Roasting the Perfect Turkey

Turkey & Rice Stuffed Sweet Pepper

Orangey Turkey Legs

Grilled Turkey with Molasses Sauce

Grilled Turkey Breast with Vinegar and Cracked Pepper

Basil Breast of Turkey with Peas and Garden Vegetables

Turkey Ballotine with Prosciutto, Sage, and Roasted Root Vegetables

Chestnut Cranberry Roasted Turkey

.....

ROASTING THE PERFECT TURKEY

Refer to our Live to Eat Newsletter, click here

Turkey & Rice Stuffed Sweet Pepper

1 tbsp oil        

1 large onion

1  clove garlic minced

1 lb ground turkey

1 1/2 cups diced canned tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano  

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups cooked white or brown rice 

1 cup cooked black beans

1/2 cup kernel corn

1 2/3 cups shredded old Cheddar cheese

4 to 6 green sweet peppers halved lengthwise

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft. Stir in garlic and turkey and cook, breaking up with spoon, until turkey is no longer pink. Stir in tomatoes, basil, oregano and bay leaf; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. In large bowl mix together rice, beans, corn, turkey sauce and 1-1/3 cup (325 mL) of the cheese. Spoon filling into peppers; place peppers in baking pans, adding a bit of water to the bottom. Cover with foil and bake at 350 deg. F (180 deg. C) 30 to 40 minutes or until peppers are tender. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese and return to oven until cheese melts.

Orangey Turkey Legs

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained with liquid reserved

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 turkey drumsticks

salt to taste

In a blender or food processor, mix the orange segments, vinegar, and brown sugar. Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag, and mix in the reserved mandarin orange liquid and oil. Place the turkey drumsticks in the bag, seal, and marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.  Place the marinated turkey drumsticks on the baking sheet, and season with salt. Cover, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cover, and continue baking 1 hour, basting often with the remaining orange mixture, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).

Note:

Leftover marinade may be heated and whisked with water and flour for a gravy-glaze.

Grilled Turkey with Molasses Sauce

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeno peppers, minced

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 cup Ketchup

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon chipotle pepper, pureed

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

2 (14.5 ounce) cans Diced Tomatoes

12 pounds Whole Turkey, thawed

To prepare sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook 1 minute. Add ancho chile powder and cayenne pepper and cook 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients (except turkey) and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook mixture until reduced by half and thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool before using.

To make grilled turkey: Prepare outdoor grill for cooking.

Prepare turkey. Remove giblets and neck from neck and body cavities, rinse and pat turkey dry with paper towels. Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. Return legs to the tucked position, if untucked. Brush turkey, including back side, with vegetable oil.

Place turkey, breast up, on cook grate over drip pan. Cover grill and cook turkey to an internal thigh temperature of 180 degrees and breast temperature of 170 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours. About a half hour before turkey is done, place 1 cup of the sauce in a separate dish and generously brush on turkey. Reserve the remaining sauce.

When turkey is done, remove from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the reserved molasses BBQ sauce.

Grilled Turkey Breast with Vinegar and Cracked Pepper

2 1/4 pounds raw turkey breast, cut into thin scallops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for brushing

7 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

2 medium red onions, diced

1 cup white vinegar

2 cups turkey or chicken stock or canned broth

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

Cover the turkey slices with plastic wrap and pound to flatten. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, brush lightly with olive oil. 

Preheat the grill or broiler.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over low heat. Cook the onions with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, stirring and shaking the pan frequently, until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Pour in the vinegar, turn the heat up to high and reduce by half. Then pour in the turkey or chicken stock and reduce again by half.

Thinly slice the remaining cold butter. Reduce the heat to low and whisk the butter into the sauce a little at a time. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cracked pepper.

Grill or broil the turkey slices less than a minute per side. Serve over a bed of seared greens, if desired, with the sauce over all.

Basil Breast of Turkey with Peas and Garden Vegetables

8 skinless, boneless turkey breast halves, slightly flattened

Flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 tablespoons, unsalted butter

1/2 cup white wine

1 green pepper, diced

1 zucchini, cored and sliced in half moon

1 cup peas

1 cup chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Lightly flour turkey breasts, shaking off the excess. In a large heavy skillet, heat the vegetable oil over moderately high flame. Add turkey breasts in 2 batches and saute, turning once, until brown. Remove from the skillet and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet. Add the onion and saute until onion is translucent. Add the butter, wine, peppers, zucchini and peas and saute for 2 minutes, then add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer sauce until well blended and thickened, for about 5 minutes.

Return the turkey to the skillet and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange 2 pieces of turkey on each plate and spoon the sauce and vegetables over them.

Turkey Ballotine with Prosciutto, Sage, and Roasted Root Vegetables

1 boneless breast from a 10-pound turkey (about 6 pounds)

salt and ground peppercorns

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

12 very thin slices prosciutto

Roasted Root Vegetables

2 red onions, peeled and quartered (or 16 cipollini, if available, peeled and left whole)

4 carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

2 turnips, peeled and cut into sixths

4 parsnips, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay out the turkey breast on a flat surface with the skin side down. Pull the fillet (the piece that is loosely attached to the center of the breast on the opposite side from the skin) toward the middle of the breast so that it lays flat. Split open the large end of the turkey breast, while still keeping it attached to the rest of the breast, and lay next to the fillets. You should have a turkey breast that is roughly rectangular. Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a mallet until the surface is even and flat. Season the flattened breast with salt and ground peppercorns. Sprinkle the surface with the chopped herbs. Cover with the prosciutto. Starting with the end closest to you, roll tightly into a cylinder and tie every 2 inches with the butcher's twine. Season the outside with salt and ground peppercorns. Place in a roasting pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until an internal temperature of 140 degrees is reached.

To prepare the roasted vegetables: Toss the onions, carrots, turnips, and parsnips in the oil and vinegar. After the ballotine has been cooking for 45 mintues, add the vegetables to the roasting pan. When the ballotine and vegetables are cooked, remove them from the oven. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes, loosely covered with aluminum foil. To serve, remove the strings from the turkey (scissors work best for this), slice, and serve with the roasted vegetables.

Chestnut Cranberry Roasted Turkey

1 12-lb turkey

3 Cups De-shelled, boiled and cooled chestnuts, crushed. 

1 cup cranberries

4 garlic cloves crushed

3 garlic clove clusters - clove top sliced off with 1 tbsp. honey smeared on top of cluster of cloves

4 tbsp. of olive oil

5 bay leaves

2 tbsp. margarine

2 cloves

1 tbsp. mustard powder

1 cup white wine

Procedure

Wash inside and outside of turkey, removing any giblets left inside. In large pot of boiling water, add chestnuts.  Boil chestnuts until tender.  Drain, cool and crush.  Mix chestnuts and cranberries together with crushed garlic.  Stuff turkey with cranberry chestnut mixture.  Place oil in roasting pan, then add turkey.  Rub salt and pepper and remaining spices on turkey. Add wine. Place clusters of garlic next to turkey.  Bake in preheated oven at 375°F. See turkey cooking chart for cooking length.