Leftovers

  So, it’s 8pm on Thanksgiving evening.  By now you’ve probably stuffed yourself to the gills and are semi-consciously watching football on the largest TV in the house while your family is lounging around your home.  After the turkey marathon… you deserve to relax! 

                Tomorrow, your troops will be hungry… again, and after the copious amounts of Traditional Thanksgiving fare, you are probably ready for something a little different.  Here are some unique ways to utilize your leftovers that don’t involve 2 slices of bread!

Breakfast:

Turkey (or Ham)Hash

2 Tbs Olive Oil

            1 Onion, diced

1/2 Green Pepper, diced

             2 Potatoes, diced (leftover baked potatoes work too)

1 Sweet Potato, diced (leftovers are perfect)

             1 cup Ham or Turkey, diced

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

             1/4 teaspoon dried crumbled thyme

1- Saute Onion in Olive Oil until soft.  Add the chopped bell pepper and Potatoes.  Cook until all ingredients are soft.

2-Add remaining ingredients.  Cook hash until browned, about 10 minutes.

3-ENJOY!

Sweet Potato Waffles      

            1 cup Sweet Potato Puree

2 cups Flour

             1 Tbs Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

             3 Eggs

1 cup Milk

             1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Butter, melted

            Vegetable spray, for waffle iron

1-In a large bowl, combine the Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt.

2- In another bowl mix the Sweet Potatoes, Milk, Brown Sugar, Eggs and Butter.

3-Mix everything and thoroughly combine.

4-Bake batter in waffle pans or make pancakes.

5-ENJOY!

Breakfast Casserole

                2 cups Stuffing
    
                1 cup Leftover Veggies (Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Green Beans are good starters)

                1 1/2 cups Turkey and/or Ham, diced

                6 Eggs

   1 cup Milk

                1/2 cup Cheese, shredded

1-Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2-Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

3-Cover the bottom of the dish with Stuffing.   Add a layer of Vegetables, then Meat, then Cheese.

4-Combine Eggs and Milk.  Pour mixture evenly over the ingredients in the baking dish.

5-Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

6-ENJOY!

Lunch:

Potato Croquettes

              3 cups Mashed Potatoes

1/2 tsp Green Onion, thinly sliced

             2 Eggs, beaten

3 Tbs Flour

             1 cup Bread Crumbs

Olive Oil  -  enough to fill pan 1/2-inch

1-Scoop cold Mashed Potatoes.  Form into “hockey pucks”.

2-Dip into beaten egg, then roll through bread crumbs.

3-Fry each croquette in shallow oil until browned on both sides.

Southwestern Turkey Soup

                1 1/2 cups Shredded Cooked Turkey

                4 cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth

                3 large Tomatoes, diced  

   1 Green Chile Pepper, diced

                1 Onion, chopped

                2 cloves Garlic, crushed

                1/2 cup Corn

                1 Tbs Lime Juice

   1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

                Salt and Pepper to taste

                1 Avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

                1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

1-In a large pot over medium heat, combine Turkey, Broth, Tomatoes, Green Chile, Onion, Garlic, and Lime Juice.  Season with Cumin, Salt, and Pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

2-Add Avocado and simmer 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.  Spoon into serving bowls, and top with shredded Cheese

3-ENJOY!

Dinner:
Shephards Pie

1 Tbs Olive Oil

             2 cloves Garlic, minced

             1 Carrot, diced

1 small Onion, chopped

             8 oz shredded Turkey

1/2 tsp Thyme, chopped

             1 cup Chicken Broth  

1/2 cup leftover Veggies

              2 cups Mashed Potatoes

              1/2 cup Tomato Sauce

1-Preheat the oven to 425degrees F.

2-Saute the Garlic, Carrots, and Onions.  Cook until tender.  Add the Turkey, Thyme, Tomato Sauce, and Broth.  Simmer for 5 minutes.   Add Vegetables.  Place in the bottom of a 9 x 13” pan.

3-Swirl the mashed potatoes over the filling.   Broil in oven until the potatoes are lightly browned.

Dessert:

Cranberry Pastries

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened

             2 Egg Yolks

             1/2 cup Confectioners’ Sugar

1 package Puff Pastry, thawed

             3/4 cup leftover Cranberry Sauce

1-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2-In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and Cranberry Sauce until smooth.

3-Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet into a 10-inch square.  Cut into four 5-inch squares.  

4-Place 3 Tbl Cream Cheese mixture in center of each square.  Dampen edges of each square with water and fold over to form a triangle. Press edges together with a fork to seal.

5-Transfer turnovers to a parchment-lined baking pan.

6-Bake turnovers until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer turnovers to a wire rack to cool, about 10 minutes.

7-ENJOY!

Beverages

Jive Turkey

1 1/2 oz Wild Turkey

             3/4 oz fresh squeezed orange juice, strained

3/4 oz canned jellied cranberry sauce

             3 dashes of Angostura bitters

1-Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously with ice at least 20 seconds, and fine strain into a Collins glass filled with ice.

Happy Feasting!

Healthy Changes for a Happy New Year

Happy New Years (ok, so I'm a day or 2... or 3 late)!

 

     Too many of us are too familiar with this New Year's scenerio... the ball drops, you vow to keep your distance from carbs and spend the rest of the year on the treadmill, but two weeks into January, your motivation plummets, your starch cravings have become difficult to ignore, and you've skipped more than a few days at the gym. Come February, your sneakers have collected dust and you've forgotten all about your New Year's resolution.

     Sounds too familiar, right? Well, you are certainly not alone!  Two of the most common New Year's resolutions are to lose weight and exercise more often.  Rather than setting yourself up for failure, why not start 2011 off on the right foot by making healthy life changes you can actually keep? 

     A few EASY ways that you can keep your healthy resolutions all year long are to make small changes that will transform your life.  Here are some suggestions to make the most of your New Year’s resolution:

Aim For 5 Servings Of Fruits And Vegetables Per Day

Fruit and vegetables taste delicious and there's so much variety to choose from. They're a good source of vitamins and minerals, and dietary fiber. They can also help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Fruit and vegetables are low in fat and calories and high in taste!

Swap Sugary Drinks For Water

Water is one of the best tools for weight loss because it doesn't have

any calories.  It is also a great  appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're really just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar, so drink plenty to help your weight-loss.

Eat Breakfast

Did you know... in order to gain weight, sumo wrestlers in Japan don't eat breakfast?  Really! Skipping breakfast slows down the metabolism and encourages weight gain. Start your day with a breakfast that combines fiber and lean protein, in order to rev up your metabolism and keep you full till lunchtime.

Add More Fiber to Your Diet

Fiber-rich foods decrease hunger, so you are likely to eat less during the day. You can easily add more to your diet by having high fiber cereal for breakfast, or as a snack mixed with yogurt in the afternoon.

Increase your Dairy Intake

Not getting enough calcium triggers the release of calcitrol, a hormone that causes fat storage. Instead meeting your daily calcium needs helps you burn fat more efficiently. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products for the nutrients your body needs, without the extra calories.

Spice it up

Increasing your intake of capsaicin (the compound that gives hot sauce and chili peppers their kick) temporarily boosts your metabolism and helps you feel satiated after meals. Go ahead and heat things up.  Try adding Tabasco sauce to your eggs, curry to your soup, and hot peppers to your chili. Spices will add flavor and health benefits to your dish.

Start your meal with soup

Soup is one of the most filling foods, and a big bowl of it is a great way to avoid higher calorie temptations. Most soups are low in calories and high in fiber, making them healthy and satisfying. Aim for broth based soups filled with vegetables, which tend to have a lot fewer calories than cream based soups.



 Remember, these tips are not just for weight loss but also to make you feel more energized, stronger, healthier and younger. Live a better quality of life.  Don’t give up because you splurged. DON’T GIVE UP !!
     Good luck in sticking with the resolutions and shedding the pounds.

Enjoy!
Chef Heather



WPDH Breakfast

Good Morning WPDH listeners... (well, for those of us writing this, good night)
    Here is a delicious and heart healthy rice pudding recipe that you must try... I mean,
healthy rice pudding.... really.... good for breakfast!!!!  How could you not try it?
Enjoy!

Brown Rice Pudding (240 calories)                                              

1/2 cup Brown Sushi Rice, (or Arborio)

1/4 cup Agave

1 can Light Coconut Milk
1-1/3 cups Skim Milk
4 Egg Whites
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, stir together the milk and the rice. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.


2 Reduce heat to medium high and boil for 5-6 minutes or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.

3 In a seperate bowl, mix coconut milk, egg whites, and extracts.  Temper. (Add some hot cooked rice to eggs and then return all to rice... this will keep eggs from scrambling) 

4 Increase the heat to medium and stir occasionally, until pudding consistency.
5 Top with fruit and/or Nuts

6 Serve and Enjoy!