Leftovers: Elevating The Excess

Chef On A Shoestring John Greeley Of NY's 21 Club Saves Them From The Mundane

(CBS) 

Turkey "Croquettes" with Mixed Greens and Cranberry Sauce

1 cup onion (diced small)
1 cup celery (diced small)
1 cup leek (white part only, diced small)
4 cups cooked turkey breast (diced small, you can use some dark meat too but no skin or bone)
1 Tablespoon herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 Tablespoon black pepper
Salt to taste

¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup butter (1.5 stick, cut into pieces, get to room temperature, soft to the touch but not melted)
1 egg (lightly beaten for mix)
4 cups ground Panko bread crumbs (or any dry unseasoned breadcrumb, on a sheet pan or large plate)
2 cup flour (on a sheet pan or large plate)
4 eggs (lightly beaten to coat cakes)

Method:

In a medium size sauté pan on medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil.

Sauté onion, celery and leek until tender. Transfer to plate lined with paper towel; cool in refrigerator.

In a non-reactive bowl, mix the onion, celery, leeks, turkey, herbs de Provence, poultry seasoning, pepper, mayonnaise, butter, and 1 egg.

Place mixture in refrigerator or freezer to completely chill, the mix will begin hardening like cookie batter.

Form mixture into 4 ounce "croquettes" and roll-in flour to coat.

Using your hands, form the mixture into a hockey puck shape cake, or use a mold.

Make sure each is coated and sealed outside with flour. This may take practice; if mixture becomes overworked and warm re-chill it.

Place croquettes into refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

Dip each cake into the beaten egg, then coat with bread crumbs, using your hands to press the crumbs around each area of the croquette (They should be breaded like a chicken cutlet).

In a non-stick sauté pan on medium heat, sauté each cake in grape seed oil until golden brown, then flip and brown other side.

Transfer to a sheet pan and bake in 350-degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes until cake is warmed through. Serve immediately with your favorite salad greens.

Cranberry-Citrus Sauce

1 cup cranberry sauce
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 ounce honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In small saucepot combine all above and reduce by half, purée with blender for a smoother sauce.

Chill and serve cold.

Mixed Greens with Tomato

4 cups mixed lettuces
1 cup cherry tomato or any small tomato (cut in half)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Toss greens in a bowl with olive oil and tomato, season and serve with croquettes.

Bartlett Pear Upside Down Cake

For the batter:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon powdered cinnamon
¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
4 Tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup milk

For the topping:
4 Tablespoons butter
½ cup light brown sugar
2 medium sized pears, halved and cored

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

For the topping:

Melt butter in microwave or saucepan over low heat

In a medium mixing bowl light brown sugar and pour in melted butter, mix until combined.

Spray 5 ounce muffin tins with nonstick spray.

Spoon brown sugar mixture into tins to cover base.

Slice pears and place one half pear in the base of each tin over the brown sugar butter mixture.

For the batter:

Sift together the all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.

With electric mixer on high speed, cream together butter and sugar
Add vanilla extract and mix well.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing completely before adding the next.

Add one third of dry ingredients and mix on medium speed.

Add one third of milk.

Keep alternating dry and wet ingredients until all are combined.

Spoon batter over pears until it comes ¾ up the sides of the mold.

Bake approximately 30 minutes or until skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

While hot, invert over pate, being careful of liquid syrup.

Serve with whipped cream.

[mswolfestock]

Yeah, really, this has nothing to do with the reality of my leftovers.

If you are really on a shoestring you won''t have leeks just laying around in your vegetable bin. And fresh fruit of any kind is a luxury. You''ll make do with canned fruit or do without it. And when you are on a shoestring you don''t have all day to play around in your kitchen because it''s likely you have to work, maybe even two or three jobs so you can afford peanut butter and pork ''n'' beans.

I challenge the so-called Chef on a Shoestring to make a decent meal on what he (or she) is given at the Food Bank. THEN maybe this will have some cred.

[chetthor]

Some of the know it alls on this blog haven''t been grocery shopping... every thing costs money
Onions
lettuce
leeks
cheese
mayo
butter
etc
etc
etc

all cost money... flour costs money...

so feed your family chicken pot pie... where is the salad? whats for desert... left over candy from trick or treat?

I for one think the chef did a very nice meal.

[docpeter1953]

From the above article, ''As a "Chef on a Shoestring," Greeley''s been given $40 and whatever is left in the fridge to create a casual, three-course meal for four people.''
_________________-

I can feed three a good meal and still have left overs from just the $40, never mind what is in the fridge. This ''challenge'' is not a challenge at all. Want a challenge Greeley, ''Chef on a Shoestring''? Create something new out of just lef overs without a trip to the store and the whole $40 prize money.

Take the left over turkey and vegs, mix in a little broth, pour into pie shell and bake. You got turkey pot pie, and the wife and kids will love it, season to taste. Cost of pie shell(s) about what $3, broth $2 (fortunately I had some broth left over from what I made out of the turkey giblets I planned ahead for this and saved). I just saved $35 for me.

Not too sure what kind of shoes you are wearing Greely, but $40 for shoe stringing it is a bit expensive.