Pre Thanksgiving Cooking

Thanksgiving is going to be here in a few days and I can't believe that. Coping by making a turkey and pumpkin swirl brownies today...

I'm roasting the turkey similarly to this recipe. Trying to keep it pretty basic.

Turkey

1 turkey
1 stick butter
3 potatos sliced in long slabs
2 onions
1 apple
Seasonings: dash of lemon pepper, a lot of oregano, salt, pepper
 
I used a stick of butter to rub the turkey down and put chunks of butter inside the skin. Put the turkey on a bed of potatoes so they aren't directly on the bottom of the pan. Add big slices of onions in and around the turkey. Also added apple slices inside beside I read that helps keep it moist. Seasoned the turkey with lemon pepper, oregano, salt and pepper.

 Roast at 350 covered. Uncover for the last 45 minutes.  Baste every hour.


Gravy

1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups drippings/broth
black pepper and oregano


Drain the pan drippings for the roasted turkey through a fine strainer. Let sit and then remove any fat from the top of the drippings. Add in chicken broth or water to make 4 cups if necessary

In a medium saucepan, melt margarine or butter. Add in lots of black pepper and a dash of oregano.

Add in 1/2 cup flour plus 3 tablespoons; constantly whisk for about 3 minutes over low heat.

Slowly add in the 4 cups turkey broth/drippings; whisk constantly over medium-low heat until bubbly and thickened (about 3 minutes). Use right away or keep warm over lowest heat setting, whisk again before serving.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
adapted from Martha.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup chocolate chips
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a 9″x9″ cake pan with nonstick spray.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chocolate and remove from heat. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth.

In a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3-4 minutes, until thick and pale yellow. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat just until combined.

Put about a third of the batter into another bowl and stir the pumpkin, oil, cinnamon and nutmeg into it. Stir the chocolate mixture into the remaining batter and spread a little more than half of it into the prepared pan. Top with the pumpkin mixture, then drop large spoonfuls of the remaining chocolate mixture on top. Swirl a knife through both to create a swirled effect.

Bake for 40 minutes, until just set and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Makes 16 brownies.