The Culinary Architect: Twist on after-Thanksgiving dinners

The Island Now

The day or two after Thanksgiving my family loves to eat turkey pot pie. 
However, why does it have to be the unctuous cream loaded version with peas and carrots? 
Haven’t you eaten enough at Thanksgiving? 
I researched different types of French and Italian “pies” and came up with the following recipe. 
It uses unami flavored mushrooms — 10 ounces of mushrooms only have 60 calories.
The recipe also includes Marsala wine, which gives it an Italian bent. 
Add a healthy green leafed salad with vinaigrette dressing and you have a delicious meal that uses your Thanksgiving Turkey to the fullest.  
I promise you that you will love this recipe so much that you will want to serve it often — just substitute roasted  or rotisserie chicken for the turkey.  
This, too, will become your traditional way to use turkey left-overs in your home.
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Serves 6
Healthier Turkey Pot Pie
Green Leaf Salad*
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
Vinaigrette
A Healthier
Turkey Pot Pie

1 tblsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, 
chopped finely 
10 oz. mushrooms, such as 
button or cremini, thickly 
sliced
3 tbls Wondra flour
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika 
(I like Penzey’s)
Salt and ground black 
pepper
1 lb. boneless leftover 
Turkey shredded into 
chunks (or chicken)
2 tblsps. butter
1 cup homemade  chicken 
broth
1/2 cup of dried wild 
mushrooms soaked in 3/4 
cup of Marsala in the 
refrigerator
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, beaten with 1 tblsp. 
water
1.  Heat oil over medium heat and add the onions and cook, stirring often, until  the onions are softened. Then add the button mushrooms.  Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are browned and slightly softened.
2.  Now add the wild mushrooms and the Marsala, stir. Add butter and melt over medium heat.  Add turkey and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in Wondra and stir. Pour in stock,  Scrape bottom of the pan and let simmer about 5 minutes, until thickened.  Taste for salt, pepper and  adjust the seasonings.   Heat oven to 400 degrees.
3.  Transfer turkey and sauce to a 9-inch round pie dish or 8-inch square baking dish, sprayed with oil.  Drape puff pastry over filling, making a few slits of decorative holes on top.  tuck edges down around filling and brush crust with egg wash.  Place on a baking sheet to catch any overflow before transferring to oven.
4.  Bake until crust is browned and filling is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.
Let cool slightly, at least 10 minutes before serving with a big spoon.  
Extra Virgin
Olive Oil Vinaigrette

1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar
1 cup best quality olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 pinch sugar
1.  Mix vinegars and olive oil together in a tightly capped jar.  Shake.  Add seasoning and shake vigorously.  Serve with green leaf salad.
Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 32-year old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties.  
For more photos and presentation follow Culinary Architect Catering on Facebook. 
Please email me photos of your dishes at party@culinaryarchitect.com.
The Culinary Architect: Twist on after-Thanksgiving dinners

By Alexandra Troy

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