Welcome to My Kitchen

Turkey leftovers should now be safely tucked into your freezer for later use. At this date, any leftover turkey in your refrigerator is probably past its prime for eating and should be disposed of.

Cooked turkey may be used in almost any dish calling for cooked chicken. Spicy White Chili, a recipe I received from my late sister-in-law, Tammy Bubemyre, is equally good with turkey or chicken. Additionally, dicing the meat cooked from the turkey carcass may be used in casseroles, rather than soup. This recipe is quick to fix for meals during busy schedule days..

Spicy White Chili

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp crushed oregano

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth or 3 cups broth from cooking turkey carcass

4 cups cubed, cooked chicken or turkey

3 cans (15 ounces each) drained, Great Northern (white) beans

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a large kettle, sauté onion in oil until tender. Stir in garlic, chilies and spices. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add broth, chicken and beans. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Note: for a milder chili, omit the cayenne pepper.

Lately, fresh onions have been maligned as poison, because cut onions absorb bacteria and odors from the air. This is true, but tightly covering and refrigerating them immediately avoids this problem. I have used cut onions to absorb cigarette smoke when heavy smokers have visited. Grandparents put out cut onions to absorb germs during cold and flu season.

Recalled onions or other foods should be properly disposed of, of course. Do not risk your health with recalled items.

Holiday baking season is in full swing. Thanksgiving pies and sweet breads lead us into Christmas cookies and candies. Shortbread and sugar cookies are easy to make and work well for shipping to family and friends.

Shortbread cookies are usually a cutout or bar cookie, but the following recipe is made by rolling the dough into balls and flattened with a cookie mold or the bottom of a glass. This is a great recipe to make with kids helping. If lemon flavor is not to their liking, substitute vanilla.

Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp lemon extract

2 1/2 cups sifted flour

In a large mixing bowl combine butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon extract. Stir in flour, then work with your hands until thoroughly incorporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least one hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten the balls with a cookie mold or the bottom of a drinking glass. Dip mold or glass in granulated sugar if desired. Bake about 25 minutes or until just barely browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 3 dozen cookies.

Note: if you don’t have a cookie mold, many drinking glasses have a decorative bottom.

JoEllen Wollman’s Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies are a good choice for shipping if the recipient is following a gluten free diet. Oatmeal gives these cookies a pleasing texture.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup gluten-free flour blend

1 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugars and butter. Stir in peanut butter.

In a small bowl combine flour blend and baking soda. Set aside.

Beat eggs into creamed mixture. Stir in flour mixture and the rolled oats.

Roll dough into walnut size balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a fork. Bake 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Yield: about 3 dozen cookies.

Note: JoEllen sometimes substitutes cup for cup artificial sugar blend for half of the granulated sugar.

Sometimes a recipe catches my attention because, at first glance, I wonder if it can really work or is there something missing. That was the case with Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer Casserole. The key to this recipe is seasoning and plenty of it. This is a great recipe for times you want to stick dinner in the oven and forget about it for several hours.

Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer Casserole

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 pound ground beef, seasoned and browned

2 large onions, peeled, sliced and separated into rings

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 1/2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

Salt and Pepper

Your favorite seasoning blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Layer potato slices in the bottom of the pan and season well. Scatter the cooked ground beef over the potatoes.

Cover ground beef with the separated onion rings, season well. Pour the diced tomatoes evenly over the onion rings. Top with green pepper and season again.

Cover tightly with foil and bake 2 hours, no peeking. Yield: 6 servings.

Note: I used the Kirkland brand no-salt seasoning blend.

– Share your favorite Christmas cookie recipes, main dish recipes for busy days and gifts-from-the-kitchen recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Flower seed packets or zip closure snack bag of seeds collected from your plants added to Christmas cards makes the greeting extra special.