Semi-Deconstructed Turkey Pot Pie

One of the meals that we had when we visited Strasbourg was a very rustic chicken pot pie. Because of the fact that we wanted to share it, they basically prepared it deconstructed for us, which we actually enjoyed. We decided to make our own version of this hearty meal and it turned out quite delicious. Needless to say, it certainly wasn’t as elegant as the meal we had in France, but since it was just a weeknight meal for the two of us, that was perfectly fine. We happened to have left over turkey, so that is what we chose to use, but you could easily do something similar with beef, chicken, or even lamb. You could also use a puff-pastry instead of biscuits, but we liked the biscuits as it made a cross between a pot pie and dumplings. Obviously this recipe is very versatile, so you could add in different vegetables to create your own spin on the meal. It is really about what leftovers you may have on hand and what flavors you prefer.

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Pot Pie Filling in Strasbourg
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Our Pot Pies for Two

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups Turkey Stock (we used homemade stock, but you can use store bought chicken stock)
  • 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup Red Onion – chopped
  • 1 cup Celery – sliced thin
  • 1 cup Potatoes – peeled and diced
  • 1 cup Carrots – peeled and sliced
  • 1 1/2 cup Cooked Turkey – diced
  • Biscuits – store bought or homemade
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
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Vegetables

INSTRUCTIONS

Sauté the onion and celery in a skillet over medium-high heat until they are soft and translucent. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and stir in the flour to create a rue and add the stock and continue heating on medium-high heat until it simmers (alternately, you can heat the stock in the pot and mix the flour and some cold water in a bowl to create a slurry and then add that to the simmering stock). Add the carrots, potatoes, and cooked onion and celery to the broth. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring continuously. Once the potatoes and carrots are tender, the stew is done. Pre-heat an oven to the temperature in the biscuit directions (350 degrees in our case). Pour servings of the stew into oven-safe bowls and put the uncooked biscuits on top of the stew trying to cover it is fully as possible. Place the bowls in the oven for the time in the biscuit directions (16 minutes in our case). Remove and serve.

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Sauté Onions and Celery
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Simmer Pot Pie Stuffing
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Put in Bowl with Biscuits and Bake
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Our Version of the Pot Pie

 

Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage

One of the things that we enjoyed during our time in Europe was having breakfast at one of the many outdoor cafes. Europeans eat healthier breakfasts than what most restaurants here in the United States serve, so we don’t tend to go out for breakfast now that we are back home. We do, however, still enjoy a good healthy breakfast and since pork sausage or bacon can be high in calories, we decided to make a healthier alternative. We used ground turkey and spices to create a very tasty breakfast sausage that won’t leave you feeling guilty when you are done eating. It was actually really easy to make and we think that it tasted as good as store-bought pork sausage.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1tsp Dried Sage
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/8 tsp Dried Marjoram
  • 1 lb Ground Turkey
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Spices

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all of the herbs and then mix them in a bowl with the ground turkey. Be sure that all of the spices distribute equally throughout the ground turkey. Then, using your hands, make small patties that are each 2 to 3 ounces of ground turkey. Ours were about 2 1/4 ounces each, which resulted in 7 patties. To cook, fry the sausage patties in a skillet heated to medium-high with a couple of tablespoons of oil for about four to five minutes per side. Serve with your favorite breakfast items such as eggs and fruit.

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Frying Sausages
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Cooked Sausage Patties
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Healthy Breakfast

Birds of a Feather

We knew exactly which photo we were going to use when we saw that Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge for this week was feathers. Driving down Death Road in Bolivia was a very intense experience, one which we aren’t likely to forget any time soon. In the middle of the trip, we passed through a small village, really just a couple of huts. Running across the road in front of us was a chicken, no surprise there, but accompanying him was a turkey. Somehow, the thought of a turkey in the jungles of Bolivia had not crossed our minds, let alone that he should appear to be friends with the roosters and chickens that he lived with.

Turkey and Rooster on Death Road
Turkey and Rooster on Death Road

 

Turkey in the Jungle
Turkey in the Jungle
Walking Proudly
Walking Proudly