Is it too early to talk holiday leftovers? We’ve got ideas for a remix

Tyra Morrison, a pastry chef and member of theGrio family, makes the best of holiday leftovers with two recipes perfect for gatherings.

With less than a week to go before Thanksgiving, you may already be craving the holiday meal, looking forward to much-beloved seasonal classics on your plate. However, the best part of the holiday dinner is that it often keeps going, meaning its leftovers are equally worth looking forward to.

That said, you don’t have to settle for just making another plate; those leftovers can take on new life with just a few simple tricks — or you can breathe new life into your holiday traditions altogether. TheGrio.com social media producer Tyra Morrison, also a Los Angeles-based pastry chef and creator of the online platform “Tyra’s Table,” has two delicious suggestions for remixing your holiday recipes this year, with fellowship as the focus.

“I come from a family where we all grew up on the same street,” explains Morrison, who hails from Saint Francisville, Louisiana. “So I think fellowship is everything for my family. And since I’ve moved away, I’ve been craving that a lot more, and it’s shifted my perspective on the holidays and why fellowship is so important. Coming together over food, I’m able to catch up on what I’ve missed over the last 10 months since I wasn’t home for the last Christmas or last Thanksgiving. And in a nutshell, I would say that fellowship is literally everything. It’s the bloodline that kept us together when I was growing up.”

For Morrison, that includes creating fellowship with her friends and chosen family in L.A.

“I just pick what’s most important to me, and I share it with my chosen family,” she says. “So I think the first step in that is really realizing what [traditions] you wanna keep alive and thinking about the people who are around you, and invite them in and share it with them.”

Two recipes that have proven showstoppers at both Morrison’s Louisiana and Los Angeles tables are her shrimp and corn soup and cranberry sticky wings, recipes she considers “catch-alls” because they can be created from elements of the holiday meal.

“I’m from Louisiana … we always have seafood in the house, right?” she says. “So I wanted to highlight something other than gumbo that we can enjoy that’s savory, and it’s warm and inviting and something that you can make a big old pot of and everybody sit around the table and fellowship over.” 

As for the cranberry sticky wings, Morrison explains, ”I think a lot of people, after [the holidays], will get rid of their cranberry sauce. But specifically, I like to extend the life of my holiday-specific side items like cranberry sauce. It’s not really something you eat year-round.” While home for Christmas last year, a little experimentation resulted in a new way to elevate the often controversial side dish.

“I made these wings,” she says, “and they were a showstopper for the rest of the holiday season while I was at home.”

The best part? After the often labor-intensive holiday dinner, Morrison promises these two follow-up meals are surprisingly low-maintenance.

“I think these recipes are really accessible to most people. The shrimp and corn soup, it’s basically a dump-in-a-pot and let it go — and add seasonings as you want,” she tells theGrio. “The wings? Those are easy. You can bake them, or you can fry them.”

“Honestly, these recipes are inspiration,” Morrison advises. “They’re inspiration, and then you just tailor it to your taste buds.”

Shrimp and corn soup

Warm, comforting and packed with flavor, this Shrimp and Corn Soup is perfect for satisfying cravings on a chilly day.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
2 cups fresh Creole seasoning (onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, parsley, green onion)
2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water to create a slurry
1 can (15 ounces) creamed corn
1 pound shrimp
2 teaspoons liquid crab boil
2-4 tablespoons Creole seasoning

Garnish: Green onion; bacon bits

Instructions:

Sauté vegetables and shrimp: In a large pot, melt the butter and sauté the fresh Creole seasoning (onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, parsley, green onion) and fresh corn until softened. Add the shrimp and crab boil, then remove the shrimp once cooked and set them aside.

Prepare soup base: To the pot, add salt, pepper, heavy cream, milk, creamed corn and Creole seasoning. Cook down for 10 minutes over medium heat.

Create slurry and thicken: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the soup, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the soup thickens.

Add shrimp: Add the cooked shrimp back to the pot right before serving. Allow them to heat through.

Garnish and serve: Garnish the soup with fresh green onions and bacon bits. Serve hot, and enjoy with crusty bread.

Cranberry sticky wings 

Ingredients: 

Sauce:

1 cup cranberry sauce
1/2 cup Tiger Sauce
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Breaded wings:

Seasoned flour:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere’s seasoning

Seasoned chicken:
1 pound party wings
1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g., avocado)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons lemon pepper (no salt)
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Frying:
350°F (175°C) oil for frying 

Instructions:

1. Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, combine cranberry sauce, tiger sauce, sweet chili sauce, melted butter, lemon pepper seasoning and cayenne pepper (if using). Mix well. You can leave it chunky for texture or blend it for a smoother consistency. 

2. Bread the wings: In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch and your choice of seasoning (Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere’s). In another bowl, toss the party wings with neutral oil, salt, pepper, lemon pepper (no salt) and garlic powder. Coat each seasoned wing with the flour mixture. 

3. Fry the wings: Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry the wings for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.

4. Toss in cranberry sticky sauce and serve: In a large bowl, toss the fried wings in the prepared cranberry sticky sauce until evenly coated. Serve immediately, and enjoy your delicious Cranberry Sticky Wings!

Note: Adjust the cayenne pepper to your spice preference, and feel free to garnish with additional lemon pepper seasoning or chopped herbs for extra flavor.

Growing up in the Deep South, Tyra Morrison, the creative force behind Tyra’s Table, cultivated a passion for crafting dishes embodying her childhood’s warmth and flavors. ‘Food’ is synonymous with “Fellowship” for Tyra; more than sustenance, it’s art, expression, and vulnerability. She finds pride in remixing her great-grandmothers’ recipes, paying homage to her roots and creating enchantment through every dish.

Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrio’s newsletter. 

The post Is it too early to talk holiday leftovers? We’ve got ideas for a remix appeared first on TheGrio.