Today’s International Idea is sure to become a leftover fiesta favorite. This is a new take on how to use up both turkey and cranberry sauce. In this case we are using the cranberry jelly that comes from a can, but any extra cranberry sauce will work.
Turkey Enchiladas
Ingredients
Turkey Meat (white or dark) – 2 cups
Chili Powder – 1 tsp.
Cumin – 1 tsp.
Salt – to taste
Lime Juice – ½ – 1 lime – to taste
Olive Oil – 1-2 tsp.
Corn Tortillas -12
Monterey or Pepper Jack Cheese – 4-8 oz. shredded (optional)
Cranberry Tomatillo Salsa – 2 cups or as needed (recipe follows)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
Toss together turkey, chili powder, cumin, salt, lime juice and olive oil.
Heat corn tortillas until they are pliable.
Spread about 2 tbs. of turkey on the bottom half of the tortilla. If using cheese sprinkle about 1 tsp. over the turkey mixture.
Roll up the tortilla and place fold side down in baking dish. Continue until all tortillas are filled and rolled.
Spoon salsa over the top to lightly cover the enchiladas.
Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
Serve with remaining salsa.
Note: If you love cheese, feel free to sprinkle some extra over the whole thing before you bake the enchiladas.
Cranberry Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
Tomatillos – 1½ pounds
Red Onion – ½ of small onion
Garlic Cloves – 2
Serrano or Jalapenos – 2
Jellied Cranberry Sauce – ½ – 15 oz. can (or more to taste)
Lime Juice – 1 lime or to taste
Cilantro – 1 handful
Salt – to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a sheet tray with cooking spray.
Remove husks from tomatillos, rinse and cut in half. Peel and cut onion in half.
On sheet tray place tomatillos, onion, garlic cloves, and serranos or jalapenos. Spray lightly with cooking spray or drizzle with oil.
Roast until tomatillos are softened.
Peel garlic gloves and remove stem and seeds from chiles.
In a food processor, puree roasted veggies with cranberry sauce, lime juice, cilantro, and salt until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings.
All you need is love…
Well actually all you really need are carrots, celery, onions, and a few other things to create delicious meals on a regular basis. You know how I feel about ingredients. They are affordable and enable you to prepare your own healthy meals whenever you please. I’ll give you two lists of things that you should keep on hand to make delectable dishes and a couple of easy peasy recipes to prove it.
Fresh Ingredients
Carrots
Onion
Celery
Bell Peppers
Garlic
Chilies (jalapeno, Serrano, etc.)
Cilantro (or any fresh herb you use on a regular basis)
Pantry Ingredients
Rice
Beans (at least 2 or 3 kinds)
Stock/Broth (I like vegetable, but chicken or beef work too)
Canned tomatoes (diced, pureed, whole)
Oils
Vinegars
Tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
I’m working under the assumption that you have salt, pepper, and sugar (or some kind of sweetener) on hand already.
Let me explain my rationale for these choices. There are certain bases that you can create for any number of dishes. I’m all about that base, ‘bout that base. Sorry I couldn’t resist. Here are some examples.
Mirepoix is a classic French combination of diced carrots, celery, and onions. It’s usually one part carrots, one part celery, two parts onion. For example, it would be ¼ cup of carrots, ¼ cup of celery, ½ cup onions. It’s a great start for soups and stews.
Trinity is classic in New Orleans cooking. It’s a combination of diced celery, onions, and bell peppers. I’m pretty sure you can’t make gumbo without it, although I’m not a gumbo expert.
Sofrito is a Latin base that is much more flexible in it’s ingredient list, but could include any or all of the following: onions, bell peppers, chilis, garlic, cilantro. The list goes on. There are as many variations as there are cooks.
Here is a short list of meals you can create with the ingredients listed above and, as promised, recipes follow. There are also links to recipes that I have provided previously on this site.
Vegetable Soup Lentil Soup Black Beans and Rice Vegetarian Chili Veggie Stir Fry Fried Rice Stuffed Peppers Quick Refrigerator Pickles
Vegetable Soup (Vegan)
1 quart vegetable stock
2 cups water
1-15oz. can diced tomatoes with it’s liquid
2-3 carrots, sliced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
¼ to ½ cup onion, diced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer until vegetables are cooked through. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Note: Add any additional vegetables that you have on hand. This is a great way to use up leftover veggies. Just don’t cook them for as long as the raw ones. Feel free to add any herbs and spices that you like as well. You can even add some beans to bump up the protein and make the soup a more complete meal.
Variations
Gringa Style: Add 1 tsp. each of cumin and chili powder as well as ½ cup each of sliced zucchini and corn kernels. To finish, add some chopped cilantro. Some cooked black or pink beans would also be a delicious addition. (add approximately ½ cups of beans or more to your liking)
Italiano Style: Add 1 tsp. (or more to taste) of each dried basil and dried parsley. Add up to 1 cup zucchini and/or summer squash as well as some cooked white or garbanzo beans. (add approximately ½ cup of beans or more to your liking)
Stuffed Peppers (Vegan)
2 – 4 bell peppers (any color you like) Leftover Black Beans and Rice Tomato Sauce, at least 2 cups
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bell peppers in half. Remove stems and seeds. Stuff with leftover Black Beans and Rice. Place peppers in baking dish. Cover with tomato sauce. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until peppers are cooked and everything is heated through.
Note: If you really want to be efficient and save yourself another night of cooking, prep the peppers on the same night that you prepare the Black Beans and Rice. Double the recipe, if necessary. Set everything up in a baking dish, cover and refrigerate (or freeze). On a night when you don’t have time to cook, pop the baking dish in a 350 degree oven and cook through.
½ lb. of dried black beans (soaked and cooked)
or 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 chili, diced (I like serrano, but jalapeno would definitely work)
1 clove garlic, diced
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
½ can water
Cooked Rice (start with 2 cups, uncooked and then cook any way you like)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful of cilantro, rinsed and chopped
Saute onion and pepper until softened, then add chili and garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomato sauce and then ½ can of water. Simmer for a few minutes and then add beans and rice. Stir until combined and heated through. Season as you go with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Serves 4 as a generous main course and 6 – 8 as a side.
Note: You don’t have to combine the rice and beans in one pot. You can keep them separate and serve them that way. I just really like it this way.
Leftover Tip
This also makes an awesome burrito filling with some salsa or guacamole.
It only seems right that my first recipe on RealishFood.com should be for a relish of sorts. I’m going to give you the key to making any Latin style dip a winner every time. For as long as I can remember, I have loved Latin food. Having lived my entire life in both the NYC Metro Area and California was probably a major contributor to this outcome. I grew up in a very diverse town, with a large immigrant population that included Columbians, Peruvians, Cubans, Equadorians, Puerto Ricans, etc. You get the picture. In school, I heard just as many people speaking Spanish as English. Then I moved to San Francisco, where I became well versed in Mexican Cuisine – you know the kind that was actually cooked by Mexicans as it is cooked in Mexico, not as cooked by a teenage line cook in a chain restaurant according to the corporate manual written by gringos. I almost always have rice and beans in the fridge for a quick meal. I have plantains on hand as I write this. I also use cilantro more than all other fresh herbs combined. That wouldn’t seem like a big deal, except that I’m a Gringa. I take no offense to that label. I embrace it.
Below, I’m going to give you my recipe for Gringa Mix and a few salsas and dips that you can build from it. Make a big batch and you can knock out three dips in not much more time than it would normally take to make one.
I want to caution you that the measurements I provide are approximate. I’m not a big fan of measuring. What I want you to learn is the technique and the flavor profile. In this case the flavor profile is basically chiles, citrus, cilantro. Then you can adjust as you go. Add garlic if you like. Cut the chiles if you can’t take the heat. If you don’t like pineapple, use mango. Jump in and give it a try.
Warning: If you accomplish this method, you will be responsible for making dips for all future parties to which you are invited. Or you could just send your friends to RealishFood.com and they can learn for themselves.
Gringa Mix
Red onion – 1 quarter medium sized
Cilantro – ¼ to ½ bunch
Serrano or chili of your choice – diced
Lime – 1 or 2 or more depending on how juicy they are
By hand: Finely dice first 4 ingredients. Add lime juice to taste. Combine in a bowl. Use as a base for salsas, pico de gallo, quacamole, etc.
Food processor method: Peel and quarter onion. Remove stems and halve chiles and remove seeds and ribs for a milder heat. Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until all ingredients are combined.
Use as a base for salsa, pico de gallo, quacamole, etc.
These are approximate measurements. You should adjust ingredients according to taste.
This recipe is good for 1 – 2 avocados, ¼ pineapple, 2 or 3 small tomatoes, or 1-14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes.
Start with this…
Turn it into this..
Tomato Salsa
1 -14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
Gringa Mix – to taste
Salt – to taste
Strain tomatoes and reserve the juice. Puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add salt to taste. Add reserved liquid as needed. Adjust ingredients to taste.
Tomato Pico de Gallo
2-3 small tomatoes – diced
Gringa Mix – to taste
Salt – to taste
Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Adjust ingredients to taste.
Add tomatoes to get this.
Pineapple Pico de Gallo
¼ pineapple diced
Gringa Mix – to taste
Salt – to taste
Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Adjust ingredients to taste.
Alternate – Pineapple Salsa – toss all ingredients in a food processor or blender for a smoother consistency.
Add chopped pineapple to get this.
Guacamole
1-2 ripe avocadoes
Gringa Mix – to taste
Salt – to taste
Hot sauce – to taste
Mash up avocado. Add ingredients and stir to combine. Adjust ingredients to taste
RealishFood 