continues the next day. But let's be a little creative, and take it past the turkey sandwich shall we...

Creamy Turkey & Corn Chowder
(yield: 4-6 servings)

2 tbsp canola oil
4 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups white button mushrooms, medium dice
2 cups cooked turkey meat (white meat, dark meat, or a combination), medium dice
2 medium idaho potatoes, medium dice
2 ears of corn, shucked
5 cups turkey stock (or chicken stock)
1 tbsp corn starch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
1 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper, to taste
dill, chopped (for garnish)

Place the oil and shallots into a saucepan and sweat over medium heat until they become translucent,  2-3 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms, and turkey, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes, corn (along with the shucked ears), and turkey stock to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook over low heat, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

Stir the cornstarch/water slurry into the soup. Add heavy cream, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle with dill, grab a spoon, and allow yourself to plop onto the couch and indulge. You owe it to yourself; the holidays are tough ;)

Project Turkey: Day 4

Why shouldn't your baby get to join in on the thanksgiving festivities this year? If you haven't already introduced your baby to poultry other than chicken, turkey's a great place to start.

Hmm, let's see...we need something healthy (so that baby gets his nutrients), tender (so that baby can handle it no matter how many teeth he has), and super flavorful (so that baby keeps eating).

Someone say meatballs?

Turkey Meatballs
(yield: about 30 balls)

1/4 cup golden raisins
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (white bread)
1 medium yellow onion, grated
2 tbsp milk
1 egg
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

Place the raisins in a small bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let stand 5-10 minutes, until they soften. Drain the raisins and combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into small balls. Simmer meatballs in  turkey or chicken stock, for 8-10 minutes. If your baby can't handle solids yet, break the meatballs up with a fork and moisten with some of the stock.


So, you're telling me that you're in the mood for some meatballs yourself? Don't worry, mama chef's got ya covered. 
Here's the adult version:


Pumpkin Penne with Turkey Meatballs
(yield: 4-6 servings)

 

Season the above meatball recipe with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper.

Make a bread crumb mixture for the meatballs: Mix 1/4 cup of Italian breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup of finely choppd parsley in a bowl.

Dredge the meatballs in the breadcrumb mixture, shaking off excess. Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil, and place the pan over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs, 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Pumpkin Penne
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs pumpkin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ln Penne rigate
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Using the pan in which the meatballs were fried, reduce heat to low, add olive oil and saute onions and garlic, 1-2 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Sauté over medium heat 5-6 minutes, until pumpkin gets slightly golden. Deglaze the pan with water. Bring to a simmer, and cook, covered, over low heat for 10-12 minutes, until pumpkin is tender.

Cook the Penne until it is almost al dente. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to pumpkin sauce along with heavy cream. Add the pasta and reserved meatballs to the sauce, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Mix in parmesan, and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary.

Project Turkey: Day 3

My Pre-thankgiving turkey experimentation inevitably brought me to the breast of the bird. Though I do love oven-roasted turkey breast, I wouldn't say it's my favorite part of the bird to cook with. When cooked attached to the whole bird, like in the classic whole roasted turkey preparation, the breast has a better chance of being succulent and tender. But when cooked in isolation, it has a tendency to dry out. Having the inside scoop on this, I decided to strategically fabricate or cut the breast in such a way that would create the illusion of tenderness, and rely on a direct heat cooking method that would impart a lot of flavor while sealing in the juices.

In layman's terms I pounded the turkey breast into thin cutlets and grilled it. By now, you've probably caught on to all this small talk being a way to detract from the fact that I'm grilling in November right? No biggy, the weather's still nice, and if it's not, most of us own a grill pan. If you're shaking your head no to that last statement, you better go out and buy one this instant.

What can I say, I miss the summer sizzle and I miss the feeling I get when I eat grilled food - that skinny feeling. It's no wonder so many of us get that feeling, because grilling is a pretty healthy cooking method. And it just so happens that turkey breast is very lean. So dare we call the following dish the star of a figure-friendly Thanksgiving? Let's not, just because it will ruin the sanctity of what this holiday is all about. Eating, right? (I'm kidding) But seriously, you can think it, but it's probably best not to tell your guests. They'll look at you funny.

Grilled Turkey Breast with Chipotle Cranberry Sauce
(yield: 4 servings)

  

2 lbs turkey breast, sliced or pounded into 1/2-inch thick cutlets
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tbsp canola oil
1 oz red onion, finely chopped
1 pint  fresh cranberries
juice and zest of 1 medium orange
1 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup cilanto, chopped

Make the cranberry sauce: heat the canola oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add onions, and sweat 2-3 minutes. Add cranberries, orange juice and zest, chipotle sauce, and maple syrup. Simmer 5-6 minutes until sauce thickens and some of the cranberries just begin to burst. Stir in 1/2 of the cilantro, reserving the rest for garnish.

Marinade the turkey: combine olive oil, oregano, and pepper in a large bowl. Place turkey into the bowl and mix to coat with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Preheat grill or grill pan and spray with a little bit of non-stick cooking spray. Once grill is nice and hot, retrieve the turkey from the marinade, season with salt on both sides, and grill, about 4 minutes per side. Turn the breasts 90 degrees at the halfway point on each side to achieve cross-hatch marks. Spoon cranberry sauce over grilled turkey, sprinkle with some more cilantro, and eat immediately.

Project Turkey: Day 1

Every year, when Thanksgiving comes a knockin' I get the urge to ditch the whole roasted bird and do something different. And every year, tradition gets the best of me, and I chicken (or turkey) out.

This year, however, I vow to funk it up. Being that I haven't gone entirely mad yet, the turkey will still make its grand appearance at the table, but in a different fashion, if you will. For this reason, I have already purchased an experimantal bird that I will...experiment with, until I find the perfect turkey recipe for turkey day. Mwahahahahaha!!!!

We start with a recipe that makes use of my favorite meat on the bird, and what, in my opinion, the whole turkey should be made of - the dark meat.

Barbecued Pulled Turkey with Holiday Cole Slaw
(yield: 6-8 servings)

2 tbsp canola oil
4 turkey leg quarters
1 large Spanish onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
3 cups turkey stock (or chicken stock)
2 dried bay leafs
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt





Heat the oil in a large, deep pan. Brown the turkey, about 5 minutes per side. Stir in the onions, garlic, and saute 1-2 minutes. Add turkey stock, bay leafs, peppercorns, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, and simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Remove everything from pan except about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Once turkey is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones, and add back to pan, along with barbecue sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Bring to a simmer, and cook over low heat for 40 minutes. Serve on crusty bread with Holiday Coleslaw.

Holiday Coleslaw
(yield: 8 servings)

2 lbs cabbage (1 learge head), shredded
2 large carrots (4 cups), grated
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp pepper

Place the cabbage and carrots into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and sugar. Using your hands, squeeze well to distribute the salt and sugar until the cabbage begins to release its juices. Place into a colander set over a bowl, and top with a heavy weight (you can use some heavy bowls). Let stand 3 hours.

Mix the remaining ingredients into drained slaw. Serve right away, or refrigerate until ready to eat.