Cook with Bigelow Tea this Thanksgiving

In addition to drinking tea, enjoy cooking with tea this Thanksgiving. These recipes are certain to please even your most discriminating guests:

Roasted Turkey with Constant Comment® Glaze

Ingredients:
Glaze:

12 Bigelow® Constant Comment® Tea Bags
1 cup (250mL) boiling water
2/3 cup (160mL) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (30mL) butter
½ cup (125mL) cranberry juice

Turkey and Gravy:

1 10-15 pound (5-7.5g) turkey (thawed if previously frozen)
1 lemon, cut into four pieces
1 onion, peeled and cut into four pieces
1 cup (250mL) chicken stock
2 tablespoons (30mL) cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste

Yield: Serves 8 – Prep Time: 20 min. – Cook Time: 10-12 min. per pound -unstuffed

Instructions:

Steep tea bags in 1 cup boiling water for 5 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid out of tea bags discard. Reserve tea.
Meanwhile, prepare a glaze by heating butter, brown sugar and cranberry juice into a saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Add tea and reduce mixture by cooking over medium high heat for 15 minutes. Set aside.
To prepare turkey, remove giblets and neck from turkey, rinse inside and out and pat dry. Place a cut lemon and a cut-up onion into the cavity and truss the turkey. Place in an open roasting pan breast side up. Brush skin all over with glaze, keep glaze warm on stove and continue basting with glaze every 20 minutes.
Remove turkey from oven and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Discard any unused glaze.
To make gravy, dissolve cornstarch in chicken stock. Place roasting pan on burner over medium heat, scraping browned bits. Add stock whisking constantly until thickened; about 1 minute. Strain gravy and serve with turkey.

As a nice alternative, use an oven stuffer roaster chicken in place of the turkey, reducing tea bags to 8.

Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
6 medium sweet potatoes
4 Bigelow® Ginger Snappish or Bigelow® Constant Comment
½ cup (125mL) whipping cream or half & half
½ teaspoon (2.5mL) salt
2 tablespoons (30mL) unsalted butter
1 egg beaten
*Optional – 1 cup (250mL) miniature marshmallows

Yield: Serves 8 – Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cook Time: 1 hour

Instructions:

Boil sweet potatoes with skins on until tender, 15-18 minutes. Peel and mash.

While potatoes are cooking, heat cream, add tea bags and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes.

To the mashed potatoes, add salt, butter, egg, tea infused cream. Beat until smooth.

Place in 2 quart buttered baking dish, (sprinkle with marshmallows if desired) and bake in oven at 375º for 15-20 minutes or until heated through (and marshmallows are browned*).

Serve hot.

* If made ahead, bring to room temperature, heat for 25 minutes, Top with marshmallows, if desired, and bake another 10 minutes or until marshmallows are browned.

French-style Green Beans and Carrots with Pomegranate-Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients:
1 cup hot water
4 Bigelow® Green Tea with Pomegranate tea bags
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound fresh French-style green beans
½ pound carrots cut into 1 inch matchsticks
Salt and pepper to taste

Yield: Serves 6

Instructions:

Combine hot water and 4 Bigelow® Green Tea with Pomegranate tea bags and allow to steep for 5-7 minutes.

Place tea in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is reduced by half (about ten minutes).

Add balsamic vinegar and sugar. Stir to combine.

Add cornstarch and whisk vigorously, until glaze is thickened and smooth. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine butter and olive oil. Heat until butter is melted, but not smoking, and then add carrots and green beans.

Saute vegetables until just tender, approximately 5 minutes (allow a few extra minutes of extra cooking time if using traditional green beans).

Add pomegranate-balsamic glaze, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately.

Note: Glaze may be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

For a soothing cup of tea to go with dessert after the above delectable Thanksgiving meal, go here. To see other fun recipes using tea, check this out. And last, but not least, don’t forget your hostess with a gift of thanks.

Bountiful Harvest Tea Basket