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| Gluten-free turkey tetrazzini- a retro classic, updated. |
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Thanksgiving will be cactus quiet here in the desert north of Santa Fe. No traveling. No fuss for us. Yet I felt inspired to thumb through my recipe file today. It's just habit. I guess it's not easy to let go of cooking for a family. Not yet, anyway. I still cook for four- even though we are down to two. I still buy too many salad greens. And big banana bunches that inevitably morph into black and reeking fruit fly magnets. It's okay. I shrug it off. I tell myself I'm on a learning curve. Not a bad place to be at fifty-three. Still learning.
Here are three yummy ways to use up leftover cruelty-free turkey. Consider this my modest Thank You to all you fabulous readers- for all your thoughtful comments, suggestions, and get well messages. You're the best!
Jazzed Up Turkey Tetrazzini
Here's my unconventional dairy-free version of a retro sixties classic. Gluten-free spaghetti makes fabulous tetrazzini.
For the filling:A dash of olive oil, as needed1 medium sweet onion, diced4 cloves of garlic, chopped2 medium carrots, cut into julienne strips (thin sticks)1/2 cup chopped celery1/2 lb. sliced Baby Bella mushrooms12 oz. gluten-free quinoa linguini
or brown rice spaghetti
cooked to al dente (still firm), rinsed, drained3 cups hand-torn cooked free-range organic turkey piecesA squeeze of fresh lemon juiceSea salt and ground pepper, to tasteFor the sauce:4 tablespoons light olive oil4 tablespoons white rice flour2 cups non-dairy rice milk (or milk)1 1/2 cups gluten-free chicken brothOptional- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
, for flavor1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine1 teaspoon tarragon or parsleySea salt and ground pepper or paprika, to tasteFor the crumb topping:1 teaspoon French herbs- or parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or spray a 10x13-inch baking dish or deep casserole.
Heat a dash of olive oil in a large skillet and lightly saute the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms till tender; set aside.
Arrange the cooked spaghetti in the baking dish.
Toss the turkey pieces in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and season with a little sea salt and pepper.
Add the skillet veggies to the noodles in the baking dish.
Make your sauce:
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the flour; stir to make a paste; briefly stir over heat for about three minutes- to cook out the "flour" flavor. Slowly add a cup of the rice milk and continue stirring until it starts to thicken; add the second cup of rice milk, heat and stir till thickened. I like to use a whisk at this point.
If you are using the nutritional yeast, you can add it in and whisk to combine. Add the broth. Continue to heat gently for another five to seven minutes, stirring often. Add the sherry, tarragon and a dash of sea salt and pepper, to taste. In fact- taste test. If it needs a flavor boost, add a pinch more salt, a dash of herbs or sherry. You can also add a dash of nutmeg or mustard if you like.
Pour the sauce over the veggies and noodles and use a fork to shimmy the goodies so that the sauce seeps in and around- this keeps everything moist and happy.
Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until piping hot and bubbling.
To be totally retro, serve with green beans sprinkled with slivered almonds.
Serves 4 to 6.
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| These turkey enchiladas are tasty and gluten-free. |
Holiday Turkey Enchiladas
You will love these super easy enchiladas featuring torn pieces of tender free-range chicken, lime juice, chunks of sweet pineapple, and spicy salsa. Espeically after Thanksgiving, when all the traditional Pilgrim-inspired foods have shared their hand-holding moment in the fast fading sun.
3 cups of your favorite salsa- spicy or mild
4-5 cups of cooked free-range organic turkey, hand torn or shredded
Juice from one fresh lime
2-4 tablespoons sour cream- light or regular or vegan for dairy-free
Sea salt and ground pepper
Pinch of cumin
Light olive oil, as needed
12 corn tortillas
1 cup diced pineapple
2 4-oz. cans chopped green chiles, drained
2 cups shredded Jalapeño Jack cheese- or vegan Jack for non-dairy
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour about a half cup of salsa into the bottom a large lightly oiled 10x13" baking dish- or use two smaller pans, for six enchiladas each.
Place the torn turkey pieces into a bowl and squeeze lime juice all over the cooked turkey; add enough sour cream to moisten; stir; season with sea salt and pepper, and cumin; toss well to coat.
Heat a dash of olive oil in a skillet, and heat one corn tortilla until softened, turning it over once to coat with oil. Place the tortilla into the sauced baking dish; fill with 1/12 of the turkey pieces, and roll up seam side down, placing it at the far end of the dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas, adding more oil, if needed.
Pour the remaining salsa over the rolled tortillas. Top with the diced pineapple, then the green chiles. Sprinkle with cheese and red pepper flakes.
Bake in a 350 degree F. oven until the enchiladas are bubbling and heated through, about 30 minutes.
For a homemade authentic green chile sauce recipe, try here.
Serves 6
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| Gluten-free nachos, Baby. |
Turkey Nachos
Here's a non-conventional way to use up cruelty-free turkey leftovers Santa Fe style. Use a combo of organic blue and yellow corn chips and scatter on lots of sliced pickled jalapeños. It's an unbeatable combination.
3 heaping cups organic blue corn tortilla chips
3 heaping cups organic yellow corn tortilla chips
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups hand torn cooked free-range organic turkey pieces
4 oz. Cheddar or Jack cheese, shredded- use vegan cheese for dairy-free
A big handful of organic sweet grape tomatoes, halved
3-4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos- or use chopped mild green chiles
A sprinkle of good chili powder or chipotle powder, to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large roasting pan with foil or parchment paper.
Layer the blue and yellow corn tortilla chips in the bottom of the lined pan; drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and hand toss to coat evenly.
Scatter the turkey pieces on top of the corn chips. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese. Layer the tomatoes, jalapeños, and the remaining shredded cheese. Believe it or not, drizzle a little more olive oil all over the the nachos. Add a dusting of spices, to taste, and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Bake in a hot oven for about seven to ten minutes, or so, until the cheese has melted and the nachos are happy and sizzling.
Crack open some crisp and cold gluten-free beer. You can even be post-holiday decadent and serve these nachos right from the roasting pan. Okay, I admit it. We're casual here. We eat nachos right out of the pan- with our fingers.
Serves 4.
(not the rock scrambling 
Val, the expanding, voluptuous new Mega Val- and why he showed up in my dream, I've no clue- better ask my analyst) I've been craving green chile this month like mad as we approach our second anniversary of moving to New Mexico. And wouldn't you know it! I'm out of last year's roadside bags of chiles. They're long gone (my freezer is annoyingly, shall we say, petite). Until roasting season starts I have to settle with buying frozen Bueno chiles. And they're not bad, exactly. They are pretty dang good.
