Are you ready for it yet? Whether you are planning on a low key celebration or a larger gathering, the recipes in this entry will help. And help they will if you want to give your feast a more Mexican twist this year!
Take for example this deliciously fragrant and easy to fix Tequila Turkey, infused with the earthy flavor of Tequila’s agave notes and perfumed with delicate herb aromas.
Tequila Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 10 lbs. turkey not smoked
- 2 cups your favorite Tequila
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 unit white onion
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 8 bay leaves
- 6 sprigs thyme
- OR,
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
- Thaw your turkey in the fridge. Once completely thawed, rinse thoroughly with running water and pat dry with kitchen towels. Place in a deep tray that fits in your fridge. Using a marinade injector, inject turkey all over with the tequila.
- In the blender mix the milk with the onion and garlic cloves. Pour this mixture over the turkey. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on top and add the bay leaves and thyme. Marinade inside the fridge for 12 hrs., then flip turkey upside down and marinade for 12 more hrs.
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Place the turkey in a roasting pan, previously greased with the olive oil, breast side up and tie the legs and wings with trussing thread. Pour some of the marinade on top. Place in preheated oven and cook for 3 -3.5 hrs. until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey (meaty part of thigh) reads 165 F.
- Carefully take the turkey out of the oven, let in rest for 20 – 30 minutes before carving, garnish to your liking and serve.
Sweet potatoes are abundant around this time and they are ubiquitous in most Thanksgiving menus. Give this Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple recipe a try this year!
Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs. Sweet potatoes peeled and cooked
- 1 5-oz. can fat-free evaporated milk
- 1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple in 100% pineapple juice save 3 tbsp from can to garnish mashed sweet potatoes.
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice from the can
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 - 2 tbsp brown sugar, to taste
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Melt the butter (or margarine) over medium heat in a pot; remove from heat, add the sweet potatoes and mash them.
- Pour the milk over the sweet potato/butter mash. Add sugar, cinnamon, ginger, pineapple and pineapple juice. Mix everything together very well.
- Cook for 10 minutes over low heat until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Serve warm and garnish with the reserved crushed pineapple.
And what is the Turkey without the stuffing? Incomplete, plain and simple. This Chorizo Cornbread Almond-Pepita Stuffing is the perfect accompaniment!
Chorizo Cornbread Almond-Pepita Stuffing
Ingredients
- 2 9-oz. Mexican chorizo sausages cases removed
- 1 unit large white onion finely chopped
- 2 unit carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 1 unit Serrano chile seeded, deveined and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup sliced almonds peeled
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas) shelled and roasted
- 1 1 day old cornbread crumbled into 1 inch cubes
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro rinsed and finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock low sodium, store-bought also fine
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup Mexican Blend or Manchego cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Cook the chorizo in a skillet stirring until it begins to brown. Add the onion, carrot, chile and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables have browned. Add the almonds and the pepitas, tossing everything together.
- Finally add the crumbled cornbread and the cilantro, and pour little by little enough of the stock but not too much of it. You want your stuffing moist enough not to be dry, but not soaking wet. Maintain a balance! Dry stuffing is sad, but soggy stuffing is depressing! Stir gently and well.
- Grease a dish with the olive oil and spread the stuffing evenly in one layer. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake until stuffing is lightly browned on top, and cheese has melted, approximately 15 – 20 minutes.
And last but not least, are you looking for a dessert that is not pumpkin pie? You can still have your pumpkin spice! Make this spectacular, showstopping Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake-Flan this year, for a delightful change!
If you are not a fan of Pumpkin Spice and can’t eat enough peanut butter, try this decadent, game changing Peanut Butter Chocoflan.
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