Belated Updated Thanksgiving Feast

So this year was the 3rd year in the past 5 that we had Thanksgiving on the boat, and since this year we hadn't slogged down the coast for the past 12 hours, I thought I'd work on my galley skills.

I had all but perfected my tropical inspired Macadamia nut stuffing in the oven, but alas, the spouse was trying to adhere to a new low carb, wheat free diet.  No, he's not a celiac, he just plays one on TV.

What I did wind up with was healthy, colorful and perfectly suited for the tropics.  On a scale of 1-10 on the meal:
Butternut squash--5
Bok Choy Provencal - 7
Jerked Cornish Game Hen - 10

Butternut squash, now okay, this would have been better if I had either used precut frozen (not an option) or a fresh squash.  And after my wrestling match with the largest spaghetti squash I had ever met just the night before, I was done with the squash family. and knives. cleaning sticky, gooey, squash mess from all over the boat, myself, Tim, my hair.

So, what my attempt to make was a dish that my chef friend Jay had taught me, sautéed butternut squash with garlic and cayenne pepper.  I was almost there, but using precut butternut squash from the deli, well, after awhile, parts get mushy and parts stay intact, so my result TASTED okay, but it was a half mashed, half undercooked presentation and I wasn't happy with my result.

Bok Choy Provencal--turned out pretty good, but I might be too much of a purist to use Provencal type preparation with Bok Choy.  However, it was good, but I think I left out some seasoning, because the recipe seemed kinda bland.  Pretty presentation, though.  By the way, according to my recipe, Provencal is tomatoes, olives, garlic, onions, etc.

Jerked Cornish Game Hen -- Winner! First of all, come frozen so they have a good shelf life in the fridge, cheap as hell (I paid $6 for two), and grill master Compy Comp was able to create a thing of beauty, and this was with the Magma.  After they got thawed out, I washed and dried them, for spice monster Tim I used straight jerk seasoning that I bought at the store, and not no Lawry's or Kraft shit either, some regionally distributed stuff that was the consistency of paste and the smell made you purr.  However, as much as I like jerk seasoning, I am a spice wimp, so I waited about 8 hours before seasoning mine and added a bit of brown sugar (oh, thank you Microwave, oh keeper of my dry goods).  I think Cornish game hen will be in the rotation, versatile, cheap and MagmaBoss can good it up real good.

So below, here's a pic of Thanksgiving ala HemiD style. Since I was starving, I didn't worry about setting up the glamour shot.  Hey Hunter, willing to give me some $$$ for the free endorsement?

This picture is just missing Macadamia nut stuffing.  Seriously.

So, speaking of Bok Choy.  I prepared it again this past week, with asparagus, mushrooms, peanuts, red bell peppers and a coconut/lime/pepper sauce.  Delish.

And suddenly I hear several sailing sisters belting out a chorus of Coconut by Harry Nilsson.

Eat, drink and be merry.