Recipe: Creating a real stir with some left-over Christmas turkey

THE problem with Christmas is, it doesn’t matter how many turkey sandwiches you seem to make, there’s always so much still left to eat after the big dinner is over!

So this weekend, I’m using some of it at least, for a fast stir fry that makes a change from all the rich traditional foods we eat this time of year.

Chinese egg noodles make a great base for a tasty stir fry, with veg of choice. I’ve suggested peppers, mushrooms and green beans, but don’t be afraid to swap and change for your own favourites. Also, this recipe serves four, but the amounts are easy to multiply if you have more than that to feed. You just might need a bigger pan!

A point to note is, I’m using concentrated black bean sauce here - this is not like the commercial ready made sauces. It’s a paste which you add one teaspoon at a time as it’s very intensely flavoured. You’ll find this concentrated paste under the Lee Kum Kee brand in SuperValu stores, and it makes a massive difference to the authentic taste than the commercial ‘pour over’ sauce brands.

CHRISTMAS TURKEY AND NOODLES

Ingredients (Serves 4)

3 tbsp light olive or or sunflower oil 

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, crushed 

1 fat finger of fresh rootginger, grated 

2 yellow peppers, seeded and in chunks

150g green beans, topped, tailed and chopped in lengths 

100g mushrooms, halved or quartered if large 

200g cooked turkey, in chunks or shreds 

Good dash soy sauce 

200mls chicken stock 

2 tsp concentrated blackbean sauce - or to taste 

300g medium egg noodles Juice of half a lime 

1 tbsp smooth peanut butter (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic, ginger and vegetables.
• Stir fry over medium heat for a few moments, till the veggies are beginning to soften.
• Add cooked turkey, soy sauce, stock and black bean sauce and bring to bubbling, stirring.
• Simmer gently while you cook the noodles according to instructions on the packet. These should only take a few moments to cook till tender but not sloppy.
• Drain noodles well and place into the pan with the turkey mix..
• Use a fork to mix them in with the veggies and turkey. Bring back to bubbling for a minute.
• Finish with a good squeeze of lime juice and 1 smooth peanut butter if using. Stir peanut butter to melt evenly. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt if needed.