Turkey Croquettes

What do you do with those turkey leftovers? Make croquettes, of course!

Simple and nice and crispy, you'll enjoy the texture and much as the taste. They reheat well in a toaster oven as well. Enjoy!

Turkey Croquettes

Yield: 20-22 croquettes
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, minced
• course salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups finely chopped cooked turkey
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• canola oil

Cooking Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in thyme, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in turkey, then milk, and cook until liquid evaporates, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl, and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
2. Add potatoes, flour, and egg to turkey, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Form 2 tablespoons turkey mixture into balls and drop into a shallow bowl of breadcrumbs, turn to coat, and pat into 2-inch disks. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
4. Heat a very shallow layer (sheen) of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook croquettes in a single layer until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pat tops with more paper towels.

Modified from Martha Stewart.

Salted Thanksgiving Turkey

Definitely the best turkey I've ever made. Salting is so much easier than brining. The result is a bird that is juicy and full of flavor, yet still meaty. Follow this recipe and you will not be disappointed at all. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds), giblets and neck reserved for gravy, if making

5 tablespoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Using a wooden spoon and/or your hand, carefully separate turkey skin from meat on breast, legs, thighs, and back; avoid breaking skin. Rub 1 tablespoon salt evenly inside cavity of turkey, 1 tablespoon salt under skin of each breast half, and 1 teaspoon salt under skin of each leg. Wrap turkey tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate 24 to 48 hours.

2. Remove turkey from refrigerator. Rinse off excess salt between meat and skin and in cavity, then pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Poke holes in the fat deposits in the shoulders and thighs. Rub a mixture of 2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons baking powder over skin.

3. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line large V-rack with heavy-duty foil and use paring knife or skewer to poke 20 to 30 holes in foil. 

4. Tuck tips of drumsticks into skin at tail to secure and tuck wingtips behind back. Brush turkey breast with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set prepared V-rack in roasting pan; set turkey breast side down on V-rack; brush back and legs with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast for 2-2.5 hours until the breast reaches 130 degrees.

5. Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven (close oven door to retain oven heat); increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Using clean potholders or kitchen towels, rotate turkey breast side up; continue to roast until thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 45 minutes longer. Transfer turkey to carving board; let rest 30 minutes. Carve and serve.

Black Turkey (Sort of)

So it's not exactly black, and I'm not entirely sure why, but it worked just the same. This is basically a Thompson Turkey (link at the bottom) minus the complicated meat stuffing extravaganza.

The gist is this: this is fun. The whole family can get involved with this turkey. Every person can baste the paste on the bird for the gazillion times it needs to be done. Constant vigilance!

Bottom line: if you want something very different, if you want the moistest turkey you've ever made yourself, and if you want everyone to have a bit of fun making the main dish, then give this a shot. Disappointed you will not be. Let me know how yours turns out, and if it actually came out black! Enjoy.

Disney's BLT Wrap with Avocado Spread

BLT Wrap with Avocado Spread

Mission Tortilla Factory

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

4 Mission burrito-size flour tortillas
1 ripe avocado -- peeled and pitted
1/4 c. sour cream
1 T. lime juice
1/2 t. hot red pepper sauce -- to taste
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
4 large leaves red leaf lettuce
2 large tomatoes -- cut into 1/4-inch slices
8 slices cooked turkey bacon

Directions

Combine avocado, sour cream, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and a dash of salt. Blend with fork until smooth.

Spread each warmed tortilla with 3 tablespoons of the avocado spread.

Layer with lettuce, tomatoes and bacon. Fold in sides and roll up.

Disney's Thin and Crispy Turkey Pizza

Thin and Crispy Turkey Pizza

Mission Tortilla Factory

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

6 Mission® Soft Taco Size Flour Tortillas
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Oregano
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
3 tsp. Olive Oil
3/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
1/2 cup Turkey diced
1 Green or Red Bell Pepper diced
3/4 cup Tomatoes diced

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl combine basil, oregano and olive oil. Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with the oil mixture.

Sprinkle equal amounts of turkey, green pepper and tomatoes over tortillas. Top each pizza with cheese.

Place directly on rack in middle of oven and bake for 8 minutes until crisp.

Disneyland's Blue Bayou Monte Cristo Sandwich

Blue Bayou, Café Orleans

Disneyland's Blue Bayou Monte Cristo Sandwich

Yield: 1 sandwich
Ingredients

• 1 oz sliced turkey meat
• 1 oz sliced Swiss cheese
• 1 oz sliced ham
• 2 slices white bread

Cooking Directions

1. Make a sandwich using first turkey, then Swiss cheese, then ham.
2. Cut sandwich into quarters. Use toothpicks to hold sandwich together.
3. Dip sandwich in egg batter (below) and fry in 360 degree oil until golden brown.
4. Remove toothpicks and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
5. Serve with whipped raspberry jelly (below).

Batter

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/3 cup water
• 1 egg

Cooking Directions

1. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Add water to beaten egg and add to flour mixture and mix well. Set aside. (Yields 2 c. batter)

Whipped Jelly

Ingredients

• 8 oz apple jelly
• 8 oz raspberry jam
• 8 oz half and half

Cooking Directions

1. Combine apple jelly and raspberry jam in blender at slow speed.
2. Add half and half, and whip in blender at high speed.

Light Turkey and Veggie Pasta in Garlic Olive Oil

This is the first dish I ever learned how to cook on my own. It's a shame that I'm only getting around to it now, though it has been a while since I made it last.

I was just starting out in the working world, going to college, and having to fend for myself out in the world. Luckily, I worked for a family friend at a small business, and she took time out of her day one afternoon to teach me how to make one the simplest pasta dishes she knew (but also something that could impress the ladies, if I remember her reasons correctly).

So this dish was thrown together in front of me in under 15 minutes. I was so shocked! Not only because it was so delicious, but because it looked great too. It's very light but packs a lot of flavor. A couple ingredients can, and have, been changed over the years (like turkey and sometimes the veggies), but the core of it remains the same.

I must stress one thing here: you MUST get freshly grated parmesan for this. It makes all the difference. Enjoy!

Mixing Bowls

As a featured publisher for Foodbuzz I check out the Daily Specials from time to time. Today, the daily special is a set of stainless-steel mixing bowls. Look, Ma, it even has an easy-grip rim.

Need it? No way! But is it awesome? Totally!

I have my own metal mixing bowl that I use quite often. It just gets the job done better sometimes (as used with the Loco Moco - Turkey Style, Healthy Zabaione, Smashed Potatoes with Garlic, and Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies).

Loco Moco - Turkey Style

If you've been to Hawaii, you've had a loco moco. It's practically a national dish or something. Along with kalua pork and poi and SPAM! You can't forget about the spam there. I might need to make a spam musubi now...

Wow that egg did NOT want to stay on at all, whatsoever.

Back on topic! Focus! Our loco moco here is slightly different - it's made of ground turkey instead of beef - like we like to do around here (a la Grilled Hot Turkey Patties and Turkey Meatball Subs). Actually, this patty is made the same way as before. The patty is then placed on steamed white rice, smothered in a bit of gravy, and topped off with a poached egg for good measure.

We added asparagus to the side because, uh, I love veggies! Everything was delicious. Enjoy!

Turkey Meatball Subs

Mmm haul. That's what I have to say to these subs. Mmm haul.

Use the same recipe as the Grilled Hot Turkey Patties minus a couple ingredients (don't worry, the meatball recipe is below) and bake instead. They're so light and juicy - not too juicy that they ruin the toasted bun either. I'm not a fan of really dense meatballs because I feel like a coronary is coming on after only one or two, so these were perfect.

Tip: a trick to increasing the amount of ground meat you use for any recipe is to add mushrooms. This will add a lot of volume without altering the flavor, allowing for increased juiciness as well!

The sauce is from our Basic Pasta Sauce dressed up with some garlic powder, oregano, and crushed red pepper. I didn't want to over-season the sauce since I was hoping the flavors of the meatballs would stand out. Read on for instructions on how to prepare your own Turkey Meatball Sub. Enjoy!

Grilled Hot Turkey Patties

When you make so much Asparagus Risotto that you have 3 meals worth, yet you've eaten up the other sides (aka the salmon) that originally went with it, you run into the problem - or opportunity - of what else to eat with it. This was our problortunity the other night.

Since the risotto is on the creamier, less salty side, we turned our attention to spices and seasonings. But which to use? How about all of them! Seriously, we used every seasoning we had except for garlic powder. Don't worry though (I know you were getting worried) because they're used in such small amounts that it makes it flavorful without being like "OMG, are you trying to kill me?"

I really hope you enjoy this as much as we did (even though it came out drier than expected) because I made this up just off the top of my head without any help from our dear friend the internet. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

At last we have a crock pot recipe! My family made this, oh, a few months ago now, and sadly, there are no pristine pictures of the fine goop that came out. It was hearty, healthy, and heavenly. I mean it doesn't get much easier than a crock pot, crockery, or slow cooker, right?

The beauty of this recipe is that it's very flexible. Add a ton of beans...or not. Mix it up! I just want to make one warning though - the "jar of tomatoes" should really be a jar and not a can. Canned tomatoes contain bisphenol-A, "a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity." Here you can find a few other common foods to avoid and why. Just an fyi for all of us. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

Total time: 5-8 hours
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 onion
• 2-3 kinds of beans
• 1 large jar (28-32 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes
• 2-3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt/pepper
• 1 medium jar (12-14 oz) tomato paste/sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• green chilies
• 1-2 cups corn
• 1/2 teaspoon various other seasonings, optional

Cooking Directions

1. Chop onion and cook with ground turkey in pan with olive oil.
2. Drain fat from turkey and onion and add to crock pot.
3. Mix everything else in crock pot (optional to mash some of the beans to make thicker chili).
4. Cook on low for 5-8 hours (crock pots vary).