I have a fear – probably not a true phobia – but it can be unreasonable. I’m afraid when I have guests over for dinner that there won’t be enough. So I usually buy the biggest turkey, ham, or whatever. Then there are always leftovers.

Certainly some go to the freezer, but I have a few creative and tasty ways to disguise the leftovers too. Ham makes fabulous sandwiches; it adds delicious flavor to soups; and is a terrific start to a Cobb salad.

I like to pair it with pasta. Add it to macaroni and cheese and it makes a meal. Or add other fresh ingredients and it’s good enough to serve at the next dinner party.

Ham Pasta Salad
8 oz. rigatoni, ziti or penne pasta, cooked and drained
1 lb. cooked ham, cubed
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1 red onion, chopped
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

Combine all the above ingredients and dress with:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. wine vinegar
1 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk the dressing ingredients and toss with the ham and vegetables. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Like tuna and chicken, ham salad is great served in a sandwich, with crackers or on salad greens.

Ham Salad
2 c. cooked ham, small diced
1 hard-boiled egg, small diced
1/4 c. pickles, chopped
1/2 small onion, small diced
1 rib celery, small diced
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together, Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and serve.

Moving on to the leftover turkey, we had pizza Sunday night using leftover smoked turkey. I made my own dough, but frozen dough or pre-cooked pizza shells are available at most grocery stores.

Smoked Turkey Pizza
2 large onions, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 tsp. dried herbs like thyme and oregano
2 large pizza shells
3 c. cheese
3 c. smoked turkey, shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slow cook the onions in a tsp. of olive oil with the dried herbs, salt and pepper until they are tender and golden brown. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the pizza shells and spread evenly. Next, sprinkle on the cheese.

I used Monterrey Jack, but most other cheeses will work as well. (I wouldn’t recommend wasting a lovely smoked gouda since the flavor of smoked turkey would overpower all.)

Then spread the turkey over the shells and top with Parmesan cheese. If you are using pre-cooked shells, the pizza is ready when the cheese melts. If you made fresh dough or have thawed frozen shells, the pizza will take about 15 minutes to cook. Serve immediately with a side salad.

Hopefully you are inspired to create satisfying meals with your leftover turkey and/or ham. Never fear, both are great with those black-eyed peas you’ll be serving for good luck in the new year.

Last week I was given a couple of papayas that were very ripe and would have otherwise gone to waste. I’ve never used the fruit before, so I did some online research. The papaya, rich in vitamins A and C, is low calorie, fat and cholesterol free, and a good source of potassium and fiber. Sounds like a wonder fruit.

I sliced them open and found a beautiful bed of seeds. The shiny, dark and perfectly round seeds reminded me of small capers. They looked so interesting that I couldn’t throw them in the compost with the peels. I decided to save them and I’m happy I did.

Back online, I was delighted to learn that the seeds are also edible – recommended in small quantities – and contain an enzyme that aids in digestion and is often used for tenderizing meat.

I grilled both papayas and used them in the following recipes.

Papaya and Avocado Salad
2-3 avocados, peeled, seeded and sliced crosswise
1 papaya, peeled, seeded and sliced crosswise
1 Tbsp. honey
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Brush the papaya with honey and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side. Arrange on a serving dish with the avocado slices. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and use as a dressing to pour over the fruits.

Chicken, Peaches and Papaya
2 lbs. chicken breast, cubed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
15-oz. can sliced peaches, drained and juice reserved
1/2 grilled papaya, cubed
1 cup barbecue sauce or ketchup
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large sauce pan, sear the chicken in olive oil. Add onion, green pepper and lightly salt and pepper. Cook until the onions and green peppers are tender.

Add peaches, papaya and barbecue sauce. Stir, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and add reserved peach juice if needed. I used peaches in light syrup. If preferred, low-sodium chicken broth could be used instead.

Taste and add salt or pepper if necessary. Serve over cooked rice or sweet potatoes.

Now for the seeds, I washed and blotted them dry. They have a sharp taste like a cross between mustard and black pepper. Currently they are drying on a paper towel in my kitchen, but I may move them to the dehydrator.

I’ve read that once completely dry, they will resemble whole peppercorns. Then they can be cracked and used like freshly ground black pepper. With their tenderizing enzyme, they should be great in a marinade for meat. I’m anxious to try that too.

I think cans of cranberry sauce are multiplying in my pantry. Apparently my relatives wanted to be sure we had plenty for Thanksgiving dinner. I bought some, David bought some and several others must have brought them as well. I have both jellied and whole-berry cans. I served a can of each with dinner, but most chose my sister-in-law’s cranberry Jell-O salad from the buffet.

After guests went home and everything was cleaned up, I realized we were left with a great bounty of cranberries. So I started searching for recipes that used the sauce in interesting ways. Most recipes called for fresh or dried cranberries. However, with continued diligence, I found a couple of recipes that will make a dent in our cranberry pile.

Cranberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6-oz can tomato paste
14-oz can jellied cranberry sauce
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté onion in oil. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Lower the heat, add tomato paste and stir, continuing to cook for about 3-4 minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir. Cook on low for about 10 minutes.

The zesty tangy barbecue sauce is great on pulled-pork sandwiches. It also makes a great appetizer when poured over cream cheese and served with crackers.

I found another recipe that caught my eye because it used red wine. It’s a wine and berry Jell-O dessert that’s easy to make.

Wineberry Jell-O
1 c. cranberry juice
13-oz package of raspberry Jell-O
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. sweet red wine
18-oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 c. whipped cream

Bring juice to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in Jell-O and then whisk in sugar and wine until dissolved. Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate 1-2 hours.

Break up canned cranberries and fold into the Jell-O along with the whipped cream. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours more.