We all remember the first time... that we cooked a big holiday turkey, I mean.



I’ve been married for 23 years. Not a record, even in my family, but long enough to have cooked my share of holiday dinners. Two Thanksgivings really stand out in my mind (and one of them is going to be this year!) But today, I’m going to tell you about the first time I cooked a Thanksgiving turkey. And explore some eco-options for cooking your bird.

The year was 1999. Fear about the impending end of civilization as the millennium turned and the lure of pleasant California weather had finally induced Mr. Lite Green’s entire family to come out to Los Angeles and spend Thanksgiving with us. I said I’d cook. “Oh joy, oh rapture. It’s finally my turn! What delights will adorn my table. After all, how hard can this be,” I thought smugly.

Looking back, the whole event was doomed from the beginning. Fourteen people, a 1200 square foot condo and plenty of potato-based social lubricant. I still wake up screaming sometimes. Not to mention that my oven blew-up (yes, I mean blew-up) on Tuesday and I had to have a new oven delivered and installed, complete with rebuilt hood, the day before the big event.

Anyway, I had picked a handsome 25 pounder for our feast. Yea, yea, I know, it’s a big bird. I didn’t know it at the time, however. I brined it and stuffed it and buttered it and put it in the oven, and expected it to be done on time at 1:00 PM. I imagined us all sitting down, saying grace and smiling through all the accolades about my beautiful, crisp, juicy turkey.

The biggest problem, by far, was the blasted (pun fully intended) turkey. At 5:00 PM, it still wasn’t cooked. I hadn’t planned any appetizers because I expected to sit down to our sumptuous meal at about 1:00 PM. And everyone had been sippin’ since about 11:00. Desperate, I stirred together a ham dip made out of potted meat from our earthquake survival kit, and threw it out onto the coffee table with some stale crackers from the back of the pantry. Surprisingly, even the snootiest of Mr. Lite Green’s relations gobbled it up with gusto.

Eventually, my father-in-law came up with a most elegant suggestion to move things along and end “the great turkey embargo,” as it came to be known.

“Nuke it,” he said.

“Bingo!” I said. So we cut that turkey up into serving sized portions and zapped it until it was no longer pink.

At 7:30, we sat down to a parched, tasteless bird that we ate with the delight of refugees. And all was right with the world.

Back then, I wasn’t as eco-aware as I am now, obviously. So this year, I want to try some turkey cooking options that will be a little greener.  I can’t really tell you which is the greenest. That depends a little bit on your viewpoint. But I can give you some good options. And I can tell you a few things I’ve learned since that first Thanksgiving turkey disaster.

• A smaller, unstuffed turkey cooks faster and uses less energy no matter what method you use.
• Choose sides that can cook along with the turkey to save on energy and time.
• Brining is usually unnecessary, so save the water.
• Choose a fresh turkey over a frozen one. It’ll taste better and doesn’t take up valuable fridge room and hog electricity while it thaws.
• Always, always have a back up plan in case of a turkey disaster.



5 Top Greenest Ways To Cook Your Thanksgiving Turkey.

1. Brown Bag It. This is basically the same idea as cooking a turkey in a plastic bag, but more eco-friendly, since paper is biodegradable.  It will accommodate a much larger bird than many traditional roasting pans, so it’s a good choice if you have a large crowd to feed. Check out How To Cook A Turkey In A Paper Bag from Party Recipes.

2. MIcrowave it. Cooking your turkey in the microwave is fast and saves energy. Consider cooking a turkey breast is you’re having a small feast. Turkey In The Microwave.

3. Bake it, southern style. This is my favorite turkey recipe. For a juicy, simple and eco-friendly option, try this method. Roast your bird for one hour at 500 degrees. Then turn the oven off, leave the door closed and just go to bed. You’ll wake up to a perfect bird.  Get the Easy Southern Turkey recipe from eHow.com. The website says to roast your turkey in an oven bag, but I just put my bird in a large, roasting pan with a tight fitting lid. Moist and delicious every time. (Since 1999, that is!)

4. Grill It. While you won’t get the smoky taste of a wood-grilled bird, a gas grill is a good choice for cooking your Thanksgiving turkey. It’s clean burning and energy efficient. Fresh herbs and spices will make it a unique and tasty treat. Gas Grilled Turkey recipe at Cooks.com.

5. Fry it. Yes, I said fry it -- the eco-friendly way with the The Big Easy Oil-Less Infrared Turkey Fryer. If you like the taste of fried turkey, but don’t want the mess and waste of all that left over oil (not to mention the fire hazard of dropping a large, cold bird into a vat of boiling hot oil) then The Big Easy might just be for you. It uses Infrared cooking technology, and can cook a turkey up to 16 lbs. with ease. With The Big Easy, you can also use rubs and seasonings that might wash away with traditional turkey fryers.

No matter what method you decide to use, have a safe, happy and green Turkey Day this year.

Share