Two for One Dinners: Turkey-Eggplant-Pork

[Sara Noel]

If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then here are some ideas to put the "zing" back into mealtime. With a little creativity your home-cooked meal can easily become a delicious meal another night. There are a six articles in this series, today we are going to look at what you can do with turkey.

DINNER - NIGHT ONE: Roasted Turkey Breast

Any time of the year is a good time to roast a turkey and experiment with different flavors. Try roasting it over carrots, leeks and sweet potatoes and glazing the bird and the vegetables with a mix of soy sauce and molasses. Or, perhaps you want to roast it with turnips, carrots, potatoes and leeks. Be creative and try different veggies! Take care to remove the leftover meat from the bone and store it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to two to three days.

DINNER - NIGHT TWO: Turkey and Pear Salad

A night or two later, when you need a quick meal, chop the leftover turkey and fold it, with diced peares, into a little mayoannaise and lemon juice. Sprinkle with curry powder, salt and pepper and serve on a bed of romaine lettuce. No cooking required! This also makes a great lunchbox salad.


DINNER - NIGHT ONE: Eggplant Parmesan

Layer baked eggplant slices with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and tomato sauce, then top with a mixture of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese for a delicious vegetarian take on comfort food. Best when baked in a glass baking dish. Store leftovers, covered tightly, in the glass baking dish. Serve with steamed broccoli and bread twists.

DINNER - NIGHT TWO: Rigatoni with Eggplant Sauce

Up to two nights later, chop the leftover casserole coarsely, then toss it with leftover tomato sauce and mix with cooked rigatoni for a great pasta dish. Serve with a tossed salad and bread (optional).


DINNER - NIGHT ONE: Braised Pork

Put a pork tenderloin in the oven to bake slowly in orange juice, ginger, garlic and brown sugar until it is tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Serve it with easy-to-prepare steamed rice and stir-fried brocoli. Store the leftover meat in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.

DINNER - NIGHT TWO: Mu Shu Wraps

Using the leftover pork that you have baked, shred the remaining tenderloin, hoisin sauce and shredded carrots and Napa cabbage. Roll the mixture in warm flour tortillas topped with hoisin sauce. Serve with vegetables (jicama, carrots, zucchini, celery, Napa cabbage, green onions) sauteed lightly with soy sauce, garlic and ginger in sesame oil.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michele Webb owns her own website and is a member of a number of organizations for women Netpreneurs and business owners. She has over 20 years experience in health care, clinical trials, management, project management and software development. She currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada USA with her two dogs.

You are invited to visit her website at: http://www.ebooksnstuff.com. Or, you can email the author at mailto: [email protected]

[dolphin]

I'm always looking for ways to stretch my grocery bill and these are some great ideas for doing just that. I'm learning to cook for 2 now and it's so different from having children in the home and cooking big meals. We recently came to the decision that we wouldn't keep any leftovers but this article gives me some great alternatives. Thank you.