The spread of food that Thanksgiving calls for, is one that includes a lot of turkey that is bound to be left over, which is quite useful post the occasion. We can all agree to the fact that turkey meat is luscious, and probably a much-favored meat to devour than say chicken, or squab. After cooking that big hunk of turkey meat for Thanksgiving, it’s no surprise to have some of it still left the next day. For a classic turkey Tetrazzini recipe, using leftover turkey is great, because it’s already been cooked and seasoned.

Easy Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe with Cream of Mushroom Soup

Nothing is more perfect than a dish with the comforting presence of a creamy, cheese sauce that rounds up all the other elements thrown in. Let’s take a look at how you can transform a bunch of simple ingredients, into one of the tastiest casseroles ever concocted.

Ingredients Required:

1. 2 cups of broken spaghetti
2. ½ a teaspoon of celery salt (use regular salt if not attainable)
3. ½ a pimiento (red bell pepper)
4. A cupful of shredded cheese (Parmesan)
5. ½ a teaspoon of powdered pepper (white)
6. 1 can of undiluted mushroom soup (condensed cream)
7. ¾ cup of boiling water
8. 1 medium-sized onion (red/chopped)
9. Turkey leftovers (1 and a half cup per recipe)
10. ½ a cup of chicken stock

How to Get Started

The first thing that needs to be done, is boiling the spaghetti – using a large pot, dunk into this 3 cups of water, and wait for it to start bubbling. Slowly drop into this your broken spaghetti bits and then cover the lid – let it boil away on a medium flame. While that cooks, take a deep-dish tray and mix into this your mushroom soup, julienned/deseeded pimiento, turkey (shredded), chopped onion, pepper and salt. Once all the ingredients are well coalesced, add in the spaghetti after draining it.

[A quick tip on how to check if pasta is well cooked, is to take a bite of it and chew - if it sticks to your teeth, it still needs more time to cook, and if not - then it is all set to be drained and added to your dish preparation. It should in other words be, al dente]

Once you’ve added the spaghetti to the deep-dish tray, mix it all up so that the strands are coated with the mixture. Lastly, add the shredded cheese to the mix, making sure that it covers the top in an even, thick mesh. Slip the tray into the oven that’s been preheated to 350°F, and timed for 35 minutes.

Low-fat Turkey Tetrazzini Recipes

The classic turkey recipe usually involves the use of mushroom soup, to give the entire dish its unique creamy character, and of course cheese to create a heightened creaminess. Sometimes toasted breadcrumbs are added to the top of the dish before it is set to bake, to give the casserole a crunchy layer just as you sink your teeth in. Let’s now experiment with a heart (and tummy) friendly recipe, that is great for those who keep track of their calorie intake. Diabetics can indulge in this dish as well, where you wouldn’t have to think twice before you dig in.

Recipe 1

Ingredients Required:

1. ½ a packet of flat pasta (whole wheat, not refined)
2. Turkey leftovers (1 and a ½ cup/shredded)
3. 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
4. 1/8 teaspoon of salt
5. 2 tablespoons of unsalted/non-fat butter (softened)
6. ¾ cup of non-fat milk
7. 1 can of non-fat cream
8. ½ a cup of chicken stock
9. ½ a cup of non-fat sour cream
10. ¼ teaspoon of powdered pepper (white)
11. Crushed cardamom (4/black)
12. 2 tablespoons of dry wine
13. 1 can of sliced mushrooms
14. 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

How to Get Started

The first step is to of course boil the flat pasta, in 4 cups of water – wait for the water to boil over, before placing the pasta ribbons into it. Once the pasta softens (don’t overcook it), drain it and keep it aside in a big bowl (while draining it, douse the pasta in cold water before keeping it to one side, so that it doesn’t soften further). In a large nonstick pan, sauté the shredded turkey, mushrooms, garlic powder, dry wine, salt, butter, crushed cardamom and white pepper. Do this for about 4 minutes, making sure that you’re continuously tossing these about in the pan.

Once the mushrooms soften, slowly add into the pan the milk, cheese and sour cream – gently folding in all the ingredients in the pan. Pour into this, the chicken stock and then transfer the contents of the pan into a deep-dish tray, that’s been lightly greased with vegetable oil. Combine the flat pasta with this mixture, and then slip it into the oven that’s been preheated to 450°F, timed for 12 minutes.

Recipe 2

Ingredients Required:

1. ½ a packet of flat pasta (whole wheat, not refined)
2. Turkey leftovers (1 and a ½ cup/shredded
3. 5 cloves of garlic (peeled/crushed)
4. 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt
5. ½ a teaspoon of paprika
6. 1 cup of shredded cheese (Parmesan)
7. 2 tablespoons of unsalted/non-fat butter
8. 1 cup of broccoli (chopped)
9. 1 cup of fresh buttoned mushrooms
10. 1 cup of 1 inch French beans
11. 3 tablespoons of fresh, chopped black olives
12. ½ a cup of chicken stock

How to Get Started

Boil the flat pasta ribbons in 4 cups of water – the pasta should be added only once the water starts to boil. Using a nonstick pan, sauté the shredded turkey, mushrooms, French beans, crushed garlic and broccoli in the butter. Occasionally move the ingredients about using a wooden spoon, taking it off the flame after about 3 minutes. Empty the ingredients of the pan into a deep-dish tray, mixing into this the chicken stock, salt, paprika, olives and half a cup of the shredded Parmesan. Then add to this the pasta ribbons, bringing the two together before topping it off with the rest of the shredded cheese. Place this into the oven that’s been preheated to 450°F, and timed for 12 minutes.

These leftover turkey recipes can really come in handy for an altogether brand new dish, where those who eat it can really enjoy yet another feast of turkey. Use your imagination and creativity in the kitchen to whip up something, both scrumptious and healthy using the leftover meat, for family and friends to relish. Hearty eating!

So much for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) going after big banks. New analysis of the targets of the SEC have revealed that the commission rarely, if ever, actually seriously investigates the malfeasance and fraud of big bankers, instead choosing to go after small and middling bankers. One can only surmise that those at the top have the political clout to sidestep a few regulatory and legal land mines along the way, leaving their less well-established brethren to bear the brunt of the SEC’s aggressions.

This is, of course, a government agency that was entirely clueless during the subprime mortgage debacle, even with multiple individuals way smarter than anyone at SEC coming forth to try to explain the situation to them. No matter, despite a total lack of credibility and accountability, you can bet those in charge during the worst financial fraud of the country’s history are still drawing that comfy government salary (with nice benefits too, no doubt).

So it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that no real action is taking place here. Attorneys for the SEC claim they are bringing cases based on the evidence they have. Some, however, see things differently. Notes Duke University law professor James Cox, “There is an affirmative obligation of supervisors to supervise their subordinates, but not a hint of that here. What I see as a method of operation is big entity fines, but not holding any responsible person responsible, thereby robbing enforcement of substantial deterrent effects.” So, in effect, what Cox is saying is that the big banks are probably free to go ahead and pull another fast one on the American public, then get bailed out after the whole house of cards tumbles. Amazing that so little is being done even in the face of one of the most egregious instances of corporate malfeasance in U.S. history.

Almost every one of us has had to deal with one or the other kind of insecurities at some point of time in life. These feelings can take root very early in life, due to some instances that you may have encountered during the formative years. Childhood is a very vulnerable phase; the mind of a child is still developing and doesn’t have all its defense mechanisms in place. It is this time where certain circumstances can leave a lasting impression on the psyche. A feeling of insecurity can originate from various contributing factors like childhood trauma, lack of love, negligence, emotionally distant parents, peer pressure, etc. These circumstances make you feel insecure and low in self-worth and emotionally, can have a devastating outcome. If you feel that you are a victim of what happened in the past and want to know how to grow out of childhood insecurities, then read through the following paragraphs.

Dealing with Childhood Insecurities

Feeling extremely insecure and unsure of things, almost all the time, can emotionally drain you and make you lose interest in whatever you do. The basic precept to conquer the feeling of insecurity is to recognize and find its root cause. Making yourself face and solve it, is the key to deal with the matter. Once you are aware of the problem, then you can go ahead and sort out the issue. Childhood fears can stem from incidents like unhealthy comparisons between siblings, being bullied by classmates, physical, emotional or sexual abuse and a feeling of low self-esteem, etc. These incidents can create a huge impact on the child and make him withdraw into his shell. To conquer the mental blocks that arise because of these issues, it is essential to identify and deal, first, with the signs of insecurity and get rid of them, at the earliest. Here are some steps on how to overcome your childhood insecurities, and prevent them from messing up your life.

• The first and foremost thing needed for dealing with the feeling of insecurity, is to get to its root cause. There can be many triggers, which may have caused this feeling to take root in you. For this, you may have to analyze your childhood days, to find the exact reason. This will help in dealing with the problem, in an easier manner.
• The next step, is to confront the problem areas. At times, you may be unaware why you have this sense of insecurity. Confrontation always helps solve a number of issues by identifying the causes behind them, which in turn, can be worked on to find answers to them. When you actually analyze and get to the bull’s eye of the matter in hand, you may find that it was easier to sort out the issue, rather than face the brunt of its consequences.
• Chalk out an action plan, to help you fix the problem. Reason out, why the childhood concerns seem baseless and how they can be overcome. Maintain a journal to write down the attributes, which may help you in fighting these demons, as the stepping stones in the concrete course of action. Implement and believe that you can change the way you perceive things. You can also follow some paradigms to help boost your self-belief and confidence.
• Positive reinforcement is an encouraging factor, when it comes to dealing with childhood worries. Focus on the positive vistas of life, rather than concentrating on the negative. Surround yourself with positive aspects and people, who will help you forget the negativity from your past and help you stay away from stressful situations.
• Flush out the negativity from your life and work towards imbibing a sense of confidence. Boost your morale, by setting new challenges and overcoming the hurdles. Having a positive outlook about life makes a world of change especially, when it comes to dealing with childhood insecurities. Since, it is not possible to go back in time and change the incidents which caused your perspective to distort, you can at least work towards reducing their impact on your future.
• In the end, it’s YOUR life and you are the one who should be in control of it. Rather than letting someone from your past, influence what or who you should be, show your individuality and confidence. The past cannot be changed, but why ruin the present because of it? It’s time, you overcome negative feelings in your life and embrace the future with gusto.

These were some measures by which you can overcome your insecurities. Though challenging as it may seem to be, with the help of professional guidance and sheer determination, you can confront these demons successfully.