Thanksgiving Leftover Special: Tom Turkey Kha Gai

One of the great blessings, and curses, of Thanksgiving is leftover turkey. The next day it’s great reheated, or made into sandwiches, but by Day 3 you want something that tastes like not turkey. That’s where this spicy Thai coconut soup recipe comes in.

This is my take on Tom Kha Gai, and as usual I make no claim as to its authenticity. I do know it tastes amazing to me, and will make you forget you even roasted a turkey. There’s lots of everything going on here, so be prepared to adjust radically to your tastes. It should be fairly spicy, sweet, sour, and salty, all at the same time. 

If you can, see if you find galangal, or galanga root, as it's sometimes called. It looks like a thin-skinned ginger, with a sort of similar flavor, although people that make this soup for a living will say it's much different and far superior. I decided to use ginger, since that's what the majority of my audience will use, but I thought it was worth mentioning, in case you live in an area where this rhizome is available.      

As far as the chili oil goes, all I did was mash together a couple tablespoons of sambal with twice as much vegetable oil with a mortar and pestle. Once it settles, the gorgeous, red oil rises to the top, and you’re ready to drip. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and that some of your leftover turkey finds its way into this delicious soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 serving:
 6 cups turkey or chicken broth

3” piece ginger, sliced thin

2 stalks fresh lemongrass, bruised and sliced

kefir lime or lemon leaves, sliced

2 tbsp cilantro stems

1/2 tsp chili flakes, or to taste

Simmer for 15 minutes

Add:

1 pound cubed turkey or chicken

1 cup little mushrooms

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp. fish sauce

1 (13-oz) can coconut milk

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup green onion

2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

Chili oil, cilantro leaves, and lime wedges to garnish

Whole Boneless Thanksgiving Turkey – As Close to Turducken as I’ll Ever Get

If you’re a turkey, and you’re getting boned-out, there’s a good chance you’re about to become Turducken, which in this chef’s opinion, is one of the most overrated recipes of all time. When was the last time you sat down in a restaurant and thought, “I hope the chef’s doing a turkey, duck, chicken trio.”

However, the idea of removing those pesky bones before your bird makes its grand entrance may be worth considering. Not only do you get an impressive looking roast to wow the table, but carving is significantly easier. I didn't have time to show here, but of course you are making a killer turkey stock with all those bones, so that's another advantage. Also, if you're worried about losing flavor, don't. This tastes virtually identical. 

If you’ve ever found yourself hacking up a perfectly good turkey in front of the family, while flop-sweat drips onto the mangled meat, then this approach may be for you. Sure, it takes a good hour to prep, but that’s pretty much where the hard work ends.  

These types of videos are near impossible to edit into any reasonable length, but the good news is this is a lot easier to do than I make it look. Just go slow, and keep that knife against the bone, and you’ll be fine. By the way, chickens make an affordable and delicious thing to practice on.

I’ve included my “prop” stuffing below, which was great. It’s more the style you’d see in a stuffed pork chop, but as I said in the video, your favorite stuffing will work beautifully.

I’ve also posted a bonus video below that goes into more detail on the tying technique. So, if you’re looking for a new and exciting challenge for Thanksgiving, I hope you give this a try. Enjoy!

Notes:

• My turkey was about 15 pounds, but this will work on any sized bird.
• I wanted to try salt only on the outside, without butter or oil, like in our salt chicken recipe, just to see what would happen, but nothing did. So, feel free to slather on the butter.
• You’ll need about 3-4 cups of prepared stuffing depending on the turkey.
• My pan sauce was nothing more than the drippings with a big splash of cream, reduced until slightly thickened, and strained.  

Procedure:

Start in a 450 F.  oven for 15 minutes

Reduce to 325 F. until you get an internal temperature of 150 F. (mine took about 1 1/2 hours more)

For the stuffing I used:

1 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup finely minced onions, sautéed golden

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup turkey or chicken broth, or enough to moisten

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary leaves

Bonus Knot Tying Video

Cranberry Stuffed Game Hens - Honey, I Shrunk the Turkey

You may be wondering why I’m posting a Thanksgiving-themed video in the middle of summer. It’s a great question – I even annoyed myself with this way-too-early reminder of things to come – but I do have a great explanation.

As some of you may know, I write a quarterly article for Allrecipes Magazine, which requires producing the content months in advance, and this cranberry stuffed game hen recipe is going to be my item in the November issue. And yes, you should buy the magazine anyway.

If you’re cooking for a smaller group during the holidays, game hens are a fantastic way to downsize, without losing any of the special occasion feel. What we have is basically a miniaturized version of the traditional holiday turkey, featuring an easy, walnut bread and dried cranberry stuffing.

If you’ve never worked with game hens before, they’re very user friendly. Even stuffed to excess, they only roast for about an hour in a hot oven, and as long as you don’t overcook them (use a thermometer!), you’ll be enjoying the kind of juicy, flavorful meat that people cooking turkey only dream of.

As far as portioning goes, half a bird makes a nice serving, but I suggest doing one hen per person. I’m sorry, but regardless of bird-size, a holiday meal without leftovers is just not a holiday meal. So, whether you’re looking for a smaller, more manageable menu, or just want to feel bigger in proportion to your poultry, I hope you give these “micro turkeys” a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Cranberry & Walnut Stuffed Game Hens

(Makes 2 whole or 4 half portions)

2 whole game hens (about 1 1/4 pounds each), fully dressed, and seasoned with salt to taste

For the stuffing:

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 tbsp chopped green onions

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups toasted, crispy walnut bread cubes

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 tsp dried sage

1 tsp freshly minced rosemary

1 large egg, beaten

For the sauce:

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup fresh cranberries

2/3 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

- Roast at 400 degrees F. oven for about an hour or until the internal temperature in the middle of the thigh is 160 F. Let rest, covered loosely in foil for about 10 minutes, while the sauce is completed.

A Thanksgiving Side Note

Thanksgiving is almost here, and we'll assume you already have a great turkey and gravy recipe, so today we are focusing on the side dishes (btw, if you are still sans bird recipe, don't panic, and just check out our critically acclaimed, two-part video series, How to Make Turkey and Gravy).
 
Everyone knows, it's not a great turkey that makes the meal, it's what you pair it with. What good is a beautiful bird sitting next to a bunch of so-so sides? With that in mind, here's a little collection of thanksgiving appropriate dishes from days gone by. Don't let the poor producton value on the older videos fool you, these are some great sides, and would make a lovely addition to your holiday spread. Enjoy!

Creamed Spinach

Creamy Corn Custard

Pecan and Apricot Sourdough Bread Stuffing

Green Bean and Blue Cheese Gratin

Lime and Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Celery Root and Potato Puree

Cold Broccoli Salad

Cheesy Broccoli Gratin

Butter Roasted Cauliflower

Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

The Thanksgiving dinner is a truly amazing thing and one of the parts that I enjoy most is just getting started when the dinner comes to an end and that is thinking about creative ways to use all of the leftovers. In fact I tend to plan on making more than I believe that will be finished to ensure that there will be enough leftover to experiment with. Although I would be probably be perfectly happy using all of the leftover turkey in my favourite roast turkey sandwiches, I see it almost as a challenge to do something new and creative with the leftovers every year to keep things interesting. There are just so many things that you can do with roast turkey and if you also consider using some of the other leftovers in the same dish like the cranberry sauce or the sweet potato casserole things really start to get really fun. If you roasted a full turkey, don't throw the carcass out as you can use it to make some turkey stock and that opens up a whole new load of doors for turkey soups and stews. I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some ideas for using your Thanksgiving leftovers in creative ways and so I present to you some of my favourites!

Read the recipe »

Turkey Matzo Ball Soup – That Old Thanksgivingukkah Classic

Soup is always an obvious choice for leftover-turkey-themed videos, but it wasn’t until I heard about “Thanksgivingukkah,” that I knew that soup would be turkey matzo ball.

This year, Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah fall on the same date for the first time since 1888, and this rare occurrence has been deemed, “Thanksgivingukkah.” And when we say rare, we mean rare, as this convergence will not happen again for another 77,000 years!

As I mention in the video, while pleased with my matzo ball skills, I’m not sure I’ve ever had the real thing (if that even exists), and so I don’t have anything to measure mine against. I’ve had it at delicatessens out here, but never in NYC, or other more legit locations. I’m using what seems to be a fairly standard formula, and they are quite light and tender, so until informed otherwise, I’m going assume these are pretty good.

However, there is one thing I would love to know. Why do “we” boil the matzo balls in salted water, instead of the soup? I’ve heard it’s so the broth doesn’t get cloudy, but is that really all there is to it? Speaking of the broth, yours will undoubtedly be superior to mine. By the time I got to this video, I only had a few scrawny pounds of meat and bones left, and yet it still came out wonderfully flavorful.

If you use all the scraps from a decent sized bird, you should get an incredibly rich broth, which is exactly what you want to be ladling over your matzo balls. As far as extra ingredients go, I like a minimalist approach with this soup, but of course, feel free to embellish your stockpot with whatever you see fit.

Some of this will be determined by how you season your Thanksgiving bird, and I can personally verify that this year’s Peruvian version worked nicely. So, I hope you enjoy the coming Thanksgivingukkah, and here’s hoping the end of your turkey means the beginning of a delicious matzo ball soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions (I only served one matzo ball, but this will make enough soup for 4 portions with 2 matzo balls per serving):

For the turkey broth:

3-4 pounds of roasted turkey bones and meat scraps (use everything you have, the fattier the pieces the better)

at least 2 quarts water or chicken broth, or enough to cover

1 large onion, chopped

2 ribs celery

- simmer on low for 3 hours or until all the meat falls off the bones and it’s flavorless.

- skim and reserve at least 4 tbsp of the melted fat that rises to the top

- strain, and you should have about 6 cups of broth. If you have more, reduce down to 6 cups (do not season with salt until reduced). If you didn’t get quite 6 cups, just add some chicken broth to make up the difference.

Note: my turkey was already very well seasoned, so I didn’t need to add much to the stockpot. You can adjust your broth according, and can certainly add things like bay leaf, thyme springs, parsley stems, etc.

For the matzo balls (makes 8):

2 large beaten eggs

2 tbsp rendered melted turkey fat

1 tsp fine salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne

2 tbsp seltzer or club soda

1/2 cup matzo meal

- Mix and chill 30 minutes at least

- Boil in salted water (1 1/2 quarts water with 1 1/2 tablespoons salt) for 30 minutes and serve with turkey broth

For the soup:

2 tbsp rendered melted turkey fat

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

6 cups very rich turkey or chicken broth (see recipe above)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped dill

8 cooked matzo balls!

Maple Walnut Cranberry Sauce – I'm Fine Now, But I Used to Be Nuts

It funny how certain food memories stick in your brain, and this maple walnut cranberry sauce is the result of one such remembrance. I can’t tell you when or where, but sometime during my formative years I saw a cranberry sauce loaded with chopped walnuts, and I totally freaked. 

Not outwardly, as I have a decent poker face, but inside I was like, “what the hell is that?” That’s how it was for me early in life. If I saw a food prepared differently from the way I’d always seen it, I just assumed it was a terrible idea. Like ketchup on a hot dog…okay, so I happened to be right that time, but generally it’s not a great attitude to have.

As I pondered this season’s annual Thanksgiving cranberry sauce, and which styles I hadn’t tried yet, I remembered how off-putting that walnut-studded version was, and I decided to face my demons. I’m happy to report, as usual, I was totally wrong. It works perfectly.

Besides the nuts, I really enjoyed the job the maple syrup did sweetening the acidic berries. I recommend using a Grade B maple syrup if you can find it. It’s darker and thicker, and boasts a stronger maple flavor, so it’s the preferred syrup for cooking and baking by those in the know (also know as, “Canadians”).

So, if you’re looking for new and exciting cranberry sauce recipe this holiday season, I hope you give this a try. You’d be nuts not to. Enjoy!

Maple Walnut Cranberry Sauce Ingredients:
(makes about 2 cups)

1 (12 oz) package fresh cranberries, washed

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1/4 cup port wine

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp orange zest

pinch of salt

1 cup chopped walnut, toasted a light golden-brown

Peruvian Turkey for Thanksgiving – What? Are You Chicken?

I love, love, love Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, and have been meaning to do a video on this magical marinade forever, so it’s kind of funny that it makes it Food Wishes debut slathered all over a Thanksgiving turkey. 

By the way, to the hundreds of you who requested Peruvian chicken, I checked with our legal department, and this counts. 

My usual ethnic food disclaimer applies; I have no idea how close this is to your “authentic” recipe, but based on what I’ve tasted at some very good Peruvian restaurants here in San Francisco, I think I did pretty well. I also think this technique translated beautifully to the much larger bird.

Above and beyond the vibrant taste, the spice rub formed an almost airtight crust during the long, slow roasting, and it was truly one of the juiciest turkeys I’ve ever tasted. It was almost reminiscent of some salt-dough versions I've enjoyed before.

As I mentioned in the video, I took some of the same ingredients used in a green sauce that’s usually served along side, and used it to make a pan gravy. I was very pleased with this last minute experiment, and it actually reminded me, in taste and texture, of a Chile Verde, which is never a bad thing.

Below the ingredients, I’ll give you the rather simple formula for achieving perfect doneness, which will work no matter how you flavor your turkey, but if you’re looking for something deliciously different on your Thanksgiving table, then I hope you give this Peruvian turkey a try. Enjoy!

Peruvian Turkey Ingredients:

1 whole turkey, ready to roast

For the spice rub:

12 cloves garlic

1 tbsp dried oregano

3 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1/2 cup ground cumin

2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

Rub turkey all over, and under the breast skin with the rub. Let sit out at room temp for 1 hour. Rub extra rub inside cavity, but save a 1/4 cup or so to use as a glaze later. Tie legs, season with kosher salt, and roast at 325 F., for about 15 minutes a pound, or until the internal temp in the thickest part of the thigh is 170-175 F.  Let rest 20 minutes before carving.

*I like to cover the breasts with foil about halfway through the estimated cooking time. I also like to remove it, and brush on any extra spice rub (thinned with a little oil) about 30 minutes before it should be done. 

For the sauce:

1 cup crème fraiche

juice of one lime

I cup chicken broth

2 jalapeno

1/2 cup cilantro

Place roasting pan (pour off excess fat) on med-high heat. Puree above and deglaze roasting pan with the mixture. Bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture thickens into a gravy. Season and serve!

Lasagna Dip

Last week when I made the lasagna stuffed spaghetti squash I tried to keep things nice and light and healthy but I could not help but think about doing something similar only a bit naughtier, a hot melted cheesy lasagna dip! I am a huge fan of dips, especially when they have plenty of hot melted cheese and since lasagna is one of my favourite meals I knew that a lasagna dip was sure to be amazing! The basic idea behind this dip was to use the layers of a lasagna in a dip including a base of cheese and a quick, easy and tasty tomato meat sauce all topped off with plenty of melted mozzarella! My mom always made lasagna with cottage cheese for the cheese layer so I am rather partial to that but ricotta or even cream cheese would also work well. For the tomato based meat sauce I kept things lighter and healthy going with turkey for the meat and I packed the sauce with plenty of flavour! I have to say that this dip is truly spectacular and it really does remind me of lasagna, though it is a lot easier to make and perfect for enjoying while watching the game!

Read the recipe »

Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Winter squash is in season and one that I do not use nearly often enough is spaghetti squash so when I came across the idea of a lasagna stuffed spaghetti squash I pinned it right away to try later! Lasagna is a layered pasta dish typically containing noodles, a meat sauce and a cheese or bechamel sauce and it is topped with plenty of cheese and baked until golden brown and bubbling. This lasagna stuffed spaghetti squash takes the basic components of lasagna including the meat sauce and the cheese layer and stuffs them into a spaghetti squash, which essentially replaces the noodles, and bakes them until the cheese has melted. Since this dish goes with healthy spaghetti squash instead of noodles I decided to keep things on the lighter side going with ground turkey for the meat and a low fat cottage cheese for the cheese layer. Even though this lasagna stuffed spaghetti squash is designed to be healthier it certainly does not sacrifice anything in the way of flavour! You will definitely not miss the noodles in this tasty lasagna!

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Texmex Hot and Brown

Up next for my roast turkey leftovers was a hot brown sandwich which I had been wanting to try for a while. The hot brown sandwich is a take on welsh rarebit where toast is served topped with roast turkey, tomato, bacon and a mornay sauce that is broiled until the mornay sauce is bubbling and golden brown. While I was researching the hot brown sandwich I came across the idea of a Texmex style hot brown sandwich on Homesick Texan which sounded much more interesting than the original and I just had to switch tracks and make it instead! This Texmex style hot brown uses a mornay sauce that is spiked with green chilies and it is topped with tomatoes, bacon, guacamole and crumbled cotija cheese and it makes for one really tasty meal! If you are looking for a way to enjoy some of your roast turkey leftovers you really cannot go wrong with this Texmex style hot brown sandwich!

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Roast Turkey Cobb Sandwich

Although planning the Thanksgiving dinner is always fun I have even more fun planning on how to enjoy all of the leftovers! I usually start with the turkey breast which is perfect for sandwiches and up first this year is this monstrous roast turkey sandwich inspired by the cobb salad with layers of lettuce, tomato, bacon, avocado, blue cheese, roast turkey and an egg. A cobb salad normally uses hard boiled eggs but I really could not resist going for a fried egg, sunny side up, for that amazing runny egg yolk! I have to say that this is one of the tastiest roast turkey sandwiches that I have had in a while! The only problem is how to get your mouth around it! :)

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Pumpkin and White Bean Turkey Chili with Kale and Pepita Salsa

Up first for my new pumpkin recipes this season is a light, tasty and healthy pumpkin turkey chili with white beans. This pumpkin chili is nice and simple and it includes the pumpkin in the form of pumpkin puree along with a hint of pumpkin pie spices which work really well with the smoky chipotle chili heat. All said and done this chili really only requires about a half an hour of active time followed by some simmering making for a relatively low effort meal.

I always like to try to include green vegetables in my meals and I did so here by topping the pumpkin turkey chili with a fresh kale and pepita salsa. The kale and pepita salsa could not be easier to make, you simply puree some raw kale along with cilantro, jalapenos, pepitas and lime juice in a food processor and it is ready to go. I have to admit that I was eating this kale and pepita salsa by the spoonful before it even made it to the dinner table; I will definitely be making it a lot more over the next few weeks!

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Thai Green Curry Turkey and Zucchini Meatloaf in a Coconut Milk Green Curry Sauce

I am a big fan of Thai curries and during the summer I cannot help but think of green curries filled with all of the amazing vegetables around and of course plenty of fresh herbs. I have been wanting to try making a Thai curry inspired meatloaf for a while now and with all of the zucchini around a green curried meatloaf filled with zucchini sounded like a great idea! I decided to go with turkey to keep the meatloaf lean and healthy and I knew that the zucchini would help keep it moist and a homemade Thai green curry paste would ensure that it was nice and tasty! I filled the meatloaf out with some of the usual culprits including an egg and breadcrumbs and further seasoned it with fish sauce, garlic, green onions and cilantro.

I often like to serve meatloaf with a sauce and since I already had a Thai curry theme going a simple green curry coconut milk sauce was the perfect way to go! I have to say that this is one of the tastiest meatloafs that I have had in a while and I really like the way that the zucchini worked in a turkey meatloaf keeping it light moist and tender! What an amazingly tasty way to enjoy some of summers bounty!

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Smoked Turkey & Spring Pea Fettuccine – A Pasta From My Salad Days

This rich and creamy, smoked turkey and spring pea fettuccine recipe is inspired by a pasta I learned long ago, working at my first real chef job in San Francisco. 

You may have heard me mention Ryan’s Café in the past, especially if you’ve tried our famous chicken Marsala, and it was at this same restaurant where I learned what I still consider one of the best pasta recipes ever.

As I mention in the video, the original was done with smoked chicken, but for whatever reason smoked turkey is much easier to find at the market. I blame the sandwich industry, but no worries, as the turkey is just as good. There’s just something very special about the way the creamy, slightly sweet, aromatic sauce pairs with the smoky meat. Which reminds me, this is also wonderful with leftover ham.

Regarding what many would consider the dangerously large quantities of cream, I’d like to take a moment to do some math. The recipe makes four appetizer size portions. There’s about 1 3/4 cups of cream used, which is roughly 350 calories worth of butter-fatty goodness per serving. To put that into perspective, those two small ladles of dressing you used during your last trip to the salad bar had about the same amount. So, long story short, relax.

Anyway, now that I’ve armed you with a comeback for when your (probably too thin) friend questions your copious cream usage, I hope you give this very simple, but extraordinarily delicious pasta recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 small or 2 large portions:

8 oz dry fettuccine noodles, boiled in salted water

For the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced shallot

1 3/4 cup heavy cream (about 34-36% fat)

6 oz smoked turkey, sliced

1/2 cup green peas, frozen or fresh shelled

2 tbsp minced fresh tarragon leaves

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

1 tsp lemon zest

Parmigiano-Reggiano to garnish

View the complete recipe

Spinach, White Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup

Although spring is officially here, it is still well below freezing and snowing out so I am in the mood for soup! This spinach, white bean and turkey sausage soup has to be one of my favourites and it is perfect for this time of year when it is still pretty cold out but I am already thinking about lighter spring fare. One of the things that I like most about this soup is how quick and easy it is to make and despite that it is so tasty and packed full of flavour! The turkey sausage and beans keep this soup light and healthy and I always like to include some greens like spinach, kale or swiss chard. If you have a parmesan rind lying around, toss it into the soup while it simmers to add an extra layer of flavour and hitting the soup with a shot lemon juice just before serving adds a beautiful brightness.

Read the recipe »

Leftover Turkey Manicotti – “Little Muffs” for the Day After the Day After

Manicotti, which means, “little muffs” in Italian, has to be one of the best ways ever for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. 

The moist filling will bring the driest bird back from the dead, and you can literally add anything that can be chopped up.

Leftover green bean casserole? Throw it in. Peas and Onions? You bet’cha. Cranberry Sauce? No, don’t be ridiculous. Anyway, thanks to the absence of cheese, tomato, and pasta on the usual Thanksgiving menu, this concoction will erase any connection with the aforementioned feast.

One portioning note: The recipe below made six crepes, and if you make yours slightly smaller, the filling recipe will make six nicely sized manicotti. 

I went low-carb and used all the filling to make four portions, but you should probably just fill all 6 crepes, or even double the recipe to get 12. I think you’ll want leftovers of the leftovers. So whether you make manicotti with the last of the holiday turkey, or just use the technique to recycle other meaty meals, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 crepes:

2 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp olive oil

olive oil for cooking crepes as needed
*Note: Feel free to adjust the batter's thickness by adding a little flour or water until you get a thin consistency as seen in video. 
 

For the filling:

1 cup chopped turkey or anything

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 cup grated mozzarella

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1/8 tsp red chili flakes

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

For the rest:

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

2 tsp olive oil

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for top

1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley, garnish

Ginger Pear Cranberry Sauce – Making Your Holidays More Difficult, One Condiment at a Time

You would think the vast majority of the visitors to this blog would be fine with me posting a new holiday cranberry sauce every year, but apparently that’s not the case. 

After posting the tease picture for this lovely ginger, pear, cranberry sauce, I received a bunch of comments and emails with the same basic message, “please don’t, you’re confusing us.”

Evidently, some people like our past cranberry sauce recipes so much, that they don’t know if they should stick with them, or try a new version. It’s causing quite the dilemma. Do you go with the one you know you love, and that garnered so many compliments, or do you try something new and risk it all?

Sorry, I really can’t help you decide, but at least let me make an already tough call, even tougher. This gingery, pear-studded cranberry sauce was simply amazing. I’ve been wanting to try pear in a cranberry sauce forever, and this was so fantastic that I’m a little upset I waited this long.

Anyway, I hope your Thanksgiving menu is shaping up nicely, and that tomorrow will bring a table full of fabulous food. Whether you use this cranberry sauce, or an older version, or heaven help us, one from another blog, I hope you and your family have a great holiday. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 cups:
12 oz fresh whole cranberries

1 large bosc pear, peeled, diced

2 oz candied ginger, minced

zest of 1 large orange

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp garam masala (an Indian-style curry spice blend)

1/4 tsp salt

View the complete recipe

Roast Turkey Club Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce

One of my favourite parts about the Thanksgiving dinner has to be enjoying the leftovers for the rest of the week and in particular the turkey leftovers. Inevitably the first thing that I do with the leftover breast meat is make roast turkey club sandwiches and they always includes a healthy dose of homemade cranberry sauce! There is just something magical about the combo of turkey, cranberry sauce, mayonnaise, crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes and I am hopelessly addicted to it! Over the last week I have enjoyed a number of these sandwiches and for a few of them I decided to play around a bit by making them more like turkey club sandwiches by adding bacon.

Read the recipe »

Turkey Shish Kaburgers! A Seriously Not Horrible Turkey Burger

Usually when I post a recipe, I want it to be fantastic, awesome, incredible, inspiring, and/or mind-blowing. With this turkey shish kaburger, I was only shooting for not horrible. Happily, we achieved that and much more.

I’ve received countless food wishes for turkey burgers over the years, but just the mere thought of that dull, pale, insipid lump of meat (aka “the Mitt Romney of meat”), had me reaching for the delete button. Even when I’m out for a cheeseburger, and I see someone in front of me begrudgingly order the turkey burger (hold the mayo), I think to myself, “that poor bastard.”

So, how do you turn the dreaded t-burg into something that would cause envy instead of pity? When in doubt, go ethnic! I figured if we borrowed from the famously flavorful shish kabob, but used turkey instead of lamb or beef, we just may be able to pull this off. I know I lot of you think chunks of meat when you hear “shish kabob,” but ground meat is also used, and I’ve always preferred that version anyway.

As I mention in the clip, I used the “rising juice method” to test for doneness, but since ground poultry isn’t something you want to take a chance with, I suggest you use a thermometer to ensure an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Just keep in mind, since turkey is so low in fat, no matter how incredibly well you season the meat, if you overcook these, even a little, they will be dry.

But, the good news is if you don’t, and remove them with most of their precious moisture intact, you’ll be enjoying a turkey burger that’s not only not horrible, but is actually delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 turkey burgers:

1 1/2 lb ground turkey

1 1/2  tablespoons plain breadcrumbs

1 1/2  tablespoons ground almonds

1 or 2 tsp hot chili paste, or minced fresh hot peppers

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
*I garnished mine with mayo, topped with red onions and tomatoes I tossed in lemon juice, and more cilantro leaves.

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