Culinary Secrets
with The Hills
Holiday Tips & Planned Over Recipes
By Maralyn Hill & Brenda Hill ‘The Tandem Tasters’

The season for feasting is nearly here. Our team plans to enjoy all of the festivities with pleasure but not with abandonment. There are many ways to celebrate the holidays with joy and without guilt. While we are all for a few guilty pleasures on occasion, you do not want to see us with a whole bowl of guacamole (not a pretty sight).

Recipes include:
Turkey Casserole       Turkey Stock

Tips from 'The Tandem Tasters': 
As chocolate judges, the Tandem Tasters have learned that one delectable morsel of French, Belgian or an Oregon homemade chocolate is usually better than a candy bar or a whole box.  Healthy indulgences are not an oxymoron.  We, as well as some spa experts, have a few tips for enjoying the holidays mindfully. We know that holiday celebrations are about more than food. They are cultural, spiritual and social.  We embrace all of the joys of celebrating. We used to cook for 4, now we cook for two. It is often difficult to cut certain holiday dishes in half. Plan for left overs, now we call them planned overs.

1. Our team loves wine, especially during the holidays. At home or at a party, we add ice and sparkling club soda to our glass of wine to make wine spritzers. These quench your thirst and you can indulge in more than one.

2. Another tip is to drink a tall glass of ice water before alcohol. Sometimes we drink more or consume faster because we are simply thirsty. Water slows down your pace.

3. Try to stay clear of the buffet table, mingle instead. Keep something in your hand to make it more difficult to grab food and drinks. We usually carry a camera, as it keeps us busy looking for great shots.

4. When you hit the buffet, browse first and then use a small plate for irresistible items.

5. We all love guacamole. We devoured one at Rancho La Puerta, in Tecate, Mexico, made by adding freshly grown organic peas. We never knew the ingredients until it was devoured. They also served crunchy, baked pita chips in place of taco chips. We were able to savor these instead of stuffing ourselves.

6. Immediately place planned over turkey into reusable bowls for another day or freeze with a label.

7. Be sure not to store turkey with stuffing, as this causes a negative bacterial reaction.

8. Try stuffing your turkey with quartered fruit and quartered onions. You will be shocked at the delicious flavor it imparts.

9. Consider making your stuffing in a casserole dish and be creative with the ingredients. Some good additions are sausage, cranberries, toasted pecans, oysters and, chestnuts.

10. Wash your hands continually while handling turkey or any poultry.

11.  If you use a wooden carving board, be sure it is steam cleaned afterwards.

12. Get back on the wagon. If you overdo one day, enjoy a healthy vegetable soup, yogurt or light dish the next day. Don't wait until "after the holidays" to cut down, as we used to do.

13. If you love cheese and Swiss cheese fondue as much as we do, especially on Christmas or New Years Eve, it is even tastier with less French bread. We pile on crunchy carrots, colorful red, green and yellow peppers, celery, cauliflower, pea pods, crisp pickle spears, and even strawberries, to dip into the smooth hot cheese. The fun lies in coming up with your own innovative and healthful creations.

14. What better way to use up the planned over bones from your big Thanksgiving big bird than turkey stock? We’ve added the recipe below.

15. We are adding some easy, light planned over turkey treats for those of us who live in warm climates or want to cut down after the feast. Take one of your favorite salad recipes and add or substitute chopped turkey. We all love a large wooden bowl of freshly prepared Cesar salad with the addition of turkey chunks on top. Remember Waldorf salad? Turkey pieces go perfectly with apple and nuts. The newer salad treat, chopped salad, is tastier by adding chopped turkey.

16. When our culinary team lived in rainy London or chilly Canada, Chicago, and New England, we had many planned over holiday recipes for hearty casseroles to share. An old favorite is below.

17. We like to pair these salads with lemonade, a crisp white Temecula Valley, California Sauvignon Blanc with apple tones such as Keyways, or an Italian Pinot Grigio.