Turkey Part Deux

Wow…I just realized that I did not post this right after Thanksgiving.  We love turkey and I find it one of the easiest proteins to make, so explain to me why I don’t make it more often?  Why do I only save it for Thanksgiving?  I fear that I must now walk the “Cooking Hall of Shame”.

Of course, I did not take a picture of the turkey.  We had our Thanksgiving on the Sunday following, as Boo was at her father’s for the actual day.  This did give me a extra time to get everything together.  The menu is always the same:  roast turkey,  sage dressing, green bean casserole (although I now make it from scratch using Guy Feiri’s recipe  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/the-mean-green-recipe/index.html), mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, broccoli with cheese sauce, rolls, and my new recipe for pumpkin pie.

Although I had plenty of time to fix our meal when it came time to sit down to eat the chaos started.   MJ decided that she wanted us to watch the Star Trek Blu-Ray, since it was now on DVD.  She dashes to her car and jets over to Walgreen’s (about four blocks away) – not there.  A quick call to me to let me know that she was on her way to Target (about three miles away).  I asked if she tried Barnes and Noble (across the street from Walgreen’s), but the child was on a mission, she was listening to no one!  No success at Target, but another quick call to me to say she was on her way to Wal-Mart (about five miles from Target).  In my mind’s eye, I think that this was her own version of “Black Friday”.  Driving all around town just to find that one item.  Anyway, we had a delicious dinner and then watched “Star Trek”.

I am not a Trekkie, but I really enjoyed the movie.  I was amazed at how well the young man who played the young Spock (Zachary Quinto) looked and acted like the Leonard Nimoy “old” Spock.  I enjoyed it so much, that I could even watch it a second time. That statement alone could earn me many brownie points with my own little geek girl, Boo.

The next day I made “Rescued Turkey Stock”, packed the left-over turkey into several packets for us to eat over the next month and made one of Boo’s favorite Giada DeLaurentiis’ pasta recipes.  The picture does not do this recipe justice at all.  It really is a very pretty and festive pasta.  Don’t blame the pasta, blame the photographer!

How nice to have roasted turkey in the freezer just waiting for me to make Turkey Soup, or Hot Browns, or to have some for a salad or sandwich for lunch.  And home made turkey stock!  Well, it just makes me feel very Suzie Homemaker – Joy Rising!

Rescued Simon and Garfunkel Turkey Stock

From: Basic Knowledge

Notes: I call this “Rescued Turkey Stock”, because that is exactly what it is.  Too many people just cut off what meat they can from the turkey and then toss out the carcass.  Bad move.  This recipe will not only give you some amazing stock that you can either use right away or freeze, but you will be amazed at how much turkey meat falls off the bones during the cooking process.  I use the stock when I make soup, but also when I boil potatoes or rice.  It adds a wonderful, extra layer of flavor.  And, of course, Simon and Garfunkel because I always find myself humming that song, “Scarborough Fair” whenever I make anything with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme!

Ingredients:

1 turkey carcass

16-17 cups cold water

3 celery ribs (I don’t slice them or toss away the “tree” sections)

3-4 carrots (again, I don’t slice or peel them)

2 softball sized onions (no need to peel as the skin adds color to the stock, just cut into quarters)

4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1T dried)

2 bay leaves

1 sprig rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)

5-6 sage leaves (or 2 tsp dried)

8-10 sprigs fresh parsley

1T salt

1T pepper

1.  After you have removed what meat you can from the turkey carcass, break about the bones as best you can.  The size of the pot you use will greatly depend on how much you can break down the turkey.  If you have a pot that will hold the carcass without breaking the bones, go for it.

2.  In the stock pot place in the carcass, then add in the water.  Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.

3.  Turn back the heat to medium (just so that it remains at a bubbling simmer) and add in the veggies and seasoning.

4.  Let this simmer for 3-4 hours.  Cool slightly.  Remove the bones (now you can toss them).  Pour the stock through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a container.

You can either use this right away, store it in the refrigerator for up to one week, or place it in the freezer.

Now, on to the pasta.

IMG_2543_small

Holiday Ravioli

From: Giada DeLaurentiis

Serves 4

1 package won-ton wrapper (can be found in most grocery store where they have fresh herbs)

4-5 fresh sage leaves

4T butter

leftover turkey

leftover cranberry sauce

leftover dressing

leftover broccoli (or other veggie)

small bowl of warm water

1.  Lay out even number of won-ton wrappers (we usually each eat four “ravioli”, so I lay out 16 wrappers).

2.  In the middle of one wrapper lay out small amount of turkey and what ever leftovers you wish.  I don’t leave out the cranberry sauce, as it gives the “ravioli” a nice tang.

3.  Using you finger dip it into the water and run it around the edges of the wrapper with all the goodies.  Place another wrapper on top of it, pressing down the edges, then dip your finger again into the water and around the edges.  You want to get a tight seal so that none of the leftovers will leak out during the sauteing process.  Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

4.  In a saute pan, on medium heat, place in the butter and the sage.  Allow the butter to brown and the sage to release it’s favor into the butter.  Remove the sage and place, careful as the butter is hot, as many “ravioli” as will fit comfortably into your pan.  Cover the remaining “ravioli” with a slightly damp cloth, so that they will not dry out.

5.  Saute for about three minutes or until this side is a nice brown in color.  Flip and saute for another three minutes or until a nice brown color.

6.  Remove the “ravioli” from the pan and serve.  I usually top each plate with one or two of the fried sage leaves.

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