Last night we used up the last of the sausage stuffing in my
sausage bechamel shells. Tonight, I used about half of the turkey that remained and a good portion of the turkey stock we made on Thanksgiving night to make a turkey soup. We also had our cornbread stuffing leftover, so we turned those into croutons for a soup topping. Randy did that for me by following my instructions since I had to leave to deliver food for a small catering gig. (
I'll include some of those recipes at the end of this post.) So here's the original recipe for the cornbread stuffing:
Cornbread Stuffing (Tyler Florence)
1 loaf cornbread, cubed (6 cups)
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 TB softened butter
1-2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
salt, pepper
In a small bowl, mix the soft butter with the sage to make a "sage butter." Melt the seasoned butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until soft and golden. Place the cubed cornbread in a large bowl and pour the cooked onions on top. Mix the egg and heavy cream together and pour over the bread and onions. Season with salt and pepper.
I used this stuffing to stuff my turkey and then baked the rest of it at 375* for about 25-30 minutes.
Cornbread Croutons
To make the croutons, take the leftover stuffing and add a little olive oil or chicken broth to moisten it again. With your hands, take clumps of the stuffing about the size of a tablespoon and squeeze slightly (to help them maintain their form) and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil if desired and season with salt and pepper. Bake in a 350* oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until brown and fragrant.
Turkey Bowtie Soup
5 cups turkey stock
3-5 large carrots, sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
about 1 cup or more of leftover turkey (
blend of both white and dark meat)
3/4 lb of bowtie pasta
salt, pepper to taste
In a stockpot, boil the stock with the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Once the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the carrots to cook for at least 5 minutes. (
You can do this step earlier in the day and then let the broth and vegetables sit until you're ready to finish preparing dinner.)
Bring the soup back up to a boil and add the pasta. Season with salt and pepper and let the pasta cook for a few minutes. Add the already cooked turkey and allow the soup to simmer for a few minutes. Taste to adjust the seasonings. Serve with the cornbread croutons on top.
To some, this picture is a lonely sight--dinner on a TV tray, solo. But to a mom of littles, it is pure bliss. My kids were in bed when I got home and hubby was off to work. I enjoyed a few moments of peace while watching "Chopped" and sitting in front of our newly trimmed tree.
Intimate Catering Gig... A Few Recipes...
Goat Cheese & Onion Tartlets
I often serve these as appetizers for get-togethers, especially around this time of year. I served them for Thanksgiving this year and last and they are always a big hit!
1 package (2 sheets) of puff pastry, thawed
1 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 TB chopped scallions
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg
salt, pepper
3-4 oz goat cheese
Out of 1 sheet of puff pastry, I'm able to get 9 circles cut out with a circular cookie-cutter. This makes 18 circles, total. Cut them out and place them on a greased mini-muffin or tartlet pan and push them in to create small shells. Preheat the oven to 350* and place the prepared shells in the refrigerator. In a small skillet, melt the butter and drizzle in olive oil. Place the red and white onions in the skillet and cook over medium heat until caramelized, about 15 minutes. When good and brown, add the scallions and cook for just another minute and then turn off the heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper and add the onions. Divide the onion/custard mixture among all of the tartlet shells. Break up the goat cheese and divide equally among the tartlets. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.
Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce
Randy and I love crab cakes as an appetizer. There's a restaurant in Maine called Yellow Fins and their crab cakes are amazing. But I have to brag a little and say that Randy claims these are better than Yellow Fins' cakes. ;) And now I have to be completely honest and say that the recipe belongs to Ina Garten, who can do no wrong in the kitchen and provides fool-proof recipes! I leave out capers and Old Bay seasoning, but you can add them if you want.
2 TB butter
2 TB olive oil
3/4 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 1/2 cups small-diced celery (4 stalks)
1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
1/2 cup small-diced yellow bell pepper (1 small pepper)
1/4 minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 lb lump crabmeat
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsps Dijon mustard
2 eggs, lightly beaten
In a large sauté pan, cook the butter, olive oil, onion, pepper, parsley, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until the vegetables are softened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Add the crabmeat, mayo, breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard, and eggs. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. When ready, melt 4 TB butter with 1/4 cup of olive oil in a skillet to fry the crab cakes. I use a small melon-baller to make mini crab cakes, but you can form the cakes however works for you. Fry for a few minutes on each side, then remove and place on a paper towel to drain. Serve hot with remoulade sauce.
Remoulade Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 TB small-diced pickles
1 tsp course-grain mustard
1 TB white wine vinegar
pinch of salt and pepper
Place all ingredients in the food processor and pulse several minutes until the pickles are well-minced and the ingredients are combines. But do not puree. This can be served cold or at room temperature.
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| I also served grilled lemon chicken skewers. Chicken on a stick--fun stuff! |
