Tag: Thanksgiving recipes
Mexican Style Turkey Breast with Ancho Chili
Compound Butter
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- Zest of one orange
- Zest of one lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
Mix the butter with orange and lemon zest, garlic and salt.
Spice Rub
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon acho chili powder
Mix all the spices together and set aside.
- 1/2 cup Chili Barbecue Sauce
- 1 7 to 10 pound turkey breast
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 orange, cut into eight pieces
- 1 lemon, cut into eight pieces
- 2 cups turkey or chicken broth
- Salt
- Pepper
Have your gravy ready either the day before or the morning of. Transfer it to a large saucepan and keep aside.
Preheat convection oven to 325 degreed F.
Place the turkey onto a rack in a roasting pan. Turn the turkey over and place the cut up orange and lemon inside the cavity. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally and turn it breast side facing up. Loosen the skin and carefully spread half the compound butter. Spread the rest all over the skin. Sprinkle the spice rub all over the top. Pour the broth to the bottom of the roasting pan. Keep aside.
With a brush add the chili barbecue sauce (recipe below) all over the turkey. Roast the turkey glazing every 15 minutes. Roast till internal temperature reaches 158 to 160 degrees F. Take out of the oven and place onto a platter and cover with foil to rest for at least 20 minutes. While the turkey is resting, take the drippings from the bottom of the pan and pour them into a small glass bowl. Let the fat separate, remove from top and pour the liquid into the prepared gravy and bring to a boil. Check for seasonings and heat the gravy through. Serve with the turkey.
Chili Barbecue Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds discarded and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 14 ounces can diced tomatoes with chilies
½ cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
Juice and zest of 3 clementines
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ancho chilies, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, zest, juice and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer on a low flame for about 20 minutes. Take off heat and transfer to a blender and blend till a smooth sauce is formed. Check for seasonings and take out into a small bowl.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Basil Cream
Okay, how many of you don’t like brussels sprouts? I know a lot of people who don’t and are not willing to try them. I personally love them and think that if you don’t like them- it means you haven’t eaten the right dish.
This is the dish you need to try if you are not a fan of brussels sprouts.
We cook them for Thanksgiving every year. I like them a lot and always wonder why I don’t make them more often.
This recipe I came up with, is similar to what we have been eating on Thanksgiving for a few years now. We come up with a new menu every year but end up making the same brussels sprouts.
I wasn’t able to find the exact recipe so I came up with this dish from my memory. It is very simple to make and it can be done in two steps- making it easy for the big meal. I first roasted them- it takes all of 20 minutes to do.
I then made a mixture of garlic, pancetta, walnuts and cream. I cooked the sauce for a few minutes and then added the roasted brussels sprouts. At the very end, right before serving- I sprinkled fresh basil.
This will be the best brussels sprout dish you will ever have- really, I mean it. Please try it, even if they are not your favorite.
- 1 pound brussels sprouts, cut in half if they are large and the first layer taken off
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Will serve 4 people. Recipe can be doubled.
Place the brussel sprouts on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well with fingers and roast till the sprouts are golden brown and soft- about 20 minutes. At this point, they can be taken out and cooled off and refrigerated up to overnight. The next steps can be done the next day right before serving.
- 1/3 cup diced pancetta
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup cream
- 1 cup basil chopped
In a large frying pan, heat the pancetta and add the olive oil. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat. Add the walnuts and garlic and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the cream and the brussel sprouts and mix well. Saute on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and add the chopped basil- right before serving.
Roasted and Mashed Butternut Squash and Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese
This is one of the sides I came up for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I was in Trader Joes, as usual, and came across already peeled and cut up butternut squash. I am quite lazy and usually never pick up a whole one- so when I saw a package of organic cut up squash- I was thrilled.
I usually always make some kind of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. There is also some kind of sweet potato or butternut squash dish. I wanted to combine the potato and butternut squash and come up with one dish.
Usually for a mashed dish, potatoes are boiled and then mashed. I decided to roast pieces of butternut squash, potatoes and garlic with some olive oil, salt and pepper instead.
Once the vegetables were soft, I ran them through a food mill and added grated cheese, half and half and fresh sage. I baked the dish once more with some grated cheese on top. It was simply delicious! Roasting the vegetables instead of boiling them gave the dish a more intense flavor. It was creamy and the sharp cheddar cheese and sage made it taste like a fabulous holiday side.
I was thrilled with this concoction- please try it for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
- 1 pound cut up butternut squash (Trader Joes has it already cut and peeled)
- 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut up same size as the squash- about 2 inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, whole with skin
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a lined cookie sheet, add the squash, potatoes and garlic cloves. Drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or till the pieces are tender. Take out and let cool. Run the roasted mixture through a food mill or a potato ricer.
At this point the mixture can be refrigerated up to 2 days.
- 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided
- ½ cup half and half
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4 generous servings. Recipe can be doubles.
In a serving bowl, add the butternut squash and potato mixture. Add ½ cup cheese, half and half, salt and sage. Mix well and check for seasonings. Sprinkle remaining of the half cup cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes.
