Thanksgiving leftover turkey pot pie

This recipe assumes that you've got not only leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, but also leftover green beans, which we always seem to have. If you don't, snap fresh some green beans in half and blanche in boiling water for 4-5 minutes. This is a great way to use up those dried up carrots and potatoes and other nameless root vegetables that have been rattling around in the bottom of your crisper.

Crust:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4-1 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter until pea-sized pieces. Stir in water enough to hold dough to together. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to cover the filling.

Filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 cups carrot, 1/4" dice

1 cup onion, diced

2 cups mushrooms, diced

1 tsp crumbled sage

1 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste (~ 1 tsp each)

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups cooked turkey, diced

2 cups potatoes, peeled and 1/4 dice

2 cups cooked green beans

Saute carrot, onion, mushrooms and herbs in the butter until softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in flour and stir to coat, about 1 minute. Deglaze with wine and lemon juice. Add broth, stir, and add turkey and remaining vegetables. Simmer about 10-15 minutes, until thickened. Pour into a casserole that will hold at least 2 quarts (I like the filling to be somewhat shallow, to have a bigger crust-to-filling ratio.)

Roll out the crust and cover filling with it, allowing it to rest on top of the filling. Trim and crimp the edges around the edge of the casserole, and poke a couple of air vents into the top of the crust. Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes, will begin to bubble so you probably want to put a piece of tin foil under the pan to keep the bottom of your oven clean.

Note: if you are afraid of making pastry crust (you know who you are), this is also good covered with biscuit dough.

Bengali Green Beans with Mustard Seed and Almonds

1 pound green beans, broken into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon kalonji (nigella) seeds
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/4 medium onion, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
salt to taste

Garnish:
3 Tablespoons blanched slivered almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the beans and bring to a boil. Add the beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Boil for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the kalonji and mustard seeds, stir until they begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and saute until it begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add the cayenne and turmeric, stir a few times, add the green beans and lemon juice. Stir and cook until the beans are heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the black pepper and salt to taste.
Serve garnished with almonds.