Thai-Style Slow Cooker Butternut Squash with Tofu and Turkey

Thai-Style Slow Cooker Butternut Squash with Tofu and Turkey
aka What to do with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, part 1

So I wanted to make enchiladas with the leftover turkey, but that meant I would need to make a couple of different sauces, and I did not have the time for that on this particular day. So I turned to America's Test Kitchen Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution and found a recipe I had all the ingredients for.

Some of these ingredients might seem a little strange, but you can find them all at Walmart/Winco or your local normal grocery store. And your house is going to smell fantastic.

Step One
Mix the following in a bowl and microwave until the onions are soft (about 5 min). Add to slow cooker

• 1 tsp. oil 
• 1 onion, chopped fine (or we used two tablespoons of dried onions from our food storage and skipped the microwave - onion soup mix may work, too, for less work) 
• 1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger (on the fine grater) (freeze whatever you do not use, the stuff dies in the fridge) 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced 
• 3 Tbs Thai Red Curry Paste (or green if you like less spicy - all it will take is less than one small bottle)

Step Two
Mix the following into the slow cooker with above mixture. Cook until squash is tender (2 - 3 hours on high, 3 - 4 hours on low)

• 2 pounds peeled, seeded butternut squash, cut into cubes (it is easier to peel if you separate the base from the longer top - you can watch a video here).
• 1 package (14 oz.) extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup water 
• 2 tsp Asian fish sauce (best stuff you have never bought before) 
• 2 tsp instant tapioca (sometimes called "Minute tapioca") 

Step Three
Stir the following into the now cooked mixture, cover, and cook until peppers are tender (abt 10 minutes)

• 1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded turkey (can be omitted if you want) 
• 1 red pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips 

Step Four
Stir in the following and let sit until heated through (abt 5 minutes)

• 1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger (on the fine grater) 
• 1 cup lite coconut milk 
• 1 Tbs. lime juice 

To Serve
Season with salt, pepper, extra fish sauce (teaspoon at a time), and extra lime juice. Put into serving bowl, sprinkle with cilantro and 1 tablespoon peanuts. Serve with extra cilantro and peanuts.