Turkey Times Two: Turkey Meatballs with Pasta and Arugula

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What happens when turkey breast is on sale? All turkey, all the time is what happens. Turkey meatloaf  yesterday? I’ll take your meatloaf and raise you some meatballs. I wanted to use leftover parsley, shallot, arugula, and extra turkey I had, which pointed me in one direction: meatballs!! With the addition of a few staples (bread crumbs, eggs, Parmesan, etc.), a heathy and filing pasta dish was born. Again. In turkey form. Here goes it:

goodies

TURKEY MEATBALLS WITH PASTA AND ARUGULA

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground turkey breast (you may halve this recipe easily)
  • olive oil
  •  4 tbsp whole wheat breadcrumbs
  •  2 eggs
  • 4 tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced
  • 2 tsp garlic paste, or 4 cloves minced fresh garlic
  • 2 shallots, grated
  • 4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • a few healthy grinds black pepper
  • jarred tomato sauce
  • two large handfuls arugula (it’s a ve-ge-ta-ble)
  • a handful of basil from your neighbor, cut into ribbons
  • pasta (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 and heat two tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan (stay with me here). In a large bowl, combine egg, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, grated shallot (just grate them right into the bowl), and Parmesan. Blend them all well, and then add the turkey, stirring until well combined. Don’t worry that the mixture looks green and that the turkey is completely incorporated- the meatballs will be pretty again once cooked. Let this sit for a moment while you start the pasta and sauce.

steps 1, 2, and 3

This sentence is a friendly reminder to start your pasta water and cook the pasta you’ve chosen to use while you take care of the meatballs. I used Tinkyada brown rice spaghetti. You may also take this mindful moment to heat your jar of sauce (or homemade sauce, you creative devil, you) over low heat and toss in the handfuls of arugula and the chopped basil. Just let this quietly heat on a low setting and the sauce will wilt the arugula. Stir if it comes to mind, but it will be fine on a back burner.

just toss it right on top

Back to the meatballs! The easiest way for me to make uniform [meatballs, patties, servings] when cooking is to form the meat mixture into a relatively even-sized ball and divide, divide, divide. Split the ball it in half, then split that half in half, and then split those halves in half. Roll these into meatballs- you’ll have 16. They’ll cook more evenly and please your discerning, compulsive eye.

Place 8 meatballs into the hot pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove to a baking dish and repeat with the second half. You may need to add a teaspoon of olive oil; this meat is lean and will stick. When the dish is full, pop it in the oven for 15 minutes to let the meatballs cook. They’ll be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and you won’t have to fry the bejesus out of them. Let these rest 10 minutes before serving, and don’t forget to drain your pasta while they cook or rest.

delicious

Serve! Pasta, sauce, meatballs. Pass around additional Parmesan. Drink a tasty beer. I think the next variation of these I take a crack at will be Thai turkey meatballs with a peanut and cilantro sauce… stay tuned!!

Turkey Meatloaf & Roasted Brussels Sprouts (gf)

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Mums! Pumpkins! Hay bales on doorsteps! Brussels sprouts! Wait, what?

It’s officially fall, and has been for almost two glorious weeks. Fall is my favorite season (right behind summer, spring, and winter- ha), and one of my favorite ways to enjoy this time of year is to kick my cooking into high gear, including as many seasonal fall veggies as I can on our menu. A favorite is brussels sprouts, which, embarrassingly, I’d always purchased frozen. While I love them any way I can get them, I thought roasting fresh sprouts would be a more elegant and  satisfying way to prepare them, bringing out their natural sugars without complicating the cooking process. That instinct was a good one.

behold! caramelized perfection

Man, were these good! Dave and I ate them like candy while the turkey meatloaf finished cooking (unexpected: while delicious, the meatloaf played second fiddle to the gorgeous Brussels sprouts). Here’s what I came up with, main course listed first:

TURKEY MEATLOAF

adapted from Triathlete (so you know it’s nutritious!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 package ground turkey breast
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced to match
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic paste, or 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • large pinch kosher salt
  • several large grinds cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat that oven! To 375. Dice the onion and pepper first, and heat your olive oil over medium in a large saute pan. Add those veggies, and cook them for 10 minutes, until they’re softened and the onion is slightly browned.

fragrant and lovely

Meanwhile, chop the parsley and garlic, if you’re using fresh, and grab a large mixing bowl. Combine the parsley, garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper with a spoon. Blend this well. Add the turkey and fold it into the herb and sauce mix until it’s all one big seasoned gloppy mess. YUM. Don’t forget to stir those veggies every now and then.

When the onion and pepper are sufficiently soft and fragrant, mix them into the turkey and sauce. This can be done with a spoon since ground turkey is less sturdy than beef (i.e., no need to get your hands involved). Make sure to mix well. Form the turkey mixture into a loaf about an inch and a half tall and 8 inches long- do this on a vented broiling pan. If you like ketchup on top, brush 2 tablespoons on top now.  You may also want to line the broiling pan with foil for easy cleanup (something I thought of while staring at my broiling pan after dinner). Pop that bad boy into the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 before serving. Delish!

don’t take a picture of the cooked meal, just post one of raw meat, like this!

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, on to the super easy pièce de résistance:

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts, washed and ends trimmed if not purchased trimmed
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (eyeball this, add/subtract to your liking)
  • cracked black pepper
  • 2 shallots, cut into quarters (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, then spread onto a baking sheet or cast-iron skillet. I made mine in cast-iron because I was feeling rustic and wholesome and full of the fall spirit. Circle the wagons, guys. If you’re also feeling that way, go cast iron, and don’t look back. Roast for 40 minutes and serve! So easy! So healthy! Good for you!

gawgeous, pre-cooked

These were so pretty, my sister commented that they “looked suspiciously like a Pinterest post,” which is pretty high on my List of Possible Compliments. Enjoy!

leftovers for lunch > pb&j

Sally’s Summer Salad & Crabcakes (pes, gf)

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When my husband goes out of town, I like to treat and distract myself by cooking nice meals to be enjoyed solo. He’s my favorite person to be around and when he leaves, I find myself doing things to keep my mind off of the house being so quiet. I grew up with lots of noise, two sisters, and very little privacy, and that first night with him gone is always a little, well… boring. Close quarters and bedlam are my peace.

fancy photo

Lots of people would savor that quiet, private, coffee commercial-like time… not me. I am happiest when surrounded by people I love (and sorry, Parley, but you don’t count). Correction: people I love and FOOD! And if I can’t have one, I’ll certainly have the other. We’re fortunate enough to have great friends to visit in many parts of the state and country, and we spent the past weekend in Joplin with some wonderful people. Being in a house full of folks we love and miss had me spoiled. Here was my (edible) replacement for rowdy company last night:

SALLY’S SUMMER SALAD

Recipe poached from the lovely Sally Robinson

Ingredients:

  • small container Organic Girl greens of your choice
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 red onion, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 bag ready-to-eat green beans, cut into thirds
  • 1 bag ready-to-eat snap peas, cut in half
  • 1 container Santa Sweets grape tomatoes, washed and halved
  • 1 lemon, juiced (you’ll save some juice for the recipes below)

Directions:

This was an as-best-I-can remember recreation of a delicious salad our friend Sally made Saturday night. When I told her I’d duped it, she mentioned that she’d also used feta, toasted slivered almonds, and garlic, salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of oil instead of a vinaigrette (recipe to follow). Each of those ingredients was incredibly tasty- I highly recommend adding any and all. All you need to do here is wash and cut the veggies as stated above and toss. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice for a bright, fresh taste, and to keep the avocado green in case you have leftovers.

Set salad aside, or meanwhile, make the following super-easy vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp-1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried herb of your choice (basil’s a good one)
  • 1 tsp whole grain or Dijon mustard
  • 1/2-3/4 cup olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients except oil; then add oil in a steady stream while whisking to emulsify dressing. Taste and season accordingly. I have categorized this post as gluten-free; the salad if gf, but the crabcakes are not gluten-free unless made with gf breading.

 CRAB CAKES MOUTARDE

Ingredients:

  • 1 12-oz container lump crab meat (found in the refrigerated section of the seafood counter)
  • 1 tbsp light mayo
  • 1 tsp whole grain or Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1/2 tsp dried mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
  • dash (or three) of cayenne
  • dash celery seed, if you have some around
  • 1 tsp lemon juice (save this from your vinaigrette)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Moutarde was the surname I gave these basic crab cakes to make them extra-fancy. French does that (see: Grey Poupon and pommes frites). So does drinking wine. There is mustard in the sauce I made, so I guess the name is legit. Voila! So very fancy.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium low, and add oil. Mix all ingredients except crab and bread crumbs. I recommend whisking them so they’re well-combined. I wouldn’t over-salt these, as you want to taste the delicate crab, and can liven up the flavor after cooking with bright, fresh, lemon juice. Fold in the crab with a spoon; then fold in the breadcrumbs. Add more breadcrumbs if you like, but keep in mind that the egg will bind the ingredients and help them cook in a patty form.

Divide the mixture into quarters (about 3 tbsp each), and gently form into cakes with your hands. Add patties (also gently) to the hot oil, leaving space between each. They don’t have to be flat and wide to thoroughly cook, they can be tall. They’ll cook pretty quickly. Let cook about 3-4 minutes on the first side; make sure to monitor the cooking temperature so the bottoms don’t burn. Flip over with a spatula and cook an additional 2-4 minutes. You want both sides to be golden brown. The crab cakes will look so pretty and smell so good at this point!

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, and let rest while you make your schmancy moutarde sauce:

  • 1 more tsp coarse grain or Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp light mayo
  • remaining lemon juice

Whisk all together. Plate your vinagrette-dressed salad, add crab cakes, spoon sauce on top. There! Being home alone isn’t so boring after all! Savor, finish your wine, and google some more French words in the sunroom as you watch the sun set. Enjoy.

Defiantly unaltered photo. Instagram is Photoshop for food.

Quickie: Chicken Avocado Omelette, or: “One Way To Use Grilled Leftovers” (gf)

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Today’s breakfast was fast, easy, healthy, and used leftovers! Fast, easy, healthy are pretty much the qualities I look for in cooking a perfect meal, and I was able to use some extra grilled chicken from earlier in the week. Be still my thrifty, beating heart. Here’s an idea for how to use those summer leftovers of your own- don’t forget that steak would work well, too!

20120721-163517.jpg
CHICKEN AVOCADO OMELETTES

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 eggs
  • 1 leftover chicken breast, heated and cubed
  • Half an avocado, sliced
  • Pico de gallo
  • Shredded cheese of your choice

Directions:
Whisk 2-3 eggs for the first omelette. Pour into heated omelette pan. Cook until edges are firm, then lift edges with a spatula to allow runny egg to flow under and cook. Sprinkle with cheese as desired, and add half the cubed chicken. Fold in half. Cook for a minute more, then slide onto a plate, garnishing with avocado and pico de gallo. Repeat and serve. Delicioso!

As we ate this morning, the possible moral dilemma of eating chicken and eggs at the same time came up. Is it wrong? The chicken, the egg? Together? Like a really delicious punch line to the classic joke? We didn’t decide. Probably out of guilt, since we had polished off both chicken and egg. I can say that if it is wrong [and topped with buttery avocado] I don’t want to be right. Enjoy!

BIG Summer Steak Salad with Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette (gf)

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It’s HOT in Saint Louis. Close to 100 degrees hot, and actually entering triple-digits tomorrow. The heat has forced us outside (ironically), to grill quick meals and then run inside and eat them like hungry vampires in the safety of our cool, dark home.

yowza

I had a simple but phenomenal steak salad at Over/Under on Wash Ave last week, and began craving steak salad as soon as I’d polished off the last bite. We had a pretty active and busy weekend, and making a grilled steak salad at home seemed to fit the healthy, fast, craving-satisfaction bill. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’m one to eat and repeat (and repeat, and repeat) when I stumble across a meal that particularly hits the spot.

you look beautiful when you’re undressed

BIG SUMMER STEAK SALAD

For the salad. Ingredients:

  • 1 container Organic Girl Supergreens! or other bagged salad greens
  • 1- 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • sprinkling of sugar
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 container NatureSweet Cherubs grape tomatoes- you can leave these whole
  • 1 cucumber, cut into chunks or slices (I like chunks)
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • a handful of cilantro, washed and roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat your grill to a medium-high setting. At room temperature, combine the canola oil, sugar, and soy, and spread over both sides of the flank steak. Let this sit and marinate while the grill heats up. Once hot, grill to desired doneness- I find that cheaper cuts like flank steak do well when cooked rare-to- medium rare, and always cut on the bias. Anyway, grill to your desired doneness (turning once) and let rest while you assemble the salad and dressing.

While the meat is resting, assemble the (prewashed!) greens in a pretty bowl. Slice the red onion, cut the cucumber, slice the avocado, and assemble all of those, along with the tomatoes, on top of your greens. Lovely!! If you’re a vegetarian, eat now!

delicious sans-steak

Meat eater or not, it’s time to make the dressing:

EASY BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

For the dressing. Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp coarse ground mustard
  • large pinch salt
  • generous grinding of black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried parsley

Mix all ingredients except olive oil together in a small mixing bowl. Let sit for five minutes. Go feed the cat or pour yourself a glass of wine while this is sitting. When your wine has been poured, whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, emulsifying it into the dressing. This is a delicious salad topper, and can be kept for days at room temperature. Yay! You’ve saved yourself a step for tomorrow’s dinner!

whisk it good

Slice the rested flank steak across the grain, at a bias, the best you can. You’ll need a sharp knife for this, and a serrated knife may pull at the delicate graining of the meat. The point of cutting this way is to tenderize the steak- cutting on the bias, against the grain actually makes sliced meat more tender and palatable. Message!

Now- grab your favorite BIG Salad Bowl, assemble greens, top with veggies, then with avocado and steak. Serve!! Enjoy your summery meal!!

dinner is served

Quick Marinara Sauce For A Crowd, or “What To Do With Four Pints of Grape Tomatoes” (v, gf)

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We had a party* this weekend!!!!!! First we’ve had in, oh, about three years, so I bought way too many groceries to make the food I had on the menu. What was on the menu? Burgers, brats, BBQ chicken, all of the necessary burger fixins, chips, dips, potato salad with cabbage and sesame oil, avocado and corn tomato salad, baked beans and 534845321564 cookies and cupcakes (none of which I baked).

It was a delicious and overindulgent day, and I wound up with four pints of leftover grape tomatoes from the avocado salad…. What in the heck do you make for a two-person household using that many tomatoes? A friend suggested I make a marinara sauce (my first instinct was tomato soup), so I did, thinking I’ll freeze some later. This recipe begins with the usual disclaimer that I was short on time, so I had to improvise my way through the slow-cooking I would have preferred for the sauce. Cue the food processor…..

the innumerable tomatoes mock me

QUICK MARINARA SAUCE FOR A CROWD

Ingredients:

  • 4 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes, preferably sitting on your counter ripening for two days, challenging you to a “you can’t cook me” face-off
  • 3-4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 very large onions, chopped
  • 5+ cloves garlic, or 3 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 1/2 tbsp  dried Italian seasoning (small palmful)
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 2-3 tsp kosher salt (you may prefer more, I try to limit salt)
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup water or pasta water, if you’re simultaneously cooking pasta and you like a thinner sauce

Directions:

Heat a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the hot pot, and swirl to coat. Add onion, garlic, and spices, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the washed tomatoes and water, if using, cooking for about ten minutes, or until the tomatoes start to break down from the heat and salt. Add balsamic at this point, and stir. Cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes more, or however long you have.

Remove from heat and uncover, letting the sauce cool for about ten minutes before processing in batches. The benefit of quick-cooking a sauce like this is that it’s light and fresh at the end, which is nice in the spring and versatile. I plan to freeze it in muffin cups and use the fairly neutral sauce in future pastas and soups. I also thought that a quickly browned pound of ground beef or turkey could easily turn into a spaghetti dinner with two or three servings of the sauce, tossed in at the end of cooking time to melt and meld, then be served over pasta.  This sauce is also a great way to use sale tomatoes!

If I’d had more time (Always. Always “if I’d had more time…”), I would have roasted the tomatoes and onions together in a large roasting dish with olive oil before transferring to a stock pot to simmer, and then puree. The flavor would have been richer, but that will be a delicious way to try this sauce in the fall. Enjoy!

Sauteed with cooked ground beef- this was the next day’s lunch. YUM

Some more ideas:

  1. omit balsamic, stir in creme fraiche, or chunks of neufchatel
  2. stir in ribbons of fresh basil after pureeing
  3. stir in Kalamata olives and feta cheese before pureeing, serve over fish
  4. add zucchini or spinach for a nutritional boost
  5. use a head of roasted garlic in place of fresh cloves (DEFINITELY trying this!)

*

White Bean Chicken Chili with Spoonbread

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Dave made a request recently for chili. Since it’s, you know, May (and hot outside), traditional beef and bean red chili seemed way, way too heavy. Thinking of an alternative that would still have protein, be filling, fast, and relatively low-carb, BAM! It hit me! White chicken chili! I’d never eaten it, let alone made it, but I figured that if I stuck with tex-mex flavors, I’d be fine. And it turned out really well! In our house, if you top hot, spicy food with avocado, it will be well-received, so I tried my best with a recipe and threw a bunch of the creamy, green stuff on top. Instant hit.

chicken chili nom-noms

And because it was so healthy, I had to counteract at least some of the nutritional benefits with a side of my fast spoonbread- essentially Jiffy corn muffin mix with canned and creamed corn (recipe below).  It is tasty! And goes well with so much, especially soups and chilis. Here goes:

WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

Ingredients:

  • 1 package ground white meat chicken
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cans white beans, rinsed and drained*
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 jalepeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • 1 bunch cilantro- leaves minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced, or one tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp chicken base
  • 1-2 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 cups water
  • diced avocado, sour cream, hot sauce to serve

Directions:

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. When hot, add your olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, peppers (all three kinds), and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken and all spices.

peppers, onion, and garlic cooking away

Cook, stirring, until the chicken is broken up well and is no longer pink. This will take another 5-7 minutes. Add the canned beans- and here’s the thing about canned beans- *you can either drain and rinse them to cut salt content or just dump them in. I drained mine but then added a tablespoon of chicken base, so was I really cutting salt? Probably not by much. I do prefer the flavor of the chicken base to the boring, super salty-msg-like flavor of canned beans. But this is up to you. Are you a drainer or a dumper? That sounds kind of weird, doesn’t it?

all done!

Anyway, add water, and you can add by the half cup, depending on how soupy you like your chili. Add the chicken base or bouillon here, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer about ten minutes. You’re all done! Stir in the cilantro and serve, with avocado, sour cream, hot sauce, and….

FAST SPOONBREAD

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages Jiffy corn muffin mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cups milk
  • 1 can sweet corn, drained
  • 1 can creamed corn

Directions:

SO EASY! Love recipes that start with those words! Mix everything well (the batter will be lumpy, which is okay). Let rise for a few minutes as you preheat the oven to 400. Grease a baking dish- an 8×8 pyrex should be the right size (I like using a white Corning Ware casserole dish for presentation points). Bake for about 45 minutes. You want this to be a very moist bread- not uncooked but very soft. The sweetness and moisture of the corn and creamed corn really make this a delicious bread, and it’s forgiving- another 10-15 minutes in the oven wouldn’t hurt it at all. Serve.

*This post has been categorized as gluten-free; Jiffy mix isn’t 100% gf, so homemade cornbread would be the best bet if you need to be a stickler.

Classic Shrimp and Asparagus Barley Risotto (pes, gf)

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Earlier in the month, I published a slight spin on one of may favorite recipes. I essentially made this dish with broccoli in place of asparagus and added curry powder. This version, with asparagus, fresh lemon, and no curry powder, is my absolute favorite version and really delicious in the spring, when asparagus is at its peak. The lemon zest and juice really give this a bright kick of flavor; do yourself a favor and make sure to include the lemon. It makes all the difference in the world.

SHRIMP AND ASPARAGUS BARLEY RISOTTO

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb (generally 1 bag) 31-40 count shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined
  • 1 1/4 c pearled barley
  • 1 bunch asparagus, washed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 5 1/2 cups stock, or water + 4 tsps cooking base or bouillon
  • juice and zest of 1-2 lemons Read More