Turkey a la King

I had a little Thanksgiving turkey leftover with no idea what to do with it, we were so tired of turkey sandwiches at that point so when Randal suggested making a turkey version of chicken a la king I was both happy with the suggestion but scared of actually making it.  My husband has certain dishes that he will only enjoy if they taste a certain way,  in this case he wanted this turkey dish to taste just like his favourite stouffers chicken a la king.  I was a little nervous I wouldn't be able to recreate this well enough but in the end he was quite happy with it and I was thrilled to finally be done with this years Thanksgiving turkey!

1 tbsp chicken soup base
1 cup hot water
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup sherry
1 sprig fresh thyme
pinch cayenne
pinch ground nutmeg
2 cups diced turkey
salt and pepper

 Stir the chicken soup base into the cup of hot water and set aside.

In a large pan over medium heat melt the butter, add in the bell pepper, mushrooms and celery and cook for 3 or 4 minutes.  Add in the flour and stir together.  Add in the cup of water with the chicken base, the cream, thyme, cayenne and nutmeg, followed by the turkey and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer for 20 minutes, serve over rice.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Like most people in America last week I had a fridge full of leftover turkey and no idea what to do with it.  My first thought was a turkey pot pie but as I had just made a pie for my secret recipe club assignment I realised I had better come up with something else.  I finally decided on turkey tetrazzini and I pretty much made the pioneer woman recipe, with a few things taken away and a few things added.

1/2 stick butter
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
6 slices bacon, chopped and cooked
3 cups diced turkey
2 cups monterey jack cheese
12 oz spaghetti, cooked
1 cup panko
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven to 350.

Melt the butter in a large pan, add in the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute before adding the mushrooms, salt, pepper and the white whine.  Cook for about 5 minutes until the wine has reduced by half.

Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir to combine, add in the broth and bring to a boil then let simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.  Add the cream cheese to the pan and mix well to combine.  Add in the turkey, mixed vegetables, thyme, cheese, bacon and spaghetti, mix well.  Finally stir in the heavy cream then transfer to a baking dish, top with the panko and bake for 30 minutes.

Mediterranean Chef salad

One of the best things about grocery shopping at HEB are all the food samples they give out. We have found so many great recipes through samples at HEB, and as soon as I tasted this salad last week I made Randal go back and ask for the recipe card. I had everything in my cart that this salad needed anyway, except for the turkey, so I changed my lunch plans for the week so I could make this.

1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
1 head romaine lettuce
1 bag baby lettuce medley
1 large tomato
1 large avocado
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Dressing:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
3 tbsp fresh mint
1 tbsp lemon juice

Heat the oil in a large pan.  Add the turkey and cook for 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute, season with salt and pepper and add the kidney beans and cook for another minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the spring onions.

To make the dressing, finely chop the mint and stir it into the yogurt and add the lemon juice.

Tear romaine into bite sized pieces and place onto a serving platter.  Top with the lettuce mix.  Spoon the turkey mixture over the lettuce, add the tomato and avocado and drizzle with the dressing.

Spiced Turkey

I have never brined a turkey before, but I found this recipe in Nigella Lawson's christmas cook book, and really wanted to try it. The only trouble we had was that the seal on the brining bag wouldn't stay closed, so we ended up using christmas ribbon to tie the bag, at least it was festive!



10 pints water
4 1/4-ounces salt
3 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
4 cloves
2 tablespoons allspice berries
4 star anise
2 tablespoons white mustard seeds
7 ounces caster sugar
2 onions, quartered
1 (3-inch) piece ginger, cut into 6 slices
4 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons clear honey
Handful fresh parsley
1 orange, quartered
1 12 lb turkey

For the basting glaze:
2 3/4 ounces butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Place the water into a brining bag and add all the turkey ingredients, stirring to dissolve the salt, sugar, syrup and honey. (Squeeze the juice of the orange quarters into the brine before you add in the pieces.)

Put the turkey into the bag, add more water if the turkey is not completely submerged. Keep refrigerated overnight or for up 1 or 2 days before you cook it. Take it out of the water and wipe it dry 40 or 50 minutes before it has to go into the oven.

For the basting glaze place the butter and syrup into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, while stirring, until the ingredients have melted and combined.

Brush the turkey with the glaze before roasting, and baste periodically throughout the roasting time.

Preheat the oven to 425 cook the turkey for 30 minutes at this relatively high temperature, then turn the oven down to 350 and continue cooking, For a 12 pound turkey, allow 3 to 3 1/2 hours. when the juices run clear, the turkey is cooked.

Turkey Burgers With Avocado Cream Sauce

I have been trying to find a turkey burger recipe that the hubby would actually eat, I thought this one might be it, as there were lots of other things in this burger that he loves - peppers, corn, jalapenos. I loved these burgers, he liked them, but he still ended up eating a beefburger! I think I just need to accept that he's never gonna enjoy a turkey burger, no matter what else is in them!




* 1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
* 1/2 cup chopped red onion
* 1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
* 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
* 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
* 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 pound extra-lean ground turkey
*

SAUCE:
* 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled
* 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
* 2 teaspoons lime juice
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/8 teaspoon salt


* In a large skillet, saute the corn, onion and peppers in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in the lime juice, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder and oregano; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four burgers. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
* For sauce, in a small bowl, mash avocado with the sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and salt. Refrigerate until serving.
* Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear.

See other recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge and Mommy's kitchen

Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers

I found the recipe for these burgers in the current issue of the Rachael Ray magazine. They were supposed to be made with english muffins but I forgot to get those at the store, so we just used rolls instead. The recipe also calls for mixing mustard into the cranberry sauce, and I tried it, but I much preferred the plain cranberry sauce on my burger.

Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers
Serves 4

2 pounds ground turkey
4 scallions finely chopped
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 apple cut into 12 slices
8 slices extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
4 english muffins, split and toasted
8 leaves of lettuce

In a bowl, combine the turkey, scallions, parsley, grill seasoning and poultry seasoning. Form into 4 patties.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the patties and cook for 6 minutes on each side. Top each with 3 apple slices and 2 cheese slices, tent with foil and cook until the cheese melts.

In a small bowl, mix together the cranberry sauce and mustard, slather on the tops of the muffins. pile 2 lettuce leaves on each muffin bottom, top with patties and the tops of the muffins.

Turkey Pot Pie

I pretty much followed this recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Turkey-Pot-Pie/Detail.aspx?prop31=

I'm really not very good with pastry, so I hardly ever use it. Even so, I think it turned out okay, and it tasted good, so that's all that really matters in the end!