Complete Thanksgiving dinner Recipes

Discussion in 'Your Lovely Kitchen' started by jagmi, Oct 30, 2006.

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  1. jagmi

    jagmi New Member

    This was from Nov. 2005 and was posted here before thought I would repost it being it was lost in the crash. I have made the Bread and Rolls Both were great.
    Joe


    LOW SODIUM COOKING

    Issue 5, Number 25 - Talking Turkey

    This week's recipes:
    - Broth Injected Turkey
    - Turkey Gravy
    - Stuffing Bread
    - Stuffing
    - Green Beans With Caramelized Pearl Onions
    - Dinner Rolls
    - Onion Cranberry Relish
    - Pumpkin Pie Filling 2
    - Pie Crust


    Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone who may
    have an interest.


    =======================================

    These recipes are available online in Microsoft Word format at
    http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/Recipes111505.doc

    Enjoy.


    =======================================

    This week's issue will include additional comments interspersed
    with recipes as I run down the traditional Thanksgiving dinner,
    at least in my family.

    The centerpiece of course is the turkey. And this is also the
    center of the sodium problem. We can probably blame the "self-
    basting" turkey which has been around for a long while now, for
    being the forerunner of all the "enhanced" meats we see these
    days. It has become quite difficult to find turkeys and chickens
    that have not been injected with a broth solution to increase
    juiciness and tenderness. This is a good way to make the breast
    meat, which has less fat than the dark meat, more juicy, but the
    solution used raises the sodium level from the 65-80 mg range to
    250 mg or more. I did a quick re-survey of some of the local
    stores here in the southern Maryland area (Giant, Safeway, Food
    Lion, Shopper's Food Warehouse, McKay's, Woodburn's, Sam's Club
    and BJ's Wholesale Club) and the news was mostly, but not
    totally, bad. It was quite consistent with what I found last
    year, at least, so things don't seem to be getting worse. It's
    still far enough before the holiday that many stores didn't have
    a lot of turkeys available yet. The only store that didn't have
    any pre-injected turkey was BJ's, which carries the Perdue All
    Natural chicken and turkey. This was again the only frozen
    turkey I found which was un-enhanced also. The sodium content of
    this bird was listed as 50 mg for 3 ounces of white meat and 70
    mg for 3 ounces of dark. Giant had Shady Brook Farms Fresh and
    Natural fresh turkey, listed at 65 mg per serving. (Safeway
    carried this brand last year too, but didn't have any fresh birds
    out yet last weekend.) Every other turkey I found contained
    between 190 and 350 mg per serving. My advice is to shop
    carefully. You may have to buy a fresh turkey rather than a
    frozen one to get one without added sodium.

    There are some other good sources of natural turkeys. If you
    have a local butcher shop or meat market you can probably find
    one there. Here in southern Maryland there are several farmers
    in the Amish community who sell fresh poultry. And a store like
    Whole Foods or Trader Joe's that carries organic birds may have
    some.

    There are probably as many people claiming to have to best way to
    cook a turkey as there are people cooking turkeys. I happen to
    like the recipe below. It gives you a nice juicy bird with
    crispy skin. Other methods probably work just as well. We've
    also done fried turkey, and we will probably do that again this
    year for Christmas, where the time savings lets you get the meal
    done earlier even if you are busy in the morning.


    =====================

    Broth Injected Turkey

    You can get the same kind of extra juiciness that the commercial
    meat packers do while saving lots of sodium by injecting your
    own turkey. Using a low sodium chicken broth adds very little
    sodium per serving. You can find injectors in the gadget aisle
    of many large supermarkets. Often they are with the barbecue
    equipment. YOu can also buy one online somewhere like cooking.com
    for only a few dollars. Starting the cooking at a high
    temperature seals in the juices and gives you a nice brown skin.

    12 lb Turkey
    1 c Low Sodium Chicken Or Turkey Broth

    Preheat oven to 500F. Using a hypodermic needle or baster-
    injector inject the broth into the turkey, concentrating mainly
    on the breast. Put turkey in the oven. Let cook for 20 minutes
    or until the exterior is crisp, but not golden brown. Reduce heat
    to 375F. Let bird roast until finished.

    Yield: 24 Servings

    Per Serving:
    256 Calories
    49 g Protein
    6 g Total Fat
    2 g Saturated Fat
    2 g Polyunsaturated Fat
    1 g Monounsaturated Fat
    0 g Carbohydrates
    0 g Fiber
    83 mg Sodium
    685 mg Potassium
    154 mg Cholesterol
    Diabetic Exchanges
    0 Starch
    0 Fruit
    0 Milk
    0 Other Carbohydrates
    0 Vegetable
    4 Lean Meat
    0 Very Lean Meat
    2 Fat

    =====================

    Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

    First on your list of side dishes is probably mashed potatoes
    and gravy. Making your own mashed potatoes from scratch isn't
    too difficult, the usual recipe seems to be about 1 1/2 cups
    heated milk and 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine per 6
    large boiled potatoes. If you buy the instant ones, make sure
    you check the label (as with any processed food). Some contain
    added salt. The "complete" ones are usually worse. Also be aware
    that the milk contains naturally occurring sodium, so take that
    into consideration. You can substitute some chicken broth or
    broth from the turkey pan for some of the water or milk to add a
    little flavor if you like.

    Gravy made from a turkey without added sodium should also be
    relatively low in sodium. The following recipe will give you a
    gravy with a little more flavor. It will probably also be too
    thin and you'll have to dissolve some more flour in water and
    add it. At least that's what always happens to me.

    =====================

    Turkey Gravy

    If you go out and do a search for turkey gravy recipes online,
    you'll come across some with 20 ingredients and a full page of
    instructions. Seems like a bit of overkill to me. Basically
    what you need is the broth in the bottom of the roasting pan and
    some flour to thicken it. I will go a *little* further than
    that though. One trick I learned some years ago to add some
    additional flavor to the gravy is to put half an onion, a cut up
    carrot and a few stalks of celery in the bottom of the roasting
    pan. A more recent trick I read is for separating the fat if
    you don't happen to have one of those measuring cups with the
    spout at the bottom designed for that purpose. Pour the pan
    juices into a zipper baggie, then snip a small triangle off a
    bottom corner and let the broth drip out until nothing is left
    but the fat. The recipe below is for 2 cups of gravy (not
    *nearly* enough). Use a tablespoon of flour for each cup for a
    fairly thin gravy.

    2 c Turkey Broth
    2 T Flour
    2 T Turkey Fat

    Pour broth from roasting pan, allow to settle and drain off fat.
    Add 2 tablespoons of fat back to the pan. Heat, scraping up any
    browned bits from the bottom. Add flour, stir until it begins
    to form a ball. Add broth, cook and stir until thickened.

    Yield: 8 Servings

    Per Serving:
    38 Calories
    1 g Protein
    3 g Total Fat
    1 g Saturated Fat
    1 g Polyunsaturated Fat
    1 g Monounsaturated Fat
    1 g Carbohydrates
    0.1 g Fiber
    15 mg Sodium
    2 mg Potassium
    3 mg Cholesterol
    Diabetic Exchanges
    0 Starch
    0 Fruit
    0 Milk
    0 Other Carbohydrates
    0 Vegetable
    0 Lean Meat
    0 Very Lean Meat
    0.5 Fat

    =====================

    Stuffing

    Stuffing (or perhaps more accurately dressing for those like us
    who don't actually stuff it in the bird) is another tradition.
    Unfortunately, even the "lower sodium" Stove Top mix is pretty
    high is sodium. I had hoped the Bell's mix would be lower in
    sodium, since their seasoning mix is salt free. Unfortunately
    the stuffing mix isn't, it has 510 mg per serving. I started
    baking stuffing bread a few years ago, patterning it after a loaf
    that one of the local stores sells of the bread that usually
    would be cubed and bagged. This gives you a head start on the
    flavor you want. It also makes great sandwiches. This is another
    area where everyone has a different idea of what should be in
    stuffing, so feel free to experiment.

    Stuffing Bread

    This was inspired by a local store that used to sell loaves of
    sliced stuffing bread around the holidays. It makes great
    sandwiches with leftover turkey as well as stuffing. You may
    want to make this a few days in advance, slice it and let it dry
    out.

    1 1/4 c Water
    1 T Unsalted Margarine
    3 1/4 c Bread Flour
    2 T Sugar
    1/2 t Tarragon
    1/4 t Rosemary
    1 T Poultry Seasoning
    1/2 t Parsley
    1/2 t Minced Onion
    1 3/4 t Yeast

    Place ingredients in bread machine in order specified by
    manufacturer. Process on large white loaf cycle.

    Yield: 12 Servings

    Per Serving:
    153 Calories
    5 g Protein
    2 g Total Fat
    0 g Saturated Fat
    1 g Polyunsaturated Fat
    1 g Monounsaturated Fat
    29 g Carbohydrates
    1 g Fiber
    2 mg Sodium
    53 mg Potassium
    0 mg Cholesterol
    Diabetic Exchanges
    2 Starch
    0 Fruit
    0 Milk
    0 Other Carbohydrates
    0 Vegetable
    0 Lean Meat
    0 Very Lean Meat
    0 Fat

    =====================

    Stuffing

    This is kind of a framework for making stuffing. Almost everyone
    has different herbs and additives they like. Feel free to change
    the seasonings with such things as thyme and basil. You can also
    add other things like chestnuts or other nuts, mushrooms, chopped
    turkey giblets, etc. if this is something you would normally do.
    The longer you let the bread cubes dry out before making the
    stuffing, the more broth you will need. Many recipes also call
    for melted butter or margarine, or butter pats on top during
    baking, but I've left these out in the interest of reduced fat.
    This mixture can of course also be used for stuffing the bird.

    8 c Stuffing Bread,Cubed Or Crumbled
    2 c Low Sodium Chicken Or Turkey Broth
    1 c Onion,Chopped
    1/2 c Celery,Chopped
    2 t Tarragon
    1 t Sage
    1 t Poultry Seasoning
    1 1/2 t Black Pepper

    Combine all ingredients and toss lightly. Place in a greased 9x13
    baking dish. Bake at 350 until heated through, about 30 minutes.

    Yield: 12 Servings

    Per Serving:
    186 Calories
    8 g Protein
    3 g Total Fat
    1 g Saturated Fat
    1 g Polyunsaturated Fat
    1 g Monounsaturated Fat
    46 g Carbohydrates
    18.5 g Fiber
    51 mg Sodium
    907 mg Potassium
    1 mg Cholesterol
    Diabetic Exchanges
    2 Starch
    0 Fruit
    0 Milk
    0 Other Carbohydrates
    0 Vegetable
    0 Lean Meat
    0 Very Lean Meat
    0 Fat


    =====================

    Green Beans With Caramelized Pearl Onions

    This makes a nice alternative to the usual green bean casserole
    and has become an annual addition to our meal. It's easier to
    make and lower in sodium and the sweet flavor goes well with the
    traditional meal. If you don't have a steamer, you can boil the
    vegetables.

    2 lb Fresh Green Beans
    1 lb Pearl Onions (fresh, not canned)
    1/3 c Unsalted Margarine
    1/2 c Brown Sugar

    Arrange beans in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and
    steam 15 minutes; set aside. Place onions in boiling water for 3
    minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cut off root ends of
    onions and peel. Arrange onions in steamer basket over boiling
    water. Cover and steam 5 minutes. Set onions aside. Melt
    margarine in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add sugar, and
    cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Add onions, cook 3
    minutes, stirring constantly. Add beans, and cook, stirring
    constantly, until thoroughly heated.

    Yield: 8 Servings

    Per Serving:
    176 Calories
    3 g Protein
    8 g Total Fat
    1 g Saturated Fat
    2 g Polyunsaturated Fat
    3 g Monounsaturated Fat
    26 g Carbohydrates
    4.9 g Fiber
    14 mg Sodium
    376 mg Potassium
    0 mg Cholesterol
    Diabetic Exchanges
    0 Starch
    0 Fruit
    0 Milk
    0.5 Other Carbohydrates
    2.5 Vegetable
    0 Lean Meat
    0 Very Lean Meat
    1.5 Fat


    =====================

    Rutabaga

    There will also be rutabagas at our house, traditional in my
    wife's family. I haven't any idea what heritage that comes from,
    but at 20 mg per serving, feel free to indulge yourself in a
    large helping.


    =====================

    Dinner Rolls

    I like fresh hot rolls with my Thanksgiving dinner. This recipe
    is actually the same as the one I use for hamburger buns. The
    only difference will be in the shaping.

    1 c Water
    2 T Unsalted Margarine
    1/4 c Egg Substitute
    3 1/4 c Bread Flour
    1/4 c Sugar
    1 T Yeast

    Place in bread machine in order specified by manufacturer.
    Process on dough cycle. At end of cycle remove to a floured
    board. Pull into 16 pieces. Shape each into a rounded, roll and
    place in greased 9x13 pan or in individual muffin cups. Cover and
    let rise until double, about 1/2 hour. Bake in preheated 375
    degree oven 12-15 minutes or until golden brown

    Yield: 16 Servings

    Per Serving:
    131 Calories
    4 g Protein
    2 g Total Fat
    0 g Saturated Fat
    1 g Polyunsaturated Fat
    1 g Monounsaturated Fat
    24 g Carbohydrates
    0.8 g Fiber
    8 mg Sodium
    56 mg Potassium
    0 mg Cholesterol
    Diabetic Exchanges
    1 Starch
    0 Fruit
    0 Milk
    0 Other Carbohydrates
    0 Vegetable
    0 Lean Meat
    0 Very Lean Meat
    0 Fat

    =====================

    Onion Cranberry Relish

    Regular canned cranberry sauce, either the jellied or whole berry
    variety, has nothing in it that would be a problem for most
    diets. It has minimal sodium, no fat and is perfectly acceptable
    as is. However, this recipe I came across just sounded so good
    that I had to try it for Thanksgiving a few years ago. Now I end
    up making it every year.

    1 lg Onion,Vidalia Or Other Sweet Variety
    1 T Unsalted Margarine
    1/4 c Raisins
    1/4 c Red Wine
    3/4 c Brown Sugar
    4 Cinnamon
    12 oz Fresh Cranberries
    1 c Water

    Chop onions. In a skillet cook onion in margarine for 5 minutes
    or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add raisins, wine, and
    salt. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set
    aside. In a medium saucepan combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1
    cup water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered,
    for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of the cranberries and cook,
    uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining
    cranberries; cook 3 to 5 minutes more or until berries pop,
    stirring occasionally. Remove cinnamon sticks. Stir in onion
    mixture. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover and chill at least 2
    hours or up to 3 days

    Yield: 12 Servings

    Per Serving:
    163 Calories
    1 g Protein
    1 g Total Fat
    0 g Saturated Fat
    0 g Polyunsaturated Fat
    0 g Monounsaturated Fat
    99 g Carbohydrates
    1.4 g Fiber
    10 mg Sodium
    307 mg Potassium
    0 mg Cholesterol
    Diabetic Exchanges
    0 Starch
    2 Fruit
    0 Milk
    0.5 Other Carbohydrates
    0 Vegetable
    0 Lean Meat
    0 Very Lean Meat
    0 Fat

    =====================

    Pumpkin Pie

    Pumpkin pie the traditional ending for the big meal. This is my
    favorite filling recipe. The good news is that Cool Whip is low
    in both fat and sodium ... *grin*


    =====================

    Pumpkin Pie Filling 2

    This is the creamiest, best flavored pumpkin pie filling I've
    ever tried. You can also bake this as a pumpkin custard and
    skip the fat and carbohydrates in the crust. Just pour it into
    oven proof custard cups or soup bowls that have been sprayed
    with vegetable oil spray. No custard cups? What about oven
    proof coffee mugs and serve it right in the mug.

    1 3/4 c Pumpkin,Cooked And Pureed
    1/2 c Brown Sugar
    1/2 c Sugar
    2 T Maple Syrup
    1/2 c Sour Cream
    1/2 c Half & Half
    1/2 c Egg Substitute
    1 t Cinnamon
    1/2 t Ground Ginger
    1/8 t Ground Cloves

    Preheat oven to 425. Dump all the ingredients into a blender and
    pulse until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into greased
    custard cups or ovenproof soup bowls, or unbaked pie shell. Bake
    for 15 minutes at 425, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 45
    minutes, or until set. Allow to cool for 1 hour before serving.
    Top each portion with whipped cream or Cool Whip, if desired.

    Yield: 8 Servings

    Per Serving:
    196 Calories
    3 g Protein
    5 g Total Fat
    3 g Saturated Fat
    0 g Polyunsaturated Fat
    2 g Monounsaturated Fat
    35 g Carbohydrates
    1.7 g Fiber
    48 mg Sodium
    264 mg Potassium
    12 mg Cholesterol
    Diabetic Exchanges
    0 Starch
    0 Fruit
    0.5 Milk
    1 Other Carbohydrates
    0 Vegetable
    0 Lean Meat
    0 Very Lean Meat
    1 Fat


    =====================

    Pie Crust

    I find this oil based pie crust easier to work with than with
    solid shortening. And it seems to stay flaky through more
    handling.

    1 1/3 c Flour
    1/3 c Oil
    2 T Water,Cold

    Add oil to flour and mix well with fork. Sprinkle water over and
    mix well. With hands press into ball and flatten. Roll between
    two pieces in waxed paper. Remove top waxed paper, invert over
    pan and remove other paper. Press into place. For pies which do
    not require a baked filling, bake at 400 until lighted browned,
    about 12-15 minutes.

    Yield: 8 Servings

    Per Serving:
    156 Calories
    2 g Protein
    9 g Total Fat
    1 g Saturated Fat
    5 g Polyunsaturated Fat
    2 g Monounsaturated Fat
    16 g Carbohydrates
    0.6 g Fiber
    1 mg Sodium
    22 mg Potassium
    0 mg Cholesterol
    Diabetic Exchanges
    1 Starch
    0 Fruit
    0 Milk
    0 Other Carbohydrates
    0 Vegetable
    0 Lean Meat
    0 Very Lean Meat
    2 Fat


    =======================================

    Publisher's Ranting

    So there you have it ... a wonderful example of American excess.
    I won't add up the calories, but let's take a quick look at the
    sodium and see how we've done.

    Turkey (3 ounces each white and dark) (166 mg)
    Mashed Potatoes (30 mg)
    Stuffing (51 mg)
    Gravy (15 mg)
    Rutabaga (20 mg)
    Green Beans With Caramelized Pearl Onions (14 mg)
    Hot Roll with unsalted margarine (8 mg)
    Onion Cranberry Relish (10 mg)
    Celery and carrot sticks (20 mg)
    Pumpkin pie with cool whip topping (49 mg)

    Total sodium 383 mg


    Dick Logue
    Webmaster, http://www.LowSodiumCooking.com
     
  2. saltlesstears

    saltlesstears New Member

    Thanks for posting these great recipes. This will help people with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
     
  3. abra

    abra New Member

    After reading this, I'm starved! Thanks for posting that, and the stuffing bread--I bet my kids would love that, they could live on stuffing.

    I was seeing Thanksgving for all the "I can't haves"...this helped.
     
  4. jagmi

    jagmi New Member

    Glad it helped. I was glad when I recived it last year. I have made some of the items last year also gave a copy to my mom. and she made the pumkin pie. So I was able to have a great thanksgiving dinner last year. If you like sausage in your stuffing see the sausage recipe I posted also. I make my own breakfast sausage for the stuffing.
    Joe
     
  5. Bergie

    Bergie New Member

    Thanks Joe for posting all that!!

    Now I can't wait for Thanksgiving!!

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Bergie

    Bergie New Member

    bumping for Thanksgiving!
     

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