What do I do with all this Turkey?
Turkey soup? Absolutely! If you know how to make chicken soup, you know how to make turkey soup. Yes, you can use bones from a cooked bird. Raw meat and bones are not the only way to make great soup. Oh, stop laughing at me. I realize that foodies know this, and prairie children, but many young adults do not know this. Here’s a great tip: freeze your chicken bones if you roast chickens, and when you have a few, make a great pot of soup. The more bones, the more flavour. It is that simple. I will be making soup, but first, I am making a large pot pie. Vanja loves puff pastry, so I am using it to crown the pie.
Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
(IÂ just scrounged in my fridge and pulled out what I had)
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one lonely, but still perky leek
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a couple of fresh nantes carrots purchased from Sun Dog Organic Farms
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a large onion
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a couple of smaller red peppers
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a good bunch of fresh, plump garlic cloves (if you like garlic like I do)
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if you have celery, definitely use it (Vanja picks it out when I put it in his supper, so I either make it invisible, or leave it out)
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leftover turkey
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one package of puff pastry (I prefer Tenderflake)
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2 -3 tablespoons of flour
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salt and pepper
Instructions:
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Preheated my oven to 400°F
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Sliced, chopped and minced
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Pulled out my braising pan and tossed all of these beautiful vegetables together
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Added a few generous twists of freshly grated pepper, a generous teaspoon of salt, and sprinkled a couple of tablespoons of flour over the top, and then tossed it in, to thicken the vegetable juices as they release when they cook
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Rolled out the two portions of thawed pastry together so that they joined as I rolled them (side by side) and was sure to roll it large enough to cover my pan
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And that is just what I did next: Folded the pastry and moved it over to cover the pan, overlapping the pastry on all sides
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Crimped my edges and discarded the extra pastry
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Then I slid it into the middle of my hot oven and Baked it for 40 minutes
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Cooled it a good 15 minutes
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Served it and blushed at the cheers and praise showered upon me
It’s a nice change from the regular turkey pot pie, certainly healthier, and I Vanja ate a fine amount of cooked vegetables without even realizing it. Now that is a coup! I wonder how many other Canadian families are eating turkey pot pie tonight. Certainly, eating turkey leftovers for supper and sliced turkey sandwiches (with homemade buns) with salt and pepper and cranberry sauce for lunch used to be an inherent part of our culture. Not so much anymore. Have you noticed? Ask your non-foodie friends what they are eating this week. When I lift my head out of my own little world and take stock of what is happening around me, I always find my tongue hanging awkwardly out of my mouth. No one cooks anymore. Not even at Thanksgiving. They go to their mom’s, or buy a turkey roll. Am I right, or living in an odd neighbourhood?
It’s almost pretty enough for company!
This filling looks incredible. Yum!