It’s with a heavy heart that I say it’s time to let go of the stodgy Christmas treats and get back into the swing of an everyday diet, I’d love to spend the rest of my days having a side of double cream with almost everything but unfortunately that’s just not viable.

So, if you’ve still got some of that precious brown turkey meat waiting to be used up I have the perfect recipe for you to help you climb (perhaps reluctantly) back onto the healthy wagon. This is a delicious, fresh and zingy meal to wake up your desire to eat well again, I hope you all enjoy it! If you’ve used up all your turkey, this would work just as well with some cooked chicken.

Serves 2

100g leftover brown turkey meat
2 tbsps smoky spice mix (I used this one)
50g hazelnuts, chopped

2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar (or lemon juice, something acidic!)
1 tbsp honey

80g quinoa
1/2 cucumber, chopped roughly
small handful dried cranberries
zest + juice of 1/2 an orange
1 tbsp olive oil

1. First things first, get shredding that turkey meat. This can be a long job, you want real fine shreds to get maximum taste (you know how grated cheese tastes better? This is a lot like that, so it’s worth the extra effort).
2. Put the turkey in a non-stick frying pan with the spices and hazelnuts and toast on a low heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa and cover it with 400ml boiling water. Bring back to the boil and let simmer for 15-18 minutes.
4. Mix together the dressing ingredients (oil, vinegar, honey) and toss the turkey and hazelnuts in it.
5. Once the quinoa is cooked, drain it and add the orange juice and zest, the cucumber and the cranberries. Top with the dressed turkey and enjoy.

Your track recommendation for this recipe is DJ Earworm’s mash-up of 2014, I’d be lying if I said I love it but I think they’re always worth listening to ’cause he’s kind of a genius.

How did you use up your leftover turkey meat? Let me know in the comments!

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Thanks for reading x