Turkey: the multi-tasking food

Good morning. Lynn on the blog today with our thrifty idea of the week: Turkey.

View at Picasa 04-Oct-2008 23:55, CASIO COMPUTER CO.,L EX-Z600, 4.3, 6.2mm, 0.005 sec

Last weekend, we had a houseful – two of our grown sons and the two grand boys. In planning for the weekend, I wanted food solutions that would allow me to maximize my time with the boys AND feed them (did I mention that they eat often?). Bottom line, I didn’t want to be tied to the kitchen when the fun was in the living room.

Friday afternoon I put a bone-in turkey breast into the crock-pot with a sliced onion, sprig of rosemary and cup of broth/wine. Perfect meal the first night. The boys ate with vigor

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After dinner, hubby carved the meat into slices for sandwiches and snacks for the weekend. The carcass went back into the crock-pot with another onion, celery, carrots and water. It simmered overnight to make a fragrant broth. In the morning, I divided the liquid into two containers — one to use immediately for soup stock and another went in to freezer.

Saturday we picnicked in the park with turkey on whole-wheat sandwiches. On Sunday, we had turkey bagel sandwiches during our road trip to North Georgia to visit Burt’s Pumpkin Patch and Hillcrest Orchards to gather apples.

Turkey – it’s not just for Thanksgiving.

A couple of exciting developments:

View at Picasa Granville Island Public Market – Vancouver, BC06-Sep-2008 07:01, CASIO COMPUTER CO.,L EX-Z600, 2.7, 6.2mm, 0.01 sec

Visit www.wholefoods.com to save five dollars. Whole Foods Market has a downloadable coupon that is good for $5 off any purchase of $25 or more. The fine print: good for one purchase per day per customer through October 15 – 22, 2008. Now that is a thrifty idea. Mama Says is not associated with Whole Foods…we do shop there periodically …since we love their bulk food section…and we hope they don’t mind that we are sharing this information with our friends.

A note to our Atlanta readers, Fragile in Sandy Springs now carries the Mama Says, “No More Frozen Pizza!” recipe collection. Tell them Iris and Lynn sent you.

Comfort food ala the Joy of Cooking

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At the family’s request I made the same main dish for the second time in one week! This recipe is both comfort food and ideal for company. It is a delicious chicken curry recipe that I’ve adapted from the Joy of Cooking. It is relatively simple to prepare and receives rave reviews (and special requests). The leftovers are terrific as well.

Country Captain Chicken Curry
Serves 6+
40 minutes active time/40 minutes baking time

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour
2 – 3 tablespoons curry powder (plus a sprinkle to season flour)
1 tablespoon thyme (plus a sprinkle to season flour)
Salt and pepper
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into cubes)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, sliced into thin circles and halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (with juice)
1/2 cup golden raisins (or 1/2 cup currants)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour in a shallow baking or plastic bag. Season flour with salt, pepper along with a sprinkle of curry and thyme. Dredge chicken to coat lightly.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and brown on each side, about 10 minutes. Do this in batches to not over crowd the pan. Remove chicken to paper towel to drain and place in a casserole pan.

To the same skillet, add onions and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add curry powder, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir to blend. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour the tomato and onion sauce over the chicken and bake uncovered for 20 – 30 minutes until chicken tender and cooked through. During the last 5 minutes of baking, remove casserole from the oven, stir in raisins and return to the oven to finish cooking.

Garnish with parsley and almonds. Serve over rice.

Equipment:

Large knife
Shallow dish or plastic bag
Large skillet
Wooden spoon
Casserole pan

Adapted from Joy of Cooking, Rombauer and Becker, 1964 edition, Country Captain or East Indian Chicken Curry page 472.

Thank you for sharing so much positive feedback on the Mama Says, No More Frozen Pizza! recipe collection. We enjoy hearing about your success with the recipes and your time the kitchen. When you have a moment, please send us your thrifty ideas for the “Thrifty Thursday” blog. Thanks for joining us in the kitchen. Bye for now, Lynn