Roasted turkey doesn´t have to be for parties
By marguicha
@marguicha (230365)
Chile
July 20, 2011 6:46pm CST
I´m doing my best to make good meals in spite of the many no-nos that I have as diet go, now that I´m on chemotherapy. Chemo aims at the cells that divide quicker, but not only cancer cells do that, but also skin cells and the lining of our intestine. That´s why we must forget about many spices and proccesed cheese is out of the question.
Today I made an awesome baked turkey (a small piece) with mashed potatoes (with skimmed milk and no butter). I opened the turkey (about half a small turkey breast)and placed there coarselly diced apples, a bit of onion, and 3 soaked dry plums. I closed the cut, put a bit of onion and carrots as a base and wrapped it in foil. Then it went to the oven until almost done when I half opened the foil to brown it a bit.
I am eating my main meal now at lunch, so it was perfect.
I liked it so much and it was so easy to make that I thought I´d share it with you. Tonight, if I´m hungry, I can have a small cold turkey sandwich with arugule from my garden.
I love it when I have these cold cuts for sndwichs or salads. They are a lot more healthy and cheap than bought ham or salami.
3 people like this
11 responses
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
21 Jul 11
If you are creating these magnificent meals out of your head, you should write a cookbook! You make everything sound delicious.
I have switched many different meats with turkey because of it's low-fat content. Besides myself, I occasionally feed my sons and my husband and have switched ground beef, beef and pork dishes with turkey and they never knew it unless I told them and I've learned to never tell them. 
Being men, I think they would prefer to have health issues down the road (or right now where my husband is concerned, apparently he now has PAD from atherosclerosis) so they can eat their fat-filled meats now. I just use extra flavoring, as you do.
I've roasted entire turkeys just to cut them all up and make cold cuts, soup, salads, etc. and have lots to freeze for later use.
I'm trying desperately to keep my garden alive right now but we're in a bad heat wave with temps going up into the triple-digits tomorrow and Friday, maybe Saturday as well. I've covered my tomatoes and peppers since I lost all my veggies last year due to excessive heat and am hoping I don't lose them this year. It's supposed to cool down a bit after this week so I'll be planting fall veggies soon and hope to get a new crop of lettuce, radishes, carrots, etc. Maybe I'll try my hand at arugula, too.
Happy eating! Have you had any news about how the chemo is working or is it still too soon? You have a friend here if you ever need a shoulder or an ear. 
Being men, I think they would prefer to have health issues down the road (or right now where my husband is concerned, apparently he now has PAD from atherosclerosis) so they can eat their fat-filled meats now. I just use extra flavoring, as you do.
I've roasted entire turkeys just to cut them all up and make cold cuts, soup, salads, etc. and have lots to freeze for later use.
I'm trying desperately to keep my garden alive right now but we're in a bad heat wave with temps going up into the triple-digits tomorrow and Friday, maybe Saturday as well. I've covered my tomatoes and peppers since I lost all my veggies last year due to excessive heat and am hoping I don't lose them this year. It's supposed to cool down a bit after this week so I'll be planting fall veggies soon and hope to get a new crop of lettuce, radishes, carrots, etc. Maybe I'll try my hand at arugula, too.
Happy eating! Have you had any news about how the chemo is working or is it still too soon? You have a friend here if you ever need a shoulder or an ear. @marguicha (230365)
• Chile
21 Jul 11
I will go to the hospital for my next chemo next week, but I think chemo is a long term help if I´m lucky. I doubt if the doctor herslf can know at this stage whether it´s working or not.
As for turkey, there are cheap cuts here (such as parts of wings, that make awesome casseroles with veggies in big chunks. I also love turkey soup (again with cheap parts) with whole potato, carrots in half and polenta. It´s called "cazuela" in this part of the world.
The only meat I can eat without guilt now is turkey, chickn and fish. S I´m sticking to them.
@hardworkinggurl (37062)
• United States
21 Jul 11
Hi Marguicha 
Sounds like you are doing wonderfully well with your dietary intake. MMM Roasted turkey absolutely can be for any day. This reminds me of my slow roasted pork that generally we have only for parties and special occasions but my boyfriend and I enjoy it so much that I buy smaller pounds. Usually for our large parties they start at 20lbs and we manage to get some for 8 - 10 lbs.
Then we have it for dinner and yum, leftovers too as sandwiches and salads also. Yummy! I have an 10 lb one in my freezer we are taking to Arkansas with us as his mom can't wait to have some again.
Yes the turkey seems to be cheaper then ham, but not as cheap as the salami here.
Sounds like you are doing wonderfully well with your dietary intake. MMM Roasted turkey absolutely can be for any day. This reminds me of my slow roasted pork that generally we have only for parties and special occasions but my boyfriend and I enjoy it so much that I buy smaller pounds. Usually for our large parties they start at 20lbs and we manage to get some for 8 - 10 lbs.
Then we have it for dinner and yum, leftovers too as sandwiches and salads also. Yummy! I have an 10 lb one in my freezer we are taking to Arkansas with us as his mom can't wait to have some again.
Yes the turkey seems to be cheaper then ham, but not as cheap as the salami here.@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
21 Jul 11
I cannot eat now all those awesome cold meats made with pork. Pork is out, even if it´s one of my favorite meats. It seems that it´s too greasy and the cholesterol goes up with chemo. But next week I have an appointment with the doctor and also some tests so that what I eat in the next 3 week will depend on that too.
The best pork I ever ate was in Spain. They roast a baby pork and it´s meat is the most tender I´ve eaten. YUMMY!!!
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
21 Jul 11
It´s not only good, but it´s very easy to do. I especialise in nice meals where I don´t have to be in the kitchen for hours. Minutes is more the kind of time I like. The rest is made by the stove or range
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
22 Jul 11
That sounds yummy! I hope that you are able to continue to come up with goodies like this and that you can keep healthy. Take care of yourself and have a great weekend!!!
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
24 Jul 11
That sounds great! I can live without the Parmesan cheese. I rarely, if ever, use it. I take it you just use your own onion, garlic, and oregano. Do you buy tomato sauce at the store or do you make that from scratch too? Have a great day!!!
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
22 Jul 11
Today I made chicken wings with tomato sauce over pasta. I did not fry the wings, of course. But the tomato sauce (with a bit of onion, garlic and oregano), were delicious. I missed the parmesan cheese as it´s forbidden. But I´m trying to be a good girl.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
15 Aug 11
I used to make a mixture of my own tomato paste plus tomato sauce from the store (a brand I liked). But now, the store bought pasta is ut of bounds as it has some forbidden spices. So I´m making my own.
@alottodo (3056)
• Australia
21 Jul 11
It's good to hear you are eating right and keeping good spirit! now that turkey sounds beautiful[ now Isabel...my youngest would say mum, food has not sound]but it does to me! I love the sound of it and I will cook some this week end for sure and invite some friends over to taste it!
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
21 Jul 11
I know what you mean. I´m always sorry here at the poor Santas (usually poor people earning some money) at Christmas, with those warm suits in the worst days of Summer.
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
21 Jul 11
Turkey is not that popular in our country, it's seldom you find turkey for sale or anybody who knows how to prepare them but your recipe do sound delicious. I raise turkey in my vacant lot, one male and 2 hens and two chicks that came free when I bought the trio. They are of the bronze and one female is white variety. I don't exactly know if I can eat them since the children treat them more as pets and are good scavengers for my pet dogs leftovers, perhaps when they multiply and don;t know them anymore personally then we would start eating them, problem is they laid eggs but they ate them, wonder where I went wrong
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
21 Jul 11
Let the children play with them and eat those eggs!
Pets are not esy to et: you could brek you children´s heart and it´s not worth it unless you have nothing else to eat. Maybe, once there are more turkeys, you can explain t them they are eatable.
You can make the recipe with a big chicken too.
Pets are not esy to et: you could brek you children´s heart and it´s not worth it unless you have nothing else to eat. Maybe, once there are more turkeys, you can explain t them they are eatable.
You can make the recipe with a big chicken too.@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
23 Jul 11
If an incubator is not very expensive it´s worth it. Imagine the faces of your children as the little turkeys start coming out! And then, when you have enough, the children will not find them so interesting as pets and you will be able to sell them.
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
22 Jul 11
Actually it's the turkeys that ate their own eggs, I was so happy that it immediately started laying eggs soon as I bought them so the children an I counted the eggs daily and there would always be one additional each time, we thought that she would sit on it and we would have more turkeys this time to sell and eat but instead they turned to cannibals
, I'm studying what to do next time, maybe they need better housing or if it does not work out, I'd get a small portable incubator or build one if I can buy a thermostat online.
, I was so happy that it immediately started laying eggs soon as I bought them so the children an I counted the eggs daily and there would always be one additional each time, we thought that she would sit on it and we would have more turkeys this time to sell and eat but instead they turned to cannibals , I'm studying what to do next time, maybe they need better housing or if it does not work out, I'd get a small portable incubator or build one if I can buy a thermostat online.
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36847)
• Pamplona, Spain
21 Jul 11
Hiya margi,
Salami hardly comes into our House at all now. Chicken yes but not turkey they don´t like it very much they prefer Chicken or I can Beef or Lamb but I can´t get much of that either.
Price of Fish here has soared tremendously so that does not come here very often either.
A lot of lentils come here though at least three times a week but without the Salami or (Chorizo) in it.
I put a Salad instead and a Spanish Omelette sometimes to go with it.
I change the oil after two uses or maybe three depends really.
xxx
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
21 Jul 11
Mmmm....now THAT sounds like a delicious hearty meal! I just love any type of meat roasted and browned, and the flavour of the stuff you put in it would seep right through....now I'm drooling 
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
21 Jul 11
The brochure they gave mee at the hospital was very clear about what NOT t eat, because of fat. It seems that chemo builds up cholesterol levels. S I´m trying out nice meals with little vegetable fat or none if posible.
Roasting and baking are a good way to cut on fat. And if you wrap your fish, bird or meat in foil and just uncover it at the end, the natural flavours will help make it awesome.
For chicken and turkey, apples, prunes and orange juice are wonderful. Yu can use those too with pork, but I can´t eat pork now. My Mom can´t eat with salt, so she experiments with fruits and veggies.
@jak2010 (1550)
• Papua New Guinea
21 Jul 11
Yes, why party only, have it in your comfort of room and with loved ones is special.
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
21 Jul 11
Now that my energies are not as they were when I was young, I love to have up to 4 friends for diner. That way I don´t work so much and I have time to talk with them and have a nice evening. When that happens, usually I´m helped by the visitors. One serves the dessert, another makes the coffee.
@naija4real (1291)
•
21 Jul 11
It is interesting to read that you love roasted turkey and you also said that it does not have to be eaten at parties but it can be good meal for the home and the family. I just hope that you prepare one at home and then touch the dial to invite me. I love to eat your roasted turkey!
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
21 Jul 11
I love to cook but try to have my dishes ready before I´m very hungry. I think that part of being able to eat somrthing well is to eat it slowly, letting eat bite sink into your taste buds. Gulping food will not let anyone feel what the dish is about. The differet flavours just won´t reach the brain
