This was my roundup of microwave-friendly Thanksgiving recipes three years ago, and I think it’s still decent. It doesn’t include any of the horrors the New York Times uncovered in its Google analysis of the most typical desired Thanskgiving recipes by state. Jello, whipped cream and Snickers Bars will not be making an appearance. I’m really hoping we have good fresh greens to go with the standard main dishes.
So in any case, I don’t have a ton of creative ideas this year, but I can say if you want an actively good whole turkey, do what my in-laws did last year: rub olive oil and garlic all over the stuffed bird, stick it in not one or two but three whole brown paper shopping bags (stapled shut for good measure), forget which way is up, and come back to find you’ve stuck the turkey in the oven upside down–back up, breast downward, and essentially self-basting. Why we don’t do that more often is a mystery. It was actually good, and no one had to be dutiful and utter the good-guest phrase, “It’s so moist”. They were too busy eating. I am off to my in-laws’ again–relegated to salad-making this time (good, maybe I can let my teenager stand in while I catch up on my reading safely out of the room) and a pumpkin pie, although I doubt my mother-in-law would be happy to try microwaving it in her old 600W oven. Pity, really! But it does work for higher wattages. Just substitute a microwaveable ceramic pie dish wherever it says “Pyrex”–see the sidebar on the right for an explanation.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m not sure how to take all the following good news–it’s been such a strained year that the sudden release of pressure is going to make me zip around the room, once the coffee kicks in.
1. My mother-in-law has threatened to favor the brand-new kosher butcher in her town this holiday season so that we can eat the turkey too this year (and maybe not fight about it). She promised not to smear said turkey with butter. We’ll cross our fingers. But at least we won’t have to cook. I’m keeping that firmly in mind.
2. As of this week, my daughter’s finally on an insulin pump and fairly thrilled about it, so she can navigate dinner AND dessert at my in-laws’ without breaking down and crying that she only gets two tablespoons of pie for a reasonable serving. We are still encouraging her to count carbs and not…
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