After I lost my eyesight, the thought of cooking a big holiday meal like a whole turkey scared the crap out of me. I was so afraid that my blindness would limit my ability to prepare a healthy, delicious meal and get it on the table while still hot. Enter my Adult Daily Living (ADL) skills teacher, Monica. Monica was a sassy Puerto Rican lady who not only taught me how to make some banging rice and beans, but she had no problem giving me a reality check about my domestic skills. She would say, “Holly, you got this.” And you know what? That’s exactly the kind of encouragement I needed to undertake turkey. Turkey is tricky. Cook it too long and it’s too dry. Too short and you may be going to the ER. (Yeah, I know, happy holidays, right?)
What worked for me is buying a turkey breast in lieu of the whole bird. It’s a lot less cooking time and the chance of a major screw up is less likely.
So my fellow mommies (blind & sighted), let me be your “Monica” when I tell you… “You got this.”These instructions are for how you marinate your bird. Now, you absolutely “DO NOT” have to do this. However, if you want to bring your turkey’s flavor to the next level, I strongly recommend that you do. I also suggest purchasing a turkey breast with a pop up thermometer. It’s a round plastic disk that sits in the breast meat and will poke out when it’s done.
Pictured: Turkey Breast in packaging.
Ingredients:
2 Large Ziploc Bags (Double the Bag)
1 Turkey Breast (5-8 Pounds – Giblets Removed) – Pop Up Thermometer Included in Bird
Springs of Fresh Rosemary & Thyme (Insert into Cavity)
Salt & Pepper For Seasoning (In Cavity & On Skin)
1 Tablespoon Pre-Chopped Garlic (Place On Skin & Into Cavity)
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Wash the entire bird in water, cleaning out the cavity and removing any giblets. Generously season the turkey breast with salt and pepper.
Place bird cavity side up (hole facing towards you) inside large Ziploc bag. Pour olive oil directly into bag, lightly coating the flesh of the turkey.
Stick sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme inside the cavity. Use pre-diced garlic and place about a tablespoon on the skin and in the cavity.
Close bag, making sure all the air is out. Squeeze turkey into a second Ziploc bag and seal, again ensuring there is no additional air.
Gently massage your bird (You Know What I Mean- Geesh), making sure all the olive oil and spices are distributed evenly.
If your herbs fall out of the cavity while doing this, no worries. You just want to dispense the flavors.
Refrigerate overnight until ready to cook.
Pictured: Marinating turkey breast in Ziploc bag.
