Let’s Talk Turkey: 3 Stress-Free, Healthy Ways to Cook Your Bird
It’s turkey time! It’s time to plan that family Thanksgiving meal and the centerpiece is usually the bird – that gobbling turkey! But let’s face it sometimes it’s the most stressful part of the meal. There are many problems you can face that can make you pull your hair out or run for the hills such as; the breast meat is dried out; uneven cooking; too much leftover turkey; trying to plan how many hours it will take to get the turkey cooked and in cinch with all the other dishes. This Thanksgiving try eliminating the stress and make delicious, perfect tasting turkey with some simple ideas that could make your Thanksgiving meal a joy for you and healthier for all your guests.
1. If you are only having a few people for your meal — Why not try skipping the whole bird and just roast an organic turkey breast. Here’s a great recipe that is a so healthy and tasty.
Make an Herbal butter paste with:
- 1/3 cup softened real butter
- 1/4 cup finely minced organic sage leaves
- 4 finely minced organic garlic cloves
Add to the roaster before baking:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup white wine
Directions: Combing the butter, sage leaves, and garlic into a paste. Gently loosen the skin from the meat and rub half the herbal butter paste over the meat and then rub the remaining paste over the skin. Arrange the turkey breast in a roasting pan and add water and wine. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for one 6 pound bone in turkey breast.
2. You can cut your turkey time in half by spatchcocking or butterflying your turkey. Get your butcher to remove the backbone and lay the bird flat with thee breast and skin-side up. Make it extra special with this delicious and nutritious recipe!
Pomegranate-Glaze
- 1 Cup Pomegranate Organic Molasses
- 1/2 cup Organic Juice or Fresh Squeezed
- 4 Minced organic garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
Whisk the above ingredients together.
Then add —
- 2 onions
- Rosemary sprigs
Thinly sliced 2 onions and layer them on the bottom of your roasting pan and cover generously with the Rosemary sprigs. Place turkey on top of onions and rosemary. Bale at 425 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes of cooking brush half of the glaze over the entire turkey. Finish cooking. remove from the oven and add the remaining glaze. This will be one of the tastiest turkeys you have ever made or ate and your guests will think you’re a gourmet cook.
3. Keeping the turkey moist and tender is always a problem. Brining or soaking a turkey in salted liquid keeps the flesh moist but it not only messy and difficult but it also adds a lot of extra salt that is not always the healthiest solution.
Try dry brining it the healthy way.
- 1/2 Cup Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup organic brown sugar or organic raw coconut sugar
Rub over the turkey and refrigerate overnight.
Stuff with:
- 1 quartered onion
- 4 quartered fennel bulbs
- 2 quartered organic apples
- Handful or organic fresh thyme sprigs
Roast the turkey at 400 degrees, reducing heat to 350 degrees after 30 minutes. A total time of about 3 hours. The turkey will be so moist, tender and healthy not to mention the fabulous taste that will have everyone’s mouths watering for more.
Whatever you are planning for your Thanksgiving meal make sure you make it the healthy organic way and remember what Thanksgiving is truly about. For more information on how to keep your Thanksgiving meal stress-free check out — “9 Tips To Keep You Healthy And Reduce Your Stress Through Your Holiday Meal!”
Thanksgiving is more than eating turkey or talking turkey — it is about being thankful for all your blessings and grateful for having family and friends. There are so many people who wouldn’t have a wonderful meal to set down to so please take the time to thank our creator for our many blessings. I wish all of you a wonderful and healthy Thanksgiving filled with joy and love!
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