Turkey Rice Bowl

This dish came about one night when I had made stuffed peppers for dinner.  I mixed the mixing, stuffed the peppers, put little toothpicks into them so they wouldn't fall over on the baking sheet I was using...Finally, I got them plated and ready for dinner, and everything tipped over and fell out.  I was left with two plates, each with two halved, empty peppers, and a pile of the filling.  And I had one of those moments where I just said, "This is not a hassle that I want to deal with," and told Matt that I was never making stuffed peppers again.  Over-reacting?  Possibly.  

But then I came up with this delight!  We have this, or a variation of this, once a week.  I'll fill you in on the variations as we go:

First, sautee minced garlic and sliced shallots in olive oil until softened.  While those are cooking, put on a pot of yellow rice.  You can obviously use white rice, or brown, or wild, but I love love love how colorful this dish is with the yellow rice, so I stick to it.

Add some diced green peppers.  You could, of course, do ANY kind of pepper, or add shredded carrots (which sweetens it up a bit), or grated potatoes, or zucchini.  All have been done at my house, and all of them are delicious!

Once the peppers (or whatever) have softened a bit, remove the mixture from the pan into a bowl.  Now, brown ground turkey breast (or ground turkey, if you're not too worried about being healthy) in the same pan.  Once it is all cooked, add 1 small can of original Rotel and some Sriracha if you'd like.  Mix this all up, and cook over medium-high heat to reduce the tomato juice, for about 5 minutes. (On a side note, Rotel is one of my favorite things to keep stocked in the kitchen.  You can use it for EVERYTHING, and it lets you add a little heat without you actually having to handle hot peppers, which always freaks me out a little).  

Add the green pepper mix back into the pan, and mix it all up!

Serve the meat mixture over the yellow rice, and garnish with sun-dried tomatoes, if you'd like.  We had this with jalapeno focaccia bread, and I could not have been much happier than I was eating this meal.  Let me know if you try it!   

Turkey and Bean Chili

Okay, back to the regular ol' blog.

While I was at home in PC, Haley and I invited all of the local family over for dinner and dessert.  It's lovely to entertain, and we both figured it would be a great way to see everyone in one fell swoop.  The question, then, became, "What do we feed 11 people that won't break the bank and is moderately healthy?"  With the slightly chilly weather outside, we both decided on a completely delicious turkey and bean chili from Everyday Food.  (Their cookbooks are just wonderful!)  The turkey keeps the calories low, while there's some bacon added (just a few pieces) to keep it meaty.
Oh, and there's unsweetened chocolate.  Um, yes please.  I'm telling you, this gives the chili some unexpected depth.
Haley made a corn spoonbread, and we set out avocados, grated cheddar cheese and sour cream for toppings.  Everyone was pretty happy!

 

 

Papa approved of our dinner choice, even going back for seconds of the spoonbread!

I made the chili while wearing this adorable, thoughtful, personalized apron from Aunt Nesi and Uncle Rob.  Thank you so much for the incredibly sweet gift; I've already worn it a bunch in DC!  I've got some great family.

Turkey Sloppy Joe's

Yay for sloppy joe's!!  It's the meal that's meant to be messy, that should drip down your chin, that shouldn't look really pretty while cooking.  This particular recipe is made with turkey, rather than the usual ground beef, and lots of carrots added to increase vitamin and nutrient intake.
And, I think, for the taste.
It's so delicious: lighter than red meat, fresh because of the carrots and crushed tomatoes, and slightly sweet from the brown sugar.  I topped them off with provolone and put everything on toasted whole wheat buns.  If there are any leftovers, they're tasty when thrown in with some rice and stirred up.  Bon appetit!
I used the recipe from Everyday Food with no changes made to the ingredients and procedure.  Out of sheer laziness, just follow their excellent directions for a trip to taste central!

 

 

Turkey Meatloaf

 This is the easiest meal to throw together, and satisfies the whole comfort food urge without all the guilt.  (For that, just add cheddar biscuits.)  The turkey is leaner than beef, and there's tons of spinach for added zinc, fiber, Vitamin C, and tons of other important nutritious stuff.  Put everything in a bowl, into a loaf pan, and bake; it couldn't be easier!  For any day-after helpings, heat up and put on toast with ketchup.  Yum yum!

Turkey Meatloaf (from Real Simple)
1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1/2 bag spinach, thick stems removed and leaves chopped (about 4 c.)
1/2 c. whole-wheat bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 large egg white
Salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 400.  In a bowl, combine ingredients.  Season with 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper.
2. Transfer mixture to a loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until cooked through.  Serve with cheddar biscuits and steamed green beans, if desired.