Then there is always Christmas turkey leftovers...

One very good soup with spare turkey and wild rice and one excellent, non-traditional Afgani recipe that can be a side or main dish.

CREAM OF WILD RICE AND TURKEY SOUP
Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup wild rice
2 carrots, diced fine
1 onion, diced medium
2 celery ribs, diced medium
8 large mushrooms, diced medium
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sage
6 cups turkey or chicken broth
1 cup white wine

¼ cup potato flour
1 cup cream or ½ and ½
3-4 cups cubed cooked turkey
Salt and pepper

Add olive oil and butter to a large (at least 1 gallon) heavy bottomed pan or stockpot. On medium high heat add rice and cook stirring until it begins to pop, about 5 minutes. Then add carrots, onions and celery and cook until they are soft. Add mushrooms, thyme and sage and cook until mushrooms are soft. Add the broth and wine and reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 1 hour.

Combine the potato flour and cream in bowl and whisk until it is smooth. Slowly whisk this mixture into soup. Add turkey and simmer until soup is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

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KADU (AFGHANI WINTER SQUASH DISH) The Vegetarian Option Follows.....

Squash:
1 medium butternut squash (Afghanis use a small sugar pumpkin) cut into 1-2 inch pieces
3 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar

Steam the squash until just cooked (not fall apart soft), remove from steamer and add to water boiling with honey and sugar, reduce to simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Let stand in honey water until ready to serve, then drain off liquid.

Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon minced garlic, 3-4 cloves
1/2 cup minced onion or 1/4 cup dried onion
1 pound ground lamb (turkey, chicken or beef will do if you can't find ground lamb, but lamb tastes more authentic)
1 teaspoon ginger root, grated
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounce tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil, add the ground meat and cook until it is done. Add all the other ingredients and simmer together for 20 minutes.

Topping:
1 cup thick Greek yogurt (FAGE type)
1-2 tsp minced mint, dried or fresh
Combine the two ingredients.

To serve: to the drained squash top with tomato/lamb sauce and top that with yogurt and mint.

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VEGETARIAN KADU (AFGHANI SQUASH DISH)

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium butternut squash (Afghanis use a sugar pumpkin) cut into 2 inch pieces
3 cups boiling water
½ cup honey
1 cup sugar

Steam the squash until just cooked, not soft. In another pan boil the water with honey and sugar. Add the steamed squash and reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers uncovered for 5 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and let stand in honey water until ready to serve, then drain off liquid.

Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 Asian eggplant, diced into ½ inch cubes
2 teaspoon minced garlic, 3-4 cloves
1 teaspoon ginger root, grated
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces tomato sauce

Fry the onion in the oil until softened. Add the eggplant and fry until it is softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add all the other ingredients and simmer together for 20 minutes.

Topping
1 cup thick Greek yogurt (FAGE)
1-2 tsp minced mint
Combine the two ingredients.

To serve: To the drained squash add the tomato sauce and top that with yogurt and mint.