OK. Taking on the turkey today. No, it's not Thanksgiving....I impulsively purchased it at Wegmans the other day thinking this would simplify meal making or a few days while Tony is out of town and while I am getting past some queezy tummy...and I believe it will, once I get past the raw turkey part...
It is possible to make this into a healthy dish, believe it or not. Now, it isn' necessarily low in fat or even calories. However, a natural free range turkey is a wonderful source of protein and so many vitamins...it's the extras here that will add up. The side dishes, do, though, contain lots of wonderful nutrients and all I have really done is replace old recipes full of empty calories and dead foods with whole, nutrient dense ingredients. They just aren't low on the fat/caloric end of things but they are high on wholesome.
ROAST TURKEY WITH STUFFING AND MASHED POTATOES
Stuffing:
2 loaves homemade whole wheat bread, doesn't have to be fresh
organic sage
salt
pepper
organic poultry seasoning
2 sticks organic butter
1 med onion, pureed (food processor)
2 stalks celery pureed (food processor)
1 cup celery leaves
turkey gizzard package
4 cups water
Stuffing:
Step 1: Add celery leaves, water, turkey parts from bag inside, and 1 stick of butter to medium saucepan. Cover and let cook down couple hours for maxium flavor.
Step 2: Shred bread into large bowl or roaster pan (something you will have enough room to mix in) -- 1/4 -1/2 inch pieces.
Step 3: Add onion and celery
Step 4: This is the hard part because it is up to your taste preference and I have never measured. Add spices, they will be in generous amounts but 1 would maybe start with 2 T celerly seed, 2 T sage, 1 T salt, pepper to taste , and 1 T poultry seasoning. Mix it all up and start your taste testing...some like more of certain flavor than others. Add 1 stick of melted butter, toss with fork and fluff up. Start adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, fluffing up after each time. You do not want it too wet -- continue to taste test to your satisfaction. Better to add a little at time because it is easier to always add more. It should be pretty dry before going into the turkey because the turkey will add more juices to it as it cooks.
I promise I will do a better job measuring when I cook my Thanksgiving Turkey....
Turkey:
I am not a meat chef by any means and so I always choose simple. For me, this is just me, I still use the Reynold's Turkey Bags to keep my turkey from getting dry and to simplify the process. If you use a bag like me, simply follow the directions on the box -- you will need to carefully read the instructions to avoid bag pitfalls.
1. Unwrap Mr. Turkey (Jessie calls it our Guy Turkey) in the sink and remove any inside parts which should be wrapped in paper -- check inside and also in the neck.
2.Dump out any bloody water and rinse him thouroughly with cold water inside and out.
3. With tweezers, remove any "hairs" that may be left on the skin.
4. I use a paring knife to make a tiny slit in each side of the breast to access the area between the skin and the breast. Slather the area with organic butter and coconut oil to create a barrier to seal in the juices.
5. You can sprinkle the little guy with some spices or flavoring if you wish, I usually do not anymore...the organic butter adds so much and we donot usually eat the skin. Up to you!
6. Lightly "dress" the urkey with stuffing, into the "butt" as Jessie says and into the neck. Be sure not to pack it in tightly because it may not cook through evenly which is really gross and unhealthy. Tie the legs back together and follow cooking instructions for your size turkey.
7. Pop him in the prepared bag (bag needs 1 T of flour shaken insode to keep from exploding) , cut 6 1/2 inch slits and let him go!
Cook at 350 for your poundage.
Mashed Potatoes:
10 medium potatoes (I used redskin this time from the market they are he larger reds, not the tiny ones) -- peeled and quartered. If you want them to cook faster cut them smaller)
1 cup milk or cream (I use whole organic raw milk)
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon sea salt (optional -- I usually skip this)
An hour before I plan to take turkey out I begin to boil potatoes. For a family of 6 eating an normal amount of potatoes, i usually use about 10 medium size Yukon golds or reds.
Add to large pot of water, potaotes should be completely covered, bring to a slow boil. Cover and boil until very soft. Prior to removing potatoes from stovetop, I gently warm milk and butter, stirring constantly to a warm, not hot temperature (I like to keep the proteins as in tact as possible for added nutrition).
Dump potatoes into collander and then into mixing bowl. With beaters, mix potatoes on low until broken up. Add milk mixture and beat until your desired smoothness. I like them very smooth but the kids like them chunky -- your preference.
Enjoy!!!
It is possible to make this into a healthy dish, believe it or not. Now, it isn' necessarily low in fat or even calories. However, a natural free range turkey is a wonderful source of protein and so many vitamins...it's the extras here that will add up. The side dishes, do, though, contain lots of wonderful nutrients and all I have really done is replace old recipes full of empty calories and dead foods with whole, nutrient dense ingredients. They just aren't low on the fat/caloric end of things but they are high on wholesome.
ROAST TURKEY WITH STUFFING AND MASHED POTATOES
Stuffing:
2 loaves homemade whole wheat bread, doesn't have to be fresh
organic sage
salt
pepper
organic poultry seasoning
2 sticks organic butter
1 med onion, pureed (food processor)
2 stalks celery pureed (food processor)
1 cup celery leaves
turkey gizzard package
4 cups water
Stuffing:
Step 1: Add celery leaves, water, turkey parts from bag inside, and 1 stick of butter to medium saucepan. Cover and let cook down couple hours for maxium flavor.
Step 2: Shred bread into large bowl or roaster pan (something you will have enough room to mix in) -- 1/4 -1/2 inch pieces.
Step 3: Add onion and celery
Step 4: This is the hard part because it is up to your taste preference and I have never measured. Add spices, they will be in generous amounts but 1 would maybe start with 2 T celerly seed, 2 T sage, 1 T salt, pepper to taste , and 1 T poultry seasoning. Mix it all up and start your taste testing...some like more of certain flavor than others. Add 1 stick of melted butter, toss with fork and fluff up. Start adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, fluffing up after each time. You do not want it too wet -- continue to taste test to your satisfaction. Better to add a little at time because it is easier to always add more. It should be pretty dry before going into the turkey because the turkey will add more juices to it as it cooks.
I promise I will do a better job measuring when I cook my Thanksgiving Turkey....
Turkey:
I am not a meat chef by any means and so I always choose simple. For me, this is just me, I still use the Reynold's Turkey Bags to keep my turkey from getting dry and to simplify the process. If you use a bag like me, simply follow the directions on the box -- you will need to carefully read the instructions to avoid bag pitfalls.
1. Unwrap Mr. Turkey (Jessie calls it our Guy Turkey) in the sink and remove any inside parts which should be wrapped in paper -- check inside and also in the neck.
2.Dump out any bloody water and rinse him thouroughly with cold water inside and out.
3. With tweezers, remove any "hairs" that may be left on the skin.
4. I use a paring knife to make a tiny slit in each side of the breast to access the area between the skin and the breast. Slather the area with organic butter and coconut oil to create a barrier to seal in the juices.
5. You can sprinkle the little guy with some spices or flavoring if you wish, I usually do not anymore...the organic butter adds so much and we donot usually eat the skin. Up to you!
6. Lightly "dress" the urkey with stuffing, into the "butt" as Jessie says and into the neck. Be sure not to pack it in tightly because it may not cook through evenly which is really gross and unhealthy. Tie the legs back together and follow cooking instructions for your size turkey.
7. Pop him in the prepared bag (bag needs 1 T of flour shaken insode to keep from exploding) , cut 6 1/2 inch slits and let him go!
Cook at 350 for your poundage.
Mashed Potatoes:
10 medium potatoes (I used redskin this time from the market they are he larger reds, not the tiny ones) -- peeled and quartered. If you want them to cook faster cut them smaller)
1 cup milk or cream (I use whole organic raw milk)
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon sea salt (optional -- I usually skip this)
An hour before I plan to take turkey out I begin to boil potatoes. For a family of 6 eating an normal amount of potatoes, i usually use about 10 medium size Yukon golds or reds.
Add to large pot of water, potaotes should be completely covered, bring to a slow boil. Cover and boil until very soft. Prior to removing potatoes from stovetop, I gently warm milk and butter, stirring constantly to a warm, not hot temperature (I like to keep the proteins as in tact as possible for added nutrition).
Dump potatoes into collander and then into mixing bowl. With beaters, mix potatoes on low until broken up. Add milk mixture and beat until your desired smoothness. I like them very smooth but the kids like them chunky -- your preference.
Enjoy!!!
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