THAT THANKSGIVING BONUS

                                                                 Too big to roast!

 That Thanksgiving Bonus

            To paraphrase that well known poem A Visit from St. Nicholas  by C.C. Moore: ‘Twas after the feast and all through the house, Only snores of contentment from most, mobile communications for others, But the cook in the kitchen….”  So begins the story of the aftermath of every delicious Thanksgiving feast.

            Standing in the kitchen with remains of the feast does not bode well for the faint of heart. There is that lopsided pile of leftover mashed potatoes,  the dish of stuffing somehow has lost it’s original appeal, the roasted parsnips and scattered string beans look positively lonely and beside them all loom the daunting remains of that once magnificent and beautiful roasted turkey.

            Fortunately, most cooks can look at this as a bounty that guarantees several delicious meals with a minimum of effort, the more to be appreciated after all the activity required to prepare the feast. Thus the first order is to separate the meat from turkey bones for subsequent use in a variety of dishes and make soup from the bones and any small scraps of turkey. To prepare flavorful turkey soup use minimum amount of water to cover the bones and plenty of herbs.

                                    Flavorful turkey soup

Place the turkey bones and any small scraps of meat and skin in a 4-6 quart pot.  Add two stalks of celery with leaves, a bay leaf, an unpeeled onion cut in half with root stem removed, 2-3 large sprigs of parsley, 3 garlic cloves peeled and halved, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. ground sage, 6 cloves and cold water to cover. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 2 hours. Add 2 peeled carrots and 1 parsnip (optional) and continue to simmer for an additional hour.  When cool, remove carrots and parsnip and slice for the soup. Remove and discard the turkey, unless you have canine members of the family who would appreciate any of the cooked meat (no bones) mixed in with their dinner. Strain the soup through a sieve and discard any solids. Adjust salt and pepper seasoning of the broth and add 2 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar..  The turkey broth with carrots and parsnips is now ready to be served with addition of some cooked rice or small pasta and peas and even a few of those lonely beans from the feast cut up in bite size pieces. The soup will keep refrigerated 4-5 days and can be reheated several times. For a tangy variation, serve with some chopped dill pickle and a tablespoon of sour cream in the soup, added at the table. An interesting accompaniment to this soup would be mini-muffins made with leftover bread stuffing.

                        Stuffing bites with sausage

Crumble ¼ lb Italian sausage (casings removed) and fry sufficiently to brown. Drain on paper towels and combine with 1 ½ cups crumbled cooked bread stuffing from the turkey and ½ shredded apple. Lightly beat 2 eggs with 1 Tblsp. chicken broth and stir into the stuffing-sausage mixture. Grease a 12 cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray and moderately pack the stuffing mix in the cups. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar (optional) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

In addition to delicious turkey sandwiches with onion dip and arugula with or without a dab of cranberry sauce, there are a multitude of recipes for chicken that can be readily adapted for the roasted turkey meat in your refrigerator. In each case cut the turkey in appropriate size pieces for the recipe and prepare as you would cooked chicken or even beef and pork.

                        Ginger soy sauce turkey with broccoli

Have ready: 4 sliced mushrooms, 1-2  cups cut up turkey, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 Tblsp.. shredded fresh ginger, 2 cups broccoli florets, ½ cup sliced bamboo shoots or water chestnuts, ¼ cup light soy sauce mixed with 2 tsp. corn starch, ¼ cup water, 1 Tblsp.. rice vinegar and 2 Tblsp. sherry (optional), 3 sliced scallions with green parts. Heat 1 Tblsp.. peanut oil to moderately hot and cook the mushrooms for 3 minutes, stir in the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the turkey, bamboo shoots, soy sauce mix, cooking until blended and slightly thickened. Stir in the broccoli and scallions. Cook for an additional minute and serve on hot rice.

                        Turkey in sundried tomato cream sauce

This is particularly good for white meat, which when removed from the bird tends to get dry. In 1 Tblsp. olive oil sauté 1 cup sliced mushrooms with ¼ cup chopped red onion for 5 minutes, stir in 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, ¼ cup dry white wine, ¼ cup coarsely chopped drained sundried tomatoes, ¼ cup chicken broth. Heat until well blended and place moderate size pieces of turkey in the sauce to heat through, then stir in ¼ cup cream or half and half. Heat the mixture without boiling and serve with pasta.

Good friends have invited us for Thanksgivings this year, but savoring these bonus meals in my mind makes me almost wishful that I was cooking a Thanksgiving dinner again at our house. 

            (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)