Category Archives: General
Turkey Leftovers (Round Two)
One of the things stashed in our freezer is an overabundance of tomatillo sauce. Years ago, I happened on an amazing recipe for roasted tomatillo sauce. We usually grow a six-pack of tomatillos each summer. One six-pack yields many pounds of tomatillos. The resulting sauce freezes indefinitely. Believe me, I’ve testing the timing. In fact, this past summer, we opted not to grow any tomatillos to try to get ahead of the freezer stash.
I’m always on the lookout for recipes that call for a Mexican salsa verde. Sometimes, I just make up combinations or substitute salsa verde for salsa roja.
This recipe for turkey enchiladas originally came from my friend April. Her recipe has a smooth smoky red sauce and is quite tasty. This week, trying to use more of my turkey leftovers, I went for this recipe. I changed the sauce, substituting my tomatillo sauce, creating a completely different dish. Ole!
Turkey Tomatillo Enchiladas
(Serves 4-6)
4-5 cups prepared tomatillo sauce (see below for my recipe)
4 cups diced, cooked turkey
1 bar Monterey Jack cheese (8 -10 oz), grated
1 cup sour cream
12-18 corn tortillas
Cilantro
Preheat the oven to 325F.
For the filling, combine the turkey, grated cheese, and sour cream in a large bowl.
Wrap the tortillas in a dish towel. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until the tortillas are soft and pliable, but don’t overdo it.
In a large baking pan (about 13×9), spread about 1 cup of tomatillo sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.
Spoon two heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of a tortilla. Roll it up, and place in the baking pan, seam side down. Repeat until you use up all the filling. You will fill at least 12, but possibly more, tortillas, depending on how generous you are with the filling.
Pour the remaining tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas.
Bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbly.
Garnish with cilantro.
Variations:
- As with many recipes, I typically use less meat and more vegetables. We had so much turkey left over that I did use the originally called for quantity of turkey this time. Usually, I use half the turkey and a can of sliced black olives.
- You could use any kind of cooked salsa for infinite variety.
Roasted Tomatillo Sauce
Adapted from Rick Bayless
Makes about 4 cups or more
This recipe multiplies easily. In the summer, I make several batches with 10 pounds of tomatillos at a time. The following recipe is for a more manageable amount.
2 lbs tomatillos
1 jalapeno, halved and seeded
½ lb onion, sliced ¼ inch thin
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
Water, as needed
Move the oven rack to the top shelf. Preheat the broiler.
Peel the tomatillos. If the skin is sticking, soak in warm water for a few minutes first. Rinse well with warm water to get rid of the soapy residue on the skin of the tomatillos. Place the tomatillos and jalapeno halves on a large baking sheet. Broil the tomatillos until the skin starts to blister, about 10 minutes. Turn everything over and broil the other side another 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
Place the onion slices in one layer on a baking sheet. Scatter the garlic cloves on the same pan. Broil until the edges of the onions start to blacken, about 5 minutes. Turn everything over. Broil the other side until the edges of the onions start to black, another 5 minutes or so. Set aside.
Place the onions, garlic, and jalapeno in the food processor. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. Place in a large bowl.
Now, coarsely chop the tomatillos (along with any juices in the pan) in the food processor. Do this in batches if necessary. Add the tomatillos to the bowl with the other mixture.
Stir the tomatillos and onion mixture together. If it seems too thick (which for me, it usually is not), add some water to get the consistency you think is right. Add chopped cilantro. Add sugar and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings.
As I said, this freezes well.
Turkey Leftovers (Round One)
Thanksgiving is an enjoyable meal, but, in many ways, it’s more about the company than the food. I love what can be created from Thanksgiving leftovers. A 28-pound turkey for 9 people was no mistake. I was planning for leftovers.
On Friday, we had repeat Thanksgiving for lunch and dinner, that is, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies, and, for me, pink jello mold. Now, it’s time to move on to creative use of leftovers.
The day before Thanksgiving, I always make a pot of turkey stock from any turkey parts in the freezer. Usually, I use the stock for the gravy and the stuffing, to maximize the turkeyness. Any leftover stock can be used to make turkey soup. As I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post, we ended up with a tremendous amount of liquid in the roasting pan. It was enough for the gravy and the stuffing, with more left over. That leaves 6 quarts of day-before turkey stock in the refrigerator!
First order of business is a LARGE pot of turkey barley soup. This soup couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is cut things up and cook them in the pot. It’s quite flexible. Depending on what’s on hand, I’ve made it with different vegetables than these. I’ve also done this with orzo or other tiny pasta instead of barley. Here’s today’s version. (Normally, I make 2/3 of this recipe, but I was trying to make a dent in the stock.)
Turkey Barley Soup
3 cups sliced leeks (about 2 leeks)
2 cups sliced celery (about 4 stalks)
2 cups sliced carrots (about 4 carrots)
3 quarts (12 cups) turkey stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1½ cups pearl barley
2 cups diced cooked turkey
Combine vegetables, stock, and barley in a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Barley should be tender. Add turkey, stir, and heat until turkey is warmed up. Serve.
Variations:
- Parsnips, sliced like the carrots, or quartered mushrooms are nice additions.
- Substitute 1 cup dried orzo for the barley. Don’t add at the beginning, but after about 45 minutes. Cook until tender. Then add the turkey.
Another thing I like to make with Thanksgiving leftovers is turkey pot pie. My recipe has evolved over many, many years of leftovers. This is where any leftover vegetables usually end up. The gravy too, though I often need to make more gravy to have enough. My pot pies have a lot more vegetables than meat because that’s my preference. You could adjust according to your own tastes.
We had a nice assortment left from the veggies that Laury brought to Thanksgiving dinner: red and yellow beets, turnips, pearl onions, and carrots. I also had some leftover roasted squash in the fridge. I steamed some carrots and parsnips to round it out. This works with any combination of seasonal vegetables that you like. Here’s today’s version of turkey pot pie:
Turkey Pot Pie
(Serves 6-8)
1 Tbsp butter (I have to admit I used rendered turkey fat from the roasted bird)
1 or 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
6-7 cups of cooked vegetables (all the vegetables should be cut into bite-sized pieces, about ½ inch)
2 cups diced cooked turkey
2 cups turkey gravy (see below)
½ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, or whatever you have)
Pot Pie Topping (see below)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large pot, melt the butter, and sauté the leeks until tender (about 5 minutes). Add remaining ingredients, and stir gently to combine well.
Pour filling into a 3-quart baking pan, and smooth the top.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pot pie topping to the size of your baking pan. Place the topping over the filling. It doesn’t have to cover exactly.
Bake for 30 minutes, until filling is bubbling and the topping is lightly brown.
Turkey Gravy
¼ cup turkey drippings or fat (if you don’t have that, use vegetable oil)
¼ cup Wondra flour
2 cups turkey stock
In a medium saucepan, whisk the flour into the hot fat. Whisk until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually whisk in turkey stock. Continue to whisk until the gravy thickens, about 5 more minutes.
Pot Pie Topping
1 cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 Tbsp (½ stick) butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup milk
In the food processor, combine the dry ingredients. Add butter, and process until the butter is cut in. The mixture will resemble corn meal or coarse sand. Add the milk, and pulse until the dough comes together.
On a floured surface, gently knead the dough a few times before rolling it out.
A Plateful of Happiness 