Loving the feast after the feast

hLighten up turkey leftovers in a Caesar salad

Associated Press

This hearty Caesar salad with leftover turkey will be a refreshing change from the carb-heavy feasts of Thanksgiving. To save time, the croutons could be made ahead.

SHREDDED TURKEY AND ARUGULA CAESAR SALAD WITH GRILLED CROUTONS

1‚Ñ4 pound baby arugula (about 5 cups loosely packed), washed and dried

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

4 oil-packed anchovy fillets

2 large cloves garlic

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon black peppercorns

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt

4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

4 slices French baguette, cut 1 inch thick on an extreme diagonal

2 cups shredded cooked turkey

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

Heat a gas grill or the broiler. Place the arugula in a large bowl, then cover with a damp paper towel and refrigerate.

In a blender, combine the lemon juice and zest, anchovies, garlic, peppercorns, 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, the mustard and 1‚Ñ2 teaspoon salt. Blend thoroughly until most of the peppercorns are well broken up and the dressing is emulsified.

Add 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese and blend to incorporate. Leave the dressing in the blender.

Brush the bread with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, then season each slice with salt. Grill or broil the bread until dark around the edges and golden brown at the center, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

If desired, cut each bread slice into 10 cubes. The bread also can be served whole.

Pulse the dressing in the blender. Add a bit of the dressing to the arugula and toss to coat.

Divide the arugula among 4 serving plates and sprinkle with some of the remaining Parmesan.

In a medium bowl, toss the turkey with the remaining dressing, then divide it between the plates of arugula. Sprinkle with Parmesan and arrange the croutons and tomatoes around the salad.

Servings: 4.

(Recipe from “How to Cook a Turkey and All the Other Trimmings,” by the editors of Fine Cooking magazine, Taunton Press, 2007)