RICHMOND —
Now that the holiday has past, most of us still have some of it lingering in our refrigerators. I wanted to talk to you for just a moment about the dangers of leftovers. Make sure that the leftovers you chill and store carefully are reheated to prevent food poisoning. Small portions such as vegetables, soups, sauces and casseroles do best heated in the microwave. Larger items such as meats and casseroles do best heated in an oven at 350 degrees. If you heat any item on the top of the stove, make sure that it reaches 160 degrees. I have experienced food poisoning twice in my lifetime. Chili was my enemy. The center of the chili was not cooled down properly. I recommend that you purchased a kitchen thermometer just to be on the safe side.
Speaking of leftovers, I will give you some that folks have passed on to me that really are sometimes better than the first time around.
Turkey Tetrazzini with Vegetables
Ingredients:
1/2 of a box of uncooked pasta (use any type that your family enjoys. I like to use the noodle type)
1 small zucchini shredded (about a cup)
1/2 of a carrot, peeled and shredded (about 1/2 cup)
1 small onion chopped
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup low fat milk
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 cup of low fat sour cream
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 pound of leftover turkey (depends on how much is leftover in your house)
Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Add the zucchini and carrot for the last two minutes of the cooking time. Drain well.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook till transparent. Stir in the soup, milk, sour cream, cheese, turkey and pasta. Mix well in the saucepan. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally.
This recipe is a great one to use as an introduction to vegetables into your daily meals. We are encouraged to eat 5-8 fruits and vegetables daily.
I have to tell you a story about my youngest brother and leftover turkey. One Thanksgiving, many moons ago at my aunts home in West Texas, he had a starving moment for a turkey sandwich. I was the only one in the kitchen and he kept yelling from the back yard to fix him a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayo on it. I finally had enough of this demanding teenager so I fixed him a sandwich, only my Aunt had some green paper napkins and I shredded it to look like lettuce. He ate the whole thing without even noticing my art work.
Cranberry sauce is another item one sometimes has bought too many cans of for the holiday. Hope you enjoy this one as it really is a dessert to me.
Cherry, Cherry Cranberry Salad
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
2 packages (3 oz each) cherry gelatin-I use the sugar free
2 cups of boiling water
1 can (16 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans)
Directions:
Mix the unflavored gelatin and cold water. Let set till thick.
Add the cherry gelatin and boiling water and stir till dissolved. Stir in the cranberry sauce pineapple, celery and nuts.
Pour into a dish and refrigerate until set.
A long time ago I was a student in the baking department at EKU's food service. Mrs. Cobb was the baker that could pull off miracles with leftovers. Yes, food establishments do use leftovers. She would take a any cake that we did not cut up for the serving lines, slice it and put vanilla pudding that had drained peaches mixed in, then put the top back on the cake, cut and serve. This was such a great idea to put moisture back into the cake. I really do miss her wisdom I understand she has retired but I bet she still is baking.
The Madison County Home Extension Baking Club meets Nov. 29 at the extension office. Pete Kensicki will be teaching his "Rustic Hearth Bread" at 6 p.m. Hope you can attend. When he tells you to spray the bread while it is baking he does not mean the door window as well. Mine somehow broke. I wonder if the 450 degree oven had anything to do with it breaking.
Before I leave, I want to give you my new email address. It is amorris410303@gmail.com. I would love for you to send me recipes that epically have been passed down through your family for me to share with others.
If you see Billy Wagers, tell him the name of my column is Table Talk not Table Scraps. But maybe his idea might sound better.
Arritta Morris has a bachelor's degree in nutrition from Eastern Kentucky University and a master's degree in counseling. She is certified as a food service specialist by the School Nutrition Association.
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