Comunidad Health Foods

You know, people really should warn you about the turkey neck. I knew about the gizzards, that little pouch of squishy organs that are best handled by not thinking too much about what, exactly, you’re removing from the body cavity. Everyone talks about them, so you know that when you buy a full turkey, you’re going to have to deal with them at some point. But no one ever talks about the neck. Why is that? I was fine with the gizzards. I pulled them out like a champ. But last Friday, home alone, just me, my puppy, and a fourteen pound bird, I was in for a rude awakening when the instructions on the turkey package instructed me to, ahem, “remove the neck from the body cavity.” Perplexed, I wondered many things – how will I know it’s the neck? Is it still attached? Should I get my kitchen shears? What if I remove the wrong thing? With no one or thing to consult, I figured the best solution was simply to reach in and see what I found. And so I did, and I caught hold of something and decided to pull. And out came what was probably just shy of a foot of actual, honest to goodness turkey neck. (I mean really, I don’t know what else I was expecting, but I was unpleasantly surprised nonetheless.) Well let me tell you, I just about fell smack on the floor and converted to vegetarianism right then and there.

Luckily, I persevered. I took a few deep breaths, choked back my silly tears, and neatly placed that awful, awful esophageal catastrophe to the side. I refocused on the task at hand, and six hours – yes, six! I’m apparently horrifically inefficient at carving a turkey – I had an aluminum foil container of turkey slices ready to go for the Thanksgiving Social my fellow Student Dietetic Association officers were throwing for our members. Phew. 

I have to say, I don’t really like turkey. I’ve actually decided to not really eat it – in its roasted, whole-bird form, anyway. In my constant wishy-washy dilemma between omnivorism and vegetarianism, I decided to cut out all superfluous sources of meat – the stuff I eat because it’s there and not because I particularly enjoy it. In this way, I can become more of a plant-based eater without denying my body the gustatory and nutritional benefits of the occasional portion of meat. Roasted turkey falls into the category of foods I can live without. In fact, most traditional Thanksgiving dishes don’t do a whole lot to excite me: I love sweet potatoes, just not sweet potato casserole; I like green beans, but not combined with canned soup and French’s crispy onions; I like real, homemade, tart-not-overly-sweet cranberry sauce but certainly not that jiggly stuff from a can; and, ok, I like pumpkin pie without just about any way you slice (and bake) it. There is always an exception to the rule.

Secretly, I want to have a Thanksgiving with stuffed acorn squash, roasted Brussels sprouts, ginger-and-orange infused cranberry sauce, and a good fall soup. I want to have so many pumpkin dishes I almost –almost! – get sick of the ingredient by the end of it – cornbread, cheesecake, ice cream, whoopee pies, rolls. Turkey? Eh. I found out that my family is going to a restaurant for Thanksgiving (that’s a whole other story – and yes, I’m still a bit grumpy about it), and if nothing else, I was satisfied to go over the menu and realize that I could have a pretty complete autumn dinner without a single bite of the bird.

But I know that isn’t the case for most people. I know there are people who look forward to next year’s Thanksgiving feast before their leftovers from that year are gone. And for those people, I have a very nice turkey recipe for you. It’s easy to make, very classic in its herbs and seasonings but not at all boring, and will pair well with pretty much any other side you choose to have. So, if you have your bird but are still searching for a good recipe, consider this one! Even I had to admit that it was pretty good.

 One Year Ago: Chicken Chutney One Pot

At the risk of completely contradicting all that I wrote yesterday, I’d like to introduce a new feature here at Floptimism: Thirty Minute Thursdays, the day of the week where I will feature one (or several) dishes that I’ve made recently from my Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals cookbook.

Most of the recipes I post here are either my own creations or pulled from internet sites, and as I collect more and more bookmarked recipes to try, my rather large collection of real, tangible cookbooks has been tragically neglected. I decided that starting this summer, I would choose a cookbook and cook my way through it, perhaps in a vaguely Julie & Julia manner, but a little more relaxed. I won’t cook absolutely everything and I don’t have a deadline for when I want to “finish” – I just want to start clearing out my cookbooks, testing the waters, finding gems, and donating ones that don’t really live up to expectations.

 There’s only one dilemma: do I post the recipes? I have posted recipes from cookbooks – in fact, from this Rachael Ray cookbook specifically – and in general don’t find it to be ethically troublesome, especially when I alter the recipe here or there. However, if I’m turning this into a blog feature and planning to post a vast majority of a single cookbook’s recipes, is that copyright infringement? Is it threatening Rachael Ray’s profit margins if I just hand you the book, each week a different page, free of charge? How thin is the ice on which I’m skating? I’d love to know your opinions, because I’m really not sure where the line is drawn.

For now, I’ll share with you 2 photos and post one of the recipes. I made a vinegar cole slaw and a three-bean salad as side dishes for 4^th of July, and paired them with delicious grass-fed burgers, spiced according to what Annie at Annie’s Eats calls The Perfect Hamburger Recipe. I have to say, the burgers were pretty tasty, though not intensely flavored enough for me to deem them quite perfect. Delicious? Absolutely! Easy? Sure thing! Next time I might add a few more onions and a dash more spice, personally, but definitely check out her post for that recipe.

 Now back to these salads. The cole slaw recipe was good, enjoyable, but nothing memorable. In fact, at its worst it could be described as bland, though I think that’s being a little too harsh. At its best, it is a simple, very subtle slaw that improves after a little time out in the fridge – I’m talking overnight, not the 20 minutes Rachael calls for. I enjoyed it more when I added some paprika, and even more when I mixed some leftovers with roasted veggies and grilled chicken pieces. My mom said it reminded her a little bit of a vinegar cole slaw she makes sometimes, though she insinuated that hers was better and, well, mighty flavorful. If I make that any time soon (or just taste it!) I’ll have to let you know.

The three-bean salad was much, much better. If you don’t like beans, you can sit this one out (my dad’s not a big bean guy – can’t get him past it), but if you do…please try this salad. It’s extremely flavorful, tangy with a bite from a wasabi-infused mustard I used, and the texture of the cool beans is very pleasant. L said he doesn’t really like cool, non-traditional salads so he warmed his up and gave me a thumbs up for it, so I can now tell you with confidence that it’s delicious at any temperature. I also ate the last of it over fresh spinach this afternoon, and it was wonderful. My only complaint with the recipe is that it makes an obscene amount of dressing – you could easily quarter the dressing and still have enough to generously coat the salad. I served it with a slotted spoon and it was still a little drenched, so I’ve indicated that change below.

 One Year Ago: Indian-Spiced Lentil Pasta