Turkey Hash

Turkey Hash is a great use of leftovers from thanksgiving. This will be a go to recipe for years to come.

Ingredients:

Potatoes
Brussel Sprouts
Onion
Turkey - Dark Meat
Eggs

Fry potatoes and onions for 5-10 minutes. Add brussel sprouts and turkey until warmed through. make a well and add egg. Cook 2-3 minutes more.

Urban Thanksgiving 2011

Pretty standard fare this year. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey stock and pumpkin pie.

The one thing I did differently on the turkey is butterfly it. It worked geat. Just cut on either side of the back bone to cut out the back bone. Flip the bird over and press down to break the breast bone so the bird is flat. Then you also have the turkey back to make stock with.

TURDUCKIN TIME!!

Well ... I have officially made a turduckin from scratch. My father-in-law (Doug) and I made it over the weekend; it was a two-day process. On the first day, we deboned the turkey, duck, and chicken, leaving only the leg bones and wing bones of the turkey. (You can imagine my initial shock when Doug asked me to join him for a boning party. No ... seriously ... he could barely get it out because he was laughing so hard.) Next, we brined all three birds to make sure they didn't dry out during cooking. On the second day, we made two different stuffings - one traditional with cornbread and one with andouille sausage. All that remained was assembling the birds. Turkey on bottom, followed by layer of cornbread stuffing. Duck on next with another layer of cornbread stuffing. Chicken on top with a layer of andouille stuffing. We then rolled all of it up and stitched it shut with butcher's twine and a huge sewing needle. Walla ... you've got a turduckin!

Bacon Turkey Burgers

Decided to make some deluxe turkey burgers that turned out juicy and really tasty.  I used 99% lean ground turkey fried them in the iron skillet and finished them in the oven.  They turned out really flavorful and juicy...

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground turkey (2 1/4 lb patties)
2 cloves of garlic
Parsley
1/4 Red onion
Chopped green olives
Bread crumbs
1 egg
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper
Gouda
Hickory smoked bacon

I combined the ground turkey, chopped garlic, parsley, chopped red onion, green olives, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Cooked in the skillet and finished it in the oven with hickory smoked bacon and Gouda cheese melted over the top, put on a nice roll.  For the side I thinly sliced red potatoes, lightly seasoned and cooked them in the oven until they are almost crispy.

Apple Cider Brine for Turkey/Pork

I used a half recipe of this for two pork tenderloins and two turkey tenderloins before I smoked them for an hour and half with some apple chips. They were both so good, we ate it before I could get a picture. Romer was here, he can vouch for me that it was awesome. I will definately brine again and the apple cider was a very nice touch. Recipe courtesy of Food.com


Ingredients:

2/3 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 slices fresh ginger
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed ( in mortar or spice mill)
2 teaspoons allspice berries, crushed ( in mortar or spice mill)
8 cups unsweetened apple cider ( or juice)
4 cups of ice

Directions:

In a 3-4 quart saucepan, combine cider with salt, sugar, ginger, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and allspice; stir to dissolve salt.

Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 3-4 minutes; remove from heat, add 4 cups of ice water and set aside to cool.

Let sit overnight and make sure meat is patted dry before cooking.

Escarole and Orzo Soup with Turkey Parmesan Meatballs

I've been trying to buy one new vegetable everytime I go to Giant Eagle and incorporate it into a recipe. This week it was Escarole. Tastes pretty good, kind of like kale or swiss chard, but not as bitter and it holds up well in soups. Also chilling the meatballs before dropping them in the soup was a good tip that helps them stay together.

Makes 4 main-course servings.

Ingredients:

1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
12 ounces extra lean ground turkey
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 cups (or more) low-salt chicken stock
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
3/4 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole (about 1/2 medium head)

Whisk egg and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl to blend. Mix in breadcrumbs; let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; gently stir to blend. Using wet hands, shape turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on baking sheet; cover and chill 30 minutes.

Bring 8 cups chicken broth to boil in large pot. Add carrots and orzo; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered 8 minutes. Add turkey meatballs and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chopped escarole and simmer until turkey meatballs, orzo, and escarole are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Rewarm over medium heat, thinning with more broth if desired.)

Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Turkey Burgers with Moroccan Spiced Aioli

With the hopes of winning Leeann's vote, I am posting another recipe :) This recipe came from Epicurious and was quite delicious. Here's the link to the recipe and a pic. Obviously it was served with Oven Fries. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Turkey-Burgers-with-Cheddar-and-Smoky-Aioli-354289