Easter Weekend

Easter weekend in the Philippines is dead! This is one Holiday when everything stops! Nothing is open. No traffic. Christians in the old days like 100 years ago, used to stay home to be with family and discuss the life of Christ and his atoning sacrifice. Mormons are a little unique when it comes to celebrating Easter because we don't dwell so much on the death of Christ but rather on His life and resurrection. That is why the cross is not the symbol that we use to remember Him because we know He is resurrected and alive today. We always say, Christ lives and He will return!

Growing up in El Salvador my grandparents  didn't go out on vacations the way it's done today. But as a child and in the modern world Easter is just another long weekend Holiday like any other. What I love about this long weekend that started on Thursday and for many it goes even into Monday is that you get to spend time with your family at home and for me that means I get to be with my hubby.

Seriously, it is amazing how having those extra days on your weekend can make such a difference. Daniel does not have to get up early to go to work and we are able to stay up late into the night watching movies.

Today, we cooked a turkey Salvadoran style. It turned out so yummy! Tomorrow we are making pan con chump with the best sauce and curtido. That is my favorite way to cook turkey and have come up with my own secret recipe that I am sharing.

The delicious Salvadoran Turkey dish (Pavo a la Salvadoreña) it’s a “party time”  tradition!

This dish, in addition to being able to be served with a side of rice and salad, it can also be ideal for turkey sandwiches, or traditionally known as Panes con “chumpe” or pavo.  In my home growing up we had this dish at midnight on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, or at weddings or birthday parties or any type of celebrations because it is easy to assemble when you prepare sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS:

12- 16-pound turkey

½ Cup of butter

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup mustard

1 Tablespoon of worshire sauce

1 Tablespoon of soya sause

4 medium onions, sliced

1/2 head of garlic (peeled and crushed)

6 green peppers (sweet chili)

10 medium tomatoes

½ Cup of cilantro

½ Cup capers (optional)

½ Cup black olives (optional)

A package of RELAJO: (sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dry Chile, and bay leaves.)

Step one

Marinate the turkey for 12 to 24 hours with a mixture composed of melted butter or margarine, Mayo, mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

Step two

Put the turkey on a special tray to bake for one hour at 325% while you prepare the sauce.

 Step three

Prepare the sauce by boiling the tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, soya sauce and worshire sauce.  Leave to simmer…

Step four

On another pan grill or toast the spices a.k.a. “relajo’ (sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, chile and bay leaves.)

Step Five

Once toasted, blend the sauce with the toasted spices “relajo” and add water as you blend all the ingredients together except for the capers and the olives.

 Step six

After an hour of baking, poke the turkey or inject it with the sauce. Every 30 minutes bathe it with the same sauce that is being cooked in while baking. Continue baking for approximately 3 ½ hours or when it’s done!

When the turkey is ready to eat, carve it and serve with the hot gravy sauce, at this point if you would like add some capers and diced black olives. With the left over turkey prepare some delicious Panes con Pavo.

For panes con pavo you will need:

Cooked turkey

Turkey sauce

French bread

Mayonnaise

lettuce

Sliced tomatoes

Sliced cucumbers

Sliced radishes

Water -cress leaves (optional)

“Curtido” (optional)

 Enjoy!

Con amor,

Vero