Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Gumbo

This Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Gumbo is a very popular recipe in my family. My brother in particular requests this one every year. The good news is that aside from being a crowd-pleaser, this hearty stew is a great way to use up any extra turkey you have hanging out post Thanksgiving feast. I always make a great big pot of this Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Gumbo, since I usually have lots of lovely turkey stock as well and it freezes nicely for some ready to serve weeknight meals. And while I typically serve it with rice, if I convinced you to make a rice stuffing like my Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style off my Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu, you can easily serve it over that instead as another great way to use up any leftovers you may have. It’s full of lots of kinds of vegetables and loaded with flavor. And keep in mind that if you made a turkey like my Bacon Herb Paste Stuffed Turkey you want to keep an eye on the salt, because there will be plenty in the stock and the meat from all of that delicious bacon. But no matter how you make your turkey each … Continue reading

Leftover Gingerbread Berry Sundae

There are some leftovers that require a lot of creativity to use up, and then there are desserts, like the gingerbread in this Leftover Gingerbread Berry Sundae, which hardly require anything other than a fork. But maybe you wouldn’t have guessed that fresh berries are really good with fresh gingerbread? Or you want to turn a regular old delicious snack into an elegant guest-worthy dessert? Regardless of whether you saw this coming or not, I have to admit that I like the fresh gingerbread recipe that’s used to make gingerbread croutons for my Gingerbread Crouton Fall Panazanella so much, that sometimes I make the gingerbread on its own and never get to the croutons. It’s soft and spongelike, perfect for reheating and serving with vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet. The spiciness of the cake is amazing against the sweet, bold flavors of fresh berries (a definite treat this time of year) make the fact that this Leftover Gingerbread Berry Sundae extra special. When you serve the Leftover Gingerbread Berry Sundae, you can leave off the “leftover” because there definitely won’t be any leftover gingerbread after you’ve made these, and it’s so good, that any negative associations with the word “leftover” will all but … Continue reading

Bubble and Squeak Thanksgiving Leftovers

Happy Thanksgiving one and all! I hope you enjoy the Dirty Laundry Kitchen favorite dinner party of the year. Then cooks, relax while others clean up and get ready for tomorrow and what you plan to do with your leftovers. While today, it all about the American Thanksgiving tradition, by tomorrow, I have plans for you that will draw upon English tradition instead. There’s something about English Breakfast, and Bubble and Squeak Thanksgiving Leftovers is no exception. And I mean that in a positive way. English cuisine gets a bad rap, and while I’m not an expert, I do know my way around English Breakfast, which is often remarkable to me in its simplicity. Commonly, the focus is leftovers, which gives it high marks in my book immediately. I love whipping together something that feels thoughtful, balanced, and substantial without having to start from scratch. And Bubble and Squeak Thanksgiving Leftovers definitely fulfills each category on that list. Eating vegetables for breakfast always feels delightfully virtuous to me, and feeling virtuous is a great way to start your day even if you really haven’t done anything to truly warrant a feeling of virtue. Add some crunchy mashed potatoes and a … Continue reading

Morning After Meal: Assemblage Cooking: Succotash with Corn Pasta

Gotta love leftovers. Especially when you can re-purpose them into something new, different and exciting. If you made succotash for your derby party and there’s lots leftover, never fear. Simply boil some pasta. I used a very cool corn pasta in this instance. Then reheat the succotash, add some spinach to get your greens in and top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. I’ve got this amazing piece of a 3-year old parm aged by Giorgio Cravero. It’s really amazing and adds that little something extra. It really doesn’t get any easier than this. pasta succotash basil parmesan cheese … Continue reading

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I realize that a recipe for pulled pork is a kitchen version of an oxymoron. But I tried to write mine down in a way that will give you the confidence to pull off the sort of clean-out-the-fridge improvisation that makes the best pulled pork. While bbq sauce varies region to region, all over the country and some are sweet and smoky, some spicy, some vinegary and thin, all sauce has some combination of the same elements. It’s how they are balanced that makes the difference. I really like all the different sauces at different times, but for pulled pork, I emphasize the sweet and smoke a little more. I also like a thicker sauce so it doesn’t soak the bun through immediately. I am going to list some common ingredients I’ve used organized by element. You can use any of these, and really, using them all will contribute to a more complex the flavor. Just keep them balanced. Also, I’ve never written down this recipe before and the brioche recipe hadn’t been used in awhile, so there were lots of surprises, “mistakes” (or opportunities for technique development) and messes this past week. I’ll share them with you so you … Continue reading