"Thai Turkey Bowl"

That's what Chad calls it, at least. It's not actually Thai, per se, but is composed of meat and veggies, then served over rice. That's enough for us. And Thai Turkey Bowl sounds way better than Ground Turkey and Peppers...

Ground turkey is way cheaper than ground beef. We've been buying the big roll of it at Winco for about nine bucks and it gives us four good dinners.

The best thing about this meal is that it can all be cooked in one big frying pan (minus the rice). That's my kind of meal, especially because we don't have a dishwasher. Doing dishes just gets old sometimes. All the time.

Okay. Here it is.

Olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion, including some chopped greens from scallions or green onions
1 bell pepper (red or yellow preferred), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
1 lb ground turkey, preferably ground turkey thighs
Chipotle powder or chili powder {I used some cajun seasoning and it was fantastic!)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

 

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and bell pepper and cook until onions and peppers are softened, a couple minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. 

Push the vegetables to the edge of one side of the pan and position that side of the pan so that it is off the burner, away from the heat. The empty part of the pan should be right over the burner. Add one or two more tablespoons of oil to coat the empty part of the pan. Put crumpled chunks of ground turkey in the pan, sprinkle with salt and chipotle or chili powder.

Cook the turkey without stirring until it is browned on one side, then turn the pieces over to brown the other side. Once the turkey is just cooked through, stir in the onions and peppers, and sprinkle with more salt and chili powder to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh chopped parsley or cilantro.

Serve alone, or with steamed rice or noodles.

Serves 4.

Original Source: Simply Recipes

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Okay. I know I'm going kind of health-nutty, but I'm trying to do this little-to-no-sugar thing right. I finally got sweet potatoes in my Bountiful Basket last week, so i gave this recipe a go.

Phenomenal.

I'm not kidding! The potatoes are beautifully sweet and you add just a little maple syrup into the dough for an extra somethin. The only downside to this recipe is that, as usual, it takes forever to make them from start to finish. However, it's way easier if you get to the point of cutting the rolls and placing them in their pan, but then put them in the freezer until the night before you want to bake them. Let them thaw and rise overnight, pop em in the oven, and you have homemade and hot scrumptious rolls for b-fast.

Love it.

1 cup almond milk, warmed {I used soy }

4 teaspoons yeast {I used fast-rising…less worry}

2 tablespoons maple syrup {could be substituted with agave nectar or honey}

2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed {peel, chop, then boil for a good 20 minutes to make sure they’re soft enough to mash}

1 egg

1 tablespoon olive oil 

4 1/2 - 5 cups spelt flour, depending on how much water content your potatoes have {I used whole wheat flour, and actually about 5 ½ cups of it}

1 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup brown sugar {again, could probably be substituted with another sweetener}

2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter, softened

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and maple syrup over the warmed almond milk. Mix together gently and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Place the mashed sweet potatoes into a large bowl and whisk in the egg, oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Add the potato mixture to the yeast mixture and stir until thoroughly blended. Mix in the rest of the flour, 1 cup at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition. The dough should be slightly wet and sticky, but not so much that you can't form it into a ball, you may not need all 5 cups of flour. {I used more than 5, because it was so sticky. Just add flour until it holds together fairly nicely, but is still very soft.} Knead for 8-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, and forms nicely into a ball.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until doubled in size {quick-rising yeast cuts this in half}.

On a floured counter top, cut the dough in half and roll each into a ball. One at a time, roll each ball into a 16-inch by10-inch by 1/2-inch rectangle.

To make the filling, combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Spread half the softened butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar over. Tightly roll the dough, lengthwise and turn seam side down. Cut into 12 equal slices {mine turned into about 14 slices} and place cut-side up on a lined or buttered baking sheet. I used a glass pie dish and placed the rolls about a half inch apart. They will expand as they rise and fill in the space.

Cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about an hour. 

Heat the oven to 400˚F. You can brush the tops with some  milk or an egg wash and sprinkle with {brown} sugar at this point. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden. You don't want to over bake these or they will dry out. Serve warm from the oven.

Original source: So Good and Tasty

Freezing Soup

I'm mostly posting this so I'll remember the link to it. I've had trouble freezing soups and this website seems helpful on determining which soups are okay to freeze, which ingredients you should undercook, etc.

http://www.favoritefreezerfoods.com/freezing-soup.html 

Plum Apple Crisp

One time my mom made apple crisp for some sort of Young Women activity at the church. I was about 12 or 13. This was my all-time favorite dessert, so when it came time to serve it up, I took about a third of the pan. Hey, there were other desserts too! My Beehive advisor told me (I remember it being more of a snapping) to put back about half of what I had taken. "Leave some for everyone else!" she exclaimed, astonished that I would have the audacity to take such a greedy amount.

Hmph. What can I say? Fruit crisp is my absolute fave. I found this new rendition tonight and after tweaking it a little, here it is! I liked the idea of tossing the fruit with some of the cinnamony mixture first. Enjoy it my friends, and may you always unabashedly take large helpings.

2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
2 medium plums, pitted and thinly sliced
1/2 C butter, melted, divided
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar, divided
1 T lemon juice
1 T + 1/3 C flour, divided
3/4 t ground cinnamon, divided
1 C rolled oats
1/4 C chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 t ground ginger

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, lemon juice, flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Add apples and plums; toss to coat well. Place in an 9 x 12 inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl combine oats, remaining 1/4 cup butter, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, nuts, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger until well blended. Crumble over fruit. Bake 30 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is lightly browned.

Serve warm with softened ice cream, if desired.

Makes 6 servings (or about 3 big-bowl servings).

You can also use 2 sliced peaches or nectarines in place of the plums.

Punkin Pancakes

These little guys are thick and to die for. I stole the recipe from Women's Services, but the picture is my own! This will satisfy your pumpkin fix without a problem. A perfect way to begin your Saturday...or any day!

Makes 12 pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (I left this out...)

1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

We topped our lil stack with chopped pecans, sliced apples, and maple syrup. Wash it down with apple cider with cinnamon. Mmmmm, fall.

Holiday Trifle

I chose holiday trifle to be the treat after my baptism. I've loved it since I was a wee girl of eight and I don't love it any less now! When I made it for the first time, the layers were not as beautiful as when my mom makes it, but it still tasted divine. I guess I just need to practice.

Also, Mom says she doubles this recipe for Christmas festivities. All parenthetical notes are from her.

A mini version of the real thing. From Google. Don't chya know?

1 angel food cake (I prefer pound cake, found in the bakery or frozen section of grocery store)
1 large package vanilla pudding (COOK & SERVE), prepared and slightly cooled
1 large package berry-flavored Jell-o (I usually use raspberry)
1 - 10 oz. package frozen berries to go with Jell-0 (raspberries)
Whipped cream (or Cool Whip)
Sliced bananas
Sliced almonds (optional)

Prepare pudding and set aside.  Prepare Jello-o half-way by just adding boiling water, dissolving by stirring for a couple of minutes, then adding FROZEN berries.  (Don't add cold water) (It will start to thicken up immediately)  Layer three times in trifle dish:  bite-sized pieces of cake, partially-set Jell-o with berries, partially-cooled pudding.  Top with whipped cream and sliced bananas (right before serving).

Chinese Chicken Salad

This can be added to Kaylie's bridal shower salad category. Woot woot! I loved to sneak little bites of ramen when my mom made this growing up. I love how easy and fast this is to make: just slice up the stuff and throw it all into a bowl together. Love it.

1 head green cabbage, diced
8 green onions, chopped
2 packages Ramen noodles, dry and crumbled (set aside seasoning packets)
4 chicken breasts, poached and chopped
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
4 T. sesame seeds

   Dressing:
4 T. sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
6 T. white vinegar
2 t. salt
2 t. pepper
Contents of BOTH Ramen seasoning packets

Combine ingredients for dressing in a jar with a lid.  Shake and set aside until right before serving.

Pasta, Pasta!

Right now we have a huge bag of spaghetti and not much else. The end of the month couldn't come quickly enough (that's when our budget starts over, you see). I figure we always have at least one of the following combinations on hand, so I made a list of ways to easily make a dinner out of pasta. Heat up a can of vegetables for the side and you're set!

Things to add to two servings of cooked pasta:

*Note: Pasta headings are the kinds that work best with that recipe, but are not required for a tasty dinner.

Spaghetti, Linguine
1 T butter
1/4 C parmesan cheese
1/2 C frozen peas, prepared
1/2 C ham, cubed
s & p


Penne
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 T basil pesto
2 chicken breasts, poached and shredded
s & p


Any
Basic Crockpot Recipe

Shells
1/2 C heavy cream
1 C cooked broccoli
1/4 C parmesan cheese
s & p


Shells, Macaroni
2 T butter, melted in a saucepan on low
stir in enough flour to make a roux
add 1 1/2 C milk
then 1 C cheddar cheese, shredded
sprinkle with paprika and s & p


Any
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 sticks of string cheese, chopped
3 basil leaves, shredded very small (or 1 T pesto)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
s & p
(serve cold)

Big Pot O' Soup

Chad and I discovered Bear Creek Country Kitchens dried soup mix this week. Heavens, it is ready in 15 minutes and all you have to do is boil water! The packs come for $4.55 at Macey's and make a whoppin EIGHT cups of soup. We both ate big bowls tonight and had at least six cups of soup left to throw in the freezer. The Chicken Noodle pack acts as a perfect base for whichever vegetables you have in the fridge. Easy, healthy, cheap--my favorite lil combination.

1 pkg. Bear Creek Country Kitchens soup mix
8 cups water (plus 1/2 cup for every added ingredient)

Things to add:
potatoes, carrots, corn, broccoli, etc. (NOTE: potatoes and broccoli do not freeze well)
wild rice
chicken, poached and shredded

Directions:
Boil water in a large pot. Whisk in the soup mix and mix in your chosen additional ingredients. Let simmer for 10 minutes. And you're done.

Serve with hot, buttered biscuits or cornbread or any other delicious sort of bread.

Vegetable Lasagna

The infamous Christmas recipe, aka the one I always request when home for Christmas vacation. Courtesy of Janny and Mom.

1 - 8 oz. package lasagna noodles
2 - 10 oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach
2 c. fresh sliced mushrooms
1 c. grated carrot
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 T. oil
2 - 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 1/2 t. oregano
2 c. cottage cheese, drained
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Cook noodles in boiling unsalted water for 8 - 10 minutes or until barely tender.  Drain and set aside.  Cook spinack according to package directions and DRAIN WELL.

In a saucepan, cook mushrooms, carrot, and onion in oil until tender.  Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, and oregano.  Simmer a few minutes.

In greased 9X13 pan, layer half the noodles, cottage cheese, spinach, Jack cheese, and sauce mixture.  Repeat the layers reserving 1/2 cup of cheese for the top.  Sprinkle with Parmesan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Freezes well.

Focaccia Bread

This recipe comes from my favorite blog: martawrites.com. No, I have not tried it (yet), but the picture looked too divine to pass up. So here it is. Copied word for word from Marta Dansie.

Focaccia Bread
2 hours, start to finish

2 cups warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast (not instant)
1 Tbs. sugar
4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
1-2 Tbs. Italian seasonings

Toppings.
1/2 cup butter, melted
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions.
1. In small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.

2. Blend together remaining 1 1/2 cup warm water, dissolved yeast, sugar, flour and salt in mixer bowl. Combine well. Mix in Italian seasonings. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise to double or more (about an hour).

3. Grease a 9x13 pan. Scoop dough into prepared pan, dough will be very sticky. You'll be tempted, but don't add any extra flour. Butter your clean hands and coax the dough into all the edges of the pan.

4. Let dough rise again for 20 minutes, meanwhile preheat oven to 400. Before baking, poke indents in the focaccia with your fingers. Drizzle melted butter over the top of the bread. Sprinkle some garlic salt over the top and add a couple handfuls of Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake 20 minutes. After cooling for ten minutes, turn focaccia out on cutting board and slice into thick breadsticks. Pile them into a bread basket and serve to hungry guests.

enjoy.

Basic Crockpot Recipe

This is the classic throw-anything-into-the-crockpot recipe that Katie and I used on most Sundays when we lived together. I put together these specific ingredients last night when I had earlier been convinced that we were completely out of food. As long as we have cream of chicken, rice, and frozen chicken, we will never go hungry--when in doubt, raid your kitchen and throw it all in the crockpot (within reason, of course).


Basic Crockpot Recipe

Serves: 2             Preparation Time: 10 minutes                Cook Time: 3 hours

1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 C sour cream
2 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into small strips
           OR 5 chicken tenderloins
1/4 C parmesan cheese
salt & pepper (the divine spices)
1-2 spices from the cabinet

pasta or rice

In Order to Create:
Add cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chicken strips, and seasonings to the big, red crockpot. Cook on high for three hours (or on low for 5-8).
In the meantime, prepare pasta or rice, steam vegetables, butter crusty french bread, etc.
Before serving, cut up chicken into bite-sized pieces. Serve chicken over pasta/rice. Top with more s&p and parmesan.

Variations:
add canned/frozen/fresh vegetables to the mix (e.g. green beans, corn, broccoli)
top with bread crumbs or prepared stuffing mix
use 1/2 brick of cream cheese instead of sour cream