Ground Turkey

GROUND TURKEY

Turkey is often an ingredient that gets overlooked.  Turkey can be difficult to cook since it is such a lean meat it has a tendency to dry out very easily.  However, when prepared correctly it's delicious and very healthy for you.  A great source of lean protein as well as vitamins B3 and B6.  Ground turkey can be a great substitute for most meats you already incorporate into your daily and or weekly diet.

Vegetable Soup with Ground Turkey

See recipe for homemade vegetable stock see my November Butternut Squash Post

8-10 cups homemade vegetable stock

1 package ground turkey

½ cup diced celery

1 cup shitake mushrooms

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 cups spinach

1 cup par-cooked garbanzo beans

1 cup sugar snap peas

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch red pepper flakes

- Sauté turkey in a medium pan with salt and pepper until almost cooked through

- Combine stock, garbanzo beans and tomatoes simmer for 10 minutes

- Add Turkey (and any cooking liquid), spinach, mushrooms, peas, celery, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer for another 20-30 minutes

Spagetti Squash with Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Roasted Tomato Sauce

1-2 Medium Spagetti Squash

Sauce:
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 shallot minced
1/2 tbs olive oil
1 28 oz can peeled whole tomatoes
1 16 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1/8 cup sugar
1 small bunch basil
salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs:
1 pkg ground turkey
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

- saute garlic and shallots in olive oil until translucent
- add tomatoes, sugar, basil and salt and pepper, simmer until flavors have developed (45 minutes to an hour)

For the Meatballs:

- preheat oven to 400 degrees
- mix the turkey with seasonings and form into 1/2 inch balls
- place on a baking sheet in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through, but still moist

For the Squash:

- Roast Squash in 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until fork tender
- Squash should come apart in strings with a fork
- Serve with sauce and meatballs

Turkey Burger with Roasted Brocolini & Parsley Vinaigrette 

1 pkg ground turkey
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 shallot minced
1 tbs olive oil
1/8 tsp corriander
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup brie cheese
1 cup arugula
1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes

8-10 stalks brocolini
salt to taste
1/2 tbs olive oil
sprinkle red pepper flakes

1/2 bunch parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/2 shallot
1-2 anchovies
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs white wine vinegar
honey to taste
salt and pepper to taste
oil to consistency 

For the Burgers:

- Heat grill pan to 300 degrees
- Combine the meat with seasonings until fully combined, fold in cheese
- Cook 6 minutes per side or until cooked through but still moist

To roast Brocolini:

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- dress brocolini with olive oil and salt
- Roast for 10-12 minutes or until slight color starts to form

For the Vinaigrette:

- In a blender combine parsley, shallot, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and honey
- blend on low until mostly combined 
- stream oil in until glossy and thickened slightly
- season as necessary

- Serve burger with arugula and tomatoes and drizzle vinaigrette over burger and brocolini

Kale

KALE

I discovered Kale only recently when cooking in a restaurant, finishing up my culinary degree.  It's deep green leafy qualities intrigued me to learn more about it.  Kale is a bit bitter, but has a ton of health benefits and when prepared correctly is delicious.  It's extremely high in fiber and iron.  Some say it has more iron than beef per calorie!  A great quality for a vegetarian diet.  Kale, also high in vitamins, is high in vitamin K, C and E.  These vitamins help with bone and skin health and helps your metabolism to work effectively and efficiently.  Kale is an excellent detox food, containing a lot of sulfur which aids in liver health.  If you think you don't like kale, I urge you to give these recipes a try, you might just change your mind!

Kale Chips

1/4 bag chopped kale
1 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Place the Kale on a sheet tray or cookie sheet
- Drizzle with olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes
- Toss with your hands until seasonings are evenly distributed
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crunchy

Sauteed Kale with Mushrooms, Peppers and Shrimp

1/2 bag chopped kale
1/4 white onion medium dice
1 clove garlic minced
1 package shitake mushrooms sliced
1/2 red bell pepper medium dice
1/2 lb fresh or frozen shrimp
2 tbs toasted pine nuts
1 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

- In a medium saute pan over medium heat sweat onions and garlic until translucent in olive oil
- Add bell peppers and mushrooms cook another 3 minutes
- Add kale and shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink

Kale Protein Smoothie

1 serving vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder
2 cups kale
1/2 frozen banana
1 pint frozen blueberries
1 pint frozen raspberries
1 tbs flax seeds
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1 cup vanilla greek yogurt

- In a blender combine protein powder, kale, frozen fruit, flax seeds, yogurt and almond milk in a blender, blend until desired consistency is reached.

Bananas

BANANAS

I eat at least one banana every single day.  I personally love them and thought what a great opportunity to experiment with the versatility of the banana.  They are high in vitamins such as C, B6 and iron.  Bananas help to regulate blood pressure and they also help to neutralize the body’s sodium content which in turn helps increase bone health.  Bananas are also high in fiber, which promotes a healthy digestive system.  Fiber is known for helping you to feel fuller longer.  Bananas are good to eat before or after workouts to give you energy and refuel.     

Bananas are fat and cholesterol free and can actually be used as a healthy substitute for butter or oil in baking.  They provide moisture, texture and flavor.

Banana Chips

2 medium sized bananas

½ lemon

½ tsp salt

-       - Preheat oven to 175 degrees

-       - Slice bananas thin, no bigger than ¼ inch

-       - Lay on sheet tray

-       - Squeeze lemon and sprinkle salt over the bananas

-       - Bake for 1.75-2 hours or until crispy

-       - Cool, the chips will harden as they cool

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Protein Shake

1 frozen banana

1 scoop chocolate designer whey protein powder

1 cup vanilla greek yogurt

2 tbs peanut butter

1/4 cup vanilla almond milk

-       - Put all ingredients into a blender, blend on high or until smooth

Steel Cut Oats with Brown Sugar and Banana Puree

1 banana

½ cup almond milk

1 tbs brown sugar

¼ cup steel cut oats

1 cup water

For the puree:

-       - place banana, almond milk and brown sugar in a small saucepot and simmer about 15 minutes on medium heat

-      -  place everything in a blender and blend until smooth

For the Oats:

-       - place the oats and the water in a small saucepot and bring to a boil

-      -  Reduce to a simmer until water is absorbed, 10-15 minutes

      Stir puree into oatmeal, garnish with fresh berries and banana chips

Flax Seeds

FLAX SEEDS

Flax seeds, while tiny, pack quite the punch when it comes to nutritional value.  They in fact blow most grains right out of the water.  Flax seeds are very high in fiber and excellent for the digestive system, weight loss and or maintenance.  Fiber helps to stabilize blood sugar and keep cholesterol levels low.   Also, high in Omega 3 fatty acids, flax seeds can help prevent against inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, asthma, diabetes and even some cancers.  When introducing flax seeds into your diet it is important to introduce them slowly due to their extremely high fiber content. 

One other important thing to note is how to store flax seeds correctly.  They do contain oil, like nuts, and have the ability to go rancid.  Storing them correctly will help to prevent this from happening too quickly.  Flax seeds keep best in whole seed form.  When buying or using flax meal or oil it is important to keep these ingredients in airtight containers away from heat and light.  This will increase their shelf life and provide a fresher product.  I’ve included a few fun recipes below that can help you incorporate flax seeds into your daily diet.

Flax Seed Flatbread with Roasted Vegetables

Dough:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup bread flour

1 tbs oil

1 tbs salt

3/4 tbs sugar

½ tbs dry active yeast

¾ cup lukewarm water

Toppings:

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs minced garlic

1 cup broccoli

½ cup red peppers

½ cup mushrooms

¼ cup chickpeas

¼ cup grated parmesan

½ cup spinach or arugula

Lemon juice to taste

Salt & Pepper to taste

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees

- Mix yeast and water until combined and dissolved

- Add 1 cup of flour to start

- Add the rest of the flour, sugar, flax seeds, oil and salt

- Mix until combined set aside to rise (30-45 minutes)

- Form into 3-4 balls, set aside for 10 minutes

- Roll out dough until thin, top with oil, garlic, veggies salt and pepper

- Bake for 10 minutes or until crust is brown

- Finish with cheese, spinach or arugula, bake for 1 more minute

- Squeeze lemon juice over the top

Homemade Granola with Flax Seeds

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup slivered almonds

¼ cup flax seeds

1/3 cup vegetable or olive oil

2 tbs honey

3 tbs maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla

pinch nutmeg

pinch ginger

¼ cup dried fruit of your choice

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Combine oats, nuts and flax seeds until well combined

- Add oil, honey, maple syrup and mix well

- Add spices and salt mix well and spread evenly over a greased sheet tray

- Place in the oven and stir every 7-10 minutes to assure even baking

- Add dried fruit in last 10 minutes of baking

- Cool and store in an airtight container

Whole Wheat Flax Seed Bread

1.5 cups bread flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry active yeast

¾ cup flax seeds

2 tsp molasses

1 cup lukewarm water

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees

- Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl

- Gradually add water until well combined

- Set aside, cover and let rise for 1-1.5 hours

- Form into 2 loaves and set aside to rise a second time

- Brush with water and cut two slits on the tops of the loaves

- Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top

A few things to note, bread can be very temperamental with weather conditions (moisture, heat, etc) and or the order you add the ingredients.  It is important to not have the salt come into direct contact with the yeast, it will kill it and the dough will not rise.  You also want to set the dough in a warm, not hot, environment to rise, this helps to speed up the process and allows the yeast to work to its fullest potential.

10 things to keep in your Kitchen

There are certain things I ALWAYS have in my kitchen, I've come up with a list of 10, and I'd like to share them with you:

1. Kosher Salt - I use salt whenever I cook, it brings out the natural flavors in foods and provides a level of flavor you can't achieve with any other seasoning.
2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil - a staple in my kitchen.  I use it for sautéing and in a lot of my recipes.  It's a healthy alternative that provides a lot of flavor.
3. Balsamic Vinegar - one of my all time favorite vinegars (actually made from grapes), easy to cook with and gives dishes an acidic quality.
4. Fresh Garlic - I use garlic in almost everything I cook.  Fresh is the way to go, you lose some flavor and quality if you buy the pre-cut pre-packaged garlic.  Garlic has a long shelf life and is relatively inexpensive so it's easy to keep around.
5. Lemons - whether for the zest or the juice I like to keep lemons in my fridge.  They are versatile can be used in cooking and or drinks.  Lemons are also good for cleaning.
6. Black Pepper - I love to use black pepper to season my food.  It gives it a hint of spice that is often undetectable, but still there.
7. Vanilla - vanilla is often seen as only used for baking, but it can also be used in cooking.  I feel that it can easily add depth to many dishes.
8. Eggs - In general I eat a lot of eggs so I always have them handy.  You never know when you're going to need an egg.
9. Onions/Shallots - like garlic onions and shallots are very versatile and can go in almost any dish.  They also have a long shelf life and are easy to store.  Just don't keep them by the potatoes, they tend to rot quicker.
10. Sugar - Sugar is often a staple in a lot of kitchens.  Whether used in baking or to sweeten a sauce, it's a good item to have in your pantry.

Butternut Squash

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Butternut squash, another fall favorite, is very versatile, healthy and hearty in a variety of dishes.  It’s natural rich buttery qualities help to give you a feeling of satisfaction without all the fat and calories. 

Butternut squash is in the gourd family (along with pumpkins, melons and cucumbers) and is actually considered a fruit because of its seeds.  It’s very high in dietary fiber, potassium, antioxidants, and very low in fat, which promotes heart and bone health.  The bright orange color of the squash indicates that it is high on carotenoids as well as vitamin C.  Just one cup provides you with half of your daily serving of vitamin C!  I have provided some hearty fall recipes below that will provide comfort and satisfaction as fall comes to and end and winter begins, enjoy!

Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Pasta with a Sage infused Brown Butter Cream Sauce

 

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 eggs

½ tsp salt

½ cup butternut squash (pureed in a blender with water until smooth)

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

2 tbs unsalted butter

12 sage leaves

½ cup heavy cream

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cider vinegar

Salt to Taste

For the Pasta:

-       - combine flour, eggs, salt, butternut squash puree, oil and parsley until fully incorporated

-       - chill dough for 30 minutes

-       - on a floured surface roll out dough as thin as you can ( I did 3 separate pieces)

-       - fold sheet in 3’s and cut into linguine

-       - drop pasta into boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes, strain into a colander

For the sauce

-       - melt/brown the butter and sage in a small saucepot

-       - once butter is brown remove sage leaves, add cream, cinnamon vinegar and salt, reduce until it coats the back of a spoon

     - Serve over pasta.

Since the sauce is very rich and heavy, you don’t need a lot, maybe 2 tablespoons per portion.  Even though it is a cream sauce using just a little bit won’t add unnecessary calories to your diet, but provide a ton of flavor and satisfaction, a perfect comfort food!

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

1 tbs olive oil

1 sweet potato, small cubes

1 parsnip, small cubes

½ butternut squash, small cubes

1 small clove garlic

¼ cup red bell pepper, small dice

1/8 cup jalepeno, small dice

¼ cup white onion, small dice

¼ cup garbonzo beans

 juice of ½ lemon

juice of 1 lime

1 tsp coriander

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 egg

- Saute sweet potato, parsnip, butternut squash and garlic in olive oil in large sauté pan for 15 minutes

- Add red pepper, onion, garbonzo beans and jalepeno, lemon and lime juice and spices sauté until everything is tender (another 15 minutes or so) 

- In the mean time heat a pan for the egg and fry in a non-stick sckillet to your liking.  serve over hash and garnish with fresh parsley

Butternut Squash Risotto

3 tbs olive oil

3 green onions

1 large clove garlic

½ cup shitake mushrooms

1 cup brown rice

½ cup butternut squash puree

8 cups vegetable stock (see recipe below)

1.5 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tsp lemon juice

dash of cinamon

- sauté garlic, onions and mushrooms in 2 tbs of oil for 5 minutes, set aside

- heat rice in 1 tbs oil over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes or until aromatic

- add 1 cup vegetable stock until absorbed, stirring constantly, add another ½ cup until absorbed, repeat until rice is tender, between 45 and 60 minutes

- add butternut squash puree, salt and pepper, stir until thick and creamy

- stir in mushrooms, garlic and onions

- finish with parmesan, lemon juice and cinnamon

Vegetable Stock

10 cups cold water

1 onion

2 celery stalks

1 carrot

1 parsnip

5 mushrooms

8 green onions

1 bunch parsley

1 small bunch thyme

-       - In a large pot combine rough chopped vegetables and herbs, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. 

-       - Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour

-       - Strain out vegetables, save liquid