Stuffed Turkey

Turkey, turkey, turkey. That’s all everyone talks about on Thanksgiving. The overrated food. The driest of all the meats. Makes me want to become a vegetarian. Not to mention the Turducken! Duck stuffed in chicken stuffed in turkey? A disaster waiting to happen. That’s right, Sandy. Your “innovative Thanksgiving meal” tasted harrowingly abominably detestable. Everybody was lying to you. The poor turkey was not atrociously murdered for you to go and make a meal that only you thought was delicious. Sorry for that rant.

Anyhoo, you know what is a Thanksgiving meal and won’t make your family and friends try to paste on a fake smile while gagging under their breaths? Apricot, sage, and sausage stuffed turkey. They will at least be able to make their fake smile seem genuine with this one. Delicious, dry turkey complemented with juicy, wet fruits, bits of meat that will add some extra dehydration to your supper, and some healthy herbs that could ruin your carb- and protein-filled bite with a bit of greenness. What’s not to like?

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of sausage
• 2 cups of cornbread crumbs
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ⅓ cup chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• ½ cup chopped dried apricots
• 2 stalks sliced celery
• 1 chopped onion
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sage/herbs
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• 10 lb turkey breast
• 3 tbsp melted butter

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F
2. Brown 12 ounces of sausage in a pan and drain off the fat.
3. Combine the browned sausage, 2 cups of cornbread crumbs, 1 cup pecan halves, ½ cup chopped dried apricots, ¼ cup of melted butter, ⅓ cup chicken broth, 2 stalks of sliced celery, 1 cup chopped onion, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp dried sage/herbs, ⅛ tsp pepper in a separate bowl.
4. Take a 10 pound turkey breast and lightly loosen a skin flap from the neck to create an area to put in the stuffing.
5. Stuff the turkey with the mixture prepared before and secure the skin flap
6. Brush the outside of the turkey with 3 tablespoons of melted butter
7. Place the stuffed turkey breast on a pan and bake for around 2 ½ hours.
8. Let cool for a bit and dig in!
9. Oh — and by the way — you will probably only be able to pull this off if you’re a Michelin-starred chef. Forgot to mention this at the beginning.

Inspiration:

• Perfect Roast Turkey (Food Network)
• Turkey Breast with Sausage and Apricot Stuffing

Pumpkin Pie

From decorations destined to rot on your porch with a candle lighting its carved-out features, to being a part of your diet for the next few weeks, pumpkins were taking over the world last month. Vegan pumpkin cheesecakes, pumpkin mac and cheese, pumpkin this, and pumpkin that. The dishes go on and on, but there is one recipe that will never grow old. Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. But for those of you saving for Christmas, there is nothing wrong with a good old fashioned pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pies are the perfect treat for the dining table and you’ll be stuffed in no time. Encased in a crispy golden crust, and filled with a soft mouth-watering puree of sweetness, this recipe will be irresistible; so make sure you get your fair share and make use of the leftover guts of jack-o-lanterns.

Every pie needs a golden crust to contain all the goodness. The base comprises flour, shortening a seasoning shaped into a colossal cupcake liner; The filling is a creamy combination of cream, sugar, and pumpkin puree creating a smooth face-mask-like paste. No, the filling can’t be used as a face mask despite the Vitamin A and Vitamin C in the pumpkin, but you’ll smile just as wide when it’s digested.

It’s time to create this two-part delicacy.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup shortening, cubed
• 6 tablespoons ice water
• 1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus a pinch
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 15 oz canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup evaporated milk, plus 2 tablespoons
• whipped cream, or ice cream for serving

Recipe:

1. For the pie dough, throw in all the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, salt into a large bowl.
2. Use a knife to cut the shortening into smaller pieces and add them to the large bowl.
3. Add in the wet ingredients; gradually blend in the water with the mixture in the large bowl until the formation of a dough.
4. Take the dough out and clump it together in a spherical blob to wrap up with plastic wrap. Chill it for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 425˚F (220˚C)
6. For the filling, mix in the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt into a new bowl.
7. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl whisk in the sugar and spice into the bowl. Gradually incorporate the evaporated milk into the mixture.
8. After 30 min, take the dough out. It’s time for your daily workout! Roll it out until it’s ~¼ inch thick. Flour the surface and rolling pin while you work on the dough. Once the dough is flattened, transfer it into a pie pan and gently tuck in the edges.
9. Pour the filling onto the base.
10. Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425˚F and then turn the temperature down to 350˚F (180˚C)
11. Take the pie out and let it cool on a rack for 2 hours.
12. Top it with some cream and Dig-In!

Inspiration:

• Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie (Tasty)