Korean Style Chicken Rice Bowl... a super quick meal.

Korean Style Beef Chicken Rice Bowl... super quick and versatile. 

~Happy New Year~ 

~Wishing each of you a blessed 2014

And

God's Grace and Mercy~

Thank you for stopping by in 2013... appreciate each of you!

It's been a very long time since I've bought ground meat. A VERY long time. Ever since I acquired my meat grinder, years ago, I have been grinding my own meat. For some reason, I find home ground meat superior to the store-bought... it's nice because I can choose the type of meat I grind and don't have to worry about additives and other things related to the store-bought version. 

As a child I remember my mom using the hand cranked grinder to do most of her grinding. Sometimes she bought quite a  bit of meat to grind... and that always required a bit of muscle strength. My mom would end up doing most of the grinding, but sometimes she'd have us kids do the job. While it was fun grinding,  we'd most definitely feel the sore muscles the following day:).  

When I first bought my Kitchen-Aid mixer, I knew I wanted to buy the grinder attachment as well. It would make it super simple for me to grind all sorts of meats. And no hand cranking involved:). In any case, grinding my own meat has been something I do... without really thinking about it as being a  chore. I love to portion out the ground meat and label it... and freeze. It becomes really easy then to defrost whatever amount I need... and use it in a quick meal.  

So the other day, I had defrosted some ground chicken and was scrambling about to fix dinner. I needed something that would come together quickly... plus I had these butter lettuce leaves from a previous dinner in my fridge that I wanted to use up. I instantly thought of making lettuce wraps. But I also knew the lettuce wraps weren't going to suffice as a complete meal. That's when I decided to cook some rice and make a Korean-style rice bowl. It would be quick and I would have dinner on the table in a matter of minutes... well, in under half hour.

I had all the ingredients I needed... even went out in my garden to fluff away the snow that had settled on the green onion and chives. They were frozen, but I knew it would work in the recipe:)... no need to go out and buy green onion. And while I made the recipe with ingredients I had in the house, I've added some notes to help with some substitutions that can also work. 

I've slowly started going away from soy products and am LOVING the coconut aminos as an alternative... so, so good... and you'd hardly notice it isn't soy based. And if my husband loved it, it's always a plus:). However, feel free to use what works for you.... I personally notice I do better without the soy. And if using the coconut aminos, the dish becomes gluten-free as well. Hope you enjoy... 

Note: While I used a soy-free version of "soy sauce", you can easily use regular soy sauce, but will need to adjust salt amount. You can totally skip the salt and add extra soy if you like. And if you don't have the Korean chile flakes, you can substitute it with regular chile flakes, although you will need to decrease amount to taste... and you may want to add some paprika to obtain the color of the Korean chile flakes. 

If you have gochuchang on hand, the sweetened fermented Korean chile paste, you can use a tablespoon or so and skip the honey and/or gochugaru flakes. While I ended up using only 1 TBS of honey, the dish can easily take  more, especially if you like the dish to take on a sweeter flavor.  

Tip: The dish can be on the "dry" side , so feel free to top with extra sauce of choice and mix it in... even a fried egg on top would work rather well, leaving the yolk runny.

You will need:

1.5 lb ground chicken (can use beef, or turkey)

1/3 cup small diced onion (can use a large shallot)

2 TBS olive oil

Sauce:

4 1/2 TBS coconut aminos (soy-free alternative sauce) 

1 TBS rice vinegar

1 1/2 TBS toasted sesame oil

1 TBS ginger juice(can use freshly grated)

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 TBS  Korean gochugaru chile flakes

1 TBS honey, or to taste

3/4- 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Additional:

1/4-1/3 cup chopped green onion(chives work), reserve some for topping

toasted sesame seeds, to taste

lime juice, or rice vinegar, as needed to balance out the dish

extra coconut aminos, as needed (or sauce of choice... soy, hoisin, plum, sweet sour, etc.)

Serve with:

cooked short grain rice (I like to use sushi rice)

cooked fried egg, to top rice bowl, optional

Directions:

1. Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside... adjust salt to taste, use a bit less in the sauce, as you can always add more at the end of the dish. I found 1 tsp to be about right, when final dish is adjusted with a bit of acidity. 

Note: If using soy sauce the salt amount will differ.... you can skip salt and add a bit more soy sauce to taste. 

2. Dice onion (or large shallot, if using). Heat 2 TBS oil in a large skillet on med heat. Add diced onion and cook until slightly golden, stirring every so often... about 2-3 minutes. 

3. Add ground chicken (or meat of choice), and cook until nicely caramelized, stirring and scrapping brown bits that may form on the bottom of the skillet. This should take about 5-8 minutes... the meat may release a bit of liquid, but I like to cook it down so that the meat browns bit. If you like your meat to have some extra liquid, you can cook the meat until no longer pink.

4. Add reserved sauce and cook until meat is thoroughly combined with the sauce and meat is flavored well. 

5. Adjust seasoning, by adding extra salt, or coconut aminos(or soy sauce if using) and adjust the overall flavor with a bit of rice vinegar or even a squeeze of lime juice.The acidity balances out the flavor of the dish. 

6. Stir in most of the chopped  green onion (or chives). 

7. Serve with hot steamed rice... and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Top with extra chopped green onion. 

Note: I like to serve the dish with some sort of vegetables be it raw, lightly steamed or pickled. Kimchi would work really well, as would marinated cucumber salad or even raw grated carrots, lightly seasoned with sesame oil and vinegar.  

If you would like to make lettuce wraps:

Spoon some meat filling in a butter lettuce leaf cup, add some chopped peanuts, or sesame seeds, chopped green onion, and a drizzle of sauce... be it coconut aminos, soy sauce, plum, hoisin, sweet and sour, etc. Sprinkle some grated carrots for extra color and crunch. You could even add a spoonful of rice on the bottom of the lettuce cup, if desired.  Be creative with the additions, as you can add all sorts of other veggies... bean sprouts, shredded seasoned cabbage, water chestnuts, etc.       

Note: If you have any leftover rice and seasoned meat (you'll have leftovers only if you are making this for a single/double serving) ... you can always turn the leftovers into fried rice and stretch the dish even further.  You can use bits and pieces of vegetables you may have in the fridge by sauteing them quickly and adding the leftover meat and rice. Adjust seasoning with a bit of extra sesame oil, vinegar, coconut aminos (or soy sauce)... or sauce of choice. I just used some roasted vegetables(chopped fine), a carrot, half an onion, a handful of peas along with a chopped red chile.  

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Romanian(or not) Stuffed Pepper Soup

Romanian(or not) Stuffed Pepper Soup... I made this dish some time ago. Just haven't had the time to post it. Actually it's been sitting in my draft since December of last year. I first made this dish during the busy holiday season. But in actuality, the recipe had been on my mind for longer than that... ever since I noticed Alina from Explora Cuisine post it on her own blog. I loved the idea of a stuffed pepper soup... just never heard of it before.

So when my parents were visiting for the holidays, I thought it would be perfect to make the soup with my mom. The soup would be new to all of us... both my dad and mom had never tried or heard of this type of soup before either. I told my parents that I had seen the recipe on another blog... and that the soup was supposed to be from another part of Romania... different from where my parents grew up. Now, I don't know if stuffed pepper soup is served in other parts of Romania...I personally never had it/never heard of it.... but that doesn't mean I know everything:). Sure, I am aware of stuffed peppers, but stuffed pepper soup? Romanian or not, the soup sounded interesting to me. Loved the idea. Knew I would eventually try it.

I'll admit I ended up making the soup my way... ended up using some turkey stock (from the Thanksgiving carcass) with some ground turkey. And because I had these mini peppers, I used those instead of the long thin peppers. I sort of went off the basic recipe for making any "soured" Romanian soup... similar to the Ciorba de Perisoare. While I used tomato paste to bring in the tomato flavor, you can opt to use fresh tomatoes or canned crushed/diced tomatoes if you prefer. My version is more brothy in nature.... and not so tomato-y.

I like to cook the stuffed peppers until they still have some bite to them... but that can be adjusted to preference. And even though I feel the sour cream is essential, you can opt to skip it. It does, however, tie everything together... makes the soup taste like stuffed peppers would. Didn't snap a picture with the sour cream topping... had the soup later on in the day and totally forgot about it:)...

The soup was well received... both my parents loved it(my dad especially so). They thought it was a wonderful variation of the Ciorba de Perisoare they are normally accustomed to. A different sort of soup... unique and tasty. And because of that, I'm finally posting the recipe. Months later. Hope you enjoy...

Note: I ended up using some dried lovage(leustan). Ended up using what I had on hand, but fresh would be much, much better.

You will need: inspired by Explora Cuisine

25 small bell peppers, or as needed

Turkey Stuffing/Meatballs:

1/3 cup short grain rice

1/2 cup water

~

1 1/2 lb ground turkey( you can use other meat of choice, if you prefer)

1/4 cup grated onion

1 egg lightly beaten

1 TBS chopped fresh parsley(or dill)

salt and pepper, to taste

Vegetables needed to add to stock:

1/3 cup diced onion

1/3 cup diced carrots

1/3 cup diced celery

diced bell pepper caps

Stock:

8-9 cups homemade chicken/turkey stock

4 cups water

3-4 TBS tomato paste( or you can use some tomato sauce/fresh tomatoes)

Finish off with:

chopped lovage( parsley will do in a pinch) and /or chopped chives

salt and pepper, if needed

juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

Serve with:

dollop( or 2) of sour cream,*

*optional but really good, and I think gives the soup that stuffed pepper taste

Directions:

1. Wash and clean mini peppers. Cut top off, remove stem and de-seed. Set aside.

2. Place rice with water in a sauce pan. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes... or until rice absorbs most of the liquid and cooks halfway. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

3. In a bowl, add turkey meat, grated onion, egg, parsley, salt and pepper.... then add the semi-cooked rice. Mix completely until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

4. Chop vegetables needed for the stock, along with the pepper caps. Set aside.

5. Stuff each mini pepper with the meat mixture. If you have leftover meat, just form it into small meatballs.

6. In a large stock pot, add chicken stock and water.... bring to a boil. Add tomato paste and lower heat to medium.

7. Add the chopped vegetables and stuffed peppers... along with any meatballs that you may have.

8. Cook for 20-30 minutes( the stuffed peppers will bob up) or until meat is cooked through and peppers are somewhat al-dente. If you like your peppers cooked till soft... just cook longer.

9. Finish the soup by adding the fresh herbs of choice, and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning.

10. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream.

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Open-Face Greek Kofta...on Flatbread

Open-Face Greek Turkey Kofta...on Flatbread. The recipe for this pizza-like flatbread was actually inspired by a recipe from MasterChef Australia. I'd never made such a recipe and the idea of spreading raw ground meat on top of a flatbread was interesting....it piqued my interest...to the point of making it the next day:). I was actually curious to see how the raw meat would play out in the recipe.

Even though I ended up using some ground turkey meat for my open kofta, I think it would work exceptionally well with some ground lamb meat. The meat filling can be made ahead and kept in the fridge... so it's especially nice to be able make a quick lunch when time is short. I really liked how well the turkey cooked under the broiler.....and liked it even better when I noticed that the meat actually adheres to the flatbread. This helps tremendously when eating it...even when cutting it.

Since I had some homemade naan/pita bread in the freezer, I was able to make a super quick lunch for us. The original recipe uses store-bought pita bread, so that's definitely another option. I love the fresh ingredients that top the koftas. Feel free to adjust spices according to preference... and add different toppings. You can actually vary the meat seasonings and make it different each time.

This recipe was such a nice change from regular pizzas. It actually reminded me of a Greek gyro...even the whole kitchen smelled like our local gyro restaurant:). I loved how I was able to use some of my ground meat for something other than meatballs or taco meat:). And yes, what seemed strange to me at the beginning...to place raw meat on cooked bread...actually worked! Absolutely loved this dish and will definitely make again. Feel free to check the original beef recipe...as mine is a bit different. Hope you enjoy....

Tip: As a variation, try topping the baked kofta with a sunny side-up egg... we had that for brunch one day, and it was delicious:)...it would be even better to mix the meat with some Italian herbs for a "sausage-like patty" and then you have a more traditional egg/sausage breakfast sandwich:).

~You can also use the meat mixture to make regular koftas...and grill them.

You will need: inspired by MasterChef Australia's Open-Beef Kofta and HERE

• makes about 8-10 (6 inch flatbread) open-face koftas

Meat Mince:

1.25 lbs. ground meat*

Seasonings:

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 TBS dried onion flakes(or 1/3 cup sauteed onion)

zest of half a lemon

1 large garlic, grated

2 tsps whole grain mustard

4 sprigs fresh cilantro(leaves and stems), chopped

1 egg

salt/pepper, to taste

* I used turkey(grind my own from dark and white), but you can also use beef, lamb, chicken

Bread:

flatbread

drizzle of olive oil

Toppings: any or all

strained yoghurt (or Greek-style)

red onion, thinly sliced

fresh cilantro leaves,

chopped tomato

cucumber(small Lebanese style), thinly sliced

drizzle of olive oil

feta cheese

Directions:

1. Mix the meat with the seasonings until fully incorporated....at this point you can refrigerate for a day or so.... or use immediately.

PRE-HEAT OVEN to 500 deg F...place top rack as close to the heating element as possible

2. Brush the bottom of the flatbread with a bit of olive oil....

3. Spread some of the seasoned meat on top of the flatbread...about 1/3-1/2 cup...just so it is evenly spread to the edge of flatbread.

4. Place koftas on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan.

5. Bake 6-9 minutes...or until meat is cooked and bread is crisp. Keep an eye on them as every oven is different and timing can vary. You can also make this in a toaster oven as well.

6. Top with yoghurt and fresh toppings of choice....and a drizzle of olive oil, maybe a pinch of kosher salt.

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Romanian Sarmale....Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (a lighter version)

Romanian Sarmale....Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (a lighter version) It's been quite awhile since I last posted a Romanian recipe....I don't know why it's been so long:). Anyway, this post is about a very popular Romanian dish called sarmale. There are innumerable variations of the Romanian sarmale... and probably every Romanian household has their own recipe and method for making them. But, this is my attempt at making a lighter version of the sarmale...

Traditionally, sarmale are made with pickled cabbage, ground pork meat filling, and various herbs and spices. Now, most Romanian families have their own recipe and often make it the way they were brought up. The recipes vary from region to region... and the variations are endless. Sarmale are usually a winter dish, served around Christmas or other festive occasions. Since the pork sarmale can be quite heavy( though delicious!), I chose to do mine using ground turkey with a bit of cooked bacon for flavor. Most times, I will use ground chicken for the meat filling and even skip the bacon. I find they are just as delicious. The sarmale recipe I am posting is basically just a guide.... as it can easily be adapted according to personal preference.

Personally, I think the best sarmale are made with pickled(sour) cabbage. But since pickled cabbage isn't easy to find(or make), I like to use a quick brine to sort of "mimic" the pickled version. I also like to use some store-bought sauerkraut to provide that extra pickled flavor. For this post, I ended up using tomato paste....but sometimes, I will use tomato sauce or even fresh tomatoes. It always depends on what I have on hand. You can definitely make a vegetarian version by using mostly rice and sauteeing some onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, etc...and keeping the same method for stuffing, layering and cooking.

Sarmale can be served with polenta, sour cream, and sometimes hot peppers. While the sarmale taste great the day they are made, they taste even better the following day. In any case, I thought it would be nice if I would show how sarmale are made....the basics, of course:). Hope you enjoy...

Note: For those of you who would like to make your own sauerkraut cabbage leaves, you can see how to make it HERE

You will need: makes about 35-40 medium size stuffed cabbage rolls

For Cabbage: Some folks skip the brining and just simmer the cabbage in plain water....others will freeze the cabbage head and then defrost it so that the leaves wilt and are easier to roll. Feel free to use whatever method works for you.

1 head of cabbage

(I used a an ex-large (4 lb) cabbage and got enough leaves, but you many need to use 2 heads of cabbage).

Brine:

15 cups water

2 TBS Kosher salt

1/2 cup vinegar

For Filling:

2 lbs ground turkey( or pork*, veal, beef, chicken or any combination thereof )

8 slices of bacon(definitely optional )

2 medium onions, chopped

3/4 cup short grain rice( you could use less or more)

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 cup water**

1 TBS tomato paste

2 tsps smoked paprika( you can use regular)

1 TBS fresh dill, chopped, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

*if using the traditional pork, you can also add some smoked bacon/ham pieces to the pot

** instead of the water, you can add 1 or 2 eggs...this helps with making the filling a bit lighter in texture and not so dense.

Shredded Cabbage For Layering:

25 fl oz. sauerkraut, (preferably without preservatives, as it tastes more homemade)

1 tsp fresh dill, chopped (to be mixed with the shredded cabbage)

leftover shredded cabbage( from cabbage where leaves were used for the filling)

Liquid to cover sarmale:

3-4 TBS tomato paste mixed with 1 cup water

sauerkraut juice and/or lemon juice to taste

extra water as needed to cover cabbage rolls

2-3 bay leaves

extra dill

salt* and pepper to taste

* if using sauerkraut juice, limit the amount of salt

Serve with:

polenta

sour cream

hot pepper

Directions:

PREPARE CABBAGE:

1. Wash cabbage and cut core out.

2. Prepare cabbage brine, by placing water, salt and vinegar in a large pot( at least a 6 QT) and bring brine to a boil.

3. Lower heat to low and add head of cabbage to the brined water...removing each cabbage leaf as it wilts and placing it on a plate.

4. Continue removing most of the outer leaves...you may need to cut a bit more from the end core( as you get towards the middle of the cabbage) so that the leaves release. Try not to forcefully remove the leaves before they wilt...as they can tear on you.

5. If you are using 2 cabbages, do the same with the second cabbage. You will need about 18-20 large leaves, cut in half...to yield about 35-40 medium size rolls.

6. Place the cabbage leaves back in the brined water( with heat off) while you work on the filling.

7. Cut the middle part of the cabbage in thin strips(julienned/shredded) and set aside.

PREPARE FILLING:

1. Cut bacon into strips and fry till almost crisp..not quite. Remove bacon from fat and set aside.

2. Remove bacon fat and discard and add 2 TBS oil along with chopped onion. Leave the bacon browned bits in the pan for flavor.

3. Saute onion till soft and golden, adding a bit of water to help release the browned bits. (Step 1 and 2 can be skipped if you don't mind the bacon fat.... just saute the onion along with the bacon).

4. Add rice and cook for a minute or so.

5. Add the tomato paste, paprika, 1/2 cup water and dill. Mix to combine.

6. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.

7. Season the ground meat with salt and pepper.

8. Add onion/rice mixture to ground meat and combine fully...(if not using water in step 5, you can add 1-2 beaten eggs or skip the eggs altogether:).

ASSEMBLING CABBAGE ROLLS:

1. Take each cabbage leaf and remove the tough veins. If the cabbage leaf is large, cut it in half along the middle vein.... otherwise, just cut the tough end vein and use the whole cabbage leaf.

2. Place 2 TBS( for medium size) of meat mixture at the bottom of the leaf and roll once to encase the filling.

3. Fold over one of the outer edges and finish rolling the entire length. You should still have one of the sides still open...which you can tuck in. OR simply roll the stuffed cabbage as you would a burrito.

4. If you have any leftover leaves, just cut them up and combine them with the reserved shredded cabbage that you set aside earlier( from the middle of the cabbage).

5. Add sauerkraut( I used a jar of store-bought) and dill.... combine together.

6. Place some of the combined shredded cabbage on the bottom of a large pot( at least 6 qt.) If you have a dutch oven, it would be ideal to use that. I have a regular soup pot.

7. Arrange a layer of stuffed rolls on top of the shredded cabbage and continue to do a second layer ending with shredded cabbage on top. Place bay leaves on top and extra dill to taste.

8. Combine the tomato paste with about 1 cup of water and pour over the entire surface. Add some sauerkraut juice( from the jar...only if it is w/o preservatives) and pour it over the entire surface. Add enough water to barely cover the stuffed rolls. ( If using sauerkraut juice which can be quite salty, you may not need to add anymore salt..if using lemon juice to sour the rolls, you will need to add some salt. I usually add a bit of lemon juice as well... even when using sauerkraut juice)

9. Cover pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours...adding a bit more water if needed towards the last hour of cooking. You can then uncover and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 or so...though baking is optional.

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You can also cook the stuffed cabbage rolls entirely using any one of the methods below:

a) stove top

b) in the oven

c) slow cooker

d)pressure cooker( about 40 minutes or so)...my favorite as of late(much quicker and very tasty).

Serve with polenta, a dollop or two of sour cream, and maybe some hot pepper.

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Asian Turkey Skewers...With Apricot BBQ Sauce

Asian Turkey Skewers...With Apricot BBQ Sauce. I came across this recipe while browsing through a Cuisine-at-Home magazine. I was inspired to make these little bites, they looked rather appealing. Their patties were made out of chicken. But since I had some ground turkey in the freezer, I chose to use turkey instead. Since the amount of ground turkey was a little over 1 pound, I decided to make some meatballs as well. You can freeze some for later to use with a marinara sauce, if you like. Or you can make some larger patties and make turkey burgers out of them. Of course, if you are making these for a crowd, you don't need to worry about the amounts. You should have about 30 meatballs/patties about of the 1.25 pounds of meat. Their recipe for the patties used only 8 oz of meat. If you are using the 1.25 pounds of meat you will probably need to double the recipe for the sauce. I didn't double the sauce recipe, since I used only half the amount of patties and meatballs and reserved the rest for another use. For the sauce, I used an apricot jam instead of the plum jam. That's because I didn't have any on hand. For some reason, it is harder out here to find plum jam. But if you have plum jam, use it. We really liked these small bites. They weren't difficult to make...plus they offer an elegance to the table. I think they are perfect little bites. You can definitely make the patties ahead and then reheat them when you are ready to assemble them.

Turkey Patties/Meatballs.(yields close to 30-35 pieces )

1.25 lb ground turkey( you can use ground chicken as well)

1/2 onion, grated

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs(not dried)

1 egg

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4-1/3 cup Parmesan, grated( this can be omitted, if you do not have)

1-2 TBS cilantro/parsley, chopped
3/4 tsp kosher salt( or to taste)

1 tsp pepper(or to taste)

oil, for browning

Asian Sauce: adapted from Cuisine-At-Home

1/3 cup plum jam( I used apricot)

3 TBS soy sauce

3 TBS rice vinegar

2 TBS BBQ sauce*

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

*( you can probably use ketchup if you don't have any BBQ sauce)

Vegetables:
1 bell pepper, red/yellow/orange, cut in 1 inch cubes

1 can of pineapple chunks

2 tsps oil

pinch of salt

Garnish:

2 TBS chopped chives/scallions

toothpicks

Directions:

Make Asian Sauce: Simmer the 5 ingredients in a saucepan on med heat. Simmer until it gets thick about 7-8 minutes. Keep the sauce warm.

Make patties or meatballs: I made half meatballs and half patties. You can make them all patties if you like. In a large bowl, add the turkey, grated onion,breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, cilantro salt and pepper.

Mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

Form the meatballs/patties with oiled hands and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. You can spray some additional oil on them, this helps with the browning.

Don't make the patties/ meatballs too big...they should be about 1 1/2 TBS. Broil the meatballs on one side until lightly browned (about 7-8 minutes).

Turn the meatballs over and brown on second side(another 7-8 minutes).

Just check them as each oven is different. I chose to use my toaster oven for this. Feel free to use the oven. If you don't want to use the broiler you can bake them as well at about 400 deg until nicely browned. Alternately, you can brown the meatballs/patties in a skillet using about 2 TBS of oil.

I like to place them in the oven...this way I don't have to deal with the oil splattering. But, you can do them either way.

For the vegetables: Take the 2 tsp of olive oil and place it in a skillet . When oil is hot, add the cut up bell peppers and pineapple chunks. Toss /stir-fry on med. heat until heated through and a bit caramelized. Don't over cook them.

You should have same amount of pepper and pineapple pieces as turkey patties.

Arrange appetizers: Take a toothpick and skewer a pineapple chunk, bell pepper and turkey patty. Place on a plate and drizzle some warm Asian BBQ sauce. Sprinkle some chopped chives. You can dip some meatballs in the sauce, if you like.

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Turkey Burgers

Turkey Burgers....Ok, so I know that many people have their own fabulous burger recipes, but I thought I would share my recipe for a bit lighter version. My husband usually prefers beef over any other meat, so when I made these one day he loved them! Now I make these more often... though I still make the beef burgers every once in a while. Nothing can substitute for a great beef burger! But, if you want to go lighter you just might enjoy these...

I have a little trick that I use to make the patties more even to ensure they get cooked all the way through. Plus, you can make them all the same size. I use the plastic cap or covering from a regular sized oatmeal container. I then place a piece of parchment paper in between the patties so that they won't stick together. This way, if you want to freeze them for a later date, you can. Or, if you want to take out only one or two patties, the parchment paper will help greatly.

We like to change the flavors up a bit by adding different spices and flavors and even making them bbq flavored.... using a bbq sauce, like we did in this post. Hope you enjoy...

Note: I usually use a 24 oz packet of ground turkey and get about 6 burger patties(about 1/4 lb per each).

You will need:

24 oz (1 1/2 lb) ground turkey

2 TBS dried onion flakes ( you can use sauteed onions as well)

1 TBS olive oil/mayo*

salt and pepper to taste

extra seasoning you may like to include(chopped sundried tomatoes, thyme, minced garlic, paprika, chipotle etc.)

*this brings flavor and keeps the patties moist...but you can omit

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl...making sure that you didn't forget any seasoning. Try not to over mix...just enough to incorporate everything.

2. Take about fistful of turkey and pat into plastic covering all the way to the edge.

3. Using a butter knife, loosen the edges of the patty from the cover being careful not to tear it. 4. Flip over and gently use the butter knife to help you get the whole patty out of the plastic cover unto a plate.

5. Use parchment paper between each patty.

6. Grill on med/high heat for a few minutes on each side....since they are not as thick, they won't take too long to grill. Just be careful not to over cook them.

7. Serve with your favorite condiments, favorite cheese etc...

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Lasagna... a bit lighter

Lasagna...a bit lighter.

I came up with this recipe after looking at a few lasagna recipes in all sorts of magazines. I combined a few techniques to come up with my own version that is a bit more on the lighter side. Granted it still has cheese and meat. But, I opted to use ground turkey and cut back on the amount of cheese.

I make a bechamel sauce to make it creamier....becomes the White Sauce. I also make my own tomato sauce that I combine with the meat...which becomes the Meat Sauce. I like making lasagna because you can assemble it and freeze it for another day. All you have to do is place it in the oven(frozen) covered until almost done in the center....remove the cover and bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until nice and bubbly. Just give yourself plenty of time for it to defrost in the oven as it bakes.(1-2 hrs)

Of course, you can easily play around with this recipe and amounts to make it your own! But, this is my version. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: for a 13x9 pan and a little leftover for a smaller pan(5x5?)

1 package of lasagna noodles, prepared according to the directions on the box

Meat Sauce:

2 cups diced onion

5 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

1 TBS oil

2lbs ground turkey

6 oz can tomato paste

28 oz can of whole tomatoes in juice

14.5 oz can whole tomatoes in juice

1 tsp sugar

2 TBS red wine

2-3 bay leaves

1 TBS + 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

pepper to taste

dried basil to taste

Directions:

1. In a food processor, process whole tomatoes till nice and smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large soup pot, add oil and heat on med till oil is hot.

3. Add onion and cook till soft about 5-7 minutes.

4. Add ground turkey.

5. Crumble over med heat. Cook till no longer pink.

6. Add garlic stir and cook for 30 seconds.

7. Add tomato paste and processed whole tomatoes....stir.

8. Season with salt, pepper, wine, sugar and spices.

9. Lower heat, simmer and cook for about 1 hr stirring every so often.

Mushroom Layer:

16 oz sliced mushrooms

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. While the sauce is cooking, you can saute the mushrooms in a skillet with a bit of salt on med-high heat till nicely browned. Set the mushrooms aside.

Ricotta Layer:

32 oz carton of ricotta cheese

3 TBS minced fresh parsley

2-3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a med. bowl mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Bechamel (White) Sauce:

1 TBS olive oil

3 TBS flour

1 1/2 cups milk, if you need more you can add an additional 1/2 cup

1/2 -1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

salt,pepper, and nutmeg to taste

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, add oil and flour. Stir to combine.

2. Add milk and stir to combine. Cook until the mixture is thickened about 3 minutes.

3. Add cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

Assemble the lasagna:

You will need some dried basil for sprinkling in between the layers and on top.

You will need extra shredded mozzarella cheese for layering. You can use as much or little as you want. You can also use a mixture to include provolone, spicy jack, fontina, or muenster cheese. You get the idea!

Directions:

1. Place about 1/2 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 pan and spread it evenly.

2. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on top.

3. Spread about 1 cup of meat sauce on top of the noodles.

4. On top of the meat sauce, add about 1 cup of ricotta cheese spread evenly.

5. Spread some of the reserved mushrooms over the ricotta layer.

6. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese and basil... or skip the mozzarella if you want it even lighter.

7. Repeat layer(or layers if you have a deeper pan).... Otherwise use an overflow small pan for the rest.

8. To the top layer, add bechamel white sauce and sprinkle with some shredded cheese(or use sliced cheese or a mixture of both) and basil. Do the same for the overflow pan, if using

9. At this point, you can bake the lasagna in a preheated 375 deg F oven ...for about 50+ minutes. Make sure you cover the pan with a lightly greased foil. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or till heated through.

Or

You can cover and place in freezer for a later date. Just bake frozen lasagna covered first and then remove cover and bake until nice and bubbly. Remember to give yourself plenty of time as the frozen lasagna will take quite a bit longer to bake. Let rest for 5- 10 minutes so the filling will not ooze out.

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