A Turkey for Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I wound up hostessing dinner for seven and dessert for ten, all co-workers and friends. I got up yesterday morning and baked the stuffing and Turkish-style roasted vegetables first.

The Stuffing

I used pre-made bread cubes, a mixture of corn and white bread
1 quince, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
2/3 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup margarine (I used Earth Balance)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon sage

1. Peel, core, and chop the quince. Toss it in a pot of boiling water to soften.
2. Meanwhile, in another pot, heat the vegetable stock, melt the margarine into it and add the spices.
3. In large pan, combine the bread cubes, onion, raisins, cranberries, and walnuts.
4. When the quince pieces are soften, add them to the dry stuffing ingredients in the pan and toss.
5. Pour the wet mixture over the stuffing and toss until everything is combined.

Cook on 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Turkish-style Roasted Vegetables*

2 large parsnips
3 large carrots
4 large red potatoes
5 1/2 head of cauliflower
1/3-1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper

*The only reason I call these "Turkish-style" is because this is what my Turkish host mother used to make for me.

1. Peel the parsnips and carrots, dice.
2. Wash the potatoes, but leave the skin on for color. Dice.
3. Dice up the cauliflower.
4. Put all the winter vegetables into a large baking dish and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees until the vegetables are soft, usually 30-45 minutes.

After I made the stuffing and the vegetables, I turned my attention to the turkey.

Now, I'm a vegan. And I was raised vegetarian. So this "making a turkey" is a mystery to me. I sought advice from lots of meat-eating people and enlisted the help of my good friend Andy, who came over around 12:30 to help me prepare the turkey.

I had gotten the turkey for free from my part-time job. The turkey was 10-12 pounds. I submerged it in warm water in my sink (still in the wrapper) to make sure it was completely thawed. Andy and I cut the wrapper open to reveal the turkey. Andy washed it and removed any pin feathers and miscellaneous organs inside the bird. Andy had me wrap up and refrigerate the gizzard and the kidneys for later gravy making.

Andy, removing the things inside the turkey

Andy was greatly amused by the turkey

After the turkey was good-to-go, I buttered the baking pan and we salt, peppered, buttered the turkey. It then cooked in a series of 30 minute cooking-and-basting intervals for around four hours. Thankfully, Andy had a meat thermometer (my big fear was that the turkey wouldn't cook all the way and people would get sick!) and we probably over-cooked it slightly just to make sure it was completely done.

Andy and me salting the turkey

Andy and me, basting the turkey

During the turkey cooking process, I also made the standard mashed potatoes, green beans in a sweet soy sauce with walnuts, maple glazed sweet potatoes and acorn squash, and crescent rolls.

The mashed potatoes weren't recipe-worthy and the crescent rolls were made by a dough boy that I just rolled and baked.

Thanksgiving Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon sugar

1. Trim and wash the green beans. I heated mine in a skillet, you could, of course bake them.

2. Combine the soy sauce and sugar. Toss in the chopped walnuts.

3. Pour the sauce over the beans and toss til coated.

Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Acorn Squash

4 small sweet potatoes

1 small acorn squash

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup margarine

1. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes and squash into bite-sized pieces. Put them in a pot of boiling water and cook until soft.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the margarine, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Add in the chopped almonds.

3. Strain the potatoes and squash and pour over the sauce.

All of my guests brought items to share: Angela brought her grandmother's cranberry relish (AMAZING), Kevin made a vegan key lime pie that was to die for as well as my favorite carrot cake, and Andy made a sweet potato pie.

I was able to pawn off a lot of the leftovers on my guests as they were leaving last night. I did however make some mashed potato patties this morning drenched in corn meal and then fried.

Not bad for my first full Thanksgiving with a real turkey. Of course I couldn't have done it without the help of my amazing friends and co-workers.

This is still the sort of turkey I prefer

I hope everyone had a memorable Thanksgiving full of love and fun!

Happy happy eating!

-Robin-