Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion and Cumin

This week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs is "A Squash is a Squash, Of Course, Of Course..."  Participants could cook any Ottolenghi recipe using squash.  Here in New York it's springtime, so I didn't want to cook with any of the winter squashes.  I ended up choosing zucchini, since it's one of my favorite squashes.  I saw this recipe in Jerusalem but sadly had to return the cookbook to the library.  Luckily, I found an online version from Recipe Connoisseur that I adapted to suit our tastes.  The original sauce recipe called for ground sumac.  According to Wikipedia, sumac is a reddish-purple powder often used in Middle Eastern cuisine to add a lemony taste to foods.  Obviously, the local grocery store doesn't carry sumac.  There's actually a small Middle Eastern grocery store in the neighborhood but I never made it there.  I also didn't really feel like spending money on a spice that I thought I'd probably never use again.  I thought the sauce tasted fine without.  Overall, these burgers were okay.  They were nice and moist and both kids ate their entire patty.  I served them over couscous, as seen in the pic below. 

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Green Onions and Cumin
Recipe adapted from Recipe Connoisseur, via Ottolenghi's Jerusalem

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
about 3-4 tbsp olive oil, for searing

For the Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
⅔ cup plain yogurt
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tbs olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:
First, make the sour cream sauce by mixing all ingredients in small bowl and placing in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl combine all burger ingredients except oil. Mix with your hands and form into desired patty sizes.

Pour enough oil to cover bottom of large frying pan. Heat over medium heat until hot, then sear burgers about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Carefully transfer the seared burgers to a baking sheet and place in oven 7-10 minutes, or until cooked through.    

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Black Bean Turkey Burgers with Avocado Ranch Sauce

Every now and then, my almost seven year old daughter asks if she can help me cook dinner.  She ended up helping me make these burgers.  Almost every night I make a new recipe and I'm not always sure how it will turn out.  Once these were cooking in the pan, my mouth started watering and I knew that these were going to be great!  My prediction was confirmed when my daughter took a bite of her burger and said these were the best burgers she's had.  I only give the kids half a burger each but she asked for seconds and requested a burger to take with her for lunch the next day.  Definitely a winner of a meal!  Another plus is that this recipe makes 8 burgers, so we had plenty of leftovers for lunches for us all.  Although this burger is really flavorful in itself I thought that the sauce added another layer of deliciousness.  My picture does not do this burger justice!

Black Bean Turkey Burgers with Avocado Ranch Sauce
recipe from I Thee Cook, adapted from Paula Deen

Yield:  8 burgers


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1/2 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and lightly mashed
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Avocado Ranch Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, beans, tortilla chips, chile powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Use your hands to form the mixture into 8 equal sized patties. Cook the patties until no longer pink in the middle, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve on buns with avocado ranch sauce and some lettuce.

Avocado Ranch Sauce

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Cut avocados in half; scoop pulp into a food processor or blender.

Add 1 cup Ranch dressing and remaining ingredients to food processor. Process until avocado mixture is smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This recipe is shared at:
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Back For Seconds Social Link Party @ Back for Seconds
Time to Sparkle @ The Recipe Critic

Black-Eyed Pea Chili

I am so happy that Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is once again hosting the Eating the Alphabet Challenge.  I participated last year and completed most months.  Each month is assigned a couple of letters.  The challenge is to make a recipe that features a fruit, vegetable, legume, or grain that begins with one of the letters. This is the first month and the featured letters are A or B.

Last year I joined the challenge during the second month, so I missed these letters.  I already cook with lots of fruits and vegetables that begin with the letters A and B: apples, avocados, asparagus, bananas, broccoli, beets.  Since this is a challenge I really try to "challenge" myself with using foods that I either have never cooked or don't cook with often.  So I decided to go with a legume and try cooking black-eyed peas.

Before this challenge I'm not sure if I have ever eaten black-eyed peas before.  When I was reading New Year's books with the kids we discovered that in some cultures, and even in the Southern U.S., eating black-eyed peas on News Year's Day is thought to bring prosperity.  Well, we didn't eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, but we can still wish for some prosperity, right?!!  These legumes are used world-wide in various dishes in various forms - mashed, fried, added to stews and they are even included in a sweet dessert dish in Vietnam.

I actually found this recipe in the USA Weekend insert in my local weekend paper.  I had saved it and planned on possibly making it one day. This challenge motivated me to make it sooner than later!  I have to admit I was a bit pessimistic and didn't think I'd like this.  I have never been a big bean eater and have only started to begin eating black beans and chick peas.....and liking them!  So I was a bit surprised to discover that I actually enjoyed this dish! My husband was a big fan and even the kids ate their servings. It was really easy to make and served over rice it made a nice hearty dish for a cold winter's night. 

Black-Eyed Pea Chili
recipe from USA Weekend, Dec. 28-30, 2012, courtesy of Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:
1 Tb. canola oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced
1 Tb. chili powder
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, with juice
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.

Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up with the spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper, jalapeño pepper and chili powder, and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the black-eyed peas, tomatoes and chicken broth or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring a few times, until the ingredients soften and meld, 20 minutes. Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro leaves.

Family Rating:  1 1/2 thumbs up.

Apple Meatloaf

Meatloaf to me is such a great cold weather meal.  It screams comfort food, especially when paired with mashed potatoes, like I served with this meatloaf.  I've made lots of meatloafs, but this one caught my eye because it used ground turkey (healthier) and apple.  The apple gave the meatloaf a sweet flavor that wasn't overpowering.  Plus, I think it also helped moisten it.   The picture below isn't very pretty but the meatloaf was really tasty!  Even though this needs to cook for 40-45 minutes, if I wanted to cook this on a busy weeknight I would premake the meatloaf the night before and cook it the next day.

Apple Meatloaf
recipe from Mostly Food and Crafts

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons butter
3/4 cup peeled and shredded apple
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
4 teaspoons of ketchup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1 pound ground turkey (or lean ground beef)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 6x5 loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a small skillet saute the onion in butter until softened.

In a large bowl, combine the apple, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper. Once the onion is cooked stir it into the large bowl with the other ingredients. Now crumble in the turkey and mix well.

Shape your ingredients into a 6x5 loaf and place into the baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 - 45 minutes until no longer pink.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This post is shared at:
Back for Seconds
Marvelous Mondays @ This Gal Cooks

Hummus Turkey Burgers with Feta Tzatziki Sauce

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I needed hummus for a recipe.  This is the recipe that I was talking about.  I actually made these burgers the Monday of Hurricane Sandy.  I was trying to use up some of the food in the fridge and freezer thinking that we'd lose power.  Luckily, we did not....and we had these yummy burgers to eat.  Turkey burgers can be dry and flavorless.  These burgers had a lot of flavor as is, with the hummus, coriander, and cilantro.  Then you add on the tzatziki sauce (my daughter ate hers without) and it's even more flavorful.  My son loved the sauce on burger and everyone ate theirs up. This is a meal where the sauce and the burgers can be pre-made the night before and cooked for dinner the next day.

Hummus Turkey Burgers
recipe from Edesia's Notebook

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:
¾ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced small
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp dried dill
1 lb. ground turkey
¼ cup prepared hummus, plus more for topping if desired
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
4 hamburger buns
Lettuce
Tomato

Directions:
Combine Greek yogurt or sour cream, cucumber, feta, garlic, and dill in a small bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to be used.

In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, ¼ cup hummus, cilantro, and coriander. Mix until just combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and form into patties.

Grill burgers over medium-high heat, about 7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Place burgers on buns and top with lettuce, tomato, prepared tzatziki sauce, and additional hummus, if desired.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Recipe Shared At:
Tasty Tuesday @ 33 Shades of Green
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box
Show Me What You Got Tuesdays @ Our Delightful Home

The Weekend Chef: Pumpkin-Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

As I mentioned in a previous post, this month's supper club theme was "Halloween" food.  My husband and I both had some difficulty picking our recipes.  Eventually, my husband and I agreed that pumpkin was a fall/Halloween food and he decided to make these meatloaf muffins.  There was definitely some prep to this dish.  I feel like my husband was chopping for quite awhile and then the onion, garlic, and mushrooms had to be sauteed.  Once put together though I thought that these meatloaf muffins were really tasty!  Baking in a muffin tin means less cooking time.  The pumpkin flavor wasn't overwhelming and helped moisten them up.  And I loved the addition of the home-made cranberry sauce.  My daughter ate her muffin but my son wasn't a big fan (no surprise there!). Everyone at supper club seemed to enjoy these too. 

Pumpkin-Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
recipe slightly adapted from Cara's Cravings

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 8oz package mushrooms, chopped finely
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 lb 93% lean ground turkey breast
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg white
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp each minced fresh thyme and rosemary
Freshly ground salt and pepper

1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the onions until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more, until vegetables are tender. Add to a bowl with the turkey, pumpkin, egg white, oats, sage, salt & pepper. Toss gently to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin tin. Place in the oven, bake for 20 minutes.

Combine cranberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Spoon onto the meatloaf muffins, and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This recipe was shared at:
Church Supper @ Everyday Mom's Meals
Weekend Potluck @ 4 Little Fergusons
Sundae Scoop @ I Heart Nap Time

Easy Taco Casserole

Here's another casserole recipe, perfect for the cooler fall weather that's been arriving.  For some reason when I make tacos I feel the need to make rice and a veggie to go with it.  Somehow, a casserole counts as a whole meal to me!  The ingredient list of this dish is super simple.  I ended up prebrowning the turkey in advance knowing that I was making this on a busy day.  So when we got home from my daughter's gymnastics class at 6 PM I assembled this quickly, threw it in the oven and let it cook while I gave the kids their showers.  We were eating by 7 PM, which is definitely late for us.  But this was made during the summer when the kids didn't have camp the next day.  My husband and I thought that this dish was tasty but we only gave it 1 thumb up since the kids really weren't fans.  And they normally love tacos but I think they disliked it because everything was mixed together and it was hard to pick out what they didn't like. 

Easy Taco Casserole
recipe from KitchenJoy

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground turkey, browned
1 cup corn
1 cup salsa
1/2 bag corn tortilla chips (or enough to cover pie pan twice when crushed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can sliced olives

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Mix turkey, corn and salsa.

3. Lightly grease a pie plate or 8 x 8 glass pan. Slightly crush tortilla chips and spread in an even layer, covering bottom of pan. Top with half the meat mixture, followed by half the sour cream, half the cheese and half the olives. Repeat layers. Cover lightly with foil.

4. Bake 30-40 min. or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Note: this recipe can also be made ahead and frozen! Simply bake 20 to 30 min. more.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Saucy Onion Meatball Dip Subs

It's been awhile since I've made meatballs.  I have a bunch of meatball recipes bookmarked but I have to space them out between cooking.  My son doesn't think that he likes meatballs, but I think he does.  He eats hamburgers and meatballs but he always gives us trouble about eating meatballs!  So he gave me a hard time, as usual, about eating, but the rest of us enjoyed these subs.  The sauce had the consistency and taste of a homemade gravy.  It was yummy, but messy, dipping the sub into the sauce.  I printed the original recipe, but as you can see from my photo, I didn't end up toasting the rolls or broiling to melt the cheese. 

Saucy Onion Meatball Dip Subs
recipe from Taste and Tell

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:
3 cups sliced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Sandwiches:
8 sub buns
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs except the ground turkey and the olive oil. Crumble in the turkey, then mix together. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and brown the meatballs in batches. Drain and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute the onions until tender. Add the garlic and thyme, cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour, cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the beef and chicken broths. Stir in the salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then cook for another 2 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Add the meatballs and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until meatballs are no longer pink.

Meanwhile, cut the buns in half lengthwise, leaving one side attached. Place the buns - cut side up - on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler and cook until toasted.

Top the buns with meatballs and some of the onions from the sauce. Top with Monterey Jack cheese. Broil another couple minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serve with remaining sauce for dipping.   Family Rating:  1 1/2 thumbs up.

Penne with Turkey and Broccoli Rabe

I love pasta.  Although I've never made home-made pasta before, I usually cook some type of pasta dish at least once a week.  The kids love pasta as well so I try to make kid-friendly pasta dishes that I hope they'll eat.  This recipe looked good and was easy to make.  Notice how I said it "looked" good.  Both my husband and I commented that it just didn't do it for us with the ground turkey.  We're used to eating a similar dish with sausage.  And we realized that it definitely tastes better with sausage too!  Every bite we took we were expecting a sausage taste but instead we had bland ground turkey.  The parmesan cheese helped to flavor it up but this was not a favorite dish of ours.  The kids enjoyed it though and I'm always happy when I make a dinner that they eat and like!

Penne with Turkey and Broccoli Rabe
Recipe adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray, April 2012

Ingredients:
3/4 pound penne
1/4 cup EVOO
1 bunch broccoli rabe
salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
grated parmesan for topping (optional)

Directions:
1.In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until al dente, 11 to 13 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

2.Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add 2 tbsp. EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli rabe and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tbsp. water, cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

3.Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining EVOO and the onion and cook until soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Push the onion to the side of the pan, increase the heat to medium-high and crumble in the turkey; season. Cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

4.Add the pasta, broccoli rabe and three-quarters of the reserved pasta water to the turkey; toss well. Add the remaining pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.

Family Rating: So-so.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

After spending a week away at my parent's beach house and then doing "quick and easy" meals (a.k.a. - take out, packaged gnocchi, leftover freezer soup!) this weekend, I was ready to be back cooking in the kitchen.  It was nice getting a little break from HAVING to cook to WANTING to cook! 

I'm not a huge philly cheesesteak fan, although I can't say I've ever had an authentic "Philly" cheesesteak! I do like the combination of mushrooms, onions, and cheese though!  I thought this recipe sounded different using ground meat instead of "steak" meat.  I don't own steak sauce so I adapted the recipe I found and used worcestershire sauce instead.  Overall, I thought that the dish would have more flavor.  It wasn't bad, mind you....just didn't have the wow factor I was hoping for.  I tried picking the mushrooms, onions, and peppers out as best as I could and gave the kids just meat and cheese on a roll.  I served the sandwiches with some sauteed broccoli.  I was happy that the kids ate all of their dinner!

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
recipe slightly adapted from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
Brat Buns
Provolone Cheese

Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground turkey, and brown for about 5 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Add onions, green peppers and mushrooms. Saute until veggies are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in beef stock and  worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce reduces by half.

You can toast the buns if desired. Place a slice of cheese on the bottom of each bun, and spoon meat over top. The heat from the meat should melt the cheese.  Sprinkle additional worcestershire sauce on top if desired.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese and French Fried Onions

Back in March the theme of The Crazy Cooking Challenge hosted by Tina at Moms Crazy Cooking was Spaghetti with red sauce.  I had made a Creamy Chicken Marinara dish.  I don't make spaghetti that often and hadn't tried any of the other bloggers recipes.  So, when I was in the mood to make spaghetti last week I checked out the Spaghetti Crazy Cooking Challenge to try out one of the recipes from the challenge.  Out of the 84 spaghetti recipes, this one called out to me.  I think it had something to do with the french fried onions!  I can eat those things right out of the can!  Of course, I assumed I had spaghetti and of course didn't check before I went grocery shopping.  When I went to make this dish, I discovered that I only had a box of whole wheat spaghetti.  Honestly, I really don't like the taste of the stuff, and bought a couple of boxes when they were on sale, hoping I'd end up liking it!  I really wasn't feeling "whole wheat" so I ended up making this dish with bow tie pasta instead. I prefer to use ground turkey in place of ground beef whenever possible, as I did in this dish.  This dish took a little bit of time to prepare and then requires at least thirty extra minutes of cook time.  So, this is not a quick dish.  However, it was tasty and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  And I was glad to finally be able to try out a recipe from one of the Crazy Cooking Challenges! 

Spaghetti with Cream Cheese and French Fried Onions
recipe slightly adapted from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes originally from Let's Dish

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. box bow tie pasta
1 lb. ground turkey
1 (24 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup water
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Small can French fried onions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees while cooking your pasta according to the box. Drain and set aside.

Add ground turkey, onions, and garlic. Cook until meat is browned.

Add cream cheese and water. Stir until cream cheese is completely melted.

Add in spaghetti sauce, season with salt and pepper, and cook until heated through.
 
Add a little sauce on the bottom of a greased 9x13" dish.
 
Add pasta and then pour sauce evenly over the top.
 
Top with mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Add French fried onions and bake for 5 more minutes.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Thai Turkey Tacos

I think that I've mentioned how much my family likes Mexican food.  I think my son will eat anything if it's wrapped up in a tortilla!  I saw this recipe and knew I was going to make it since it mixed Mexican and Asian....both cuisines that my family loves.  These tacos were really easy to make and super tasty.  The kids ate theirs all up!  I served with some edamame (see Friday's post!) and brown rice.  This made a lot, so we ended up with some leftovers for lunch.

Thai Turkey Tacos
recipe slightly adapted from Newlyweds: Exploring the Joys of Marriage

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 bag coleslaw mix
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 2 limes
2 tsp sesame oil
6 T soy sauce
4 T honey
1 T cumin
1 pk flour tortillas

Preparation:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add turkey; cook, crumble and stir until meat is no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, onion, and slaw mix; stir-fry with meat for 2-3 minutes until vegetables are wilted. While veggies cook  mix lime juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and cumin in a small bowl.  Add sauce to meat mixture, stirring constantly to blend all ingredients, about one minute. Serve on warm tortillas.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

Ranch Doritos Taco Salad

I saw this recipe and it brought back memories from my childhood.  My mom made a similar salad using regular Nacho Doritos, but the same premise.  And I remember really enjoying it.  My husband ended up going to a Yankee game with my dad last minute the night I had planned to make this.  I was hesitant about making this for just me and the kids.  But the produce was ripe and ready to use and the next night we were going out to dinner and I couldn't make it then.  So I ended up making it but wish I had waited.  The kids wanted nothing to do with this meal but eat the doritos.  I really enjoyed it.  But warning, the doritos get soggy overnight.  The next day my husband and I both had some for lunch.  I forgot to remind him to bring some fresh doritos from the bag, so he ended up with a soggy mess for lunch.  I added some crunched up new doritos to my salad and it was better.  Definitely not as good as the first night, but better than the soggy mess my husband ate!

Ranch Doritos Taco Salad
recipe slightly adapted from Moms Crazy Cooking

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey cooked with 1/2 envelope Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 head of lettuce
Ranch Doritos Chips
1/2 cup Thousand Island Dressing

Directions:The recipe is simple, the ingredients are easy. Add a few more, or take away a few if you don't like them. But the secret ingredient is the Thousand Island Dressing (even people that don't like Thousand Island LOVE this recipe) and the Ranch Doritos... make this salad taste like no other Taco Salad you've ever had before. It's DELICIOUS!!!

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Taco Pasta Bake

My family is a fan of tacos and pasta.  I saw this recipe that mixed the two and thought I'd give it a try. It really did have all the flavors that you'd expect from a taco (the seasoned meat, cheese, sour cream) with the addition of pasta.  I was even happier that I chose to use whole wheat pasta.  With all of the flavors you couldn't really tell that it was whole wheat, which I sometimes find that you can (and don't really like!).  Although I used ground turkey, ground beef or even ground chicken would probably taste just as good.  The pound of pasta made enough for us to have a ton of leftovers, even with the kids eating some.  They weren't huge fans, but ate enough to make me happy.

Taco Pasta Bake
from  Curry and Comfort

Ingredients:
1 pound of pasta (any style)
1lb of lean ground turkey
1 medium onion chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
2-3 Tbs of Taco seasoning
1 tsp of ground cumin
red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 cup of your favorite salsa
1/4 cup of water
juice of half a lime
1/2 cup of sour cream
6oz of Mexican Cheese blend


Directions:
Prepare pasta per package instructions.

Brown the meat and add the onion and garlic. Then season with the Taco seasoning, ground cumin and red pepper flakes. Now Add the salsa, water and lime juice. Simmer for a few minutes.

Mix the cooked pasta with the taco meat sauce and a 1/2 cup of sour cream. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and fill with your cooked pasta.

Cover pasta with shredded Mexican cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up. 

Herbed Turkey Meatballs

My kids love canned cranberry sauce.  I had a can in the pantry (I mean basement shelf, since I really don't have a "pantry") that I was looking to use.  When I went recipe searching I found these meatballs and knew that I was going to make them.  I think I've mentioned how much I like meatballs.  Meatballs, meatloaf.....I guess I just like meat mixed with various "stuff"! Recently I've been using ground turkey in place of recipes that call for ground beef, both for health reasons and cost reasons.  Now this recipe also has the ingredients and directions to make a homemade cranberry sauce, which I obviously didn't make, because we were having CANNED sauce (but I included the original recipe with the sauce below)!  These were pretty easy to put together and quick to cook.  I served these with mashed red potatoes and the cranberry sauce.  The kids were so-so about eating these but my husband and I thought that they were tasty!

Herbed Turkey Meatballs
Recipe slightly adapted from Pink Parsley

Serves 4

Ingredients:
•1 Tbs unsalted butter
•1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
•1 stalk celery, finely choped
•1 lb ground turkey
•1 cup fresh bread crumbs
•1 egg
•1 Tbs dried oregano
•1 tsp salt free poultry seasoning
•1/2 tsp kosher salt
•1/4 tsp black pepper
•2/3 cup orange juice
•1 shallot, minced
•1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
•1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the celery and onion, turkey, bread crumbs, egg, oregano, poultry seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper. Gently mix to incorporate with your hands. Using a cookie scoop, form the mixture in meatballs, and arrange them on the baking sheet.

Bake 10 minutes, until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the cranberry sauce. combine the orange juice, shallot, cranberries, and sugar in a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, until the cranberries pop and the mixture begins to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes.

Serve the meatballs with the cranberry sauce.
 
Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

I can count on one hand the number of times that I've ever eaten stuffed cabbage.  The last time was at my mom's not too long ago.  While I like to eat it, I don't like all the work that the dish seems to involve.  When I found this recipe I bookmarked it immediately and finally got around to making it.  It still seemed pretty time consuming (although I've never made stuffed cabbage the traditional to be able to compare) to me.  This is definitely NOT a quick weeknight meal.  However, once it's cooked it's pretty tasty!  We had enough leftovers for lunch the next day and for me to give some to my parents and brother!  The kids unfortunately weren't big fans, as expected.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
recipe adapted from Mostly Food and Crafts

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 lb ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp sweet Hungarian Paprika
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 heads green cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
2 cans (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
2 cups cooked white rice
2 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large glass casserole dish (9 x 13) with non-stick spray. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the ground turkey to it. Cook until it's browned and no longer pink, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove ground turkey and set aside. In the same pan, add 1 tsp olive oil and onion and saute over medium heat until the onion is translucent and starting to golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and paprika and cook about 2 minutes more. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and ground turkey. Add water to the pan. Simmer until it's hot and slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

While the mixture simmers, cut cabbage in half, cut out the core, and remove any wilted outer leaves; chop the cabbage into small pieces. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan or dutch oven; add the cabbage and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, mixing it a few times so all the pieces begin to wilt and cook. Season with salt and black pepper. Once the sauce mixture has cooked and thickened a bit, add in the 2 cups of cooked rice and combine.

Now begin to layer half the cabbage, half the meat mixture, remaining cabbage, and remaining meat mixture into the sprayed dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until the mixture is just starting to bubble on the edges. Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins to slightly brown.

Family Rating:  1 1/2 thumbs up.

Cheddar Burgers with Red Onion Jam

Who doesn't love a good burger?  I have to admit, I don't make burgers very often.  I probably should though.  There are an infinite amount of possibilities when it comes to burgers.  I have yet to try out my own because there are already so many burger recipes out there just waiting to be tried! 

I've had this recipe in my folder for awhile.  I finally got around to making this and am so glad that I did.  The original recipe called for ground round, but I used ground turkey instead and thought it came out great.  Since it's not quite grilling season yet (and we have a charcoal grill that I admit that I don't know how to use!) when I make burgers I usually cook them a little in the microwave and then finish them off in the cast iron pan.  The burger itself was tasty but the red onion jam was the real star.  Even my son was eating the onions!  Cooking Light recommends serving the burgers with baked chips and blue cheese dip (recipe below). I ended up serving with french fries and used the dip as a sauce for the french fries and the burger.

The Red Onion Jam

Cheddar Burgers with Red Onion Jam
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, July 2009

A quick five-ingredient sauce tops cheesy homemade burgers to make an easy, delicious dinner in no time. Serve with baked chips and blue cheese dip.

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients:

Jam:
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups vertically sliced red onion
4 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Burgers:
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound ground turkey
Cooking spray
4 (1/2-ounce) slices cheddar cheese
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted

Preparation:
1. Preheat cast iron pan to medium heat.

2. To prepare jam, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in sugar, vinegar, and thyme. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until onion is very tender. Remove from heat.

3. To prepare burgers, combine oregano, salt, garlic powder, and ground turkey. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat in microwave for 2 minutes. Put patties in cast iron pan. Cook patties approximately 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through.  Place 1 cheese slice on each patty.

4. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each with 1/4 cup onion jam and bun top.

Baked chips and blue cheese dip: Combine 1/2 cup (2 ounces) low-fat crumbled blue cheese, 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream, 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar in a bowl. Mash with a fork.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

Indian Pizza

I love making pizza and trying new toppings.  This one looked interesting and I had 1/2 pound of ground turkey leftover from making the turkey-cranberry strudel.  I made a plain pizza for the kids since I thought the jalapeno would be too hot for the kids.  It took a little time to make: making the paste, browning the turkey, cutting and sauteing the veggies....basically, this is not a quick pizza to make!   I would say this was only okay taste-wise, since I felt like it was missing something, but can't figure out what exactly.

Indian Pizza
Every Day With Rachael Ray, April 2011

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound store-bought whole wheat pizza dough, at room temperature
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 large jalapeno chile, seeds discarded, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 pound ground dark-meat turkey
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1/4 large red onion, sliced

Directions:
1.Invert a 13-by-18-inch baking sheet onto the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees . Oil a second baking sheet and stretch the pizza dough to fit the pan.

2.In a mini food processor, pulse the cilantro, jalapeno and 2 tablespoons olive oil until a paste forms; season with salt. Spread the paste on the dough, then sprinkle with the cheese.

3.In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the turkey, season with salt and cook, breaking up the meat, until just barely cooked, about 2 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and onion. Top the pizza with the meat mixture. Place the baking sheet on the preheated baking sheet in the oven and bake until the crust is golden, about 20 minutes.

Mommy & Daddy rating: 1 thumb up.

Turkey-Cranberry Strudel

I've been saving this recipe for awhile.  Since I had the phyllo dough (and finally had the time!) I decided to give it a try.  Again, my fault, a recipe that I didn't read the entire way through before I decided to make.  So, we ended up eating later than we normally do the night I made this!  This took some time and effort to make.  Don't think that I'd recommend this for a busy weeknight meal.  However, I thought the cranberry and turkey complimented each other well and had good flavor.  We all enjoyed this one.

Turkey-Cranberry Strudel
Every Day With Rachael Ray, November 2008

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons butter, 5 tablespoons melted
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 pound ground turkey
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Directions:
1.In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cranberries, thyme and 1/2 cup almonds and cook for 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

2.In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the turkey, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the onion m mixture. Stir in the breadcrumbs; let cool.

3.On a work surface, lay out a sheet of phyllo and brush with melted butter. Place another sheet on top and brush with m ore butter. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and more melted butter.

4.Mound the turkey mixture lengthwise onto the center of the phyllo. Fold the short ends over the filling and brush with butter. Fold a long end over the filling, then loosely roll up the strudel to enclose. Transfer, seam side down, to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Brush with more butter and sprinkle with almonds. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.
 
Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Recipe Repeat: Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers

I made these burgers for dinner Wednesday night, before we headed down to Maryland.  I've made them once before and they were a big hit.  They were easy to make and very flavorful.  Beware that these are not the neatest things to eat.  They are pretty big with all the "stuff" on them, which ends up falling out.  The kids couldn't get the whole sandwich in their mouths!  I eventually ended up eating this with a fork and knife! 

Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers
Recipe adapted from EveryDay With Rachael Ray, September 2008

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 apple, such as granny smith, cut into 12 slices
8 slices extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup whole-berry cranberry
4 english muffins, split and toasted

Directions:
1.In a bowl, combine the turkey and poultry seasoning. Form into 4 patties, pressing your thumb into the center of each to prevent it from bulging.

2.In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook for 6 minutes on each side for medium. Top each with 3 apple slices and 2 cheese slices, tent the pan with foil and cook until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes.

3.Place the cooked patties on top of the english muffin bottoms.  Top with the sliced cranberry sauce and cover with the top muffin.


Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up!  (My son ate all the "stuff" but didn't eat much of the burger)