Holiday Leftovers Recipes

  • September 09, 2020
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Now that the hectic Christmas/New Year holidays are behind us, we move into the Carnival season. Like we need to eat and drink more! I stashed in the freezer a couple of ham bones and turkey carcasses left over from the Christmas and New Year's feasts and I'm putting aside an entire day to preparing red beans and rice, and turkey bone gumbo for parade-watching parties. It's also time to put in my order for several King Cakes. Let the parties begin! Depending on my mood and time restrictions, I have two red bean recipes I turn to. The first one is my mother's recipe that takes the better part of a day to put together, and the other is one I do when time is short. You can choose the one you like better.  

RED BEANS, MAMA'S WAY

Makes about 20 servings 1/4 cup bacon drippings 3 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions 2 cups chopped green bell peppers 1 1/2 cups chopped celery 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 pound cooked, cubed ham 1 pound smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices 1/2 pound salt pork, chopped 2 pounds dried red kidney beans (preferably Camellia Breand), picked over and rinsed in cool water Water or chicken broth Salt, cayenne and freshly ground black pepper to taste 3/4 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried basil 4 bay leaves Chopped green onions for garnish Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish Heat the bacon drippings in a large, heavy pot (or Dutch oven), over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and celery and cook, stirring, until they are lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for three minutes. Add the ham, sausage and salt pork. Cook for five minutes. Add the beans and add enough water or chicken broth to cover. Season with salt, cayenne and black pepper. Add the thyme, basil and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, partially covered, for about two hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beans are tender and the mixture is creamy. Add more water or broth if the mixture becomes dry. If you like the beans to be creamier, puree about one-third of the beans in a food processor, in batches, and return to the pot. Cook for another 30 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve hot, garnished with green onions and parsley, over rice.  

QUICK RED BEANS

Makes 10 to 12 servings 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1⁄2 cups chopped onions 1⁄2 cup chopped green bell peppers 2 teaspoons chopped garlic 1⁄2 pound diced boiled ham 1⁄2 pound smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1⁄4-inch slices 2 (16-ounce) cans Blue Runner Creole Cream Style Red Beans 2 (16-ounce) cans Blue Runner New Orleans Red Beans Spicy Cream Style 1⁄2 cup chicken broth, or more if needed Salt and cayenne to taste Hot cooked rice Minced green onions (for garnish) Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic, and cook, stirring, until they are soft and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ham and sausage and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans and broth, and bring to a boil. Season to taste and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1 hour. Serve over rice and garnish with the green onions. On to the turkey bone gumbo. About fifteen years ago, a friend told me about his tradition he began on the day after Thanksgiving. He kept the turkey carcasses from his holiday meal and also went around to his friends and asked them to donate their carcasses with which he made a cauldron on gumbo to enjoy the weekend after Turkey Day. Here is his story and his recipe. He saved all the turkey meat that was left over and stored it in the refrigerator, warning his wife to stay away from it. The carcasses were kept chilled in two large ice chests. The next day he got out his large seafood boiling pot along with a large inner basket that fits inside. "I cracked all the bones and threw everything into the pot along with all the pan drippings and gravy that was left over as well. Then I added enough water to cover the bones and made a large bouquet garni. In the bag, I put some fresh herbs and lots, and I mean lots, of whole black peppercorns. I put that in with several quartered onions, celery ribs and turned on the butane burner and let all that bubble for the better part of the day." It was simple enough to strain. He merely lifted out the inner basket containing the bones and vegetables, and inside the pot was a wonderful, thick, reduced, flavorful stock. "Marcelle, I tell you, that was one heck of a stock. It was absolutely gorgeous! I could have served it as is, but I made a traditional gumbo with a roux and used the stock to make the gumbo. Of course, I added the leftover turkey meat as well. You can also add sausage, but it had a fantastic flavor without it. Man, was it fabulous!" He invited his buddies over for supper and a card game. And thus a new tradition was born! Now every Friday after Thanksgiving, he goes around collecting the turkey carcasses from family members and friends and puts his pot on to boil, and of course the guys continue to come over for turkey bone gumbo and a card game. Oh, Ronnie says that it's a must to have potato salad, baked sweet potatoes, rice (of course), and lots of French bread to go along with the gumbo. Now you have yet another idea for all that leftover turkey! We cut his recipe down to make a smaller gumbo.

TURKEY BONE GUMBO

Makes 8 to 10 servings 3/4 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups chopped onions 1 cup chopped bell peppers 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 pound smoked sausage, chopped (optional) 1/2 gallon turkey broth (recipe follows) 1 1/2 pounds turkey meat, chopped, plus any reserved meat from the carcass in thebroth Reserved onions and celery from broth 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 tablespoons chopped green onions In a large cast-iron pot or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, combine the oil and flour. Stirring constantly and slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the turkey meat, the reserved onions and celery and cook for 15 minutes. Add the parsley and green onions. Serve in soup bowls with steamed rice.  

TURKEY BROTH

Makes about 1/2 gallon 1 turkey carcass 3 ribs celery, cut into 4-inch pieces 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered 1 gallon of water, or enough water to cover the carcass 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 4 bay leaves Place the carcass in a large stockpot. Add the celery, onions, water, salt, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. Remove from heat. Skim any oil that has risen to the surface. Strain through a large fine-mesh sieve. Reserve any meat that has fallen off the bones and pick off any meat that may still remain on the carcass. Reserve the onions and celery.  

POTATO SALAD WITH GARLIC MAYO

Makes about 8 servings 3 to 4 pounds small boiling potatoes 3 garlic cloves, minced and mashed with 1 teaspoon salt 3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or more, to taste) 1/2 teaspoon Creole mustard 1/3 cup chopped green onions Salt and freshly ground black pepper Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until just tender. Drain and cool. In a large bowl, combine the garlic paste, lemon juice, mayonnaise and Creole mustard. Whisk to blend well. When the potatoes are cool, peel and cut in half. Add the potatoes and the green onions to the mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and black pepper. Sweet potatoes are great to serve with gumbo. In some parts of south Louisiana, the locals put the sweet potato in their gumbo! Try it, you might like it.They are also so easy to bake. Start with a washed potato. There is no need to oil or butter the skin and do not prick the potato with a fork. Cook the potatoes whole, not cut in half. Bake with their skins on at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Check for doneness by squeezing the potato. Sweet potatoes do not cook properly in a microwave.

holiday leftovers

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