Tag Archives: #thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Recipes & Ideas you can find here On The Forking Truth

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Maybe you want to make perfect turkey meat. It looks prettier to present a whole turkey to your guest but the turkey is more delicious if you prepare it separated. Just 2 1/2 – 5 hours latter you can have mouth watering juicy moist …FORKING PERFECT>>>>Turkey Breast if you prepare it in the Sous Vide.

Fresh herbs, frozen garlic confit and frozen oil…Then add turkey sprinkled with fresh crushed sea salt and pepper and then it goes in bag at 140 degrees in the Sous Vide for 3-5 hours and you can serve perfect turkey breast.

Sometimes I brown the breast up after it’s Sous Vide.

Forking Tasty Sous Vide and Browned 1/2 Turkey Breast

Either before or from your last batch of turkey you need to prepare turkey stock.

A few turkey carcass vegetables and fresh herbs and peppercorns go in your pots. Top with water and bring to a simmer for three hours. Wa la turkey broth.

The skin get crisp in the oven.

The Wings get oven fried.

Baked Shatteringly Crispy and Juicy Turkey Wings

Not sure if I published how I do the leg quarters. Those I roast covered with a bed of vegetables that steam and serve the meat off the bone.

Fill the pan or pans with legs. Cook at 350 degrees F till center of legs are 180 degrees F

Here are some other things you might want to make.

Tequila Lime Cilantro Turkey Meatballs with Herb Sauce

Portuguese Inspired Meatloaf and Sauce

Indian Inspired Turkey Meatballs with Green Chutney (Chutney is just handful mint, handful cilantro, 1/2t cumin seeds, 2 garlic, 1t lemon J. salt)

Mexican Inspired Meatballs

No Dairy Italian Inspired Meatballs

Fresh Basil Turkey Meatballs

Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs

Faux  Mushrooms (potato cores)

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted then Fried Rutabaga topped with oven fried Lotus Chip

Duchess Parsnips

Tomato, Hibiscus, Onion and Roasted Lime Salad

Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pomodoro Pizza Lasagna

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Chestnuts with Crisp Sage

Moroccan Inspired Carrots

Easy Salt Crusted Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes with Cherry peppers, Figs, Green Onions and Balsamic Drizzle

Fennel Fava Radish and Walnut Salad in Lemon Dijon Dressing

Herbed Turkey Gravy

Fresh Ricotta Gnocchi

Stacked Ratatouille

Classic Boule

Cook’s Country Potato Cheddar Pierogi

Forking Great Blue-Cheese, Sriracha, Honey Radish Appetizer

Melon Salad with Preserved Lemon, Lavender and Whipped Cream Cheese

Butternut Squash Cinnamon Bun

Pear Almond Cake

Cheese Lasagna

Chanterelle Mushroom Bread Stuffing

Forking Adorable and DELICIOUS Mini Apple Pie Bites

Lightened Up Gratin Style Butternut Squash with Poblano Casserole

Chipotle Rice Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers with Potato String Crust

Kabocha Squash Pie with Coconut Crust

Onion Rolls

Purple Sweet Potato Blackberry Pie with Coconut/Almond Crust

Brussels Sprouts Baba Ganoush

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce

Cranberry Pickled Beet Sauce

Twisted Date Bread

Kabocha Squash Cake with Drizzle and Chestnuts

Fancy Schmancy Deviled Eggs

Italian Style Beans

Cranberry Sauce with Hibiscus

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Dates and some Brown Sugar

Potato Casserole

Traditional Stuffing and Rosemary Herb Stuffing

Moist Fresh Herb Turkey Stuffing

Leek Pudding

Thanksgiving

“We can’t wait to dig in!”

“Have a Happy and Forking Delicious Thanksgiving!”

The Forking Truth

 

 

Deluxe Moist Fresh Herb Turkey Stuffing (really it’s dressing) Recipe

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Deluxe Moist Fresh Herb Turkey Stuffing

You need to cook a turkey before Thanksgiving to gather up all the goodies you need to prepare this stuffing. (really it’s a dressing but nobody calls it dressing) This is the kind of stuffing that you make when you make your own stock because you need the flavorful fat from the cooked turkey carcass to fry up the onions and celery, you need to use the fresh made broth, I also used the tasty drippings from leg quarters I cooked earlier. All that and fresh herbs makes this stuffing is incredible. I ran some over to my husband to try…..he gobbled it down and did a refill. This is really great stuffing and your guest demolish this pan.

Ingredients for around 15 generous servings maybe only 7 if everyone does a repeat.

1/2 cup turkey fat

1 large onion – fine chopped

5 ribs celery – fine chopped

1 Tablespoon and to taste (up to one teaspoon more) course sea salt

1 teaspoon ground telicherry black pepper

2 lbs (about) stale bread cubes ( I used two baguette shaped ciabatta loaves and one French Baguette)

4 eggs – lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups turkey drippings (from a roasted seasoned turkey)

3 cups turkey broth

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme – fine chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh fresh sage – fine chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary – fine chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley – fine chopped

non stick spray

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a half pan and spray with non stick spray. You also need to spray one side of the aluminum foil cover (the side that sits against the stuffing) so it doesn’t stick to the stuffing.

In a sauce pot on medium heat add the turkey fat, onions, celery, salt and pepper. Cook vegetables till soft and then shut off heat and put to the side.

In a large bowl or a large pitcher combine the eggs, turkey drippings, broth, and herbs and mix.

In a very large mixing bowl add the bread cubes and pot of onions and celery. Then add the egg/broth mixture to the bread cube mixture and mix. Let it sit at least 10 minutes so the cubes can absorb most of the liquid.

After things look not all but mostly absorbed place mixture in sprayed pan.

Cover with sprayed foil.

Put in 350 degree F oven for an hour.

After an hour take pan out of oven and remove foil.

If you want a slightly crisp crust put the pan back in the oven uncovered so it looks like pan in photo.

Moist Fresh Herb Turkey Stuffing

This stuffing is moist, fluffy and delicious……You don’t really need gravy here!

Moist Fresh Herb Turkey Stuffing

Forking Great Traditional Stuffing.

The Forking Truth

 

 

Turkey Stock Recipe #Thanksgiving

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Turkey Stock

You need to make turkey stock when you prepare foods for Thanksgiving. You need the stock to make gravy and you also need the stock to add to the stuffing.

I make a double batch with about two turkey carcass but you can half the recipe if you want. I used my two biggest pots… I used a 8 gallon pot and a 10 gallon pot. I used raw carcass that I roasted but you can use cooked carcass and skip the roasting. When you roast the carcass you will collect a bunch of turkey fat at the bottom of the pan that has a lot of flavor. You might want to save that fat for your gravy (when you make a roux) and also for your stuffing….instead of butter or oil.

Ingredients for about 16 cups of stock

2 turkey carcass raw – and then roast at 350 degrees f for two hours

2 very large onions – quartered

4 celery ribs rough cut

4 regular size carrots – rough cut

12 sprigs fresh parsley

6 garlic cloves

4 small bay leaves or 2 large

8 sage leaves

6 thyme sprigs

2 teaspoons telicherry black peppercorns

Directions

Either use one really big pot (maybe a 20 gallon pot) or two bigger pots I used a 8 gallon and a 10 gallon. If your using two pots split everything up between the two pots.

Cover with water.

Bring to simmer uncovered.

Once it simmers let it continue simmering for three hours.

After it simmered remove all the carcass and vegetables that you can get out with a slotted spoon or a thong.

Then strain the broth.

Let it cool on the counter.

Refrigerate and use within three or four days or freeze and use when you need it.

Turkey Stock

Forking Great Turkey Stock!

The Forking Truth

 

 

Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs Recipe with Cornbread & Cranberries

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Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs

I was inspired to create these meatballs when I thought about the chicken taco I tasted from Gadzooks in Phoenix. I thought besides good seasoning and other good things what made the taco delicious was the cornbread. So I made fresh cornbread to make these meatballs. My twist to add more flavor was that instead of oil in the cornbread I used saved chicken fat for more layers of flavors…..These meatballs are well seasoned and FORKING delicious. They truly are Thanksgiving in a ball. You will have more cornbread than you need for the recipe. You only need about 1/3 of the cornbread for the meatball recipe. I saved the extra cornbread to add to my stuffing mixture I’m going to make latter. Also I have to apologies for my photo….I don’t know why but I get a false yellow color in my photos sometimes. I figure my light is the reason.

Ingredients for about 30 meatballs or 6 servings.

1 1/4 cup flour – cornbread

3/4 cup corn meal – cornbread

1/4 cup sugar – cornbread

2 teaspoons baking powder – cornbread

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt – cornbread

1 cup water – cornbread

1/4 cup chicken fat – melted – cornbread

1 egg – slightly beaten – cornbread

non stick spray

1 lb ground turkey (I used 93% lean this time) – meatball

2 large eggs – slightly beaten – meatball

1 1/3 cup fresh made cornbread (packed loose) – meatball

2 teaspoons vegetable base – meatball

1/4 cup sweet onions – fine chop – meatball

2 garlic cloves (I used large ones) microplane or ground to paste – meatball

1/2 rib celery – fine chopped – meatball

1/2 sprig fresh rosemary – fine chopped – meatball

1 sprig fresh thyme – fine chopped – meatball

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage – fine chopped – meatball

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper – meatball

pinch crushed red pepper – meatball

1/3 cup dried cranberries – meatball

non stick spray

Directions

Set oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray a pan with non stick spray. Set to the side.

In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and  salt.

In a small bowl combine water, chicken fat and egg and mix well.

Add the small bowl contents to the large bowl and mix well.

Pour batter into sprayed pan and place in oven until done. (about 20 minutes)

 

For the meatballs the oven needs to be set at 350 degrees F.

Spray a sheet pan(s) with non stick spray.

In a large bowl mix everything remaining together except for the nonstick spray.

I recommend you to make a 1/2 size tester meatball. Cook it for about 7 minutes and decide if you need to make any adjustments. (but I don’t think you will need to adjust)

Then-

Use a small scoop and roll out your meatballs. Space them slightly on the pan(s).

cook until done. (about 15 minutes)

People are going to love them!

Hopefully you saved some drippings from your last turkey in your freezer so you can whip up a quick gravy. Just add some flour to thicken and vegetable stock with a small amount of fresh thyme, sage and rosemary. It will be delicious!

Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs

Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs

Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs

This way you can enjoy Thanksgiving whenever you want. These Thanksgiving Meatballs also can be a great appetizer too! These are delicious full flavored Turkey Meatballs that taste just like Thanksgiving.

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

 

 

Be a GOOD Guest and not a FORKING Turkey at Thanksgiving

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Some people have been raised by wolves and don’t know how to act like normal people at Thanksgiving. Here are just a few things some people need to know.

Be a good guest and if you came down with a bug BE CONSIDERATE to others and politely decline Thanksgiving. DON’t FORKING be a TURKEY and make other people sick!

If you are bringing kids with you don’t be a TURKEY and let the kids walk in like Zombies totally ignoring the host that are generously feeding you and yours Thanksgiving Dinner.

Don’t be a TURKEY and set the alarm on the washer and dryer at the house of your host.

Don’t start screaming something like, “I HATE Profiteroles!” at the table if you see some there. Only a Turkey would be that rude.

YOU are a Forking TURKEY when you bring your host something that you already ate and put back and refilled and re-gifted to your Thanksgiving host that isn’t good. (What kind of person does this?……)

If you make a mess or break something in someone’s home you should let your host know. Only a TURKEY doesn’t say anything.

Only a FORKING TURKEY would stand up and say, “I would rate Your Thanksgiving  Dinner at TWO STARS!”

Don’t act like you are trying to be helpful and offer to clean up and then just throw out the serving ware. Only a Turkey does such a thing.

Be a Good Guest and DON’T BE A FORKING TURKEY on Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Gobble gobble.

I hope the only turkey at your table is the one you eat!

The Forking Truth

Acorn Squash with Cranberry Sauce and Blue Cheese Recipe

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Acorn Squash with Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce and Blue Cheese

Acorn Squash with Cranberry Sauce and Blue Cheese

Here’s a slightly updated way to prepare Acorn Squash. My husband normally hates acorn squash and he actually said that it was very good….The goal was to make it interesting and tasty. Only attempt this recipe if you are able to cut threw hard squash as squash is the most difficult vegetable to cut threw in the kitchen. The hospital room sees many kitchen accidents involving squash injury. You need a little strength and a decent knife that’s sharp.

Ingredients for 8 servings

2 acorn squash – washed well – remove seeds – cut in quarters

4 oz butter- unsalted – room temperature

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup date syrup – McClendon’s Select Organic is preferred

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

non stick spray

4 oz blue cheese – to top with

1 cup cranberry sauce – preferably home made and most preferably Cranberry, Mango, Habanero Sauce from this site www.TheForkingTruth.com (12oz cranberries, 3/4 C sugar, 1.5 C. water, 2 mangos, 1/4 t. cinnamon, 1 habanero, 1 T. lime juice, pinch salt).

8 teaspoons pumpkin seeds – toasted

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray

In a small bowl combine butter, sugar, syrup and spices.

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Put a tablespoon full in the center of each piece of squash and slather it on the edges of squashes.

Place in oven until fork tender. (About 30 minutes)

To serve top each piece of squash with 1/2 oz crumbled blue cheese, 1 Tablespoon cranberry sauce, 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds.

Acorn Squash with Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce and Blue Cheese

Acorn Squash with Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce and Blue Cheese

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes Recipe

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Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes

Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes

This kind of potatoes are usually made for a special occasion, holiday or just to impress someone. These are those OMG potatoes………..You have to start out with perfectly baked potatoes. Let them cool. Then slice a quarter- third off the top and carefully scoop them out so you have a shell. With the use of a potato ricer the filling will be fluffy and free of lumps. Egg yolks, butter and heavy cream make these potatoes an indulgence. You can even build it up slightly more by serving these potatoes with either warm parsley or thyme butter and a crack of fresh salt and pepper.

Ingredients for 4 generous servings or 8 diet servings

4 russet style poatoes – medium sized and washed

4 russet style potatoes – small sized and washed

4 Tablespoons canola oil – for cooking all the potatoes

2 teaspoons kosher salt – for cooking the medium potatoes

6 Tablespoons butter – unsalted – room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 XL egg yolks

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

few grates fresh nutmeg

pinch cayenne

a crack of fresh ground sea salt

a crack or two of fresh ground black pepper – for seasoning potato shell and on top if desired

Directions

Set oven at 350 degrees F

All the potatoes get priced with a fork all over and get a light sprinkle of oil.

The larger or medium sized potatoes get a light sprinkle of kosher salt all over.

All the potatoes go on a baking sheet(s) in the oven for about one hour.

The potatoes should look like this. The skin is thin and slightly winked and is dry to the touch.

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Leave the potatoes cool till enough so you can cut them and then peel the small potatoes and put them in a bowl to collect. Then slice the upper quarter off the tops of the four larger potatoes. Scoop remaining potato from the tops and add it to the bowl with all the other dug out potato.

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Then carefully hollow out the potatoes with a teaspoon leaving about a quarter inch shell like this and add a crack or two of salt and pepper to season the potato shell.

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Now rice all the potato in the bowl.

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When done set to the side.

In a small bowl mix together egg yolks, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, white pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.

Use a fork and mix it in to the potatoes.

Spoon the potato mixture to the top of the potatoes like this.

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Now with a pastry bag with a #6 tip attached fold the bag halfway down and add one quarter of the potato mixture.

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Decorate anyway you like. I just applied pressure and made a circular motion over the potatoes sort of like an imaginary cork screw.

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Put them in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes and they looked like this.

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I didn’t add fresh hot parsley or thyme butter but did add a crack of fresh sea salt and pepper.

Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes

Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes

Forking Crazy Good Potatoes!

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Mouth Watering Juicy Moist Delicious Turkey Breast Recipe with the SousVide

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If you want the moistest, juiciest best tasting Turkey Breast you must do it in a SousVide Water Oven. The Forking Truth is neither me or my husband has ever tasted better than what I prepared here. It so good that you can freeze leftovers and the leftovers will be just as amazing.

This time I just tossed in an already brined boneless half Turkey Breast into each bag.

The SousVide gets set to 140 degrees F.

1 small block of frozen garlic confit (about 2 oz of roasted garlic with olive oil whipped)

1 thyme  sprig

1 rosemary  sprig

1 sage  sprig

1 small carrot cut in half long ways

1 celery rib – cut in half long ways

1/8 of a sweet onion

fresh ground sea salt – to taste – (the way you’d season something you eat)

fresh ground black pepper – to taste – (the way you’d season something you eat)

Vacum up your bag.

In photo is the other bag I did with same vegetables and cilantro stems and a jalapeño

In photo is the other bag I did with same vegetables and cilantro stems and a jalapeño

Now insert bags into the SousVide

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Put the lid on and about 5 hours latter when you have two packed bags

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You will have the Forking Best Mouth Watering Moist Delicious Turkey Breast Ever!

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce Recipe

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Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce

This sauce is fruity and spicy but not too sweet or too spicy. Something different that you don’t come by unless you prepare it yourself.

Ingredients for about 10 servings

12 oz fresh cranberries – soaked and rinsed a few times

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

2 medium mangos – remove skin and pit and cut in small chunks

1 habanero – (you should wear gloves) – chop fine

1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice

pinch cinnamon

pinch kosher salt or sea salt

Directions

Put the water and sugar in the sauce pot on medium high heat and bring to boil. When the sugar is dissolved you can add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. You might want to loosely cover the pot with foil because the berries will pop a little and get on your stove. Let it go about a half hour.

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce

Delicious!

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

 

Delicious Shattering Crisp and Juicy Oven Fried Turkey Wings Recipe

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Forking Easy Delicious Shattering Crisp and Juicy Oven Fried Turkey Wings

Forking Easy Delicious Shattering Crisp and Juicy Oven Fried Turkey Wings

To me the Wing on a Turkey is the most delicious when you season it just so and it has a crispy tasty exterior and a moist flavorful juicy interior. Sorry my photo doesn’t do the wings justice. It was so crispy with hard loud crunches and so juicy it was messy to eat. This is an easy way to make the Forking Best Turkey Wings ever!

Ingredients for 2 servings

2 turkey wings from a medium sized brined turkey

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Hungarian sweet paprika to taste – just a few light shakes all over wings

4 pinches granulated garlic – lightly on both sides of wings

fresh ground sea salt to taste – just a sprinkle all over wings

fresh ground black pepper to taste – just a sprinkle all over wings

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 degree F.

Put turkey wings in a plastic bag with the olive oil and massage the olive oil all into the wings.

Place the wings on a baking sheet and sprinkle on all the spices. Note the wings are set on the sheet in a way that very little surface of the wing actually touches the baking sheet. (I spread the wings out a little after I took photo)

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Put the wings in the oven on the middle rack.

They will be done in 50-60 minutes.  You should use a Thermometer and the temp should read close to 180 degrees F. Be careful eating them because they stay hot a much longer time than you think. I got the wings done a half hour before I wanted them so they got to rest for 20 minutes. I popped them in a 350 degree F oven for only 10 minutes with some vegetables I was preparing. The wings were very hot but when I got to them they were FORKING AWESOME!

These Turkey Wings are so flavorful with a shattering crisp skin and a messy juicy inside.

Forking Easy Delicious Shattering Crisp and Juicy Oven Fried Turkey Wings

Forking Easy Delicious Shattering Crisp and Juicy Oven Fried Turkey Wings

Too bad a whole turkey only comes with two wings. These wings really were FORKING GOOD!

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth