Turkey, Olive Oil, & the Cinder Grill: Five Thanksgiving Menus
This Thanksgiving, while we’re just as thankful as ever, our celebrations have shifted in size and location. Based around our recipe for Dry Brined Turkey Breast we’ve drawn up five easy menus for smaller celebrations. All of them feature sauces based on rich, nutritious, and healthy True Fields Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil. But first...
A Quick Reminder on Where the Olive Oil goes.
Brines, marinades, and sauces are all different. Brining uses salt and water to modify the proteins in the food. This enables them to hold onto more juiciness and flavor. Oils unfortunately interfere with this process. Marinades contain acid, and often oils to help carry flavors. While the basic recipe doesn’t include one, you could apply a marinade to the Dry Brined Turkey Breast if you like. Sauces, meanwhile, are generally applied after cooking to enhance the food. Many of the flavorful and healthy compounds in olive oil are damaged by heat. Therefore it's best used in uncooked and quickly cooked sauces.
Five Easy Thanksgiving Dinners
Of course, center these around your Dry Roasted Turkey Breast. This centerpiece is reliable and flawless off the Cinder Grill.
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Meanwhile, make an easy, herb-packed green sauce. In your food processor, mince your favorite fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, scallions, and so on). Then scrape into a bowl and stir in freshly grated pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. This vibrant sauce goes well with boiled potatoes, our
Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Squash and Zucchini with Yogurt.
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It’s a short step from green sauce to classic pesto, made with basil, garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts. Again, stir in the olive oil by hand so as to not damage its delicate molecules. Serve this heaped high on your turkey breast, alongside roasted potatoes, Marinated Tomatoes with Aged Cheese, and green beans sauteed with shallots.
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Here’s another Mediterranean inspiration to brighten your Thanksgiving table. Make a chunky relish with diced sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, crushed blanched almonds, capers, and chopped parsley. Maybe even add a handful of sliced oil-cured olives. Then splash in some red wine vinegar and stir in luscious olive oil. Serve this with smashed potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, and crusty bread.
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Olive oil is of course classic in vinaigrettes. White wine vinegar or lemon juice complement poultry very well, while a little mustard and black pepper provide both heat and binding. Drizzle this vinaigrette over mashed potatoes, a jewel-toned Beet Salad, and pan-roasted broccoli.
- Gravy can be made with an olive oil roux for clearer flavor. If using the drippings from the Dry Brined Turkey Breast, taste for seasoning, as the drippings are likely to be quite salty. Pour this rich gravy over crispy potatoes and grilled broccolini, with soft rolls on the side.
Turkey, Thanksgiving, and Beyond
We hope that these five sample menus not only keep Thanksgiving effortless but inspire other celebratory meals throughout the holiday season. Whatever you choose to cook, we probably have a Recipe for it, or ideas on how to adapt it to your Cinder. Above all else, have a happy holiday season with your Cinder Grill!
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