Turkey in Mole Sauce

We had a nice lunch yesterday that did not involve jelly. I couldn't resist this Dona Maria Mole at the supermarket the other day. I love this kind of stuff. I get lost in the international aisle all the time. The ingredients weren't awful; there were only six of them and they were all real foods that I could pronounce, as per Michael Pollan's new book, Food Rules. (I like that he's stopped preaching to the choir and is trying to influence everybody. Good luck! Sincerely!) So I felt it was okay. I've been craving mole and am too lazy to make it myself. One day. But for now, I elect to be lazy. I don't think I could ever come up with what I'm craving--my mole experiences are from Oaxaca, and well, once you have that good stuff, you will never be able to accept anything else. One can pretend, though, can't one?

You basically slide this paste out of the glass jar (which I'll keep, thank you, very cute!) with four cups of stock, alongside your already seared turkey breast. Cover and put in the oven at 325 for about an hour. Then serve with piping hot tortillas, farmer's cheese, and a red cabbage salad tossed with parsley and a vinaigrette.

A Simple Broth

Yesterday I made a quick batch of turkey and collard green enchiladas for dinner. There wasn't much in the fridge, and I was sick with a bad cold, so it had to be quick and easy. But this isn't about the enchiladas. I poached the turkey in about six cups of water, adding the chopped up collards to cook alongside. A little bit of salt. This is about the water that turned into the most delicious broth. Reminded me of an excellent wonton soup I used to get at this Chinese restaurant in the West Village. Such good broth! Full of hearty green-ness! Today I threw some stale bread in it, with some cheese and olive oil and there was lunch. So simple. So good.

The Game - Bring It!

This photo will have to suffice for now, as soon I'll be too busy eating and drinking and drinking and eating. Right now, the turkey is in the oven stuffed with a lemon, a clementine and an onion, slathered in olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. The apple sausage stuffing is done, as is the apple cranberry crisp. The cauliflower and celeriac are on deck to be steamed and pureed. The turkey stock is waiting in the wings, so to speak, for its role in the gravy. And the cabbage is waiting patiently to be quickly sauteed in a vinegary brine, like a quick sauerkraut.

The fire is roasting away, while outside the fog and drear are shrouding the trees, making us that much more cozy inside. Contented sigh.

Post Script:


Fresh sauerkraut! I loved it. Steve was on the fence. Some people can't fathom sauerkraut for Thanksgiving. My dad begs to differ. He has a thing for turkey and sauerkraut.

Half of a large head of cabbage, sliced fine
Put in a glass bowl, add a tbsp. of sugar and a teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup of cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of water. Toss well and let sit for about an hour or so. The cabbage should wilt and release water. Then put the whole bowl, water and all, in a heavy pan and simmer until the liquid boils down a bit. While it simmers add a 1/2 tsp of celery seed.

Best turkey I've ever made I think!

Turkey and Kale Enchiladas

I had a turkey breast, half of a head of kale, lots of cheese...hmm. What the hell was dinner going to be? Could it be Turkey Enchiladas? I was really out there on a wing and a prayer, as they say, but ended up landing safely in cheesy goodness. For truly, how wrong can you go if you just smother something in cheese? Not so wrong, as evidenced by an empty baking dish shortly afterwards. Now, you ask, is this really an enchilada? I'm not sure. But what I do know is that aside from being easy, as per how I roll, it's so good for you, what with the kale and avocado. You know, really, everything else is good for you, too. So, what did I do?

First, I poach the turkey breast in chicken stock. Chop some kale and surrounded the meat with it so it wilts while the meat poaches. Once the turkey is done, about twelve minutes depending on its weight, remove it to a plate to cool and rest. Keep the kale in the pan cooking with the stock, add a bunch of chopped scallions and maybe a tablespoon of diced red onion, and a handful of parsley. After about ten minutes pour it all in the processor and whiz it up good with some salt and pepper. It was a little on the bland side, so I added two tablespoonfuls of sun-dried tomato bruschetta from Trader Joe's. It's little things like that that help out recipes sometimes. You can improvise, adding something tart and tangy, like capers or a dash of vinegar.

Shred the turkey and mix it with 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 tsp. of cumin, and 1/2 tsp. of tumeric. Divvy it all up between six ten-inch flour tortillas, add a little shredded empire jack and roll them up and place, seam side down, in a glass baking dish. I put a spoonful of sauce down first, so it wasn't a dry dish. Then, top with shredded sharp cheddar and the rest of the sauce and bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes, or until bubbling. Top with slices of avocado.

Whew. The dinner that almost wasn't.