Friday, November 28, 2008

GIVING THANKS FOR LEFTOVERS ~ TURKEY SALAD with CRANBERRIES & TOASTED PECANS / GINGER SWEET POTATO MUFFINS with CANDIED GINGER BUTTER

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and and the new."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

~ November mums
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TURKEY SALAD with CRANBERRIES & TOASTED PECANS

~ Yes ... leftovers are delicious!

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2 cups shredded or diced turkey

1 diced and cored Granny Smith apple

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4-1/2 cup dried cranberries

3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped toasted pecans

1 (11oz.) can drained mandarin oranges

coarse salt & freshly cracked pepper

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. sour cream or plain yogurt

1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

8 Red leaf lettuce leaves

additional toasted pecans

  • Combine turkey, apple, celery, onions, pecans, and oranges. Season with salt & cracked pepper.
  • Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, and parsley. Pour over turkey mixture and gently fold in. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
  • Line 4 plates with 2 lettuce leaves each. Mound 1/4 cup of salad on top of leaves. Garnish with additional chopped pecans. (4 servings)

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GINGER SWEET POTATO MUFFINS

~ Leftover sweet potatoes! No problem (More Muffins)

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1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup cool mashed baked sweet potato
1/2 cup room temperature milk
2 large room temperature organic eggs
3 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4-1.3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
  • Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Spray muffin pans with Pam.
  • In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ground ginger.
  • In another bowl, stir together sweet potato, milk, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended.
  • Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add milk mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in crystallized ginger.
  • Spoon batter in prepared muffing cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Remove muffin pans to wire rack. cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from tin. Serve warm with Candied Ginger Butter or cool completely and store in airtight container at room temperature. (12 muffins)
CANDIED GINGER BUTTER
1/2 room temperature unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 Tbsp. honey
dash salt
Combine butter, ginger, honey and salt in small bowl until well combined. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature before serving. (1/2 cup)

6 comments:

Amy said...

I love turkey salad. This recipe is way more fancy than any I've made :)

The warm, sunny colours of those mums are so nice to look at this morning while the snow is falling outside.

Rose said...

Perfect timing, Joey! I'm always looking for new ideas for the turkey leftovers. I love chicken salad with grapes and nuts--this sounds like a delicious substitute.

Anonymous said...

What a tasty way to use those leftovers!

joey said...

Snow falling! I hear it's on the way, Amy. Thankfully, I have lots of leftovers to tide us over ;)

Hi dear Rose. I love salads and what a perfect way to use turkey, if any left after those fat turkey sandwiches we all dream of. (I always hide some for turkey salad :)

Thanks P.G. ... yet there never seems to be enough turkey for all the stuff I crave after Thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the ideas as to the leftovers. I have lots! My turkey turned out the best it ever has. I am pretty sure it is the oven. I went from a full gas stove at my former home to an electric oven and gas cook top. I am loving it!

joey said...

Hard to beat the smell of turkey roasting in the oven, Anna! Have fun with the leftovers, probably my most fun part of the feast.