Holiday Turkey with Rice Stuffing & Gravy with Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

• Please read entire recipe before shopping or beginning.
• 12-15 lb fresh organic, or free-range turkey (do not use self-basting turkey)
• Stuffing:
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 1 cup long grain brown rice
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup diced celery, about 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1 medium green apple, diced about 1/4 inch pieces
• 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 6 dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 TBS chopped fresh sage (or 2 tsp dried sage)
• 3 TBS chopped fresh thyme (or 1 TBS dried thyme)
• 1/2 TBS fennel seeds
• 1/2 cup + 1 TBS chicken broth
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional: cook liver for 10 minutes with gravy ingredients, remove from heat, chop and add to stuffing mixture.
• Gravy:
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 large carrots, chopped in large pieces
• 2 medium onions, cut into large pieces
• 2 celery sticks, cut into large pieces
• neck, wing tips and giblets from turkey (Optional: include liver and cook for about 10 minutes, remove, chop, and add to dressing ingredients)
• 1/3 cup flour mixed with water
• 1 TBS chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
• 2 TBS chopped fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
• salt and black pepper
• *optional 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
• Serves: minimum of 8

Directions

1. Bring 3-1/2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil. While water is coming to a boil, rinse the wild rice under running water in a strainer. When water is boiling add both wild and brown rice, cover, turn heat to low and cook for about 45 minutes, until tender. Do not overcook. You will most likely have excess water when rice is cooked properly. Put cooked rice in a strainer and drain out excess water. Set aside in a large enough bowl to mix everything together.
2. Heat 1 TBS chicken broth in a large stainless steel skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and celery and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Mix all the stuffing ingredients together in bowl and season with salt and pepper. Always stuff the turkey just before roasting—never ahead of time—to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria. Have the stuffing hot and pack it loosely in the body cavity.

Nutrition Highlights

Foods in This Recipe