Thanksgiving and More…
By the time you read this, you are not likely to need more commentary on how to prepare the “feast that was”! The leftover turkey, stuffing, vegetables, cranberries and mashed potatoes crammed full in the refrigerator are ample enough reminders of that wonderful event, at least at our house.
While the sight of all these leftovers can cheer any frugal gourmet, that first look can also be daunting. The practicalities of wisely using this bounty can be challenging to say the least, especially if you want the results to be both appetizing and not just a microwave copy of the same meal. We all thrive on variety and this is the time to practice some simple but ingenious methods to achieve both visual and taste varieties. What is more, turkey once prepared can provide many easy and economical meals and can be a real boon to the weekly food budget.
An excellent and totally different presentation can be achieved by converting many of those ready-made ingredients from your ‘after-Thanksgiving’ refrigerator into a turkey tamale pie. The south-of-the-border flavors are guaranteed to perk you up after a hard day of weekend shopping.
Turkey tamale pie.
Sauté one medium onion and ½ green pepper, chopped, in 1 Tblsp. olive oil until soft, stir in two minced cloves of garlic and continue to sauté for an additional minute. Stir in the contents of 1 (14 oz) can chopped seasoned tomatoes with juice, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1- 2 Tblsp. chili powder and cook on low for about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups cubed turkey meat, ½ cup leftover gravy (optional), ½ cup chopped olives (green or black), 1 can (14 oz) black beans drained and rinsed and a cup of cooked vegetables such as corn or green beans. Pour mixture in a buttered baking dish. For topping use 1-2 cups leftover mashed potatoes combined with ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Drop spoonfuls of topping as you would biscuits or spread in thin rows to make a lattice. Sprinkle everything with additional shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. In absence of leftover mashed potatoes: make a cornmeal topping. Cornmeal topping: stir ¾ cups cornmeal in 2 cups cold water, 1 Tblsp. butter and ½ tsp. salt. Bring to boil and cook stirring until thick. Remove from heat, stir in the shredded cheese and proceed as above, spreading the corn mixture in thin rows. Serve with a salad and you have a totally different meal from Thanksgiving.
A very different flavor can be achieved by combining cooked turkey cubes with a creamy mushroom sauce.
Turkey mushroom success.
In a pan melt 2 Tblsp. butter, stir in 2 Tblsp. flour and constantly stirring on medium heat add 1 cup milk. Stir to keep smooth, until thickened. Add: ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. dry mustard, ¼ tsp paprika, ½ tsp. dill seed (optional), 1 Tblsp ketchup, 2 cups cubed cooked turkey, one 4 oz can sliced mushrooms (drained) and 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheese. Stir on low heat until blended and hot. Serve on pasta, rice, warmed leftover stuffing or just toast.
Turkey really is one of the most economical and versatile of meats. So, after Thanksgiving I have come to conclude that roast turkey should appear more often on our tables than just on these feasts in November and December. An opinion most heartily supported by the concurring purrs of our two new resident felines.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
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