Unprocessed: Homemade Roast Turkey Sandwich

When I embarked upon this unprocessed journey, one thing I knew I was going to have to figure out was sandwiches.  Now not the biggest deal, but as a sandwich is not something I'm good at planning for I knew it would take some advance thought and prep.  I'm a sandwich fan and am a fan of deli sandwiches, first because they are quick and easy but also because there is just something about a sandwich made for you by someone else.  It tastes better and if I'm not eating a deli sandwich I want one made by my father, the king of the sandwich.  You can ask my dad for sandwich thinking there is nothing good in the fridge and he will manage to put together something amazing.  The problem even with his sandwiches is that they are made with deli meat.  Well if you want to go the unprocessed route on eating virtually all deli meat is our of the question.  God only knows where the processed meat they try to pass off as turkey comes from, even if it does taste good.  So the only way I could think of to satisfy my sandwich cravings during this month and potentially moving forward is to make my own meats.  I started off with turkey.

Many people find the idea of roasting turkey or chicken a rather daunting prospect.  Well maybe not most foodies and cooks, but many of my friends.  They'd always be so surprised and impressed when I would roast a chicken for dinner.  I've roasted whole chickens and whole turkeys but never just a breast.  My one concern was for keeping the meat nice and moist.  I decided to achieve this by cooking it on a lower heat nice and slow.  Normally when I roast a chicken I bump up the heat at the end to get a nice crispy skin, but for this breast that wast the biggest concern, though I love the skin I just wanted nice juicy meat for my sandwich. 

Superbowl Turkey Chili

OK folks, as many of you know I'm engaged. Well our date is set for this summer and I have a dress, planning is going swimmingly. It's all good. Except for this whole dress thing. While I'm perfectly happy with how I look in it know. I am completely buying into the hype that this is the most photographed day of your life, blah, blah. That being said I'm working out and modifying my diet to get to where I want to be. I'm going to use you my dear readers to help keep me honest. This all came about because I had a less than good food weekend, as can be seen in my recent Beer Bistro review. While I know I'm the type of person that needs to be able to taste things, I think I need to get better at only taking one bite of something bad and learning to moderate what I'm eating better. Case in point, the corn dogs and frites I had at Beer Bistro. The point is, I'll be writing a bit about the food I'm eating as well as what I'm cooking in a effort to help me be more mindful of what I put into my mouth, in a effort to better fit into my fabulous dress.

Now on to why you are reading this post, a fabulously tasty and easy chili for your Superbowl Celebration this weekend . Last week, a co-worker asked me last week for a slow cooker chili recipe to make for a Superbowl gather she is attending. I've made plenty of chili's this winter so far, but haven't ever really written down what I did. In an effort give her an accurate recipe and because I love having chili around for quick and easy dinners after a long day in the office. I set out to make some this weekend. Plus using turkey and lots of beans makes chili a protein and fiber rich option that paired with a green salad is a very well-rounded meal. I'm also trying to counter balance the bad from the weekend with some good this week. But for the good also has to be tasty and full of flavor.

Sage Roasted Turkey

Here is my final Thanksgiving Day Feast recipe. I apologize in advance for no photo but I made this meal for a group of hungry people who had just spent a November day in and out of a cold lake in Central Ontario bringing the dock in for the winter. Needless to say when this meal was done not one person had the patience to wait to be served a hot meal and after all the work they did I didn't think they should. As you read the recipe you'll see why it was hard to even snap a quick pic of the bird or shall I say a pretty quick pic of the bird. Even though there isn't photographic evidence of this deliciously tasty bird. I urge you to try it, whether it's with a turkey or a chicken. It's the only way to cook them as far as I am concerned.

Sage Roasted Turkey

serves 8 with leftovers

1 12 lb turkey
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 tsp sea salt
12 fresh sage leaves
1 lemon - washed and quartered
1 small onion quartered
6 or more fresh rosemary sprigs
6 or more fresh sage sprigs
1 head of garlic

1. Make sure your turkey is fully defrosted and at room temperature before roasting. Remove giblets and neck. Rinse and pat dry inner cavity and skin.
2. Preheat oven to 325F. Place butter, sage leaves and sea salt into a food processor and pulse until sage leaves are chopped and combined with butter. Set aside.
3. Sprinkle sea salt and fresh cracked pepper inside the turkey's cavity. Stuff the turkey with lemon quarters, onion quarters, whole head of garlic and sprigs of herbs.
4. Rub the sage butter all over the turkey's skin. Truss up the legs and wings. For instructions on how to truss a turkey click here.
5. Place the turkey, breast down in a roasting pan and place in the heated oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes per pound basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices. As the roasting time winds down, test the thigh with and instant read thermometer. It is ready when the temperature is 170F and the juices run clear.
6. When done remove roasting pan from the oven and remove the turkey to a carving board letting rest under a tent of foil, breast side down for 15 minutes before carving. Turn the turkey over to carve and enjoy with your favorite gravy or jus and sides.

Roasting the bird with the breast side down, allows all of the deliciously rich thigh juices to run into the breast keeping it moist and tender. Resting it breast side down just continues the process. While it doesn't make for the most photogenic bird, the flavor speaks for itself. As I have never carved a bird at the dinner table, and I doubt most people don't unless they live in some Norma Rockwell alternate universe, I'd say forgo the gorgeously browned breast for flavor and tenderness. Instead of a traditional gravy I made a jus with the pan drippings and some red wine.

I have one great leftover recipe that I'll post on Friday, so in between all the Black Friday craziness, if you are looking for something a bit different to do with your turkey leftovers check it out.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Hash

This is a dish that my sister makes. It's something she saw Rachel Ray make on 30-minutes meals and just kind of threw it together based on that, not following any specific recipe. Since we were allowed starchy foods this week I decided to feed my craving for this tasty breakfast for dinner. When I emailed my sis asking for the recipe, she said there wasn't one and just listed off the ingredients she uses. Here is my version, I think it was pretty good although nothing ever tastes as good as when someone else makes it for you!

Sweet Potato & Turkey Hash
serves 2

2-3 turkey sausage - meat removed from the casing
1 sweet potato - sliced in discs and each disc cut in half
1/2 red onion diced
2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 handful of fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2% milk cheddar)
4 eggs - I prefer Eggland's Best - sadly my stash of eggs I brought back from the states is almost gone!
mango salsa (recipe below) - optional

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage to skillet and saute until browned.
2. Add sweet potato, onion, cumin, chili powder, salt & pepper. Lower heat to medium low and cover cooking until the potatoes are cooked all the way thorough, turning occasionally.
3. When the potatoes and sausage have cooked through, stir in the chopped cilantro and dump the whole mixture onto a large plate of platter. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and cover loosely with aluminum foil, to melt cheese and keep the has warm while you cook your eggs.
4. Cook eggs as desired, I like mine over easy my sis always had hers scrambled.
5. Serve 1/2 of the hash topped with 2 eggs and mango salsa (or any other salsa of your choosing)

Mango Salsa

1/2 fresh mango - diced
1 slice large red onion - diced
1 garlic clove - minced
small handful fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 jalapeno - finely diced
juice of one lemon or lime (I only had lemons on hand so that's what I used)
salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss to combine. Let sit for at least 30 mins for the flavors to meld.


This dish is technically South Beach friendly, although your should probably have a side salad or a side of green veggies along with it. The sis always topped it with the fresh mango salsa you can buy at the grocery store in LA, we really liked Santa Barbara Mango & Peach salsa. That's not available in my grocery store in Toronto and since mangoes were on sale last week I just made my own. I threw it together as the hash was cooking and was very pleased with the results. I'll use lime juice next time, but the lemon was quite good in a pinch. While you can also use a fresh tomato salsa as a topper, the sweetness of the mango really compliments the spice in the hash and I recommend using it if it's available at the store or you want to make your own.

This meal is perfect for anything from breakfast to brunch to dinner. It's great on a cold day as it's really hearty and a twist on my favorite corned beef hash (quite a bit healthier too). The boy liked it, which is always the big test when I make things that are outside his comfort zone, and I hope you will too. Enjoy!

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

This is a severely delayed recipe as it was something I came up with over the holidays. But it has turned out to be quite appropriate for my current diet. These homemade turkey sausage patties are so delicious and easy to make. Since you are making them yourself you know exactly what is in your sausage and can control everything, since I made these pre-diet, I used pure maple syrup, but you can easily sub in Sugar-free maple syrup for a tasty South beach diet appropriate sausage.

Breakfast Sausage

1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp ground sage
2 tsp fennel seeds - toasted
pinch of chili flake
pinch of cayenne cayenne
4 tsp pure maple syrup
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp olive oil

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the fennel seed. Don't let the seeds brown very much at all, just heat them turning occasionally until the kitchen begins to smell like fennel. Remove from heat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the spices, the ground turkey and maple syrup. It works best to just get your hands down and dirty for this and mix it by hand. Form the turkey mixture into small patties.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place as many patties as will fit, leaving room between to flip, in the heated skillet. Cooking approximately 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked all the way through.

The boy is primarily a pork sausage kind of guy, but these are so flavorful with a hint of spice and sweet that he really enjoyed them. They are great with eggs and would be tasty on a homemade biscuit for a tasty sausage biscuit breakfast sandwich, way better tasting and for you that McDonald's Sausage Biscuit (i'm actually looking for a whole grain biscuit recipe to try out in the next phase of my diet, post in the comments if you have one). If you make more that you need just freeze them and re-heat as needed, for a quick week day breakfast.

Classic Italian-American Feast!

One of my all time favorite Italian-American meals is Spaghetti & Meatballs. It is just so heart-warming and some serious comfort food. It snowed here in Toronto most of Saturday so when I finished my Christmas shopping and was trying to think of what to make for dinner, Spaghetti & Meatballs seemed perfect. I wasn't sure when the boy would be done work, which was perfect because the longer the sauce cooks the better AND we already had some ground turkey that needed to be used. I also remembered that we had some Italian sausages in the freezer that would round out my sauce perfectly. It couldn't have worked out better if I had actually planned it. Be advised the measurements are not exact, so just use them as a guide and trust your own personal taste.

Spaghetti Sauce with Turkey Meatballs & Sausage

3 cloves of garlic - minced
1 small onion - roughly chopped
2 tsp or more crushed red pepper flake
2 large cans of tomato puree (using one can of puree and one diced makes for a nice chunky sauce)
1/2 cup red wine
1 lb ground turkey
1/4-1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmigiano
1/4 cup or more dried oregano (separated)
1/4 cup or more dried basil (separated)
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 egg
3-4 mild Italian sausage
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper & sugar to taste

1. In a large sauce pot or Dutch Oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once it's hot add the minced garlic, onions and red pepper flake. Saute until onions become translucent and soft, being careful not to brown the garlic.
2. Add the canned tomatoes and lower heat to medium low. Bring sauce to a simmer and add 2 Tbsp oregano, 2 Tbsp basil, fresh cracked pepper (approx 5 turns of the pepper mill) and a bit of salt. Mix in and bring back up to a simmer, add red wine and lower heat to low allowing to simmer while you make the meatballs. Remember to stir is occasionally so it doesn't burn.
3. In a large bowl add turkey, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parmigiano, 2 Tbsp oregano, 2 Tbsp basil, garlic powder, fresh cracked pepper (4-5 turns of the pepper mill), salt and the egg. Mix ingredients together with your hands until well combined, but being careful not to overwork. Mixture should be a bit sticky and form a ball easily, but not be too slippery or wet. If it's too wet add the remaining parmigiano first and if necessary add more breadcrumbs. If you go overboard adding the dry ingredients and it's too dry, add another egg.
4. Form balls with the meat mixture. I make mine about the size of an apricot or a small plum. 1 lb of meat will make 8 meatballs at this size. Transfer the balls onto a plate or cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to allow them to set.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once heated add the sausages and brown to a golden brown on each side. If the skillet is hot enough approx 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet to a cutting board and cut sausage into 3 pieces. Transfer the sausage pieces to the pot with the sauce.
6. Once the meatballs have set, heat the skillet over medium high heat (if you are using nonstick you shouldn't need any oil, but if you aren't add a Tbsp of olive oil). Transfer the meatballs to the hot skillet, making sure you have room to turn them. Brown meatballs on all sides (approx 1-2 mins per side) and transfer the browned meatballs to the simmering sauce.
7. Raise the heat to medium low to finish cooking the sausages and meatballs, stirring occasionally, approx 15 mins. Taste the sauce and adjust spicing as necessary. I usually add some more oregano and basil here. Then add sugar a teaspoon at a time to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, not to sweeten it. It's ready to serve after 5-10 more mins on medium low or lower the heat to low and let simmer until you are ready to serve with spaghetti or the pasta of your choosing (I like whole wheat spaghetti).


I recommend letting this sauce cook as long as possible, the longer the meatballs and sausage simmer in the sauce the better it gets. And always taste the sauce as you go so you can adjust the spices to what you like. You can used seasoned breadcrumbs in the meatballs and cut out all the other spices. I generally keep the plain ones in the house so I can spice them according to whatever recipe I am making.

This was a great meal for the boy to come home to after a long day of working on set outside in the snow. It was even better last night for dinner again! When you make this be sure to make enough for leftovers because it's even better the second time. It freezes well too, which is what I am going to do tonight with the rest of our leftovers. Enjoy!

Mexi Mac and Cheese

Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE Mac & Cheese. My sister had seen Sandra Lee do a Taco Mac & Cheese on the Food Network and thought it looked good. It was raining today, making it a comfort food kind of day, so I decided to try my own version.

Mexi Mac & Cheese
serves 8

1 lb ground turkey
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
3.4 cup water (or what is called for for the seasoning packet)
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 tsp cumin (optional)
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 small onion diced
5 Tbsps butter (separated)
5 Tbsps flour
2 cups milk
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 10 oz can of Rotel (a diced tomato & chili mixture) - drained
1 lb large elbow macaroni cooked
1 cup bread crumbs or crushed tortilla chips
salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. brown ground turkey. Add the taco seasoning as directed on the packet, it may be a bit runny and if so just continue to cook until it reduces down. Add the chili powder and cumin, stirring to combine.
2. In a large pot heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat and saute onions until translucent.
3. Add 4 tbsps of butter and the 5 tbsps of flour to the onions & oil. Mix together until combined and flour is slightly brown. Whisk in milk and lower heat to medium, stirring until begins to thicken.
4. Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheese, one handful at the time. Add Rotel and browned turkey, making sure not to add too any extra liquid. Add in cooked pasta.
5. Pour pasta mixture into a buttered baking dish. Top pasta with bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and dot with remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake in heated oven for 30-40 minutes or until top is nicely browned and cheese is bubbly.

I added the cumin & chili powder because I found the spice packet I used didn't have enough heat and the additional spices made it just right for me. To make this more special I'm going to try topping it with crushed tortilla chips next time I make it. You can also sprinkle the topping with more chili powder to add even more heat. This was a fast and easy mac and cheese that served with a simple green salad makes perfect complete meal. Enjoy!