If you’re like me, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year is a blur. It seems like there is never enough time to get ready for the holidays. Our immune system plummets and stress increases. During this time, I try to find shortcuts to make things less stressful for me. Leftover turkey is a mandatory part of this strategy. Although the family dinner is not at my house, I buy a turkey. During the holiday season, it is very inexpensive and a lifesaver.
Here are three light, simple and easy ways to use up leftover turkey:
1 Turkey Quesadillas. Sprinkle a whole wheat flour tortilla with Butter Pam. Place in a skillet and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, minced turkey pieces, and sliced green onions. Place another tortilla on top and sprinkle with Pam Butter. Brown on both sides until the cheese melts. You can add some chopped olives or jalapeno peppers if you like. Serve with sauce.
2 Spinach and Turkey Salad. Mix together: ground turkey, bacon-flavored almonds, dried cranberries, and fresh spinach. Serve with your favorite vinaigrette or honey mustard salad dressing.
3 Turkey Soup. I cook the turkey carcass the weekend after Thanksgiving. You can make this or use canned chicken broth, ground turkey, and a bag of your favorite frozen vegetables. Pour everything into a skillet and heat until vegetables are crisp-tender, fifteen to twenty minutes. Serve with good whole wheat bread.
While I still love hot open turkey sandwiches and all the Thanksgiving leftovers, these quick and easy meals provide a break in more ways than one. We are constantly bombarded with food and treats during this time of year. It is good to alternate light dinners with copious meals. All of these dinners can be done in thirty minutes or less. When we get home from work or shopping or generally both, a light meal that requires almost no effort is a welcome relief. Having a light meal once or twice a week also helps keep calories from skyrocketing. So take a break during the busiest time of the year. Your mind and body will thank you.
