Okay, I’ve been working more on being organized because I got a good start when I froze leftover turkey from the holiday, in approximately one-pound packages.
I hope you did not throw yours out or force your family to eat turkey until it was coming out of their ears!
Anyway, I’ve had three pounds of frozen turkey to look at in the freezer and have been dreaming until I just could not STAND it anymore!
So I made turkey minestrone. Sort of. Except I am not sure what that is and I did not have eggs to make noodles with (after making two cakes in a row. Well, really four, if you count mistakes…)
Anyway, the more I thought about turkey minestrone, the better it smelled, in my imagination. Nothing like it to get the cooking juices flowing!
So, here is the final product, in all its glory, followed by a recipe, of sorts, because I actually just dumped whatever sounded good, and I truly don’t know what minestrone IS! 🙂
I am sure if you think and add what you like in a soup, yours will be just as yum as mine!
Turkey Minestrone
4 Tbsp. bacon grease or olive oil
2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. onion, chopped small
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. carrot, sliced
1/2 c. chopped parsley
Any or all of the following, to taste: rosemary, oregano, sage, lemon grass, basil.
1 jalapeno pepper and brewing bag for easy removal
1 clove garlic, pressed (or more!)
2-3 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
2 gal. filtered water
1-2 lb. of frozen turkey, cut bite-sized
1 can cut green beans
1 can cannellini beans
1 c. raw brown rice
In a large, non-stick pan, fry all raw vegetables and herbs until caramelized, on medium-high heat, stirring often and watching carefully. Take care not to break the pepper. Vegetables should be browned, some, and somewhat soft. Pan drippings should be a golden-rosy brown.
Retrieve the pepper and place inside bag. Set aside.
Pour some of the water into the hot pan to loosen all the drippings and create a rich broth. Pour entire contents of pan into a large stock pot (12 quart or more). Scrape pan well, to get all the goodie.
Add the rest of the ingredients, including bagged pepper, and bring to boil. Simmer, stirring constantly, for at least an hour. Enjoy with cornbread, sour cream, cheddar cheese, etc.
Perfect for a cold day! Mmm!
Home's Cool! 