Lighter Loaded Potato Skins

The hubby and I loved it, the kids didn't, they aren't fans of ground turkey. I'll try it again with beef or chicken. Probably beef.

Turkey Chili Loaded Baked Potato Skins

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Original recipe and source: Loaded Turkey Santa Fe Baked Potato Skins 

by SkinnyTaste.com

Printable Recipe

6 russet potatoes, washed, scrubbed and dried

For the filling:
1/2 lb lean ground turkey
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 jalapeno, chopped fine
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
1 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

For the topping:

shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions

sour cream or Greek yogurt

Pierce the potato with a fork in a few places. In a microwave safe dish cook on high about 5 minutes per potato. When finished, allow the potatoes to cool, enough so you can handle them. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center of the potatoes leaving about 1/4-inch thick wall.

In a large skillet brown the turkey. When the turkey is browned, add onion, garlic, black beans, jalapeno, tomatoes, ancho chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and simmer on low, covered, for about 30 minutes. 
Remove lid, add corn and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes or until all the liquid reduces.
Heat  oven to 450° F. Place the potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and bake skins for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, fill the potato cavity with meat filling. Top with shredded cheese and bake until cheese is melted about five minutes.
Top with sour cream and scallions and serve.

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Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs

 Brrr, it's really cold out there. For now. The way the weather has been here it could be in the 50's again next week. Or not. Either way this soup will make you happy! Great flavor, it's a nice dump soup, just dump whatever you want in there. I wanted to add a little whole wheat pasta shapes, but I forgot. Go figure, I finally made a recipe just like it was written, pretty much. If you can't find escarole, use kale or spinach. Add pasta, barley, beans, whatever you like. To me it's that kind of soup. Hearty and filling.

Light Italian Wedding Soup  

with Turkey Meatballs

Source: Martha Stewart, Everyday Food January 2012

http://www.marthastewart.com/313104/light-italian-wedding-soup 

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

1 pound ground turkey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

32 ounces reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice

1 large head escarole, or 2 small , cored, trimmed, and coarsely chopped (you can use kale or spinach, if you can't find escarole)

*Optional -- you can add small pasta, like tubetti, ditalini, shells, whatever you like. Don't overcook the pasta.

In a bowl, combine turkey, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, about a teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, more or less. Using about a tablespoon for each, roll mixture into small meatballs.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes (with juice); bring to a simmer. Add meatballs; cook, without stirring, until meatballs float to surface, about 10 minutes. Skim foam. Add as much escarole or kale to pot as will fit.

Continue to simmer, gradually adding remaining escarole. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes more or less. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve soup sprinkled with more Parmesan.

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More Meatloaf!

Been making plenty of comfort food lately and this is one from way back when Sara Moulton had her show, Cooking Live, on the Food Network. Turkey meatloaf. A bit on the sweet side, it's really moist and has a lot of flavor. Served it with Mashed Potatoes and Green Bean Almondine. I like saying that for some reason. Maybe because it rhymes? Green Bean Almondine.

 

Turkey Meatloaf with Cranberry Glaze
Source: Cooking Live with Sara Moulton, Food Network
Printable Recipe

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup mashed jellied cranberry sauce (canned)
2 pounds ground turkey
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs -- lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup diced red onions
1/2 cup chicken broth -- (just enough to moisten)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the glaze, spread the brown sugar over the bottom of a greased loaf pan and spread the cranberry sauce over the sugar. In a large bowl mix all the remaining ingredients until well incorporated.

Form the meat mixture into the loaf pan, laying out over the cranberry glaze. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Green Beans Almondine
Printable Recipe

1 lb. string beans
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 small shallot, finely chopped

Steam the green beans. Drain; let cool in a large bowl of ice water. Drain; pat dry, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and saute in the butter until lightly browned; being careful not to burn them. Add the shallots and saute until they are translucent, about a minute.

Add the beans to the pan with the almonds and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

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Soup's on...AGAIN!

We love soup! A lot. It's so easy and you can't really screw it up. Much. Well, not this one, from my friend, Cindy Mac, it's practically foolproof. And delicious. It's been on the table so many times, it's a very big favorite here! Perfect for the freezing cold weather, it comes together in minutes! This time I added a little baby spinach and some Pecorino Romano. Perfection.

What to make with a nice hearty soup? I have no clue about putting things together but if I like it, and my family likes it, it works! and if I have a craving, then I'm cooking! My friend, Renee, sent me the recipe to her Turkey meatloaf and the mushroom gravy got me! Had to try. She's a good friend but I didn't follow her directions 100% either :) I cheated a bit on the sauce. I used white wine. Couldn't hurt. A glass for me, a glass for the sauce. Clink to Renee!

Not sure if Sauvignon Blanc goes with Turkey meatloaf, but who cares? It was good. Really good. The sauce, the meatloaf. The whole shebang. Even the boxed instant potatoes we really love. The meatloaf recipe I usually use has jellied cranberry sauce and is on the sweet side. This was not. Even though it explicitly said DO NOT OVERCOOK, I did, it happened. Still good. I looked after 45 minutes when three timers went off , count 'em THREE! So I couldn't possibly forget the meatloaf in the oven. Like usual. The thermometer said 140º F. Ok, ten more minutes. Nope, not 160 yet. Ten minutes later, you guessed it, 180º F.

It aint pretty, but it sure tastes good!

Turkey Meatloaf
Source: Recipe from the Kitchen of Renee Ascher Adler
Printable Recipe

2 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, minced
Dry oregano or marjoram to taste (1/2 teaspoon rubbed)
1/2 teaspoon dry parsley, rubbed
salt and pepper
a dash of Worcestershire sauce

Shape into loaf about 2 inches high, dust with Italian breadcrumbs, put on oiled baking pan (not a loaf pan), dot with butter or drizzle with oil and bake for 45 minutes at 350º. Done when temp is 160º and juices run clear.

Don’t over cook or it will be dry.

Mushroom sauce: sauté sliced mushrooms (say 10 oz or so), add shallots, when brown, add 1 tablespoon flour, cook a few minutes, add broth (chicken or mushroom) just enough to make a sauce; add 1 tablespoon ketchup (optional).

my note: I added a little white wine to the sauce with the Chicken broth.


Pasta e Fagioli
Source: Cindy Mac
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
about 2 cups canned tomatoes, broken up with a spoon or pureed (or 2 cups fresh diced)
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained (or cannellini beans)
1 – 1 1/2 cups ditali pasta or small shells (about 3 handfuls)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade

In large saucepan sauté onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then add tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a slow boil, add beans, pasta, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until pasta is al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Add fresh basil just before removing from heat.

Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago.

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Comfort Food!

Still waiting for spring here, it's been cold and rainy, not to mention windy, so that would mean comfort food for one night. I like roasting the whole turkey for some reason, even though no one in my house will eat the legs, wings or thighs, but turkey breasts were on sale so I gave it a go.






Besides falling over and nothing really stayed in the cavity, it came out great! I usually stuff a whole Turkey with a an orange, throw in some garlic cloves and some shallots, and some butter or margarine in between the skin on the breasts. No basting, just roast at 350 until the thermometer is at temperature. Of course there have been times when dinner has been at 8:30, not so comforting when you're starving. With no legs or wings, this bird cooked pretty quickly. My rack cracked so I couldn't use it, you can see the line where the skin didn't crisp, but otherwise, a perfect Turkey dinner.





Turkey, peas and mashed potatoes with gravy.



Simple Roast Turkey

Roll a navel orange around on the counter to squish it and get it juicy! Poke some holes in it with a fork. Rinse the turkey inside and out. and pat dry. Add herbs, shallots, onions, garlic, whatever you like in the cavity, I throw a tablespoon of butter in there, too. Then stuff the orange in and you can tie the legs closed with butcher string or not. Put your fingers between the skin and the breast and loosen the skin up and squish some butter or margarine in between. Season with salt and pepper. Use a roasting pan with a rack, breast side up, and tent with foil. The orange and the butter will keep the bird moist. You don't have to baste. Take the foil off the last hour or so of roasting. Let it rest for a while before you start slicing. The drippings make really good gravy. There's no taste of orange, it just keeps the meat moist.

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