The THANKSGIVING MENU
Created by Jan Buhrman and John Bagnulo
For The Healthiest Thanksgiving Ever! 11/1/20
One 12-16-pound turkey ~ cooks about 3 hours ( 15 Min per lb. )
Allow turkey to brine 18-24 hours prior to roasting
Brine the Turkey
Directions
Add all ingredients to list
Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir salt and sugar into the water until dissolved; bring water again to a boil. Add cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, and thyme to the water, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook mixture at a simmer for about 20 minutes.
Refrigerate brine until completely cooled.
Pour cooled brine into a non-reactive container large enough to hold your turkey. I keep a large plastic bucket just for brining. Add thawed turkey; add enough cool water to cover turkey with liquid. Refrigerate overnight to 12 hours. Remove from brine and let sit on counter about 2 hours before planning to start roasting
Ingredients
1.5 gallon water
3 cups kosher salt
3 packets
10 whole cloves
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried thyme
For the Stock for GRAVY
Directions
Heat the oven to 350.
Rub the carrot, onion, celery and neck with salt and pepper and Roast the carrot, onion, celery and neck in the oven. Place the neck and vegetables on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place all the ingredients in a pot with the 8 cups of water. Heat to a boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer for 2 hours. Remove from the heat and cool. Strain the liquid once it cools and you have your “gravy” stock.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
Nect
1 stalk celery
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon peppercorns
6 cups water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Roast the Turkey:
Fresh herbs such as sage or thyme or rosemary.
A cheese cloth cut about 24” x 24”
1 Lb butter
2 cups gravy stock or chicken stock or apple cider (or water)
Rinse the turkey inside and out, dry with paper towels and bring the bird to room temperature (about 2 hours), keeping the skin covered with a moist towel to prevent drying. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Melt the butter. Set the bird bird et in a roasting pan, on a rack if desired. With your fingers, gently separate the skin form the meat, by lifting the skin and running your fingers between the two. Using fresh herbs slide the herbs under the skin and lay flat. Place the cheesecloth in the melted butter and lay across the bird. Pour the remaining butter over the bird. Cook, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 1 hour. Add 1 to 2 cups of chicken stock or apple cider (or water) to the pan if the drippings appear to be turning too dark. At desired browness- mostly likely in one hour- tent the turkey with foil. The foil should not touch the middle of the bird as it will burn the skin.
Check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh after 1¾ hours of roasting. Remove from the oven when the temperature registers 155-160°F (it will continue to cook and reach 165 once you remove the bird) on the meat thermometer, about 3 hours total cooking time for an unstuffed turkey. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes, or until the temperature in the thigh reaches 165°F.
Make the Gravy:
Remove the bird from the roasting pan and allow it to rest. Remove the butter/fat from the pan and place in a small pot that is large enough for you to whisk. Place the turkey pan with the remaining juices over medium-high heat and pour in the 3 cups of the gravy stock.
Make the roux in the pan with the fat.
A roux is made with an equal part fat and flour. I think sweet rice flour makes the best gluten-free gravy. I prefer butter and rice flour- but you can use olive oil. (And use the fat from the turkey.) In a small pot, melt 1 cup butter butter over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup rice flour and whisk until a paste forms. Continue whisking until paste turns light beige, about 3 minutes. Now you can add your warm gravy stock (2 cups) In a slow and steady stream, whisk in the remaining 2-3 cups of the warm stock. Cook, whisking constantly, until gravy thickens and begins to bubble.Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep hot until serving,
Cornbread, Sausage, Apple, & Pecan Stuffing
The key is to use great apples and great sausage. Morning Glory Farm has some terrific sausage this year!
Cornbread Recipe
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or an 8-inch square or round pan, and set it aside)
If you are using a cast iron skillet, heat it in the oven for 15 minutes
In a large bowl, put the cornmeal, salt, baking soda and baking powder, and whisk to combine well. In separate bowl, mix the egg, butter, yogurt and honey, and whisk to combine well.
Blend until just mixed. The batter will be a bit thinner if you used buttermilk. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes (closer to 20 minutes if using a cast iron skillet), or until lightly golden brown on top, golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice and serve immediately. OR Cut into cubes and allow to dry out for stuffing mix.
Ingredients
2 cups coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg at room temperature, beaten
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, at room temperature (can substitute an equal amount of sour cream or buttermilk)
4 tablespoons honey
Assembling Stuffing
Directions
Melt half the butter in a large skillet.
Add onions and celery and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Remove onion and butter and set aside.
Melt remainder of the butter, add apple, and cook quickly over high heat until lightly cooked, but still firm. Remove apples and butter from pan and combined with the onions. In a pan cook sausage over medium heat and drain off the oil from the fat when cooked through. Add to the apples and onions. Combined all the ingredients in a bowl and toss. Add stock as needed to moisten the bread just a bit.
It’s now ready to stuff or not to stuff. If not stuffing a bird, place stuffing in a Pyrex (or oven safe glass) baking pan and pour 6 tablespoons melted butter over the top and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes with foil cover. Remove the cover during the last 10 minutes of baking for a crusty top.
Ingredients
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 cups finely-chopped yellow onions
2 celery stalks
6 tart apples, cored and chopped, but not peeled (Jonathan, Winesap or Granny Smith)
1 lb bulk breakfast sausage, with sage (or your favorite bulk sausage)
3 cups coarse cornbread cut into small squares and baked hard
6 cups multi-grain bread baked hard
4 tablespoons fresh thyme
3 sage leaves teaspoon minced
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 1/2 cups shelled pecan halves roughly chopped
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste
k, gizzard and heart from turkey, rinsed and dried
1 medium onion, cut in half
1 medium carro
Roasted Vegetables
Preheat an oven to 300 degrees Put your vegetables, any root vegetable you like ( beet, carrot, parsnips, onion, potatoes, garlic,) on a sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, then season with thyme, and salt, etc..
.Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring once midway through baking.
Directions
Heat a oil large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan, turning them over with tongs, if necessary, to make sure that the cut sides are down. Allow to cook 5 to 7 minutes and stir well. Add the shallots and more oil if needed to coat all the vegetables. Stir for 3-4 minutes. Then add the chicken stock and add the vinegar.Continue cooking until it reduces down to a light sauce that coats the Brussels sprouts, 2 to 3 minutes. The sprouts should still be bright green and somewhat firm inside, but tender to the bite.
This can be made the morning of and reheated in the oven for 30 minutes before serving.
Transfer to a serving platter. Serve warm.
Ingredients
Brussels Sprouts
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved through the stem end, leave tiny ones whole
2 shallots thinly sliced
Sea salt
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Raw Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
1 organic orange with skins on seeds removed
1 organic apple with skin
3 cups organic fresh cranberries
5 drops os stevia
In a food processor, lend orange and apple and cranberries and pulse until a nice consistency. Taste and add more sweetener to your desired sweetness.
This will keep for 2-3 days, so make it ahead!
Note: cinnamon is a nice spice to add carefully to this dish!
1# fresh organic cranberries
1 large organic orange
You can use raz el hanout as a subsitute
½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 packets stevia or 5 drops
Start by giving your orange a good scrub and then pat dry. Rinse the cranberries too.
Chop the orange and pulse in your food processor until pea size.
Put the cranberries and orange pulp into a heavy based pan and add the crushed coriander seeds and ground cinnamon. There will be enough juice from the orange to start the cranberries cooking nicely without burning. Heat on low and bring to gentle simmer.
The cranberries will start to pop and split, sounding like a mellow and somewhat laid back popcorn session.
Simer for about 7-8 minutes use a wand blender or allow to cool and place in food processor, if you want a stevia and blend well.
Store in the fridge and use within 1 week.
Creamy Garlic Purple Sweet Potatoes
These CREAMY Garlicy Mashed Sweet POTATOES ARE THE WAY TO GO!
This recipe offers broth and olive oil to replace butter IF you wish to go Dairy Free.
Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add your potatoes. Depending on the size, cook for 20-30 minutes. Potatoes should be soft on the fork.
While to potatoes are cooking, in a separate pan, add minced garlic and onion, Butter (or chicken broth, olive oil) and salt and sauté until the garlic and onion is soft.
Drain the potatoes. Immediately add the broth and mash until smooth and creamy.
YUM! If you have time and you want to add a creative touch, top the masked potatoes with sliced and roasted potatoes on top.
Ingredients
2 pounds Purp[le Sweet Potatoes - unpeeled and cut into equal sized pieces
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 small onion minced
1 cup melted butter ( or GF ; chicken broth)
4 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Pumpkin Pie Filling:
Ingredients
2 cups (15-oz can) pumpkin
1 cup date or coconut sugar
2 cups heavy cream
½ tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs well blended
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugars, salt, spices and eggs with a spatula Add heavy cream and mix to incorporate all ingredients. (For best flavor, cover and refrigerate filling overnight; filling can also be frozen, well sealed, for up to 2 months)
Classic Pie Crust (pate brisee)
This pie crust recipe is great for all pie crust needs both sweet and savory! This recipe will make 4 pie crusts, which makes either 4 open pies or 2 covered pies, such as apple). You can freeze any extra crusts that you do not use for a later time.
Directions
Mix together in a small bowl the water, milk and salt. Stir until the salt is dissolved and place in the fridge to keep cold.
In a medium mixing bowl add three cups flour. Cut your butter into the shape of butter sticks if it is not already. Slice the butter into thin shavings, stopping every once in a while to mix it into the flour mixture while it is still cold. Using the flour to coat the butter so that it can be easily dispersed into the dough. Take your hands and use the motion of your two palms pressing and sliding together to flake the butter into the flour evenly. This may take some practice. Also, you want to make sure you have nice big flakes of butter throughout the dough. DO NOT OVER MIX AND KEEP THE BUTTER COLD. If the butter begins to melt or get soft put in the fridge for 20 minutes before moving to next step.
Once all the butter is sliced and flaked into the flour and tossed, add the liquid and salt. Using a wooden spoon, mix everything together until it is crumbly. Now, use your hands the bring the dough together using a folding motion, so the dough is folding over itself before you press down. Once mostly together and slightly shaggy the dough is done.
Dump out onto counter and flatten into a circle. Cut the circle into 4 even pieces. Shape each piece into a flat round disc. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
To make your pie!
Roll pie dough out to a 13" circle, making sure to have plenty of flour on your table and the dough, and transfer to the pie pan. Crimp the edges above the rim; this will give you a little extra headroom to hold the filling when it expands in the oven. Refrigerate the crust while the oven preheats to 425º
When the oven is hot, place the pie pan on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet to catch any drips. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 425º for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º and finish baking for 30-35 minutes. Check at the half-hour point to be sure edges are not cooking too quickly. The center should still be wobbly. Remove pie from the oven and cool on a rack; the center will finish cooking through as the pie sits
Ingredients:
3 cups All Purpose Flour
10 oz cold unsalted butter
⅓ cup ice cold water
⅓ cup cold whole milk
1 tsp salt