Tasty Tuesday! Holiday Recipes for YOU!

From Cooking Light – November 2002 Ultimate Holiday Feast!

Ultimate Roasted Turkey

½            Cup Apple cider

5             Tbsp dark corn syrup divided

1             (12 pound) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed

1             Tbsp poultry seasoning

1             TBSP dried rubbed sage

1             tsp salt

¼            tsp black pepper

4             garlic cloves, sliced

2             Golden Delicious apples, cored and quartered

               Cooking Spray

1             tsp butter

1             (14.5 oz can) fat tree, less sodium chicken broth

1             Tbsp cornstarch

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Combine cider and 4 Tbsp corn syrup in a small saucepan, bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3.  Remove and reserve giblets and neck from turkey.  Rinse turkey with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Trim excess fat.  Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey.  Rub seasoning mixture into skin and body cavity.  Place half each of garlic, onion quarters, and apple quarters into body cavity.  Place turkey breast side up in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray.  Arrange remaining garlic, onions and apples around turkey in pan.  Inset a meat thermometer into the meaty part of the thigh, making sure not to touch bone.

4.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  Baste turkey with cider syrup; cover with foil.  Bake an additional 2 hours and 15 minutes or meat thermometer registers 180 degrees, basting with cider syrup 4 times at regular intervals. 

5.  Let turkey stand 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and reserve drippings for sauce.  Place turkey on platter and keep warm.

6.  Strain drippings through a colander into a bowl.  Place a sip top plastic bag inside a 2-cup measuring cup.  Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes so fat will rise to the top.  Seal bag and carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag.  Drain drippings into a bowl, stopping before the fat layer reaches opening.  Discard fat.

7.  While the turkey is baking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add reserved giblets and neck, sauté 2 minutes on each side until browned.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes.  Strain mixture through a colander into a bowl discarding solids.  Reserve ¼ cup of broth mixture.  Combine remaining broth mixture with drippings in roasting pan on stovetop over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Combine ¼ cup of reserved broth mixture and cornstarch; add to roasting pan.  Add 1 Tbsp corn syrup, stirring with whisk.  Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute.  Serve gravy with turkey.  Gravy will be dark and thin. 

CALORIES  331 (24% from fat); Fat 8g, Protein 50.4g, Carbs 9.4 g, Fiber .1g, Chol 130 mg, Iron 3.2mg, Sodium 396mg, Calcium 52mg

Mama’s Corn Bread Dressing

Can be made a day or two ahead

5             Cups Mama’s Corn Bread, Crumbled (home made or store bought)

3             Cups (1 inch) cubed toasted white bread (about 5-1 inch slices)

1             Cup crushed saltine crackers (about 20 crackers)

3             Cups vegetable broth

2             Cups chopped celery

2             Cups chopped onion

¼            cup butter

1 ½         tspn dried rubbed sage

¼            tspn salt

¼            tspn black pepper

2             large eggs

1             large egg white

Cooking spray

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2.  Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine broth, celery, onion and butter in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.  Reduce head, simmer 10 minutes.  Add broth mixture to corn bread mixture, stirring well.  Add sage and next 4 ingredients; stirring well to combine.

3.  Pour mixture into a 11x17 baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes; cover and bake an additional 30 minutes until golden.  Makes 12 servings.

CALORIES -243 (39% from fat), FAT 10.5g, Protein 7.1g, Carb 30.4g, CHOL 65mg, IRON 1.9mg, Sodium 622mg, Calcium 68mg