Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Cook A Healthy Turkey

Turkey is low in fat and healthy.


Don't limit your turkey cooking to just Thanksgiving. Turkey is great all year round for soups, sandwiches and casseroles during a busy work week. Plus, turkey is low in fat and healthy. Turkey has about 32g of protein in just 4 oz., along with vitamin B3 and B6. Turkey is low in cholesterol, helps to prevent cancer with the amino acid tryptophan, which is needed for T cells, and serves as a mood enhancer. The neurotransmitter serotonin is made from tryptophan and helps to improve your mood. Add this to my Recipe Box.


Instructions


1. Safely thaw your turkey in the refrigerator if you're using the frozen variety. For turkeys 8 to 12 lbs, allow two to three days to thaw; for 13 to 16 lbs, allow three to four days; 17 to 20 lbs, four to five days; and 21 to 24 lbs, five to six days.


2. Preheat the oven to 350 F or 175 C.


3. Remove giblets and the neck from the inside


4. To reduce health hazards, cook the stuffing outside of the turkey, instead of inside as grandma did.


5. Brush the outside of the skin with olive oil.


6. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. It should not touch any bones.


7. Place the turkey in a roasting pan.


8. Lightly cover it with tin foil.


9. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your turkey. To cook a turkey that weighs 10 to 15 lbs, allow 3 to 3.5 hours roasting time for unstuffed turkeys and 3.75 to 4.5 hours for stuffed turkeys; for a turkey that weighs 15 to 22 lbs, allow 3.5 to 4 hours roasting time for unstuffed turkeys and 4.5 to 5 hours for stuffed turkeys; for 22 to 24 lbs, allow 4 to 4.5 hours for unstuffed turkeys and 5 to 5.5 hours for stuffed turkeys; for 24 to 29 lbs, allow 4.5 to 5 hours for unstuffed turkeys and 5.5 to 6.25 hours for stuffed turkeys.


10. Uncover the turkey during the last 30 to 45 minutes to brown the skin. Basting at this time helps browning and keeps the turkey moist.

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