11/29 i had only a few pieces of turkey left over from thanksgiving, and was desperate for some veggies!! so tonight i diced that last little bit of bird with a little bit of ham, and threw it on top of a chef's salad.
11/30 i can almost see the back of my fridge again! tonight's meal called on a little creativity. i had some gouda leftover from my macaroni and cheese ingredients. a few apple slice from the appetizers i had set out. so i did what i do best, and stuffed a chicken breast!!! it paired perfectly with the leftover apple hawaiian bread stuffing i had. all those sweet, savory and tart flavors combing for a satisfying late november meal!
12/01 i had mentioned a while back that i've wanted to experiment more with mussels. i've also mentioned my love of thai flavors. so tonight combined the two!!! mussels cooked in a broth of coconut milk, red curry, ginger and garlic. garnished with scallion and cilantro. the mussels were good....but the broth? holy cow that broth was delicious. i had some bread to soak it up. but let's be honest. i ended up drinking it out of the bowl. cause i'm classy. with a k.
12/02 just when i thought i had used the last of my thanksgiving leftovers......i see the bowl of cranberry relish hiding in the back of the fridge!!!! what to do with all those berries? after much thought i decided to use them as the base for a slow cooked pork loin. simple enough. i poured the cranberries into the crockpot. i placed a pork tenderloin on top. i sprinkled a packet of french onion soup mix over top. and a i added a few splashed of soy sauce. everything got choked on low for 4 hours. and that pork was falling apart tender!! tasty too!
12/03 i keep seeing recipes for "copy cat chick fil a chicken" on pinterest. and have been dying to try the out. who knew they put powdered sugar in the seasoning mix? it really does add that "something different". i opted for chicken tenders instead of full pieces. i figured they would make for a tasty salad with the leftovers! i also let them soak in buttermilk over night. it really does make a difference in the taste and texture. and i fried these pretty little tenders in the cast iron skillet. so good, they didn't even need sauce! though they did need a side, and it's been far too long since i've made my bleu cheese cole slaw....
12/04 tonight's meal was so much better than i expected! i decided to try my hand at loaded potato soup. i've had good potato soups. and i've had not good potato soups. but this potato soup? was great!!! i sort of combined and altered five different recipes i found, and was very happy with the results. thick, but not overly creamy. and full of veggies. of course the added toppings of bacon and cheddar didn't hurt!!!! the trick? i used the rendered fat from cooking the bacon to sauté my vegetables. so this recipe? not vegetarian friendly. but oh my, the difference it makes!!!
Loaded Potato Soup:
2 lbs red potatoes, diced to bite size
1 leek, sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 Tblsp butter
4 Tblsp flour
2 c chicken broth
4 c whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c shredded cheddar
1 bunch scallions, chopped
-boil potatoes in salted water for 12 minutes (or until fork tender). drain and set aside.
-in rendered bacon fat: cook leek, onion, garlic and celery until translucent.
-in stockpot, heat chicken broth and milk over medium until steaming, but not boiling.
-in small pan, melt butter over medium heat.
-whisk flour into butter to form a medium blonde roux (keep whisking as it bubble for about 2 minutes).
-whisk roux into broth/milk until smooth.
-stir veggies into broth.
-add potatoes to soup and stir to combine.
-season with salt and pepper to taste.
-pour into bowl and garnish with bacon, cheese or scallions as desired.
**i've seen some recipes call for adding sour cream, if you want a thicker, creamier soup? but this was plenty thick enough for me**
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