Let’s talk tasty ideas for turkey leftovers

Leftover turkey is one of the rewards for cooking Thanksgiving dinner. It naturally lends itself to great late-fall meals — and many nutritionists consider turkey among the most healthful meats we eat.

It has plenty of tasty protein but, when eaten without skin, the meat is low in fat.

Even with skin, 3 ounces of roasted breast meat has only 130 calories, 19 percent of them from fat. Dark meat is higher in fat than light meat, but is still relatively lean if eaten without skin, according to "Wellness Foods A to Z" from the University of California-Berkeley ($39.95).

"The dietary sins at the holiday table aren’t in the turkey. They’re in the stuffing, the giblet gravy and the butter-laced mashed potatoes," said Kate Slate, editor of "The Wellness Kitchen" cookbook, also from the University of California-Berkeley ($34.95).

Among its 140 recipes for healthful eating, the cookbook has suggestions for tasty low-fat dishes using Thanksgiving leftovers, including roast turkey salad with cranberry vinaigrette and herb-roasted sweet potato skins.

Using frozen juice in its concentrated form makes a delicious low-fat vinaigrette for the following turkey and sweet-potato salad. The dressing also supplies an impressive amount of vitamin C. You may use leftover potatoes; if you do, omit the first preparation step.

Roast turkey salad with cranberry vinaigrette

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prick the sweet potatoes, place them on a baking sheet, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool. (Alternatively, cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave.)

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the Parmesan, parsley, garlic, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve the whole ones (if using) lengthwise. Scoop the sweet-potato flesh out of the skins, leaving a 1/4-inch thick wall. (Reserve the scooped-out flesh for another use.) Cut each sweet-potato shell lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide wedges.

Add the skins to the herbed Parmesan mixture and gently toss to combine. Place the sweet-potato skins on a baking sheet and broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Makes four servings. Per serving: 98 cal., 1.6 g total fat (1 g saturated), 4 mg chol., 3 g dietary fiber, 18 g carbo., 4 g pro., 248 mg sodium.