For those of us who make soup stock out of the turkey carcass, what herbs and spices and vegetables do you add?
A couple of fresh bay leaves, a sprig of rosemary, and a dollop of dried mixed herbs. No vegetables because the entirety will be turned into a vegetable broth. Lots of chopping and dicing to be done.
Since we downsized we have not hosted family celebrations, so have not had Christmas Dinner leftovers for 8 or 9 Christmases. I do miss them. Elder Son and family now host Christmas, and there being 5 of them at home all leftovers are consumed in-house
Being a 'feeder' I always over-catered anyway, so the two of us lived off leftovers into the new year.Fortunately for our health, the Christmas Cake was always divided into three portions, and two were taken away.
Younger Son & family are coming for lunch tomorrow, but it will be a different kind of meal, so the leftovers will be fewer and not so adaptable.
Shop bought mince pies are very disappointing. They are never full enough and the pastry is either so thin as to be crumbly or so thick they need a hammer and chisel.
I'm quite partial to Mr sainsburys bakery puff pastry ones. I do always make my own with sweet pastry (including some ground almond).
Leftover classics are roast potatoes, parsnips and sweet potatoe soup.
And turkey pie with bacon lardons, mushrooms, cranberry sauce, cream and red wine in the filling
For lunch today I made what I call my Christmas Chowder. It always involves whatever is leftover in both fridge and store cupboard. This year that meant: turkey, onion, celery, potato, stock, can of corn, seasoning and a dash of cream. We enjoyed it!
Smoked salmon (bought for Christmas, unopened) souffle and the last dregs of the Christmas pudding for us. And a couple of unfinished bottles of wine. Should be a good evening.
For those of us who make soup stock out of the turkey carcass, what herbs and spices and vegetables do you add?
In this case, an onion, two carrots, four bayleaves, salt, a handful of black peppercorns, a couple of cloves of garlic and a goodly sprinkle each of thyme, tarragon and herbes de Provence.
If the corner shop had had any, I'd have added a stick or two of celery, but they didn't.
Some of it was turned into a rather nice broccoli and blue cheese soup.
On Christmas Eve we had gammon with parsley sauce, plain potatoes, broccoli and green beans. Christmas Day two cockerels took centre stage with various vegetables (no sprouts).
The resulting leftovers gave another meal of gammon and sauce with carrot and celeriac mash and runner beans for Boxing Day and then risotto on the 27th.
On Christmas Eve we had gammon with parsley sauce, plain potatoes, broccoli and green beans. Christmas Day two cockerels took centre stage with various vegetables (no sprouts).
The resulting leftovers gave another meal of gammon and sauce with carrot and celeriac mash and runner beans for Boxing Day and then risotto on the 27th.
No disrespect to those who use turkey slices, but I'm not convinced that there's no waste involved. The waste would have occurred where the slices were made in the first place.
I don't waste anything when I have a chicken or turkey - which isn't very often. I use the whole thing. Stock. Soup. Curry. Pie at times.
What @Telford has described isn't a lack of waste but convenience.
No disrespect to those who use turkey slices, but I'm not convinced that there's no waste involved. The waste would have occurred where the slices were made in the first place.
I don't waste anything when I have a chicken or turkey - which isn't very often. I use the whole thing. Stock. Soup. Curry. Pie at times.
What @Telford has described isn't a lack of waste but convenience.
I imagine that when turkey slices are made by a company, the other parts go to other parts of the company for making broths, cat food, or whatever other stuff the company or its divisions sell. I could be wrong but I think it would not just be wasteful but not cost-effective to throw it out.
We finished the Christmas pudding today (we had started with two) with rum sauce. It finished off a meal of a filo pastry sausagemeat strudel with green salad and new potatoes. (Sausagemeat was last on the general list on the fridge and 3 of us managed to buy it without crossing it off ... 😲)
Used somd left over ham from Christmas day yesterday to make soup with two stray seweet potatoes that were lurking in the vegetable drawer. Broth for the soup was some frozen turkey broth I had made and froze quite some time ago. Great soup.
We ate up some of the left over hummous and cheeses with the soup, too. It was a rather grand, simple supper.
I'm being creative with leftovers, too - last night was a salmon fillet put under the grill in silver foil with a honey and garlic sauce, which was delicious, and today I'm going for a big batch of carrot soup, with maybe some left over for stirfry.
I'm being creative with leftovers, too - last night was a salmon fillet put under the grill in silver foil with a honey and garlic sauce, which was delicious, and today I'm going for a big batch of carrot soup, with maybe some left over for stirfry.
Not exactly the sort of leftovers most of you are referring to, but our local Co-Op has some *festive* items still well within their use-by date.
I've enjoyed some Duck Spring Rolls (10 minutes in the oven), and today I'm having some Mini Toad-in-the-Holes (or should that be Toads-in-the-Hole?) with a baked potato.
Your meals sound delicious @Bishops Finger . I really fancy something that isn't what I'd usually cook and Toad in the Hole is one of them. As it is, I'm planning spaghetti bolognese for our tea. Washing it down with red wine will help. Not quite leftovers either but I did discover in a cupboard a box of Turkish Delight I bought some weeks ago - the pink and yellow sort in icing sugar in the round wooden box. We always used to buy it for my dad at Christmas. I don't find it every year so I nabbed it when I saw it and we haven't started it... yet...
Had family over for Christmas week game night. Left over for breakfast this morning were two deviled eggs, a piece of goat cheese, some hummus on a cracker, and a cookie.
My sister, brother and s-i-l came to mine for lunch yesterday, and we had the broccoli and cheese soup, with bread, cheese and charcuterie.
They brought with them more cheese, mince pies and brandy cream and chocolates, and my fridge and larder runneth over.
Today I turned the turkey leftovers into a risotto, of which there's some left for tomorrow, and I have a rather large quantity of carrots (the only size of bag the shop had), so the next soup will be carrot and something.
I made carrot and lentil soup, with coriander seeds, red lentils, the juice of a couple of superannuated satsumas and veggie stock; I want to keep the turkey stock for future risottos (should that be risotti?).
I have a recipe for salmon roasted with carrots and potatoes, so I might investigate that for some of the remaining carrots.
I have a couple of tired parsnips in my fridge, and some carrots. Thinking if making parsnip, carrot & lentil soup this evening
There is also a head of broccoli, but that is the only green veg left to last us until shopping day on Tuesday, so will try to eke that out .
I am a little concerned that the cold weather might put paid to the shopping trip. We're not keen on driving on icy roads, so it might be what is available in the convenience store on the corner - which will probably be more broccoli. The store cupboards & freezer are full so we won't starve, but I do like fresh greens - and bananas; I am already out of bananas for my porridge!
NYD's chicken scheduled to be chicken and mushroom pie tonight, and 'Thai soup' tomorrow lunch. This is a generic term covering anything based on a spicy broth, coconut milk and any scraps of meat or veg needing to be used up.
We still have the remains of the huge box of uncooked Christmas veg. So today I roasted a tray of potatoes, carrots and parsnips, mixed this with the remaining cumin lamb from last night’s Indian takeaway, and topped it with some burrata cheese leftover from the festivities.
Mid afternoon I took the frozen rice salad out of the freezer to be made into stir fry tonight. Cheery husband said he would try to pick up some prawns and I've assumed he thinks they will work well with the rice. I'll have my regular piece of salmon, thanks!
I have a couple of tired parsnips in my fridge, and some carrots. Thinking if making parsnip, carrot & lentil soup this evening
There is also a head of broccoli, but that is the only green veg left to last us until shopping day on Tuesday, so will try to eke that out .
I am a little concerned that the cold weather might put paid to the shopping trip. We're not keen on driving on icy roads, so it might be what is available in the convenience store on the corner - which will probably be more broccoli. The store cupboards & freezer are full so we won't starve, but I do like fresh greens - and bananas; I am already out of bananas for my porridge!
You have broccoli in your convenience stores?
Either “convenience store” means something different (with amazingly healthier options) than it does in the US, or…
I think I know the sort you mean @ChastMastr - everything in tins and packets and bright colours. More common here is the 'corner shop' which carries fresh items as well. Of the two I go most frequently, one has fresh-baked bread, some fruit and veg, chilled ready meals, milk, cheese, desserts as well wines and spirits. And a particularly good range of cakes. The other has a partnership with an upmarket supermarket and consequently has a very good range of fruit and veg plus fresh meat and fish. And being originally Italian, strong on pizza, ice cream and salami. Not as good as the other for cakes and puddings though.
So within a ten minute walk I can get all the human frame requires - and mostly do. The only restriction is what I can carry, which is why I get deliveries from the big supermarkets of things like cartons of juice, bottles, bags of spuds, bulk household stuff etc.
I think I know the sort you mean @ChastMastr - everything in tins and packets and bright colours. More common here is the 'corner shop' which carries fresh items as well. Of the two I go most frequently, one has fresh-baked bread, some fruit and veg, chilled ready meals, milk, cheese, desserts as well wines and spirits. And a particularly good range of cakes. The other has a partnership with an upmarket supermarket and consequently has a very good range of fruit and veg plus fresh meat and fish. And being originally Italian, strong on pizza, ice cream and salami. Not as good as the other for cakes and puddings though.
So within a ten minute walk I can get all the human frame requires - and mostly do. The only restriction is what I can carry, which is why I get deliveries from the big supermarkets of things like cartons of juice, bottles, bags of spuds, bulk household stuff etc.
We really need this kind of thing here in the US, or in more areas than it might be.
Our local corner shop is a Nisa which has a selection of good quality fresh fruit and veg, and the Turkish owners import exotic stuff like prickly pears.
That's a thing about corner shops - the owners have scope to do individual lines. The chap in one of the shops mentioned above spotted a demand for bedding plants during lockdown when the garden centres were closed - most houses round here have gardens. Now he regularly covers the entire frontage with racks of plants every Spring/Summer.
I have a couple of tired parsnips in my fridge, and some carrots. Thinking if making parsnip, carrot & lentil soup this evening
There is also a head of broccoli, but that is the only green veg left to last us until shopping day on Tuesday, so will try to eke that out .
I am a little concerned that the cold weather might put paid to the shopping trip. We're not keen on driving on icy roads, so it might be what is available in the convenience store on the corner - which will probably be more broccoli. The store cupboards & freezer are full so we won't starve, but I do like fresh greens - and bananas; I am already out of bananas for my porridge!
You have broccoli in your convenience stores?
Either “convenience store” means something different (with amazingly healthier options) than it does in the US, or…
I’ve seen fresh vegetables and fruit in US convenience stores. Not often, but I have seen it.
Either “convenience store” means something different (with amazingly healthier options) than it does in the US, or…
Many convenience stores will stock a small amount of fresh fruit and veg ... probably less fresh than at a big store and much less selection, but its not unusual. Here's a typical UK convenience store interior (SPAR) ... this one is recently refitted and so better than the average, but you get the idea https://www.jameshall.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Hunts-SPAR-Whelley-6.jpg
I am not sure I have ever been in a uk corner shop / convenience store that didn’t have at least some fruit and veg. Certainly can’t think of a time in the recent past.
I have a couple of tired parsnips in my fridge, and some carrots. Thinking if making parsnip, carrot & lentil soup this evening
There is also a head of broccoli, but that is the only green veg left to last us until shopping day on Tuesday, so will try to eke that out .
I am a little concerned that the cold weather might put paid to the shopping trip. We're not keen on driving on icy roads, so it might be what is available in the convenience store on the corner - which will probably be more broccoli. The store cupboards & freezer are full so we won't starve, but I do like fresh greens - and bananas; I am already out of bananas for my porridge!
You have broccoli in your convenience stores?
Either “convenience store” means something different (with amazingly healthier options) than it does in the US, or…
I’ve seen fresh vegetables and fruit in US convenience stores. Not often, but I have seen it.
Down in Florida, so I’m not sure what we’d have here. There are expensive fruit cup things… maybe some apples or oranges? But I’ve never seen vegetables on their own.
I think that's definitely a Pond difference (though I don't know all of North America as well as my own little corner of it, of course, there may be other places in the US and Canada where convenience stores sell produce!).
In my experience, the very biggest and best-stocked convenience stores (for Canadians, I'm thinking of one of the larger Shoppers Drug Marts) will sell a good array of grocery items, though less than a grocery store -- but will be distinguished by NOT selling fresh produce or fresh meats. Those things you'd have to go to a supermarket for. The grocery areas in the well-stocked Shoppers stores near me look almost exactly like the SPAR photo posted by Gracious Rebel, but with the "Fruits and Veg" section missing from the chilled food area at the end of the store.
A smaller "corner store" would still have some canned and packaged grocery items, but far fewer options, and certainly no fresh produce.
I’m not sure we have corner shops here like that. Tons of corporate shops of course. But lots of the US is built with driving in mind, so it’s really not possible to just walk to very much (or anything, in some cases) in various places. (And our infrastructure for buses and trains is… lacking in many places, like where I live.)
I also have access to two minor instances of Big Supermarkets plus, which is more valuable, a Chinese shop for things like fresh ginger, tofu and various sauces and noodles (I'm on a Chinese home cooking kick at the moment).
I"m sorry we lost our local wine merchant and farm shop to avaricious landlords charging exorbitant rents - but still appreciative of how much good food I can buy locally.
A smaller "corner store" would still have some canned and packaged grocery items, but far fewer options, and certainly no fresh produce.
I think it depends on what kind of store it is and where it is; the chances of having any fresh produce vary in proportion to whether it's part of a chain (and which chain). If it's an independent which serves a minority market it's quite common for it to still carry fresh produce (from a few withered bunches of coriander upwards).
Our local Co-Ops (there are two) are OK for some basic fresh stuff, but the nearby convenience stores (their name is Legion) seem to have very little, being largely given over to confectionery, alcohol, and lots of miscellaneous items.
I’m not sure we have corner shops here like that. Tons of corporate shops of course. But lots of the US is built with driving in mind, so it’s really not possible to just walk to very much (or anything, in some cases) in various places. (And our infrastructure for buses and trains is… lacking in many places, like where I live.)
Having been in them, I can tell you we do have corner shops like that here. Shoot, I’ve been in Dollar Generals that had fresh produce.
Comments
Onion, black pepper, garlic salt, celery, carrot (mirepoix).
With a chicken, I'd add ginger. Probably not turkey, though.
Mirepoix, of course. Bay, plenty of black pepper, garlic, a little thyme. And the merest hint of sage: too much will overpower the other flavors.
(There was PIE. There is still one slice of pie that didn't get consumed, which might be my lunch tomorrow.)
Being a 'feeder' I always over-catered anyway, so the two of us lived off leftovers into the new year.Fortunately for our health, the Christmas Cake was always divided into three portions, and two were taken away.
Younger Son & family are coming for lunch tomorrow, but it will be a different kind of meal, so the leftovers will be fewer and not so adaptable.
No such places around here, more's the pity. Despite Paul Hollywood being from our neck of the woods.
Leftover classics are roast potatoes, parsnips and sweet potatoe soup.
And turkey pie with bacon lardons, mushrooms, cranberry sauce, cream and red wine in the filling
In this case, an onion, two carrots, four bayleaves, salt, a handful of black peppercorns, a couple of cloves of garlic and a goodly sprinkle each of thyme, tarragon and herbes de Provence.
If the corner shop had had any, I'd have added a stick or two of celery, but they didn't.
Some of it was turned into a rather nice broccoli and blue cheese soup.
The resulting leftovers gave another meal of gammon and sauce with carrot and celeriac mash and runner beans for Boxing Day and then risotto on the 27th.
No sprouts? More for me, then!
I don't waste anything when I have a chicken or turkey - which isn't very often. I use the whole thing. Stock. Soup. Curry. Pie at times.
What @Telford has described isn't a lack of waste but convenience.
I imagine that when turkey slices are made by a company, the other parts go to other parts of the company for making broths, cat food, or whatever other stuff the company or its divisions sell. I could be wrong but I think it would not just be wasteful but not cost-effective to throw it out.
If you've a strong stomach, look up mechanically recovered meat.
We ate up some of the left over hummous and cheeses with the soup, too. It was a rather grand, simple supper.
OooOooOoh!
I've enjoyed some Duck Spring Rolls (10 minutes in the oven), and today I'm having some Mini Toad-in-the-Holes (or should that be Toads-in-the-Hole?) with a baked potato.
They brought with them more cheese, mince pies and brandy cream and chocolates, and my fridge and larder runneth over.
Today I turned the turkey leftovers into a risotto, of which there's some left for tomorrow, and I have a rather large quantity of carrots (the only size of bag the shop had), so the next soup will be carrot and something.
Yes - delicious! Tuck a couple of salmon fillets in there, after about half an hour of cooking; even more tasty.
I have a recipe for salmon roasted with carrots and potatoes, so I might investigate that for some of the remaining carrots.
@Piglet your soup ... well, menu... sounds incredible!!!
There is also a head of broccoli, but that is the only green veg left to last us until shopping day on Tuesday, so will try to eke that out .
I am a little concerned that the cold weather might put paid to the shopping trip. We're not keen on driving on icy roads, so it might be what is available in the convenience store on the corner - which will probably be more broccoli. The store cupboards & freezer are full so we won't starve, but I do like fresh greens - and bananas; I am already out of bananas for my porridge!
Mid afternoon I took the frozen rice salad out of the freezer to be made into stir fry tonight. Cheery husband said he would try to pick up some prawns and I've assumed he thinks they will work well with the rice. I'll have my regular piece of salmon, thanks!
You have broccoli in your convenience stores?
Either “convenience store” means something different (with amazingly healthier options) than it does in the US, or…
So within a ten minute walk I can get all the human frame requires - and mostly do. The only restriction is what I can carry, which is why I get deliveries from the big supermarkets of things like cartons of juice, bottles, bags of spuds, bulk household stuff etc.
We really need this kind of thing here in the US, or in more areas than it might be.
Many convenience stores will stock a small amount of fresh fruit and veg ... probably less fresh than at a big store and much less selection, but its not unusual. Here's a typical UK convenience store interior (SPAR) ... this one is recently refitted and so better than the average, but you get the idea https://www.jameshall.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Hunts-SPAR-Whelley-6.jpg
Down in Florida, so I’m not sure what we’d have here. There are expensive fruit cup things… maybe some apples or oranges? But I’ve never seen vegetables on their own.
In my experience, the very biggest and best-stocked convenience stores (for Canadians, I'm thinking of one of the larger Shoppers Drug Marts) will sell a good array of grocery items, though less than a grocery store -- but will be distinguished by NOT selling fresh produce or fresh meats. Those things you'd have to go to a supermarket for. The grocery areas in the well-stocked Shoppers stores near me look almost exactly like the SPAR photo posted by Gracious Rebel, but with the "Fruits and Veg" section missing from the chilled food area at the end of the store.
A smaller "corner store" would still have some canned and packaged grocery items, but far fewer options, and certainly no fresh produce.
I"m sorry we lost our local wine merchant and farm shop to avaricious landlords charging exorbitant rents - but still appreciative of how much good food I can buy locally.
I think it depends on what kind of store it is and where it is; the chances of having any fresh produce vary in proportion to whether it's part of a chain (and which chain). If it's an independent which serves a minority market it's quite common for it to still carry fresh produce (from a few withered bunches of coriander upwards).