Leftover Turkey Treat

Merry Christmas Everybody!! I hope you all had an enjoyable time, had lots of amazing food and spent some quality time with some loved ones. Now, I know what you are all thinking, Carla, we have all just stuffed our faces with turkey and you’re coming here and posting something about Turkey, are you feeling alright love? I know,I don’t blame you. There will be a fair few of us with some serious leftovers after yesterdays antics and lets be honest, we need to gobble up those goodies.

This recipe works perfectly for any leftover Turkey or works just as well with Turkey steaks, which is fantastic as they are so easy to access all year round, not just for the Christmas period. So quick and easy to make, you’ll be back to chilling on the sofa watching all the treats in store on the television.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 3 fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 turkey steaks, chopped into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• Salt
• Pepper
• Lime

Method:

1. On medium heat, fry the shallot, ginger and garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned.
2. Add the turkey and cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Season with all the spices and mix.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are blistered and have released its juices.
5. Squeeze over some lime juice, stir and take off the heat.

Best served hot.

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Green Goodness

A combination of spinach, artichoke and leeks makes this simple, vegan main meal or side dish. Artichokes are one of my absolute favourite vegetables, there are so many things that you can do with it. Given the colder weather the hot food option consistently gets my vote. This also goes brilliantly with the Honey & Rum Glazed Gammon from last weeks recipe. An easy, one pan dish that takes a little amount of time to make, not too many ingredients and tastes delicious!

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 250g baby spinach, thoroughly washed
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1tbsp white
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. On medium heat, fry the leeks and garlic in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
2. Then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
3. Add the artichokes and fry together for 3-4 minutes.
4. Pour in the white wine and cook until it evaporates. 
5. Add the spinach and cook down. Once wilted, season again with salt and pepper and serve. 

Best served hot.

Honey & Rum Glazed Gammon

As we all prepare for our Christmas celebrations. For many of us, a meat dish of sorts takes centre stage at our dining tables. This roast gammon dish brings a combination of both sweet and savoury, showcasing the saltiness that this particular part of meat brings to the table and balancing that savouriness with some tangy sweetness.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 900g unsmoked gammon joint, boneless
• 2 medium size red onions, roughly cut into chunks
• 12 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 4 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 300ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 dried bayleaves
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp rum

For the glaze:

• 1 tbsp rum
• 1 tbsp honey

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4.
2. Remove the gammon joint from its packaging and leave for at least half an hour before starting the cooking process. Use a sharp knife to score the skin.
3. Put all the vegetables and bayleaves in a roasting tray, pour in the olive oil and fry on the stove on medium heat until lightly browned.
4. Deglaze with 2tbsp of rum, season with pepper and cook until liquid evaporates on a low heat.
5. Add the gammon joint, placing it in the centre of the roasting tray. Take the rum and honey glaze and brush on the skin and on the sides of the meat.
6. Pour in the stock and then bring to a gentle boil.
7. Move the tray into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then glaze the skin again. Do this another 2 times every 30 minutes (Total cooking time 1 hour and a half).

Best served with roast potatoes.

Rum Cake

It’s December and Christmas is just around the corner, I am SO excited and love the time leading up to the big day. This cake is so spongy, moist and delicious, just so so good. You can definitely taste the sweet rum flavours in this. If you’d like it to be a bit more boozy add a few splashes more. Fabulously served with a hot cup of tea.

Ingredients:

• 120g self raising flour
• 120g caster sugar
• 120g butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1tsp baking powder

Syrup

• 3 dessert spoons of rum (I used Captain Morgan’s spiced rum)
• 1 tsp caster sugar.

Icing:

• 125g icing sugar (plus extra for dusting)
• 2 dessert spoons of milk
• 1 dessert spoon of rum
• a splash of vanilla extract
• sprinkles (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4.
2. In a bowl add all the ingredients. Using a hand whisk combine the cake mixture to make a batter. 
3. Line a 9 inch circular baking tin with baking parchment and pour in the cake mixture.
4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Whilst in the oven make the syrup by combining the caster sugar and rum, then leave to one side. Using a knife or skewer check if the cake is cooked if the utensil comes out clean then remove from the oven.
5. Use a toothpick to gently pierce holes at the top of the cake while it is hot. Then pour over the rum syrup, making sure it has covered all of the cake. Leave to absorb the juiciness and cool.
6. Once the cake has cooled, flip it upside down. 
7. In another bowl combine all the ingredients from the icing list (but the sprinkles) thoroughly. Then evenly pour and spread this over the cake. You’ll find that this is a thinner kind of icing. Then leave the sponge to absorb this sweet concoction. 
8. When the icing has soaked in but not dried, decorate with your choice of sprinkles. I’ve gone for a more Christmassy looking cake, hence the holly and the festive colours but go to town and make that cake look cute and pretty.
9. Finally, dust over with some icing sugar.

Enjoy 🙂