Smoked Turkey Pot Pie plus KitchenAid Give-away

The French know what to do with leftovers--add cream sauce and wrap in puff pastry.

Me, I've been known to leave side dishes in the fridge until they resemble Chia pets. It's the truth. I have the best of intentions but then I get busy writing and before I can say Jack Frost, my ice box has become a bio-hazard.

But this Thanksgiving, I plan to transform leftover turkey into a savory pie.

Smoked Turkey Pot Pie

chopped turkey

green peas

glazed carrots

sauteed mushrooms

finely chopped onions & celery

flour, butter, chicken stock

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 package puff pastry, thawed

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, gray French sea salt

Saute onions and celery; add mushrooms. Set aside. In a separate saute pan, melt butter (I used 1/2 stick) and a glob of all purpose flour.

[Bandwidth said, "Wait! No! Why don't you measure anything?"

If only I had. The flour looked brassy, so I immediately jerked the pan off the burner. It took a lot of whisking to undo the damage. Bandy informed me that flour has to cook a bit, rather like a roux, but you don't want it to darken. So I put the pan back on the burner. He was right.

Dude needs a food blog.]

Slowly add chicken stock and bouillon. Whisk. Get someone to relieve you for a minute or two.

Sprinkle flour over puff pastry sheets and roll. Place 1 sheet into a baking dish. Trim edges of puff pastry and set aside.

Add turkey/leftover mixture. Pour cream sauce over leftovers and stir. Add a bit more sauce (depending on the consistency you want). Stir.

Top with puff pastry sheet. Trim edges, crimp (or fold), and score with a knife.

Garnish with leftover pastry.

Preheat oven, 400 degrees.

Beat one egg and brush it over the crust.
Place pie in oven and bake 25 minutes or until puffy and brown.

Top with gray French sea salt (we found it at Publix in the spice aisle).

It sounds complicated (and it was for me), but the preparations are so soothing, you will find yourself in a relaxed, Zen-like state.

I thought the cream sauce was the most challenging part; Bandwidth said the pastry was by far the hardest.

The taste is down-home and heart warming; it's true comfort food, the perfect one-pot meal on a cold winter night--and, it's a form of house cleaning.

Don't forget to enter the KitchenAid give-away, which ends at midnight Nov 1st. The winner will be announced next Foodie Friday.

Add your recipe and blog link to this week's Foodie Friday:

When You Don't Have Time to Make Dessert

When time is short and carb cravings are high, the solution is a gilded store-bought cake.

Gilding a Store-Bought Cake

• 1 sugar free angel food cake (Publix)

1 carton sugar free Cool Whip

Fruit (garnish)

shredded coconut

"Ice" the cake with Cool Whip and garnish with kiwi and strawberries.

You could also cut the cake in half and spread sugar free strawberry jam over the bottom layer. Now add a layer of sugar free vanilla pudding. On top of the pudding, arrange thin strawberry slices. Add the top cake layer and ice/garnish. Add toothpicks to keep the layers from sliding, if necessary. Chill.

Don't forget to sign up for the KitchenAid mixer give-away. The deadline is midnight November 1st. The winner will be announced on the November 4th Foodie Friday.
If you are participating in this week's Foodie Friday, add your recipe, name, and blog link (permalink):

Pancetta Carbonara, Tablescapes, and a Kitchenaid Giveaway

Today's Foodie Friday double feature begins with Pancetta Carbonara, adapted from one of Giada De Laurentiis' recipes, and it ends with my hair on fire.

Really.
Pancetta Carbonara

8 oz pancetta, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 strips bacon, cut up

1.5 cups heavy cream

1 package fresh linguine

salt and pepper to taste

fresh chives, chopped

1/2 package sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Boil the linguine according to directions. Drain. Pan-fry pancetta and bacon, about 6 minutes on medium flame. Add sun-dried tomatoes and chives. Lower heat and add cream. Add pasta and stir. Simmer.

I used a red toile duvet for a tablecloth.

Then I tried an old tapestry--with pewter accessories.

Next up, an Italian plaid blanket.

The pewter is Wilton--from the 70s.
Candlelight brings out the highlights in the metal, doesn't it?

My mother called while I was lighting the votives. With the phone propped under my chin, I began tablescaping. A scorched smell rushed up my nose. I'd set a tiny strand of my hair on fire. I told Mom I'd have to call back. Luckily I was wearing flannel and smothered the flames. No harm done, my hair's curly anyway, and I don't really mind Eau du Charcoal. The moral of this story: Don't talk on the phone if you have long hair, have a chatty mom, and if you are playing near an open flame.

A icy-soothing dessert was served and a good time was had by all.

Don't forget to enter the KitchenAid mixer contest. It ends November 1st (just in time for Thanksgiving). Just leave a note.

If you're participating in this week's Foodie Friday, Mr. L awaits your recipe:

Recipe adapted from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis, "Cinnamon Pancetta Carbonara," p. 172.

Halloween Cookies

Bandwith and I made cookies this morning.
I couldn't find my bat cookie cutter, but the ghost was awfully cute.

You are prolly thinking, Gollum has conquered the cookie/icing problem, right? Tra la la.
Not a chance. Our cookies developed major hip-spread. For those who like to slow down and look at trainwrecks, here's a doozy.
The icing wouldn't thicken. Before I realized what was going on, the icing had spilled off the pan, onto my gas cooktop, then streaked across the floor.
The second batch was better.

All were edible, I'm happy to report.

Our Internet connection has been spotty, so I'm posting while I have a chance. If you are participating in the week's Foodie Friday, please add your recipe below:

Ribs

For this week's foodie offering, Bandwidth bought baby back ribs at Publix. He used a homemade dry rub, then drizzled olive oil over the ribs, approximately 1 T. olive oil per slab. Cook in a 250 degree oven for about 3 hours--or longer. Optional: Fifteen minutes before serving, brush on your favorite BBQ sauce.

Dry Rub:

Kosher salt, chili powder, ground pepper, Rendezvous Rub Mix (made by the Rendezvous in Memphis).



Instructions for FF are on the sidebar (look for the white cupcakes).Please add your link to Foodie Friday: