Thanksgiving, the great American food fest, is here again. With turkey in the oven, dressing on the stove and cranberries on the boil, friends and family can gather around the festive board and likely gain a pound or two with all the holiday cheer. But what about the pounds of turkey leftovers that remain long after the company has gone? Is there a simple but delicious way to be creative with turkey the day after? The answer is yes.
We asked two well-respected food specialty establishments, Kings Supermarket in Garden City and Iavarone Brothers in Wantagh for holiday tips and recipes for leftovers.
Kings Supermarket has been successfully serving the Garden City community for years. A full service supermarket, it maintains a level of excellence and accessibility – a rare quality in specialty emporiums. Kimberly Sullivan is the Kings regional catering coordinator and responsible for the vast array of prepared foods that make Kings a popular destination. Her best advice to Thanksgiving chefs this year is "Don't overcook the bird!"
For leftovers she suggests to "hold onto everything because you can reinvent things as you go along in casseroles, sandwiches, soup and much more." That said, she has offered her recipes for Madras Turkey Salad and Harvest Turkey Salad to help with leftovers.
Iavarone Brothers has been a fixture in the New York area for four generations. With a premium on quality and freshness paired with a gracious nod to the old country, Iavarone Brothers is a treat for those who want a true gourmet experience without the fuss. Joseph Iavarone manages their largest store in Wantagh's Cherrywood Shopping Center, which includes a full-service deli, seafood, produce, cheese, in-house butcher, prepared foods and even sushi.
Executive Chef Marco Giacometti helms the massive downstairs kitchen where he stresses that the most important ingredient to a successful Thanksgiving dinner is to "plan ahead." He also suggests not to stuff the turkey cavity with dressing. "I don't believe the turkey cooks correctly that way. Stuff the cavity with fresh herbs instead."
Chef Giacometti gave us two surefire leftover recipes: Cranberry Turkey Salad with Toasted Almonds and Angelina Iavarone's Turkey Surprise.
The Recipes
Iavarone Brothers' Cranberry Turkey Salad with Toasted Almonds
Ingredients:
3 lb leftover turkey meat cut into cubes (dark and white meat)
½ lb dried cranberries
¼ lb toasted sliced almonds
½ lb sour cream
½ lb mayonnaise
¼ lb celery
½ tsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 tsp salt
½ oz sugar
Directions:
In a large bowl mix together cubed celery, leftover turkey, cranberries and almonds. In a separate bowl add sour cream, mayo, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar. Mix well and stir into the turkey mixture.
Angelina Iavarone's Turkey Surprise
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb sliced button mushrooms
1 lb Italian cheese and parsley pork sausage meat
2 lb leftover shredded turkey meat
Directions:
Sauté crumbled sausage meat over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until fully browned. Remove and reserve on side. Heat oil in pan and add sliced mushrooms. Cook 5-10 minutes covered until almost fully cooked. Add reserved sausage meat back to pan and shredded turkey meat. Cook covered for additional 10 minutes stirring ingredients together.
Kings' Madras Turkey Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups left over cubed turkey (white or dark or both)
2 stalks celery cut – 1 cup
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup cashews
¼ cup coconut
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder (mild)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all together and serve chilled on a bed of crisp salad greens.
Kings' Harvest Turkey Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups left over cubed turkey (white or dark or both)
2 stalks celery cut – 1 cup
½ cup dried cranberries
1 small can mandarin oranges drained
½ cup pecans roughly chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all together and serve chilled on a bed of crisp salad greens.
