The Thanksgiving tradition from which I come dictates that we do not alter or reimagine the leftovers until several days have elapsed. This is because we all really enjoy just eating plate after plate of reheated stuffing, turkey, potatoes and squash. We are simple like that. However, once Saturday evening arrives and multiple plates of microwaved Thanksgiving food have been consumed, it is time to re-invent a little.

My dad is a fan of chopping everything up into small pieces, throwing it all in a large pan with several spoonfuls of gravy and stirring until it is uniformly brown and chunky. He declares it delicious, the rest of stay far away. My mother eats open-faced turkey sandwiches on squares of whole wheat bread that have been lightly touched with mayo. My sister tends to pick and choose from the leftovers, eating roasted brussels sprouts cold and straight from the peanut butter jars in which they have been stored. Me, I like to match up the turkey and leftover stuffing with freshly cooked veggies. It refreshes the eye appeal and makes the leftover turkey seem new and delicious once again. Some of my favorite quick-cooking veggies after the jump...One thing I like to do is quickly saute veggies in soy sauce and give them a sprinkle of toasted sesame oil to finish. It's a relief to have some new tastes after several days of sage, nutmeg, ginger and garlic. Broccoli works great, as well as string beans.

Chop up a head of romaine, toss with caesar dressing and top with leftover turkey for a salad with protein and lots of fresh crunch.

If your family tends to go for the heavy, cream of mushroom soup laden veggie dishes, take this opportunity to experiment with seasonal veg like shredded brussels sprouts quickly cooked in a little butter.

My favorite asian-inspired cole slaw also pairs well with leftover turkey. At the bottom I make the suggestion that you poach up a couple of chicken breast, shred them with forks and toss the with the slaw. Replace the chicken with turkey and you are good to go.