A Fork In Each Hand

Turkey and Potato Soup with Canadian Bacon

I hosted my first Thanksgiving ever last week and as a result ended up with plenty of leftovers in my fridge. My plan for this week is to take advantage of those leftovers and make some new meals with them. This first leftover recipe I made is Turkey and Potato Soup with Canadian Bacon. I just happened to have turkey Canadian bacon in my fridge after finding it in my local Whole Foods last week and it worked perfectly in this dish. The recipe calls for baking potatoes but I threw in the leftover prepared mashed potatoes I had which melted into this soup deliciously. This is a warm, creamy, hearty soup that somehow sucks me right back to my childhood. And that is a compliment.

Thanksgiving leftovers used: turkey, mashed potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, broth, sage

The ingredients:

In a saucepan, sauté onion, celery, carrot, and Canadian bacon in canola oil until soft.

Add in broth, mashed potatoes, turkey, and sage. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Prepared mashed potatoes for baking potatoes

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktails

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Yesterday I made special Turkey Day cocktails which celebrated some of autumn’s delicious flavors. These Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktails contain pear nectar, sparkling apple cider, seltzer water, and a little bit of bourbon. I poured myself one of these early Thanksgiving morning and enjoyed it’s refreshingly light taste. I gave this cocktail to my family who all agreed that this would be ideal for a brunch (we drank the whole pitcher before noon!). I love the flavor of the pear in this drink but if you can’t find pear nectar (I searched three grocery stores before I finally found it tucked away in the international foods section of my local store), this cocktail would also be good with mango or peach nectar. No matter how you make it, this fizzy little beverage is one to try, holiday or not.

If you like this, check out Ginger Apple Bourbon.

The ingredients:

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: MarthaStewart.com

Triple-Chocolate Cake

In some homes, chocolate cake may not be a traditional Thanksgiving dessert but in my home, chocolate is always a welcome addition. I came across this recipe for Triple-Chocolate Cake in Cooking Light Magazine last month and knew right away I’d be making it for Turkey Day. This cake has cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, and milk chocolate and yes…it’s chocolatey! The cake is made with egg whites instead of whole eggs and the middle layer of filling is made with whipped topping so the overall cake is light and moist. The top glaze of bittersweet chocolate and cocoa is the richest of all layers but it doesn’t overpower this delicious cake. I plan on saving a little bit of room after dinner tomorrow and sitting down with small plate of this cake and a little glass of milk. I’ll be honest, this might even be my breakfast on Friday. 😉

The cake ingredients:

Combine boiling water, cocoa, and bittersweet chocolate in a bowl and mix until chocolate has melted. Cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, and vanilla.

Beat in egg whites one at a time, mixing thoroughly. Add in sour cream and beat well.

In a smaller bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda, baking flour, and salt. Alternate adding flour mixture and chocolate mixture into sugar mixture.

Pour batter evenly into two cake pans sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with wax paper. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

The filling ingredients:

In a small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and add chopped milk chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted. Cover and cool.