A & E

Add a little curry powder to roasted turkey and cooked vegetables to transform Thanksgiving leftovers into a fun, tasty dinner.

I've used green beans in this recipe, but you can add any cooked vegetables you have on hand. Rice goes well with the curry sauce, but if you have leftover potatoes, serve those instead.

For this quick meal, I used supermarket curry powder. Prepared curry powder doesn't really exist in India; good cooks prefer to make their own blend using fresh ingredients. The curry powder found in the market should be used within three to four months. After that, it loses flavor.

The beaujolais nouveau has arrived; try that.

Quick Rice

• 2-3 quarts water

• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice

• 1 teaspoon canola oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring the water to a boil. Add the long-grain white rice and boil, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until a grain is cooked through but not soft. Drain the rice. Mix with the canola oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Makes 2 servings.

Curried Turkey

• 2 teaspoons canola oil

• 1/2 tablespoon curry powder

• 1 cup frozen diced onion

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove)

• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

• 3/4 pound cooked turkey breast, cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces (about 13/4 cups)

• 2 cups leftover green beans (or other vegetable)

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1 medium tomato cut into small wedges

• 1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the curry powder, onion, garlic and apple. Saute for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until absorbed, for about 30 seconds. Add the broth and simmer until thickened, for 2 minutes. Stir in the turkey, green beans, raisins and tomatoes. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot.

Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt and cinnamon, and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 456 calories (13 percent from fat), 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 109 milligrams cholesterol, 50 grams protein, 54 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams dietaryfiber, 407 milligrams sodium.

Linda Gassenheimer is a food writer for McClatchy Newspapers.

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