turkey, turkey, turkey...

Rosemary Scented Turkey Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa

In our house the left over turkey from Christmas day usually gets made up into a delicious turkey curry or popped between a couple of slices of bread and served up as sandwiches until it has all been devoured. I thoroughly enjoy both of these but thought how nice it might be to serve up something different. I've had a scout around and come up with a few new recipes that I will share with you. I found this recipe in a healthy eating magazine and have already tried and tested it so i know not only do they taste amazing but they are pretty healthy too. They taste light and fresh and are the perfect meal for the day after Christmas when you may have overindulged a little too much.

Ingredients:
8 Stalks celery, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
100g fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped (thawed, if frozen)
2 large pears, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice 1 orange
1/2 tsp sea salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dried rosemary
500g shredded turkey, if you are not using leftover turkey you could use ground turkey for this.
8-15 corn tortillas (6-inch diameter)
grated cheese, enough to taste, why not use up the left overs from the cheese platter and create lots of different flavour combinations.

1. To prepare the salsa add 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 onion, cranberries, pear, 1 clove of garlic and orange juice. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside for later.
2. Preheat a large non stick frying pan or skillet and add the remaining celery and onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the rosemary and the remaining garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. If you are using the ground turkey add this now and cook for 5 minutes breaking it up as you do. With a fine mesh colander drain the turkey mixture and leave to sit in a large bowl. If you are using leftover turkey you just add this to the bowl of celery, onion, rosemary and garlic now.
3. Wipe out the frying pan or skillet and reheat to a medium heat. Add a tortilla to the frying pan then add a few spoons of mixture to cover the tortilla. Sprinkle cheese to cover. I like a lot of cheese so I get a little carried away at this point. Leave this to cook undisturbed for 3 minutes.
4. With a spatula gently fold the tortilla in half and cook for one minute gently pressing the tortilla closed if need be.
5. divide the quesadillas between the plates and add some salsa to garnish. They are so tasty, you will just love them.

I love making quesadillas as you can add any leftovers you have in the fridge and make delicious snacks in no time. They can be as simple or adventurous as you like and always go down a treat. I love to add some sour cream to top mine off perfectly. Enjoy.

cheeky chicken and leek bake...

I've always been a huge fan of a great bake. There is something so comforting about a delicious bake and I just love serving one up in my Emma Bridgewater baker and leaving everyone dig in and help themselves. It's such a great way to use leftovers aswell and transform them into something new and delicious.

This is one that I cook over and over again and I've never had anyone not want to go back for seconds. It is so delicious and really great on cold winter evenings served up with some baby potatoes and green beans, or just as nice in the summer with some fresh salad.

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
4 chicken breasts, diced
2 leeks, washed and sliced
25g butter
2tbsp plain flour
300ml semi-skimmed milk
125g Cheddar cheese, grated
mushrooms, optional, I just can never have too many mushrooms.

1. Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan and add the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the leeks and cooks for a further 10 minutes while covered.
3. Meanwhile in a small saucepan melt the butter and add the flour. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
4. Take the saucepan off the heat and gradually stir in the milk, bring to the boil until thickened, then season and add half the cheese. Stir until melted.
5. Place the chicken in an ovenproof baking dish and pour over the cheese sauce.
6. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese (at this point I usually decide I need more cheese) and place under a preheated grill until all the cheese is golden and bubbling.

My mouth is watering just thinking about this. You must try it, I'm almost certain you'll love it.