Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The best turkey leftovers dish ever - EASY Gumbo
My family is not a leftovers family - that made the Thanksgiving turkey my big challenge. But I took it on with gusto, probably because growing up with my thrift-minded mom imbued me with the idea that throwing out decent food is, in a word, sinful. Now, we had a lot of turkey because this year it was just three of us at the Thanksgiving table (and my 21-month-old daughter Jesse didn't make much of a dent in the bird, anyway). My husband John dutifully ate several turkey wraps that I made extra special by mixing horseradish into the mayo, using some good cheese, and then toasting the whole thing in a panini press, which works great, just tuck in the ends when you roll it.
But the gumbo rocked, so much so that my husband actually even ate some of it as leftovers! And it was easy. Should you still have a bunch of frozen turkey leftovers, or be planning a bird for Christmas, here is the recipe:
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy stock pot on medium high. Add 2 oz spicy bulk sausage (such as chorizo), 1 large diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, 3 ribs diced celery and 2 peeled, diced carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown. Meanwhile, microwave half of a 20 oz bag of frozen okra for 1-2 minutes on high to partially thaw, and slice into chunks. Add the okra to the pot along with one 22 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, cut up, with their liquid (I cut the tomatoes with kitchen shears while they are still in the can - so easy and no mess). Add 1 1/2 teaspoons each dried oregano and dried thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth and lots of turkey,cut in 1/2 inch pieces (3 cups or so, but the recipe is flexible). Simmer uncovered for about an hour, raising the heat in the last 15 minutes to reduce the liquid until the gumbo is very thick and the bottom begins to brown slightly. Add additional salt and pepper if needed and serve.
But the gumbo rocked, so much so that my husband actually even ate some of it as leftovers! And it was easy. Should you still have a bunch of frozen turkey leftovers, or be planning a bird for Christmas, here is the recipe:
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy stock pot on medium high. Add 2 oz spicy bulk sausage (such as chorizo), 1 large diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, 3 ribs diced celery and 2 peeled, diced carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown. Meanwhile, microwave half of a 20 oz bag of frozen okra for 1-2 minutes on high to partially thaw, and slice into chunks. Add the okra to the pot along with one 22 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, cut up, with their liquid (I cut the tomatoes with kitchen shears while they are still in the can - so easy and no mess). Add 1 1/2 teaspoons each dried oregano and dried thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth and lots of turkey,cut in 1/2 inch pieces (3 cups or so, but the recipe is flexible). Simmer uncovered for about an hour, raising the heat in the last 15 minutes to reduce the liquid until the gumbo is very thick and the bottom begins to brown slightly. Add additional salt and pepper if needed and serve.
# posted by Andrea @ 2:10 PM 
