Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
I’m visiting my parents over the holidays right now. Nothing was planned for dinner tonight, and since we had a lot of leftovers, I got to thinking of what I could do. My mom happened to have everything at home to make this dish, so it was a no brainer. This is really easy, and tasty!!
For the pie crust, I used store bought. It’s quick and easy. Don’t fuss over making your own for this dish.
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients
- Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup each diced onion diced carrot, and diced celery
- 3 cups shredded turkey
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- Splash of white wine optional
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 whole unbaked pie crust
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until the onions become translucent. About 5 minutes.
- Add the shredded turkey and mix into veggies. Stir flour into the meat and veg. Cook for about 1 minute, to cook off the flour flavor. Add the broth and wine and cook until the sauce thickens. Add the turmeric, salt, and pepper.
- Add half and half, and let mixture bubble. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a casserole dish.
- Prepare pie crust according to package instructions.
- Place pie crust over top of meat mixture.
- Brush with egg wash (whipped egg and 2 tablespoons water).
- You won't need to use all of the egg wash.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust has browned.
- Enjoy!
Raw Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Apple
Every five weeks, after I get my hair done, I go shopping at Whole Foods, because it’s so close to my salon. It’s my little guilty pleasure. When I was there, I saw baby brussel sprouts, and while I have scarring childhood memories of eating brussel sprouts, I wanted to give them another chance, with bacon. While I was in the produce area, there happened to be someone showcasing brussel sprouts in a fresh salad!! I was intrigued. I tried it. I liked it!!! I thought it would be a perfect salad for Christmas dinner. So, that’s what I did. I had no idea of amounts of anything. All I knew was the ingredients I needed.
I took this picture at Whole Foods, so that I would remember what I needed to buy.
I made enough salad to feed many people. It’s a nice salad to adjust easily for a small or large crowd. I, also, used a mandolin to shave my brussel sprouts, but you could easily use a knife. Just make sure to slice them thinly.
To release the pomegranates from their skin, I like to use a meat tenderizer, instead of the wooden spoon that is so often suggested. I just don’t find that the spoon does the trick. But, in a pinch, you can easily find pomegranates ready to eat. You will just pay quite a bit more.
For the almonds: I toasted mine. You can do this in the oven, but I did mine in a pan over the stove, with no oil or butter. This process doesn’t take long, so don’t leave them sitting for too long without moving them around.
For the vinaigrette: Usually for a dressing like this, follow the general rule of 1 part acid (in this case, lemon) to 3 parts oil. Add about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Shake, shake, shake.
Raw Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Apple
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussel sprouts shaved
- 3/4 cup shaved almonds toasted
- 1 to 2 apples sliced like matchsticks (or julienne)
- 1 Pomegranate seeds removed
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper together and set aside.
- Shave the brussel sprouts.
- Add them into a salad bowl with the apple and pomegranate.
- Drizzle with vinaigrette and top with almonds.
- Enjoy!
Whipped Shortbread Cookies with Raspberry Jam
I have been making shortbread cookies since I was a kid, helping my mom press out the molds and decorate the cookies. But, I never liked eating them. I’m sure my taste buds have changed since then, but my memory of shortbread cookies is that they taste like flour. Blech!
10 years ago at work, we had a cookie exchange, and my good friend and colleague, Alex, made these whipped shortbread cookies, minus the jam. Since I had my preconceived notions, I didn’t try them at first, but took them home to my mom, who I knew would love them. She liked this recipe enough that I tried one, and I liked them enough to ask my friend for the recipe! I have been making them ever since.
When I was a kid, we always made two kinds of shortbread cookies – ones that the kids could decorate and ones that my mom, especially, liked to eat, with jam. So, ever since I was given this recipe, I have made these shortbread cookies for my mom. And other people too, but my mom is my motivation.
So, let’s get to it!
After forming the cookies into balls, I use the handle of a wooden spoon to help make the centers for the jam. I dip the wooden spoon in icing sugar, so that it doesn’t stick to the cookie dough. BUT, you could easily use your thumb to make the indent.
This is what the cookies look like before they are baked. Be more generous with the amount of jam than you might feel comfortable with. The water in the jam evaporates and the jam spreads out. More is more, in this case.
Baked. Cooled. Yummy!!
Whipped Shortbread Cookies with Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 1 pound of salted butter
- 1 cup corn starch
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- In a mixer, cream butter.
- Slowly add all the dry ingredients.
- Blend until combined.
- With a tablespoon scoop, measure each cookie, and roll into a ball.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, or your thumb, dipped in icing sugar, make an indent for the jam.
- Fill the center of each cookie with about a 1/4 teaspoon worth of jam, depending on size of indent. Don't be afraid to be generous with the jam.
- Bake for 15 minutes. They are fragile, so allow to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Merry Mints
I was given little cookie cutters several years ago, that I have never used for cookies. Last year, I had the thought of using them as chocolate molds. I did a little research, because I was worried that, given there was nothing to secure the melted chocolate, it would all seep out from underneath. As long as I hold the cookie cutters in place as I put the first layer of chocolate in, it works!!!
It’s important that you use a good chocolate for this. After all, it is the only ingredient, minus the peppermint. I used Lindt chocolate.
Speaking of peppermint, it is (also) important. You can certainly use peppermint extract, but if you can get to your local cake decorating store, they will carry what you need. Peppermint oil.
You do not need to add much of this stuff to get the right amount of mint in your chocolate. For 4 bars of white chocolate, I used 6 drops. Also, I only added mint to the white chocolate, and left the milk chocolate alone. I add crushed candy cane on top of the chocolate, so between that and the mint in one of the chocolates, it’s enough!
Here’s a breakdown of what I did:
To get started, get your candy canes ready. I wish I had taken an after pic of these suckers. No pun intended! Just bash them babies up small enough that the chunks aren’t too big.
Picture a bottle of melted milk chocolate in a similar bottle. Oops!
FYI….I melted the chocolate, slowly, in the microwave (30 seconds at a time, until melted) and then transferred the chocolate into these bottles. So easy!
I dipped the cookie cutters in oil before I put the chocolate into them, so that they would release more easily once frozen.
After dipping cookie cutters into oil, fill them up halfway with chocolate, and put them into the freezer to set. About 5-10 minutes. You’ll notice the ripples in the chocolate in this picture. You can bang those out if you want to, but its only the first layer, so it’s no big deal.
Second layer! Bang the ripples out now!
Finish second layer with candy cane and put back into freezer to set.
Ta-da! So good! Try them!
(Source: Boss of the Apple Sauce)
Slow Cooker (Spaghetti and) Meatballs
We are on a bit of a meatball craze these days. My daughter loves them, so that makes it especially motivating. I have already posted a recipe for The Mighty Meatball, but I like to use those meatballs for everything but the traditional ‘spaghetti and meatball’; although, you could very easily use those that way too! I actually got this recipe off of a page that I liked on Facebook, called Tasty. It’s an ingenious site, with quick viewings of complete recipes. I liked the slow cooker option to this recipe, since, if I can, I like to prepare more than one meal on a Sunday, and this recipe allows for that!
The first time I made this, I followed the recipe exactly. Originally, it calls for hot Italian sausage and and square of mozzarella inside the meatball. Personally, I didn’t notice the cheese at all, and my daughter really did notice the heat from the hot sausage. So, the second time I made it, I eliminated both, and it was a hit! It can’t get much easier than this guys. Try this recipe!
Slow Cooker (Spaghetti and) Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup bread crumbs plain or seasoned
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup parsley
- Jarred Marinara Sauce good quality*
Instructions
- In a bowl, blend all the ingredients together, except for the marinara sauce.
- Form into golf sized (or smaller) balls.
- Place a layer of meatballs on the bottom of your slow cooker, and drizzle with some of the marinara sauce.
- Place another layer of meatballs.
- Drizzle more marinara sauce.
- Repeat until all meatballs are in the slow cooker.
- Set slow cooker to high for 2 and a half hours.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Quick and Tasty Carbonara
I have tried many carbonara recipes over the years, as it’s one of my husband’s favorite comfort foods. This recipe is my favorite of any I’ve tried, and it’s the quickest! My daughter gobbled up her entire serving. She told me that she likes this pasta as much as she likes cotton candy. That’s saying something!
This past weekend, we had a lot of my family visiting, which was awesome, but we never got the chance to grocery shop for the week! Luckily, we had enough pantry items, that I managed to get our dinners done still. Today, while I was at work, I was wracking my brain as to what I could make us for dinner. I received my recipe of the day email from The Food Network, and that was my inspiration for dinner. I had eggs, bacon, pasta, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Thanks, Food Network!!
Quick and Tasty Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti dry
- 1/2 pound bacon organic, thick cut, cut into smalls strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 large eggs brought to room temp, cracked and whipped
- 1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving
- 1 bunch of parsley finely chopped
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat pan on medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add bacon.
- Drain off excess fat once cooked, except for 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- At the same time, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, cook pasta to al dente in texture.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for later use.
- Combine the beaten eggs and cheese together and set aside.
- Once bacon has cooked, and has been removed from the pan, toss in the minced garlic into the olive oil and bacon fat and stir continuously for about 1 minute.
- Add your cooked pasta directly into the hot garlic oil mixture.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg/cheese mixture slowly, mixing constantly, to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- At this time, add in some of your reserved pasta water to help loosen up your sauce to the right consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Add in your minced parsley.
- Enjoy!!
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