All those leftovers

Written Sunday, November 29th, 2009 by TrishB

Thanksgiving's over but you wouldn't know it from looking in my refrigerator. Its overflowing with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Two turkeys were cooked in my household this year. It was a battle between husband and wife. A turkey cook off so to speak between fried and maple glazed. He stood outside in the cold, fully covered in his protective garb while I stayed in the warmth and watched as he ordered around his father, my brother, our sons and even our neighbor. It took one cook to cook a roasted turkey and 6 to cook a fried. While the fried turkey was moist and tender I think mine won in looks and flavor.   Needless to say we made way too much. So whether or not your turkeys were fried or roasted,  here are a few recipes you can try using your leftovers.

Tortilla Soup

Condiments:

Leftover turkey
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup grated monterey jack.     cheese
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, cut
into 1 inch pieces

For the soup:

1 packet tortilla strips
Vegetable spray
1/2 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 28 ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
7 cups chicken broth

Shred turkey into bite size pieces. In a medium size saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown garlic. Add onions, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and stir until soft. Add salt, tomatoes, and one third of the crispy tortilla strips. Add the chicken broth and cook for about 15 minutes more. Let cool, then puree the soup in batches in a blender.

Serve hot with the remaining crispy tortilla strips, the cheese, avocado, and turkey pieces.

Turkey Paninis

1/4 c dijon mustard
1/4 c mayonnaise
8 slices challah bread, about 1 inch thick
6 ounces sliced muenster cheese
12 ounces sliced turkey
Salt and pepper, to taste
2/3 cup cranberry sauce or relish

Mix mustard and mayo together in a small bowl. Spread about 1 tablespoon of mustard mixture on on one side of each piece.

Lay cheese on half of the bread slices, top with turkey, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the cranberry sauce on the remaining 4 slices of bread and close sandwiches, pressing each one together.

Heat panini machine or a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet. Lay  sandwiches in skillet and put a weight or another frying pan to press down. Cook about 3 minutes and turn and cook for additional 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
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My Favorite Turkey

Written Monday, November 23rd, 2009 by Anne Coleman

I am not lucky enough to get to cook Thanksgiving Dinner each year. My mother-in-law still hangs on to tradition and wants us to come to her more often than not. So, those years that I do get to host, I'm thrilled about it and make the turkey the way that my family has come to love: Brined.

I was first introduced to brining in an accidental way about ten years ago. I had a large roasting chicken on-hand that was completely frozen but that I wanted to cook for that evening's dinner. It was about 12 P.M. when I asked a few friends I was chatting with about thawing methods. The one that I chose was touted as the quickest method, and that was to submerge the bird in salted water.

I did as told and not only did it work like a charm, but it was the best bird we'd ever eaten. I took to brining all my poultry after that and decided that year to brine our turkey. We were all in love with this and I started checking in to other methods of brining. Up to that point I had merely used salt, but began adding my own herbs and spices to the mix to see what worked.

After lots of experimenting I came up with a recipe for turkey brine that we really enjoy. The best way to submerge a turkey is in a container that is both large enough for the bird yet small enough for your refrigerator. I have a 10 gallon stock pot that works very well for turkeys up to 18 pounds. You may have to experiment to see what works for you.

Here is the basic brine that we've come to love:

Brined Turkey

One 12 to 14 pound turkey - cleaned well
water to cover
3/4 cup salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons peppercorns - crushed lightly
5 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic - crushed lightly
1 teaspoon thyme - crushed
1 teaspoon sage - crushed
2 Tablespoons orange zest
2 cups water

Combine 2 cups water and all spices in a small pan.
Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.
Place turkey into brining vessel and add water to cover. Pour in brining liquid and refrigerate bird for 12-24 hours.
Roast as desired.