turkey and dumplings

i love leftovers

especially when they make their way into soup

as it happens

there is always a lot of dark meat left behind than white

and the wings and drumsticks go uneaten

i use the wings in making stock

and all the leftover meat in soup

this is a riff on chicken and dumplings

however it remains a hearty but brothy soup

i enjoy it

sitting in front of the fire

on a snowy day

with a good cookbook in hand

and 

this american life on the radio

turkey and dumplings
(printable recipe)

for the soup

1/2 cup chopped pancetta (optional)

olive oil 

1 large leek--chopped

1 large carrot--peeled and chopped

2 ribs celery--chopped

1 jalapeno--ribs and seeds removed and chopped

1 shallot--finely chopped

2 garlic cloves--finely chopped

2 medium white potatoes--chopped

1 cup mushrooms--chopped

1 tsp kosher salt (optional)

1/2 tsp black pepper 

10-12 cups broth

leftover  (cooked) turkey cut into pieces

fry the pancetta in a stock pot with a bit of olive oil over medium heat.  when the fat is rendered, toss in the leek, shallot and garlic. do not let the garlic brown.  when the leek and shallot are soft toss in the remaining vegetables and stir.  allow to cook for about 5 minutes.  add salt and pepper and the broth.  cover and let simmer until the vegetables are soft--about 45-60 minutes.  add the turkey and cook until just warmed through.  meanwhile, prepare the dumplings

for the dumplings

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbs chopped fresh chives

4 Tbs cold unsalted butter in small pieces

1/2-3/4 cup milk

stir together the flour, salt, pepper, chives and baking powder in a bowl.  cut in butter.  stir in enough milk to make a just-sticky dough.  drop by large spoonfuls into simmering soup, turning once to ensure they cook on both sides. i cook the dumplings and then remove them and place them in a casserole and place in the oven to keep warm, but you can serve directly from the soup as well. 

i am linking to

 tuesday night supper club
(where i am hosting a great give-a-way!)

and

hearth and soul blog hop

reHashed

i had some leftover filling from the dumplings

and a hungry household

so

i played around a bit

and made an

asian flavored egg and hash breakfast

what i have to offer on the subject is

it seems

 i do love breakfast food 

after-all

i took the filling recipe from here

and coated it with instant potato flakes 

(yes, i do keep them in the pantry; because you never know)

and  fried it in a bit of olive oil

until the potato was brown and crunchy, 

and the pork was cooked through

and  then

i placed it on a bed of pan-fried spinach

using the same pan (after wiping it clean),

 i added a bit more olive oil and cooked the egg in a cookie cutter

like so

tip: if you do this, put a cover on, and then the white will cook before the yolk hardens

the yummy looking crunchy squares you see are simply,

 wonton skins deep fried to crispy goodness 

and they are surprisingly good for dipping into the soft and creamy yolk

*add a little hot mustard and/or chili sauce to zest it up a bit

make this

you won't be sorry

souper snowday

Last night the thunder and lightning, at our mountain cabin, was astounding.  When I was a kid lightning frightened me. I was told that if I counted between the lightning and the thunder, each second between, indicated the miles between the strike and me.

While half asleep, I found myself counting...one-one thousand, two-one thousand....

because

as much as I love a great storm

...and i really do...

living in the mountains

amongst the trees

in a fire zone

lightning still scares me

a little

but I was comforted by the fact that it was raining

or so i thought

However

to my surprise

when the sun began to show

all i saw was white

a blanket of white

our first snow of the season

I bounded out of bed, and still in my flannels

threw on boots

and grabbed my camera

and started snapping

and then i went to the kitchen

and made soup

from the thanksgiving leftovers

Turkey Broth
(printable recipe)

large pot of cold water

turkey carcass and any bits no one will eat 

(in my family there is always an odd wing or leg left)

1 onion--sliced in half--skin on

2  carrots

2 celery stalks

3 or 4 garlic cloves

salt and pepper

fresh parsley

put the pot on the stove and let simmer for 3-4 hours

use the broth for the soup

Turkey and Vegetable Soup
(printable recipe)

olive oil

1/4 chopped onion

1 carrot--chopped

1 celery stalk--chopped

any leftover veggies

i used

sauteed mushrooms

roasted root vegetables

green beans--chopped

kernels from 2 ears of corn

1 roma tomato--seeded and chopped

broccoli

brussel sprouts w/pancetta

and some spices

i went with cumin and cayenne

1/4 cup white wine

turkey broth

bits of turkey 

shot of tabasco (optional)

heat a small stock pot and add just a bit of olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.  Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until they begin to soften but not brown.  Add the rest of the vegetables.  Stir and let cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the white wine and let it absorb a bit.  Then add enough broth to make your soup.  Let simmer until all the vegetables soften.  Add turkey bits both from the broth and any other leftovers you may have.  Add seasonings, including any additional salt and pepper needed. Add tabasco if using. Let simmer just a couple more minutes

Freeze the rest of the broth for future use.

I am going to make twice baked potato soup next