An East West Thanksgiving Meal

This year, for thanksgiving, I've decided to make turkey with an Asian twist. I made a paste with lime leaves, vietnamese mint, basil, olive oil and salt and rubbed it all over the outside and inside of the turkey. I used a turkey bag to cook the turkey for the first hour. Then I opened it out completely and browned the bird for one and a half hours on a bed of vegetables and potatoes. Instead of stuffing, I made Middle Eastern rice with saffron, pistachios and barberries.

I also made Yemenite soup (a staple in our household) This is the amount of beef that went into the soup. Shank, hind shank, beef neck bone and oxtail went into the soup. The spice is purchased from the market in Tel Aviv. Typically, Hawaij spice, is made up of cumin, black pepper, tumeric, cardamon.  There are more elaborate versions which include extra ingredients like cloves, coriander, nutmeg and saffron.