Fast forward to Friday afternoon or Saturday. Thanksgiving’s over. You can’t fit another turkey sandwich in you and to be honest really don’t want to. The carcass is sitting in the fridge and you’re sick of the sight of it. You’re tinking ‘get this thing outta my fridge and into the bin’ but……. hoooooold up wait a minute. Instead of doing that how ’bout putting it in a pot with some veggies and making your own stock. It really isn’t that big of a deal and will not only save you some cash but you can say you made your own stock. I usually make a batch of veggie or chicken stock, put them in little tupperware containers, let the stock cool and pop them in the freezer. Then when I want to make something I just pull one out. Believe me you’ll be glad you did.

Organic Chicken Stock recipe.

Organic Veggie Stock recipe.

RECIPE:

1 leftover turkey carcass
2 carrots – chopped
1 leek – chopped, washed
2 large onion – peeled, chopped
3 bay leaves
thyme – whatever you have
parsley – one bunch (or whatever you have)
10 peppercorns
5/6 celery stalks – chopped, washed

DIRECTIONS:

Pop everything in a large soup pot or if you have one of those turkeys that’s as big a baby horse, cut it up and use two pots. Fill the pot with lots of veggies. When I’m cooking throughout the week I keep all the stalks and bits of leftover veg from my prep. Then when it’s time to make stock I have lots of bits n pieces to go in there. The more veggies you add the better flavour you’ll get.
Note: Rule of thumb. Don’t add anything into your stock that you wouldn’t eat so no rotten veggies.

Bring stock to a boil and once boiling reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours. If the liquid is reducing to quickly turn the heat down more.

HAPPY TANKSGIVING!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Gobble Gobble (as the actress said to the bishop). It’s Turkey time! If you saw my turkey post recently you’ll now know what type of turkey you should be getting as we know there’s going to be lots eaten over the next month or so. There will be soups, sandwiches, stews, stocks, casseroles and God knows what else we can think to make with Mr. Turkey. Salting, roasting, brining–each American family has their own style to cook the bird. But what if your family is small and you’d rather not cook an entire turkey? I’ve got you covered!

I’ve made stuffed turkey breasts before (here and here) but for this recipe I wanted to give you the idea of stuffing the breast with something a bit more out of the ordinary yet still in keeping with Thanksgiving flavours. Guess you could say it’s a modern twist on the classic turkey & stuffing. I came across Persimmons in my CSA box and though I don’t have much experience with them after one bite I knew I had to use them.  In November and December persimmons are at their peak. I kept expecting the fruit to soften like a peach but as it turns out this type of persimmon, the Fuyu, is eaten like an apple. The taste of the flesh inside reminded me of a sweeter cantaloupe with the texture of a firm pear. The persimmon’s delightful flavour and texture turned out to be lovely addition to this dish.

RECIPE:
Serves 6

1 1/2 lb Organic, Grass fed, or Sustainable boneless turkey breast
1 cup organic chicken broth

1 cup couscous – dry
2 cups organic chicken broth
1/2 lemon – zested
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup celery – fine dice
1/2 white onion – fine dice
2 Fuyu persimmons – sliced and small diced
1 tbsp fresh thyme – chopped
1 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Begin by bringing 1 cup of the chicken broth, lemon zest and salt to a boil. Once boiling turn off heat and add couscous. Cover with lid.

Preheat saute pan on medium heat for 30 seconds and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add celery and onion and saute for 5 mins, stirring, until softened. Once soft add diced persimmons and thyme.
Saute together for 4-5 additional minutes until persimmons are soft. Taste and season with S&P.

Add the cooked couscous to the persimmon mixture along with a drizzle of olive oil. Taste and season. Let cool before adding to turkey.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

To Assemble the Turkey: Lay the turkey on a clean cutting board. Using a sharp knife butterfly the breast by slicing along the side creating a book effect. Do not slice all the way through. Open the ‘book’. Place some plastic wrap on your work surface and lay the open turkey skin side down. Lay another layer of plastic wrap on top. Using a kitchen mallet or in my case a heavy bottomed saucepan, give the breast a few poundings to flatten. Don’t beat the living daylights out of it but you just want to thin it a little.

Lay 5 pieces of kitchen twine, about 12″ in length parallel to each other 2″ apart (If you’re saying, huh?….look at the photo). Lay the open turkey breast on top of the string, skin side down and season with S&P. Spoon enough of the couscous in the center to fill. You may have extra so don’t worry. Pat down the filling.

Fold over the top half and stuff any of the filling that falls out back in. Tie the strings tightly but not where the stuffing falls out too much.

Place turkey on a foiled oven tray. Drizzle olive oil over skin and season with S&P. Rub seasoned oil into flesh.
Add broth to oven tray and pop in the oven for up to 1 hour or until internal temperature of 155F.

Remove and let rest for 5-6 minutes to let juices redistribute back into meat.

Notice those glazed pearl onions? Recipe here. Cheers!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

I’ll admit, sometimes it’s easier to make food choices with blinders on. Choosing a restaurant that makes sustainable efforts is downright work let alone choosing the ‘right’ ingredients at the market. It can be a drag trying to figure out what all the labels mean, but it’s work well done especially when picking out your holiday meals. If you’ve seen the movie, Food, Inc. you know why it’s important to know where your food comes from and it’s important we have a voice in what food we eat. Our purchases are our voice. Plus, there’s nothing better than cooking food from your heart for the ones you love, even if your loved ones are nuts (that’s what the Americans tell me!)

Picking out the right turkey can be a bit confusing. Gone are the days of “fresh or frozen,” which were my choices growing up in Ireland. Today there’s a plethora of labels to go with the many different birds available for consumers. How do you know which one is right for you?

If you’re like me, you’re looking into Local Organic, Sustainable or Heritage varieties. What’s the difference? Even I was confused with all the new labels in these categories. I found a great article on the National Resource Defense Council’s site which cleared up a lot of confusion.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC Turkeys must be raised without antibiotics or growth hormones, eat only organic feed that did not contain chemical fertilizers or pesticides and they must be given access to the outdoors. Organic farming generally falls within the accepted definition of sustainable agriculture, though there is a difference between the two.

SUSTAINABLE Turkeys are usually certified organic turkeys but sometimes a small farm that is not organic-certified might be using organic guidelines and be self-sufficient by recycling all the farm’s waste. This is why it’s important to know where your turkey comes from and what guidelines that particular farm adheres to. “Sustainable” refers more to a philosophy about agriculture than “organic,” which is bound by its legal definition. Sustainable describes the practices of farmers who preserve the land, treat their animals and workers humanely and help support the local community.

There is no single set of standards for sustainable agriculture, there are several labels for which high standards have been set, which go beyond the “organic” label. I was surprised and delighted to see these labels, even more delighted to know exactly what they meant.

• Animal Welfare Approved: Sets high standards for health, shelter and handling, including a requirement that animals spend most of their life in pasture. Prohibits growth hormones; allows antibiotics only for sick animals.
• Certified Humane: Sets high standards for health, shelter and handling; prohibits growth hormones; allows antibiotics only for sick animals.
• Food Alliance Certified: Requires low- or no-pesticide policy; advocates worker welfare, habitat protection, well-managed agriculture and humane care of livestock.
• American Grassfed: Requires that animals eat grass only, and if they receive antibiotics due to illness they must be removed from the program. Growth hormones are prohibited.

HERITAGE Turkeys are like the heirloom tomatoes of the turkey world. In the States there’s a movement to bring back old-fashioned, diversified breeds from small turkey farmers. Ninety-nine percent of all turkeys raised in the US at the present time are the Broadbreasted White variety, sometimes called the Large White. While conventional wisdom would suggest that the heritage turkey might be stringy and the Broadbreasted White juicier, in a blind taste test quite the opposite turned out to be true: Heritage birds–the Midget White and Bourbon Red in particular–proved superior in flavor to factory-farm birds. I hear Jersey Buff’s aren’t bad either. Buying heritage turkeys are more expensive but think about what you’re helping to accomplish, which is helping to preserve small farms and endangered breeds while helping to break the monopoly corporations now have on our food supply. Though it might be too late to order yours for this Thanksgiving think ahead to Christmas or even next year’s feast. Bookmark heritagefoodsusa.com.

With it coming into holiday season pretty soon I felt the urge to get in the spirit a little early. Turkey is one my favourites but is one of those proteins that if done wrong can be bland and boring as well as, more often than not, over-cooked & dry. This recipe is pretty straight forward but shows how you can turn a plain turkey breast into a simple delicious healthy dinner. This dish is also perfect for a dinner party and even better as leftover sandwiches and you can easily change it up just like this Turkey Recipe I previously posted.
Alright, enough chit chat. Take a look.

RECIPE:
1 x 3 lb organic turkey breast

1 zucchini – small dice
1 yellow squash – small dice
1 medium leek – whites only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced – rinsed well
2 garlic cloves – minced
2 tbsp – fresh thyme – chopped
2 tbsp fresh oregano – chopped
S&P
olive oil
1 cup rice – cooked
Cooking string
2 cups chicken broth or water (add 1 at a time and when evaporated add the 2nd cup)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat a large saute pan on medium heat for 1 minute. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and saute leeks for 30 seconds. Add garlic and veggies and continue sauteing for 10 minutes until softened. Add fresh herbs and mix. Fold in cooked rice.
Taste and season. Set aside on an oven tray to cool.

Using cooking string, cut 4 pieces of equal length (16 inches) and lay string 2″ apart on a clean cutting board.

Lay the turkey breast, skin side down on the cutting board. Using a sharp knife slice from top to bottom in the middle of the breast. You don’t want to slice the entire breast in half but more to create an opening for the stuffing, known as butterflying.

Open the flap and season with S&P. Spoon the rice mixture in the center and pat down with clean hands. Fold over the top flap.

Tie each string tightly around the turkey ensuring the filling stays inside.

NOTE: This can be done ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 420°F.
Lay the turkey on a foiled oven tray and season all sides with S&P. Drizzle olive oil on skin and rub in. Add 1 cup chicken broth to roasting pan. Pop in oven for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours approx or until internal temp 160F.
NOTE: If you don’t have a thermometer pierce the center of the breast with a small knife and touch your top lip when removed. If your skin sizzles……you’re good to go (to hospital!).

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients.

You say you’ve never heard of ‘healthified‘ before? Maybe you’re right–I think I made it up somewhere along my quest of making food healthier, or as I like to say, ‘healthifying food’. You just watch–those words will one day be a part of our everyday vocabulary and yours truly coined them. That’s Hot!
As you know, turkey breast is a great healthy choice since it’s low in fat and high in protein, though if made into a traditional scallopine dish with butter and flour, the ‘low in fat’ goes out the window. But I had a request to make it so I used my noggin and made a healthier version. By replacing butter with heart-healthy olive oil I’ve cut calories as well as replaced bad fats for good fats. I also used egg whites for an added protein boost.
Turkey is also a great inexpensive source of iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium and B vitamins.
I decided to use gluten-free bread crumbs instead of white flour. I’ve made several meals using these and find them to work brilliantly. You can find them at Whole Foods Market or check your local health food store.

Serves 4

RECIPE:
4 x 4-6 oz organic turkey slices (1/4-inch sliced turkey breast)
2 cups Ener-G bread crumbs (gluten, egg, dairy-free)
2 egg whites  – beaten (for coating turkey with bread crumbs)

12 oz wild mushrooms
1 cup fresh garden peas
1 garlic clove – minced
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp fresh rosemary – chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 4ooF.
Begin by setting up a mini production line to coat the turkey. In the following order place the turkey, egg whites, bread crumbs and a foiled oven tray. With clean hands dip the turkey in the egg followed by the bread crumbs and coat generously. Lay on foiled oven tray until needed.

Preheat large skillet on medium high heat for 4 minutes. Once hot add 2 tbsp olive oil and saute the breaded turkey in batches for 3-4 minutes each side until golden and crispy. Wipe out pan after each use with a paper towel and add more olive oil.

Once all the turkey have been colored, pop in oven for 6-7 minutes to finish cooking.

Wipe out pan again and add additional 2 tbsp olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add garlic and continue sauteing for another 4-5 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through.
Finish by adding peas and chopped rosemary to mushrooms along with 1/4 cup chicken broth. When peas are cooked, serve with turkey scallopine along with roasted mini potatoes.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients.

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All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Ate too much yesterday? Looking for something quick ‘n’ easy?
“Nothing warms you more than a hearty soup and this is just the ticket. Healthy to boot, this soup is loaded with fresh veggies and even your left over turkey from Christmas dinner.”
Check out my latest post on Healthhabits

Compliments of Bon Appetite

Those of you over here Stateside are well aware that turkey season is just about here (Thanksgiving is next Thursday). I always associate turkey with Christmas but now since I’m over here I get a double dose with both holidays which for me equals lots of naps. By the time Santa comes I’ll have had turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, turkey stew, well you get the point.
There have been many articles about how best to cook turkey so it doesn’t dry out, wrapping it in bacon, basting with butter, wrapping it in soaked muslin and most recently brining. I’ve been brining my birds (too many to mention!) for a few years now and have always had great results. To see me in action click here. However there’s a new kid on the block: SALTING.
This is all over the mags and papers right now so here’s the scoop: All you do is salt the turkey a few days in advance, say 3 days ahead of cooking. Rub the salt into the flesh, a massage if you will, and pop it in the fridge in a sealable plastic bag. Then everyday prior to cooking give her a ruba dub dub to make sure the salt is spread evenly. How it works: The salt draws the moisture out of the meat but then re-absorbs it so in effect you’re actually brining it in it’s own juices. Apparently the bird is not salty when cooked. Sounds pretty good right? Check out the recipe from the LA Times.
Let me just say that I haven’t tried this yet but will be. I’d love to hear some feedback from those of you who’ve tried this out.