Mexican Turkey Soup

Another great use for those Turkey leftovers, or sub chicken if you'd rather.

2 cups cooked Turkey (or chicken) shredded, or cubed
3 medium Tomatoes, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 can Corn, undrained
1 can Enchilada Sauce (Red or Green)
1 cup Rice, uncooked
1 Tbs Chili Powerder
Powdered Garlic & Onion - to tastes
Salt & Pepper - to tastes

Bring 6 cups water to a boil. Stir in turkey, tomatoes, onion, rice and seasonings. Boil for about 10 minutes, then stir in corn & enchilada sauce. Turn down to simmer & cook another 5 or so minutes.

Top with sliced avocados, shredded cheese, & sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips if desired.

Turkey & Veggie Pasta

This is a great way, of many, to use some of that left over turkey.

2 medium carrots, julianned & cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2tsp dried Basil, or 3 sprigs fresh
2 cups cooked turkey, cut into small (1/2 inch or so) pieces
2 8oz packages Fettuccine noodles (or shape of choice)
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Peas (canned work well, but fresh is good too)
1Tbs Margarine (or Butter works eve better)
Grated Parmesan (or 'shaky cheese' as the bottled stuff is called in our house)

Boil fettuccine noodles in well salted (or oiled) water for 5 minutes. Add carrot pieces & continue boiling 2 more minutes. Drain well. Add turkey, mushrooms, & peas tossing gently. Stir in butter & cheese, stirring gently to coat. Serve hot with garlic toast for a hearty, warm meal.

Turkey Brine

I use this brine every time I make a turkey. It will, quite literally, fall off the bone, there is no need to 'carve' the bird, only slice the meat after the fact. No dry turkey here, & it freezes incredibly well for later use in soups, pasta recipes & the like.

2 cups Kosher Salt You MUST use Kosher
2 gallons cold water
2 cups hot water (not boiling)
1 10lb bag of ice (unless you're using the fridge to hold the bird)
2 cups brown sugar
3Tbs Garlic Powder
3Tbs Ground Cinnamon (or 3 sticks, crushed)
3Tbs Pepper Corns, rubbed to release flavor (do NOT crack)
3Tbs Cocoa Powder
&
2Tbs Chili Powder
OR (NOT both)
4-6 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary, Basil, & Thyme (or 2Tbs each, dried)
Thawed or Fresh Turkey (whole or breast)

Dissolve the salt in the hot water. Add the cold water. Add all spices & seasonings, stirring well to mix into the water & ensure salt is dissolved. If brining in the tub, or ice chest add the ice. Ensure turkey is thawed, if previously frozen, & all gizzards/neck/gravy packet is removed (store for later use if you want). Add turkey & totally submerge.

Allow to brine for at least 8 hours, but 24 hours works best. Rinse turkey, especially cavity, prior to baking or frying as usual.

Don't mix the cocoa/chili & fresh herbs. One or the other is wonderful but the two together are ... um ... 'interesting' shall we say.

I brine my turkey for 24 hours, in an ice chest, in the coldest part of the house. That means the garage, or even back porch if its cold enough. Put a large stone or brick on top to discourage animals if it will be outside, though we've never had issues with it.

Chicken & Avocado Sandwiches

Alright,for all of those that have read my usual blog, I give you the recipe for my favorite treat from Tesco.
1 (4.5 oz) can White Chicken Breast chunks (Swanson is the one I use)
1/2 Ripe Avocado, sliced into 1/4" think slices
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/8 tsp Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp dried Basil, Oregano and Garlic
2-4 slices of Bread (wheat, or other whole-grain makes it far better in my opinion.)

Mix the Mayonnaise, Lemon Juice and seasonings together in a small bowl. Drain the chicken chunks, cutting into smaller pieces if desired. Add the chicken to the mayonnaise mixture, and stir to coat. Place several slices of avocado onto bread (you want to cover the bread slice). On second piece of bread spread 1/2 (or all, depending on how thick you like your sandwich fillings) of chicken mixture. Place bread together, slice on an angle and enjoy.

Chicken, Broccoli, Carrot with Pasta

2lbs Chicken (I use boneless, skinless breasts)
3 cups Fresh Broccoli
3 cups Carrots, sliced on a diagonal about 1/4" thick
3lb pasta (I use spaghetti or angel hair but any would work)
1 cup Broth (chicken or veg)
Fresh Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, or bottled Parmesan
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper & Garlic, to taste
Rosemary, Basil, Thyme or other Italian spices

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic and fry in a little bit of olive oil until it begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and drain, then cover and keep warm. Cook the pasta in a little bit of oil (or salted water) until "al dente". Put the broccoli, carrot in the same skillet as used for the chicken. Allow to brown slightly, then add the broth. Bring to a fast boil and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet along with the Italian spices, turning to coat and mix. Serve the chicken over the pasta with or without the liquid, shredding fresh Parmesan or Romano on top.