Monday Means: Leftovers!

Anyone tired of turkey yet?
Not me!
I love, love, love making a big ol' turkey and using the leftovers in about a hundred (ok, maybe only 75) different ways.
I don't wait for Thanksgiving or Christmas to make a big bird. (It's just a good time to stock up my freezer when they're on special at the store!)

I usually make the biggest bird I can lay my hands on. This year's was a mere 20 lbs.

And, I learned a long time ago not to screw around with that silly basting business and flipping the bird part-way through. Heck no! I just use my trusty Oven Bags. A turkey-sized bag and a meat thermometer and you can't go wrong! I haven't made a dry turkey in years! (Is that bragging?)

Actually, after my family had to choke-down a very dry bird early in my marriage, my Grandma suggested I try her method. And it works like a charm. Plus, it cooks faster. Bonus!

So, on this Hunk O' Meat Monday, I want to give a shout out to Katie and her family at Squaw Creek, who raise turkeys for the rest of us to enjoy.

Here's my first leftover recipe:

Turkey Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
1 large shallot, chopped
1/3 pound chanterelles or other fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or other risotto rice
Salt
3 cups turkey or chicken stock
2 ounces Chevre or other fresh goat cheese
Black pepper to taste

Directions
1 Bring the stock, plus an additional 2 cups of water, to a simmer.

2 Heat the butter in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, until it begins to brown. Add the shallots and mushrooms and toss to combine. Salt them well and sauté until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes.

3 Add the garlic, sage and rice and stir well. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add 1 cup of the simmering stock. Stirring constantly, let the stock evaporate before adding another 1/2 cup. Repeat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is al dente, cooked through but still a little firm. This will take about 20-30 minutes.

4 When the rice is al dente, add the goat cheese and stir well to combine. Add the black pepper and stir again. Serve at once.

Serves 4.
**My appologies to the blog where I found this recipe a while back--I didn't make a note of it to give appropriate credit.

Now, for this week's Meet Me On Monday 5 Questions.

BabyD is joining me again to help answer (in blue). (She's a my blogger-in-training, since LittleD is burried in homework!)

Questions:
1. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?
A: Orange chicken, grilled chcken with ketsup, or Chick-Fil-a chicken sandwhich. I vote for the orange chicken/General Tsao's.

2. Have you decorated for Christmas yet?
A: No, because my sister LittleD has her birthday in December, so she gets to decide when the tree goes up. Which is not fair. She always says after her B-Day, but I want to do it the day after Thanksgiving. To be fair, this is the first year she's asked to wait until after her birthday.

3. What is your favorite article of clothing?
A: My new furry boots, and jacket, gloves, my new black scarf my mom made. I don't have an absolute favorite, except maybe my black pencil skirt.

4. Do you pay your bills online or write checks the old way?
A: I am so happy I don`t have to pay any bills. I get to relax! (Isn't life great when you are 10?)

5. Do you make Christmas cookies?
A: Yes, with a lot of frosting, and sprinkles on the cookies I make compared to Mom and LittleD. But mine are the Best. We usually get some made--which rarely last very long!!

Hunk Of Meat Monday: Pork Chops with Apples and Yams

I don't do a lot of recipe posts. I'm usually too busy cooking to take pictures and the hungry masses who are crying out for nourishment have no patience for such nonsense.

But I thought I'd join Bloggy Pal Leah over at Beyer Beware for Hunk of Meat Monday.

This is one of my fall favorites--mostly because it includes pork (which is my favorite cooking meat, because it's so versatile and hard to mess up).

BONUS: This recipe is an ideal way to use up those sorry-looking apples that are a little bruised and no one will eat out right. Plus, it's a one-dish meal, so minimal clean up!

Ingredients

One 29 oz can of yams, drained. (I prefer the light syrup-style.)

Four pork chops

1/2 cup of apple cider or juice (I've used water in a pinch).

3 to 4 medium-sized apples

Nutmeg (Can also include cinnamon, if you like; I don't.)

2 T. of flour

2 T. cooking oil

Directions

1. Slice and core the apples, then set aside.

2. Preheat the cooking oil in a large, heavy-bottom skillet.

3. Dredge the pork chops in the flour.

4. Brown chops, about 3-4 minutes each side.

5. Add the apple slices and cider/juice. Stir so the apples make contact with the pan so they start cooking right away. Reduce the heat to medium.

6. As apples start to soften, add the can of yams, mixing ingredients. Sprinkle with a small amount of nutmeg (to taste). Cover with a lid and cook until heated through.

7. Make sure the chops reach at least 160 degrees F. After all, food is not sterile and no one wants to serve up a case of foodborne illness. (Call me anal, but I do always temp-check my meat.) Then serve.

I tend to stir it quite a bit so the yams get mushy. They basically make a sauce that my kids don't recognize as a vegetable.

I usually serve this with green beans (the crummy canned ones that my kids love) and biscuits.