Holiday Turkey With A Heart-Healthy Twist (NAPSA)—Herbed Roast Turkey is a heart-healthy take on the traditional holiday main dish. Instead of a butter baste, this recipe calls for olive oil, which reduces the saturated fat while providing a rich flavor during roasting. A savory rub of fresh sage, rosemary and thyme leaves infuses the meat with flavor, while olive oil seals in the natural juices to ensure tender results. For families that prefer other meats, the herb rub can also be used on roasted pork or grilled chicken and adapted to suit smaller cuts of meat. Herbed Roast Turkey Prep Time: 32 minutes Cook Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes Total Time: 5 hours, 15 minutes 16-to-18-lb. turkey, thawed, if frozen 1 medium onion,cut into wedges 2 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces 4 to 5 stemseachof fresh sage, rosemary and thyme, if desired 3 cloves garlic % cup chopped fresh sage leaves % cup fresh rosemary leaves 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves % teaspoonsalt % teaspoon pepper % cup plus % cup olive oil Give your holiday turkey a heart-healthy boost with olive oil. Additional stems rosemary, thyme and sage Heat oven to 325 F. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; discard or save for broth, if desired. Rinse cavity of turkey and pat dry. Sprinkle inside of turkey with salt and pepper. Place onion, celery, carrot and, if desired, 1 to 2 stems each of sage, rosemary and thyme inside turkey. Place turkey on rack in roasting pan; set aside. In food processor or blender, chop garlic until fine. Add herbs; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add salt and pepper. With machine running, add % cup olive oil; process until well blended. Carefully separate (but do not remove) the skin from meat on breast of turkey. Rub 2 tablespoons olive oil mixture between meat and skin. Replace skin. If desired, add 1 cup water or broth to pan under rack. Roast turkey 1 hour. Meanwhile, blend remaining % cup olive oil into remain- ing herb mixture. If desired, bundle remaining fresh herb stems together to form “basting brush.” After 1 hour of roasting, baste turkey with part of herb mixture. Continue roasting 2% to 3% hours or until internal temperature of thickest part of thigh is 170 F and juices run clear, basting every 1 hour. If necessary, cover breast of turkey with foil to prevent overbrowning during roasting. Coverloosely; let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving. 16 to 20 servings. Total roasting time will be about 12 to 20 minutes per pound, depending onsize of turkey. Check turkey wrapperfor additional timing information. For more recipes, as well as additional information about olive oil, visit www.aboutoliveoil.org.
