Turkey Faux Pho — an Asian inspired soup

There is just one problem with a batch of good broth. Those little bitty tiny bitty bits of meat on the bones! Now I belong to the waste not want not school, so I have to pick the meat off the bones and use it somehow. But what do you do with 3/4 cup or so of teeny tiny pieces of meat?

I had been experimenting a bit with making some sort of meatballs but most of my test versions fell apart, oh well! Back to the drawing board!

But this time, I turned the idea on its head a bit. Instead of a meatball, why not a wonton? This turned out quite well. Delicious, fairly easy, healthy and frugal. All the right stuff. Here's how to make it ...

peppers stuffed w turkey and cumin-roasted potatoes

This turned out pretty well for a first stab at a recipe concoction, so I'm going to post it. Gives your leftover turkey a whole new taste spin, one that is definitively non Thanksgiving.

Easy peasy, kinda cheesy — Puff pastry rollups

This whole idea seems too simple for a recipe, but here's what I did:

It's probably better to put the filling
closer to the edge than I did.

The finished rollup
was delicious!

Take a puff pastry sheet and cut it into fourths. Lay out whatever of your leftovers you like near the edge of one square. I used chopped ham and turkey, sweet potatoes with black walnuts, cranberry sauce with pinot noir and topped that with a bit of smoky gouda cheese.

Roll those up kind of like a sushi roll, then bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until they are bubbly inside and golden on top.

If you're a single person like me, you could probably cook these longer and slower, taking the rollups out just before their tops turn golden. Then you can rebake them during the week and they will seem fresh. But you want to be sure the insides come to temperature if you're going to do it that way.


For a second batch of something a little bit different ...

Nina's favorite turkey

I do remember the first time I tried to bake a turkey. Probably one of the most disastrous episodes I've had in a kitchen. I'll spare you the gory details and simply say that learning to bake a good turkey is an adventure!

I can't say I've necessarily mastered the art yet, but this particular turkey recipe is loved by my dear niece, who seems to think it's the best turkey ever. I'm not going to argue with her, she's a very picky eater, and she takes seconds of this!

Our turkey taste tester.

If your turkey hasn't been treated with any salt solution prior to purchasing it, I personally would recommend a dry brine the night before, unless someone in your group is on a salt-restricted diet. Brining does make turkey a little more forgiving to bake and a dry brine is easier to manage than wet. It also results in a less spongy texture, a more meaty goodness texture, which is what you want for turkey.

On the other hand, if you just keep one simple principle in mind, your turkey will come out fine with or without brining ...