Thanksgiving Dinner

Fall is upon us, and it is filled with beautiful colours. Here is a quick primer for the season, a prairie favourite Thanksgiving meal, with all the recipes in one spot. Just add your vegetables and salad of choice. Happy Thanksgiving

Roast Turkey

The turkey can be roasted with the breast up or down. If you put the breast down the turkey breast meat will be moist, it will unfortunately not have that golden browned magazine look. To have a nicely browned turkey, then roast with the breast up and uncover during the last hour of cooking to brown the turkey. Cook an unthawed and unstuffed turkey for 20 minutes per pound at 325 degrees, or until juices run clear and an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. Reserve the juices (drippings) for the gravy. Don’t forget that the turkey bones will make a great broth for homemade turkey soup. Just boil them in water with a few tablespoons of vinegar and some seasonings.

Turkey Stuffing

Cut up one loaf of bread, into cubes, add 2 medium chopped onions, toss with 1/3 cup light olive oil, 1/2 cup melted butter, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste. Yes, you have to taste it to get it right, before you pop the stuffing into the oven. Cook in 2 loaf pans, covered loosely with tin foil in the oven during the last 30-40 minutes of roasting the turkey. Roasting the turkey without the stuffing inside is considered a safer cooking method to help ensure the optimal internal cooking temperature of the turkey.

Cranberry Sauce

In a saucepan combine 2 1/2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup maple syrup or sugar. Cook on low heat, occasionally stirring, breaking up some of the berries when cooked with the back of the spoon. Remove from heat when thicken and slightly reduced. Serve warm or cold. This can also be used as a jam on toast. It’s very healthy and tasty. You can also add in one or two chopped oranges at the beginning for a fresh citrus cranberry flavour. Here is a interesting twist, add some blueberries or saskatoons, for some prairie flavour.

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Mashed potatoes are pretty straight forward, peel and boil the potatoes until cooked, drain and mash with butter and milk or cream. For the gravy you will need the drippings from the turkey, I use a strainer to remove any bits that have fallen into the drippings. Add the dripping to a heavy bottomed pot. While that is cooling down a bit mix up your thickener which is a slurry of flour and water. In a large oversized cup or small bowl, add two tablespoons of flour for every cup of drippings that you have, add enough water to make a pourable slurry. Stir until it is smooth, without lumps. It will look like cream. Pour it into the slightly cooled drippings stirring, and then put the mixture back onto heat, medium, stirring until it thickens. Season with salt, pepper and some poultry seasoning.

Pumpkin Pie

Plain Pastry Crust for double crust

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup lard (not shortening)

1/2 teaspoon salt 3-4 tablespoons iced

water

Put the lard and the flour into a bowl, cut or flake the lard using a knife, or a fork, or your fingers or a pastry blender to work the lard and the flour together. Add 3 tablespoons of the iced water into the flour mixture and gently mix until moistened. Once the water is added do not over mix or your pastry will be tough. Divide the mixture into two balls and roll each ball of pastry out to fit a 9” pie pan.

Filling

4 large eggs

1 large can of pure pumpkin 796 ml

1 can of homogenized evaporated milk

1 1/4 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon allspice

In a large bowl whisk the eggs, then add the rest of the ingredients, stir until well blended, pour the mixture into two 9” pastry or graham wafer pie shells. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then at 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes. The pie is done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.