Volume 11, Issue 105 - November 24, 2006

Hello Member,

I hope you had a great holiday. You are most likely still stuffed and feeling a bit lazy, but you should be out shopping...right? Keep these recipes for the upcoming holiday season—you may need them.

Have a great long weekend and enjoy time with your friends and family. We'll see you next week.

More Turkey Breast Roasting Times from the National Turkey Federation:

Not sure how long you should roast your bird? The National Turkey Federation (NFT) recommends roasting a turkey in a 325 degrees F oven until a meat thermometer indicates the internal temperature registers 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 degrees F in the breast. Pop-up timers are helpful as a preliminary step in judging the correct temperature, but are not always accurate. A meat thermometer is the best authority to determine doneness.

A shallow roasting pan should be used so oven air can flow completely around the turkey breast. Pans with sides higher than one inch will shield the thickest part of the turkey from the heat, and the breast will not cook evenly. For easier clean-up, add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan.

The addition of 2 cups of coarsely chopped celery, onion and carrots to the breast cavity will enhance the fragrance and add  flavor to the pan juices. Season the skin and bone sides with salt and pepper.

For even cooking, prepare the stuffing outside of the bird. If the turkey is stuffed, the stuffing should be placed loosely into the breast cavity. As a matter of safety, the center of the stuffing should reach 165 degree F before removing the turkey from the oven.

Use roasting times as a planning guide only; use a thermometer to determine actual doneness. Allow the turkey breast to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving the bird.

Source: National Turkey Federation

EatTurkey.com Turkey. The Perfect Protein. Innovative ideas, FAQ's, Turkey Trends, Celebrity Chef Demos and Great Recipes.

Turkey Breast with Honey-Mustard Glaze

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

1 4- to 6-pound turkey breast, fresh or thawed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

Preparation:

Season interior and exterior of the turkey breast with salt and pepper.

Place the turkey breast on a V-shaped rack in a 13 x 9 x 2 roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, in a 325 degree F preheated oven for 1-1/2 to 2-1/4 hours, or until the meat thermometer registers 170 degrees F in the deepest part of breast.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine honey and mustard. Brush glaze over breast during final 20 minutes of cooking.

Remove the turkey breast from oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Ethnicity: American
Meal Type: Main Course, Entrée
Occasion: Easter, Thanksgiving, Grandparents Day
Preparation Method: Roast
Product Type: Bone-In Breast

Recipe Source: Recipe by The National Turkey Federation

Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 1-pound acorn squash
1 teaspoon canola oil
Vegetable cooking oil as needed
1/2 pound fresh turkey sausage
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1 cup Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon sage leaves
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup apple jelly

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush a small amount of oil on the cut edges of each squash half. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Place each squash half cut side up on the baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil and bake until tender, about 35 to 40 minutes.

If using sausage links, squeeze sausage from the casings. Cook sausage over medium heat until it is no longer pink, breaking the sausage into small pieces. Drain sausage on paper towels, if necessary. Reserve 1 teaspoon pan drippings and discard the rest.

Cook celery in reserved pan drippings over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add apple and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in reserved sausage, bread crumbs, sage and sugar.

When the squash is cooked, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Cool squash until shells can be handled. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch shell. Combine the squash pulp with sausage mixture.

Mound mixture into the hollow squash shells and top each with 1-tablespoon apple jelly. Return to the 350 degree F oven and bake uncovered until sausage is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Ethnicity: American
Meal Type: Side Dish
Occasion: Thanksgiving, Christmas
Preparation Method: Bake
Product Type: Turkey Sausage - Breakfast
Dish Type: Dressing

Recipe Source: Recipe and photo kindly provided by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council

Boning Raw Turkey:

Sharpen your knife and put on an apron. You can prepare a boned turkey that will provide a stunning table presentation for a special meal in less than an hour. Apart from skillful fingers and the heel of your hand, the only special utensils you will need are a sharp boning knife and metal or bamboo skewers to stitch the skin together. Four-inch trussing skewers and cotton kitchen twine may also be used to close the bird.

The advantages of boning a turkey for a special meal include:

• The difficulty of carving the turkey at the table is eliminated.
• The additional bones from the carcass yield a full-flavored turkey stock.
• The thighs may be filled with a rich savory stuffing, fresh herbs or a mixture of sautéed chopped mushrooms and shallots for the ultimate taste experience for dark meat turkey lovers.
• The roasting time for a whole turkey will be shortened with the reduction of turkey weight.

Boning a whole bird can also lower your grocery bill. When whole turkeys are on sale at the supermarket, you can take advantage of excellent prices, bone the turkey, cut it into separate parts, freeze the various cuts and have a variety of turkey parts that will yield convenient, tasty, versatile and healthy meals.

Source: National Turkey Federation

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Turkey with Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing

Makes 14 servings

Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh chorizo sausage
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 (16-ounce) package cornbread stuffing crumbs
15 ounces turkey broth or low sodium chicken broth

Preparation:

Crumble chorizo into a large non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Drain and discard the drippings. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels to remove excess grease.

Melt butter in same skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, bell pepper and jalapeño pepper. Sauté about 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in sage and thyme; set aside.

Place stuffing crumbs in large bowl. Add cooled chorizo and vegetable mixture; mix lightly. Stir in broth. Set aside.

Roasted Turkey

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 (14-pound) whole turkey, thawed if frozen
2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil

Preparation:

Mix garlic salt, chili powder, oregano and black pepper in small bowl; set aside.

Remove neck and giblets from body and neck cavities of turkey; refrigerate and reserve for gravy. Drain juices from turkey; pat turkey dry with paper towels.

Fill neck cavity with part of the stuffing. Turn wings back to hold neck skin against back of turkey. Fill body cavity loosely with stuffing.

Place turkey, breast up, on a flat roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Rub turkey with oil and sprinkle with garlic salt seasoning mixture. Place small pieces of aluminum foil over skin of neck cavity and over stuffing at body cavity opening to prevent over-browning during roasting.

Roast in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 2-1/2 hours. Remove from oven and cover breast and tops of drumsticks with aluminum foil to prevent overcooking. Continue to roast for about 1-1/2 hours, or until food thermometer reaches 165 degrees F when inserted in center of stuffing and reaches 180 degrees F when inserted in deepest part of thigh.

Meanwhile, place extra stuffing (if any) in a casserole dish and stir in 1/4-cup broth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake, covered, at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until hot.

Allow turkey to rest for about 20 minutes before carving.

Ethnicity: Southwestern
Meal Type: Main Course, Entrée
Occasion: Thanksgiving, Christmas
Preparation Method: Roast
Product Type: Whole

Recipe Source: Recipe and photo provided by Butterball

Cranberry-Jalapeño Relish

Ingredients:

1 large orange, well scrubbed, unpeeled and cut into 8 sections
2 cups whole cranberries, washed
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons jalapeño chile, coarsely chopped
to taste maple syrup

Preparation:

Using the pulse action, coarsely chop orange zest and pulp, cranberries, ginger, cilantro and jalapeño in a food processor or blender. Do not purée.

Turn into a mixing bowl and add maple syrup. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate, for at least 30 minutes, before serving.

Ethnicity: Southwestern
Meal Type: Side Dish
Occasion: Thanksgiving, Christmas
Preparation Method: Combine

Recipe Source: Recipe by Executive Chef Dean Fearing of The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, TX