THANKSGIVING DINNER

Preparation time: 10 minutes | Approximate cooking time: 3 hours | Number of servings: 12

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Roasted Turkey

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 turkey (10 to 20 lbs), brought to room temperature

• 6 tbsp olive oil

• 3 T fresh garlic minced

• 4 bunches of thyme for inside

• 1 bunch for outside (picked)

• Brown paper shopping bag (you might need 2 bags)

DIRECTIONS:

The first thing you need to do is to make sure the turkey fully fits in a bag. This step is best done while the turkey is still packaged, so you don’t have to deal with the mess of moving the raw turkey in and out of the bag :) The turkey needs to go in the bag and the bag will have to be closed and stapled shut. So put the packaged turkey in and see if there is enough paper left to close and seal the bag. If the bag is not long enough, you’ll need to make it longer by attach the second bag to it.

For the turkey, I recommend buying it fresh (not frozen) the day before making it and storing it in the refrigerator. Fresh turkey is more expensive than frozen, but you don’t have to deal with defrosting it and it also tastes better. If you are buying frozen, make sure the turkey is fully defrosted.

To bring the turkey to room temperature, take it out of the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking it. It’s important to bring the turkey to room temperature so the cooking time is not affected (cold turkey will cook longer).

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Sprinkle the turkey liberally with salt and pepper on the outside and inside and rub the salt and pepper on it. Don’t forget to take out the giblets, sometimes they are packed inside the turkey in the plastic bags :) Put 4 bunches of thyme inside the turkey and put the giblets and neck there too. Rub 4 tbsp of olive oil all over the Turkey and thyme on top

Butter the inside of the brown paper bag with the remaining 2 tbsp of Olive Oil. Put the turkey inside the brown paper bag. Put the brown paper bag with the turkey in a roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth inside the turkey cavity. Fold the paper bag closed and staple it with a stapler so it stays closed. Put the turkey in the oven. Estimate the cooking time – it’s 2.5 hours for the first 10 lbs, plus 12 minutes for each additional pound (for example, the cooking time for 12 lb turkey is 2.5 hours + 12 minutes + 12 minutes = 2 hours 54 minutes). Set the timer for the cooking time and forget about the turkey until the timer beeps!

When the timer beeps, take out the turkey and leave it in a bag for 15 minutes. Then cut the bag open and take out the super delicious, perfectly brown and moist turkey! Enjoy your Thanksgiving feast!

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TURKEY STUFFING

INGREDIENTS:

• 13-15 cups sourdough bread cubes

• 1 cup chopped celery

• 1 cup diced onion

• 1 1/2 cups butter

• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning

• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

• 2 large eggs

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a frying pan, saute the onion and celery in the butter for 10-12 minutes, or until the onion and celery are tender.

2. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the butter, onion and celery mixture over the breadcrumbs and mix. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Put the stuffing in the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

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BRUSSELS SPROUTS

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds Brussels sprouts

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Trim/clean the Brussels sprouts, then cut them in half. Arrange on 2 baking sheets and toss with the olive oil. Roast until brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and reduce until very thick.

4. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the roasted sprouts, then sprinkle on the dried cranberries.

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CRANBERRIES

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2cup (100 g) sugar

• 1 cup (250 ml) OJ

• 4 cups (12 oz package) fresh or frozen cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse cranberries: Place the cranberries in a colander and rinse them. Pick out and discard any damaged or bruised cranberries.

2. Boil water with sugar: Put the water and sugar in a medium saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

3. Add cranberries, cook until they burst: Add the cranberries to the pot and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries have burst.

4. Let cool: Remove the pot from heat. Let cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to a bowl to chill in the refrigerator. Note that the cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

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SWEET POTATO

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 medium sized yams

• 8 tbsp salted butter

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp ground clove

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Wash the yams.

3. Peel, then chop the yams ( make sure that they are about 1/2 inch thick.)

4. Place the yams into a 9x13 bake dish.

5. Place the butter into a medium sized pot, then melt it over medium heat.

6. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle in the white & brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground clove.

7. Turn the stove off, mix the ingredients, then add in the vanilla extract.

8. Pour the candied mixture over the yams, and try to coat all the yams with the candied mixture.

9. Next, cover the bake dish with foil, then bake the yams in the oven for 30 minutes.

10. Remove the yams from the oven, and baste them with the candied mixture.

11. Cover the yams, and bake them for another 15-20 minutes.

12. Remove the yams from the oven, and let them sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

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GREEN BEANS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound (500 g) green beans, washed and pat dry

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (6 cloves garlic)

• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Lightly spray a baking sheet or tray with cooking oil spray.

2. Arrange the green beans in one layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic and parmesan. Toss beans to evenly coat.

3. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking time, until fork tender.

4. Remove from oven, season with extra salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over with parsley and serve.

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CARROTS

INGREDIENTS:

• Salt

• 1 pound baby carrots

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and then carrots and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Drain the carrots and add back to pan with butter, honey and lemon juice.

3. Cook until a glaze coats the carrots, 5 minutes.

4. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.