leftover turkey lunchbox pies

leftover turkey lunchbox pies

here is a little thing i whipped up using some leftover thanksgiving turkey. cute little round pies with turkey, onions, potatoes, peas and mushrooms. it makes for a nice lunch with a simple soup and great alone as a snack. the measurements are all guesses to what i really used so tweak to your taste! i hope everyone had a great thank you day (if you celebrate it)!

1 1/2 C chopped turkey
1/4 C chopped onions
1/4 C chopped mushrooms
1/2 C peas
1 small yukon gold potato, cooked & chopped
olive oil
1 T worcestershire sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T oyster sauce
pinch of thyme
1 T flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 sheets frozen puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
toasted sesame seeds (optional/for making pretty)



1. take out puff pastry to thaw a bit.
2. saute onions in oil until lightly browned. add mushrooms, potatoes, peas and turkey. stir and cook for some minutes. add thyme, soy sauce and oyster sauce and mix well. once mushrooms are soft and everything is heated through, add flour, season with salt and pepper and cook until sauce has thickened. take off of heat and set aside.
3. preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. roll out pastry. cut 8 rounds (i used a 1 Cup measuring cup) and then cut out 8 more slightly smaller rounds. lay out the 8 smaller rounds and spoon turkey mixture onto them. lay the bigger rounds on top and seal all around with a fork.
5. place on baking sheet and brush tops lightly with the egg and then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6. bake for 20 minutes or until pastry turns golden brown.


** for vegetarians: i think these would be great if they were stuffed with mashed potatoes + carmelized onions + peas



serves 4 humans or 103 teeny tiny people.

half-moon cookies

half-moon cookies

a cake-y cookie treat. 50% vanilla icing + 50% chocolate icing = 107% truly a delight!

1 1/4 C flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
6 T unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C sugar
1 large egg
3/4 t vanilla
1/3 C lowfat buttermilk
2 C confectioners sugar
1T + 1t light corn syrup
1 t lemon juice
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. mix butter until creamy. add the sugar and beat until fluffy. mix in egg and 1/2 t vanilla. mix in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk.
4. spoon batter onto cookie sheet and bake from 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms start to turn brown. let cool on cookie rack.
5. whisk confectioners sugar, corn syrup, remaining vanilla and 1 T water together until smooth. transfer half to small bowl and mix in the cocoa. spread vanilla icing on one half of each cookie and the chocolate on the other half of each cookie.
6. eat and enjoy! repeat until happy!

alsatian potato pie

alsatian potato pie

its about that time of year when I begin to hoard pie recipes. yes, i am a pie recipe hoarder. i collect and collect and soon my apartment is just scattered with them. My recipe book shelf is stuffed to the brim and soon they are just all over the floor and taking over. Eventually the sound of rustling paper will be so bad the neighbors will not be able to take it anymore and the authorities will have to intervene and they will probably find a dead recipe or two in my closet or under the couch. gross :( i hoarded this recipe from the october issue of martha stewart. it contains: puff pastry, buttery potatoes, gruyere (or comté), garlic, leeks and heavy cream. it is: melty, flakey, rich. i think you will love it. please love it with your mouth.


3 yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/4" thick rounds
1 C heavy cream
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 t grated nutmeg
ground pepper
2 T unsalted butter
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/4 C chopped parsley
1 large egg yolk
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
flour for work surface
1 1/2 C grated comté or gruyere cheese

1. cover potatoes with water in a medium saucepan. bring to a boil, add a pinch of salt and cook until just tender. drain and let cool.
2. bring 3/4 C plus 3 T cream, the garlic and nutmeg to a boil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. cook mixture until reduced by half. season with salt and pepper and set aside
3. melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and add leek. cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. remove from heat, stir in parsely, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. preheat oven to 400 degrees. whisk egg yolk and remaining T of cream and set aside. divide puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into two 6 by 13 inch rectangles. set 1 rectangle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. add half the potatoes, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around and overlapping potatoes slightly. Top with half of the leek mixture and 3/4 C cheese, season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering. Brush edges of dough with eff wash. cover with remaining dough rectangle and press edges with a fork to seal. cut 2" slits lengthwise in center of crust, 2" apart. brush with egg wash. refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
5. bake pie until golden brown and puffy, about 35 minutes. remove from oven. pour cream mixture into pie vents with a funnel. bake 10 minutes more. let stand 15 minutes before serving.