Ethnic flavors give leftovers new life

One of the great rewards of hosting the Thanksgiving feast can also be a tremendous burden. I'm talking about leftovers.

This year, instead of looking with dread at a platter full of carved turkey and a bowl of mashed potatoes, take a page from Renee Ferguson and envision a multitude of creative dishes.

Between her upbringing and her stint as a Butterball Turkey Talk-Line answer lady, Ferguson has learned a thing or two about what to do with what's left on the table after the family has retired to watch football.

Her 2006 book "Talk Turkey to Me" garnered national attention and won her a spot on Food Network's "Throwdown With Bobby Flay" in an episode that pitted her against the celebrity chef in a turkey and dressing battle.

"I grew up in Chicago. My parents were from the Depression era. You could say they were the original 'green' people," says Ferguson, who lives in Geneva. "Food was always saved; used in some form or fashion."

She remembers hearty cream of potato soup that her mother cooked from mashed potatoes and her father's kisswich sandwich, a paninilike grilled turkey sandwich.

Turkey potpie made with whatever vegetables are on hand (it doesn't have to just be carrots and peas) is an obvious dish, but she likes to take her recipes a step further.

"You can do a stovetop version; pour the filling over leftover biscuits, rolls," she says. No rolls on hand? Spoon the warm mixture over potatoes or into puff pastry shells.

She also suggests shredding cooked turkey into chili or stirring it into a mole for enchiladas or dicing it onto a Caesar salad or tossing it with wilted spinach, pasta and a butter sauce.

Julie Grimes, associate food editor at Cooking Light magazine, says she gives new life to leftovers with a pinch of ethnic flavor.

"Since Thanksgiving is truly an American holiday and the fare typically reflects this fact, I like to spice up the leftovers with flavors from Asia, France or Latin America for a change of pace," she says.

Some of her favorite recipes in recent years include turkey-mushroom bread pudding, turkey fried rice and turkey pho, a take on Vietnamese noodle soup.

"Remember that many ethnic foods rely on ingredients with strong, pungent flavors, such as spice pastes or fish sauce, and a little goes a long way," she says. "Combine leftovers with just a few powerful ingredients for a fresh twist on yesterday's meal."

Kemp Minifie, executive food editor at Gourmet magazine, also recommends taking an international approach to leftovers. Turkey in particular lends itself to strong flavors and can stand in for chicken and even pork in many recipes.

Gourmet's November issue includes a recipe for turkey jook, a Chinese rice porridge with turkey and ginger.

But recognizing the reality that most people won't venture beyond sandwiches, the magazine also includes a sophisticated turkey sandwich recipe that plays sweet cranberry sauce off blue cheese butter.

She and Ferguson point out the obvious: Simply pile a bunch of leftovers on a plate and replicate the original meal.

"My favorite meal of the Thanksgiving weekend is the day after, when you reheat everything," Minifie says. "The turkey has had time to sit so it's firmed up and it's much easier to get thin slices of the breast meat. The gravy tastes better. ... You're getting all the good stuff without having to do any work."

• Associated Press contributed to this story.

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