Thanksgiving for one ---gobble gobble

 What a crazy weird year this has been.  Whoever thought a Thanksgiving dinner for one would be on my social calendar?  Well here we are:

I started out my day in the kitchen reflecting on the true gratitude that I have for my family, friends and my health.  This is my newest rose: "True Gratitude"

With all the other adjustments to make I decided to cook my dinner on Sunday.  I did and it was wonderful day spent in my kitchen:

A simple Thanksgiving dinner.  On the menu: spicy stuffed turkey breast roasted on ciabatta bread .  Next: steamed green beans with portabella mushrooms, pancetta and caramelized shallots  And for dessert: poached pears with creme fraiche,  grated ginger dark chocolate and dried/poached cranberries and apricots.  What no soup?  No pies?  No mashed potatoes?  This year is different.  I made exactly what I wanted and loved.

recipe: Spicy stuffed turkey breast - original recipe Giada de Laurentiis

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons toasted fennel seed ground
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup crumbled store-bought cornbread  I use the cornbread recipe from KAF  It's the best
• 1/2 cup milk at room temperature
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage casings removed
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese
• 2 teaspoons Calabrian chili paste
• 2 2-pound boneless, skin-on turkey breast halves, butterflied
• Six 1-inch thick slices ciabatta bread
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

stuffing mis en place

turkey mis en place

open the butterflied turkey breast and place half of the stuffing on one side ( or the middle)

Fold over turkey with skin on top

tie baker's twine around breast to secure stuffing and position

Use a little olive oil on skin and sprinkle and rub in spices

Line roasting pan with 1" thick pieces of ciabatta bread

Place prepared turkey on top of bread

Roast at 425 and 350

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix together the fennel seed, salt, oregano, onion powder and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Mix together the cornbread and milk in a medium bowl. Allow the mixture to soak for 10 minutes. Stir in the sausage, Pecorino and chili paste. Use your hands to mix well.
• Lay the turkey breasts skin-sides down on a cutting board so that they are open like a book. Pat half the stuffing onto each skinless side, leaving a 1/2-inch border, then close each half so the skin sides are up. Tie each turkey breast tightly with 4 pieces of butcher's twine about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Rub the seasoning mix all over the turkey.

• Lay the bread in a roasting pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the turkey breasts skin-sides up on the bread and drizzle the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil over the tops. Roast 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and continue to roast until the skin is brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees F, about 40 minutes more. Allow the turkey to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
  Total prep and cooking time: just under 2 hours.
  ***note:  If you link to this recipe on Giada's website scroll down to comments.  They did publish my comment on this dish
  Next up: Steamed green beans with pancetta, portabella mushrooms and caramelized shallots:
  Ingredients:
  None of these ingredients did I measure really
  fresh green beans.....at least 1 pound, trimmed
  portabella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  2 large shallots, sliced thin
  4 oz pancetta cut in small pieces 
  cream of mushroom soup for a sauce I used Trader Joe's
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Method:
• Steam green beans for 5 minutes and blanch in ice water to stop cooking....the color will be amazing
• Sautee the pancetta until light brown.  Reserve rendered fat for cooking shallots
• Sautee the sliced mushrooms in 2 TBS butter and 2TBS olive oil until just soft
• Sautee the sliced shallots in the rendered pancetta fat adding butter if needed
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Pour into a baking dish about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of condensed soup or dilute it and add more
• Toss all of the ingredients together in the baking dish and place in oven at the end of the turkey roasting time or in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.  Everything is already cooked.  You just need to warm it all up
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• and Dessert:
• Poached pears with dried cranberries and apricots served with creme fraiche and grated ginger dark chocolate based on Ina Gartens poached pears recipe
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• Ingredients:
• poaching liquid:
• 1 bottle of Champagne
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 6 whole cloves
• zest of one lemon cut in strips
• zest of one orange cut in strips
• 4 or 5 slices fresh ginger peeled
• 1 star anise - optional but pretty
• juice of half of the lemon
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• 4 pears with stem on, peeled
• creme fraiche, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt - dollop for each pear half
• ginger dark chocolate or plain dark chocolate if you can't find the ginger in it
• 16 dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
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• Method:
• In a large sauce pan bring all of the poaching liquid ingredients to a boil and then let simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the whole skinned pears and cook on low for about 20 minutes.  There should be enough liquid to cover the pears but if not you might add a lid that is too small for the pot to help submerge the fruit.  Or turn the pears after 20 minutes and cook with other side submerged.  The fruit should be cooked but still slightly firm.  About 10 minutes before end of poaching add dried fruit.
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• Heads up!!!!! Cool for at least 4 hours before serving
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  Before serving cut pears in half lengthwise and remove center core and seeds.  You can do this with a melon baller or an apple corer from the bottom end This will leave a perfect little space for your dollop of creme fraiche (et al).  To serve place pear half in a shallow bowl; spoon over poaching liquid and add 2 apricots and a few cranberries. With a fine grater grate the chocolate bar over the creme and serve.
  
  
  
  
  Bon Appetit and Gobble Gobble
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I remind myself how delicious this dessert is with such wonderful complements of favor: a beautiful subtle sweetness of the pear, the zestiness of the fruit and spices and slight tartness from the champagne, the sour creamy flavor of the creme fraiche.  It's a really wonderful dessert using the fruits of the season.  i hope you add at least this dessert to your repertoire of favorite dishes
  
  
  
  
  Order of the meal preparation:
  Make cornbread first
  Make the pears counting 5 hours before serving
  Stuffing
  Turkey
  While turkey is in the oven prepare the green bean dish
  the turkey needs about 1 hour 10 minutes to cook and 10 minutes to cool
  
  
  I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving no matter what it looks like.  We still have so much to be thankful for......just look around
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Pomegranates!, Margaritas, Jelly

 Sometimes when you ask the universe for abundance you just get it:

I inherited a pomegranate tree badly in need of water and attention.  Last year after a bit of each I was gifted with an abundance of juicy fruit. I consumed as much as one person could and shared the rest.  This year was even better.  They came earlier than expected and in raging abundance.  What to do with all of these beauties.....well over 200.

These look like baubles on a Christmas tree   Well after LuLu and Poppy get to the leaves.  

After removing the arils and juicing them the best idea I had was to make Margaritas

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

2 Tablespoons lime juice

nope no sugar

1 shot Tequila

1 Tablespoon Triple, Sec, Grand Marnier, or Cointreau

1 cup ice

you know the rest

I line my rim with half sugar, half Himalayan salt

And when you really have an abundance try making jelly, low sugar. I used this recipe from Pomona's pectin

Pomegranates should be available through November.  Enjoy or just come on over for a Margarita