Eggroll Bowl

Easy and satisfying, this mixture is low carb and very healthy.  I used ground turkey (7% fat), but have also made this with lean ground pork too. Be sure to customize the recipe to use up veggies you might have on hand.  Don't like mushrooms? Substitute broccoli florets, celery or even diagonal cut pieces of asparagus instead. You don't have to buy the pre-shredded cabbage mixture (usually I would not), but in this case, it was just easy.  You could also add shredded napa cabbage too.  Mung bean sprouts would be delicious too.

We happily ate this when it was snowing outside, the perfect cozy, and healthy, meal!

This meal reminds me a bit of Mo Shu Pork, so it would be great with Hoisin sauce on a thin Chinese pancake.  Just something to think about...

Serves 3-4
Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork (or Turkey or beef)
2 tsp fresh ground ginger
2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tsp sesame oil
1-2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 green onions
1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced
2 eggs
1 14oz bag of shredded cabbage
Salt and red pepper flakes,  if desired

First, in a well oiled sauce pan (use veg il and a couple drops of ssesame oil) over medium heat, add some well beaten eggs and swirl it about so it covers the large fry pan in a thin layer.  Cook until almost set and turn off heat.

Excuse the yucky looking cutting board below... I had chopped all the mushrooms on it before this egg "roll".

Roll the egg out of the pan into a roll shape, and cut into thin strips. 

In a dutch oven or a bigger saucepan, add the sesame oil and the turkey and cook over medium high heat.  Using a spatula chop up the turkey so that it cooks into small chunks as you cook it.  Add in the chopped ginger and the garlic, cook until the pink in the meat disappears.  Add in the chopped mushrooms and cook for another 1-2 minutes.  Add in the soy sauce, cabbage mix and the green onions.  Stir well, finally added the chopped cooked egg. Season with salt (or MSG- hey some people like it!).

Serve with sriracha and more soy sauce, as desired.

If you're not watching carbs, you could serve this over steamed rice.

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Spicy Indian Turkey Meatballs

I've been making this recipe for about 6 months, and we are in love.  It's funny because the the inspiration recipe was this one.  The original was a chickpea "meatball" in the sauce, not meat at all. We were at our cabin, and I had limited ingredients, so I made it like this below.

I've made this with combinations of ground turkey, pork or beef and frankly each is very yummy! The sauce is the part that is so flipping delicious.  You could serve it over rice, or cauliflower rice, or even as an appetizer meatball.  You might need some Naan bread to help wipe up every last drop of the sauce. Yum!

A couple of EDITS- 1) Feel free to increase the seasoning if you like it spicier!  2) We ate the leftovers for a late breakfast with a sunnyside up fried egg with a runny yolk. Exceedingly yummy!

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

Meatballs:

20 oz ground turkey (or mixture of pork, turkey or beef)

1 egg

1/4 cup minced cilantro

1 Tbsp minced fresh jalapeno

1 cup chopped spinach (optional)

1/2 Tbsp fresh ground ginger

1 Tbsp minced garlic 

1 tsp salt

Sauce:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp minced shallots, or onions

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 Tbsp fresh ground ginger

1 Tbsp minced fresh jalapeno

1 can petite minced diced tomatoes

1 can 15 oz tomato sauce

1 cup chopped spinach (optional)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala, or curry powder

Salt to taste

Yogurt or sour cream for serving (optional)

Mince up the spinach, cilantro, jalapeno, ginger and the garlic, divide into half (1/2 for meatballs, half for sauce).

Mix ground meat well with beaten egg, spinach, cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic and salt.  Set aside.

In a large low saute pan, add olive oil, onions, garlic and jalapeno. Saute until they start to soften, add ginger, cumin, turmeric and garam masala (or curry powder).  Stir to "warm" the spices, then add the tomato sauce, and petite diced tomatoes.  Bring to a soft boil, and taste to check seasoning.  Add more spices if you like it spicier, or just salt to taste.  Reduce to medium heat. Roll meat mixture into balls and drop in the simmering mixture (or even use a small cookie/ice cream scoop to drop the meat mixture into the simmering sauce.  Using a spoon, gently nudge each meatball into the sauce.  Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Right before serving, add the fresh chopped spinach. Serve over rice, over cauliflower rice, or even on it's own.  

You can top with a dollop of yogurt and cilantro, if desired.

Add the egg, the spinach and the seasonings (turmeric, garam masala, salt....XXX)

Mix well. 

Mix half of the ginger, garlic and jalapenos in a saute pan with a bit of olive oil over medium heat until they start to wilt a bit.

Turkey & Sausage Meatloaf with Spinach

I like ground turkey, but I have struggled with the texture of meatloaf made with ground turkey before because it is so crumbly and doesn't hold its shape..  Here's an excellent solution with adding Italian sausage that gives it a denser texture.  I've made this with, and without, the breadcrumbs, so if you are trying to go gluten free, or just don't have breadcrumbs, go ahead and try it without.

We've loved this for dinner a couple of times recently, and the leftovers are excellent for sandwiches too.

Serves 4-5
Ingredients

20 oz ground turkey (low fat)
8 oz spicy Italian sausage
1 egg
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic
1/2 cup shallots, or onions, chopped
2 cups spinach, chopped
Salt & Pepper


Pre-chop the spinach, onions and garlic.

Call me lazy, but when it comes to half a pound of Italian sausage, I have an excellent easy solution.
LOL

Add the turkey and sausage to the food processor with the egg, crumbs and seasoning.  Mix well and add it to a loaf pan, and smooth the top. Bake for about 1 hour at 350 F degrees.

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Chili Verde Turkey Meatloaf

I love verde anything.
Something about green chilies make me very happy, and green enchilada sauce is one of my favorite canned items.
I like to buy the lean ground turkey at Costco in the 4 pack.  It's much leaner (7% fat) than what I can usually find in the grocery store at 20% fat.  Usually I make turkey patties and barbecue them, or make Turkey Keema Curry.  
But I'd been thinking of a meatloaf... so here's my plan.
However... This is ugly food. 
Below is a picture of it the day after, after firming up in the the fridge. It won't win any beauty contests, but it made a terrific lunch.
 

Here it is at dinner time.
I may have gasped out loud when reviewing the pictures to add to my blog.  UGLY!
But tasty!

One note, it might make a firmer meatloaf if you used half turkey and half pork, or beef.   But this recipe is easy for using up the full package of turkey in the 20oz packs from Costco.

Serves 4 
Ingredients

20 oz fresh ground turkey
1/2 cup green enchilada sauce, divided into 2 1/4 cup portions.
1/2 onion, minced
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp green hot sauce
1 tsp cumin
Sprinkle of chili powder
Salt & Pepper (but go easy the enchilada sauce can be salty)

Preheat the oven to 375
 
Combine all ingredients together (except half the enchilada sauce for the top) and mix well.

Shape into a loaf pan and pat down firmly.  Add the extra 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and sprinkle with a little chili powder, if desired.  Bake for about 1 hour until cooked through.

I got mine up to about 165-170 internal temperature using an instant thermometer.  That's the easiest way to see if something is cooked through.

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Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey

I feel a little bad sharing this recipe for three reasons.

For one,
I did not write it (except this intro), my hubby did after I implored him to document what he did last year.  My reasoning for posting this is completely selfish... I want to be able to refer to it again, and again.  

For two,
Unless you have a smoker, you probably can't make it.

For three,
Even if you do have a smoker, if your turkey isn't fresh, or already thawed, you can't make it. As of today's date, there just isn't enough time.

Just know one thing, this was the best turkey we ever ate. We are looking forward to recreating it for our annual feast in a couple days.

1 (20-23lb). Butterball self-basting turkey, fresh or thawed

Brine: 

2 gallons cold water

1 1/2 cups kosher salt

1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce  

Brine the turkey refrigerated for 48 hours. 

Pat turkey dry, air dry in refrigerator overnight. We didn't use a rub on the turkey. The brine and smoke flavor were enough.


We have a Traeger, which is an electric, auger feed pellet smoker. 
Clean smoker and place two drip pans under the grid, raised on foil runners to keep them from scorching.  Add a cup of water to each pan.  Use these drippings for the gravy. (Piper's note- don't use only the drippings for gravy, just add 1 cup to 4 cups of broth, it can be stronger than you are used to)

Smoke at 225F for about 2 hours. We used Hickory, the hickory smoke flavor wasn't too strong. This year, we're going to try mesquite chips.

Turn the Smoker up to 350F and bake until probe thermometer in the breast reads 160F. This takes less time than you think, generally a couple of hours. The thigh should read 170F. Remove the bird and let it rest for 1 hour covered with a foil tent,

Total cooking time from start to finish is 4-5 hours. I put the turkey in at 8:15 and it was done before 1pm.  Next year we'll start at 10am and wrap up at 3pm. Then we'll be ready to eat at 4pm.

Meat was moist and flavorful, perfectly seasoned, and tender.

I sure do love you =)

(He wrote that, but I thought you'd like to hear someone to say it to you today... be sure to pass it on to your friends and family). - Piper

Easy Tamale Turkey Pot Pies

This one is the ultimate comfort food FAST.
If you have the ground turkey on hand then this one comes together very quickly.  You can easily customize it with what you have on hand.  

I used canned stuff, but easily could have used fresh or frozen.  The brilliant part of this is the topping of cornmeal cooked up with jalapeno and some cheese.  It's a simple thing to do.

You could serve this right away, but it's especially nice topped with more cheese and cooked up bubbly in the oven.  I used individual dishes, like mini pot pies, but an 8x8 pan would work just as well.

NOTE:  I show the butter to be used with the polenta/tamale topping, but I completely forgot about it and didn't add it.  I'd say it's up to you, it would be delicious with it, but if you want to keep this dish lower fat, then leave it out.

My suggestion would be to make sure that the polenta/tamale topping tastes yummy before you add it on top of the turkey mixture.  Add salt and pepper and taste it.

Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients

1-20 oz pkg of low fat ground turkey
1/4 cup white onion, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can tomatoes, drained
1 jalapeno, minced (optional)
2-3 Tbsp green onion, chopped
2-3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped 
1-2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
 Salt to taste

2 cups water, or chicken stock
1/4 cup butter (optional)
2/3 cup cornmeal
1 jalapeno, minced
1 cup cheese, grated (with a little more for the top)
1/2 tsp salt 

Preheat the oven to 400

Fry up the ground turkey and the onions over medium high heat.  Cook until no longer pink.  Drain off any extra liquid.  Drain the tomatoes, beans (rinse and drain) and the corn.  Mix in the jalapeno and the green onion.  Add the cumin and the chili powder.  Add a little salt if needed.

Add the meat mixture to a dish, or dishes.

In a saucepan, heat up the water or broth and the butter until almost boiling.  With a whisk stir the liquid while sprinkling in the cornmeal.  Stir to combine.  It will take 2-3 minutes to thicken.  Add in the cheese and the jalapeno, stir to combine.  Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
Pour over the meat mixture.  Top with a little more cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes at 400 until it's bubbling and the cheese is starting to brown.

Serve with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Turkey Tetrazzini

I'm sure that many of you are looking at leftover turkey.
What to do, what to do?
Well today is very cold and a touch of snow on the ground so something comforting is in order. Yum, this one fits the bill!

I've always been intrigued by Turkey Tetrazzini, though I can't wait I've ever had it before today! I was flipping through old magazines, trying to get rid of some things and this one from Cooking Light came up.  I simplified some things and was able to make this for lunch today in under 20-25 minutes.

Serves 4-5
Ingredients

8oz medium pasta, like farfalle
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup whole milk
1 cup turkey, or chicken, broth
4 Tbsp light cream cheese (about 1/3 a package)
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
2 cups cooked turkey meat, chopped
1 cup peas, frozen
2 Tbsp green onions, sliced
1-2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

In a large pot, bring some salted water to boil.  Add noodles and cook until almost al dente.  Add the frozen peas, Cook until noodles are done.

Meanwhile,
In another larger sauce pan, melt some butters and saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften.  Add the flour and stir to combine, cooking another 2 minutes.  Slowly added the broth, stirring constantly.  Add the cream cheese, grated parmesan and the milk.  Add the chopped turkey.  Salt and pepper to taste.  It should be flavorful at this time, adding more salt and pepper to ensure the sauce is to your liking now.

Add the hot, drained noodles and peas.  Add the green onions and parsley and stir to combine.




 

Thai Turkey Burger

Still thinking fondly of my trip to Thailand and all the amazing flavors there.
I actually dreamed this up one night lying in bed trying to sleep.
I had many of the fresh ingredients on hand from something else I made and wanted more of those flavors in my mouth...  fresh cilantro, basil, chilies and lime.
I had ground turkey... so what about a Thai burger??? 

It was so good, that I actually thought of keeping this one to myself and submitting it to someone "Build a Burger" contest and winning a prize...  
Ah heck, why wait to share?  
I want you to be as happy as we were.
We are going to make this one again, and again... and again.

Makes 4 - 5 oz burgers
Ingredients

20 oz ground turkey (7% fat is best)
1 lime, zested
1 Tbsp garlic chili paste
3 Tbsp green onions, minced
3 Tbsp cilantro, minced
2 Tbsp basil, minced
1 tsp salt

Slaw Dressing:
2 limes, juiced
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp garlic chili paste
2 Tbsp peanut butter

2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup mung beans
3 Tbsp green onions 
2-3 chilies, like bird's eye, or jalapeno (optional)
3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp basil, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste


 
Mix the ground turkey with all the spices and herbs.  Mix well.  Shape into balls, then pat into patties. Grease your grill (or spray your patties with a bit of oil) and grill over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until they are to your liking.

Serve on toasted buns with plenty of slaw, and a little mayo, if desired.  

In the bottom of a large bowl, mix the dressing ingredients together with a whisk.  Add the fresh veggies and herbs.  Toss about 10 minutes before you serve it.

Toss!

Mullagatawny Soup

I've been a lazy, sluggabed lately.
Which translates to: I have been cooking, but not writing about it. 
Yep, I cook and take pictures of food but don't finish all the niceties of a food blog post. 
There are worse things to be.

So, I went out to Wickipedia to see what they said about Mulligatawny... or Mullagatawny or whatever it is.

Per Wikipedia.... this soup is translated literally from Tamil, "Mulligatawny" or "Milagu thanni" means "pepper water" ("Millagu" means pepper and "thanni" means water). The dish the Anglo-Indians call "pepper water" is actually closer to Tamil ரசம்-rasam (pronounced russ-um) than "mulligatawny".

Blah, blah, blah... it means some Englishman probably invented it in India.

I like what Dr. Suess says much, much more....
Dr. Seuss used the term to refer to a fanciful creature in his book If I Ran the Zoo. The young zookeeper wannabe says, “I’ll capture them wild and I’ll capture them scrawny, I’ll capture a scraggle-foot mulligatawny.”

Now, doesn't THAT make you want to eat soup?
If not, maybe knowing that this soup is easy and delicious will do it for you???

Serves about 4-6 scraggle-foot mulligatawnies... I mean people.
Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil, or butter
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 large (or 12 mini) carrot,diced
1 cup celery, diced
1-2 cups chicken (or turkey), cubed and cooked
1 green apple, peeled and diced
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme, dried
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 Tbsp sugar
6 cups chicken stock
Water, as needed

Saute all the veggies in the oil (or butter) over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften.  

Add the apples, chicken and all the spices. Stir until the chicken starts to turn white, but no need to cook it all the way through.  The next step will take care of that...

Add the broth and the rice and reduce heat to medium low, cooking for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked through.  Stirring occasionally.  Taste, adding salt, pepper and sugar, as needed.  I do NOT usually add sugar to soup, but this kind of needed a sweet little kick to bring out the veggies, apple and curry flavors.

If you cook this too long, the rice will break down and continue to thicken the soup.  That's not bad, at all, but you may need to add more water to get it to the right consistency.

Some people add cream to their Mullagatawny, but I don't think it needs that extra fat. It's up to you...

This would be a great recipe to have for after Thanksgiving leftovers.  

Chipotle-Corn Turkey Burgers

It's not very often where a burger completely knocks your socks off.

But this one did.

Completely, utterly made us both groan with pleasure. 

I don’t make a lot of hamburgers, but I really, really like a good one.

Problem is… we usually go out for a burger instead of making them at home. 

My hubby actually said "Red Robin, watch out". Then he went into talking of his dream of opening a pub where I made all the pub food.  Umm... no, too much work thanks, I'd rather just cook for all of you.

This one is good enough to make you super happy, and healthy enough, and easy too. This is one recipe I know that I will make again and again.

It’s the spicy, with a bit of sweet from the corn, that is very good with turkey.  I recommend the Chipotle Sour cream as a condiment, as long as you have that can of chipotles already open- why not do it?

It's pretty easy to have this stuff on hand at my house, I hope yours too

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup grilled corn kernals, or regular corn (Trader Joe’s has a great one)

1-2 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2-3 Tbsp green onions, minced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

   

Other toppings:

4 hamburger buns, split

Cheddar cheese slices, or Pepper Jack

Chipotle Sour Cream (recipe here, not crucial, just recommended)

Avocado slices

Tomato slices

Onion slices

Lettuce

Preheat a grill to medium. In a bowl, combine the turkey, chipotle chile, chopped cilantro, minced green onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 

Form the mixture into 4 patties and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

Brush the tops of the patties with 1 tablespoon oil; arrange on the grate oiled side down and grill until deep golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Brush the other side of the patties with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, turn and continue grilling until cooked through, about 5 minutes. 

During the last few minutes of grilling, arrange the buns split side down on the grate and grill until toasted.

Spread the toasted buns with the chipotle sour cream (or mayo) and patties, cheese, avocado, tomato and onions. Set the bun tops into place. Eat and Enjoy!