Meal Of The Month: Turkey Left Over Ideas from Funky to Fancy

FUNKY: Turkey Spring Rolls

(Thank You Ree Drummond from the Food Network for the recipe)

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded leftover Thanksgiving turkey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hot chile oil
1 package cellophane noodles
Eight 8 1/2-inch rice paper wrappers
3 leaves green-leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 carrot, cut into julienne
1 cucumber, cut into julienne
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Dipping Sauce:
1 cup leftover cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Hot chile oil

Directions
Place the turkey in a bowl and drizzle in the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and the hot chili oil. Stir to combine and give it a taste. If you'd like a stronger flavor, add a little more of any of the ingredients.

Next, place the cellophane noodles in a large bowl. Cover them with boiling water and let them sit according to the package directions.

When they are tender but still have a nice bite, drain and set the noodles aside.

Soften the rice paper wrappers by placing them one by one into a bowl of warm water and taking them out when they're soft but still hold together.

To assemble each spring roll, lay a wrapper on a plate. Lay a small line of noodles in the center. Add a small amount of lettuce, turkey, alfalfa sprouts, a few carrot and cucumber strips, and top with a sprinkling of cilantro.

Fold in the sides of the wrappers and roll it into a tight roll. Repeat to make the rest of the rolls.

For the dipping sauce: Combine the cranberry sauce, soy sauce and a few dashed chile oil.

Dip the rolls into the sauce and dig in! Best if eaten within 1 hour of preparing.

Food Network

Ree Drummond

FANCY: Leftover Turkey Pate

Ingredients:

• 14oz cold cooked turkey
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3oz butter
• 4 tablespoons single cream (or light cream)
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• chopped parsley
• salt and black pepper
• lemon (as a garnish)

• Directions

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and fry until transparent.
  2. Remove pan from the heat and add the turkey meat.
  3. Place the mixture in a food processor and finely chop.
  4. Add the cream and sherry and beat until it is a smooth consistency.
  5. Place the mixture into a serving dish or individual ramekins and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
  6. To serve, sprinkle with chopped parsley and place a lemon slice twist on top.
  UK/Ireland All Recipes
• 
  
• Celebrate Food Tip:
• For this recipe, you can place some of your leftover, cooked turkey in the freezer to have on hand in case you have unexpected holiday company or if you have to bring something to a soiree!
• 

Thanksgiving Tablescape Extravaganza!

First, start off by collecting a supply of interesting fall bounty from Mother Nature like acorns, tiny pine cones, and dried leaves.  Add to this collection by picking up walnuts, gourds, corn husks, etc from your local grocery store. Next, spray paint everything metallic gold or if you have a specific color story whatever fits!  With these supplies you can make any of the following:

• Napkin Rings: Glue acorns and leaves onto a small branch and affix a satin ribbon is a dot of hot glue.  You could also glue two acorns onto each end of a length of ribbon and tie into a casual bow.  You could affix star-anise (found in the spice aisle of your local grocery store) to lengths of ribbon as well.  These ideas are especially festive if your fold your napkin into a cornucopia/cone shape!
• Place Cards: Tie a ribbon with a name "tag" onto a gilded gourd or mini pumpkin stem.  Take a fresh pomegranate (you don't have to gild this one) and pin a leaf shaped name tag to the fruit.  Take your gilded walnuts and wedge flag/pennant shaped card stock name tags into the seam between the shells.  Write the names in script for an extra fancy look. 
• Trivia Turkey Place Cards:  Find a turkey pattern online.  Cut out the appropriate number for your expected guests from card stock.  Create a base by making a one inch cut into the bottom of the turkey cut outs and slip a corresponding cross piece into it.  This will create your traditional cross bar base.  Next create feathers by cutting colorful card stock with pinking shears and on each card write a Thanksgiving trivia question.  You can write the answers on the back side of each feather.   Affix card stock "feathers" to the turkey bodies with a brass paper fastener.  

Use any of your leftover gilding supplies to scatter around your table or group together on other surfaces such as your side board or entry table.

Try making these other festively fall table decor items!

• Basket of Small White Gourds with Gold Stems: Wrap each stem in painters tape and spray paint the gourds white (or any color really).  Next remove the tape, and hand paint the stems metallic gold.  Arrange in a cornucopia, a rustic wooden bowl, or woven basket (turn it on it's side and "spill" the gourds out for a creative touch).
• The Modern Approach to Painted Small Gourds/Pumpkins:  Wrap the stems of your gourds or mini pumpkins in painters tape and spray the surface in an array of matte colors.  You can go primary and bold or stick with modern takes on fall colors.  You can stack these colorful beauties in a glass cylinder.  You can also arrange them in a free standing tower.  First, collect 4-5 gourds or pumpkin  in progressively larger sizes.  Next, remove all the stems of the gourds except the smallest which will serve as the top of your tower.  Make sure the base gourd/pumpkin is flat bottomed to ensure your creation is steady.  Take a wooden skewer and press it through the center of the largest gourd, slide the next largest onto the skewer, and so on.  Finish with the smallest gourd/pumpkin with the stem intact on top.  You can make these in varied heights and cluster them in modern trios.
• Sheaf of Wheat:  Gather approximately 100 stalks of dried wheat (This can be found at your local craft store).  Place a piece of floral wire down first onto your work table.  Next, place your bundle of wheat on top of the wire making sure the wire falls towards the top but below the grain pods.  Tap the top of the wheat pods gently to ensure they are even.  Next, secure the wire around the bundle.  Stand the bundle upright and begin to spread and turn the stems until you have a comfortably large base.  Tie a beautiful satin ribbon over the wire and let it drape along the stems. 
• Gilded Turkeys:  Buy wooden or resin turkeys and spray paint with metallic gold paint.
• Squash Gourd Candles: You can use things like acorn squash or other small round (like acorn) gourds.  Next, cut the top off of these gourds and then scoop out as much of the meat and seeds as possible.  You can use a melon-baller or sturdy spoon to achieve this.  Keep the inside smooth and follow the contours of the gourd because this will become your candle mold.  Next, melt old candles or wax with crayons for color and pour this into your gourd molds.  Sink a wick into the candles and drape excess wick over a knife or skewer placed across the opening of the gourd.  This will keep the wick centered.  Candle wicks can be purchased at your local craft store.    Let the wax harden completely (this may take several hours) and then break away the gourd mold.

 

::LAST MINUTE THANKSGIVING TIPS::

Hello Loyal Readers!

We've missed you over the last couple of weeks!  We have been super busy at the lab with the holidays approaching.  Look for some great December content coming soon!  Below we have included some super handy "last minute" tips from some of our favorite sources!  May you all have a safe and joyful holiday!


BURLINGTON FREE PRESS

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20121121/LIVING06/311210008/Vermonters-offer-last-minute-tips-recipes-those-cooking-Thanksgiving?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp&nclick_check=1

REAL SIMPLE MAGAZINE:

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/thanksgiving/how-to-fix-10-common-thanksgiving-problems-10000001549093/index.html?xid=rs-weeklynews-11-21-2012&nlwt

Cheers!
The CELEBRATE Staff!!!

Expecting People to Arrive Fashionably Late? Have a Cocktail or Two!

Does Aunt Ethel always arrive late to Thanksgiving dinner? Accommodate for late arrivals by planning a cocktail hour. It will give you and your guests a chance to relax before the big feast! Try our festive cocktail, The Celestial Fizz.

We can't take all the credit for this one. We thank Craig Cooper from Chicago!

Celestial Fizz Cocktail

Combine 1.5 ounces cognac, 1/4 ounce good orange liqueur (like Grand Marnier), and because it's Thanksgiving 1 ounce of 100% pure cranberry juice (not cocktail). Top with champagne and garnish with a cranberry baton.

To make a cranberry baton, simply skewer several fresh cranberries onto long toothpicks or skewers. For a festive baton, alternate white and red cranberries!