ZooFit Recipe of the Week- Waste Not with Leftovers

All of us are probably stuffed to the gills with turkey, stuffing, casseroles, and sauces. But what do you do with all the food AFTER your great feast?

My family has a long history of enjoying leftovers for a long period of time after a holiday dinner. My mom’s Cranberry Sauce is delicious as a side, a dressing for sandwiches, or even completely on its own, to be frank. I remember eating spoonfuls from the Tupperware container for days after Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 packages sugar free cherry, raspberry, or strawberry jello
• 1 package of cranberries, finely chopped or ground
• 1/2 cup orange juice (unsweetened)
• 1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

Directions

1. Make jello in a large mixing bowl, according to package.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
3. Set in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or until set.

I’ll admit, this is an old family recipe, which I have not tried to “clean up”. With the exception of the jello, this is actually a really clean and healthy recipe. If you want to make it Paleo or lowerish in carbs, try grass-fed gelatin. I just ordered some from Thrive market, and I look forward to trying it out, maybe now is the perfect time to experiment with my mom’s old family recipe.

Nothing goes to waste in our house. Even the turkey once all the meat has been picked off and eaten on all the rolls, we can still muster a few more meals from the turkey…carcass. My mom’s turkey soup is infamous in our family circle. Especially with my husband, who “ruined” it the first time he tried to make homemade turkey soup.

For the record, do not make this soup with milk…

Leftover Turkey Soup

Ingredients

• Leftover turkey carcass
• Choice of veggies- 2 stalks celery (chopped), 1 whole onion (diced), 2 carrots (diced)
• Choice of herbs and spices: basil, thyme, parsley, oregano, black pepper
• Salt, optional (good flavors rarely need much salt)
• Package of egg noodles

Directions

1. Break up turkey to fit in an extra large stock pot. Pour just enough water to cover the turkey bones.
2. Simmer over medium heat in pot for a few hours, or until meat comes completely off the bones.
3. Pick out the bones or other inedible parts. You can scoop them out with a slotted spoon, or pour through a colander, but keep the meat in the soup.
4. Place soup back on stove on medium heat. Add your choice of veggies and spices. Cook for 30-60 minutes, or until veggies are at your desired consistency.
5. Transfer soup to an airtight container and store in fridge until you are ready to eat.
6. To serve, heat soup up over stove, adding a handful or more of egg noodles to each serving as it simmers (adding noodles when making the recipe often results in super soggy noodles). Simmer until noodles are soft.
7. Enjoy.

Enjoy your holidays again and again, and savor each day, each meal, and each memory.