Pasture-raised Turkey

I hope you had a delicious and family- or friend-filled Thanksgiving! This year, our turkey was the most delicious I had ever eaten, and I am confident it is because the turkey was raised exactly as it should be - free-range, on a pasture, and organically. It was delivered on our doorstep a few days before Thanksgiving from Rockhouse Cattle Company, and we all agreed that it was top notch.

See, when animals eat what they're meant to eat (as in only grass for cows), their muscle and fat makeup is much different. Grass-fed beef is much higher in conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, these ranching practices are much more humane, as the animals are not penned into small spaces.

We cooked this baby seasoned with sea salt, rubbed with organic butter, and stuffed with carrots and celery. Instead of cooking it in a plastic bag (ick!), we left it uncovered and basted regularly until it had an internal temperature of 185 and was golden brown on the outside - per instructions from my mother-in-law Chris.

Of course, I completely forgot to take photos of the turkey before we carved it, but here are a few shots post-knife.




*M*

Crockpot Turkey with Bulgur, Feta, and Olives

This is one of my all-time favorite crockpot recipes...and it's so simple and healthy! I got it from Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker cookbook. It uses bulgur, which is a whole grain that is creamy in texture when cooked this way. I simply pair this recipe with steamed herbed vegetables, and it's warm, satisfying, and healthy.

Recipe:

2 to 2 1/2 pound bone-in turkey breast half, thawed if frozen (organic)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 C uncooked bulgur

3 T lemon juice

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/4 tsp pepper

4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup - I used more)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 can (14 1/2 oz) ready-to-serve chicken broth (organic)

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata or Greek olives

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Sprinkle turkey with salt and 1/2 tsp oregano. Mix remaining ingredients except olives and cheese in 3 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. (Below is me adding fresh lemon juice to the dry bulgur.)

Place turkey on top.

2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 4-5 hours or until juice of turkey is no longer pink when center is cut. Remove turkey from cooker; cut into slices. (I simply shred the turkey, removing the bones. It's very soft and shreds easily with a fork while still in the crock pot.)

3. Stir olives and cheese into bulgur mixture.

Stir with turkey and serve with steamed, seasonal, locally-grown veggies.

Note: To save time, prepare the ingredients the night before and store in the fridge overnight. Simply place in the crock pot in the morning and add about 8 ounces of chicken broth, as the bulgur will have soaked up a lot of the broth.

Enjoy!

*M*