Showing posts with label Holiday Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiday Food. Show all posts
One week from today it will be Thanksgiving. I know that Thanksgiving will have been already celebrated in Canada, but it is impossible for me to get a turkey in October at a reasonable price.
Since moving over here to the UK, I choose to celebrate it in November. For me it helps to usher in the Christmas Holiday Season! I love it.
As I have a food blog, and I want things to be current on it, I do cook my Thanksgiving dinner about a week early, which is okay. That means that I am in the mood for turkey again come Christmas time.
I cannot imagine a Christmas without turkey. That is both the Brit and the Canuck in me! Christmas when I was growing up was always a turkey dinner, and here in the UK, people love to enjoy a turkey dinner for Christmas as well. I know in America it is usually a roast of beef or something else.
Whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving a week from today, or Christmas in a few weeks after that I am sure you will find this amazing Herb Roasted Turkey Breast to be a really winning combination of flavours.
This is the way I have always done my turkey crowns/breasts. It is fail proof and delicious.
I was able to get a lovely bone in, skin on turkey breast at Costco. I have to say up front it was not cheap.
I felt it was well worth the cost however because this is a solid piece of meat with very little waste. there is not a lot of bone. Turkey legs are full of bone and sinew. I wonder now what was the great appeal when I was a child.
Two drumsticks, three children. You can imagine.
The skin is rubbed with some soft butter and fresh herbs prior to baking. This results in a beautifully moist and well flavoured turkey breast.
Because there are no leg or thigh bits to worry about, it is done a bit sooner than a whole turkey would be. This is a bonus.
Thighs and legs take longer to cook. This means that you run the risk of drying out the breast meat.
If you really must have legs and thighs, it is my recommendation that you cook them separately, and put them in sooner.
The turkey breast roasts on a "trivet" of chopped raw vegetables and herb sprigs. Both help to lend a beautiful flavour to both the meat and the gravy.
I had some lemon balm in my garden and added a spring of that to the mix. Its not absolutely necessary.
It does give a lovely light lemon flavour however, and beautiful fragrance. Lemon Thyme would do almost the same thing if you have it.
There is something about the flavour of lemon and poultry combined that is truly unbeatable.
The gravy is a very simple make. Just strain the juices from the pan once the turkey is cooked and then add some water.
Shake together some water and flour in a jar and add it to the juices and simmer until thick and bubbling.
As you can see the turkey is really moist and delicious. That gravy is simply gorgeous.
Can you tell how in love I am with this? I hope so because I truly am. This has to be one of my favourite meals.
Altogether this makes for a fabulous turkey entree that is not only very nice to look at, but also delicious. It takes very little effort to pull this meal together.
This helps to give you plenty of energy to focus on the side dishes. More about those tomorrow!
Yield: 6 (with plenty of leftovers)
Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
This is an amazingly tender, moist and delicious turkey breast, well flavoured with fresh herbs. The gravy from the pan drippings is wonderfully delicious!
ingredients:
- 1 (3 KG/6 pound) skin on Turkey breast on the bone
- 3 TBS butter at room temperature
- 2 TBS chopped fresh herbs (I used rosemary, sage and thyme)
- fine sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
- 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- fresh springs of herbs (rosemary, thyme, lemon balm)
For the gravy:
- juices from the pan plus water to equal 500ml (2 1/2 cups)
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 3 TBS flour
- 120ml cold water (1/2 cup)
- salt and black pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Place the chopped vegetables and a few sprigs of thyme, rosemary and lemon balm in the bottom of a large deep roasting tin.
- Remove your turkey from the packaging and place it, top side up, on top of the vegetables in the pan. Rub all over with the soft butter. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the chopped herbs over all. Cover lightly with aluminium foil and place into the preheated oven.
- Roast for about 2 hours. Remove the foil, baste with any pan juices and roast for a further half an hour. Test to see if it is done. The temperature in the thickest part of the breast should read 74*C/165*F, and the juices should run clear. If it is not quite done, return to the oven and cook for a bit longer until it is.
- Remove from the oven. Transfer the turkey breast to a heat resistant cutting board (preferably with a recess built all around to catch any juices) Tent loosely with foil and allow to rest while you make the gravy.
- Strain the juices from the roasting tin into a saucepan. Skim off any fat that you can. Add water to make the amount of liquid up to 500ml, or 2 1/2 cups. Crumble in the bouillon cube. Shake together the flour and cold water in a jar. Strain through a sieve into the turkey juices/water mixture. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly. It should bubble and thicken. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes to cook out any flour taste. Season to taste with salt and black pepper as desired.
- Pass at the table with the carved turkey.
We both really enjoyed this tasty turkey breast. I really hope that you will be enticed to give it a go. I don't think you will regret it if you do. Either for Thanksgiving or for Christmas, I think you will agree that this method of roasting a turkey breast spells winner/ winner!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Today I wanted to share with you how you can prepare a delicious Thanksgiving meal for four people by only using your Microwave Oven. You might not think its possible to do such a thing, but I am going to prove that not only can it be done, but it can be done well.
Using your microwave oven can cut down on the time needed to cook a fabulous holiday dinner. Your guests will be amazed and surprised when they realise that you used your microwave to cook the full dinner and they will be most appreciative and impressed when you sit them down at the table to eat it. Not only is everything very appealing to the eye, but everything is also incredibly delicious! Time saving, delicious and eye appealing. You just can’t go wrong!
The dinner is composed of three aspects. Fabulously stuffed Turkey Tenderloins with a rich Creamy Mustard Sauce, Cheesy Potato Casserole and a tasty Citrus Dressed Apple Salad. I have also cooked some frozen baby peas to go along with the rest of it. You can purchase ready-made bread rolls to serve along with your meal as well as a prepared dessert to serve at the end. (I chose to serve apple pie and ice cream.) Quick and easy to make, with minimal fuss and minimal clean up afterwards.
These Stuffed Turkey tenderloins are so delicious. I had my doubts as to how they would turn out. I had never cooked anything like this in the microwave before. I got the recipe from a Grocery store leaflet that I had collected in my Big Blue Binder many moons ago. Back in the day when microwave cookery was the rage! We had an expert in Microwave Cookery back in Canada, named Madame Jehane Benoit. I cut my teeth on the recipes of Madame Benoit as did many other Canadian girls!
These were so very easy to make. You make a simple stuffing, composed of cubed bread, chopped ham, lemon zest and juice, some butter and seasonings. Once you have the stuffing made you cut your tenderloins in half crosswise and cut a deep pocket into each. You fill each pocket with some of the stuffing and then secure the edges with a couple of toothpicks to help hold it in. You then place the tenderloins into a microwave safe dish, with the widest edges of the turkey facing outwards and the narrow ends facing inwards. You then just cover them with some wax paper or baking paper and they are ready to cook. 7 Minutes on one side, flip over and 7 minutes on the other side. Done.
I created a simple and deliciously creamy sauce to spoon over the finished tenderloins. It is flavoured with Dijon mustard, and also goes together very quickly in the microwave. It tastes fabulous with the turkey tenderloins! I spooned a bit over to serve, and then passed the remainder a the table.
Cordon Bleu Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins
Yield: Serves 4
Delicious perfectly cooked turkey tenderloins stuffed with a fabulously tasty stuffing and served with a rich and creamy sauce.
ingredients:
For the Stuffing:
- 2 cups unseasoned dry white bread cubes (about 4 slices)
- ½ cup finely chopped baked deli ham (about 4 slices)
- ½ tsp dried marjoram leaves
- ¼ tsp dried thyme leaves
- ¼ tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest
- ¼ tsp coarse black pepper
- ¼ cup chicken broth or water (60ml)
- 2 TBS melted butter
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
For the turkey:
- 2 fresh turkey tenderloins, halved crosswise (about 1 1/2 pounds)
For the sauce:
- 1 TBS plain flour
- 1 ½ cups whipping cream (355ml)
- 3 TBS Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp black pepper
instructions:
How to cook Cordon Bleu Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins
- To make the stuffing, place the bread cubes into a bowl and toss together with the ham, herbs, lemon zest and black pepper. Whisk together the chicken broth, melted butter and lemon juice. Add to the bread cube and ham mixture, tossing together to combine well and moisten.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a deep pocket into each tenderloin piece, taking care not to cut all the way through. Stuff each tenderloin piece with some of the stuffing, dividing it equally amongst each and taking care not to over-stuff. Pin closed with a couple of toothpicks.
- Place into a shallow rectangular microwave safe baking dish, placing them so that the wider ends are at the outside of the dish and the narrower ends in the centre. Cover with a sheet of waxed paper.
- Microwave on high for 7 minutes. Flip over and then microwave for a further 4 to 7 minutes on high, until the juices of the turkey run clear and the turkey is no longer pink. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep warm while you make the sauce.
- To make the sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a large microwave safe jug, stirring to dissolve the flour completely. Microwave on high for 4 ½ to 5 minutes or until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, whisking well each 1 ½ minutes.
- To serve, slice the tenderloins and place on four heated plates in a decorative matter, drizzling some of the sauce over each. Pass any extra sauce at the table.
The Potato Dish is also a very simple dish to make and very quick as compared to a potato gratin done in the oven. Simple ingredients put together in a concise and simple way, with fabulous results.
You make the sauce first. Its a simple bechamel. I like to add some hot sauce to my bechamel, especially if I am adding cheese as well. There is something about hot sauce and cheese that is like magic. Once the sauce is made you stir in the cheese and cubed raw potatoes and then continue to cook it in the microwave for about 15 minutes, stirring it every five minutes or so. The finish is simply some buttered crisp bread crumbs. If you wanted to brown them up a bit you could flash them under a hot grill, but it really isn't necessary.
Cheesy Potato Casserole
Yield: Serves 4
Hearty, creamy and rich.
ingredients:
- 3 TBS butter
- 3 TBS all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups milk (355ml)
- 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (120g)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (60g)
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into ½ inch cubes
- 1 TBS melted butter
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs (120g)
instructions:
How to cook Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Place the 3 TBS of butter into a 2-quart sized microwave safe casserole dish. Microwave on high for 30 seconds until it melts. Whisk in the flour and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk. Return to the microwave and microwave on high for two minutes. Whisk well. Return to the microwave and cook on high for a further 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened, stirring every minute. Stir in the cheeses and the cubed potatoes. Cover and microwave on high for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice until the potatoes are tender when pricked with the tip of a knife.
- Melt the 1 TBS of butter in the microwave on high, for about 10 to 15 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs, mixing well together. Sprinkle over the cooked potatoes to serve.
The salad is a very simple one, composed of two kinds of eating apples, laid out attractively on a bed of lettuce, and dressed with a simple, yet tangy, citrus dressing. You can make the dressing up to 24 hours in advance. I used one green eating apple and one red eating apple in the salad for colour and contrast. You also need to chop some scallions/salad onions for in the dressing.
There are two kinds of citrus juices used in the dressing. Lemon and Orange, along with the grated zest of the lemon.
I find one of these citrus juicers comes in very handy when juicing my fruits. It makes it so much easier and helps to keep the pips out of the juices. There is nothing more annoying than having to fiddle through liquid picking out all the pips. No matter how hard you try, some always slip by. This handy tool helps to prevent that from happening.
This is a delightfully flavourful salad, with a tangy dressing and plenty of crisp slices of apples, both green and red eating apples.
Citrus Dressed Apple Salad
Yield: Serves 4
Any dressing that is leftover can be stored in the refrigerator to use on other salads for several days.
ingredients:
For the Dressing:
- 2 TBS white sugar
- 2 TBS minced scallions
- ½ tsp finely grated orange zest
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup canola oil (80ml)
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice (60ml)
- 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
For the salad:
- 1 medium green eating apple, cored and cut into 16 wedges
- 1 medium red eating apple, cored and cut into 16 bags
- Leaf lettuce
instructions:
How to cook Citrus Dressed Apple Salad
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a lid. Shake well together.
- Place the lettuce on a platter and top with the apple wedges in a decorative manner. Drizzle some of the dressing over top and serve with the remainder of the dressing on the side.
You may want to cook an additional vegetable to go along with the other parts of your meal. I did frozen petit pois. They cook very quickly in the microwave and the pretty green colour went very well with everything else, and really dressed up the plate!
I cut each tenderloin diagonally into slices and laid them out onto heated plates, spooning a bit of that lush sauce over each, with the majority of the sauce being passed at the table.
It really was a very delicious meal. I was well pleased with how everything turned out and it took less effort than a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Dessert was simply a frozen apple pie that I had baked the day before. I warmed it in a low oven while we were eating our main course and served it with some vanilla ice cream and wedges of good cheddar cheese.
You can dress the table up with a relish tray holding some crisp vegetable sticks such as carrots, celery, radishes, etc. I would also have some chutney or cranberry sauce on offer, along with some rolls and butter.
Here is a handy timetable you can follow to make sure everything gets to your table in a timely manner:
24 hours before your meal:
Prepare
your dessert. In my case I served an apple pie that I bought frozen and
baked the day before the meal. You can serve this with a scoop of ice
cream on top. Just pop the baked pie into a low oven when you begin your
main meal and it will be nicely warmed and ready to eat when the main
meal is finished. Scoop some ice cream on top and serve with some
cheddar cheese wedges for a real treat!
On the day:
Two hours prior to serving -
prepare the dressing for the Apple Salad, cover and place in the
refrigerator. Prepare and stuff your Turkey Tenderloins, cover and chill
in the refrigerator.
Set your table.
One hour prior to serving
– Prepare and cook the Cheesy Potato Casserole. Leave off the topping
until you are ready to serve them. In the meantime, cover and keep warm
while you cook the Turkey Tenderloins. Core and slice the apples,
tossing them with a few TBS of the citrus dressing to help prevent them
from turning brown.
Just prior to serving
– Assemble the salad. Warm your rolls and heat your plates in a low
oven. Prepare and cook the sauce for the tenderloins. Sprinkle the crumb
topping over your potatoes.
You may want to serve some condiments as well, such as a good cranberry
sauce or a chutney. You will also need some butter to serve with the
rolls and a hot beverage such as tea or coffee to serve with dessert
afterwards. If you are a wine drinker, you could serve a well-chilled
white wine with this dinner.
We were both very pleased with this unusual and delicious dinner. Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I think it would make a fabulous meal for entertaining when there are only four of you. Its nice to know that with very little effort and not a lot of time you can serve a dinner that is delicious and that truly tastes like a celebration!
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