By Kitchen Maven, Judi Berman-Yamada
A surplus of available turkeys, in 2023, has brought the price of whole birds down, helping to “stretch dollars” for families planning on an elegant roasted bird for the holiday table. This cost reduction is especially important during the holiday season, and the quality of our meals -is an equally vital goal in every cook’s kitchen.
Of course, we cooks want our culinary creations to taste great and be well received, but feeding a bunch can be a slippery slope. Is there meat in every dish on the table? How about gluten, nuts, dairy? Bread and potatoes are favorites for many, but we all appreciate a little more variety on our holiday plate – along with deliciousness and some nutrition.
Nutrition is, after all, the goal of eating. Many foods can fill us up and contribute to that “holiday 10 pounds” but leave us malnourished as well. Bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to a meal. But I’m sure you’ll agree that delicious is always in order.
At our house we aren’t traditional about holiday meals. We like homemade pizza on Thanksgiving and brisket quesadillas for New Year Day. If you, too, would like to try something different for your celebratory meals this year, I’ve got you covered. And every guest and family member will be well fed. After all, as listed in my first post of this series – there are a lot of holidays in the next few months, so why not vary the menu when we are able?
OVEN BARBECUED TURKEY LEGS
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup kosher salt
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon dry mustard powder
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 turkey legs- defrosted (about 10 pounds)
1-2 cups water
1 ½ cups bottled barbecue sauce or homemade
Combine the first 8 ingredients, mixing well. Dry turkey legs with paper towels and rub with the seasoning mixture, coating meat well. Lightly oil one or two shallow roasting pans. Place roasting racks in the pan or pans, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours before roasting. If legs are smaller, remove from refrigerator after the shorter time period.
Set oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Place roasting pans with racks and spiced turkey legs in preheated oven to brown. Roast 1 hour, uncovered, rotating pans halfway through. Lower oven temperature to 325 F. Remove pans from oven. Put legs on a plate temporarily. Remove racks from roasting pans. and shake all extra spice rub from pan. Add 1 cup water to pan, but don’t pour it over the legs. If needed, add the remaining water later. Return legs directly to roasting pan. Cover pans tightly with foil and roast one hour. Remove pan from oven. Pour barbecue sauce over turkey legs. Uncovered, return pan of turkey legs and sauce to oven. Roast another 20-30 minutes to warm sauce. Legs are done when internal temperature is 160 degrees F. Remove pan/pans from oven, Cover tightly with foil and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Uncover and serve. If desired, serve with extra barbecue sauce on the side Serves 8-10
GARDENERS’ SEASONAL COMPANY GALETTE
Serves 6-8
Lightly spray a 12-inch round metal pizza pan with cooking spray or coat lightly with oil. Set oven rack to center position.
Prepare dough first.
Rustic crust for galette:
¾ cup unbleached flour
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup corn flour*
1 Tablespoon raw granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
¼ cup light sour cream + ¼ cup ice water, whisked together
Combine the flours, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 seconds With the processor running, slowly pour in the sour cream mixture through the tube and continue running processor just until the dough comes together in a ball, about 30-45 seconds. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 30 – 60 minutes to improve handling.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
Filling for galette:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cups of any combination of the following vegetables diced or chopped**: leek, onion, garlic, carrot, sweet pepper, winter squash, celery, mushroom, sweet potato, turnip, parsnip, broccoli or Brussels sprouts
6 cups coarsely chopped** seasonal greens such as: kale, cabbage, mustard greens, turnip greens, broccoli rabe, spinach or chard
4 tablespoons any combination of the following fresh seasonal herbs using only the leaves: chopped parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, basil, savory or marjoram
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour (omit flour if preparing gluten free)
½ cup shredded or diced cheese: fontina, jack, Parmesan or feta (optional)
3-4 cups homemade seasoned mashed potatoes (not too soft)
Ground cayenne, paprika or grated Parmesan
Heat oil in a deep, heavy bottomed 12-inch pan on medium heat. When oil begins to ripple add diced or chopped veggies (from first list), sautéing and stirring as needed until barely tender, about 5-7 minutes, and most moisture has evaporated.
Add herbs, seasonings and chopped greens to pan; cover and cook briefly, covered, (3 minutes) to wilt. Uncover and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of whole wheat pastry flour. Stir well.
Preheat oven to 375º F.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll the dough into a 16-inch circle ***.
Lay crust on prepared pan so the dough edges hang over the edge of pan. Carefully spread the cooked vegetables over the crust to cover the area of dough in the pan. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired. Top with mashed potatoes, making a decorative swirl on top.
Rustically turn dough up around the edge of the filling, all around, folding it over itself.
Top potatoes with a light sprinkling of ground cayenne pepper, paprika or grated Parmesan cheese.
Place the pan on the center rack of preheated oven. Time for 25 minutes. Rotate pan and bake for 20-25 additional minutes or until crust is golden and bottom seems firm. Remove baked galette from oven and place pan on a rack to cool for 10-15 minutes. Carefully slide onto large serving plate. Serve with a seasonal green or fruit salad, if desired.
Gardener’s Savory Crustless Pie: To prepare a quicker (gluten free) version for a simple family supper, omit the crust. Oil an oven safe glass or ceramic 9” x 13” baking pan. Use no flour in the preparation of the vegetables. Spread the cooked vegetables evenly over the bottom, top with cheese if desired and cover all with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika or Parmesan. Bake at 375º F. 20-30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
* Bob’s Red Mill makes corn flour which is available in grocery stores, co-ops, online and at Bob’s in Milwaukie Oregon. Alternatively, grind medium cornmeal in food processor for a couple of minutes, until it has consistency of flour. Measure after grinding.
**To save lots of time and for ease of preparation, use a food processor to chop the vegetables.
***An easy way to roll the dough is between two pieces of parchment paper. You can then remove the top sheet, turn it over onto the pan and carefully remove the remaining sheet of parchment or leave parchment underneath the galette while baking for easy removal from pan.
TURKEY MEATBALLS STROGANOFF
This reduced calorie entrée has all the great flavor of the original. And it’s even better the second day
Cooking spray
½ cup finely chopped onion
1-pound lean ground turkey breast
½ cup Panko crumbs OR whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
3 Tablespoons milk
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ¼ cups chicken broth+ extra as needed
½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt OR low-fat sour cream
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika OR hot paprika OR smoked paprika
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves OR ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaf
8 ounces very thinly sliced Cremini mushrooms OR white button mushrooms
Spray a 10-inch skillet with cooking spray. Sauté the onion over medium heat until golden, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and divide in half.
In a large bowl, combine half of the sautéed onions with the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, 2 Tablespoons parsley, milk, ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Shape into 20 meatballs.
In a bowl, combine the broth, yogurt, flour, tomato paste, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce and paprika and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, whisking until smooth.
Return the skillet heat to medium, add half the oil and brown half of the meatballs without disturbing (in two batches) about 2 minutes per side until they no longer stick, turn and brown an additional 2 minutes, set aside on a dish and repeat with remaining meatballs.
Place all the meatballs and remaining chopped onion into a large saucepan or Dutch oven and pour the sauce over the meatballs along with the thyme and mushrooms.
Bring liquid to a boil then reduce heat to low and cook covered, allowing gentle simmering continually 20 to 25 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, after simmering, add a little extra warm broth or water to thin. When done, garnish with remaining chopped parsley and serve over noodles, macaroni, spaghetti, rice or mashed potatoes. 4-6 servings
Adapted from original: Skinny Taste
TAMARI AIOLI
This quick easy sauce is great on roasted or steamed vegetables, particularly on broccoli, green beans and Brussels sprouts or on fish, rice or noodles. No promises, but it may induce your children to eat their veggies.
½ cup mayonnaise (your choice: regular, light, vegan, organic)
2-4 Tablespoons Tamari sauce or soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger or lemon zest, optional
Whisk Tamari into mayonnaise with a whisk until homogenized. If using, stir in grated ginger or lemon zest. Makes about ¾ cup aioli
NEXT POST – DESSERTS!: Wacky Cake/Chocolate Depression Cake, Lemon Cheesecake Cups, Carrot Cookies, Fruity Sundae Topping, Oregon Apple Tart a la Jacques
Many recipes in my posts are found in my cookbook, “Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times”. The book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. All (100%) of author royalties from retail sales of my cookbook go directly to the Oregon Food Bank, Tillamook Services, to assist families and individuals experiencing food insecurity. Purchasing the cookbook will benefit not only the recipient of the cookbook, but people in need, as well. Living near Tillamook County or even in Portland, you can purchase the book through Food Roots Farm to Table Marketplace for a sale price and all proceeds will go directly to that non-profit organization. https://www.facebook.com/Creativepenandpantry/
Amazon.com: Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times: 9780578310763: Berman-Yamada, Judith, Berman-Yamada, Judith: Books
Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times by Judith Berman-Yamada, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
THRIFTY HOLIDAY SERIES:
KITCHEN MAVEN: Thrifty Nutritious Praiseworthy Holiday Celebrations – Menu Options & More
