SAM ON THE RADIO:
Cooking to Beat the Clock on A Chef's Table

Thanksgiving Dinner 
in a Hurry 
without the Worry

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, especially when I can cook for family and friends. Maybe you feel the same way, but this fall has been so busy, you still think it’s October. Or maybe you just don’t want to deal with all those leftovers—turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, yadda, yadda, yadda. Then this meal is for you,  Thanksgiving dinner for four people in 15 minutes. No prepping ahead. No leftovers. No frantic calls to the Meat and Poultry Hotline. (“Is my turkey still good if it’s been frozen since the Reagan administration?”)

My turkey is in the form of cutlets, available in most supermarkets. Some markets have boneless turkey breast halves from which cutlets can be sliced, then pounded thin for fast cooking. (Try to get the butcher to do this for you.) The bread stuffing is a quick version of what Mom makes every year. You even have something Mom never made, fresh cranberry relish. (We always got the maroon slinky that came out of the can.) If you’d rather not deal with fresh cranberries,  jazz up whole canned cranberry sauce by folding two tablespoons of chopped pecans and two tablespoons of finely chopped candied ginger into it.

Now you’ve got time to bake that pumpkin pie, or not. 

And for more tips to make Thanksgiving easier, click here.

15-Minute Thanksgiving Dinner

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 turkey cutlets, about 5 ounces each, pounded 1/4 to 3/8 inches thick (by the butcher if possible)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 small to medium onion, 4 to 8 ounces
1 rib celery
12 ounces sliced white bread
2 cups warm water in a medium bowl
5 fresh sage leaves or 1/2 tablespoon dried sage leaves 
2 tablespoons candied (crystallized) ginger
1 small juice orange
One 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar 
3/4 cup fat-free, reduced sodium chicken stock
2 ounces fresh white mushrooms
1/4 cup dry sherry

1)Put 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet large enough to hold all the cutlets in one layer without crowding. Put the skillet over medium heat. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper. Put the flour on a pie plate. Dredge the cutlets in the flour, shaking off any excess, and add to the skillet. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the cutlets for 4 minutes on one side.

2)Meanwhile, put the remaining tablespoon of butter and oil in another large heavy skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Peel and chop the onion. Trim and chop the celery. Add  the celery and onion to the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high, and stir.

3)Lightly dip 2 or 3 slices of  bread at a time in the warm water. Squeeze out most of the moisture and coarsely crumble the bread into a large mixing bowl. Finely chop the fresh sage leaves or crumble the dried sage leaves between your fingers. Add the sage, vegetables from the skillet, and salt and pepper to taste to the bread.  Mix well.  Put back into the skillet. Cook until nicely browned and lightly crisp. Turn the stuffing over periodically to brown evenly. Reduce the heat to medium, if needed to prevent burning.

4)Meanwhile, turn the cutlets over and cook for 4 more minutes, or until no pink shows in the middle. Drop the ginger down the chute of a food processor with the motor running. When the ginger is chopped, stop the motor. Quarter the orange and remove the white membrane in the middle and any pits. Do not peel.  Add the orange to the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Push down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the cranberries and sugar. Pulse several times. Push down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pulse again until well combined but still chunky. Pour into a serving bowl.

5)Slice the mushrooms. Remove the turkey to a large platter and keep warm. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and stir. Moisten the bread stuffing with 1/4 cup of the chicken stock and cook for 2 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Combine the sherry and the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock. Add to the mushrooms. Increase the heat to high and cook for 2 minutes, scraping any bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sauce is lightly thickened.

6)Meanwhile, put the cranberry relish into a serving bowl. Put the stuffing in the center of the platter with the turkey cutlets around it. Pour the mushroom sauce over both. Serve with the cranberry sauce.

Serves 4

Per serving: 833 calories, 46 grams protein, 116 grams carbohydrate, 20 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 112 mg cholesterol, 622 mg sodium.