A Life, Lived

Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

It happens every Thanksgiving...

What to you do with all that leftover turkey?

I'm happy to say that I've got a solution for you right here.

This soup is a perfect 'leftover' meal that is easy to toss together.

If you're turkey day meal is anything like ours, I'm guessing post holiday that you'll have leftover celery and onion to go along with that perfectly cooked up turkey. And who wants to eat the same thing over again?

Pull out a soup pot and turn your leftover Thanksgiving into something a little different! 

Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot
3/4 cup chopped celery
6 oz mushrooms, diced
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons flour
4 cups turkey stock (or chicken stock)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup wild rice
2 1/2 cups chopped leftover turkey
1/4 cup half and half
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large stock pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook about 10 minutes until onions are soft and translucent.

Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook about 5 minutes more.

Add the flour and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until flour is brown and cooked through.

Add the turkey stock, soy sauce, and bay leaf. Stir to break up any flour bits. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring soup to a boil. Turn heat back down to medium and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Add wild rice and simmer for 35 minutes.

Add turkey, milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes more.

Serve soup in large bowls and garnish with extra thyme if desired. I love to eat this soup with a leftover roll slathered in cranberry sauce!

Thai Blackberry Basil Chicken

Let's clear one thing up good and fast - there is nothing Thai about this other than a few flavours. I doubt you'd find a blackberry anywhere in Thailand other than a phone.

That aside it was a yummy addition to the menu.

I had planned on making this weeks ago but it kept getting pushed aside by work and life. Last night, when Paul came home from visiting his mother in the hospital, we had a delicious dinner.

I followed the recipe as written but used Thai Basil instead of the regular kind. This was what drew me to the recipe in the first place - I really wanted to use up some of the Thai Basil growing in the pot out front. It has been a very good year for it.

Paul really appreciated the mix of sweet blackberries and the savoury sauce.

Next time I might leave out the soy sauce and double the hoisin sauce - I thought the dish was just a tad on the salty side.

Thai Blackberry Basil Chicken

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup blackberries
handful fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (I used Thai Basil)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cashews

In a small bowl whisk together fish sauce, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, sugar.

Drizzle a large pan or skillet with oil and bring to medium heat. Add chicken and stir 4-5 minutes until browned.

Add sauce to pan and continue to stir over heat for 3-4 more minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Add blackberries and basil and stir another 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with cashews and serve immediately.

Basil Turkey Burgers

The BBQ season is in full swing here.

Finally!

The other day Paul wanted burgers for dinner. He texted me asking me to pick up some pre-made patties. I replied saying 'get out some ground turkey from the freezer and we can make our own'.

When I arrived home from work he had this recipe, originally from Taste of Home, all picked out. The ingredients were all prepped. It was perfect.

25 minutes later we were sitting down to a yummy dinner!

Basil Turkey Burgers

1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon saltv1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound lean ground turkey
4 hamburger buns, split
4 lettuce leaves
1 large tomato, sliced

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon basil. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

In a bowl, combine the milk, onion, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and remaining basil. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties.

Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato and basil mayonnaise.

Grilled Lemon, Oregano Chicken

This week our CSA had a HUGE bunch of oregano in it and I was determined t use it up rather than have it go to waste. One of the recipes I found was this one for grilled chicken from Martha Stewart. It called for 1/4 cup of finely chopped oregano so I knew that would go a ways to using out stash up.

The flavour combination seemed 'Greek' to me - lemon and oregano . . . and given the number of similar recipes online which include 'Greek' in the title I guess I am not alone in that.

The recipe called for a halved whole chicken (if that isn't an oxymoron I am not sure what is). When I was in Costco to get some whole chickens they had a huge sale on boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. As a result I made this recipe with the great sale chicken rather than the halved whole chickens.

The end result was amazing - the chicken had a delicious lemon/oregano flavour (yes, reminiscent of Greek food) and was incredibly moist. I'll have to try this again with the called for chicken to taste that crispy skin that the reviewers of the recipe wrote about online.

Grilled Lemon, Oregano Chicken

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dried)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grates
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 chicken halves (1 1/2 pounds each) or 2 whole chickens, split
4 lemons, halved crosswise
Oregano sprigs (optional)

Make marinade: In a smallbowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, oregano, oil, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Divide marinade between 2 large resealable plastic bags. Place 2 chicken halves in each bag; shake to coat. Let marinate at room temperature 30 minutes, turning bags occasionally.

Preheat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Remove chicken from marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken, skin side up, on grill. Cover and cook, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Turn chicken over; cover and cook until well browned, 10 to 15 minutes (an instant-read thermometer should register 175 degrees when inserted into thickest part of meat, avoiding bone). If chicken is browning too quickly, move to cooler parts of grill or turn grill to low heat.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Tent with foil; let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place lemon halves on grill, cut side down; cook until slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut chicken pieces in half; serve with grilled lemon halves, and, if desired, garnish with oregano sprigs.

Chicken, Zucchini, and Proscuitto

This recipe, from Real Simple, seemed like a perfect antidote for winter - bursting with fresh, summer flavours. It also seemed like a perfect thing for s weeknight meal since it is on the table in 30 - 40 minutes. Of course, even better, it has 300 calories per serving!

We loved this. The chicken was super moist and the lemon made it taste so light but the best thing was the crispy prosciutto! Super easy to prepare too. Oh but the prosciutto... Can't wait to make this again.

Chicken, Zucchini and Prosciutto, from RealSimple.com

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound (about 8 slices) prosciutto
3 small zucchini, thinly sliced into half-moons
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon

Heat oven to 400° F. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 2 minutes per side.

Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a second skillet, over medium heat, heat the remaining oil. Cook the prosciutto until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the zucchini, garlic, and remaining salt and pepper to the skillet and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the prosciutto and zucchini mixture to the skillet with the chicken, squeeze the lemon over the top, and toss. Divide among the plates.

Chicken Scaloppine al Limone

This is another one of the great New York Times food section recipes which we have tried in recent weeks. It's a bit of a hybrid - normally scaloppine al limone is made with a chicken breast which has been pounded thinly. There is NOT breading on the chicken. The addition of breading makes this more like a schnitzel than the classic Italian dish . . . of the American version (think chicken parmigiana) of an Italian favourite.

Whatever.

While it isn't traditional it sure was delicious!!!!

This makes a LOT. In fact it made so much that we had a few meals and then used the rest up in yummy sandwiches.

One of the great benefits of making paillards (also known as cutlets or scallops) is that by broadening the meat’s surface area, you increase the amount of meat that browns and becomes crisp during cooking, plus it's easy, fast and reliable. In fact, we made this on a weeknight after a long day of work.

Chicken Scaloppine al Limone

About 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
Salt
black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour, or more as needed
1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs, or more as needed
3 eggs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons butter, plus more as needed
¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Lemon wedges for serving

Heat the oven to 200. Slice each chicken thigh open like a book and lay it flat between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat pounder, a wine bottle or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound each piece of chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Put two large skillets over medium-high heat for a minute or 2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and put the flour and bread crumbs on two plates or in two shallow bowls. Beat the eggs in another shallow bowl. Sprinkle all with salt and pepper.

Add 1 tablespoon each oil and butter to each skillet and swirl it around. When it is hot — a pinch of flour will sizzle — dredge a piece of the chicken in the flour, then dip it in the eggs and finally dredge it in the bread crumbs. Add the chicken piece to one of the pans, then repeat with another piece in the second pan. (You may be able to fit more than one paillard in each pan at a time.)

Cook the chicken, rotating occasionally and regulating the heat if necessary so it sizzles constantly but doesn’t burn. When the pieces are brown, after about 2 minutes, turn them over.

Cook on the second side until the chicken is firm to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes. (Cut into one with a thin-bladed knife; the center should be white or slightly pink.) Transfer the chicken to a platter and put it in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil and butter to each skillet as necessary.

When all the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat under one of the skillets. Add a tablespoon or 2 more oil or butter to the other pan if it looks dry and sprinkle the fat with 2 teaspoons of the remaining flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and stir and scrape the pan until the wine has reduced by about half, about 1 minute. Add the stock and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the mixture is slightly thickened and a bit syrupy, another 3 to 4 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon butter and swirl the pan around until it melts. Add any juices that have accumulated around the cooked chicken, along with the 1/4 cup parsley. Stir, taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Chicken with Mushrooms in Garlic Wine Sauce

Here's a great tasting, quick and easy chicken dish; perfect for busy weeknights and great for those on a budget! Paul made this in about 20 minutes or less. The original recipe called fro egg noodles but I had forgotten to buy them so Paul used pappardelle. He ended up using more than the recipe called for which meant the finished dish wasn't as 'saucy' as you'd hope. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful dinner, rounded out with a fresh, green salad.

Even better - accordingly to Cooking Light the recipe has 350 calories a serving.

Don't you love when quick, delicious, and low-cal come together in one dish?

 

Chicken with Mushrooms in Garlic Wine Sauce

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 (8-ounce) package presliced exotic mushroom blend (such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken breast halves in a shallow dish. Combine 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Sprinkle flour mixture over chicken; toss to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add garlic, tarragon, and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken. Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.

Return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Place about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Jambalaya

I've made a number of different versions of this classic Creole dish and this is the least classic version I have ever put on a plate. That being said, it tasted great and came together in less than an hour. This makes up for the odd touches. We both loved it and you can bet I'll be making it again . . .

Jambalaya

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped smoked turkey sausage (about 4 ounces
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
2 3/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Add chicken to pan, and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add sausage to pan; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth, paprika, thyme, and red pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken and tomatoes; cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in shrimp; cover and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with green onions.

 

Beef and Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Everyone seems to enjoy food more if it is served on a stick . . . these Thai inspired appetizers will not disappoint.

These satays can be made with beef or chicken - choose one or halve the marinade and make both. NOTE - we only made chicken satay . . . we tend to prefer it to the beef. Satays are traditionally served with peanut sauce, but the a wonton dipping sauce is also a good complement.

Around these parts satay is often served over a beautiful mango salad. This is what we did with mom doing the honours for the mango salad.

Beef and Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

2 tbsp (25 mL) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped garlic
1 tbsp (15 mL) light brown sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
2 tsp (10 mL) ground coriander
1 tsp (5 mL) turmeric
1 ½ lb (750 g) beef tenderloin, striploin or other good grilling cut,
trimmed of fat, sliced against the grain ¼-inch (5-mm)
thick or boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh,
sliced ¼-inch (5-mm) thick

Peanut Dipping Sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
½ cup (125 mL) chopped red onion
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped garlic
¼ tsp (1 mL) chili flakes
1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk
2 tbsp (25 mL) soy sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) ketchup
2 tbsp (25 mL) lime juice
½ cup (125 mL) smooth natural peanut butter
2 tbsp (25 mL ) water (optional)
Salt

 

Combine soy sauce, oil, lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, cumin, coriander and turmeric in a medium bowl. Add desired sliced meat and toss to coat. Cover and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight. Thread meat on bamboo or metal skewers, and working in batches, grill in a grillpan or barbeque over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until beef is medium rare, and chicken is just cooked through.

For sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté for 2 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and chili flakes and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add coconut milk, bring to a boil and boil for 4 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce, ketchup and lime juice, and allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Stir in peanut butter. If sauce begins to separate and look curdled or seems too thick, whisk in water. Season with salt to taste. Serve with beef or chicken satays.

Wonton Dipping sauce
½ cup (125 mL) hoisin sauce
½ cup (125 mL) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL ) sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated ginger

Stir hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger together in a small bowl.

Stuffed Chicken Cutlet with Ham, Cheese, and Sauerkraut

Not quite chicken cordon bleu, not quite reuben.  Instead, this chicken is like a perfectly crispy hybrid stuffed with magic.  It's not surprising - things mostly get better when they get stuffed, far as I can tell.  The ham, swiss, sauerkraut combo is particularly enchanting, especially when paired with dijon mustard and caraway seeds.  But it sure was a long time coming.

Obviously the stuff inside is the greatest part of this heady meal, but the "crispy" in "crispy chicken" is not to be taken too lightly.  Part of the secret of this delicious fried chicken is the dredging liquid.  That sounds totally gross or even mildly threatening - The Dredging Liquid.  But worry not, there will be no tortuous dredging of people here today.  Instead, it's a sweet little mixture of egg white, minced garlic, parsley and cornstarch specifically designated for the dredging of poultry.

Then dijon mustard gets spread over one side of each cutlet, just like you're fixin' to make a salmonella sandwich.  But instead of doing that, two of the cutlets are topped with alternating layers of black forest ham and swiss cheese and finished off with a layer of sauerkraut and a sprinkling of caraway seeds.  The other cutlets are pressed down on top; assuming you are going to get a perfect seal (or any sort of seal) on these cutlets after piling on this heap of goodness is an exercise in futility.  But they do stay together well enough for the dredging.

And into a hot, oiled skillet they go, cooking until perfectly browned on each side.  Be gentle with the flipping and you'll be well-rewarded.  To go along with these wondrously stuffed masterpieces, only something equally classy and satisfying would hold up.

We made a recipe from Martha Stewart - Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Onions.

Stuffed Chicken Cutlet with Ham, Cheese, and Sauerkraut

Crispy Stuffed Chicken Cutlets With Ham, Cheese, and Sauerkraut

Adapted from The New York Times

 

4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets

1 large egg white

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp parsley

3 cloves minced garlic

dijon mustard

4 slices swiss cheese

4 slices black forest ham

4 tbsp sauerkraut

1 tsp caraway seeds

2 cups breadcrumbs

2 tbsp olive oil, for frying

Salt & pepper

 

Pound cutlets between parchment paper to flatten; season with salt and pepper.  In a bowl, whisk together the egg white, cornstarch, parsley and garlic.  Set aside.  

 

Spread mustard over each cutlet.  On two cutlets, layer one piece of cheese and one piece of ham twice.  Top with half the sauerkraut and half the caraway seeds.  Press the other cutlets down on top.  

 

On parchment paper, brush the tops of each set of stuffed cutlets, flip, and brush second side.  Pour half the breadcrumbs on top and gently press; flip, and pour second half of breadcrumbs on top and gently press.  Carefully lift each set and shake off excess. 

 

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high and fry cutlets until golden brown and cooked through.  Serve with additional sauerkraut.