Thanksgiving is such a great holiday allowing us to not only reflect on what we are grateful for but also who we are grateful for.
My favourite part of thanksgiving is being able to cook a big comforting meal for my friends and family. This is my way of giving back to them and my way of showing how much I appreciate them.
My second favourite part would be the smell of turkey and pumpkin pie lingering through the air. It always reminds me of a simpler time when I was young, going over to my grandmothers house for the grand thanksgiving meal that she spent all day preparing for our big family.
The house was warm and inviting with family members though out. The chatter and laughter amoungst the adults while they visited and traded stories at the same time, us kids would run around the house playing tag or hide and go seek until dinner was ready.
Once ready, we would all line up and dish out with heaping plates of food stuffing our faces until we couldn't move.
The only better thing about today's thanksgiving meal, is that now I can still move and this I can be seriously thankful for!
Preparing the turkey:
Ingredients:
- 4.4lb (2kg) turkey
- 3/4 cup (189g) turkey or chicken bone broth (save half for the gravy)
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
- aluminum foil
Preheat oven 325F (162C). Rinse your turkey and remove any plastic, bags or giblets. Your turkey should be thawed enough to rinse the inside, move the wings and to push your hand under the skin. If not, let the turkey thaw out a bit in lukewarm water. Once it is thawed enough to handle, take one table spoon of butter and push it under the skin placing little pieces through-out. Next, take the other half of the butter and melt it. Baste both sides of the turkey and sprinkle your seasonings all over. I used garlic, sage, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
For my brussel sprouts, I rinsed them chopped off the ends and halved them. In a large roasting pan, I scattered them along the bottom and added half of the bone broth, 3/8 cup (94g), over top of the vegetables. (You could use any vegetables) I also added another tablespoon of butter.
My roasting pan has a lifted grill rack to prop up the turkey but if you don't have this, no problem. Just lie the turkey in the center of your roasting pan and scatter the vegetables around the turkey. The lifted turkey is better ventilated but not a must.
When you have your turkey and vegetables rinsed, chopped and seasoned, then drape the aluminum foil over the roasting pan to protect the turkey and vegetables from getting burned in the oven.
Make sure you calculate your proper roasting time according to the weight of your turkey and whether it is thawed or frozen.
If you have a thawed turkey, account for about 15 minutes for every pound of meat. If your turkey is still frozen, account for 22 1/2 minutes per pound of meat. My turkey was 4.4lb (2kg) and therefore took 1hr 39minutes. In the last 20 minutes, I took of the aluminum foil and let the turkey skin brown and crisp up.
Make sure you check the internal temperature at the end with a thermometer to be sure it is thoroughly cooked. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. The temperature should read 165F (74C).
When your turkey is done, take it out of the oven and cover it up again with the aluminum foil to sit for 5-10minutes or until you are ready to serve.
Next I made my cauliflower mash and gravy
Cauliflower mash ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower
- small clove of garlic
- 1/4 heavy whipping cream (adding as needed)
- 1 tablespoon (14g) butter (adding as needed)
- salt and pepper to taste
First, wash your cauliflower head and cut off all the green leaves.
Chop the remaining cauliflower into small pieces and throw into a pot adding 1 to 2 inches of water and covering with a lid.
Turn the stove on to medium heat and allow the cauliflower to steam for about 5-10minutes keeping a close eye not to let the water evaporate. The cauliflower is done when you can easily insert a fork.
Once done, remove the cauliflower from heat and add the garlic, cream, butter and salt and pepper. Puree the ingredients together, you could do this in a food processor or blender but I used a hand held mixer.
Gravy ingredients:
- 3/8 cup (94g) the remaining turkey or chicken bone broth
- 1 cup (252g) turkey drippings
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1-2 tablespoons (14-28g) butter
- 1 tablespoon (14g) heavy whipping cream
- thickener xanthan gum or gelatine (to your consistency preference)
In a pan, add the turkey drippings and remaining bone broth bringing to a boil.
Lower to a simmer and add in the garlic and butter (if using non salted butter add salt to taste).
As I made my thanksgiving dinner in Germany, xanthan gum was hard to come by. Therefore, I used organic gelatine by ewald.
I used one hole "leaf" or "paper" of gelatine. After about 10 minutes of simmering the ingredients together or until it becomes slightly thick remove from heat.
Pour the contents into a blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes. Remove and serve!
The salad was deliciously simple just baby romaine lettuce and some cucumbers
Ingredients in the dressing:
- olive oil
- apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper
- drop of steiva
Mix, pour over salad and serve!
I will link out to the cheese buns and pumpkin pie once I post them, so stay tuned!