Fresh sage leaves are a must for the best flavor. We also strongly recommend fresh orange juice, but you can use frozen if you need the convenience.
Preheat oven to 325°.
Remove and discard giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey.
Place turkey on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Combine the sage, rind, and 1 teaspoon salt. Rub sage mixture under loosened skin and inside the body cavity. Combine 1/4 cup juice and 1 tablespoon honey; pour over turkey. Place orange quarters inside body cavity.
Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 325° for 3 hours or until meat thermometer registers 180°. Cover turkey loosely with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes. Discard the skin and orange wedges. Remove turkey from pan, reserving pan drippings for sauce. Place turkey on a platter; keep warm.
To make the sauce, pour reserved pan drippings into a zip-top plastic bag. Seal bag; snip off 1 corner of bag. Drain drippings into a medium saucepan, stopping before the fat layer reaches the opening; discard fat. (You should have about 2/3 cup drippings; add enough water or fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth to make up the difference, if necessary).
Add 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup juice, and 1 tablespoon honey to drippings in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Combine 1/2 cup juice and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to drippings mixture. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve sauce with turkey.
Cooking Light DECEMBER 2000
Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare roast, trim fat from lamb, and cut 16 (3/4-inch-deep) slits into lamb. Combine 1/4 cup rosemary and garlic. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon rosemary mixture into each slit; rub lamb with any remaining rosemary mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place roast on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of lamb, making sure not to touch bone.
Bake at 400° for about 1 1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 140° (medium-rare) to 155° (medium). Let stand 15 minutes before slicing. (Temperature of lamb will increase 5° upon standing.) Remove lamb from pan, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings for sauce; scrape up browned bits with a rubber spatula. Place roast on a platter; keep warm. To prepare sauce, pour reserved drippings into a small zip-top plastic bag. Seal bag; snip off 1 corner of bag. Drain liquid into a medium saucepan, stopping before the fat layer reaches the opening; discard fat.
Add broth and rosemary sprig to drippings in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Combine port and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Discard rosemary sprig. Serve sauce with lamb.
Cooking Light DECEMBER 2000
To trim Brussels sprouts, discard the tough outer leaves and trim off about 1/4 inch from stems. Don't trim too much from the stems, or the sprouts will fall apart. If you're not a Brussels sprouts lover, try substituting green beans. Be sure to brown the garlic over low heat, because it can burn in a flash.
Photo by: Becky Luigart-Stayner
Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine the Brussels sprouts, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, salt, and pepper. Place sprouts mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until sprouts are crisp-tender. Keep warm.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, and cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Add to sprouts mixture; toss well.
Cooking Light DECEMBER 2000
You can place these in the oven simultaneously with the lamb; in fact, they can be arranged around the roast on the same pan.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Arrange onions, cut sides down, in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan or on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Combine oil and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Drizzle onions with oil mixture. Bake at 400° for 1 1/2 hours or until very tender.
Cooking Light DECEMBER 2000
This can be assembled and refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead of time. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature and bake as directed. You can substitute any sharp Italian cheese (such as Romano, provolone, or Asiago) for the Parmesan.
Photo by: Becky Luigart-Stayner
Combine water and sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and coarsely chop; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place the potato in a large saucepan, and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Arrange potato in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook 2 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sprinkle tomato mixture with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Pour the sauce over the potatoes, tossing gently to coat. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
Cooking Light DECEMBER 2000
You can make the corn bread croutons a day ahead (place them in an air-tight container) or up to a week in advance (keep them in the freezer).
Photo by: Becky Luigart-Stayner
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine milk and eggs in a bowl; stir well with a whisk. Stir in muffin mix; let stand 2 minutes. Pour corn bread mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place cubes on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion, carrot, and celery to pan; sauté 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Stir in cherries and broth; cook 5 minutes.
Combine corn bread cubes, bacon, onion mixture, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; stirring until well-blended. Spoon corn bread mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring after 10 minutes.
Cooking Light DECEMBER 2000
You can make the dough for these simple rolls up to two weeks ahead and freeze it in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Thaw in the refrigerator, shape, and bake as directed. These are also good without the dill if you prefer to omit it.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 3 cups flour, dill, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to buttermilk mixture. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide in half. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), shape portion into 6 (2-inch-long) ovals on a floured surface. Roll up each portion tightly, starting with a long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal. Place rolls, seam sides down, on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Repeat with remaining dough portions.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Brush egg white over rolls; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until the rolls are browned on the bottom and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on wire racks.
Cooking Light DECEMBER 2000
Cooking Light fans rave about this rich, creamy pumpkin cheesecake with a vanilla wafer crust that has only 256 calories per slice and less than 10 grams of fat.
Photo by: Becky Luigart-Stayner
Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare crust, place wafers in a food processor; pulse 2 to 3 times or until finely ground. Add butter; pulse 10 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Firmly press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
To prepare filling, beat cheeses with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and next 8 ingredients (granulated sugar through vanilla), beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin; beat well.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared crust; bake at 325° for 1 1/2 hours or until almost set. (Cheesecake is done when the center barely moves when pan is touched.) Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature; cover and chill at least 8 hours.
Cooking Light DECEMBER 2000
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