New England Thanksgiving Warm Salad

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But this is a heartier version of that, perfect for all you expats away from home or people who want to try an American style Thanksgiving meal but don’t know where to begin. This is SO EASY. It incorporates everything I love from Mom’s wondrous Thanksgiving spreads. But unlike her feast for 20, this is a salad you can make for just one person – in under an hour – and – you can make this even if you don’t have an oven! I cut all kind of corners – using stuffing from a box and instant gravy granules but the end result is still something the whole family enjoys. Naturally this can be modified in any number of ways, you can add ingredients (green beans might be nice) or omit, as you like. You could even make a vegetarian version by subbing smoked tofu for the bird.

1. THE BIRD. Dissolve vegetable boullion cube in boiling water, drop in a bay leaf, and braise turkey meat on low heat for about half an hour, or until the center is almost as white as the edge. The lower the heat, the softer your turkey will be when done. I once turned the heat off accidentally in mid braise, and it sat there simmering softly. 45 minutes later it was so succulent and flavorful, it was better than either the dark or the white on an oven roasted bird, IMHO. If you can’t find fresh turkey meat, you could probably still pull this salad off by just shredding some turkey breast cold-cuts from the deli.

2. STUFFING BALLS. Prepare your stuffing according to the directions on the box – or your grandma – whatever you usually do. If you have a family recipe passed down through the generations, great! After it’s finished with the soaking phase, spread it out on a baking sheet (or pan) and cook it just to where it becomes malleable. Then you’ll let it cool a bit and roll it into balls. Then finish baking these balls. These will be “stuffing croutons” in your salad. The smaller the balls, the more surface area; the crunchier they’ll be.2. POTATOES. Lightly pan fry potatoes in butter, salt and pepper until there are light brown crusts on parts of them. This makes them look more “home style” 😉 Then put them in your nicest big bowl.

3. THE SIDE. Mince red onion. Slice celery stalks. Throw it all in a pot with the cranberries and stew them on very low heat in the orange juice, just until things soften up just a bit. I like the celery to have some snap still in it, but the berries should be soft and juicy.4. Once you’re happy with the turkey meat, move it to a cutting board and slice it into bite size pieces. Put them in the bowl.5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer your onion/celery/berry mix into bowl. For groups of picky eaters, or if you have children, leave it to one side of the bowl so the purists can eat just meat and potatoes. After 15 minutes in the oven at 200 (or in a covered pan), your balls should be ready – so pop them in the bowl. Sprinkle walnuts over all this.6. Now you’re ready to call everyone over and let them watch as you pour your “homemade gravy” over everything, pop in some sprigs of parsley and serve it up. Get ready to receive thanks!