Last Minute Recipes to Change Up Your Thanksgiving Menu

Picture via Sealand Enterprises

Jamaican Jerk Turkey (Recipe Courtesy Grace Foods)

1 12 pound turkey, thawed

½ cup Grace Jamaican Dried Jerk Seasoning

¼ cup Grace Caribbean Traditions: Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Grace Caribbean Traditions: Garlic Powder

¾ cup Grace Coconut Oil

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 small bunch scallion, chopped

½ cup lime juice

6 sprigs thyme

½ teaspoon clove

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup soy sauce

7 cloves smashed garlic

3 to 4 Scotch Bonnet peppers, chopped (keep the seeds if you want extra heat)

¼ cup ginger, peeled and minced

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place ¼ cup coconut oil, scallions, sugar, pepper, thyme, clove, nutmeg, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, scotch bonnet peppers and ginger in a food processor.  Puree everything until it becomes a smooth sauce.

Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels.  Lift the skin of the turkey and drizzle the remaining coconut oil under the skin and on top of the turkey meat.  Sprinkle the Grace Dried Jerk Seasoning, Black Pepper and Garlic Powder over the top of the turkey and rub into the skin and into the inside of the turkey.  Let the turkey sit and marinate with the seasoning until it comes to room temperature.

Place a rack into a roasting pan and place the turkey into the pan.  Tie the wings behind the turkey with twine.  Brush the turkey with the melted butter all over.  Reserve some of the butter for basting.  Also pour 2 cups of water into the roasting pan for basting liquid and let cook for an hour.  Remove after an hour and brush again with butter.  Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast until the internal temperature hits 150 degrees, this should take about 2 hours.  To determine this place a thermometer into the thigh without touching the bone.  Let cook for another hour until the internal temperature now hits 165 degrees.  Do not remove from roasting until it hits this temperature.

When finished cooking, remove turkey and place onto a cutting board and let sit for 30 minutes prior to carving.  Arrange turkey onto a serving platter and drizzle with the jerk sauce made in the food processor.  You can also put some into a ramekin for dipping and serving.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce (Makes 3 cups)

*Recipe courtesy organic activist and chef, Maria Rodale, the CEO and Chairman of Rodale Inc. (publisher of Women’s Health and Organic Life, among many other health and lifestyle magazines).  The recipe comes from her new cookbook Scratch.

2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
2 oranges or tangerines
1 cup sugar (or to taste)

Place the cranberries in a food processor or blender. Squeeze the juice from the oranges and add it to the cranberries.  Trim the ends from the oranges and then coarsely chop, skin and all. Add to the processor and blend until roughly chopped (not smooth).  Transfer to a bowl, add half the sugar, and stir to combine. If it is too tart, add a little more sugar to taste (up to 1 /2 cup). Refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Tags: recipes

Category: holiday cooking, main dish, Recipes, sauces, Various Cooking Styles