Leftover Turkey & Rice Soup

Every Thanksgiving I am so happy to make lots of stock with my turkey carcass. I always wind up with some extra turkey meat from the process, which I love to use in this soup. This is a sort of "throw it together" type of soup, so if you find you prefer more or less of any ingredient, go for it until you find exactly what you like best!

Turkey and Green Beans

This is a great recipe for leftover turkey. It is reminscent of green bean cassarole and is a real comfort food-- perfect for cooler weather. It is also extremely easy (if you make it using up leftovers) and very delicious! You can serve over brown rice.

About 2 cups cooked turkey (or chicken)
About 1 to 2 cups home made cream of mushroom soup
About 1 cup green beans
About 1/3 cup stock or leftover gravy (optional)
About half one medium onion, sliced
1 tsp tarragon
Sea salt & pepper to taste (I like to go heavy on the pepper in this recipe)
Olive oil

In a large saute pan, saute the cooked turkey and green beans in a little olive oil for about five minutes (over medium heat). In the mean time, in a small saute pan, brown the onions in a little olive oil over medium heat. Add cream of mushroom soup and season with salt, pepper, and tarragon. If adding the stock or gravy, do so now.

Simmer on low about ten minutes or so until green beans are cooked through. Serve with onions on top. You can serve this over brown rice, delicious.

Comments: The "gravy" ingredient is included as optional because you may have leftover gravy from your original turkey dinner that you would like to use up, and it adds to the overall heartiness of this recipe. However, it is not necessary for a delicious dish, and can easily be excluded. My husband loves the traditional green bean cassarole from his childhood and I made this with those flavors in mind.

You should know that I agonized over a name for this recipe and could not come up with anything better than Turkey and Green Beans!

**By the way, I am so frustrated with how unappetizing this picture turned out, because this was so very good and the picture does not do it justice.

Stock (made from a Chicken or Turkey Carcass)

Ingredients:
1 turkey or chicken carcass (farm raised, free-range is the best)
Various vegetables (an onion, 2-3 stalks celery, 2-3 carrots, leeks, garlic, parsley, etc.)***
About 2-3 tbsp vinegar
2 - 3 dried bay leaves, if you have it
1 tbsp peppercorns, if you have it
Water to cover, filtered is best

How To:
1. Place carcass in a large stock pot with any other ingredients. Fill pot with filtered water until the carcass is covered or mostly covered and add your vinegar. If it's sticking out a little, you'll be able to push it down into the pot after it's cooked a bit. You don't want to add too much water (ratio of 3-4 lbs bones per 4 quarts water).

2. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce heat to low and simmer. If the stock is simmered at too high of a heat, the heat will break down the collagen and your stock won't gel. You should not lose much water during this cooking process, so if you start to see that you're losing a lot of water, you have the heat too high.

3. Simmer for 6-24 hours, the longer the better. If scum or foam rises to the top, simply skim it off with a spoon. When done, strain or remove meat and bones with a slotted spoon. Refrigerate and cool until broth forms a gel, then freeze for future use.

Comments:
***I like to use "trimmings" to fill my stock pot-- simply save carrot tops, celery tops, the green parts of leeks, etc. in the freezer and then when you are ready to make your stock, add these items to your pot with the carcass. You can pick through the meat you've strained away from the broth and use for any recipes requiring cooked meat (like this pot pie recipe from Mrs. Scratch.Love). Save in the refrigerator or use immediately. This meat is also perfect for Turkey and Green Beans, Fajitas, Tortilla Soup, Chicken and Stuffing Bake, and/ or Black Bean Enchilada Cassarole.

When I make a carcass stock, I can't help but think of my grandma who makes a carcass turkey soup after every Thanksgiving. So, I usually reserve at least a portion of my stock, most or all of the meat I've gotten off the carcass, and I add a few vegetables, small quinoa pasta, brown rice, etc. and make a hearty, nutritious soup (try this Turkey Noodle Soup).

Stock is one of the most rewarding things you can make because there is a wonderful satisfaction in using up every bit of the animal and the health benefits of stock are numerous. When picking through the meat, be careful to watch for little bones that you will not want to end up in your soup, or elsewhere.

Here is a great resource for troubleshooting tips from the Healthy Home Economist.

Please visit the following links for additional information about stock.

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/broth-is-beautiful

http://nourishedkitchen.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6003338&prev_term=broth

Chicken and Stuffing Bake

This recipe is from my new favorite blog - the Joy of Clean Eating. I was looking for a way to use up leftover cooked chicken and found this Chicken and Stuffing Bake, which I modified only slightly.

About 0.75 to 1 pound cooked chicken (or turkey), cubed
2 cups cream of mushroom soup (NOT THE CANNED KIND, click link)
4 to 6 ounces swiss or gruyere cheese, shredded
6 slices whole grain bread, I use Ezekial brand, cubed
2 T organic butter from grass-fed cows, moo
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp salt free poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1 cup broth (chicken or vegetarian)
A little olive oil (about 2 T)

First toast your cubed bread (in oven on a baking dish at 300 for 20-25 minutes or in a toaster oven, your preference). When done, you'll want to change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, in a large skillet saute celery and onion in the olive oil and butter. When onion is clear, about five minutes, add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the broth, boil, then reduce heat and simmer about a minute or two. Turn off the heat and fold in the bread cubes.

In a 9x13 dish, layer chicken then sprinkle cheese then pour the soup and then spoon the "stuffing" over top and spread evenly. Cover with foil and bake uncovered 15-20 minutes.

Comments: This serves about four to six and if you had leftover turkey or chicken and cream of mushroom soup already made and frozen in the refrigerator, this would be a super easy, super fast dish. As it is, with all the cutting and chopping I think this took me an hour to make, plus cook time, but I also made the cream of mushroom soup too. This serves four to six and we all really liked it, especially my husband. My brother in law was over and ate with us and he said he liked it too. It is a nice, warm comfort food.