Today, March 21st, our family honors the memory of my father on his birth date. He passed away at the age of 92, 18 years ago. Although my father lost his sight to macular degeneration, he carried on in his life with much courage and dignity. I have great admiration and appreciation of the special man he was.
Having been raised on a farm, chicken was a very common meal. I think my mother probably prepared chicken every possible way there is to cook them. At that time I had never heard of a Cornish game hen let alone eaten one.
By the 1950’s, the Cornish Game Hen was fabulously popular. The usual weight is about 500-700 grams, which makes it ample for an individual serving. I remember in the 1970’s, Cornish game hens were considered to be a very upscale or exotic dinner and quite expensive.
According to legend, the Cornish game hen was actually ‘invented’. The original breeder was a woman by the name of ‘Tea’ Makowsky. At the age of 15, she moved to Paris, France finding work at both a milliner’s shop and a cheese shop. It was here she met her husband and they married in 1933. Fleeing from the Nazis, they settled in the USA. After fire destroyed their farm in 1949. the Makowskis, began experimenting and came up with a cross breed of Cornish game cocks and Plymouth Rock hens. The result was a plump little bird that matured quickly with all-white meat. In less than 5 weeks, the chicken was ready to be sold.
I’m sure had my Dad tasted this stuffed version he would have probably enjoyed it so I thought it was fitting for todays blog recipe.
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Apricot Amaretto Stuffed Cornish Hens
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Stuffing
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In a small saucepan, combine dried apricots, apple juice & amaretto; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover & simmer 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine muffin pieces, almonds, melted butter, cinnamon & apricot mixture. Mix well.
Herb Butter
In a small dish, combine all ingredients. Rinse hens & pat dry. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt inside each hen cavity. Stuff each hen with muffin mixture. Skewer opening together. Place hens' breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Spread herb butter over each one then place a bacon slice on each breast. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt plum jam, stirring frequently.
After 1 1/2 hours of roasting, remove bacon & continue roasting hens, uncovered for 15 more minutes, basting with plum jam every 5 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure hens are cooked through. Remove skewers . Serve immediately.
* To toast almonds, spread on a cookie sheet, bake at 375 F. for 5-6 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Christmas Day 2022! It’s amazing how fast this time of year arrives. Nevertheless, the day has arrived, and we are celebrating it for its spiritual meaning as well as a family birthday. Today is my sister Rita’s birthday and though it has been many years since we could all be together at this time as a family, her birth date brings many precious memories. Nostalgia is a very strange thing. It pops up when you least expect it. Taste, smell, music can take you right back to a moment.
My siblings & I grew up on a farm in southern Alberta. Christmas for our family was less about gifts and more about family time & great food. I have such good memories of uncomplicated things that were so special. The Christmas cards hanging on strings decorating every room of our house, cookie cannisters full of Christmas baking, having a wonderful Christmas meal, evenings, when the chores were all done, all of us sitting around the dining room table cracking nuts & eating a few candies with some homemade root beer as a family. And of course, Rita’s birthday meant an added bonus of a birthday cake. In today’s world, all of these things seem so insignificant but they were definitely some of the best and simplest pleasures of a lifetime.
Today, Brion & I are making our day special by having some turkey breast with sweet potato stuffing. Stuffing is a lot like meatloaf — no two recipes are the same, but each one is the best. Aside from sweet potato fries, I’m guessing that most people eat sweet potatoes primarily at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It seems like people fall into one of two categories for the big meal: those who like marshmallows with their sweet potatoes, and those who find the sweet-on-sweet combination revolting. In fact, despite its reputation as a holiday for ‘togetherness,’ these occasions seem to inspire much food-related conflict: should stuffing have fruit in it? Is green bean casserole delicious, or repellant? Is deep-frying a turkey awesome, or deeply terrifying?
Neither Brion or I like the traditional ‘candied yams’, but after making some savory sweet potato bread around Easter this year, I got an idea. Why couldn’t this bread be used in a stuffing for the turkey?? Here’s what evolved from that idea.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RITA! WE LOVE YOU & CELEBRATE YOU ON YOUR DAY.
SEASONINGS GREETINGS TO EVERYONE WHO ENJOYS & FOLLOWS OUR BLOG
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Turkey Breast w/ Savory Sweet Potato Stuffing
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Stuffing
In a saucepan, sauté onion, celery, garlic, mushrooms & seasonings in margarine. Remove from heat. Place vegetable/seasoning mixture in a large bowl & combine with dry sweet potato bread cubes & broth, adding only enough broth to make proper stuffing consistency. Set aside.
Turkey
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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. Spread the inside of each half with a bit of the herb butter.
On one half of the turkey breast place a thick layer of the savory. 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 top browns too quickly.
Place any extra savory 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. Slice & serve with extra stuffing.
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Recipe Notes
- The recipe for my savory sweet potato bread was previously posted for an Easter Brunch on April 17/2022. I made one recipe & used half of the loaf for this stuffing.
December 25th is not only Christmas Day, but it holds an extra special meaning for our family. It is my sister Rita’s birth date. When we were growing up, being able to enjoy all the great things that come with the Christmas meal as well as birthday cake …. could it get better than that!!
Although your family’s Christmas traditions may vary depending on the culture you were raised in, we like to think food is a language that needs no translation. I believe that many of our dishes are from an assortment of different cultures mixed into one recipe. Such is the case of our turkey dinner this year. I’ve incorporated a Moroccan inspired fruit stuffing along with our traditional savory one.
In view of the ongoing pandemic, hopefully caution will be taken in the holiday events your involved in. The best gift you can give this Christmas is not infecting others with Covid-19.
As much as I like certain aspects of the Christmas season, I find it becomes a little overwhelming. It seems a massive wave of Christmas capitalism takes over every aspect of one’s life from the end of October to January. I like to call it a form of OCD: Obsessive Christmas Disorder.
I was raised on a farm in southern Alberta at a time when Christmas celebrations were focused around our family blessings and not how many blow-up Santa Clauses or realistic sleighs we set up on our front lawns.
It would almost seem more importance is being given to getting more likes on Facebook & Instagram than it is carrying on a tradition based on family.
This year will not be perfect, it never is, and the holidays are a hard enough time for many, regardless of pandemics and catastrophic weather. I hope there will still be a little magic for everyone, however you spend the holidays.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RITA!
WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH & ARE SHARING YOUR DAY IN OUR THOUGHTS
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Turkey Breast w/ Fruity Savory Stuffing
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Rating: 5
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Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Fruit Stuffing
In a small bowl, combine dates, apricots, raisins, apple & orange juice & zest; season with spices & mix well. Set aside to marinate.
Savory Stuffing
In a saucepan, sauté onion, celery, garlic, mushrooms & seasonings in margarine. Remove from heat.
Place vegetable/seasoning mixture in a large bowl & combine with dry bread cubes & broth, adding only enough broth to make proper stuffing consistency. Set aside.
Turkey
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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 savory stuffing then top it with the fruit stuffing. Fold the adjoining half of the turkey breast over all. 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 top browns too quickly.
Place any extra savory 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.
Recipe Notes
- You will notice the recipe for the savory stuffing is well more than what is needed to stuff the turkey breast. For me personally, the stuffing is the most important part of the whole meal so I made sure there would be lots.
- Don't hesitate to half the recipe if you feel its more than what you need.
Cooking turkey parts instead of the entire bird serves a few purposes. It not only cuts way back on the cooking time but it allows you to cook more of your favorite pieces. For dark meat lovers, roasted turkey thighs are the perfect option as the meat is succulent and flavorful without losing its moistness during the roasting time.
As soon as I spot persimmons in the grocery store I can’t resist them. Persimmons are in season between November and February. They are mildly sweet and juicy with a slight crunch reminiscent of a cross between a peach and a pear. Since there is only a short window in which you can enjoy this exotic fruit, persimmons make up for it by working well in both sweet and savory recipes.
In acknowledgement to the USA Thanksgiving today (November 25th), I’m stuffing some turkey thighs with an interesting dressing containing persimmons & fresh sage. I know most people have their own traditional, ‘go-to‘ stuffing recipes, but I’m hoping at least a few will venture from the norm and try a little persimmon in your stuffing. I can assure you, its worth it.
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Turkey Thighs w/ Persimmon Sage Stuffing
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Ingredients
Stuffing
- 454 gm bread, cubed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 2 shallots, minced, optional
- 2 celery stalks, trimmed & thinly sliced
- 1 medium (about 230 gm) leek, cleaned & thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- salt to taste
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 large firm Fuyu persimmons, peeled & cubed
Ingredients
Stuffing
- 454 gm bread, cubed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 2 shallots, minced, optional
- 2 celery stalks, trimmed & thinly sliced
- 1 medium (about 230 gm) leek, cleaned & thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- salt to taste
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 large firm Fuyu persimmons, peeled & cubed
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Votes: 1
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Instructions
Stuffing
Preheat oven to 200 F. On a parchment or foil lined baking sheet, spread out the cubes of bread. Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly toasted yet still pale in color. Set aside. Turn oven off until ready to bake ready to roast thighs if you wish.
In a large saucepan or pot over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil & 1 Tbsp butter. When butter has melted, add the shallot, celery & leek. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, sage, thyme & pepper; cook until mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the broth and toss lightly until everything is completely mixed. Give the stuffing a taste & add salt to your personal taste. Fold in the beaten egg & cubed persimmons; toss lightly till combined.
Herb Butter
In a small dish, combine all herb butter ingredients & set aside.
Assembly & Baking
Arrange turkey thighs, skin side down on a work surface so they lay open & flat. Cover with plastic wrap, then pound lightly with a meat mallet to flatten to an even thickness.
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Discard plastic wrap; spread stuffing over 2 turkey thighs, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge. Top each with a remaining turkey thigh. Butter a casserole dish with remaining butter & transfer any leftover stuffing to casserole dish, spreading it out evenly.
Line a roasting pan with heavy duty foil paper. Grease foil on the bottom of pan & place the stuffed turkey thighs in roasting pan. Carefully spread HERB BUTTER over tops of stuffed thighs.
Roast uncovered, basting occasionally, until thighs reach an internal temperature of 180 F. about 2 hours. Cover with foil if top browns too quickly. Bake the extra stuffing for about 30-40 minutes, until the top of the stuffing is golden brown.
Remove turkey thighs from oven, tent with foil & allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes. Slice & serve.
SEASON’S GREETINGS TO EVERYONE!
If this year has taught us anything, its that you can’t plan ahead at this moment. The coronavirus pandemic that has shuttered much of the world economy has also stole festivals, celebrations, reunions and all the related joys of a normal course of life.
Like everything else this year, Christmas 2020 looks very different to what we are used to. But, all this doesn’t mean that Christmas is cancelled. It just means you have to be a bit more creative about making it another joyful and meaningful memory for you and your loved ones.
This brings me to the special event in our family on Christmas day. December 25th just happens to be my sister Rita’s birth date. She will forever be the ‘special gift’ our family was so priviledged to receive at Christmas.
Rita, you are loved and treasured very much. Brion & I are very grateful for the fact you are able to share some of your time with our sister Loretta, especially in light of the covid crises.
With regard to our Christmas dinner being featured in this blog, the herbs added heaps of savory flavor to the stuffing and turkey rub. Rosemary, thyme and sage are quintessential winter herbs that really give that special holiday flavor …. no pears, apples, nuts are necessary. Having been cultivated for thousands of years around the world, herbs have helped shape culinary traditions that have lasted into modern times.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RITA … WE CELEBRATE YOU WITH LOVE
ENJOY YOUR DAY!!
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Herb-Crusted Turkey Breast w/ Mushroom Leek Stuffing
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Rating: 5
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups leeks, thinly sliced
- 250 gm fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
- 1 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 tsp EACH sea salt & pepper (divided)
- 1.3 kg boneless turkey breast, butterflied
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups leeks, thinly sliced
- 250 gm fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
- 1 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 tsp EACH sea salt & pepper (divided)
- 1.3 kg boneless turkey breast, butterflied
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Stuffing
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add garlic & sauté, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Add leeks & cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms & cook until softened & liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat & stir in breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs & 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper; set aside.
Herb Butter
In a small dish, combine all herb butter ingredients & set aside.
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Assembly
Arrange turkey breast skin side down on a work surface so that it lies open & flat. Cover with plastic wrap, then pound lightly with a meat mallet to flatten & make an even thickness all over.
Discard plastic wrap & season turkey all over with remaining salt & pepper.
Spread stuffing over turkey, leaving a 3/4-inch border around the edge. Close up snugly, tucking in the stuffing as you go, then tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals around the entire turkey breast.
Rub turkey all over with herb butter & arrange it on a rack in a roasting pan.
Roast uncovered, basting occasionally, until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 180 F. about 2 hours. (Cover with foil if top browns too quickly).
Remove & discard twine, slice turkey & serve.
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!
The second Monday of October has been the day Canada has celebrated Thanksgiving since 1957. You might say it is synonymous with autumn & the harvest season. For us, its a time to be thankful for having the privilege of being Canadian and able to live in such a wonderful country.
Autumn is not to be taken lightly, its a magical season that is often overlooked. The green around us gets replaced by flaming oranges, bright reds and golden yellows. Much like the leaves swirling in the crisp autumn breeze, we are reminded that Mother Nature has an incredible influence on our lives.
This year has been like no other in most of our lives. Without a doubt the world is experiencing a health crises of a huge magnitude. I doubt whether many aspects of the life we once new, will ever be the same again. Some time ago I read an article that was posted on Facebook. When things are verbalized it seems to make them unmistakably clear. I’ve always believed there is a reason for everything even if we don’t know what it is at the time. I want to re-post this article as I thought it is certainly worth reading and giving some thought to.
We fell asleep in one world and woke up in another * Suddenly Disney is out of magic * Paris is no longer romantic * New York doesn’t stand up anymore * The Chinese wall is no longer a fortress and Mecca is empty * Hugs & kisses suddenly become weapons, and not visiting parents and friends becomes an act of love * Suddenly you realize that power, beauty and money are worthless, and can’t get you the oxygen you’re fighting for * The world continues its life and it is beautiful. It only puts humans in cages. I think its sending us a message * ‘You are not necessary. The air, earth, water and sky without you are fine. When you come back, remember that you are my guests. Not my masters’.
For our Thanksgiving meal today, I am making a turkey breast roast. The turkey breast is deboned, butterflied and pounded to an even thickness, then filled with stuffing. Usually it is tied with kitchen twine and roasted in a low and slow oven.
This particular stuffing contains figs, apples and some Italian sausage. I think it should make for a good Thanksgiving meal.
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Roast Turkey Breast w/ Fig & Sausage Stuffing
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Ingredients
- 1.3 kg whole turkey breast, boneless w/ skin on (2 halves)
- 3/4 cup dried figs, stems removed & diced
- 1/2 cup orange juice I prefer sweetened juice
- 1/4 cup butter,
- 1 medium Gala apple, peeled, cored & chopped
- 1 1/2 cups onions, diced
- 1 cup celery stalks, diced
- 2 MILD Italian sausages, casings removed
- 1 tsp EACH parsley, rosemary, sage leaves & thyme
- 2-3 Tbsp hazelnuts OR walnuts, chopped
- 3 cups stale bread cubes
- 30 gm Parmesan cheese, grated
- salt & pepper to taste
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg whole turkey breast, boneless w/ skin on (2 halves)
- 3/4 cup dried figs, stems removed & diced
- 1/2 cup orange juice I prefer sweetened juice
- 1/4 cup butter,
- 1 medium Gala apple, peeled, cored & chopped
- 1 1/2 cups onions, diced
- 1 cup celery stalks, diced
- 2 MILD Italian sausages, casings removed
- 1 tsp EACH parsley, rosemary, sage leaves & thyme
- 2-3 Tbsp hazelnuts OR walnuts, chopped
- 3 cups stale bread cubes
- 30 gm Parmesan cheese, grated
- salt & pepper to taste
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
In a small saucepan, simmer figs in orange juice about 4 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
In a large skillet, melt butter & add apple, celery, onions, herbs & sausage, breaking up the sausage into small pieces. Sauté for about 10 minutes until fruit/vegetables are soft & sausage is browned.
Add the nuts & figs with any liquid remaining & cook for another 2 minutes.
In a large bowl, add the sausage mixture to the bread cubes & grated parmesan. Toss until quite moist & well combined; season to taste with salt & pepper
Lay plastic wrap on your work surface. Butterfly turkey breasts & carefully pound until you acquire an even thickness. Even though you are using a boneless turkey breast there is that piece of hard grizzle still holding the breast halves together. I like to remove it but still keep the skin in one piece. When you fold the breast to cover the stuffing everything stays together nicely. It makes it real easy when its cooked & you are ready to slice.
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Spoon stuffing on one side & press down slightly. Using the plastic wrap, flip the other half of the turkey breast over stuffing. Tuck in any stuffing that falls out. Tie roast with KITCHEN TWINE or leave as is. Place the turkey breast, on a foil lined baking pan (not glass).
Brush with HERB BUTTER. Roast 2-2 1/2 hours. Each oven roasts different so test in a few places with a meat thermometer to be sure.
Cover breasts loosely with foil for 20 minutes before slicing. remove twine & carve 1-inch slices & serve with extra stuffing if you wish.
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Recipe Notes
- This recipe will be enough for Thanksgiving dinner as well as leftovers for a few more meals depending on the amount of dinner guests you have.
- I'm a stuffing lover, so you will notice there is ample stuffing in this recipe.
