Leftover turkey has many tasty reincarnations. Turkey barley congee is one of my favorites that I make every year after Thanksgiving. It starts off by using the turkey carcass to make a rich broth. Congee is a nourishing and healthy one dish meal which I’ve adapted from the recipe of one of my favorite cookbooks: 

A Spoonful of Ginger: Irresistible, health-giving recipes from Asian kitchen, by Nina Simonds. She references the healthful or medicinal qualities of each recipe so you feel good about what you serve your family and guests.

 

1. Combine the broth ingredients and bring to boil in large pot. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for an hour.  Strain and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary.
2. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for the marinade, add turkey and coat with marinade. Refrigerate.
3. Fry onions in oil or butter until soft and lightly brown and set aside.
4. Fry mushrooms in butter or olive oil until lightly browned and set aside.
5. Add barley to the strained broth and cook for 45 minutes. If necessary, add more water or broth.
6. Add carrots and celery (and turkey meat if it is uncooked) and cook another 15 minutes, checking to make sure there is enough liquid.
7. Add browned onions, cooked turkey, rice wine, browned mushrooms and grated ginger and cook another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
8. Taste for seasoning and add more broth if necessary and a little sesame oil to taste.

[recipe difficulty=”easy”]

WILD RICE BARLEY CASSEROLE with MUSHROOMS: 

1 medium onion, chopped

4 TBS butter

¾ cup wild rice

¾ cup barley (not quick cooking)

½cup dry sherry

1 ½ cups stock

1 ¼cups water

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

salt and pepper to taste

1.     Fry one chopped sweet onion in butter until softened and set aside. 

2.      Fry mushrooms and set aside.

3.  In Pressure Cooker add  rice and barley, sherry, broth and water and salt to taste.

4.     Cover pressure cooker, bring to pressure and cook for 20 minutes.

5.      Release pressure and check to make sure the rice and barley are cooked.  The rice should be split open and tender but not mushy.  Cook longer if necessary.

6.    Add mushrooms and onions to rice mixture.

7.    Taste for  salt and pepper.

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[recipe difficulty=”easy”]

Madeleines (Makes about 16)

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

2/3   cups sugar (divided)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lemon using only the peel

1 cup all purpose flour

pinch of salt

1 ½ sticks of butter, melted and cooled slightly so as not to cook the eggs

Powdered sugar

1.     Preheat oven to 375°

2.     Use madeleines mold with teflon coating sprayed with oil or greased with butter

3.     In the food process process the peel of one lemon mixed with 1/3 cup of the sugar until lemon peel is finely incorporated into the sugar

4.     Add eggs and the final 1/3 cup sugar and process together along with vanilla.

5.     Add flour and pulse a few times until just blended

6.     Gradually add the cooled butter processing until just blended

7.     Let the batter stand at room temperature for at least two hours or refrigerate overnight or even for a couple of days.

8.     Spoon about 1 TBS into each mold filling about ¾ of the mold

9.     Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are beginning to brown

10.Turn them out while still hot onto a rack. 

11.  Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.

    12.These are best eaten warm but also keep for a few days in a tin. 

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[recipe difficulty=”easy”]

                                      Williamsburg Orange Cake:  Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 stick softened butter
1 cups sugar (divided)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 orange carefully cleaned and organic if possible:  Using a knife cut of the peel and put in food processor with 1/2 cup sugar to chop finely
1 cup buttermilk
3 TBS  cup orange juice mixed with 1/2 cup sugar  (I don't use all of this glaze)

Directions:

1.   Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.  Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir raisins and nuts and grated orange/sugar mixture into the dry ingredients and set aside.

 3.  In a food processor, cream the butter and blend in 1/2  cup of the sugar.

4. Beat the eggs into the  creamed butter mixture.

5. Add vanilla and buttermilk  and mix well.

6. Add the flour/orange mixture and pulse 3 or 4 times until just mixed.

7.  Pour batter into a greased 9-inch square pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or when a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs..

8. While the cake is baking, combine the orange juice with the remaining cup of sugar.

9. Spread this glaze over the top of the hot cake and immediately return it to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the glaze bubbles and the cake tests done when you insert a toothpick or wooden skewer near the center.

Let the cake cool in the pan before turning it out onto a serving plate.

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[recipe difficulty=”easy”] 

CORN FRITTERS:

Ingredients"

• Kernals from 2-3 ears of leftover corn (cooked or raw)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup corn meal
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4-1/2 cup water
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Mix everything together and let sit a few minutes.  Add more water if too thick.  It should have a thick pancake batter consistency.  
2. Heat a frying pan with some vegetable oil.  Fry a sample 1 tablespoon size fritter and taste for seasoning and adjust with more liquid if necessary.  You want to cook them hot and brown them on each side.  They should be nice and crispy.  Make them any size you like but I like them to be around 3 inches in diameter.
3. Serve for breakfast with maple syrup or as a side dish to your dinner.  These go well with a pork barbecue.

[/recipe]

[recipe difficulty=”easy”]

Thai Corn and Crawfish Chowder

4 ears corn shucked

1 TBS butter

Olive oil

1 large onion, chopped into small cubes

4 cups chicken broth, seafood broth or lobster broth

1 can coconut milk (14 ounce)

1 TBS Thai red curry paste

1 pound cooked crawfish tail meat (comes frozen) or shrimp, crab or lobster

Salt to taste

1.       Fry the corn kernels over high heat in a frying pan with no oil and after 3 minutes add butter and when melted continue to cook for another 2 minutes of high heat before setting the corn aside.

2.      Fry the onions in olive oil until soft and beginning to caramelize and then set aside

3.      Defrost the crawfish and fry over high heat with some butter and olive oil in two batches for 5-6 minutes each and set aside.  IF using other seafood skip this step if the seafood is already cooked.

4.      Place the shucked corn cobs in the broth and boil together for 20 minutes to infuse the broth with the corn flavor.  Then remove the cobs and discard.

5.      Mix the red curry with 1 TBS of the coconut milk until thoroughly combined.  Then add to broth along with the rest of the coconut milk and bring to simmer.  Add the onion, corn and crawfish and bring to simmer again.  Simmer for 10 minutes and taste for seasoning.

This chowder can be eaten immediately or refrigerated for the next day.  If using lobster or shrimp do not add the seafood until right before serving and then add it to the simmering broth and simmer until warmed through.  It is important not to overcook the seafood.

 [/recipe]

[recipe difficulty=”easy”]

Turkish Lentil and Eggplant Stew with Pomegranate Molasses

This recipe is a little more time consuming, but quite unique and delicious. It uses an ingredient called Pomegranate Molasses which is a condiment used much like ketchup in some cultures. It can be found at Wegmans. I have adapted this recipe from Food and Wine magazine (July 2004) and used small French green lentils which hold their shape nicely. I also finish this in a crock-pot rather than on the stove. On these hot summer days I just leave the crock-pot cooking outside.

One 1 ½ pound long, narrow eggplant

½ cup lentils ( I use French green lentils: available at Wegmans)

Olive oil

I medium onion, finely chopped

4 minced garlic cloves

One  14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes peeled and chopped

2 Tbs. chopped mint leaves

1 Tbs. tomato paste

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

¼ cup pomegranate molasses (available at Wegmans)

1. In a saucepan cover the lentils with water and salt and boil over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes until barely cooked. Add more water if necessary to prevent burning.
2. Cut eggplant into ¼ inch slices and fry in olive oil until lightly browned. IT does not have to be fully cooked. Salt and set aside.
3. Fry onion until softened and beginning to brown, add garlic and fry together for another minute.
4. Mix onions, garlic, tomato, tomato paste, mint and red pepper.
5. In a crock pot layer the lentils, eggplant and onion-tomato mixture and salt to taste. Add 2 Tbs. olive oil and the pomegranate molasses. Put the crock pot on low for 5-6 hours or until the lentils and eggplant are fully cooked.  Check a few times and add water if necessary.  Refrigerate if possible and eat the next day. Garnish with more chopped mint leaves.

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