All I can say is that I’m glad roast beef was on the menu. If it had been turkey, I’d have felt guilty to be sharing a meal with the its wild counterparts. You see, a family of 12 wild turkeys crashed breakfast on Sunday last, and then lunch the day after the solstice, and dinner on Christmas. With the dining table right in front of the window, and the bird feeders just outside, it was impossible to miss these glorious birds as they flocked in from the woods across the road to peck among the cracked corn, sunflower seeds, and other delights. After all, it IS bird seed, and the family of turkeys see no reason why size should matter.

I’m getting used to enjoying meals with the big birds who live in the woods across the road. They’re bold, but wary, always watchful as they cluck to one another while scratting in the snow with massive clawed—almost prehistoric—feet. Their heads, too, are prehistoric in appearance, naked but for short hair-like feathers, large eyes, and wrinkly skin. Wild turkeys are clever, fast, beautiful birds. If you’ve never seen wild turkeys up close, here are a few of the diners, fluffed up against the cold temperatures:

 
Look at those feet. Here’s a closer view:

 
Their feathers take on a variety of colors depending on the angle and tonality of light. In the next to photos the feathers are copper-colored:

 
Now, this is a face only a mother could love:

 
After they were through, they sped across the road and into the cover of a mixed woodland:

 
They left behind two things, though—turkey tracks:

 
And turkey scat:

 
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There are plenty of reasons to like roasted chicken, whether you roast it yourself, or let the deli man (or lady) at the HyperMart roast it for you. I’ve already extolled the virtues of store-roasted chicken for dinner on days when you’re in a hurry or just don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so I won’t plow old ground there. But I will say that you often get a bonus with roasted chicken, whether home-made or store-bought—leftover meat. While some people turn up their noses at leftovers, I don’t. Leftovers can be a treasure for anyone who can’t face an hour in the galley. That’s why, when I do spend a lot of time cooking a meal, I plan to cook enough food to have leftovers. And during the holiday season, you can be sure most of us will have an over-full refrigerator with the remains of feasts.

The secret to making leftovers into treasures is to know how to make them appetizing the second (or even third) time around. A quick pot pie is one solution. Another is to whip up a sauce. Don’t turn away. Sauces can be involved and fussy, or they can be easy. I’ve got one that’s easy. It’s also very flavorful, compliments many meats and vegetables, and can be made with the ingredients you’re likely to have on hand. So, if your Christmas dinner centerpiece was roast fowl, pork, beef, or a meatless masterpiece, consider livening up the leftovers with my maple-mustard sauce. Here’s what you need:

• • Small onion, diced fine
• • Olive oil
• • Two heaping tablespoons mustard (your choice of type)
• • Two tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
• • 1/4 cup maple syrup
• • About 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• • Fresh baby spinach or chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch skillet and immediately add the onions. Cook the onions until soft, and don’t let them burn. Remove from the heat. Using a fork, stir in the mustard, vinegar and syrup until smooth. Now blend in the broth. Return the skillet to the heat, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and let the sauce cook until slightly thickened. Taste for flavor, and adjust to suit by adding more mustard or syrup. If you like, in the last couple minutes of simmering, stir in a small bunch of fresh spinach or a quarter cup of chopped fresh parsley. These add a fresh flavor and pleasing color. The whole process shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes.

You can pour the sauce over reheated meat or vegetables and serve. If serving with meat, you can add slices of meat to the sauce as it simmers. This reheats the meat and keeps it moist, while infusing it with the sauce’s flavor. Try this sauce over reheated roasted potatoes, carrots, or roasted squash. It would even be delicious drizzled over leftover dressing or stuffing. Of course, you can also serve maple-mustard sauce with freshly roasted food, too. The photo below shows maple-mustard sauce served over leftover store-roasted chicken breast, which I simmered whole with the sauce for five minutes, then sliced on a diagonal after plating and before pouring sauce over. Makes my mouth water.

 
Give it a try and see if you don’t agree. Maple-mustard sauce. It can transform your leftovers from duds to delicious inside 15 minutes.

 
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