Chinese Green Beans with Turkey over Rice

Yummy, but will try in lettuce wraps next time...because why not?

Photo Credit to Weary Chef

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 small bunch green onions sliced thin
2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
1 pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce {I used Mae Ploy}
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon crushed ginger
1 pound washed and trimmed green beans or Chinese long beans if available
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

Heat large skillet over high heat. Add sesame oil, and sauté green onions and garlic for about 2 minutes. Stir in ground turkey and sauté 3-5 minutes, until meat is mostly cooked. Crumble meat as much as possible.

Stir in chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, and ginger. Add green beans and soy sauce, and stir to coat. Continue cooking over high heat for 7-9 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until beans are slightly tender.

Stir in rice vinegar, and cook one minute longer. Serve over cooked rice.

Recipe Source: Weary Chef

Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Red Peppers

So we had a billion pounds of turkey leftover when I decided to randomly cook one. So I used turkey in place of chicken this recipe and it was delightful! I'm sure it would be just as good or better with chicken, so I'll make it again to see.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Red Pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 average-sized chicken breasts (about 1 to 1 ½ pounds), cut into chunks
1-2 red bell peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound orzo pasta
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (ladling it into a small bowl is my method) and then drain the orzo and set aside.
While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (if you forgot to let the cream cheese soften at room temperature, no worries! Pop it in the microwave for one minute on 40% power) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Turkey

Never in my life had I made a turkey. I was scared. I thought only those who were 50+ could make a nice, delicious, juicy turkey. I was mistaken! And I did it! This is such a great recipe, and I love that it only took a couple of hours to cook. I didn't make it on Thanksgiving or anything, but I also didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to make it. Try this recipe and you will love yourself.

Photo Credit to Fairfield Green Food Guide

Turkey

1 18-22 pound turkey (I’ve used a 14-pound turkey with great results, also)
carrots, celery (cut into large chunks), onion (peeled and cut into large chunks), garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
butter
brown paper bag

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and let it heat for one hour. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck and wash the turkey. Fill the cavity of the turkey with carrots, celery, garlic and onion. Combine the lemon juice, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. With your hands, rub the entire turkey with the lemon juice mixture.
Place the turkey breast down (this is opposite of how a turkey is normally cooked – so just flip the turkey upside down) in a large roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the hot oven for as many minutes as the turkey weighs (ie. 19 lb. turkey = 19 minutes). Bake for the allotted time.
Meanwhile, grease a large brown paper bag with butter on both sides. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully (because the turkey and roasting pan are HOT) make a tent out of th paper bag and drape it over the turkey, taking care to tuck the sides of the bag into the roasting pan (otherwise, the butter will drip off the bag, leap onto the oven burner and possibly create a large fire…I may or may not know this from experience). See pictures on Mel's website {in the link by "Recipe Source"} for a visual image. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees and cook the turkey for two hours.
Remove the roasting pan and turkey from the oven and let turkey sit for 20 minutes. Remove turkey from the roasting pan and pour the drippings into a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil. Make a slurry from flour and water (to the consistency of thick, heavy cream) and add to the drippings until desired consistency is reached.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili

Super healthy, super delicious, super slow cooker-y. The perfect combination, yo.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs {I used leftover turkey}
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 poblano pepper or large green pepper, diced {I used diced green chiles}
32 ounces low-sodium chicken {I used turkey} broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 cans (15-ounces each) white beans (like Great Northern), rinsed and drained
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Garnishes:
Sour cream
Avocado, diced
Chopped cilantro
Shredded cheese
Tortilla chips

Place the chicken in the bottom of a round, 5-quart slow cooker. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until rippling and hot. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker.
Add the chicken broth and stir in the cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and chili powder.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Remove the chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces. Stir in the rinsed and drained beans. Cook on high for 30 minutes until beans/soup are heated through. Stir in the lime and cilantro and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with garnishes

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing

I love salads, especially lately. I honestly don't know why. This one is a simple taco salad, but what I really love about this recipe is the Catalina dressing. I've never tried Catalina before, so I'm not sure how it compares...but I love it!

Photo credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing
1/2-1 pound ground turkey or beef
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
1 cup cubed (small) cheese, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, etc.
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
1 6-ounce can olives, chopped {I didn't put these in because…I don't like olives. Gasp!}
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
1-2 avocados, chopped
Crushed tortilla chips

Dressing:
1/4 cup ketchup (see note)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large, nonstick skillet, brown the ground turkey or beef with salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon of each) until cooked through, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease if needed. Scrape the meat onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to cool a bit.
For the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up 3-4 days in advance.
In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together (including the cooled meat) except the crushed tortilla tips.
Serve the salad with the dressing and crushed tortilla tips.
Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Spaghetti Pie

Pretty easy and awesome. I love the casserole version of spaghetti. It's delicioso.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Spaghetti Pie
12 ounces thin spaghetti or vermicelli noodles
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
16-ounces tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese {or ricotta or sour cream}
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, divided

Lightly coat a deep 9 or 10-inch pie plate {Or 9x9 square, 7x11, anything bigger than a normal pie plate} with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles until al dente according to package directions. 

While the noodles boil, heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef or turkey, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and continuing to break up the meat, until the meat is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. 

Remove the skillet from the heat and drain the excess grease, if any. Return the skillet to medium heat and stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil and oregano. Simmer the sauce over medium or medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

When the noodles are done cooking, drain and return to the pot. Immediately stir in the cream cheese and toss the noodles by lightly lifting them up and over with tongs until the cream cheese is mostly melted. Stir in the cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. 

Toss until the noodles are evenly coated. Stir in 2 cups of the red sauce. Keep the remainder of the red sauce warm on the stove.

Scrape the noodles into the prepared pie plate and using a flat spatula, press the noodles evenly into the dish so they are tightly pressed together and evenly flat across the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup 

Parmesan and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese across the top.

Bake the spaghetti pie for 20-22 minutes, until it is hot and bubbly and the cheese is golden on top. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with remaining red sauce.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Mar-A-Lago Turkey Burgers

These babies were delicious and the secret ingredient? Mango Chutney! Who knew! They are extremely delicious and moist and I love the added mango. Plus turkey is healthier than ground beef right?

Photo Credit to ourbestbites.com

Mar-A-Lago Turkey Burgers

2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 C finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced (I grated my apples)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
4 lbs ground turkey breast
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons tabasco sauce
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey’s Chutney

Saute the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool. Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sauteed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes. Serve on your favorite toasted bread, pita, or hamburger bun.

*The recipe calls for a side of this chutney to spread on top of the burgers. I skipped that step and just used straight Major Grey’s from the jar. I make an easy spread using a 50/50 mix of Major Grey’s Chutney and Mayo. Play around with it and you might like just plain chutney instead of mayo, or mostly mayo with a touch of chutney. I like it 50/50. I also topped it with a crisp lettuce leaf and a slice of juicy tomato.

*Note this recipe makes 8 half-pound burgers. A half-pound burger is very large! You can easily half the recipe and get 6 good sized burgers. I cut the recipe down to work with one 20 oz package of turkey and it yielded 6 large sliders.

Recipe Source: Our Best Bites

Asian Turkey Meatballs with a Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce

Christmas Eve Party called for a great new appetizer and this is what I found. Everyone loved it! And it was delicious as well. Because it was Asian...and I love Asian food.

Asian Turkey Meatballs with a Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4-1/2 tsp honey, to taste
1 scallion, chopped

1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp scallion, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of panko crumbs
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Combine the soy sauce, lime juice, water,sesame oil, green onion, and honey together in a dish. Whisk until well combined; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the ground turkey, egg, green onion, cilantro, ginger, garlic, panko, soy sauce, sesame oil, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste together in a large bowl. Gently mix the ingredients until well combined.

Shape 1/4 cup of mixture into a ball then place into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture.

Place the meatballs into the oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately along with the dipping sauce. Enjoy.

Recipe Source: For the Love of Cooking

{Healthy} Turkey Burgers-The Best

Now, There are a lot of turkey burger recipes out there. I mean, turkey is the new beef...right? Now, I am extremely picky when it comes to burgers. I eat a lot of them, and am pretty darn awesome at it (if I do say so myself...Scott can attest as well if you want). This one was pretty darn awesome. Loved it. You could tell it was a turkey burger, but so scrumptious I would choose it over a regular burger...sometimes.

Photo Credit to My Recipes

{Healthy} Turkey Burgers
1 pound lean ground turkey
½ pound lean turkey sausage, casing removed and crumbled
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, finely grated
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 ripe tomatoes, cut crosswise into ½ inch slices
6 Boston lettuce leaves, washed and drained

Combine the turkey, sausage, green onions, celery, zucchini, garlic, oregano, ½ teaspoon pepper, and soy sauce in a bowl and mix gently. With wet hands, shape into 6 (½ inch thick) patties.

Prepare a grill for barbecuing or preheat the broiler and place the burgers on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Grill or broil the burgers 4 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 8 to minutes, turning after 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.

Place the tomatoes on the grill or baking sheet and grill or broil until charred and hot, 5 minutes, turning once and sprinkling with the remaining ½ teaspoon pepper.

Place the lettuce leaves on dinner plates and top each with a burger. Top each burger with a tomato slice.

Serve with roasted potato wedges (or if you need some fat...tater tots).

Recipe Source: Mom's Who Think

Sweet Potato Tacos

My good friend, Laurel, not so lightly urged me to try these tacos. I'm SO GLAD I did!! They are awesome! Take tacos, add a little sweet, but awesomely healthy. These tacos. Saweet.

Photo Credit to the Blanchard Bistro

Sweet Potato Tacos
½ pound ground beef or turkey {I used a full pound, but will use 1/2 next time}
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning {I used one packet}
½ cup tomato sauce {I used a whole can}
1 can (15 oz.) black, kidney, or pinto beans, drained
5-6 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups chopped fresh spinach
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
tortillas, sour cream, salsa, fresh cilantro, and/or guacamole for garnish

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Brown ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and beans. Set aside.

Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. Place sweet potato cubes in the pan and top with the butter and a sprinkle of salt. This is where you'd add the spinach if you had it, but if you don't, it's still darn yummy. Then add the taco meat and bean mixture and the cheese {I added the cheese when I assembled the tacos}. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Serve in a tortilla with sour cream, salsa and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. And guacamole if you have some.

Makes 6 servings.

Notes {from Kimma, where I found the recipe}:
This may be my fastest turnaround from seeing a recipe to saving it (on Pinterest, of course) to making and eating it to photographing and blogging it. All done in just about a day and a half! And that's saying something. I'm really on a sweet potato kick at the moment, so whenever I see a recipe doing something creative with them, I get really excited. And this one was really, really great. A keeper, for sure. Especially with homemade tortillas, as seen in the photo above (only because we didn't have any from the store, but now I wonder if I'll ever go back!).

I've made this multiple times now - we LOVE it! I even tried it in the slow cooker recently and it worked like a charm. I did up the sweet potatoes to 3 medium sized (probably closer to that 6 cups of cubed sweet potato that the original recipe calls for, but I'm not totally sure because I didn't actually measure). I also added a whole can (1 cup) of tomato sauce to the meat/bean mixture just because I didn't want to have a half can sitting in my fridge and then going moldy (that's what happened last time). It was perfect. Still haven't tried it with spinach, but I think it would be wonderful. Black or kidney beans are my usual choices. And I don't add cheese in the oven/slow cooker (I did the first time, but ever since nope) - I just sprinkle some on top as garnish in my taco shell.

Recipe Source: The Blanchard Bistro

Cowboy Dinner

This is one of the two dinners that Scott requests all the time. I would say his favorite dinner of all time. It's easy, quick, and pretty healthy. Sweet, salty, and hearty. Seriously, make this and you will love your life.

Photo Credit to melskir

Cowboy Dinner
9x13 pan
1-1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef {or ground turkey}
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup-1 can corn

1 can green beans {this was my addition}
1 1/2 cups salsa (jarred or homemade)
1 can (15 ounce) black, pinto or white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cornbread Topping:
½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.

In a large 12-inch skillet, brown the ground beef and onion, adding the salt and pepper, over medium-high heat until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the pan. Stir in the corn, salsa, and beans. Pour the beef mixture into the prepared 9X13-inch baking pan and set aside.

For the cornbread, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the oil, beaten eggs and milk. Whisk together until just moistened and no dry spots remain.

Sprinkle the cheese over the beef mixture and pour the cornbread batter over the cheese and beef mixture. Gently spread the cornbread to the edges of the pan, evening it out over the top of the casserole.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until the edges are bubbly and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Greek Pastitsio (Casserole Style)

Photo Credit to melskitchencafe.com

If you're wondering what a pastitsio is (like I was...) look here for the answer! Noodles, cheese, white sauce...how is that going wrong? This was oh so delicious. Lots of compliments from my hubby and father-in-law. As always...followed with bread and jam of course!

Photo credit to melskitchencafe.com

Delicious Greek Pastitsio {Casserole-Style}

Makes 9x13 pan12 ounces penne pasta
1 pound ground turkey or ground sirloin
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (from about 1 large onion)
1 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 ounces light cream cheese
2 cups milk, 1% of skim work great
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes,drained
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheee
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the broiler.
In a large pot of lightly salted, boiling water, cook the penne pasta according to package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add beef or turkey to the pan with the diced onions and 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring to break up the meat into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through. Drain excess grease from the meat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute or so. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture, stirring to combine, and cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Add the cream cheese in pieces, scattering it over the meat. Let it melt into the meat and stir to combine. Whisk or stir in the milk, nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon salt and tomatoes. Stir to combine well and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook 5-6 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened and is thoroughly heated through.
Stir in the pasta and spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the pasta and broil for about 3-5 minutes (watching carefully so it doesn’t burn!). Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Let it stand fora bout 5 minutes before serving.

{Note: I think I'll add a little more nutmeg next time to kick it up a notch}

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I came across these on pinterest...thank you pinterest. And thank you people who waste their lives posting awesome recipes! (like me) I've made these a couple of times because they make so much you can freeze leftovers and take them as meals to neighbors with new babies, etc. Or just save them for a quick meal later. Add a fruit/fruit salad and this is a very rounded (?...can't think of the word...pregnant brain) and healthy meal!


The pin originally said these were better than PF Chang's. Although I think these are awesome and I will continue to make them...they do not live up to PF Chang's in my opinion. I make them and freeze the extras. Then when I need to take dinner to a family, I heat these up with some rice and get some lettuce and voila! Yummy dinner quick and easy!

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Makes 10 cups
2 tablespoon canola oil
3 pounds ground turkey breast
1-1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (1 tablespoon minced)
3 garlic cloves (1 tablespoon minced)
4 medium carrots
10 green onions (white and green parts);
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts
1 (8 oz) can bamboo shoots
1 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup dry sherry {I used apple juice}
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot chili sauce or paste
Boston Bibb (or any other "stable") lettuce

Optional Ingredients:

Brown rice, cooked
chopped peanuts
cilantro
Sriracha chili sauce
Asian Peanut sauce (recipe at www.theyummylife.com/recipes/16)
Asian Spicy Lime & Ginger Sauce (recipe at www.theyummylife.com/recipes/138)

Vegetables may all be minced by hand; however it's easier to use a food processor (FP) if you have one. Process in this order: mince the garlic and ginger together in FP; chop the carrots into 1" chunks and add them to FP and process until minced; remove garlic/ginger/carrots to separate bowl; chop green onions into 2" pieces and add with bamboo shoots and water chestnuts to FP; process until minced.

Add canola oil to skillet {remember you have 3 lbs meat, which means a wok-sized skillet, or an electric skillet} and heat on stove-top on med-high heat. Add turkey, cook until browned with no pink remaining; break apart chunks with spatula as turkey browns. Add minced veggies (garlic, ginger, carrots, onions, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts) and cook 5-10 min., until tender. In separate bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and chili sauce; add to turkey mixture. Stir and cook until heated through, approx. 5 minutes.

For Dinner: Spoon rice and turkey mixture into a lettuce leaf. Add toppings, if desired. Roll the lettuce leaf and eat. {We keep rice/turkey mixture separate to add how much we would like
To Freeze: Add turkey mixture to ziploc freezer bags - 2 cups of turkey mix per quart size bag {Or whatever will fit, I usually get two quart bags full after one dinner}. Flatten the bag, press out as much air as possible, and seal. Put in the freezer on a tray to keep it flat. Once frozen, remove from tray and stack bags in your freezer. May be frozen for several months. Reheats quickly in microwave.
As Appetizer: Use endive instead of lettuce. Fill leaves with turkey mixture and arrange on platter.

Recipe source: theyummylife.com

Tomato Florentine Pasta Bake

Do you ever see those recipes that are hanging next to the spices at the grocery store and think "Who actually picks those things up?" I think that 99% of the time. However, this 1%-time I picked this one up and am SO glad I did. I make this probably once a month or so. It's a little spicy, with a little kick of cinnamon. I really love it.

Photo Credit to McCormick

Tomato Florentine Pasta Bake

Makes 6 servings

1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 1/4 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups uncooked penne pasta (6 ounces)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook turkey and onion in large nonstick skillet on medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano, sugar, cinnamon, garlic powder and red pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package; drain well. Stir pasta and well-drained spinach into sauce until well mixed. Spread 1/2 of the pasta mixture in 11x7-inch baking dish. Spread ricotta cheese evenly over pasta. Top with remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.

Bake 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: McCormick

Cheesy Turkey Meatballs

This is another one of those that I cut out of a magazine. Unfortunately, I can't give credit where credit is due because I have no idea where it came from. It's about 2 inches square, with no picture.
Again, these are very healthy and we LOVED them! I will definitely be making them again...especially with my new obsession with ground turkey :) (Oh, and what I'm giving you is the recipe doubled)

Photo Credit to Me

Cheesy Turkey Meatballs
Makes 11x7 pan
1 pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons diced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I used italian bread crumbs, which gave it an awesome flavor!)
4 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4-6 ounces mozzarella cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 cups chopped zucchini
Whole-wheat orzo pasta (couldn't find whole-wheat, obviously)
1 cup tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 425. Mix turkey with onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, milk, salt and pepper. Form meatballs placing a cheese cube in the center of each meatball. Mist 11x7 pan with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, saute garlic in oil for 1 minute. Add zucchini and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve meatballs over zucchini and orzo. It then says to put tomato sauce on top, but I was afraid it would be too plain... or disgusting. We tried spaghetti sauce and didn't like it, so I ended up eating it with a tiny bit of butter for the "sauce" and it was delicious.

Recipe Source: Fitness Magazine

Enchilada Lasagna

A couple of years ago, I cut a whole bunch of recipes out of a whole bunch of magazines and am JUST getting to them...slowly but surely. So here is one of those...(from Taste of Home).

Photo Credit to Taste of Home

Enchilada Lasagna
1 1/2 pounds ground beef/turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 ounce) enchilada sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups (12 ounce) cottage cheese
3 cups Mexican cheese blend
8 flour tortillas (I used whole wheat), cut in half
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In large skillet, cook beef/turkey, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, enchilada sauce and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
In small bowl, combine egg and cottage cheese; set aside. Spread a third of the meat sauce into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Layer with half of the cheese blend, tortillas, cottage cheese mixture and remaining meat sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover, bake 10 more minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before cutting.

Recipe Source: Taste of Home

Stacked Burrito Pie

Stacked Burrito Pie

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 pound ground beef {I used 1 pound ground turkey}

2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

1 can black beans

1 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels {I used one can}

4 10-inch flour tortillas {I used 8-inch}

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup salsa

8 ounces cheddar/monterey jack cheese, grated

In large skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil, then add the onion for 5 minutes, then the garlic for 1 minute (til fragrant). Increase heat to medium and add meat, chili powder and cumin. Cook until no longer pink, stirring often. Add salt, water, black beans and corn and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and let cool.

Heat the oven to 350. Use the rim of 8-inch springform pan, trim three of the flour tortillas {like I said, I used 8-inch, and it was only a little bit more messy...worth it for me to not have to trim}. Butter bottom and sides of springform pan, press the untrimmed tortilla into the bottom. Spread sour cream, then salsa, 1/4 of meat mixture, then cheese. {I didn't use measurements for the sour cream or salsa because we like a lot of both, so I just threw some in}. Start over with another tortilla and finish the last three layers, ending with cheese on top.

Bake until pie is heated through, about 30 minutes. allow it to cool at least 10 minutes before removing frame of pan.