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:

  1. 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.

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  2. 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.

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  3. What a tasty way to use those leftovers!

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  4. 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!

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  5. 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!

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  6. 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.

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