Giada De Laurentiis’ ‘Happy Cooking’ Stress-Free Thanksgiving Dishes

It’s
Thanksgiving week – so it’s time to get serious about talking turkey, but don’t
get stressed!

Giada
De Laurentiis stopped by Access Hollywood Live with some festive recipes from
her brand new book, “Happy Cooking: Make Every Meal Count Without Stressing
Out.”

Herb
Roasted Turkey Breast

(Serves
4 to 6)

• 1/2
  turkey breast, about 3 pounds
• 2
  teaspoons thyme leaves, chipped fine
• 2
  teaspoon rosemary, chopped fine
• ¼
  teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2
  garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 3
  tablespoons duck fat, olive oil or butter, warmed gently if needed to make
  liquid
• 1
  teaspoon kosher salt

Remove
the turkey from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat
the oven to 400 degrees F.

In
a small bowl mix together the thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, garlic and
duck fat. Season the turkey evenly with the salt and rub the herb mixture all
over. Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Sear the turkey breast, skin
side down until the skin is getting crispy and golden brown, about 4 minutes.
Flip the turkey and sear for another 4 minutes. Transfer the breast to a rimmed
baking sheet along with the duck fat from the pan. Place the tray in the oven
and roast, flipping the breast every 15minutes and basting with the juices. An
instant read thermometer should read 155 degrees. Remove the turkey from the
tray and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Reserve the
drippings for the gravy.

Garlic
Herb Gravy

(Serves
4 to 6)

• 1/4
  cup drippings from the herb roasted turkey breast
• 2
  tablespoons flour
• 3
  tablespoons white wine
• 1
  cup low sodium chicken broth

In
a small saucepan, warm the drippings over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until
a smooth paste forms. Add the white wine and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk
in the chicken broth and continue to cook over medium heat, whisking often.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Strain if desired. Serve alongside
the herb roasted turkey breast.

Giada’s
Brown & Wild Rice Dressing with Mushrooms & Brussels Sprouts

(Serves
8-10)

• 8
  ounces applewood-smoked bacon slices, cut crosswise into ½-inch-wide strips
• 4½
  cups low-sodium chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
• 3
  tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1¼
  cups organic brown rice (I used Lundberg’s short-grain gluten-free; about 8.6
  ounces)
• 1¼
  cups wild rice (about 7.6 ounces)
• 6
  tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
• 2
  (10-ounce) bags pearl onions, blanched in boiling water 2 minutes, then peeled
• 1½
  pounds portobello mushrooms, dark gills scraped away and discarded, mushrooms
  coarsely chopped (7 to 8 cups of ¾-inch pieces)
• 1
  pound Brussels sprouts, root ends trimmed and discarded, sprouts halved
  lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)
• Kosher
  salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¾
  cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, and coarsely chopped (optional)

In
a large heavy skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Using a
slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2
tablespoons of the drippings from the skillet; reserve the skillet with the
drippings.

In
a large heavy saucepan, combine the broth and 1 tablespoon of the thyme and
bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the brown rice and return to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the wild
rice and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium low; cover and simmer until
all the rice is tender (but still slightly chewy), about 40 minutes longer.

Meanwhile,
add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the bacon drippings in the reserved skillet
and heat over medium-high heat. Add the pearl onions and sauté until golden and
tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a small
bowl and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the mushrooms to the
skillet and sauté until the mushrooms are brown and tender, 7 to 8 minutes.
Stir the Brussels sprouts into the skillet with the mushrooms and sauté until
tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes; sprinkle generously with salt
and pepper. Add the rice mixture, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, remaining 2
tablespoons thyme, and reserved pearl onions to the skillet and toss gently to
blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the stuffing to a large
bowl. Sprinkle with the bacon and hazelnuts, if desired, and serve.

(All recipes courtesy Giada De Laurentiis)