Happy New Year and Goodbye Turkey!

Well here we are at the last day of 2010! Can you believe it? Time sure does fly. I wish you all a very Happy New Year, a year full of good health, peace, happiness and prosperity. A year that brings you all you are wishing for.. hoping for... Thanks to all my followers and occasional readers for making my Blogging worthwhile- I enjoy and appreciate your comments and emails. I hope you'll continue to follow my ramblings in 2011.
If you are out celebrating tonight, please pass over the car keys to someone else and get yourself home safely. As for me, I'll likely be curled up with a good book and Ollie on my lap....

At the request of one of my readers, here is the recipe for Turkey Broccoli Braid that I mentioned yesterday. This recipe came from a Pampered Chef party a number of years ago. It's a great way to use up leftover roasted chicken or turkey. Basically it's a salad-type mixture of chicken or turkey baked in a Pillsbury crescent dough crust. Quick, easy and yummy...

Turkey Broccoli Braid

2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, chopped
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped fairly small
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Miracle Whip)
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1 teaspoon dried dillweed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375F. Chop chicken or turkey, broccoli and red pepper. Place in mixing bowl along with grated cheese. In a smaller bowl, combine mayo, garlic, salt and dill. Stir well to blend. Add dressing to turkey mixture, stirring well to coat.

Open and unroll 1 pkg. of crescent rolls along length of your largest cookie sheet, placing it to one side rather than right down the middle of sheet. Do not seperate rolls, but rather, use your fingers to push dough together along perforations. Repeat with second pkg., laying second dough lengthwise beside the first, again pushing dough together with fingers to "seal" along perforations and joining well the two packages down the middle "seam". **

Spread filling evenly lengthwise down the "middle" of your dough. Now on each side of filling, cut dough horizontally into strips about 1-1.5 inches wide, stopping an inch or so from the filling. Lift one strip on each side across filling to meet in center, and twist together one "turn". Continue down the length of braid until all filling is covered with strips of dough; tuck ends up to form a rim at each end. Brush egg white over dough using pastry brush and sprinkle with almonds. Bake about 25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Yield - 10 servings.

** After making this several times, I decided there was a bit too much crust for my liking. Now when I add the second pkg of dough, I cut off a lengthwise strip of almost half the second pkg. I roll this up and just make several smaller crescent rolls from it, baking them at the same time. I like it better with a bit less crust, but try it with the full 2 pkgs and see how you like it.

Here is another recipe you might like to try if you still have some turkey left. I have no photos for this one as I have not made it this year, but it is quick, easy and yummy too- Curried Turkey Pate. It's great with crackers if you are entertaining, or just for your own enjoyment.

Curried Turkey Pate

2 cups chopped cooked turkey
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mango chutney
1 - 2 tsp. curry powder (to taste)

Whiz turkey in food processor to cut up finely. Cream softened cream cheese, add all other ingds., mix well. Make at least one day ahead. Keep in fridge. Will freeze well too.

Peace
Linda

New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. ~Hamilton Wright Mabie