White Asparagus with Mary Rose Sauce
|
Cooking time: 45 minutes
for menu Cooking schedule: see below for menu instructions |
The day after Thanksgiving... leftovers! And a good day to lighten up a bit. But it's still Friday and we like to have something to nibble on while dinner is finishing up. For this night I've opted for some canned asparagus, a very traditional Spanish first course (yes, canned, not fresh). Some other easy choices would be canned sardines (very healthy), a few dates, nuts and olives to nibble on or something interesting from the deli counter ....we're trying to keep it light!
White Asparagus with Mary Rose Sauce Time: 5 minutes
This is a classic Spanish first course. They are usually huge, fat asparagus spears with freshly made mayonnaise. The asparagus is always, canned; never fresh, and rarely green. It's also wonderful! I salute the Irish with the Mary Rose sauce...
1 15 oz can white asparagus or green if you prefer
2 slices Prosciutto (1oz, 30gr) you can substitute any bit of ham - even smoked turkey sandwich meat
2 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs ketchup
1/2 tsp soy sauce
Mix mayonnaise, ketchup and soy sauce. Roughly chop ham. Open and drain the asparagus. Arrange half of asparagus on each of two plates. Sprinkle with chopped ham. Spoon sauce on the side and serve.
Turkey and Stuffing Pie Time: 45 minutes
A variation on the traditional Shepherd's Pie or the American Pot Pie.
If you don't have leftover turkey substitute 10oz turkey, cut into pieces and sautéed with onions.
If you don't have leftover dressing you can substitute 2 potatoes, boiled and mashed or even a sheet of puff pastry.
Leftover turkey, enough for 2 people 2 - 3 cups cut (10oz, 300gr)
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup leftover turkey gravy or chicken stock plus 1 tbs cornstarch (maizena)
1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup Greek or plain yogurt
2 tbs Madeira
1 tbs dried sage
1 egg
leftover stuffing - 1 1/2 - 2 cups or more...
More leftover gravy to serve on the side - if you have it
Chop onion and garlic. Slice celery and carrots into thin rounds. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add paprika and sauté 1 minute. Add vegetables and sauté 10 minutes, until they start to get tender. Add gravy and Madeira, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through. (If you are using chicken stock you will have to thicken it with cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbs water.) Stir in mustard and yogurt. Cut turkey into large bite-size pieces (or leave in slices) and stir into vegetables. Put turkey and vegetables into a baking dish. I use a 9 inch (22.5cm) square. You want it to be just big enough to hold the meat plus the stuffing. In a medium bowl lightly beat the egg. Break up the stuffing and add to the egg. Stir thoroughly to combine. Spoon stuffing over turkey, covering as best you can. Bake at 375F (185C), until heated through and stuffing is starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Gently heat any additional leftover gravy in a saucepan. Serve with gravy on the side.
Note: If you are using potatoes, peel, cut and boil in salted water for 15 minutes. Mash with a bit of milk; then mix with egg and proceed.
If using puff pastry, cut to just fit over top of pie, inside baking pan. Bake until puffed and golden.
top of page
Cooking schedule: 45 minutes for menu |
Open and drain asparagus |
Cooking for Two? Or more?
Our Weekly Menu Planner Service gives you healthy, gourmet dinners, carefully planned to eliminate waste and insure a wide variety of seasonal, wholesome foods each week.
All text and images are copyright © 2005 - 2007 Kathleen Lerum Zeller.
All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated
