Episode 5: Thanksgiving Leftover Soup

 

At first I called this a stew but then it hit me that this was indeed a soup. Let's get into it.

THANKSGIVING LEFTOVER SOUP

• 2 cups leftover Thanksgiving turkey, cut into bite sized pieces
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 3 large russet potatoes, skinned and cubed
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large pot with a little olive oil, add the onion and celery on a medium-high heat. Cook for two minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for two more minutes. Add the butter and let it melt - stirring the vegetables in the process. Add the flour and stir to coat all the vegetables. Add the chicken stock and vegetable stock. Add the turkey. Stir. Add in all the spices along with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the temperature down to lo or simmering and let cook for two-three hours. Ten minutes before serving add the heavy cream. Remove from heat and enjoy!

This is a great use of leftover turkey after the holidays and is easily one of the best soups I have ever made. If you want to make any additions to the soup, feel free to try something new. I added half a Kielbasa to mine for good measure. As an added bonus I toasted my left over stuffing (dressing) in the oven and made croutons for the soup. If you would like to do this just break the stuffing (dressing) in to pieces and bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours or until completely dry.

Cooking is about trying new things. Why not?!

If you enjoyed this recipe and want to see the video tutorials check me out on TikTok (mrs_sheenak)!

Episode 4: Thanksgiving Leftover Mess

I had wanted to actually do a tutorial on Thanksgiving showing how to make stuffing or even the proper way to cook a turkey, but I got caught up in hanging with family and friends. It totally slipped my mind. Anyways there are a multitude of ways to use up the leftovers from the holidays and this has always been one of my favorite ways to cook up a meal from them.

THANKSGIVING LEFTOVER MESS

• 1 cup leftover turkey or ham, cubed or shredded
• 1/2 cup left over dressing (stuffing), crumbled
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup gravy
• 2/3 cup cheese

In a nonstick pan on medium high head, place the turkey or ham. Add in the crumbled dressing (stuffing) along with the butter. Heat until butter is completely melted and all the food is hot. Stir in the gravy until completely incorporated. Add cheese. Turn off heat and let the cheese melt fully. Mix up and server immediatley.

I will use a leftover biscuit as a base or even toast. It is a great use of leftovers for one person. If you want to make for a few more people just increase the increments by however many you'd like. Cooking is about experimentation and should be fun. Enjoy yourself. Why not?

Episode 3: Pumpkin Roll

Thanksgiving is this week and what would it be without something with pumpkin in it. My family never served pumpkin pie when I was younger but we always had pumpkin roll. It's a spongy, light cake with a decadent cream cheese filling. So like I said, I hate blogs that rant so on to the recipe. 

PUMPKIN ROLL

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

        Filling

• 1 8oz pack cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients - flour, powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together. Add sugar and vanilla. Stir. Add pumpkin and stir, again. Once fully stirred, add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. The batter should be slightly thick, but not hard to stir. It also shouldn't be runny.

Take an inch deep cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper. Spray the paper with non stick spray. Add the batter and evenly distribute. Bake for 10 minutes. While baking grab a clean kitchen towel and lay it on the counter. Sprinkle powdered sugar on the towel. Check the cake - when it is springy and doesn't pull away when touched it is ready to come out of the oven. Take the parchment paper while the cake is still hot and flip the cake on to the sugared towel. Roll it up so it can set aside to cool.

In the meantime make the filling. In a bowl add the cream cheese and the butter. Cream together with a hand or stand mixer. When smooth add vanilla and stir. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar a little bit at a time so that it doesn't fly all over the kitchen while using the mixer. Once everything is together and smooth check your cake to see if its cooled. 

Unroll the cake and evenly smooth the filling over the entire cake surface. Roll the cake back up on itself without the towel. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake again and then cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. 

Some people like to add walnuts to the cake itself. I feel like this takes away from it but you can do whatever you want. I have also done this recipe by replacing the pumpkin with banana. It turned out great. I am looking to use other fruits to see what happens - maybe apples next time. Cooking is about experimentation so you can see what works for you. Have fun and see what happens. Why not?

If you enjoyed this post check out my TikTok for video tutorials and please subscribe to the blog for new recipes. 

Episode 2: Homemade Chili

 I am going to preface this by saying that the TikTok I made about this wasn't a completely homemade chili. I did use a premixed chili packet, but I wanted to give you an actual recipe to follow for actual chili. I am not saying by any degree that this is the best chili you will ever eat, but it's good enough. Let's get to it:

HOMEMADE CHILI

• 1 pound ground beef, venison, steak, or tofu
• 1 can light red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 medium celery stalk, diced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp paprika, smoked
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 3 cups beef or vegetables stock
• 3 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot add a little bit of olive oil or vegetable oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Turn the temperature of the stove top to medium high heat. As soon as the pot is hot, add the onion and celery, sweat for a few minutes and then add the beef or tofu. Brown the meat. As soon as the meat is browned add the stock and water. Throw in the beans, tomatoes and all the spices. Bring to a boil. Add in the can of tomato paste and stir until incorporated. Drop the temperature down to simmering and let it sit on the stove between 4-8 hours stirring occasionally. 

I like to server my chili with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. It also is delicious to sometimes serve it over mac n cheese. Cooking is about experimentation so you can see what works for you. Have fun and see what happens. Why not?

If you enjoyed this post check out my TikTok for video tutorials and please subscribe to the blog for new recipes. 

Episode 1: Basic Chicken Salad

Trying something new is always scary - so when I set out to do tutorials on cooking/baking I was terrified. Not only how people would react but also how I would react to people. I am hard on myself, but alas we don't get anywhere in life without a little chance. So this is me taking my chance. I thought I would start out with something basic and to me chicken salad is pretty basic. I hate blogs that rant and rant and rant about stuff so let's just get to it. You are going to need the following for a basic chicken salad:

• Shredded chicken - you can either cook your own chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken and break it down but either way is up to you
• Celery
• Onion (red, white or yellow - it doesn't matter but your preference)
• Garlic (minced in a jar or you mincing fresh)
• Mayonnaise (I adamantly prefer Duke's)
• Salt and pepper
• Assortment of herbs/spices (whichever you prefer

There are other items you can add, but it is all on what you want to add. Sometimes I will add grapes, walnuts, Fuji apples, and even bacon - this is all based on how I feel that day.

BASIC CHICKEN SALAD

• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 c mayonnaise, portioned
• 1/3 tsp paprika, smoked if available
• 1/3 tsp dried parsley
• 1/3 tsp dried basil
• 1/3 tsp Dan-O's low sodium seasoning (or your preferred mix)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by adding your shredded chicken to a bowl. Toss in the celery and onion. Mix. Add the garlic and mix up. Add your seasonings. The ones on the recipe are suggestions, but you can change up any that you like. Mix together. Add a 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise and mix. If this is a good consistency for you then don't add anymore mayo. If you need more, add more. You can always add, you can't subtract. Salt and pepper to your desire. Taste. Depending on your preferences if it tastes good to you then eat up. I like to enjoy mine with Club crackers, but if you prefer a sandwich then a croissant is always a good option. 

Variations of this recipe are all on your shoulders. It's all about what you like but I can make the following suggestions:

• 1/2 cup green or red grapes, quartered
• 1/3 cup bacon, crumbled
• 1/4 cup walnuts, diced
• 1/4 cup jalapenos, diced
• 1/4 cup pickles, diced (if you're a heathen and like pickles in your chicken salad)
• 1/4 cup cheese, shredded (whichever you want is up to you - cheddar, swiss, colby jack, provolone)

Again any of these can be added to the basic chicken salad, but you don't have to add all of them at once. Cooking is about experimentation so you can see what works for you. Have fun and see what happens. Why not?

If you enjoyed this post check out my TikTok for video tutorials and please subscribe to the blog for new recipes.