A Birthday and Turkey

I've been a low salt cooker for years; actually, since I have a low tolerance for salt, I've been a low salt cooker all my life.  And it turns out that the limited amount of salt that I use is fine for my dearly beloved!  Hooray!  I Can Do This!

But meanwhile, I tried something different with my turkey breast, and the boys thought it was pretty good.

LOW SALT TURKEY BREAST

1 Turkey Breast
1 onion, cut in eighths
about 1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp. Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb seasoning
2 tbsp. corn oil or olive oil

Stir together the Mrs. Dash and oil, and set aside for a few minutes to let the flavors blend.  Put the turkey on a rack in your roasting pan, remove the skin, tuck the onion pieces under and around it, and pour the vinegar over it.  Spread the top and sides with the oil/seasoning mix, add a little water to the bottom of the pan to keep it from scorching, and cook at 325F convection or 350F conventional oven until it registers 165F on a meat thermometer (juices will run clear).  Let the turkey sit for about 15 minutes.  It smells like you're roasting your salad while it's cooking, but the boys all really liked it.

Gravy:

2 cups water
1 tsp Chicken Base
2 tsp Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb seasoning
1/4 cup cold water
2 tbsp cornstarch

Heat the 2 cups water, chicken base and Mrs. Dash to a simmer; cook for a couple of minutes for the flavors to meld.  Whisk the cornstarch into the 1/4 cup cold water, and whisk into the gravy pan.  Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Yes, I know chicken base has sodium in it.  But it's substantially less than the sodium in a bouillon cube.  The whole 2 cups of gravy has about 800mg of sodium in it, and, really, is anyone using 2 cups of gravy?  4 tablespoons of gravy has about 100mg of sodium, and that's quite enough for anyone, really.

One thing I've learned is that Mrs. Dash uses potassium instead of sodium, and you have to watch your levels of that, too, so it's pretty hard to use this seasoning.  Life is so complex.

And, no, there's no picture of the turkey.  I find myself so busy with the necessities of life that I forget niceties like pictures of food.  So, instead, here's a couple of pictures from Jeffrey's birthday, which was also Superbowl Sunday.  As I recall, the Broncos forgot to play that game.

My beloved was 15 days post-surgery, and looked damn good, don't you think?

Happy Monday, everyone!

Turkey Meatloaf

While watching me chop beef for soup last weekend, my dearly beloved suddenly piped up: "Why don't you have a meat grinder?"

"Why would I have a meat grinder?"

"Because my mother had one when I was a child, and I think you would like it."

So, having started my soup to cooking, I wandered off to order a meat grinder.  I selected the KitchenAid attachment for my stand mixer, and it arrived on Tuesday.  Last night, I mustered up the courage to try it out, making something I'd never had before.  But the red plaid cookbook said it exists, sorta, and so I jumped in with both feet.

TURKEY MEATLOAF

2 pounds ground turkey
1 large onion, minced
1/4 cup parsley, minced
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 cup egg beaters (or 2 eggs, beaten)

I started with turkey cubes, onion cubes and parsley, and fed them all through the meat grinder.  (Note, if you're thinking of getting one, it works terribly at the slowest speeds, and works wonderfully at a speed of 4 to 6.  And adding the spices and so forth to the meat before grinding made it easier to combine them.)  So, mix your ground turkey with everything else.  (You might want to add 1/4 cup bread crumbs to make your turkey meatloaf firmer; mine kind of oozed around and took the shape of the pan.)  Put your loaf into a well greased pan and bake at 350F for about an hour, until it reaches 165 on the meat thermometer.

My boys griped that it looked awfully yellow, but they liked it.  It was moist, and had good flavor.  And by using egg beaters, I made this a pretty low fat meal.

Happy Weekending, everyone!

Roast Turkey Breast

It's been a busy day today, and I'm all out of inspiration.  So I thought I'd show you what every Sunday night dinner looks like hereabouts.

ROAST TURKEY BREAST

Turkey Breast (bone-in or boneless)
1 onion
1 carrot
olive oil
salt
garlic powder
basil

Chop the onion and carrot in eighths.  Whether boneless or not, salt the bottom only of the turkey.  Tuck some of the veggies under the skin, and put the rest under the turkey breast or in the cavity.  Rub the upper part of the turkey with olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic powder and basil.  Pour about 1/4" of water in the bottom of the roasting pan, then roast at 350F in a conventional oven or 325F in a convection oven, until the turkey is done (165F on a meat thermometer).  Let it sit 15 minutes before slicing.

For gravy, dump a goodly handful of ice cubes in the pan drippings, stir to collect the fat, and scoop the fat and ice out of the pan.  Add 1 chicken bouillon cube and 1/2 cup water, and heat to a simmer.  Mix 1/2 cup cold water with 2 tbsp cornstarch, whisk until smooth, and whisk into the pan drippings.  Add a bit more water, if the gravy is too thick.

Here's how I served it:

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Packets For Grilling - or Not!

Last week, my milkman/farmer started offering half bushel boxes of mixed produce for $18. Being the nut I am, I thought, "Well, why not take a chance that he won't send me a box full of peppers, which I will have to abandon on some unsuspecting neighbor's porch?" I wasn't disappointed

Look at those beautiful tomatoes, peaches, green beans, summer squash and lettuce. But that odd green thing had me most intrigued. I concluded it must be a pattypan squash, having never seen one. (I think I got the name right, feel free to tell me if I muffed it up).
I decided it simply had to be part of dinner that night. So what interesting thing could I do?

Packets. You're going to love these.

TURKEY/VEGGIE PACKETS

1 square of foil or parchment for each person, brushed with cooking oil
boneless turkey or chicken, cut in medium sized (1"x1") chunks
1 Carrot per person, cut in half and quartered lengthwise
1 pattypan or zucchini squash, cut in small pieces
1/2 tsp salt per packet
fresh ground pepper
minced onion
chives

Tear off an 18" long piece of foil if grilling or parchment paper for the oven. Brush the foil with oil, then layer the squash, turkey, minced onion and carrots in the foil. Use an amount appropriate for each person, and label if possible for easy identification. Sprinkle with salt, grind on the amount of pepper each person would enjoy, scatter chives over the top, and seal up well. Cook on the grill or in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Serve with plain white rice; each sealed packet will create plenty of juices to season up the rice. Best of all: No pans to scrub! And it will keep your kitchen cool if you're stuck in this East Coast heat wave this week! (Note that I don't grill, but I've found a way for you to indulge, if you're so inclined.)

Veal Piccata It's Not, But...

...it was a good second.

I wanted Veal Piccata for dinner last night. There were only a couple of problems with that desire: first, I didn't have a recipe, and, second (and much bigger), I never buy veal. When you need 5 pounds of meat for a meal, you don't go for the big bucks meats.

So, having a boneless turkey breast available, I made the next best thing: Turkey Piccata. It was easy, it was good, and Thor only got homemade bread crust with the drippings from plates. That's how good it was.

TURKEY PICCATA

1 turkey breast (I used boneless, but use whatever suits you)
2 tbsp butter, frozen
1 cup white wine (I used chablis, but use whatever you have)
2 tsp minced garlic (I cheat and buy it in a jar)
1 lemon, sliced thin
1/2 cup water
another 1/2 cup cold water
2 tbsp cornstarch
fresh parsley

Loosen the skin from the turkey. Cut the butter in thin slices, and tuck it under the skin. Then stuff the minced garlic under the skin. Pat the skin back into place. Put a couple of lemon slices in the pan under the turkey, and distribute the rest over the turkey. Pour the wine over the turkey, cover tightly, and cook at 325F until done. Remove the turkey to a serving platter and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then slice thin. Meanwhile, heat the pan drippings with 1/2 cup water. When it comes to a boil, whisk the cornstarch in with the other 1/2 cup of cold water, and whisk that into the pan drippings. Just before serving, snip some fresh parsley leaves into the sauce, spoon some over the top of the sliced turkey, and serve with pasta.

Notice that I didn't use any salt at all in this recipe, and yet my dearly beloved wolfed it like there was no tomorrow. Also notice that I didn't have any capers to use in this. So, if you have capers, feel free to use them, and get closer to the real "Piccata" experience. Finally, notice that I'm not certain how to spell "Piccata", and Blogger's spell check keeps telling me it's wrong. Phooey!

James Beard's Turkey Breast

Every Sunday night, I roast a turkey breast. Really, it's laziness on my part. I buy boneless restaurant style turkey breast, cut it into halves, thirds or quarters (depending upon how many of us are home), prepare one piece for that night, and season and foil wrap the rest, to be frozen and cooked at a later date. So, in my new James Beard cookbook (from the library book sale), I happened upon a recipe for turkey breast. Since it's the same meat no matter what, it's really a difference in seasoning, but this was very moist and flavorful. I'm sure a bone in turkey breast could be seasoned the same way; give it a whirl - after you're over the Thanksgiving turkey!

JAMES BEARD'S ROAST TURKEY BREAST

1 Turkey breast
2 tbsp butter (frozen)
1/4 cup white wine
salt & pepper to taste
(water for the bottom of the pan)

Place the turkey breast in the pan. Pour the wine over it, then sliver the butter and place it all over the top of the turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired, then roast 20 to 24 minutes per pound or as recommended by your personal turkey vendor, until it reaches 165F on the meat thermometer. Notes: first, I always pour some water in the bottom of my pan (about 1/4") to keep it from scorching. Also, I used my tea cup, rinsed out, of course, to measure out the wine. Since it's really big, I probably used closer to 1/2 cup wine. Ah, so what? The alcohol cooks off, but there was a lot of flavor to this sucker. Finally, I have this cute little enameled roaster with a lid on it that's just the right size for a turkey breast, and I roast mine with the lid on, to keep the moisture from evaporating. It was really very moist, likely due to the butter on top.

I served this with spaghetti squash, which I don't have a picture of, because people were starving to death! To cook the squash, I cut it in half and removed the seeds, put it in a buttered baking pan cut side down, put 1/4" of water around it, and baked at 350 for about a half hour. Then, I melted 1/4 cup butter in a pan, sauteed some leeks until soft, added a diced tomato, and shredded the spaghetti squash in with the leeks and tomato. A touch of salt and pepper, and my guys loved it! I also included rice, but that's really boring, now, isn't it?

Turkey with Walnut Parmesan Sauce

We eat a lot of turkey in my household. Everyone likes poultry, and I can always get it. It's always easy to think up new ways to flavor poultry, also, since you start with a mild meat flavor. I was really excited when I found this recipe. You can use either turkey cutlets or slices from a raw turkey breast, which is what I did. While I cooked this in the broiler, for someone who isn't cooking for nearly one half ton of men (four between 205 and 235 - you do the math), it would work fine in a skillet. For me, I could have spent a couple of hours standing over the skillet; that isn't my idea of a great time.
TURKEY WITH WALNUT PARMESAN SAUCE

Turkey:
About 1-1/2 pounds turkey - 4 cutlets (I used 5 pounds, and multiplied this recipe a LOT)
1 tbsp. cooking oil
fresh ground pepper

Sauce:
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tbsp. butter
1 chopped onion
2 minced cloves garlic
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch cayenne
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tbsp. grated Parmesan
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. chopped walnuts, optional

To cook the turkey under the broiler:

Pour the cooking oil in the bottom of the broiler pan, with the rack off the top; make sure it covers the bottom of the pan. Arrange the turkey slices in the bottom of the pan, grind fresh pepper over them, and broil with the shelf in the highest position and the door open for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning once and peppering the other side of the turkey. Paula, I wish I had taken a picture of this "work in progress", but, of course, I didn't think of it until hours later. Incidentally, Paula, most stoves come with the broiler pan, but if you can't find yours, you can use a metal pan that's about 2" deep for broiling food like this. And this describes the broiler in an electric stove; the broiler in a gas stove is the bottom drawer, and you don't leave that open. (I'm not much good with gas stoves, having only lived with one for about 3 years.)

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce:

Grind the 1/4 cup walnuts to a fine powder in the food processor. In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until translucent, not browning it. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Stir in the cloves, cinamon, cayenne and cornstarch; whisk until smooth, then whisk in the chicken broth. Simmer until it thickens, about 3 minutes, and add the ground walnuts; cook a minute longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, parmesan and parsley. Pour some of the sauce over the serving platter and top with chopped walnuts, if desired. Pass the remaining sauce. I served this with parsleyed new potatoes, but white rice would work equally well.

Lemons for Dinner

Lemons, to me, scream summertime. Lemonade. Lemon sherbert. Lemon rice and turkey? Why not? I have noticed that lemons will keep very well in the fridge for weeks, so I always get a dozen with my food orders. Last night, instead of the normal, boring turkey breast, I decided to change it up. I very much enjoyed the result, and my youngest chirped that he loves lemons, too - always a plus from a child who cares little for food.

LEMON TURKEY AND RICE

1 Turkey Breast
salt & pepper to taste
2 lemons
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup cold water
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 cups rice
6 cups water
6 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup whipping cream

Place the turkey in a greased roasting pan. Zest one lemon, and set aside the zest, then cut that lemon in half and squeeze the juice from it over the turkey. If your turkey is not boneless, stuff the squeezed lemon halves inside the cavity. Add 1 cup water to the bottom of the pan, and place in the oven at 325 for about 18 minutes per pound.

10 minutes before the turkey is done, put the rice, water, salt and lemon juice in a pan. Cover and cook for about 18 minutes. A minute or 2 before the rice is done, add the lemon zest and 1/2 cup whipping cream; let it sit a couple of minutes.

When the turkey is done, remove it to a serving platter, and discard the first lemon Strain any solids out of the pan drippings, and add water to equal 1 cup; heat to a boil. Cut 1/2" off each end of the second lemon, quarter those ends and put in with the pan drippings. Whisk the cold water and cornstarch together, and whisk into the boiling pan drippings. After it thickens, add 1/2 cup whipping cream, and, just before serving, whisk in the 1 tbsp lemon juice. Thinly slice the remainder of the second lemon, and arrange over turkey slices on a serving platter. Spoon a small amount of the cream sauce over the platter, and pass the rest.

I don't care much for plugging products, but a while back I bought a Pampered Chef lemon zester, and I have to say that it's the best item ever for taking the zest off lemons or oranges without any of the bitter white part of the rind. Just look how pretty these zest curls were, sitting in my serving spoon, patiently waiting to get stirred into the rice!

A Different Turkey Cordon Bleu

I needed a fast dinner last night. Too bad for me that I had planned turkey! So i decided to make a simplified cordon bleu. I used boneless turkey breast, sliced about 3/8" thick. I only regret that I used any salt in the recipe. So, without further verbiage, I present...

TURKEY CORDON BLEU

3 to 4 pounds boneless turkey breast, sliced
1 stick butter
1/2 minced onion
pepper
garlic powder
ham
swiss cheese
chopped parsley
White sauce: 2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup white wine
ground pepper
chopped parsley

Melt the butter in the bottom of a broiler pan; add the onion and cook about 1 minute. Place the turkey slices in the butter, then flip to coat both sides. Sprinkle the top with garlic powder and pepper; broil for 6 minutes. Remove from the broiler, flip the turkey, sprikle the uncooked side with garlic powder and pepper, and broil for 5 minutes. Remove from the broiler, top each piece with chopped parsley, sliced ham and sliced or grated swiss cheese. Return to the broiler for 2 minutes. While the second half of the turkey is cooking, melt the 2 tbsp butter in a sauce pan. Whisk in the cornstarch until smooth, then the liquids, whisking until smooth after each addition. Heat until thickened. Serve with angel hair tossed with butter and parsley, and white sauce.

Poor Thor didn't get much from this meal; fortunately, he thinks he's an Italian English Mastiff, and will eat pasta any time! Which is a good thing, since he doesn't believe he's eaten unless he gets some "human" food in his bowl.

Turkey Cordon Bleu

On Sunday, I was looking for something "interesting" to do with my weekly turkey breast. While flipping through a myriad of cookbooks, and finding little satisfaction, I hit upon Veal Cordon Bleu. Inspiration hit: if there is Veal Cordon Bleu, and Chicken Cordon Bleu, why not Turkey Cordon Bleu? OK, my thought process may be a little twisted, but at least there's a thought process going on, or so I tell myself.

Before I go too far, this is the meat slicer my darling husband bought me (by which I mean he hung over my shoulder and made me order it from JC Penney.com, being the computer illiterate he so proudly is). I've used this for slicing boneless roasts for years. I think he got tired of doing my carving, since my weak hands don't handle large cutlery well, so he got me an easy replacement. I've been using it for cutting raw meat into slices for some of these new recipes, and it works like a charm. All this for about $100; how can you gripe?

Anyway, here's what I did and a lovely photo of the results:
TURKEY CORDON BLEU

1 Boneless Turkey Breast, sliced about 3/16" thick
ham, sliced paper thin
swiss cheese, sliced paper thin
scallions
garlic powder
2 to 3 eggs, lightly beaten with 1 tsp water
flour
2 to 3 tbsp olive oil

Pour olive oil in the bottom half of the broiler pan. Dip half the slices of turkey in the egg, then one side only in the flour. Place flour side down in the pan. Top with cheese, ham, scallions, garlic powder, and cheese. Dip the remaining half of the slices in the egg, then coat one side with flour and place flour side up on the turkey/ham/cheese combos. Broil 4 minutes, turn over, and broil another 4 minutes on the other side. Remove to a platter and keep warm while making the sauce:

1 cup cream
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup water whisked with 1/4 cup flour
scallions
mushrooms
pepper
dash salt

Heat the Broiler pan on the stove top, stirring to loosen the brown particles. Stir in the cream, then whisk in the water/flour combo. When it starts to thicken, add the wine, then scallions and mushrooms. Heat about a minute; grind in fresh pepper, and add salt if desired.

Note: Don't add any salt to the meat! All the ham and cheese contains enough salt to give it great flavor.