Spicy Old Bay turkey thighs

Ahhh Monday Thursday.  I'm not very accustomed to taking a day off smack in the middle of the week, so a mini vacation is nice.  It was a jam-packed day: dentist appointment, laundry, errands, and a very sweet princess's 5th birthday party.  Am I the only person in the world who loves going to the dentist?  I mean, sure, the staff at my dentist's office is as charming as can be, but I really love reclining in the oh-so-comfy chair and relaxing while my teeth are cleaned to a sparkling finish while I do nothing.  And I get a parting gift of a free toothbrush.  Win win :)  Though when I made a joke about the amount of sugar I eat and it's a wonder I have no cavities, my dentist was a little less charming... woops.

Another favorite of mine is Thanksgiving, mostly because of the no gifts time with family, but also because of the turkey.  I love turkey!  Love love love love.  But sadly, how many of us eat roast turkey any other time throughout the year?  I eat lunch meat turkey and ground turkey, but no roast turkey here.  So, you can imagine my excitement when I spotted a recipe for roasted turkey in a recent issue of Everyday Food.  Just mention Old Bay and you'll get me to jump through hoops galore, but pair it with turkey?  Get outta here.  Prep is a cinch, and the flavor is dynamite.  And, don't worry spicy heat wimps, I count myself among your ranks.  This isn't a hot recipe by any means.  The Old Bay may be intense before heading into the oven, but it mellows out during cooking.  I paired it with the cool and crunchy raw corn and zucchini salad from earlier this week for a sweet side.

Dollars and sense -- I'm not usually one to figure out the cost of a recipe and boast about it, but well, that's precisely what I'm going to do here.  Turkey (2.4 pounds) = $3, four ears of corn = $0.80, two medium zucchinis = $3.  The rest of the ingredients were hanging out in the pantry or refrigerator.  That brings the grand total to $6.80 for four servings.  For you math majors, that's $1.70 per person.  Awesome, just awesome.

Spicy Turkey Thighs
(adapted from Everyday Food, again)
-serves 4

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
5 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 bone-in, skin-on turkey thighs (around 2 pounds total)
Salt
Ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450F.  In a small bowl, stir together butter, Old Bay, and lemon juice until a paste is formed.  Rinse turkey thighs with water and pat dry with paper towels.  Place turkey thighs in a 7 x 11-inch glass baking dish.

Gently slip your fingers between skin and meat, working the opening without completely separating the skin from the meat.  Evenly spread butter mixture under skin of each thigh.  Season thighs with salt and pepper.

Roast in oven 35 to 40 minutes (I went with 40) until skin is crispy and brown and juices run clear when meat is pierced with a knife.  (If you have an instant read thermometer, it should read 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding bone.  Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.  Enjoy your summertime feast!