Last month Dr. Chong placed top 3 in Culinaire (Calgary) magazine’s “Leftover turkey, one dish recipe contest”, just in time for US Thanksgiving: an original recipe by AC. This hearty one dish meal goes well with your favorite starch, like cooked linguine pasta or organic steamed brown rice.
True to chiropractic and wellness philosophy is good healthy food. Good food nourishes our body with whole food ingredients. Consider using all natural ingredients and organic when practical to do so.
A very useful guide to choosing safe fruits and vegetables for your family can be found at www.foodnews.org. There are a few surprising bad listed fruits and veggies on that list. The “Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen” was introduced to me by the volunteers at www.greencalgary.org. Check it out. Keep your internal environment as clean and healthy as possible by becoming more aware of what you eat. Live Fresh! Cook well!
Turkey and Vegetable Ragout
- 16 oz cooked turkey meat – cut into 1” cubes (when using fresh turkey, brown meat after the bacon step)
- ¾ cup onions – medium diced
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- ¾ cup carrots– medium diced
- ¾ cup celery– medium diced
- 1 cup fennel bulb– medium diced
- 1 ½ cups raw pumpkin – 1” cubed
- 1 tablespoon parsley root– finely diced
- 2 strips thick sliced, double smoked bacon–cross cut into 1/4’” pieces
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 2 teaspoons cooking coconut oil
- ½ oz dried porcini mushrooms – rehydrated in ½ cup warm water, slice thinly, add to reserved liquid
- 1 tablespoon cream sherry
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Method
In a 4 L deep skillet, brown the bacon, butter and coconut oil over medium heat until bacon is lightly browned and fat rendered (about 5 minutes).
Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and fennel and sauté, stirring frequently until vegetables are lightly caramelized (about 10 minutes). Add sherry and white wine, deglazing the pan. Add remaining ingredients except pumpkin and cream. Cover and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to a low braising simmer; partially cover with lid to allow evaporation. Continue cooking at low temperature until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup (about 40 minutes).
Stir in raw pumpkin. Cook covered over medium heat until pumpkin is just done through (about 10 minutes). Stir occasionally to continue to reduce liquid to about ½ cup (another 5 minutes).
Remove from heat and immediately fold in heavy cream. Do not over mix.
Serve with a lightly seasoned starch such as brown rice, egg noodles, or leftover mashed potatoes. This deliciously hearty and savoury ragout is a great way to use leftover turkey and pumpkin and is a healthy one dish, perfect for autumn eating.
Original recipe by Dr Alan Chong, Centre for Chiropractic Care www.centreforchiropractic.ca
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