Tough turkey? An easy Thanksgiving and a tender bird

I remember grinding up turkey breast in a food processor and then bledning it in with a mashed potatoes so it wouldn't look unappetizing. People who have trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, or jaw joint problems.

There's a way to make Thanksgiving easier for people who have difficulty chewing. To brine a turkey makes it easier to chew and juicier, too. You can find plenty of brine recipes and instructions how to do it on the web. I like a mixture we get from Williams-Sonoma. Brining usually involves an overnight process and bags made especially for this purpose.  However, last Christmas I tried a new method, a dry brine.

This method is much simpler, and it leaves the turkey succulent. It's applied to turkey, chicken, or pork a few hours before time to cook; I leave mine on overnight. No boiling, brining bags, or additional liquids are required. The results are great!

If you need to keep things simple, you can also buy cornbread dressing mix (oh so easy to chew) from Williams-Somoma. I bought the gravy mix, too. Dressing mixes are also available in the store.

Usually I make a broth from the turkey and use some brown rice flour to cut down on the amount of gluten. It makes a light "gravy," allowing the natural flavors to make their statement.

I'll be putting some personal touches on the meal, making cranberry relish from fresh cranberries and making low-fat potatoes with protein. You can find that recipe here. And if you'd like to find other easy or no-chew recipes, just use the Google search bar underneath the title of my blog.


My son-in-law, who is quite the chef, will be bringing some veggies and other goodies. I'll eat more than I should, but my jaw won't be pained by it. It's just one more thing to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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A no-chew recipe: shrimp and corn chowder

I made this recipe with things I had on hand. It is an easy one.

15 ounce can of creamed corn
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, diced well
1 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth (may also use fish or vegetable stock)
1 1/3 cup lowfat milk
2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp, chopped into small pieces
4 whole shrimp (optional) for garnish
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional) to thicken soup
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary
Makes 4 eight ounce bowls

Heat the butter in a pan and add the onions. Cook until translucent. Add the can of  creamed corn. Squeeze the lemon juice into the mixture.

Measure out the chicken stock. If you like your soups thick, add the xanthan gum before you heat the broth.  Stir it well, until there are no lumps in the mixture. Add it to the other ingredients and stir.

Add the remaining ingredients (except the whole shrimp), stir, and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, and then bring the heat down to low. Cook another 30 minutes. Keep the lid on the pot, except for stirring occasionally.


Once the soup is ready to serve, garnish with a whole shrimp. I also used a lettuce leaf from a bag of prepared spring mix lettuce. Garnishes are important. Even if we can't chew it, it still gives us the feeling of eating something special.

Even on a hot, humid July Florida day, this chowder was not too heavy. It's not high in fat, but it has protein. It isn't easy to get that in a no-chew diet. I used Lactaid milk in mine, and it tastes fine for those who like to watch their lactose intake. Hope you like it!

Be sure to search my blog for other no-chew recipes.