CURRIED PORK TURNOVERS

Even though these start with "leftover" pork, it is a sure bet there will not be any leftover turnovers! Crisp, juicy apples are an excellent complement to the curry and pork in these tasty morsels.

1 recipe Plain Flaky Pastry {recipe follows}
1/2 pound cooked pork, ground
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
1/4 pound mushrooms, cleaned and minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1 medium tomato, seeded and finely cubed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water {for egg wash}

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onions and garlic. Saute 3-4 minutes until they start to soften. Add the celery, mushrooms, and ginger. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are soft but not brown. Remove from the heat and add the pork, tomato, turmeric, salt, cumin, white pepper, parsley, and yogurt. Mix well. Set aside to cool.
Roll out the pastry and cut into 3-4" rounds. Place 2-3 teaspoons of filling in the center of the round. Brush the edges with the egg wash, fold over, and seal. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Continue with the remaining filling and pastry. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the remaining egg wash and bake in a 375-400 degree oven 20-25 minutes. Makes about 36 turnovers. If you have more filling than you need, it freezes well.

PLAIN FLAKY PASTRY

This is a light and flaky pastry that works well for tarts and savory turnovers.

1 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into chunks
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water one tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together. The dough may be used at this point, but it is easier to work with if it has been formed into a ball, covered with saran wrap and refrigerated

for one hour. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to 1/8" thick and slightly larger in diameter than the tart pan. Place the rolled out pastry in the tart pan and press to the sides. Do not stretch the dough to make it fit. Trim excess dough by pressing your thumb along the rim of the tart pan. Chill the pastry for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove pastry from the refrigerator, line with foil, and weight with beans or rice {this prevents the pastry from shrinking or puffing up while baking}.
For a fully baked shell: Bake 20 minutes, remove the foil and beans, and bake an additional 5 minutes until lightly browned.
For a partially baked shell: Bake 15 minutes, remove the foil and beans, and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes.

HAM LOAF MAKES GOOD USE OF LEFTOVERS.

HOW TO MAKE A LOAF.

A ham loaf requires ground ham, and meat grinders aren't the most popular kitchen appliance. The meat grinder attachment to a stand mixer is a worthwhile investment, but in a pinch, a food processor will do. Just remember, s food processor will be chopping the meat instead of grinding it, so the loaf may have a coarser texture than one made with ground ham.

Some butcher shops stock ground ham, and others will grind some for you on request, which means it is possible to make a ham loaf outside the leftover boundaries of a major ham-eating holiday. If you go searching for a recipe you're likely to find fairly simple ones that call for equal parts of ground ham and ground pork, with some eggs, bread or cracker crumbs and milk. These are fine, but for my taste, they lack a certain oomph, relying completely on the glaze for taste. The recipe I have developed calls for a bit more spice in the mix, as well as some quick cooking oats, which hold moisture better than bread crumbs.

Because leftover ham is typically on the dry side, ham loaf often isn't as moist as a good meatloaf, so the oats and the ground pork go a long way in adding moisture. I prefer a ratio of more ham to pork, but if you don't have a lot of leftover ham, using equal parts of ham and pork still will produce a fine loaf.

The rest is as simple as putting together a meatloaf. So give my recipe a try and don't be surprised if your friends start to wonder if you were originally from Pennsylvania.

HAM LOAF

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

1 3/4 pounds ground ham

1 3/4 pounds ground pork

1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1 small chopped onion

3 eggs, well beaten

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 cup milk, more if needed

For the glaze:

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

In a large bowl, combine ham, pork, oats, bread crumbs, and onion. Using clean hands, mix until combined.

Add allspice, pepper, dry mustard, yellow mustard and parsley to eggs and mix well with a fork. Add egg mixture and milk to meat mixture and continue mixing with hands until well combined.

Mixture should be moist and very soft. If too dry, add up to 1/2 cup of extra milk.

Form into one large loaf {or two smaller ones}. One large loaf should fit perfectly into a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine glaze ingredients and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Mixture will be thin.

Pour about one-third of glaze over ham loaf. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover and pour remaining glaze over loaf, basting frequently until glaze begins to get thick and sticky and ham loaf is browned and cooked through completely, about 30 minutes longer for a large loaf.

Note: Can be made with 1 1/2 pounds each of ground ham and pork. Raw ham loaf freezes well. Thaw loaf in refrigerator and bake according to instructions above.

Three Delicious Recipes for Leftover Steak...

Leftover steak can taste as good as the original-maybe even better. Here are a few ideas to turn your cooked steak into a tasty treat...
If you want to just rewarm the steak: Remove it from the refrigerator for a half hour so that it can come to room temperature. Then give it a quick flash saute in a lightly oiled pan or place it under the broiler for about two minutes. We usually do not recommend microwaving because it's too easy to overcook the steak, making it tough.

PAN-ROASTED STEAK QUESADILLA
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 8-inch flout tortillas
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
10 ounces cooked steak, cut into thin slices
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
Line a baking sheet with foil
Put one-half teaspoon of oil in a large, nonstick skillet, and place over medium heat. Add one tortilla to the skillet. Sprinkle one-quarter cup of shredded cheddar over the tortilla. Sprinkle half the diced onion and cilantro over the cheese, and top with half the steak. Sprinkle another quarter cup of cheese over the steak, and cover with a tortilla. Cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for one and a half minutes. Flip the tortillas, cover and cook one minute more, or until the cheese melts. Remove to the foil-lined baking sheet, and place in the oven until you finish the second quesadilla, following the process above.
Makes 2 servings.

THAI BEEF PASTA SALAD
1/4 pound fusilli {corkscrew} pasta, {about 1 1/2 cups uncooked}
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Thai peanut sauce
10 ounces cooked steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups washed salad greens
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces {about 1 cup}
1 cup pineapple cubes
2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook 10 minutes or according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, mix the mayonnaise and peanut sauce together in a large bowl. Drain the pasta in a colander, then add the pasta to the bowl along with the steak. Toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Line two dinner plates with the salad greens. Spoon the pasta and beef over the top. Place the red bell pepper and pineapple cubes over all, then sprinkle with peanuts and mint.
Makes 2 servings.

STEAK PITA POCKET
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped cucumber
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, drained
1/4 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large whole-wheat pita breads
1/2 pound cooked steak, in strips
1 cup diced tomato
Mix the cucumber, garlic, dill, onion, yogurt and sour cream together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toast the pita breads in a toaster oven to warm slightly. Cut the pitas in half, and spoon in half the yogurt mixture. Add the steak and tomato, and finish with the remaining yogurt sauce.

Makes 2 servings.

Lovin' Turkey Leftovers..

Buy a big Thanksgiving turkey this year because you will want plenty of leftovers to make these tasty post-holiday recipes. Be sure to make extra mashed potatoes for the yummy Turkey Casserole, too.

From hearty salads to easy turnovers and a simple casserole, there are plenty of delicious ways to finish off turkey leftovers, and keep the flavors of the holidays going.

Turkey Casserole..

Serves 6
4 cups leftover prepared stuffing, divided
4 cups {about 1 pound} coarsely chopped leftover cooked turkey
3/4 cup mayonnaise, divided
1/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups {about 6 ounces} shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray an 8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Spoon 2 cups of stuffing into the baking dish and top with turkey.
Combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise with the cranberry sauce and spread evenly over turkey.
Combine the remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise, potatoes and cheese in a large bowl.
Evenly spread this on top of the cranberry and mayonnaise mixture. Top it all with celery and remaining 2 cups of stuffing.
Bake 40 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

If desired, garnish with dried cranberries.

Blushing Cranberry and Pear Turkey Salad..

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce or cranberry relish
4 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 cups baby spinach leaves or mixed salad greens
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
1 medium pear, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and cranberry sauce, then set aside. In a large bowl, combine romaine, spinach and turkey. Just before serving, toss with the mayonnaise mixture. Top with pear slices, pecans and onion.
Garnish, if desired, with dried cranberries.
Serves 4

Turkey Turnovers

Serves 8
2 cups cooked turkey, shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese {about 4 ounces}, shredded
1 cup cooked broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 8-ounce packages refrigerated crescent rolls
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all of the ingredients except the crescent rolls in a large bowl.
Separate each package of crescent rolls into four squares; press diagonal perforations to seal.
Spoon the turkey filling onto the center of each square. Fold the dough diagonally over filling to form triangles and press edges firmly to seal.
Arrange the turnovers on a baking sheet and brush the tops lightly with additional mayonnaise.
Bake 12 minutes or until the turnovers are golden.
Serve warm.

Turkey Fiesta Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup salsa
6 cups romaine lettuce, torn
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup canned black beans, drained
1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced and drained
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
Tortilla chips
Combine the mayonnaise and salsa in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
Just before serving, toss with the mayonnaise mixture.
Serve tortilla chips
Serves 4
For more great ways to love your leftovers, visit http://www.hellmanns.com.