I hope you had a socially distanced Thanksgiving. I know it’s not been ideal, but I can safely say you want your family to be around for future holidays. Our small group quarantined for 14 days and did single serving dishes and kept our distance on the day of. My mother didn’t come down to celebrate with us and while I missed her, it was better that she didn’t. Being over 70 makes her a high risk person and she is doing everything she can to keep from getting sick. I wish I could say the same for many of us in this country, but there are many people who still don’t believe it’s even real. Spend a few minutes with a healthcare worker and tell them that. Don’t be surprised if you end up with a broken nose and a black eye.

I have my turkey legs left over from the deconstructed bird. This time I am braising them Caribbean style. I am starting with a recipe from the Cooking Channel for Caribbean-Style Braised Turkey Legs. This recipe is simple with a lot of flavor. Simple is key here because I did a lot of cooking for Thanksgiving and want to end the holiday weekend with something simple. I also miss having dark meat and this is an inexpensive way to make a filling meal. Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I increased the servings to 13 reduce the calories
• I changed the Guiness to a gluten free beer.
• I removed the added salt to lower the sodium.
• I added kale to increase the vitamins A and C.
• I added green bell pepper to increase the vitamin C.
• I deleted the flour and replaced with cornstarch to remove the gluten.
• I deleted the tomato paste to remove the tomato.
• I replaced the white rice and replaced it with brown for more nutrition and fiber.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Caribbean Style Braised Turkey Legs

Serves 13

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 (12-ounce) bottles gluten free beer
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3.5 pounds turkey legs, skin removed
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup small dice onion
• 1/2 cup small dice carrot
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup small dice celery
• 1/4 cup small dice leeks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced green onion, white part only
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 pound kale, chopped

1. Add the rice and two cups of water to a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low.  Cover and cook 45 minutes.
2. Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat until hot. Season the turkey with pepper. Add half of the turkey legs to the pan and cook until well browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Set the seared turkey legs on a platter once browned and repeat with the remaining turkey legs. Once all the turkey legs are browned, add the onions, carrots, bell pepper and celery to the pan. Sauté the vegetables until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the leeks, garlic, green onions and ginger to the pan and sauté for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the beer to the Dutch oven and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the Guinness to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock and allspice, stir, and return the turkey legs to the pan. Return the pan to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and continue to cook the turkey legs until tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the lid, and add in the kale.  Cover and let steam until wilted.  Stir the chopped parsley into the pan. Serve immediately over steamed brown rice.