W elcome to the holiday season! Do you have your Thanksgiving menu planned? If so I have some additional options for you. If not I have some recipes to help you.
Last year I conducted an experiment infusing lemongrass with a turkey breast. The result was a moist and very flavorful turkey. So this year I took it a step forward and infused a whole 18 pound turkey. Again the turkey was moist and very flavorful. If you use the same recipe year after year and would like try this yourself, modify your recipe with the following. Add 1 cup of very hot water (lightly boiling just prior to cooking) per 10 pounds of turkey weight. 2 stalks of lemongrass (cut stalk into thirds, for details of segment preparation see recipe) per 10 pounds of turkey weight.
I am fortunate to have plenty of fresh lemongrass growing at my home, but it is available at most grocery stores, and is easy to find at Asian markets. Lemongrass is a hearty grass, which has a very strong citrus flavor.
I would also like to share two other wonderful holiday recipes. First is a sweet potato mash with chives. This recipe is great if don't have oven space once you get the turkey cooking. I make this recipe every year, and it is one of my favorite parts of a holiday meal.
click here for sweet potato mash recipe
My other recipe which is also another of my favorite holiday foods, is butternut squash bisque. This recipe is simple and the result is a thick and flavorful soup. This recipe calls for the use of lemongrass, which fits nicely with the infused turkey. The recipe also calls for a garnish of dried cranberries.
click here for butternut squash bisque recipe
I have not yet talked about the other benefits of these recipes, but they are all health conscious. These recipes all call for fresh ingredients and use little to no added fat. The lemongrass has anti cancer, anti fungal, and antiseptic properties. The sweet potato and butternut squash are rich in dietary fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. So along with being very tasty these recipes are also very healthy. I hope that you enjoy your holiday meal, and have a Happy and healthy holidays.