The word ”leftovers” just doesn’t do justice to the
opportunities created by the bounty of food that remains after a holiday meal. Sure, turkey sandwiches are delicious and easy
to make, but there are lots of really creative AND simple ways to turn one day’s dinner
into interesting and satifying meals for the next day and the day after that. Food writer Marialisa Calta will offer some
tips and recipes.
We’ll also talk with Bill Schubart. He’s got a new book called "The Lamoille
Stories: Uncle Benoit’s Wake and Other Tales from Vermont.” In its 22 stories, Shubart recalls the Vermont
of his childhood, and a place and state of mind that is passing into history.
And, as we celebrate a quintessentially American holiday,
Robert Resnik, the host of VPR’s All the Traditions performs three
quintessentially American songs. He’ll
tell us why he believes these tunes capture an element of the American spirit.
Recipes from "Barbarians at the Plate"
by Marialisa Calta (Perigee 2005):
Pot Pie with Leftover Turkey
This can also be made with leftover
chicken
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
leftover gravy, if you have it
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken or vegetable broth, or more, if needed
4 cups chopped cooked turkey (or chicken)
3 cups cooked vegetables or frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (see note)
salt and pepper
1 recipe biscuits (below), OR 1 prepared 9-inch pie crust
OR 1 sheet (1/2 package) frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
In a large, oven-proof pot (such as
a Dutch oven) set over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour until a
paste forms, and cook for a minute or two to get rid of the “raw flour” taste. Slowly add the leftover gravy, if you have it,
and the broth, stirring constantly,
until thickened (about 5 minutes). Start with 2 cups of broth, add more if you
think you need it. Stir in the turkey (or chicken) and the vegetables. Season with salt and
pepper to taste. If using biscuits, place the raw biscuits over the filling to
cover. If using pie crust or pastry, shape, crimp or cut to fit the top of the pie. This can be frozen,
well wrapped, up to 2 months. Thaw before baking.
Bake, uncovered, until the crust is brown and the filling is
bubbling up from the sides. Baking time will vary with the type of crust you
use; for biscuits and puff pastry, count on 20 to 30 minutes; pie crust will
take up to 45 minutes.
Note:
Leftover peas, green beans, carrots, corn and potatoes work well – cut them all
into small pieces. Don’t use broccoli or any other vegetable in the cabbage
family – the taste is too strong.
Yield: 6 servings.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, well chilled
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425° F. Grease a cookie sheet or line it with baking
parchment.
In
a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and
distribute throughout the flour. Then, using a pastry blender, or your fingers,
mash the butter into the flour until the mixture is the consistency of coarse
corn meal. (You can also do this with a food processor).
Add 1/3 cup of the milk and mix
briefly, just until all dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough. Add
the remaining milk (about 3 tablespoons), a bit at a time, if needed. Over-mixing will make the biscuits tough.
Turn the dough out onto a
well-floured surface and knead it about 5 times. Pat it out into a rough 6- or 7-inch square,
and cut it into 9 equal pieces. (If you want round biscuits, you can cut them
with a cookie cutter or the floured rim of a juice glass, but this takes
longer).
Transfer the biscuits to the
prepared cookie sheet, and place them about 1 and 1/2 inches apart. Bake about
12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Yield: 9 biscuits.
Leftover Turkey Stir-Fry with Cashews
This is best made
with fresh broccoli, but leftover, cooked broccoli or green beans can be used.
You can also use fresh beef, turkey, chicken or pork – just make sure you
stir-fry it until it is cooked through (about 5 minutes)
4 cups broccoli florets (or leftover, cooked broccoli)
2/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice-wine or cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili paste (available in supermarkets,
sometimes as “Chili Paste With Garlic”) or hot red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tablespoons peanut oil, canola oil or other vegetable oil
6 scallions, trimmed and chopped (optional)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup salted, roasted cashews
1 pound sliced or shredded leftover turkey
at least 3 cups cooked white or brown rice (from 1 cup
uncooked), for serving
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add
the broccoli and cook 2 minutes. Drain and immediately run under cold water to
stop the cooking. Set aside. If using leftover, cooked broccoli, skip this
step.
Combine the orange juice,
cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili paste (or red pepper flakes) in a
small bowl, whisking with a fork to minimize lumps. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a
wok or large skillet set over high heat until it is very hot – almost smoking. Add the scallions, garlic and ginger and cook,
stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and cook, stir-frying 1 to 2 minutes
more. Scoop the broccoli, scallions, garlic and ginger from the wok an set
aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and allow them to heat up to
nearly smoking. Add the turkey and stir-fry until warmed through, about 2
minutes. Add the orange juice mixture
and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli-scallion-garlic-ginger
mixture and the water chestnuts and stir to heat through. Scatter with cashews
and serve over rice.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Stroganoff-ish Beef
2 tablespoons
canola or other vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and
chopped
4 cups bite-sized
chunks of cooked roast beef
1 cup beef gravy,
homemade or canned
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 (4-ounce) can
sliced mushrooms, drained
salt and pepper
1 (8-ounce) tub of
regular (not reduced fat) sour cream
1 pound cooked,
buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes (page 000), for serving
In a skillet set over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and
cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the roast
beef, gravy, ketchup and mushrooms. Just before serving, add the sour cream,
and cook a few minutes until everything is nice and hot. Season to taste with
pepper; remember that canned gravy is often very salty, so make sure you taste
before adding salt.
Yield: 4 to 6
servings.
Leftover Roast Beef Hash
You can substitute
cooked corned beef, ham, chicken, turkey or steak for the roast beef.
1 and 1/2 pounds
potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons
canola or other vegetable oil
2 onions, peeled
and chopped
1 green bell
pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stalk celery,
trimmed and chopped
4 cups chopped cooked
roast beef
1 teaspoon dried
thyme
1 teaspoon dried
basil
1/2 teaspoon white
pepper (optional_
salt and pepper
4 eggs, poached or
otherwise cooked as desired, for serving (optional)
toast, for serving
(optional)
Fit a large pot with a steamer basket and pour in water to a depth of 1
to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil while you cut the potatoes into
1/2-to-1-inch cubes. (The smaller you cut them, the quicker they will cook.).
Steam the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a
fork. Drain.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook
the onions, green peppers and celery, stirring often, until they begin to soften,
about 5 minutes. Scrape into a mixing bowl.
Add the beef, the cooked potatoes,
the thyme, basil and white pepper (if using).
Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir to mix thoroughly.
To
cook the hash, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over
medium high heat. Add the hash. Cook until a crust begins to form on one side,
then flip sections of the hash with a spatula so that the sides brown evenly.
The hash will be loose, not like a solid cake.
Serve with cooked eggs on top, if
desired and toast on the side. Pass the hot sauce.
IF YOU HAVE TIME: Omit the oil and cook 3 strips bacon, chopped, in the
skillet. When crisp, remove and set aside.
Substitute the bacon fat for the oil, and add the crumbled bacon to the hash
when you add the potatoes.
Yield: 4 to 6
servings.