NEW CLASSIC RECIPE – THANKSGIVING EDITION

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“Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” Rumi

Hi there,

It is very interesting to me that my contributors to this Thanksgiving Edition have submitted recipes for small Thanksgiving dinners. All year I have been reading about ways the Pandemic has changed us, and I suppose this is another example of that change. It seems we are very content with smaller, more intimate gatherings.

What follows is my friend, Helen Fern, http://www.lazygastronome.com, recipe for Thanksgiving for two.

Thanksgiving for Two

Posted on November 23, 2020 by HelenFern

This year many families are going low-key for Thanksgiving.

This nasty pandemic is putting a damper on the normal Thanksgiving get togethers. Typically my husband and I go to my niece’s home with the rest of the family – my sister and her husband, my niece’s family, my brother, my grandson and his girlfriend and anyone else we can find to bring. It’s a loud and wild event, and we have a lot of fun and eat too much. And everyone gets a little turkey to take home for sandwiches later. But, not this year.

This year my grandson will stay home with his mom and sister. My niece will have her mom and dad (my sister and brother-in-law), and my brother will be home with his roommate. And my husband and I will celebrate alone. But we intend to enjoy it!

We’ll stay in our PJ’s most of the day. No chores except cleaning up after ourselves allowed. And we’ll even have a Thanksgiving meal – with enough leftovers for sandwiches!

Here’s How to Do it:

Let’s start with the turkey. Just two big turkey thighs will produce enough drippings for gravy and enough meat for two plus sandwiches later! Like lots of leftovers? Use four turkey thighs!

In a small bowl, mix together the spices and rub the turkey on all sides. Let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator for about four hours or overnight.

Make the cranberries the night before too. Simply mix everything together and refrigerate. Easy!

Mix the garlic and sea salt with the butter and rub the skin gently with it. Place the thighs, skin side up, in a roasting pan and bake at 350° for about 1-1/2 hours.

The skin should be crispy and brown.

Let it sit for five minutes or so

and carve the meat off the bone.

Side dishes? We used stove top cornbread stuffing with some sautéd onions and pork sausage. Of course, there were mashed potatoes and gravy from the pan drippings. Add all the condiments you like and enjoy a downsized Thanksgiving meal.

And later, the sandwiches!!

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

Servings: 2 people

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

Turkey Thighs

  • 2 large Turkey thighs or a turkey breast
  • 2 teaspoons garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Cranberries

  • 1 14oz can whole cranberries
  • 1/2 teaspoon raspberry balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Let’s start with the turkey. Just two big turkey thighs will produce enough drippings for gravy and enough meat for two plus sandwiches later! Like lots of leftovers? Use four turkey thighs!
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the spices and rub the turkey on all sides. Let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator for about four hours or overnight.
  3. Make the cranberries the night before too. Simply mix everything together and refrigerate. Easy!
  4. Mix the garlic and sea salt with the butter and rub the skin gently with it. Place the thighs, skin side up, in a roasting pan and bake at 350° for about 1-1/2 hours.
  5. The skin should be crispy and brown.
  6. Let it sit for five minutes or so and carve the meat off the bone.
  7. Side dishes? We used stove top cornbread stuffing with some sautéd onions and pork sausage. Of course there were mashed potatoes and gravy from the pan drippings. Add all the condiments you like and enjoy a downsized Thanksgiving meal.
  8. And later, the sandwiches!!

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

Thank you, Helen, for allowing me to use this wonderful post, and I hope everyone will stop over and become readers of Helen’s posts at http://lazygastronome.com.

30 responses to “NEW CLASSIC RECIPE – THANKSGIVING EDITION”

  1. The skin looks so crispy and irresistible!

  2. Darlene – British Columbia, Canada – Writer of children's stories, short stories and travel articles. https://twitter.com/#!/supermegawoman http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=201634059868404&id=631897250&ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/pages/Darlene-Foster-Writer/362236842733
    Darlene says:

    Perfect for a small group. I will save this for Christmas. Thanks.

  3. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen – I'm a writer, cook, gardener, photographer, poet, quilter, and accomplished daydreamer. I'm also a wife, mother, grandmother, sister. cousin, aunt, and friend, no particular order on any given day. I've been a writer all my life, newspaper reporter and columnist, radio news writer, and magazine contributor, and poet and short-story writer as the spirit moves. Now, I turn my attention to my cookbook, the blog, and a cooking column "Memorable Meals," which runs in our county newspaper. Besides my family, I love dogs, cats, good coffee, and my never-dwindling pile of books I intend to read. Our family ran a small Vermont Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic ingredients. After many years of daily serving up of our local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events, and the odd cooking class as the spirit moves me. We also host musicians and artists, having helped produce a musical festival and other musical events for nearly 20 years. Many incredible artists have found a place at our table. Wonderful experiences, we will treasure always. My family and friends are my practice subjects. With a family that includes nut, peanut, tree fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, vegans, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy! Personally, I do not eat red meat or most dairy (usually) for health reasons, making the occasional exception at Thanksgiving and Christmas or our anniversary if the duck is locally raised. I do eat fish and seafood, so I try to come up with alternatives and substitutions when available. I serve local organic eggs and cheeses to my family who can tolerate dairy (My husband recently had a heart attack, and I need to watch my own cholesterol so I am careful, but have been known to let a little piece of really good cheese accidentally fall on my plate!). I believe strongly that eating in a way that is good for our planet is also good for our bodies! I cook by the seasons and draw on inspiration from the strong and talented women in my family who came before me, as well as the youth in the family who look at the world with fresh eyes. Food links us all, whether sharing a meal, cooking it together, or writing about it for others to enjoy. I love taking an old recipe and giving it a modern spin, especially if I can make it a littler healthier and use foods that are kinder to the Earth and to our bodies. I believe strongly in sustainable, delicious eating of whole foods, and the wonderful flavors we have at our fingertips! And finally, I love conversing with all the talented cooks and chefs out there who dot the globe! It's a wonderful, world full of culinary pen pals, and I cherish them all! XXXOOO Dorothy
    Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen says:

    It’s all about the skin!

  4. the Painted Apron – Life is all about creativity for me, as long as I'm creating something I am happy! I hope I will inspire your daily life and give you ideas for your own wonderful creations!
    Jenna says:

    What a good idea to cook turkey thighs, I bet they are very flavorful!

  5. I think it’s true for so many people, scaling down the Thanksgiving meal, even after the so-called worst of COVID is behind us. It’s kind of sad to see the shift become more permanent, but it does allow for more meaningful conversation with a smaller group of guests. I like Helen’s approach to this simple yet traditional meal. I’ve always liked the dark meat of the turkey the best.

    • I like the idea of a more intimate table. So many opportunities to have a meaningful conversation are lost when there is a crowd. Thanks Terrie for your insight.

  6. Ronit Penso Tasty Eats – NY, NY – Private chef, cookbook author, food journalist and translator. I love traveling and love to find out more about food wherever I go.
    Ronit says:

    Using turkey thighs is a wonderful idea. It looks so very tasty. Love the crispy skin! Thank you Helen for sharing. 🙂

  7. This looks like a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving for two.

  8. What a good-looking meal. Thanks for this – and your blog post itself is so inviting and warm and lovely. Just like you! Happy Thanksgiving. The Rumi quote is perfect. <3

  9. Awakening Wonders – Everyday life is filled with wondrous things and embraceable moments, but only if we allow ourselves to be fully awakened. I invite you to join me as I share passionate life adventures and ramblings that awaken my spirit. I look forward to awakening your senses to the simple, joyous wonders that are all around us. I feel that we are destined to become soulful adventurers!
    Awakening Wonders says:

    Liked – “Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” Rumi

  10. last year we spent christmas on our own (me and hubby) and this year will be the same. a chicken sandwich sitting on our deck. I refer to christmas as we don’t have thanksgiving here in Aus. :=)

  11. Such a great idea to make dinner for two. It sounds like the perfect Thanksgiving meal Bernadette.

  12. D. Wallace Peach – 30 Miles beyond the edge of civilization, Oregon – I'm an adventurer in writing, peering under rocks in my garden for secret magic. I can't stop writing. My stories want to explode from my head. They demand my attention and surge from my fingertips faster than I can put them to paper. I love what I do.
    D. Wallace Peach says:

    I hadn’t noticed how much smaller our Thanksgiving gatherings have become, Bernadette, but it’s true. This year will be a small crew – my daughter’s family will join us. I miss the giant celebrations with all the card tables set up around the room, but this will be fun … and less work. The turkey rub and cranberry sauce recipe sounds wonderful (we eat leftover cranberry sauce on ice cream!). 😀

  13. Retirement Reflections – Vancouver Island, BC – Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.
    Retirement Reflections says:

    Richard and I may have Christmas Day on our own this year with family here just before and after. i will save this post just incase. PS – I totally should not have opened it when I was hungry. Too late!

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