Turkey Soup

I love turkey and not just for Thanksgiving. You can make so many dishes with it: turkey salad, turkey sandwiches, and turkey casserole (just to name a few). I baked a turkey over the weekend, cut it into slices, and used the carcass for soup. There's no rules to what vegetables to use, but I just used what I had on hand: red bell pepper, onions, okra, and canned whole kernel corn. It's a delicious, filling one-pot meal your family will love.

Turkey Soup

turkey meat, 2 to 3 cups, deboned
or use turkey carcass to equal 3 cups
of turkey meat
water
vegetables:
celery, okra, corn, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 1/2 cups Macaroni noodles

Directions

In a large pot, combine turkey carcass and about two quarts (8 cups) of water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover with lid. Simmer about 45 minutes to one hour until meat comes off the bones easily. Remove bones from pot.
Add vegetables, seasonings, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in noodles and mix together. Simmer until vegetables are tender and noodles are cooked about 10 more minutes. Ready to serve.

Note: If using deboned turkey meat, combine turkey and vegetables in a large pot and fill with just enough water to cover. Add seasonings, mix together, and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook about 10 to 15 minutes. Add noodles and cook about 10 longer. Ready to serve.

Pasta Anyone?

Today was one of those "get up and go" kind of days. It was beautiful outside, especially when it warmed up about 10am this morning. After a 50-minute walk in my neighborhood, I came home, had breakfast, and cleaned my house from top to bottom. I had done my shopping at Macy's last Thursday evening, so I didn't need to do any more shopping during the "Super Weekend Sale." I went to Trader Joe's and purchased the rest of my ingredients for a pasta dish. I have lots of leftover turkey meat from a turkey I baked last week. The dish is very simple and takes about 30 minutes to make. I've made it so many times, I didn't bother with the recipe and just eye-balled everything and threw in a few extra ingredients. It's basically fettuccine and broccoli with cream of mushroom soup and a few seasonings.

Fettuccine with Turkey

Boil 8 ounces of fettuccine noodles according to package directions. Add broccoli the last six minutes of cooking time. Drain and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp. of butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan, then saute two cloves of chopped garlic and two cups of cooked turkey. Add one 10 3/4 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. Stir together and heat thoroughly. Add pasta and broccoli and serve.

Look for many more of my favorite recipes in my upcoming cook book!

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

I planned to bake some chicken enchiladas but remembered I had some leftover turkey in the freezer. So, I used that instead, and they were delicious. I used my usual recipe, except I didn't fill or roll the tortillas. I made two layers instead, so it was more of a casserole dish. I cooked some Pinto Beans and rice, too, to serve with the enchiladas. Here's the recipe for both dishes.

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 can 10 3/4 oz. Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup La Victoria Salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 4 oz can of chopped green chiles
1/2 cup fresh chicken stock
12 corn tortillas or 6 to 8 large flour tortillas (warmed)
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Sharp, Monterey Jack, or Pepperjack)
16 to 24 oz can of enchilada sauce

Fry corn tortillas a few seconds on each side in hot vegetable oil. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Combine all ingredients except cheese. Pour enough enchilada sauce to cover a large, glass baking dish. Layer six tortillas on top, then spread chicken/turkey mixture on top. Place remaining tortillas on top and enough sauce to cover dish. Top with shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted.

Pinto Beans

Soak about 16 ounces of Pinto Beans in water for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight. Drain.
Place beans back in pot.
Brown a pound of ground beef in skillet until no longer pink. Drain grease.
Add 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1/2 cup chopped celery, one bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp. cumin, and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of cayeene pepper (red pepper) and red pepper flakes (if desired). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and top with lid. Cook about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Add ground beef to beans half-way through cooking time. Serve over hot cooked rice.