By Thanksgiving. The Monday after the wedding, and I should be exhausted. I should be sitting on my couch with my feet up, resting after cooking for a hundred and fifty people on Saturday, but I am not resting because Thanksgiving is Thursday and Thanksgiving requires cooking and cooking does not care that you cooked for a hundred and fifty people four days ago. Cooking is relentless. Cooking is a demanding lover who does not accept excuses. And I love cooking the way I love Eduardo — completely, permanently, and with the full knowledge that it will never let me rest.
The Thanksgiving menu is the same as always: turkey marinated in adobo and stuffed with mofongo stuffing. Arroz con gandules. Ensalada de coditos. Tostones. Cranberry sauce from a can because cranberries are not my jurisdiction. And flan, because I made flan four days ago for the wedding and I still have the rhythm in my hands and it would be criminal to waste that rhythm on rest.
The table was different this year. Miguel Jr. and Jenny came as a married couple — husband and wife sitting next to each other, Jenny wearing her wedding ring, still glowing the way newlyweds glow, the light of two people who just made the biggest promise of their lives still visible on their skin. Rosa brought Carlos, who is now a regular at my table and who ate four helpings without being prompted, which I consider evidence of excellent character. David came from Brooklyn. Sofia set the table with the good plates.
I thought about Mami all day. Last Thanksgiving she was in Bayamon with a roof over her head and electricity in the walls. This Thanksgiving she is in Bayamon with a tarp and a generator and a stubbornness that is either admirable or dangerous and is probably both. I called her before we ate. I put her on speaker. She said, Happy Thanksgiving. Eat the turkey. Stop worrying about me. I said, Mami, I will never stop worrying about you. She said, I know, Carmen. That is because you are my daughter and worrying is hereditary, like sofrito and stubbornness.
Twenty people at the table. The mofongo stuffing was perfect. The pernil — yes, I made pernil AGAIN, four days after making pernil for the wedding, because you cannot have Thanksgiving without pernil and I will not apologize for this — the pernil was perfect. Everything was perfect. Not because perfection exists but because I refuse to accept anything less, and my refusal is the closest thing to perfection the food will ever know. Happy Thanksgiving, mi amor. We are alive. The table is full. The food is good. Even now. Even after everything. Especially now.
After the wedding pernil and the Thanksgiving mofongo stuffing and the flan and the arroz con gandules and the twenty people at my table, I still had turkey on my mind — because turkey is hereditary in this house, like sofrito and stubbornness. But even I know when to let the oven rest. This Thai-style ground turkey comes together in twenty minutes on the stovetop, and it is exactly the kind of meal that lets me keep cooking without losing my mind: fast, bright, full of flavor, and proof that loving the kitchen does not mean you have to punish yourself in it.
Thai-Style Ground Turkey and Green Beans
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or coconut oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 12 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sriracha or sambal oelek (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- Juice of 1 lime
- Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil. Set a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once shimmering, add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the green beans. Push the turkey to one side and add the green beans to the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender.
- Build the sauce. Add the garlic and ginger and stir everything together. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Pour the sauce over the turkey and green beans and toss to coat evenly.
- Simmer briefly. Let the sauce cook down for 1 to 2 minutes until it lightly glazes the meat and vegetables.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Squeeze the lime juice over everything and scatter the torn basil on top. Serve immediately over jasmine rice.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 980mg