Aguadito de Pavo (The Best Use of Leftover Turkey)

how to make aguadito de pavo, aguadito, peruvian turkey and rice soup

Aguadito de Pavo
Peruvian Turkey & Rice Soup

The best use of leftover turkey? This is it. A vibrant spicy soup which utilizes the leftover turkey meat and well as the stock made from simmering the carcass for hours. And if your guests have overindulged, this soup is said to levanta muertos (raise the dead) and assist in carrying the revelry into the holiday weekend. Made with Pisco (a Peruvian Brandy) and spicy/fruity/yellow aji amarillo paste, its unique flavors pair with the nourishing and reviving vegetables, and just enough turkey to keep us in the holiday spirit…we’re not tired of the bird yet!

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BBQ Oysters, Sriracha Butter

bbq oysters sriracha butter
BBQ Oysters with Sriracha Butter
(Another Thanksgiving Tradition)

bbq oysters

This year’s oyster selection:

Blue Point ~ An exceptional Atlantic oyster from Long Island with a crisp texture, gorgeous salinity and hints of celery.

Malaspina ~ a sweet,  mild Pacific oyster from British Columbia with a distinct watermelon-rind aroma and creamy-white flesh.

Luna ~ a Pacific oyster with delicate meats from Southern California with flavors of crisp melon and a salty cold finish.

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Purple Cauliflower Salad & Thanksgiving Flowers

purple cauliflower salad
Marinated Purple & White Cauliflower Salad
Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Kalamata Olive, Scallion
Olive Oil, Lemon, Oregano, Parsley

thanksgiving flowers
I asked the florist to make 8 petite arrangements for my Thanksgiving table. This year in softer hues ~ focusing on green, yellow, brown and pink.  For no other reason than I wanted a change from bright orange & red, and I happened to have candles in those colors. They were just delightful! And in looking through my holiday photos, the flowers looked curiously like the purple cauliflower salad…

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Turkey Gangnam Style

turkey gangnam style
a fresh 22 pounder ~ raised in open air and sunshine

gangnam style turkey image
My “Gangnam Style” recipe for cooking a turkey:
1. Loosely stuff the cavities with roughly chopped onions, carrots, and celery, lots of butter and salt and pepper.
2. Rub the entire outside of the bird with soft butter and salt and pepper.
3. Put more roughly chopped onions, carrots and celery in the bottom of the roasting pan with enough turkey or chicken stock so that the pan does not dry out.
4. Roast at 325° for a total of about 4 to 5  hours. Leave the bird alone, don’t baste, don’t cover, just “do nothing” and then marvel at the beautiful bird when it reaches 165 degree internal temperature. Use a remote thermometer to monitor the temperature.
5. Remove from oven and let it rest.
6. Have a Skin Party and do the Horse-Riding Dance.

I believe the secret is to start with a great turkey. This is a fresh Diestel Turkey Ranch Premium Range Grown Broad Breasted Young Hen Turkey.

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Stuffed Mushrooms “Green Bean Casserole Style”

green bean casserole makeover
Stuffed Mushrooms “Green Bean Casserole Style

Mushroom Duxelles, Olive Oil Bechamel, Haricots Verts
Panko Crusted Fanny Bay Oysters, Truffle Salt, Frizzled Leeks

My friends in the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group have made some major changes to the iconic green bean casserole this year. Major. For our monthly challenge we’ve taken the classic casserole recipe, originally made with green beans, mushroom soup, and fried onions and turned it ON ITS HEAD. There are soups, quiche, gnocchi, pancakes, and catfish ~ some have a Latin twist, another Asian, some are modern, some deconstructed, others retro. It’s a virtual cornucopia of casserole makeover creativity. And you can view all the incarnations of this most loved/hated Thanksgiving dish in the world over at Lazaro Cooks here.

Here I remake the casserole into a bite-sized morsel which conjures up of all the memories of mom’s holiday dish but with a fresh twist and pair it with another one of our holiday traditions ~ fresh oysters.

Original Recipe Ingredients:

  • cream of mushroom soup
  • milk
  • soy sauce
  • ground black pepper
  • green beans
  • canned french fried onions

green bean casserole makeover

In this makeover, mushrooms are stuffed with earthy mushroom duxelles and a rich olive oil bechamel flavored with tamari. Bright steamed haricots verts are sliced thin and sit atop the mushrooms. Panko crusted fresh Fanny Bay oysters are fried in canola oil until crisp, then seasoned with truffle salt. Finally, frizzled leeks add texture and are an update to those canned fried onions .

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