Lasagne / Lasagna

Obviously from my posts, I like a variety of different types of food - Mexican, Asian, American, and of course Italian. My grandmother was 100% Sicilian, and I have always identified strongly with my Italian heritage. Surprisingly, she didn't cook much Italian food, but her influence on our family has inspired many recipes. My aunt originally developed this lasagna years and years ago, and my mom then took it on - whether she tweaked anything, I'm not quite sure, but I do know that I put a major wrench in it by substituting ground turkey for the beef! To be honest, most of the people who have tried this recipe don't even realize it's turkey. The only thing that tips them off is this: I'm eating it!

My aunt and mom also make a homemade sauce with it, which I've made and really enjoy, but for me, as I've mentioned before, Prego Traditional is so good that it's not worth my time to make the homemade sauce. My new favorite sauce is Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marinara.  I only go to Trader Joe's about 4 times a year so I make sure to stock up on this sauce. I buy so much that the checker once asked me if I was buying it for an Italian restaurant.  He actually had a customer who did this before! 

The ricotta-type layer actually uses cottage cheese. I always thought this was a little strange, but it's delicious so I ever complained. Then I saw Cook's Illustrated substitute cottage cheese for ricotta in some recipes! Guess it's not that strange!

One thing this lasagna does contain is a classic St. Louis ingredient - Provel cheese.  If you do not live in the area, you probably won't be able to find this cheese (and may not even like it if you didn't grow up with it), so you may substitute mozzarella or Provolone.  

Lasagne / Lasagna

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
1 - 2 pounds ground meat (I use lean - not extra lean - ground turkey. 2 pounds if you like it a bit heartier)
homemade or store bought marinara sauce - I like a lot of sauce so I use about 40 ounces, but you may use less if desired

For the lasagna:
12 lasagna noodles
24 ounces small curd cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
chopped parsley (fresh or dried)
Parmesan cheese
2 - 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded Provel cheese (if available - if not, you may substitute mozzarella or Provolone)

Directions:

1. Brown the meat in a skillet. If using ground turkey, you may want to add a teaspoon or two of olive oil.

2. Drain the meat if necessary.  Sometimes with ground turkey there isn't much liquid left to drain, and the small amount that is there may lend flavor to the sauce.

3. Add the homemade or prepared sauce of your choice to the meat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, ideally an hour or more. I find that ground turkey starts to break down if cooked too long, so I wouldn't do an all-day simmer.

4. Cook the lasagna noodles as directed on the package to al dente (use the lower time or even a minute less). When the noodles are done, I like to lay them in a single layer on pieces of waxed paper to cool until I'm ready to assemble the lasagna.

5. Place the cottage cheese, eggs, salt, pepper and parsley (to taste) in a food processor and blend until smooth.

6. To assemble the lasagna: spread about 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13" pan then beginning layering: 3 noodles, sauce to cover, 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Provel cheese, and a little Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. If your pan is not deep enough for 4 layers, 3 will suffice. For the final layer, I top with lasagna noodles, sauce, and then an extra 1/c cup mozzarella and some Parmesan.

7. If the pan is full, place it on a baking sheet lined with foil because it may spill over the sides. Bake uncovered at 350F for 45 minutes. (To make ahead, assemble but do not bake, then refrigerate or freeze. If you make ahead and refrigerate, then bake for 1 hour. If make ahead and freeze, it may take up to 90 minutes or more).

8. Remove dish from oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Source: My Aunt Sue and my Mom :)  

Turkey Tacos

I found this recipe for ground beef tacos in my America's Test Kitchen Cookbook and decided to try substituting ground turkey for the beef. The only kind of ground turkey tacos I've made in the past have been with a store bought taco seasoning packet; in fact, I don't know that it ever occurred to me to make the filling from scratch! I am so glad we tried these because they are soooo good! The spices are perfect, and the mixture is so flavorful. Bob and I have made these probably 6 times in the last few months. They are one of the few dinners that I actually made while I was pregnant to keep in the freezer and have after the baby arrived - we were sure glad to have this dinner twice in those first weeks home with Ava, when simply taking a shower is an accomplishment for the day!

I typically use lean ground turkey exclusively (not the extra-lean) because I find it has more flavor and isn't as dry. I had Bob grocery shop for the ingredients for this recipe once, and he got the extra-lean by accident. We used it anyway, and these were still phenomenal! It ended up being serendipitous because now we know that we can use the healthier turkey and not compromise on the flavor!

Turkey Tacos

Ingredients:

For the filling:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil or corn oil
1 small onion, chopped small (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt
1 pound ground turkey (lean or extra-lean)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar (preferably cider vinegar)
Ground black pepper

Optional extras:
Hard or soft taco shells

Shredded cheese
Shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
Small tomatoes , chopped small
Sour cream
Minced fresh cilantro leaves
Hot sauce or bottled taco sauce

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.

2. Add garlic, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking meat up with a spoon and scraping pan bottom to prevent scorching, until turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and vinegar; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking meat up so that no chunks remain, until liquid has reduced and thickened (mixture should not be completely dry), about 10 minutes.

4. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, passing toppings separately.

Source: America's Test Kitchen Complete TV Show Cookbook

Turkey-Pumpkin Meatloaf Muffins with Cranberry Glaze

This is the ultimate November recipe if you ask me - turkey, pumpkin, and cranberries?! I spoke before about my desire to incorporate more pumpkin into heathy dishes, and this recipe does just that. The ground turkey is combined with chopped and sauteed mushrooms and onions, and then with rolled oats, egg whites, and of course pumpkin. Just like the Turkey-Pumpkin Chili, the pumpkin flavor isn't prominent here, if you can distinguish it at all, but rather it adds some moisture. The simple cranberry glaze is a nice addition - a bit of sweet and sour baked on top. I may try playing around with the herbs next time. This time I added thyme and rosemary and may swap the rosemary for sage or another seasoning commonly used with turkey.

I love meatloaf muffins because they are already divided into individual portions, and it's super easy to pack up a couple for lunches. Bob and I were both excited that there was enough leftover for both of us to have a lunch the next day, and then some. I served these with Smashed Sweet Potatoes and roasted asparagus. With how busy we've been lately, I haven't had much time to focus on make truly balanced dinners, so it felt really good to get back to it. This dinner really got us pumped for Thanksgiving!

Turkey-Pumpkin Meatloaf Muffins with Cranberry Glaze

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 8-ounce package mushrooms, chopped finely
2 cloves minced garlic (or pressed through a garlic press)
1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg white
1/3 cup rolled oats

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, broken into smaller pieces (or sage)

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I just guessed an amount and thought it could use more salt, so you may want to up this to 3/4 teaspoon)

freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze:
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.

1. Heat the oil 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, or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add veggies to a bowl with the turkey, pumpkin, egg white, oats, Worcestershire, herbs, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin tin. Place in the oven, bake for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, 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. Make sure to test the internal temperature of the meatloaves to make sure it registers at a safe temperature for poultry (165F being the absolute lowest, although mine were considerably above and still very moist). Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted from Cara's Cravings

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

As if it isn't already apparent, I love cooking and baking with pumpkin. Pumpkin is actually very healthy; it's high in vitamin A and fiber. The problem is that most pumpkin recipes are desserts or sweets where the health benefits are often overshadowed by sugar, butter, oil, etc. Don't get me wrong, I certainly enjoy those recipes, but I love to find healthy recipes that incorporate pumpkin as well.

Cara posted this Turkey Pumpkin Chili last year and I immediately bookmarked it. After making the very spicy Turkey Chili last month, I decided to try another variety. This chili is no where near as spicy as the Turkey Chili I posted last month; it actually has a nice amount of spice for my taste. While you may not even taste the pumpkin itself, it nicely thickens the chili and adds an almost creamy element. The labs on our floor are having a Pumpkin and Chili potluck next month, and I plan to bring this chili - it covers both categories!

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium sized green peppers (or 1 red; 1 green), diced

1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (I used regular oregano)
1 small can (4-ounce) diced green chili peppers
15 ounce can beans of choice, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
14-ounce can diced tomatoes
15-ounce can pumpkin puree, or 2 cups homemade
Pumpkin beer, optional

Directions:

1. Spray a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until just softened. Add the garlic and bell peppers, and cook about 5 minutes more until tender. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and oregano.

2. Add pumpkin beer if using. Cook until mostly reduced, then continue.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes to blend flavors.

Alternatively, just brown the turkey with the seasonings and combine with remaining ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

4. Serve with your favorite chili toppings - ours are shredded cheese and chopped onions.

Source: Cara's Cravings

Turkey Chili

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted! Getting ready for a baby is a lot of work! I have still been cooking and photographing, so I have lots of posts to share. Plus, now that it's fall (soooo exciting), I have so many recipes planned!

I made this turkey chili on one of the first chilly Saturdays of the season. Bob and my dad were working hard all day on some home improvement projects we were trying to squeeze in, so this was a nice dinner to have for when they took a football break.

I didn't really read the description for the chili or I would have noticed that this is a VERY spicy chili. They weren't kidding - this was insane! I would definitely adjust the heat next time, as it was almost difficult to eat without a big glass of milk. It was very, very good though! One ingredient I found interesting was the packet of hot chocolate mix! I didn't notice it at all so I'm sure it just blends with the tomato and spice flavors...sort of similar to the concept of a mole sauce.

I made this chili in the morning and put it in the crockpot on low all day - it turned out great. I've included the original directions, as well as what I did using the crockpot. This is definitely going to be one of the freezer meals I make to have on hand for after our baby girl is born!

Hope you're all enjoying the cooler weather as much as I am - perfect for baking!!! :-)

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 small green bell peppers, seeded and chopped (I also added a red and yellow pepper since I had them on hand)
1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped (optional - may omit if worried about spiciness)
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (may use less and adjust later for desired spiciness)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1-ounce envelope instant hot chocolate mix
1 - 2 teaspoons salt (may want to start with 1 and add more to your taste)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (or 3 10-ounce cans Rotel), drained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup cheap beer

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, green peppers and habanero pepper, if using; cook and stir until the onion is transparent.

2. Add in the ground turkey and cook until turkey is no longer pink, stirring occasionally to break up turkey into smaller pieces. (At this point, I transfered the turkey and veggies to the crockpot and added the rest of the ingredients directly to it).

3. Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, oregano, pepper, hot cocoa mix, and salt. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato sauce, and kidney beans. Add the beer, and stir to mix.

4. Partially cover the pan, and simmer over medium heat for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Or cook in crockpot on low for several hours or more until ready to serve).

5. Serve chili with your favorite chili toppings (like chopped onion and shredded cheese!).

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Turkey Burgers

I wanted to make sure I got this recipe posted while there's still plenty of grilling time left this summer. I first made these turkey burgers a year ago, and we thought they were fantastic! The photo I took was very poor, but I have since made them many times and managed to get a semi-decent shot of them.

Since I don't eat red meat, turkey burgers are a must in our house, and this is my go-to recipe. We love the spices in these burgers, and the cooked red onions really add some moisture and a great flavor. This recipe is easily adjustable to your specific tastes. For example, my mom has a strong aversion to rosemary, so when we had her over I just left that out - they still tasted great. I often used dried herbs in these too, especially when I don't have any fresh herbs growing or on hand from other recipes (they're expensive at the store!) I usually cut this recipe in half, but I've also made up a big batch of these (the full 8 burgers) and frozen them as raw patties. Just let them thaw for a bit and throw them on the grill - delicious. These burgers also taste great made in pan on the stove, so they certainly aren't a summer-only meal!

Turkey Burgers

Yield: 8 burgers

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ground turkey
1 teaspoon. kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes longer, until the onion is tender. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.

2. Add the ground turkey, salt, pepper, herbs, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bowl containing the cooled onion mixture. Mix well to blend. Divide into 8 equal portions and form into patties.

3. Grill on lightly oiled grates of a gas or charcoal grill (or in a pan brushed with olive oil) until cooked through.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Simply Recipes

Homemade Turkey Soup

Turkey soup is one of my favorite winter meals. It just screams cold weather to me, and nothing is as warm and comforting as a big bowl of this soup. Whether you come down with a bad cold virus or come in from a day of playing in the snow, this soup is the perfect remedy.

After hosting our first Thanksgiving, I was completely wiped out and the thought of making turkey soup was too daunting to tackle, but I absolutely could not give up the opportunity to make my beloved turkey soup. I threw the turkey carcass in the freezer and saved it for another day. On one of my days off after Christmas, I invited my mom over to teach me how to make her turkey soup. She doesn't have a written recipe, so I tried to document what we did along the way.

Much of this recipe is adaptable to your personal taste; put in what you like! I like to just make enough of the soup with noodles for one meal to avoid the noodles getting overly soft. I love the texture of al dente wide egg noodles in this soup. Cooking the noodles in the soup itself gives them a fantastic flavor, adds a little starch to the broth, and omits the use of an extra pot - added bonus! As I mentioned earlier this week, it may be March but I'm not convinced the winter weather is behind us, so there are plenty more turkey soup days left!

Homemade Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

For the stock:

1 tablespoon oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil)

4 carrots, peeled and rough chopped

2 sweet yellow onions, rough chopped

5 ribs of celery with tops, rough chopped

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

leftover turkey parts, with some meat left (I had the carcass of a 22 pound turkey)

chicken bouillon, optional

parsley (dried or fresh), thyme, poultry seasoning, to taste

For the soup:

Amount vary according to taste:

carrots, cut lengthwise then chopped into 1/4" thick slices (or however you prefer)

yellow onion, chopped

celery, chopped (optional)

wide egg noodles

Directions:

1. Make the stock: In a 10-quart stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened slightly.

2. Add the turkey parts and fill the pot to the top with water. Heat to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer for approximately 2 hours or more.

3. Using a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl, pour the stock into the strainer to remove vegetables and turkey parts. Return the stock to the pot and set aside.

4. Assemble the soup: Carefully pick through the stock solids/turkey parts to remove the turkey meat. Add it back to the stock. At this point, add any other veggies you would like in your soup (I added a little yellow onion and some carrots). Season to taste with poultry seasoning, thyme, parsley, salt, and/or pepper. If the stock lacks a bold poultry flavor, you may add some chicken bouillon to bump it up (I did not have to do this).

5. Return pot containing soup to a burner and heat to a simmer until veggies are cooked through. Remove the pot from heat, let cool slightly, then place in refrigerator. The fat will rise to the top of the soup and can be skimmed off later.

6. Finish the soup: When ready to eat the soup, make sure fat has been skimmed off, add as much soup as you'd like to a pot and heat to a boil, add dry egg noodles and cook until al dente. Taste to make sure seasoning is to your liking, and serve soup immediately. The longer the soup sits, the softer the noodles will be.

Source: My mom

Fancy Chili

After being here in St. Louis for about 3 weeks now, I'm finally beginning to feel more at home. Even though I grew up in STL, our new place is about 25 minutes north of my parents' house, and it's an adjustment from the big city living we had in downtown Chicago. It's so quiet here! Initially we had a hard time getting to sleep without the 'sounds of the city' - sirens, arguments, gun shots (j/k . . . kind of . . .).

I started my new job last week, and it's an adjustment as well. It's never easy to start at a new place and to learn new things that take me out of my comfort zone. One downfall is that, aside from a few quick glances at Google Reader, I can no longer read cooking blogs at work . . . at least for the next couple of months. I probably should have never done that at my old job though!

Getting back in the swing of cooking is difficult as well. By the time I get home from work, I'm exhausted! Bob was a good house-husband last week and made dinner every night. This week, I'm making more of an effort. My mother-in-law sent me Trisha Yearwood's cookbook "Home Cooking" as a surprise after seeing her on "The View." I love to get surprises in the mail :) There are a ton of great-looking recipes in this book - nothing fussy or complicated, just good, crowd-pleasing food.

Although it's summer and the temps here in St. Louis are in the '90's, I couldn't resist making this Fancy Chili, mainly because Trisha serves it over rice, and it's actually not much like chili at all. There's very little liquid, and it consists of a hearty yet healthy meal filled with veggies. I'm sure you can add a number of vegetables to the dish. I omitted the beans because I always do, and I used ground turkey of course. This was a fantastic dinner! You certainly don't have to serve this over rice, but I really liked it that way. The sour cream topping and fresh, sliced green onions on top added to the flavor and texture. I can't wait to take the leftovers to work for lunch!

Fancy Chili

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/2 pound lean ground beef or turkey

2 tablespoons hot chili powder

1 28-ounce can (or 2 14.5-ounce cans) fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)

1 medium bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

4 carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

Pinch of salt, more to taste

For serving: sliced green onion, sour cream, cooked rice

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and green onions, and cook for about 1 minute.

2. Add the ground meat and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the chili powder until fully combined.

4. Add the tomatoes, beans, bell pepper, carrots, brown sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.

5. Cover and simmer the chili for 15 minutes.

6. Adjust salt if necessary, and serve over white rice with a dollop of sour cream and garnish of sliced green onions.

Source: Adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood

Guacamole Turkey Burger

Apparently it's Mexican week on my blog! :)

Bob has wanted me to do a Red Robin copycat burger for a long time. If you've never been to Red Robin, they have tons of varieties of burgers, including turkey burgers and "chicken burgers" as they call them (it's an actual chicken breast, not ground chicken). Bob's favorites are the two with guacamole. I've recently been eating more avocados after avoiding them for a while because they made my mouth itch, strange I know. I looked at the Red Robin menu online and decided I would pick elements of the Santa Fe Burger and turn it into the ultimate turkey burger.

I made Alton Brown's Guacamole and topped the burger with Monterey Jack cheese (Pepper Jack would have been amazing but we didn't have any), sour cream, fresh chopped tomatoes, and chipotle mayonnaise. I knew I would like this burger -what's not to like?- but I had no idea how good it would be. This is one of my new favorite dinners! It was SO good! You could make this using any meat - turkey, chicken (ground or whole), beef, sirloin, even salmon!

Guacamole Turkey Burger

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground turkey (or meat of choice)

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing grill pan

Monterey or Pepper Jack cheese (2 slices or equivalent amount of shredded)

guacamole, purchased or your favorite recipe (I made 2/3 of Alton's recipe)

2 Tablespoons light sour cream

1 Roma tomato, chopped

2 hamburger buns

Chipotle mayonnaise:

1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped

1 teaspoon adobo sauce, to taste

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

Squeeze of lime juice, optional

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the ground turkey with the Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Shape into 2 patties.

2. Brush a grill pan with extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium-high. Open buns and place the pieces that face the burger down onto the grill. Cook until slightly toasted. Remove to a plate and keep toasted side face-up.

3. Brush additional oil on grill pan, if necessary, and add turkey burgers to the pan. Cook until nice and brown on one side, flip, and cook fully. Adjust heat as necessary. When the burgers are completely cooked, add cheese on top of each, turn off the heat, and put a lid over the grill pan to melt the cheese.

4. Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise ingredients.

5. To assemble the burgers, spread chipotle mayonnaise on each half of the bun. Place a turkey burger on the bottom portion of the toasted bun, then top with guacamole, ~1 Tablespoon sour cream, and chopped tomatoes. Top with the other side of the bun, and enjoy!

Source: You're Gonna Bake It After All, chipotle mayonnaise from Bobby Flay

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

This year Bob and I hosted a Christmas celebration in Chicago for his parents the weekend before Christmas. This was my first holiday dinner, and really my first big dinner where I was responsible for the entire meal. I was so excited but very nervous. I knew I wanted to make a turkey breast, since there were just 4 of us, but I had never made one before. My 'practice' turkey breast was a flop because we accidentally bought a turkey breast roast, which is boneless, and I'm convinced it was injected with saline or something because it was overly salty.

In searching for a fool-proof recipe for the turkey breast, I found this one of Ina Garten's that had 5 stars on Food Network - there were SO many overwhelmingly positive reviews, I couldn't pass it up. This turkey was so incredible - it was juicy (thanks to my remote control digital meat thermometer!) and so flavorful. I think rubbing the herb paste underneath the skin is key - it allows the flavors to penetrate the meat. I made a gravy to go with this (ok by "made" I mean opened a can and added some bourbon!) but I ate mine plain - it was that juicy and good.

One of my reasons for serving it with gravy, instead of pan juices like the recipe suggests, was two-fold: 1) Bob's favorite food is gravy (sadly not kidding) and he would be devastated without it, and 2) reviewers on Food Network noted that they had to keep adding wine or water to the pan and it would keep evaporating so they weren't left with much pan juice in the end. I had a similar issue - the pan juices browned and stuck to the pan as the 'juice' dissipated. If you'd like to use the pan juices for the turkey (which I'm sure would be delicious given the herbs, lemon juice, and wine), I recommend adding much more wine or water or a combination, then checking occasionally and adding more as needed. Yes, the holidays are over, but a turkey breast can be great any time of year, especially if you use the leftovers to make turkey soup, one of my favs!

Sorry no pic of the intact bird - things were a little hectic!

A boneless turkey breast I made in January:

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

Note: This recipe is for a bone-in turkey breast, but I have since made it again using a boneless turkey breast and it came out fantastic as well. Use what you like!

Ingredients:

1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 - 7 pounds (mine was almost 8)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves (I used 1 teaspoon dried)

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons good olive oil

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup dry white wine

water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F.

1. Wash turkey breast and pat dry with paper towels if desired. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste.

3. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan. Note: At this point you may want to add extra wine or water to the pan because, as I indicated above, the liquid evaporates rather quickly.

4. Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 - 2 hours (or longer if it's bigger), until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast (test several places to be sure). Note: If the skin is over-browning during the cooking process, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil.

5. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest to room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey, or with gravy.

Source: Adapted from Ina Garten

Turkey Meatloaf

With the start of a new year comes the New Year's Resolutions, and for most people that involves eating healthier and/or exercising more. We've all heard about the overload of people at gyms in January, much to the dismay of regular gym-goers. Thankfully I work out at home, but I experienced something just as terrifying at the grocery store last Sunday afternoon. I strolled over to the ground turkey section of the meat case only to discover there were only 2 packages of ground turkey left!!! It was not even on sale! My theory: the gung-ho New Year's Resolution-ites are buying up all the ground turkey in an effort to cook more healthfully. I felt just like one of these regular gym goers - I am a loyal turkey purchaser who counts on the stuff just being there; I guess I shouldn't take it for granted! Anyway, I quickly picked up 1 package of turkey and hid it in my cart as I continued shopping. Never know when a turkey thief is lurking around the aisle.

So, what exactly were my plans for said turkey? Last month I finally tried out this turkey meatloaf recipe I saw on Annie's Eats a long time ago. It's adapted from Ina Garten, so I figured I would love it. I had made turkey meatloaf only once before and it turned out very watery - perhaps ground turkey has more liquid/water content than ground beef? Annie had the genius idea of lining the loaf pan with sandwich bread to absorb this liquid and let me tell you, no more soggy meatloaf!

This recipe was so fantastic that I couldn't wait to make it again. This time I made meatloaf muffins, and this is how I will make them from now on. I love how they are pre-portioned and each one is like a capsule, keeping in all of the moisture. I'm not exactly sure what makes this meatloaf so tasty - I think it's that the onions are cooked and then seasoned with Worcestershire and tomato paste. Mmm. And the ketchup on top is fantastic. My mom never put ketchup on our meatloaf, but I really like it. Bob said it was like "frosting on top of the meatloaf cupcakes." Whatever works for him :)

I was so tempted to apply the label "Muffins" to this post, but I'll refrain...

The first time:

The second time, in muffin form. Notice the sweet potato side dish which I will post soon - making side dishes is one of my New Year's Resolutions.

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients:

3 slices of sandwich bread (I used wheat)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 pound ground turkey (if you buy Jennie-O, it may be ~1.25 lbs.; that's ok too)

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup ketchup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F.

1. Use a small biscuit cutter or a small cup/glass to cut sandwich bread into circles to fit in the bottom of a 6-cup muffin tin.

2. Over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until onions are translucent but not browned, approximately 15 minutes.

3. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Mix well. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

4. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, egg, and onion mixture. Add ground turkey and mix until completely incorporated.

5. Press turkey into muffin cups. Spread ketchup on top. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165F and the meatloaf is cooked through. (This takes about 1 - 1 1/2 hours for meatloaf in a loaf pan and much less time, about 35 minutes or so, for the muffins).

6. Let meatloaf muffins stand 10 minutes, then carefully remove them from tin, gently removing and discarding the soggy bread from the bottom.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Ina Garten

Skillet Lasagna

This is another recipe from "The Best 30 Minute Recipe" cookbook (from the kitchens of Cook's Illustrated). I have yet to make something from this book that we don't love, and this is no exception!

Lasagna is one of my favorite meals, but it takes a long time to assemble the components, and it makes a TON of food - so much that we end up throwing a lot out, which really bothers me. It's kind of a catch 22, because I feel that it's too much work to just make enough for 2-4 servings, but we can't possibly eat the 12 that a full pan makes. I would love if I could make multiple casseroles and freeze the others, but our tiny freezer is already packed to the brim (our apartment building supplies the fridge/freezer and it's not even a full-sized one!) Maybe someday when I have a big deep freeze . . . Ok, back to reality, so casseroles aren't always the best option for the two of us. This skillet lasagna is the perfect solution for now because it only makes 4 servings. Plus it's a one pot meal! I used ground turkey instead of meatloaf mix and reduced the amount of Ricotta cheese. We really liked this dinner and will make it again!

Skillet Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground turkey (recipe calls for meatloaf mix, so you may use that if desired)

2 cloves garlic, grated or minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

6 ounces curly-edged lasagna noodles (8 sheets), broken into 2-inch pieces

1 26-ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups water

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese (or less as desired)

1/4 cup shredded basil

Directions:

1. Brown meat in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop garlic and measure out the pasta. Drain meat on paper towels and return it to skillet.

2. Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Sprinkle broken noodles in skillet, then pour in tomato sauce and water over top. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes. (Mine took a little longer to soften so I had to add a bit more water to maintain the sauciness of the dish).

4. Off heat, stir in half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over noodles, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and let stand off heat until cheeses melt, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

Source: Adapted from The Best 30 Minute Recipe cookbook

Pepper Jack Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Happy 09.09.09! I think it's a pretty cool day!

I made these turkey burgers several weeks ago, and we really liked them. I only had a 1 pound package of ground turkey, so I scaled the recipe back, expect for the soup mix - I used the entire packet. Needless to say, they were a bit salty. I suggest using only 2/3 of the packet if you have just 1 lb of ground turkey. These burgers were really flavorful and juicy. It was a little harder to tell when they were done because they were so moist!

The original recipe for these burgers does not include BBQ sauce or pepper jack cheese - I just jazzed them up a bit. Like I've said before, we typically have burgers without buns, which is what we did this time, but you can certainly serve them with buns and all the typical toppings.

Pepper Jack Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

1 packet (1 ounce) dry French onion soup mix

1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten, optional

barbecue sauce, optional

3 slices pepper jack cheese

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the soup mix, soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and egg. Add turkey and mix until just incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. Cut each slice of cheese in half, then fold each of those pieces in half. Form the meat into 6 patties, while inserting the cheese in the center, making sure it's covered on all sides.

2. Preheat a grill pan lightly coated in olive oil (or a grill). Place patties on the grill. Cook until no longer pink inside. Add barbecue sauce while grilling if desired.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Turkey Pastrami Reuben Sandwiches

This is not so much a recipe, but more of a different spin on a common sandwich. I used to love the Reuben Sandwiches my mom made with the leftover corned beef after St. Patrick's Day. I always get exited when the Beefsteak rye in the shamrock-packaging starts popping up in stores because it means reuben sandwiches are getting close. When I stopped eating red meat many years ago, my parents figured my love of reuben sandwiches would fade away. This was not the case. I decided that turkey pastrami would be a good substitue for corned beef, and it turns out that it works really well. I've made this sandwich without meat before, and it's great, but I really like using turkey pastrami. Until recently I used regular turkey pastrami, which is a pink color. Lately I've used turkey breast pastrami, which is white (as in the picture below) and a little healthier. Both are delicious! These pictures are from a sandwich my mom made for me when I was home in March :) 

P.S. I finally updated my Grasshopper Pie post with pictures!!! 

Turkey Reuben Sandwiches

Ingredients:
Turkey breast pastrami
Butter
Rye bread (seeded or seedless)
Swiss cheese
Thousand Island Dressing (purchased or homemade - see below)

For the Thousand Island Dressing:
When my mom makes this, she simply combines ketchup, mayonnaise, and pickle relish until it reaches the right consistency and color, adding more of any component that seems lacking. 

Directions:
1. Preheat a frying pan over medium heat. Butter one side of each of two slices rye bread. Assemble sandwich: on one slice of bread layer turkey pastrami, a slice of Swiss cheese, and dressing, then top with other piece of bread.

2. Add sandwich to pan and cook as you would a grilled cheese sandwich.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti and Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

I originally found this Rachael Ray recipe on Annie's Eats and tried it right away. I of course substituted ground turkey for the beef, and used my favorite jarred spaghetti sauce instead of Rachael's because I have yet to find a homemade sauce that is better than Prego, in my humble opinion. Below I've included the recipe for how to turn jarred spaghetti sauce into Arrabiatta (thanks to Giada) in case you feel like jazzing it up.

These meatballs are so good! It's not just the mozzarella surprise inside, of course that helps, but the actual flavor of the meatballs is incredible. It reminds me of something you would get in a really good Italian restaurant. I think I am turning in my old turkey meatball recipe (which was adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook) for this one. The other BIG plus of this recipe is that it's FAST because the meatballs cook in the sauce - which also means less clean-up. Plus, cooking the meatballs in the sauce gives the sauce a really delicious flavor. The last time I made these was for my family, and they loved them! My sister who hates spaghetti even liked the dinner!

Although this is a Rachael Ray recipe, I saw Giada De Laurentiis make a very similar one - again a mozzarella-stuffed meatball. The best tip Giada gave - which might be obvious to most but wasn't to me - is to make the meatball and then create a small hole to put the mozzarella cube inside. I wasn't even thinking when I made the recipe the first time that forming the meat around the cheese is not exactly the most efficient way. I tried pre-forming the meatballs the last time I made these and it was a little dificult to do using the turkey mixture because it's much softer and stickier than ground beef - maybe it would still be difficult with beef using this meatball recipe, I'm not sure. Anyway, I've made the change to the recipe below.

Spaghetti and Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, grated*

crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 26-ounce jars spaghetti sauce (my favorite is Prego Traditional)

For the meatballs:
1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

1 package (~1 lb) lean ground turkey (I like Purdue or Jennie-O)**

1 garlic clove, grated
2 teaspoons dried parsley

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg
1 teaspoon salt

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 16 equal-sized cubes***
cooking spray

spaghetti, regular or whole-wheat

*I grate my garlic with a Microplane grater. I find that it's super fast and releases much more flavor than chopping, and it's easier to clean than my garlic press.

**I've seen Giada make meatballs using a mixture of ground turkey and turkey sausage before - I think around 2/3 ground to 1/3 sausage. I plan to try this sometime. Jennie-O makes spicy or sweet Italian sausage - both of which we really like depending on the recipe.

***I thought it might be easier to cut uniform pieces using low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella string cheese. I compared the melting properties of equal-sized pieces of regular mozzarella to the string cheese. Both melted and solidfied similarly, so I think the string cheese is a good option if you want to make cutting the cheese easier.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, soak the bread crumbs in the milk.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add 2 cloves of grated garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. If you like your sauce a little spicy (a la Arrabbiata sauce), toss in some crushed red pepper flakes - probably an 1/8 teaspoon is plenty. Add jarred spaghetti sauce. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water for the spaghetti.

3. Add the ground turkey, 1 clove of grated garlic, parsley, Parmesan, egg, and salt to the bread crumbs. Stir with a fork until mixed.

4. Divide the meatball mixture into fourths, then form 4 meatballs out of each portion (for a total of 16). Make a hole in the center of each meatball and place a cube of mozzarella inside. Reform the meatball so the mozzarella is completely covered with the meat mixture. Place each meatball on a sheet of waxed paper sprayed with cooking spray after cheese has been placed inside, so that all of the meatballs can go in the sauce at the same time.

5. Place meatballs in sauce so they are submerged. Cook for 20 minutes over medium-low, or until meat is cooked completely. I find that I must cover the pot at this point to prevent spaghetti sauce from splattering all over. You may want to vent the lid to allow some moisture to escape so the sauce is a little thicker in the end. When only 8-9 minutes remain, add spaghetti to boiling water and cook according to package directions.

Enjoy! :)

Source: Sauce adapted from Everyday Pasta; meatballs adapted from Annie's Eats and Rachael Ray, with technical support from Giada De Laurentiis