SEASON’S GREETINGS!
Today, December 25th, our family celebrates my sister Rita’s birthday. She will forever be the special Christmas gift our family was so privileged to receive on that Christmas day. This time of the year makes us reflect on many different things. This moment, this day, this season will never come again. Treasure it and treasure those you love who make it memorable. I like to keep in mind that the best reflection of Christmas takes place in the mirror of our own hearts.
I think it would be safe to say that turkey still rules the day as the most traditional centerpiece for the Canadian Christmas dinner. Canada is a country with a very diverse background, so we enjoy a mix of cuisines and traditions from all over the world. Although that festive foul remains the center focus, other dishes on the table are undoubtedly reflecting how Canadian tastes are changing.
Because people are travelling more, our knowledge of food has expanded dramatically. It’s all about flavor now, which has led us to more exotic spices and ingredients. We have become much more sophisticated in our approach to preparing food.
Pomegranates are considered a symbol of Christmas in Greece. The fruit is frequently depicted in seasonal contexts, be it on Christmas cards or posters, or replicated in three-dimensional form made of pottery, silver, brass, glass, even gold as a tabletop ornament, a bauble or tree ornament, or as a precious and pretty attachment to classy gift wrappings.
In ancient Greece, it seems to have mainly symbolized fertility, but in the modern Greek tradition that meaning has shifted a little, the pomegranate now being a symbol primarily of prosperity and good fortune. Habitually, a single fruit is hung up above the door of the house on Christmas Day. When the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve, all the lights go out and the whole family goes out on the doorstep of the house. Then the one that is chosen to enter the door of the house first -usually father of the house- breaks the pomegranate and the wonderful red fruits pop up on the door. He always breaks it with his right hand and enters with his right foot as this is believed it will bring luck in the new year. The juicy pieces of pomegranate that look like rubies fill the house with health and happiness (as well as the pomegranate seeds).
Christmas comes and goes each year during which the ‘Christmas Spirit’ is alive and well. Wouldn’t it be nice if that same spirit was applied to our daily lives all year long.
BIRTHDAY WISHES WITH LOVE TO YOU RITA. HOPE YOU & RICK HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!
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- 100 gm (2/3 cup) pomegranate seeds
- 1/3 cup butter,
- 3/4 cup onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 100 gm fresh mushrooms, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/8 tsp dried summer savory
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 100 gm prosciutto, finely chopped
- 4 cups (150 gm) small bread cubes, dry
- 1 cup (220 gm) COOKED pearl barley You will need 1/3 cup uncooked to make this amount.
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth Add ONLY enough to make a proper stuffing consistency
- 1.3 kg (2 1/2 LBS) boneless/skinless turkey breast, butterflied
- 1-2 Tbsp butter,
- 1/2 tsp EACH parsley, rosemary, sage leaves & thyme
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Ingredients
Stuffing
Turkey
Herb Butter
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- Cook barley & set aside. In a saucepan, sauté onion, celery, garlic, mushrooms & seasonings in margarine. Stir in the prosciutto, cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl & cool for about 15 minutes. Combine with dry bread cubes, cooked barley, & broth, adding only enough broth to make proper stuffing consistency. Stir in pomegranate seeds & set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Lay turkey breast on a clean work surface so that it lies open & flat. Cover with plastic wrap, then pound lightly with a meat mallet to flatten into an even thickness all over. Discard plastic wrap.
- On one half of the turkey breast spread a thick layer of the stuffing. Fold the adjoining half of the turkey breast overall. Fasten with metal skewers if you wish to help to keep stuffing enclosed.
- Place a wire rack in a roasting pan & lay stuffed turkey roast on it. Brush herb butter over turkey breast. Roast uncovered, until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 180 F. about 2 hours. Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too quickly.
- Place any extra stuffing in a buttered casserole & bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is lightly toasted.
- Remove turkey breast from oven, tent with foil & allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes. Make sure to remove all toothpicks and/or skewers before slicing to serve.
