Greek Turkey Burger

So I now have to recipes that use ground turkey that my husband does not turn his nose up at. Good for us, good for the budget. I will give you the recipe as it was written, but I think it could do with less salt.

1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1.2 tsp garlic powder
1 3/4 oz crumbles feta cheese

buns
sliced red onion

Mix ingredients through feta cheese. You can use a 1/2 c measure to make equal size, or like me make little ones, mommy size, and daddy size. Broil for 5-6 minutes on each side or until done. Top with the red onion. Another tip a found in this recipe is to mix mustard and ketchup, to cut down on the sugar.

Tuscan Meatballs

Cheap, healthy and fast oh and good too. Doesn't get any better than that!

10 oz package frozen spinach
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1 c seasoned bread crumbs
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 handfuls of mozzarella
1 tsp garlic salt

save 1 c of pasta water
1-2 tbs olive oil
12 oz spaghetti
3/4 c white wine
3 tbs butter
1-2 garlic cloves

Squeeze water out of spinach. Mix spinach, turkey, egg, bread, Parmesan, mozzarella, and garlic salt in a bowl. Form into meatballs. Brown meatballs in oil and put in oven to finish. 350 degrees.
Deglaze pan with white wine. Add butter and garlic and let thicken. Add pasta in pan plus the water that was saved, as needed. Toss to coat. Add meatballs and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yes, we really do love pumpkin around here. Something I learned when making these is that you can substitute 2 cups of powdered sugar for 1 cup of regular. I also learned to make sure you have all the ingredients on hand before you tell kids you are going to make muffins.

1 c sugar
1/4 c vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 c canned pumpkin
1/4 c water
2 1/4 c flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c mini choc. chips

Stir together sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Cook at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Tuscan Sandwich

Here it is by special request, my signature sandwich. The story behind this? Once upon a time I had a wonderful sandwich at Panera Bread. The next time I went back I tried to order it. "Oh, no, you are crazy. We have never had a sandwich like that. We do have this which is quite a bit like it..." It was horrible. So now I make them myself and they are wonderful!

Panera's Rosemary Focaccia , I think it is the bread that makes the sandwich great, everything else just plays up the flavors.
Sliced Turkey Breast
Provolone
Olive oil
Spinach
Sun-dried tomatoes, I prefer those packed in oil and herbs
Red onion

Cut the bread in wedges, like a pie. Cut each one open and lay flat. Drizzle olive oil on the inside of the top and layer the rest of the ingredients on the bottom. Add the top and toast in oven until cheese is melted.

For special meetings, I leave off the onion and don't toast and they are still good.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Here is another one of those pumpkin recipes. A different take on your morning cereal and an easy way to sneak a serving of vegetables in.

2 c cooked oatmeal
1 c canned pumpkin
2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 c milk

In a saucepan, stir all ingredients together over medium heat 5 minutes.

Super easy!

Apricot Ginger Pear Parfaits

Caeden has been asking for dessert. I do not usually give them a lot of sweet things, so I have been trying to come up with some "desserts" that are not so bad for us. Anything with ginger in it I am up for trying.

6 firm ripe pears
5 oz dried apricots
4 tsp finely grated, peeled, fresh ginger
1/2 c water
2-3 tbs sugar
4 strips fresh lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
8 oz nonfat vanilla yogurt

Peel 4 pears and coarsely chop. Transfer to a 3-4 quart saucepan. Add apricots, ginger, water, 2 tbs sugar, zest, cinnamon stick, and 1 tbs lemon juice. Simmer, covered until pears are very tender, about 20 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick and force mixture through food mill into a bowl. If desired stir in up to 1 tbs additional sugar and cool sauce.

While sauce is cooling, peel, core, and finely dice remaining 2 pears. Toss with remaining tbs lemon juice in a bowl. Divide the pears, sauce and yogurt into glasses.

Chicken with Coconut and Lime

Another thing that we have been eating a lot of lately is coconut milk. The boys really seemed to like this.

4 skinned, boned chicken breast halves
2 tbs grated zest from lime
3 tbs juice from lime
1/2 c canned coconut milk
1/8 tsp salt
garnish with 1/4 c mined scallions and cilantro

Marinate the chicken in half the lime juice, while you preheat a grill of broiler. Warm the coconut milk over low heat. Season it with salt. Add the lime zest. Add the remaining half of the lime juice to the coconut milk mixture.

Grill or broil the chicken until nicely browned and cooked thoroughly. Spoon a little of the sauce over and around the chicken. Serve with white rice.

Garlic Black Beans & Rice

Beans and rice yes, but definitely not Brazilian style. Found this again while looking through my recipes. I can not believe I forgot about it!

2 c Uncle Ben's Chicken and Herb Rice
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 c diced onion
1.2 c diced green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbs fresh lime juice

In medium saucepan, heat oil until hot. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic 1 minute. Add rice and cook according to package directions. When rice has finished cooking, stir in beans and lime juice.

Yummy Fish

Sorry, no recipe today. I do have a recommendation for those of you that live around a Fareway. We had the breaded tilapia again tonight and as always it was wonderful. Breaded is too boring of a name for this. It has a ton of flavor, and none of it fishy.

Lemon & Rice Soup

My heart goes out today to a sick little guy. I have never been a big fan of chicken noodle soup, although it is reputed to work. So this is the version that I make for my sick little guys.

14 oz can chicken broth
1/2 c cooked rice
juice of 1 lemon
1 egg

In a medium sauce-pan, bring broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in rice and lemon juice. Crack the egg into a measuring cup or small bowl.

While whisking the egg, slowly add about 1/2 cup of hot broth. Gently stir the egg mixture back into saucepan creating thin cooked ribbons of egg throughout the broth.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

We eat a lot of pumpkin at our house. This started when Caeden was little and in that stage that he wanted to feed himself, but was not yet proficient at it. He loved yogurt, so I stirred in some canned pumpkin to thicken it up a bit. The rest has been history...

It is also an easy way to sneak some vegetables in the boys.

1 c whole wheat flour
1 c sugar
2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of ground cloves
1 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c egg substitute, or 2 large eggs
1/3 c water
1/4 c oil

In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In another bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, water and oil; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Spoon into a loaf pan that has been coated with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

Gooey Angel Food Cake

File this one under, never would have thunk it. Kiwi and carmel are a really good combination. Being the tropical fruit buying godess that I am, I bought a mango that was not ripe, so we just used kiwi.

Use as a topper to a premade cake or a mix. Here goes....

Caramel Sauce:
1 c sugar
1/4 c water
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbs butter
1/4 evaporated low-fat milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

2 c chopped fresh fruit such as mango, berries, or kiwi

To make sauce: Combine sugar and 1/4 c water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, about 5 minutes, until syrup turns golden. (Be careful not to let it burn.)

Remove syrup from heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the butter until melted. Pour milk into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High 30 sec. Gradually stir milk into caramel until blended. (Caramel will begin to harden.)

Return caramel to medium-high heat, and cook, stirring often, 1 minute, until hardened caramel has dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and salt (makes about 3/4 cup sauce).

Top cake slices with fruit, and drizzle with warm sauce.

Cantaloup Salad

I decided to add this here after watching Camlyn slobbering it down, the emphasis on slobbering. I don't believe there is any need for measuring on this one.

1 whole cantaloup, cut in half and deseeded
dried cranberries
granola

Use a melon baller or cut cantaloup into small pieces. Top with cranberries and granola, yum.

A few of my favorite things

KitchenAid Stand Mixer - Women need power tools too!

J.A. Henckels Knives - Chop, Chop Thank goodness for wedding presents!

Pampered Chef garlic press- fresh garlic fast with no yucky smelling hands

Orka Glove - Fun for the cook, and the kids!

Parmesan Butter Dips

This is a wonderful bread when you are short on time.

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tb sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c milk
1/2 c butter, melted
1/4 c parmesan cheese

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Stir in milk just until moistened. Turn onto a floured surface; divide into 18 pieces. Roll each into a 5 in rope.

Pour butter into a shallow pan. Dip ropes in butter. Place 2 in apart on greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Sausage and Canneloni Soup

This is one of my own recipes, so it will be a little loosey-goosey. Every now and then to help with the budget I go on a grocery store strike. I cook with what I can find in the freezer and pantry. Some of the meals that we have had when we thought there was nothing around have been amazing. This recipe came about during one of those strikes.

1 lb of sausage
1 clove of garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp, or so, italian seasoning
can of tomato sauce
small soup pasta such as stars or alphabet, hint look in the Mexican section
can of canneloni beans, white beans, drain and rinse


Brown the sausage in a large saucepan. Add the garlic when sausage is about done. Add italian seasoning and can of tomato sauce. Add the pasta and enough water to allow the pasta to cook. You will need to stir occassionally because the pasta tends to stick to the pan. When the pasta is tender add the beans and cook until warmed through.

Carrot Fries

I never have any leftovers when I make these. Today both Camlyn and Alison were grabbing handfuls and stuffing their mouths!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut 16 medium carrots into sticks. In a bowl, toss with 2 tbs of olive oil. Spread carrot sticks in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until fries begin to turn crisp, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

Enchiladas with Turkey and Tomato Sauce

This vegetable heavy enchilada is simple, but very good. I would reccommend finely chopping the vegetables instead of dicing them. This will make them go over better for the toddler set. I keep wondering what cumin would be like added to this....

Sauce
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 2/3 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp fresh oregano
salt to taste

Filling
1 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 small zucchini, diced
3/4 pound ground turkey

8 flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and saute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato sauce and oregano, then season with salt and pepper. Cover and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

For the turkey filling, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok and stir in the garlic, onion, pepper, and zucchini. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the turkey, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. After 7-8 minutes, the turkey should be completely cooked through. Stir in half the cheese until melted.

Divide the mixture between the tortillas and roll up each one to form a cigar shape. Place the rolled tortillas in an ovenproof dish and cover with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Mexican Rice

This recipe has been a big hit at our house. We have it as a side dish often.

1 tbs olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 c rice
1 1/2 c chicken broth
3 tbs tomato paste

In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occassionally for 3 minutes or until transparent. Stir in rice and cook stirring frequently until grains are coated and slightly transparent on the edges.

Stir in broth and tomato paste until well blended. Bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Thai Vegetable & Noodle Soup

Courtesy of Kathy. Yumm! Don't let the name fool you, this is good. I served this for Anita and JoAnn and Patty and got rave reviews.

2 tbs peanut oil
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 large carrot, cut into thin sticks
1 zucchini, cut into thin sticks
4 oz broccoli, cut into florets
4 cups vegetable stock
1 3/4 coconut milk
3-4 tbs Thai soy sauce
2 tbs red curry paste
2 oz wide rice noodles
4 oz soy bean sprouts
4 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet and stir-fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Pour in the stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the soy sauce, curry paste, and noodles, and let simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the noodles have swelled. Stir in the bean sprouts and cilantro and serve immediately.