Easy as Turkey

Turkey While You Sleep

One of the easiest and most reliable recipes for cooking a turkey. Not one you can carve, though, because the meat falls right off the bone.
1 uncooked turkey
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 stalks celery with leaves
2 cups boiling water

Sprinkle salt inside turkey cavity and insert celery stalks. Preheat oven to 450°. Place turkey on rack in roasting pan and rub with melted butter. Pour boiling water around turkey, cover pan tightly with foil, and cook 2 hours for 14 pounds or less; 2-1/2 hours for more than 14 pounds.

After cooking time, turn off heat, but DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. Leave turkey in closed oven overnight (8 hours). Turkey will be ready to slice and refrigerate the next morning, with plenty of drippings for gravy.

Roasted Whole Cauliflower

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 head cauliflower
1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil. Set aside.
2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.
4. Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over its surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies.)
5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.
6. Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges and serving alongside a big green salad.

TOPS NEWS

Five TOPS and one KOPS were present at the November 26 meeting of Imperial TOPS NE0267. Barb was the Best Loser and won the Ha-Ha drawing. Donna received the Kept It Off Award and was the best loser of the month.

Challenges

Keep the November challenges for one more week: 1) Stretch for at least 5 minutes twice a day. 2) Follow the USDA MyPlate guidelines for a balanced diet.

Contests

Congratulations to Donna, who stuffed her turkey with 155 cotton balls, winning the frozen turkey breast. Lorna was a very close 2nd, with 154 cotton balls. The Christmas Tree contest will encourage weight loss, no-gains, and developing good habits, such as drinking water, adding a new fruit or vegetable to your diet, and exercising. It will begin with the December 4 weigh-in and continue through December 31. Plans are in place for the December 18 party.

Program

The program was a discussion of Thanksgiving traditions. Cheryl “Turkey While You Sleep” and Roasted Cauliflower recipes and Karen’s December TOPS calendar.

Come Join Us!

TOPS Club meets from 9 to 10 a.m. on Thursdays at the Imperial Community Center, with weigh-ins beginning at 8:30. The first meeting is free. For more information, see TOPS.org.