Three ways with turkey

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bird, Boxing Day, breadcrumbs, buffet, casserole, chopped tomatoes, cloves of garlic, copped and diced, curry paste, egg whites, film, fizz, garlic, glass of white wine, mango chutney, mayo, mixed herbs, naan bread, new potatoes, olive oil, one pot wonder, onion, peeled and crushed, rice, root vegetables, round patties, salt and pepper, seasoning, strong plain flour, sweet potato, turkey, turkey burgers, Turkey curry, two thick slices of bread, water, Worcestershire sauce, wrapping paper

The crackers have been pulled, the hats have been worn, the fizz has been drunk and the wrapping paper is in the recycling box.

What’s left of Christmas is a lot of memories, a few sore heads, some great photos and of course, turkey.

Rather than throwing your bird out with the bottles and soggy sprouts, we have put together three easy to cook, delicious recipes that will have you realising that turkey isn’t just for Christmas after all!

First of all, on Christmas day don’t let the meat sit around all day uncovered, put it in the fridge once cool and eat within two days of cooking. We would suggest putting wrapped meat on the middle shelf away from raw meat and fish. You can freeze meat and if you do so wrap it carefully, ideally in a sealed container, and date it.

Once you are feeling hungry again and are ready to cook, turkey burgers are a good place to start. You will need to mince your turkey for this recipe, but we promise that the effort is so worth it. For around ten burgers, you will need:

• 1.5kg minced turkey
• 30g breadcrumbs, we like fresh ones
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 organic egg whites, lightly beaten
• A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• Salt and pepper to season

To serve

• Burger buns
• Sliced beef tomatoes
• Cheese
• Ketchup and relish

Mince the turkey then place into a large bow. Mix the mix with the breadcrumbs, onion, egg whites and parsley and season with the garlic, salt and pepper. Form the dough into round patties then either grill or cook over a medium in a frying pan. Once well cooked, put into buns, garnish and enjoy.

A winter winner is a casserole and turkey is perfect for this one pot wonder.

You will need:

• Your leftover turkey, chopped and diced
• A selection of root vegetables, copped and diced
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs
• 2 tablespoons of strong plain flour
• 500 ml of stock – vegetable or chicken
• A splash of Worcestershire sauce
• Dumplings – frozen, pre-made are pretty good

Fry the onion until they softens in a deep pan, then stir in the herbs, flour, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Boil the veg and then add these and the turkey and stir well so all the flour is dispersed. Cover the pot and gently simmer for around 30 minutes until the turkey is piping hot. Enjoy with sweet potatoes or jackets and a glass of white wine.

Turkey curry tastes great and can be welcome addition to any Boxing Day buffet or New Year celebration if you froze your meat.

You will need

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 large, red onion
• 1 green pepper, diced and deseeded
• 2 tablespoons of curry paste – choose the strength that is right for you and your guests
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 150ml of water
• Leftover turkey, chopped
• Cooked, new potatoes, peeled and diced
• I packet of coriander, we like fresh
• Rice, naan bread and mango chutney to serve

With your ingredients prepared, heat the oil in a pan over a high heat. Cook the onion and pepper until starting they are softening and turning light brown. Slowly stir in the curry paste and garlic and cook for another five minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and the water, bring to the boil and allow to bubble for ten minutes. Next turn the heat down, stir in the turkey and potatoes and cook for another five minutes adding more seasoning as needed.

Scatter with coriander, serve and make sure you have a glass of water ready.

Of course, you could just put the meat between two thick slices of bread, add mayo and enjoy in front of a good film and the fire.

Team Pure Beauty

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The perfect Christmas table

Tags

aroma, beautiful, big day, cabbage, candles vases, champagne, Christmas, crackers, dessert, fish, fizz, flowers, fun, guests, hats, knocked over, linen, lunch, memories, Michelin star restaurant., name places, nearest and dearest, people, Prosecco, runners, serving bowls, setting, shine, smashes, sparkle, table, water jugs, wine bottles, wipeable, work

The pressure of hosting Christmas Day can be big.

There’s the decision over turkey or beef.

Whether to serve champagne or Prosecco.

Brussels or cabbage???

Who to sit next to whom and where everyone is going to sleep.

Well, one thing you don’t need to worry about is making a good impression when it comes to your dinning table as we can help you make sure it looks as amazing as any Michelin star restaurant.

First things first, decide on a colour scheme or theme. Maybe you love a little bit of bling, embrace Santa or like things to be cool and calm. Whatever you decide on, we are certain it will look great.

Christmas is one time of the year when can invest in new china, cutlery and linen, just because. A lots of shops have already started their sales so there are many bargains to be snapped up that look a millionaire dollars, but many only cost a few pounds.

Next, take a look at your dining table and work out just what can be achieved. The main thing to remember is that you don’t want to fill every inch of the table as it will look cluttered and things are likely to get knocked over and people might get upset.

If you have a separate dining room you can set your table as far ahead as you like, but if not, you may want to set it on the day to prevent things being moved or spoilt.

Before putting on the tablecloth take time to iron it, as this will look smart and professional. If you don’t want to use a linen cloth, you will find some stunning paper and wipeable alternatives in the shops that will sparkle and shine. The same goes for napkins and runners if you plan to use them.

Depending on who is coming for lunch, and how well people get on, you might want to consider name places!

When it comes to china, place the starter and main places on top of each other as this is the start of a a beautifully dressed table with a wow factor. Remember guests can move them as they wish once seated but you want that initial impression to be a good one.

When it comes to cutlery what you place on the table, depends on what you are serving on the big day, including a fish course. As a rule, you start from the outside and work in and you can the add dessert cutlery at the top of the place setting.

When it comes to glasses, go for one wine, one water and a champagne flute if you are serving fizz. If you have children at lunch, maybe go for beakers or plastic glasses to avoid any smashes and accidents.

Napkins can be added next with crackers, something that is a true part of Christmas lunch. Buy ones that match your theme and again, if little ones are joining you, you might want to get fun, junior crackers to keep them happy and stop big hats covering their eyes.

A really nice touch is to add a vase or two of seasonal foliage and flowers to your table as well as candles. This not only creates a lovely aroma but also looks really festive and welcoming. Do look at where these go as you don’t want to stop people from speaking and you of course don’t want any holly to catch fire mid starters.

It is a good idea to leave some space on the table for the wine bottles, water jugs and serving bowls.

With all of this done, the main thing is to have a fantastic time with your nearest and dearest and to make memories that will last way longer than the turkey.

Team Pure-Beauty