With all the turkey we had left over from thanksgiving, it’s surprising that we aren’t tired of eating turkey. We think it’s because we have been using it in so many different ways. We had friends over for Truffle Turkey Tetrazzini on the weekend, and made a delicious filo dough pie with the dark meat. We threw together this simple chicken and dumplings on Monday night (subbing turkey for chicken).

It was a great idea for a weeknight because there was enough left for a few lunches. We have found that one way to make a simple dish into something really elegant is to focus on the details, so we diced the celery, carrots, and onions, making sure they were a uniform size. We finished the dish by sprinkling it with freshly cut chives. We wanted a simple and elegant presentation so we used white restaurant bowls, and for visual contrast, dark placemats.

Another thing that makes this a great weeknight meal is that it doesn’t demand your full attention. Other than cutting the vegetables and turkey, you can do other things while it simmers. It’s also gotten pretty chilly in San Francisco the past few days, so the rich, hot broth is the perfect match for the weather.