Leftover Turkey Sandwich with Miso Mayo

I fell down a rabbit hole yesterday. It started when I remembered that Brad and I had a blog from when we first moved to Tokyo. At first, I just wanted to read the posts from Thanksgiving in 2008 but then I just couldn't stop. I'm thankful that we started The White's in Tokyo and were able to document some of our earliest thoughts and feelings after moving to a brand new country that we had never been to before. Truthfully, I had forgotten a lot about those first days, weeks and months when everything- even a trip to the grocery store- was so new and different from anything I'd known before.

After so much reminiscing about Thanksgiving in Japan, this leftover turkey sandwich seemed even more appropriate to post this week. The sandwich is simple and combines traditional Thanksgiving flavors with one of my favorite Japanese ingredients: miso. It's subtle and marries perfectly with thickly sliced roasted turkey and tangy cranberry sauce. The day after Thanksgiving usually leaves me feeling anything but healthy, so I added some beautiful green kale as well.

The result is a sandwich that perfectly closes out Thanksgiving week (or carries it on through the weekend).

There isn't really a "recipe" except for the miso mayo, so I've included that below along with how I built my sandwich. What's going on your leftover turkey sandwich?

Leftover Turkey Sandwich with Miso Mayo

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons shiro (white) miso
• 2 slices country bread
• 2 tablespoons miso mayo
• 3 slices leftover roasted turkey
• 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
• 2 kale leaves, rib removed

Instructions

1. Combine the mayonnaise and miso in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
2. Spread each slice of bread with miso mayo.
3. Spread the cranberry sauce on one slice of bread and top with the kale and turkey.
4. Top with the second slice of bread and cut the sandwich in half.
5. Serve immediately.

Apple Crisp with Maple Syrup & Pomegranate

For our first Thanksgiving in Japan, I made apple crisp. We didn't have an oven, so I ended up putting 2 very small pans of apple crisp in our fish oven which is essentially a tiny broiler. I cooked the apples on the stove-top, put them in 2 pans that would fit in the fish oven, and topped them with butter, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. With the fish oven on it's very lowest setting, I carefully cooked the crisp until the topping was a splotchy golden brown and only burned in a couple spots. I was pretty pleased that I didn't burn our tiny apartment right to the ground.

Let's just say that I don't take my apple crisp for granted these days. It's always been one of my favorite desserts, but after finding out how difficult apple crisp was to replicate in Japan, I seem to have grown even more fond of it. Having a regular sized oven that cooks more than a single fish is helpful, too.

If you're in charge of bringing a dessert for Thanksgiving, this is a great option. It's easier than making a pie but just as delicious. The addition of maple syrup and bright pomegranate seeds makes it a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy.

Apple Crisp with Maple Syrup & Pomegranate

Ingredients

• 5-6 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices(I prefer a combination that includes granny smith and another sweeter variety)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 stick of cold butter, cut into 12 slices
• Maple Syrup
• Pomegranate Seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. Add the apple slices and toss to combine.
3. In another bowl, combine the oats with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Add half of the butter, using your fingers to work it into the dry ingredients until almost completely incorporated (you shouldn't have many dry places).
5. Next, spread the apples in a buttered baking dish and top with the oat topping.
6. Place the remaining butter slices over the topping.
7. Bake until the top is golden and crisp and the filling is bubbly, about 35-45 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the crisp to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
9. Serve topped with maple syrup and pomegranate seeds.

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

Last week, while the snow was falling outside my kitchen window, I made cookies. As I measured, stirred, shaped, and baked, I thought of Minnesota mornings when I was growing up. I would wake up and the light coming through my bedroom window would be different. It was a cleaner, softer white than that of a sunny fall morning. This was before the time of smart phones and before I cared much about watching the weather forecast on TV, so I never knew what I would wake up to. The morning after the first substantial snow of the season was filled with feeling of joy and excitement that is difficult to replicate as an adult. From there, my mind went to making snow men in the yard, drinking hot chocolate with mini marshmallows floating on the top and slowly turning to foam, and the smell of firewood coming from the fireplace. It's been a long time since I've experienced a snow like those of my childhood, but last week was pretty close.

There is something endlessly magical about waking up to a world where the usual street noise is muted and everything is covered in white. For me, it is comforting and makes me feel at home. I know a lot of people (perhaps some of you who are reading this right now) despise the snow and cold and driving in all of the winter weather. I wish I could help you remember what it is you loved about the snow as a child. If you didn't grow up with snow, perhaps you can think back to the first time you saw it. So much beauty. So much peace. So much joy.

These cookies make me think of the first snow. Deep, dark chocolate dough is shaped into a ball and tossed in some powdered sugar. As the cookies bake, they spread ever so slowly, revealing cracks that peak through the bright white surface. It's a little like the grass that barely peaks through the fresh snow as it piles up that first time.

I think we should all make these cookies. Let's bake them for our friends, neighbors, children, parents...and as we bake, let's think about what gave us joy as children that we tend to overlook as adults. It can't hurt, right?

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 egg whites
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Put the dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Working in 20 second intervals, melt the chocolate. Stir after each 20 seconds until the chocolate is smooth.
4. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
5. With the mixer running on low, slowly add 1 cup of the powdered sugar. Beat until combined.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, corn starch, salt and another cup of the powdered sugar.
7. Gradually add the cocoa mixture to the egg whites with the mixer running on low. Beat until combined.
8. Fold in the melted chocolate until incorporated. The dough will be dry and stiff but that's a good thing.
9. Place the remaining powdered sugar on a small plate.
10. Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll in the powdered sugar and place on your parchment lined baking sheet. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart.
11. Bake until the cookies begin to crack on the top, 8-10 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet.
13. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Cocktail Friday: Spiced Rum & Cranberry Old Fashioned

It snowed here yesterday. It wasn't the big wet flakes I expected; instead, we experienced a pretty, delicate snowfall thanks to chilly temperatures that made me feel like I was home in Minnesota. My heart was happy watching the flakes float slowly through the air, turning the ground a soft white. Finally, after feeling like I would never get into the spirit of the season, the snow brought what my soul needed. Riley

Also, it made me realize that some people just shouldn't drive when it's snowing because they forget how. That's all I'll say on that subject except for BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

With the white snow and cloudy skies, it seems like the perfect excuse to make a brilliantly colored and flavorful cocktail. This Spiced Rum & Cranberry Old Fashioned uses a little bit of the syrup from my homemade cranberry sauce. The spicy ginger, warm cloves, bright citrus and tangy cranberries are the perfect mate for spiced rum. You may be wondering what on EARTH rum is doing in an Old Fashioned. You're right- it isn't traditional. But the formula for an Old Fashioned is this: spirit + bitters + sugar + water. That's it. Makes you want to play around a little, doesn't it?

When I make an Old Fashioned, I let the ice act as the water. It melts a little as you stir it with the spirit, bitters and sugar, which is really all you need. If you want more water, go ahead and add it.

This is a great cocktail for Thanksgiving because it incorporates a lot of the flavors from other dishes; using aromatics like rosemary, cloves or cinnamon with your turkey? Serving my homemade cranberry sauce? Putting a cinnamon and brown sugar topping over your sweet potatoes? This cocktail is the perfect precursor to all of that and more. It's equally as delicious on any old day when you are feeling thankful for a quiet evening at home with family and friends.

This cocktail recipe concludes my week of cranberries! Stay tuned next week for a fantastically easy apple dessert and a delicious leftover turkey recipe!

Spiced Rum & Cranberry Old Fashioned

Ingredients

• 1 ounce cranberry syrup from [this recipe: http://rachaelwhite.me/homemade-cranberry-sauce/]
• 1 1/2 ounces spiced rum
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 5 dashes bitters
• 1 strip of orange zest for garnish
• 1 rosemary sprig for garnish
• 2 or 3 fresh (or frozen) cranberries for garnish.

Instructions

1. Combine the cranberry syrup, spiced rum, brown sugar and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add ice and stir for about 30 seconds. Pour the cocktail through a strainer into a cocktail glass filled with ice. Serve garnished with the orange zest, cranberries and rosemary sprig.

Cranberry Turnovers with Cinnamon Glaze

I love this time of year. Even though the trees have lost their colorful leaves and there is no snow on the ground (yet) to cover the many shades of brown, I find myself feeling thankful for the cooler air, the clear, bright blue skies, and the feeling that everyone is cozying up with their families filling their bellies with comforting foods and curling up under warm blankets. In our own home, I'm watching Riley make the transformation from baby to toddler to little boy. His sweet snuggles are few and far between because, let's face it, there are more exciting things to do. But the way he says mommy melts my heart to a gooey puddle on the floor. The overriding emotion I have is, appropriately, thankfulness for all of these things and much more. My heart is full.

This is the first Thanksgiving in 5 years that I haven't hosted. It's kind of a strange feeling because typically this time of year is filled with menu planning, cleaning, and usually trying to tackle a random house project that probably isn't necessary but seems like a good idea at the time. I think I am a bit of a bite-off-more-than-I-can-chew type of person in that respect. Not hosting thanksgiving has also made it a little harder to get in the holiday spirit. My sister and I have always been the worst offenders when it comes to listening to Christmas music too early. Not so for me this year. One of our neighbors put up their Christmas lights last weekend and I said to Brad, "Can you believe they already have their lights up?" When he reminded me that Thanksgiving was mere days away I went into a little bit of shock and tried to force myself into the holidays by having a peppermint mocha, a Christmas Ale, and listening to a little Christmas music. No, not all at once.

Making these delicious cranberry turnovers with cinnamon glaze may have worked better than any other attempt to prepare for the upcoming holiday season. The bright color of the cranberry filling (which is actually the cranberry sauce from Monday's post here) and the warm cinnamon icing created a lovely dessert full of seasonal flavors. Store-bought puff pastry folded into triangles and baked to a beautiful golden brown makes for an easy and beautiful dessert for Thanksgiving. Or breakfast for whenever. I won't judge.

This is a perfect way to bring a little Thanksgiving into your home even if you aren't hosting. So, whip up a batch of cranberry sauce (it only takes about 15 minutes), followed by these turnovers, and ending with a cocktail coming your way on Friday! Who knew cranberry sauce could do so much? I'm thankful for you, cranberries.

Cranberry Turnovers with Cinnamon Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 cup chilled cranberry sauce (recipe here)
• 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry sheets and cut each sheet into 4 squares.
3. Place the squares on a parchment lined baking sheet (use two baking sheets if you need to).
4. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the cranberry sauce in the center of each pastry square. Fold the pastry over the filling to form a triangle.
5. Seal the edges with a fork.
6. Brush the tops of the triangles with the heavy cream.
7. Use a sharp paring knife to cut 3 slits in the top of each turnover.
8. Bake the turnovers until they are puffy and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
9. While the turnovers are baking, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside.
10. Remove the turnovers from the oven and let cool slightly.
11. Transfer the turnovers to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.
12. Drizzle with the glaze and allow them to cool for at least 5 more minutes before eating.
13. The turnovers can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature. They are best when enjoyed within 2 days.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

During our 4 years in Japan, we celebrated Thanksgiving with our multicultural group of friends who became our family in Tokyo. For some, Thanksgiving was not a part of their holiday calendar, so we had the unique experience of giving people their first taste (literally) of this holiday. The first year, I attempted to cook everything by myself in a tiny kitchen with no oven. To make it even worse, I wouldn't let anyone help with the dishes after dinner. Instead, I hid all the dirties under the kitchen sink and waited until everyone left to clean up. Rookie mistake.

There was also a situation involving a 20+ pound turkey and a bicycle. More on that at a later date. And if you're lucky, I'll share the video documenting the insane logistics of pulling off a Thanksgiving celebration in Tokyo without an oven or, perhaps more importantly, a car.

One of the dishes I handed off after that first fateful Thanksgiving was cranberry sauce. To be honest, I'm not sure we even had it the first time around. Our friend Danny took on the sauce-responsibility and reminded me that cranberry sauce does not need to look like a congealed metal can mold, complete with ridges and an eery jiggle. Cranberry sauce can in fact be very beautiful and full of wonderfully fresh, complex flavors to offset the heavy, rich offerings Thanksgiving brings.

Danny always put ginger in his cranberry sauce, which I have also done with the recipe sharing today. I kept it pretty simple, adding only whole cloves for spice, a couple strips of orange zest, and a sprig of rosemary. To keep a little bit of Japan present at our table, I added sake as the main liquid. The sake is mild, which is nice because it does not overwhelm or hide the other flavors. Instead, it brings them out even more.

I'm thankful for the Thanksgiving meals we shared with our friends in Japan. The memories we made are always with me, reminding me that there is always a reason to be thankful no matter where you are or who you're with.

So to kick off this week of Thanksgiving recipes, and to give a shout out to our Tokyo family, here is a cranberry sauce recipe that is easy, flavorful and acts as the base for recipes to come on Wednesday and Friday this week. So stay tuned! More to come!

I would recommend reserving some of the liquid just after the sauce is done cooking. I'll be using it in a cocktail later this week that I think you'll enjoy!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh cranberries
• 1 tablespoon ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2/3 cup sake
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1/4 fresh orange juice plus the orange zest (in strips rather than grated)

Instructions

1. Wrap the cloves, rosemary, and orange zest strips in a piece of cheesecloth tied together with kitchen twine.
2. Combine the cranberries, ginger, sake, sugar, and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to combine.
3. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries have burst and begun to shrivel just slightly.
4. Using a spoon, remove about 1/4 cup of the liquid from the saucepan. Store in an airtight container for use in a cocktail (recipe coming Friday)! (optional)
5. Remove the cheesecloth packet and discard.
6. Pour the cranberry sauce into a serving bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. The sauce can be made and stored up to 3 days ahead.