Thanksgiving Preview

Once Halloween is over, my thoughts turn to the holiday's and holiday food.  I could cook turkey once a week during the season and never get tired of it.  I found this recipe in one of the magazines I receive and it sounded like a winner.  Lots of herbs and seasonings, my favorites.  My quest to find a turkey breast on the bone was not successful.  The only one I found was frozen and was shot full of all manner of chemicals touted as basting.  I finally ended up at Whole Foods.  They had a boneless fresh turkey breast.  I usually prefer to cook poultry on the bone, but this looked just about the right size for me and a week or so of leftovers.  Here is what was on my Table this week:

Lemon-Herb Seasoned Turkey Breast
Rosemary-Garlic Roasted Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes
Applesauce Granita with Maple Yogurt

I like to brine poultry so the night before the turkey went into a large bowl with cold water, salt, sugar, peppercorns and various herbs.  While the brine was doing it's thing, I made the stuffing that went under the skin.  Into the blender went Panko bread crumbs, chopped Italian parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon peel, sauteed onion, salt, pepper and enough EVOO to hold it all together.  The mixture should resemble a paste.  When the turkey is removed from the brine, it is patted dry and the paste is carefully stuffed under the skin.  It is then put in a roasting pan on a bed of chopped onion, celery, sprigs of rosemary and thyme, chopped garlic, lemon juice, EVOO and a bit of salt and pepper.  Chicken stock is poured over the vegetables and around the bird. When the turkey is thoroughly cooked and nicely browned it is removed and set aside to rest.  The vegetables and broth are strained and simmered until thickened for a sauce.  The brine, herbs and seasonings gave the turkey lots of flavor.  This recipe will go in my 'love it' folder and I will use it again.

Sweet potato and broccoli are vegetables I prepare often so I was looking for a new way to try.  This recipe is very simple and quite excellent for the turkey.  There is some crossover of herbs which brings both dishes together nicely. In a baking dish a chopped sweet potato is tossed in EVOO, chopped rosemary, garlic and salt and pepper.  After roasting them at the for about 20 minutes, chopped broccoli is added and tossed with a bit more EVOO.  When the potato and broccoli are soft and lightly browned a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese is added for serving.  This too was added to my 'love it' folder.  Very colorful!

The turkey and vegetables needed something cool and refreshing at the end of the meal.  A granita seemed like a good choice.  Unsweetened applesauce and a bit of lemon juice are mixed and spread in a square glass pan.  Place it in the freezer until firm.  While it is freezing, mix plain Greek yogurt with some maple syrup and a bit of ground cinnamon.  To serve, take a fork of the edge of a spoon and scrape the surface to fluff it up.  Serve in a glass bowl and spoon some of the yogurt sauce over the top.  So simple, yet so cool after the meal.

This was a good menu and many of the techniques will be used again.  Next week I will be away for a few days.  It's my birthday and I am treating myself to a weekend in Galena, one of my favorite places.  That means dinner out. I am looking forward to trying a couple of new restaurants and some nice wine.  Breakfast will be amazing as always at the Aldrich Guest House.  I will be back the following week and we will see what appears on Marilyn's Table.