~Turkey a la King~

Turkey a la King
(File Photo)

Is there leftover Turkey from your delicious dinner on Thursday?  Or maybe just a little is remaining.  It's a great opportunity to make Turkey a la King for dinner!  You probably have all of the ingredients already.  This is so similar to a Turkey Pot Pie.  However, there is no need to roll out or purchase a pie crust.  A creamy sauce filled with small bites of turkey along with mixed vegetables served over toasted bread.  Now, that's what I call easy.  That's also what I call yummy!

So, find your can of Chicken Broth, Milk and package of frozen vegetables to prepare this for tonight's dinner.  :)

Turkey a la King
     Serves 2- 3 people 


Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Margarine/ Butter (I use unsalted.)
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chicken or Turkey Broth
      (I use College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth.)
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Turkey chunks (cooked), cut up, more if desired
 2 Cups cooked Carrots & Peas (or Mixed Vegetables)

*****
Sliced Bread, Toasted, 1- 2 slices/ person

Method:

1.  Melt Margarine/ Butter in large skillet/ large pot.
2.  Remove skillet from Medium heat and slowly stir in Flour.
3.  Return to heat and slowly add in Chicken Broth & Milk while slowly stirring constantly.
4.  Continue stirring over heat until sauce is thick and bubbly. 
5.  Add cooked Turkey chunks.
6.  Add in cooked vegetables.
7.  Stir and heat mixture for 1 - 2 Minutes.
8.  Serve over toasted Bread.

There's always some Cranberry Sauce on our table to enjoy while having this at dinner!  It's easy and delicious!   

Enjoy!
Yummy!

     

~Chicken a la King~

Ladling Chicken a la King over Toasted Bread

Suddenly, the plan this past weekend was to roast a PERDUE "OVEN STUFFER" Roaster.  You guessed it...The Big Y my local supermarket had a special on Perdue Roasters.  Moist fragrant slices of chicken... with stuffing graced with gravy...  Butternut Squash...a little Cranberry Sauce - Mmm...it almost sounds like a mini Thanksgiving Day Dinner!  It sure was!

By roasting this larger chicken weighing about 7 lbs., more dinners with chicken would be enjoyed.  Chicken a la King!  Chunks of Chicken in a creamy sauce along with mixed veggies served over toasted Oatmeal Bread.  Yes, with me it's always all about the Oatmeal! 

After removing the cooked chicken from the bones, the larger bones were saved to prep Chicken Broth.  It still sounds similar to Thanksgiving weekend.  My Revere Dutch Oven containing water, chicken bones, Bay Leaves and a few shakes of Oregano, Sweet Basil, dehydrated Onion & Parsley simmered for about 2 hours.  I was on my way to prep:  Chicken a la King.  It's always yummy, but using homemade chicken broth makes it even better!

I made 4X the recipe listed below.  The extra servings are now in my inventory of homemade dinners in the freezer!  The Ziploc Freezer Containers are so useful!  The $7.50 Roaster yielded 6 dinners including the roasted slices with the trimmings the first night.   

Chicken a la King
Serves 2 - 3 Adults

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Margarine/Butter (I use unsalted.)
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chicken Broth
      (when homemade broth is not available, I use College Inn
       Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth.)
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Chicken chunks (cooked), cut up, more if desired
2 Cups Mixed Vegetables (cooked)
*   *   *   *
Sliced Bread, Toasted- 1½ -2 slices/person

Method:

1. Melt Margarine/Butter in skillet.
2. Remove skillet from Medium heat and slowly stir in Flour.
3. Return to heat and slowly add in Chicken Broth & Milk while slowly stirring constantly.
4. Continue stirring over heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.
5. Add cooked Chicken chunks.
6. Add in cooked vegetables.
7. Stir and heat mixture for 1 - 2 Minutes.
8. Serve over toasted Bread.   

Remember the Cranberry Sauce! 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

  

CranOrange Coffee Cake

CranOrange Coffee Cake (cooling)

There is only one way that my family enjoys Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce - and that's in CranOrange Coffee Cake!  Enjoying a slice of this moisty colorful cake after dinner on Christmas Day has become a tradition.  During the holiday season it can be baked early on, cooled, wrapped in foil and placed in the freezer.  Then, the day before serving, this cake (that is baked in a Bundt or Tube Pan) is defrosted and an Almond flavored icing drizzled over the top.  Yum!   

Years ago, I used Ocean Spray CranOrange Relish when preparing this tasty dessert.  Since I no longer can locate this item in grocery stores, the Whole Berry Sauce combined with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of Orange Extract works very well.
 

Ready for the oven

I try to use less Whole Eggs when baking, so rather than use 2 Whole Eggs, I use 1 Whole Egg + 2 Egg Whites in the batter.  1 Whole Egg = 2 Egg Whites when baking.  Fat Free Sour Cream is also an ingredient.  The recipe for our favorite cake is below. 

CranOrange Coffee Cake  printable Recipe Card

Oven: 350°F

Time: Bake 55 Minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.

Ingredients:
1 Stick (8 Tablespoons) Unsalted Margarine/Butter, softened
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Egg + 2 Egg Whites (or 2 Whole Eggs)
2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Fat Free Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
*****
8 ounces Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce Plus
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Orange Extract

OR 1 container CranOrange Relish

Method:

1. Spray 9" or 10" Bundt Pan or Tube Pan with PAM & flour.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Using mixer, Cream Margarine/Butter with Sugar.
4. Add 1 Whole Egg + 2 Egg Whites (or 2 Whole Eggs) and blend well.
5. Add dry ingredients alternating with Sour Cream.  End with the dry ingredients.
6. Add Almond Extract.
7. Combine 8 ounces Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Orange Extract in separate bowl (if using).
8. Place 1/2 of batter in Bundt Pan, spread evenly.
9. Top with 1/2 of Sauce, spread.
10. Carefully add remaining batter, spread.
11. Follow with remaining Sauce, spread.
12. Bake at 350°F for 55 Minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
13. Cool on wire rack for 5 Minutes.
14. Remove cake from pan and cool.
15. After cooling, wrap in foil and freeze until needed.

The day before CranOrange Coffee Cake will be served, defrost and drizzle with Topping.

Topping:  Blend 3/4 Cup Confectioner's Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Water + 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract until smooth. 

Every year we enjoy this delicious CranOrange Coffee Cake with an Almond Icing!  And...a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side!  The beginning of this week my "to do' list includes baking and freezing our Christmas cake.

Does your family enjoy a special cake during the holidays? 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Just Remember the Cranberry Sauce!!!

Jellied Cranberry Sauce is a must on our Thanksgiving Dinner table, just like Gravy!!!  A dish of the wiggly sauce will also accompany the Hot Turkey Sandwiches that we will enjoy on Friday!  Yummy!   :)  Oh, definitely, there will be moments when our fridge door will open and a "small" slice of moisty roasted turkey will be enjoyed as a snack, just because ...

However, it is customary on the second day after Thanksgiving, we will dine on Turkey a la King for our main meal.  Small bits of turkey along with carrots and peas in a creamy milk sauce placed over toasted oatmeal bread.  It's a much easier version of Turkey Pot Pie.  Is it easy?  You might ask.  Oh, it's very simple to prepare.  And also quick!  Just remember the Cranberry Sauce!!!  

Turkey a la King
Serves 2 - 3 Adults

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Margarine/Butter, melted (I use unsalted.)
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chicken Broth (I use College Inn low fat, less salt.)
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Turkey chunks (cooked), more if desired
2 Cups Cooked Carrots and Peas
Toasted Bread

Method

1. Melt Margarine/Butter in skillet.
2. Remove skillet from Medium heat and slowly stir in Flour. 
3. Return to heat and slowly add in Chicken Broth and Milk while slowly stirring constantly.
4. Continue stirring over heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.
5.  Add Turkey chunks. 
6.  Add in cooked vegetables.
7. Stir and heat mixture.
8. Serve over toasted Bread. 

Enjoy!
Yummy!  
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Looking outdoors it is a typical November day in New England. A gentle breeze rustles a few of the remaining leaves on the tree branches. The sky is gray, but inside my home the picture looks quite different. Butternut Squash Bread is baking in my oven. Yesterday, the Apple Bread was baked, cooled, wrapped in foil and placed in the large freezer downstairs. (Click links for printable recipe cards.) Tomorrow, baking Cranberry Bread is on the agenda.

Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, has always been my piemaking day - Cherry, Mincemeat and Butternut Squash Custard. Everyone in my family has two favorites of the three choices, except for me – I like all three!

What is your favorite?

Two days after Thanksgiving it is a tradition for my family to enjoy Turkey a la King for dinner. I substitute chunks of Turkey for Chicken in the recipe. It is quick and easy! Do remember the Cranberry Sauce!

This past weekend my sewing machine was humming along. I spent some time creating and adding autumn embellishments to new guest towels. Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts has the cutest fall fabric. Soon, I will be working with the Christmas fabric that I purchased. Do you visit Jo-Ann’s and see visions of items that you may make? I sure do. That is how my Guest Towel Project started. Now, I am almost ready for Thanksgiving!

Later this week when you get together with family members/friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving! It is a great time of year to remember all of the good things that we have and do for others and also the helpful people that we know.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

JG

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Over the years my husband and my two sons have always given me honest input regarding any food that I have prepared. A very long time ago, it is now decades, Cranorange Coffee Cake (click on link for recipe card) became our favorite dessert after our Christmas dinner. I had acquired two recipes for this moisty, flavorful, colorful cake. One recipe used Cran/Orange Relish and the other recipe used Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce.

I have learned that the best time to purchase the Cran/Orange Relish is during the month of November. Grocery stores do not stock a large inventory. However, if this particular item is not located, there is always Plan B. Use the Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce with an addition of 2 tsp. of Orange Extract stirred in before using.

Currently, the cake that we will enjoy on Christmas Day is baking in my oven. After cooling, it will be wrapped in heavy-duty foil and placed in the freezer. This scrumptious cake is moister if it has been frozen and defrosted before serving. After defrosting tomorrow night, the almond flavored icing will be drizzled on top.

A slice of Cranorange Coffee Cake will be enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. This is also a delicious cake to serve to your guests on New Year’s Day!

Yummy!
Enjoy the holidays!