Greetings!
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I'd like to offer some of my favorite tips to help you stay organized (and sane) on the big day.
1. Think about timing. Decide what time you want to sit down to eat and work backward to figure out when you'll need to start cooking. Think about how much food your oven can hold at once, how long different dishes will take to cook, and whether you'll need to cook different foods at different temperatures. This way, you can create an organized plan of action for Thanksgiving Day. And, please, be sure to adjust your oven racks BEFORE you preheat your oven.
2. Prep in advance. In the days leading up to the meal, wash and dry all your produce, and chop up whatever you can. This way, all you'll have to do Thursday is cook your food, no knife or cutting board required. Store your clean, cut-up food in zip-lock bags and refrigerate; when you're ready to cook, simply dump them into pans.
3. Cook your turkey in parts. A whole roast turkey makes a nice magazine cover, but you're going to cut it up before you serve it, right? So why not just cook it in parts? It will cook much faster (generally between one and two hours, as opposed to upwards of three) and won't take up your whole oven, so you'll actually have room to cook other things. Just buy turkey parts (breasts, legs, thighs, wings) rather than a whole bird. Bonus: if your family prefers dark to white meat (or vice versa), then you can purchase more of the pieces they'll eat.
4. Roast your veggies! Roasting (aka baking) is an easy way to prepare a lot of food at once, without having to do much active work. Wash, dry, and chop up your veggies a day or two ahead of time, store them in plastic bags, and refrigerate. When it's time to cook, just pour the prepped veggies out onto baking sheets, toss with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, and stick the baking sheets in the oven. (For details, see How To Roast Veggies.) Some ideas for what to roast: whole Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, pears, fingerling potatoes, cauliflower.
5. Make a mash! Mashed veggies are as convenient to serve as they are comforting to eat. You can cook and mash your veggies a couple days ahead of time, pack them up in containers, and refrigerate. READ MORE...
Keep it simple, plan ahead, and have a fabulous holiday!
Cheers!
The Kitchenista
www.thekitchenista.com
P.S. Have a Thanksgiving question? Need help planning your menu or scheduling your cooking? Need some shopping tips? Shoot me an e-mail, chat with me on Facebook, or stop by my Thanksgiving cooking demo this Wednesday! Union Square Greenmarket, NYC. BodhiTree farmstand, on the north side of the park (17th St, opposite the Barnes & Noble). 10am-2:30pm. Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R, L to Union Square.
