It’s Never Too Early For Turkey

Serving turkey doesn’t have to wait until Thanksgiving.

Marinating turkey, or chicken breasts, in yogurt is common in Indian cuisine. It’s a good medium to impart flavorful spices and herbs to the meat, and the enzymes contained in yogurt render the turkey meat tender. Here, I’ve used Middle Eastern/Mediterranean seasonings for turkey kebabs, with cucumber sauce on the side. The result is delicious.

And although sweet potato fries are no longer in vogue, they are an excellent side dish to the kebabs. They are delicious with salt and pepper, but adding spices that are similar to the turkey makes them outstanding. Everyone will ask for seconds.

Bon appétit!

Middle Eastern Turkey On Skewers(Serves 6)2 pounds boneless, skinless turkey or chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cups plain yogurt

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 slice fresh ginger, minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 lemons, one zest removed and juiced, one cut into wedges for garnish

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon sea salt

Chopped parsley for garnish

12 6-inch-long wooden skewers, soaked in waterTo prepare:Whisk yogurt, turmeric, curry powder, cumin, cardamom, ginger, garlic, pepper, salt and lemon zest in a non-reactive mixing bowl.

Add turkey pieces to the yogurt mixture.

Stir well to coat the pieces.

Cover with plastic wrap.

Marinate in refrigerator at least 6 hours.

Preheat grill or broiler to moderately high.

Coat grid or broiler pan with oil.

Drain skewers.

Thread turkey onto them, spacing evenly.

Grill until turkey is firm to the touch and completely cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Remove from grill.

Drizzle lemon juice over kebabs.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges.Cucumber Sauce(About 2 cups)1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced

2 large shallots, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 large slice fresh ginger, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup plain yogurt

1 lemon, zest grated and freshly squeezed juice, to tasteTo prepare:Bring the vinegar, water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.

Cook until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the heat.

Add shallots, garlic and ginger.

Cool the mixture to room temperature.

Add cucumber.

Season with salt and pepper.

Stir cucumber mixture into yogurt.

Mix in lemon zest and juice, to taste.

Serve as a sauce with the turkey kebabs.Baked Sweet Potato Fries(Serves 6)6 sweet potatoes, peeled

Olive oil for coating

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons zatar

Few pinches cayenne pepperTo prepare:Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Halve sweet potatoes.

Cut each half into 1/2-inch slices, and then even-sized “fries.”

Drizzle enough oil to completely coat the potatoes in a large mixing bowl.

Mix together turmeric, cumin, paprika, zatar, cayenne, salt and black pepper in a small bowl.

Sprinkle seasonings over the potatoes.

Mix well to coat.

Space out the potatoes on Teflon- or parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Roast for 15 minutes on one side.

Turn over to brown the other side.

Continue roasting, about 15 to 20 minutes more, until they are crisp and tender.