Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday to gather with family and friends to relax, cook and catch up. It is less hectic than Christmas because there isn’t all the hassle and mess that comes with gift giving. Instead, there’s plenty of time to focus on food.
The menu we’ve come up with this month is a nod to the traditional Thanksgiving fare but with a little twist. We hope you enjoy it.
THE MENU
• Smoked Turkey Breast with Cranberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
• Pumpkin Risotto
• Haricots Verts Amandine
• Classic Apple Pie
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All recipes by Tracey Koch
Smoked Turkey Breast
Smoking a turkey may seem like a daunting task but it is quite simple and so delicious. We use a large freezer bag to brine the bird, instead of a cumbersome tub, and a propane-generated smoker, which is easy to handle and keeps an even temperature. There are truly hundreds of smokers on the market. We suggest doing your own bit of research to find the smoker that best fits your needs. We also recommend using wood chunks as opposed to wood chips because they burn longer and do not have to be soaked beforehand.
Servings: 6
For the turkey brine:
1 (4- to 6-pound) fresh turkey breast
4 cups warm water
¼ cup salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 fresh sage leaves
½ cup white wine
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 cups ice
1. Rinse the turkey breast and pat it dry. Put the whole turkey breast inside a large 2-gallon freezer bag and place it in a pan, just in case it leaks.
2. In a saucepot, heat the 4 cups of water along with the salt and brown sugar, just until the salt and sugar dissolve.
3. Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients and ice cubes. Stir until the ice has melted and the liquid is cool.
4. Pour the brining solution into the bag with the turkey breast. Squeeze all the air out of the bag, allowing the turkey breast to be totally submerged in the solution.
5. Tie a knot in the top of the bag to keep it closed and airtight. Place it in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight.
To smoke the turkey breast:
1. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and rinse the brine off. Allow it to come to room temperature before placing it in the smoker. This will take about 1 hour.
2. Prepare your smoker using your favorite wood chunks. Heat it to reach 225 degrees.
3. Place the turkey breast on the middle rack of the smoker with a drip pan underneath to catch the drippings.
4. Smoke the turkey 4 to 5 hours at a steady 225 degrees or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove the turkey breast from the smoker. Let it rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving it. Serve with the Cranberry Chipotle Barbeque Sauce.
Cranberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
This sauce is a delicious combination of flavors, with the sweetness of the cranberries complementing the tang from the vinegar and the smoky peppers packed in adobo sauce. It balances out the turkey breast without overpowering it. This sauce keeps well in the fridge and is wonderful over pork, beef, chicken and game as well.
Yields 3½ cups
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground mustard powder
2 cups prepared cranberry sauce or whole canned cranberries
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water
1. In a saucepot, heat the oil and sauté the onion for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the mustard powder, cranberry sauce, vinegar, chipotle peppers, tomato paste and water. Bring everything up to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. This may be made a day or two in advance.
5. Serve with the smoked turkey. Store the remaining sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Pumpkin Risotto
This risotto is a wonderful twist on some of our favorite fall flavors. Pumpkin is so often used in desserts and sweets that we forget how delicious it is in savory dishes. It has a mild earthy flavor that marries well with the creamy richness of the risotto.
Servings: 6
½ cup chopped shallots
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (plus a little extra if needed)
1. In a heavy pot, sauté the chopped shallots in the olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, thyme, paprika and rice. Continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the pumpkin until all is
incorporated. Slowly pour in one cup of the chicken broth.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir while the broth slowly cooks into the rice.
5. Once the first cup of broth is almost absorbed, add in the second cup. Continue this process until all of the broth has been absorbed and the rice is tender. If the rice is still a bit hard in the center, add in a bit more broth or water until the rice is tender and the risotto is creamy. Serve warm.
Haricots Verts Amandine
Haricots verts are thin green beans and one of our favorite go-to veggies. They are easy to prepare and are a hit with everyone in our family. The bright green of the bean with the slight crunch along with the buttery almonds makes you forget you are eating vegetables.
Servings: 6
1¼ teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound fresh haricots verts
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup unsalted slivered almonds, toasted
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in 1 teaspoon of the salt.
2. Drop the haricots verts into the water. Blanch the beans for 1½ minutes. Drain well.
3. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the haricots verts along with the rest of the salt, pepper and almonds.
4. Toss until the beans are well coated and all is incorporated. Transfer the haricots verts to a serving platter.
Classic Apple Pie
Turkey may be the centerpiece of everyone’s Thanksgiving table, but what really brings people coming back for seconds—or even thirds—is dessert. To us, nothing screams fall more than apple pie. We like making this recipe with Granny Smith apples because they have a nice crunch and a tartness that holds up well to the sweet brown sugar baked into the pie. This pie takes little time to put together, especially if you use a ready-made crust.
Servings: 6
4 large Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 sheets prepared pie crust dough (or your favorite pie dough recipe)
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Press one of the sheets of pie dough into the bottom of an eight-inch pie plate.
2. Peel and thinly slice the apples. Place them into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Stir until all is well combined.
4. Pour this apple mixture into the prepared pie plate. Cover the top of it with the second sheet of the pie dough.
5. Crimp the edges of the dough to seal the pie. Cut 4 slits into the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape while the pie cooks. This will ensure a crisp crust as it bakes.
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6. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Bake in the 375-degree oven for 20 minutes.
7. Reduce the heat to 325. Continue baking for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.
8. The pie is ready when the crust is golden and some of the juices have begun to bubble out. Remove the pie and allow it to cool a bit before serving.