I'm hoping you don't still have turkey in your tupperware, but...

I've been trying to write down my recipes ( I swear). BUT, my laptop has decided to make itself my personal nemesis, and only decides to charge when it's in the mood (I swear!).

Today, it's in the mood. And E asked to nap at 11:30 (I feel like I'm having to swear a LOT today) and Hubs is out of town for another few hours, and I have mimosas, soooo let's talk turkey!

Are we sick of it? I'm totally over it. We didn't even have it on Thanksgiving (prime rib this year!) but we did take pity on my poor baby sister who spent her Thanksgiving sick at home alone (her story, anyway) and had her over on Sunday and made a smallish turkey breast with all the  leftovers fixings.

Even still, we've been stuck with leftovers all week. I'm going to attempt a brie, asparagus and turkey breast (with sun dried tomatoes for me) pasta with the last of it tonight. I'm hoping it turns out at well as the Chef's Salad I made the other night. Cause that? Was. Delicious.

Chef's Salad is soooo easy. And I never, ever make it. I never think of it—partially because it always seems so fattening. Though I love wedge salad, and that's totally not better. It's actually rather a dumb salad, really. At least a Chef has a wide range of delicious, albeit fattening, toppings.

ANYWAY,  I used low-fat blue cheese dressing, only a sprinkle of gorgonzola, and organic bacon bits rather than fresh bacon. Egg is protein. Avocado is healthy fat? So I figure it's totally acceptable once in awhile. Maybe this can be a post-Thanksgiving tradition? And hello, we all have leftover chicken ALL YEAR LONG. Oh, god. We're going to get so fat.

Turkey Chef Salad (serves 2 dinner portions)
One bag mixed greens/romaine
Light blue cheese dressing
Chopped or cubed cooked and cooled turkey (or chicken)
1 half avocado, cubed
Bagged bacon bits/pieces
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled and sliced
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Gorgonzola or blue cheese
Pepper to taste

Arrange salad greens on a plate. Drizzle with dressing. Line up all the other ingredients all pretty-like. Sprinkle with pepper, if desired.

And, done. Seriously. So easy. Go eat it and get Thanksgiving out of your fridge and minds for awhile.

I'm not exact. You've been warned many times.

I bought my first skillet last month. I don't know why I've never had one. Should I have? I dunno. It seems like an obvious thing to own. But I own a mandolin and never use that, so I assume it evens out somehow.

Anyway, I used it to make Laab tonight, and I now understand why people in the south are fat. 

(Southern food is cooked in skillets. I think? This is a highly unresearched fact I'm dropping right now. Stay with me here.)

Holy crap, everything sticks. You need some serious fat or oil. Or something. I'm a cooking spray devotee and that shit just ain't doing it here. I'm sure using low fat content turkey didn't help anything, but wow. 

On the plus side, I now realize I've been browning meat incorrectly in my nonstick pans all this time and OMG I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WRONG FOR YEEEEEAAARS NOW WHY HAVEN'T I HAD A GODDAMN SKILLET???

Soooo my point is that if you're trying to cook a lower fat meal, or one where your meat isn't supposed to be browned, the skillet is not your friend. 

I'm still glad I got to use it. It's been hanging out in my oven all this time, forgotten until I have a tray full of something ready to be baked (it happens, ok??) and there's a freakin' hot ass skillet chillin' in the middle of the pre-heated rack. This is has obviously led to hand burns, cursing, and many an eye roll. It's happened. It's traumatic.

SO ANYWAY LAAB. LARB, However you want to spell it. I made it, it was great, and I'd give you the recipe, but I didn't write it down and I make it different everytime. I know, this is kind of the worst post ever.

So here's the idea:

One package ground turkey cooked with:
shallot slices (1 or 2)
garlic slices (4 or 5)
lime juice (1?)
salt and pepper

Tossed with:
2 parts lime juice
1 part fish sauce
1 part sugar
chili paste to taste
celery, chopped
cilantro, a handful, chopped
mint, a handful, chopped
green onion, a handful, chopped
cooked rice noodles, a couple servings

Over:
romaine (like a head)

Topped with:
Sriracha to taste
chopped roasted peanuts (the rest of my mostly empty jar)

Seriously, this is my recipe. If you want more specifics (AKA you're not down for a little adventure, you can try this (it's pretty similar to mine) or this or even this.

Do it. It's delicious.

Phabulous?

We did Sam's Chicken Adobo last night, and while I have no idea if it's super authentic—Adobo is like the mainstay recipe of the Philippines—it was mighty tasty.

Which brings me to my question of the day...why are people from the Philippines Filipino? The ph-f conversion confuses me. Can someone explain this one to me? People from France aren't Phrench. People from Philadelphia aren't, um, Filadelphians.

I'm not stoned, I swear, though I realize that's kind of a stoner thing to get all caught up on. Anyway, just wondering. Doesn't matter. We'll move on.

I also made Filipino eggrolls, called Lumpia, though I know they're supposed to be smaller than what I made...I used egg roll wrappers instead of wonton wrappers, cause that just seemed like that much less work. When you're cooking in half hour increments (AKA "Naptime") 20 big rolls seems far less daunting than 60 small ones. So they probably weren't as crunchy as they should have been, but whatever. I served with two dipping sauces-one I'll give the recipe for, and the other was just 1/4 cup or so of sweet chili sauce with a tbsp of fish sauce added. And then I mixed the leftover sauces together at the end, and that was actually my favorite of the three. (Actually, I preferred the rolls the next day, too, just reheat about 5 minutes a side at 400.)

And I used ground turkey, but ground pork would probably taste better. Also, when you open the eggroll wrapper package, and there are only 10 wrappers, even though the nutritional information clearly states there are 21 in there, relax. They're stuck together. Don't shrug and start rolling anyway.

Again, not stoned. But really not helping my case here.

Simple Chicken Adobo
2 pounds chicken thighs
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp fresh ground white pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 garlic cloves, crushed
4 bay leaves 
Hot rice, to serve

Note: I used boneless/skinless thighs because I think chicken skin is utterly disgusting. It still worked, but was a little drier than it should have been.

In large pot or dutch oven, combine soy, vinegar,  pepper, sugar, garlic and bay leaves over high heat. Add chicken. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, turn over chicken pieces and leave uncovered to simmer an additional 30 minutes.

Serve over steamed white rice.

Lumpia Eggrolls
1 lb ground lean pork or turkey
1 carrot, (or about 10 baby carrots) grated
1 small white onion, grated
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped fine
1 can bamboo shoots, drained and chopped fine
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 /2 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 package eggroll wrappers (about 20)
1 egg white, beaten

Combine meat through pepper (probably easiest to mix with your hands). Coat a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling  on a wrapper and roll up. Dip your finger in the egg white and use as glue to close, and place seam side down on cookie sheet. Repeat til you're out of either wrappers or filling. Obviously.

Bake at 425 for about 12 minutes a side (20-25 minutes total).


Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch, mixed with the water
1/2 inch piece ginger, grated

Mix. Dip. 

Someone explain Pintrest to me. And also, my cookie obsession.

I don't really get this whole Pintrest thing. Maybe I'm using it wrong? It just seems to me like a glorified version of Delicious, which saves bookmarks online rather than locally on your computer. But everyone can see and comment on them. Am I wrong? A lot of you are already following me, but I'm mainly just using it as a place to bookmark recipes so it makes it easier to use my phone as a reference in the kitchen, so don't expect too much from me. You will, however, probably find a lot of my tweaked recipes in their original forms, so you know...whatever that means.

As a designer, I totally understand the need to catalog inspiration. It's the public part I don't get. It makes me feel old and crotchety to say this, but unless you're asking me to buy it for your birthday, I don't give a shit what yellow sweater you like. YOU should care, and I appreciate your using one location to organize links to them should you decide to actually buy one, but I certainly don't need to follow as you pin sixteen of them.

That said, feel free to pin any of my posts. It'll do wonders for my self esteem, I imagine.

The original recipe for this Mexican-esque White Chili (which, yes, is on my Pintrest) calls for 5 cups of chicken broth, which is insane—I cut it to 3 cups and it was still far too soupy. So I'm recommending you start with 2 cups and add more as needed. Also, I was out of garlic (AKA hadn't used any in so long it was rotten) and used about a teaspoon of garlic powder instead, and it was fine. I also happen to love cinnamon in chili, but you may not, so maybe start with half the amount if you aren't sure.

Oh, and what are those baked goods in the background, you ask? I'm not supposed to be baking anymore, but they're the best oatmeal cookies pretty much eva, so I'll spill (recipe at bottom...I think it's the almond extract, so don't skip that part unless you have to).

White Bean Chili
Package ground turkey
One small onion, chopped
Couple cloves garlic, minced
7 oz can green chiles, chopped (or two 4 oz cans of pre-chopped)
About 1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
Chicken broth (up to 3 cups)
3 cans cannelloni beans
about 2 cups jack or cheddar cheese ( I used two kinds of cheddar)
Cilantro to serve
Tortillas to serve

In a stock pot or Dutch oven, sauté turkey, onion and garlic over medium high heat until turkey is completely cooked, about 8-10 minutes.

Add cinnamon, cumin, pepper, cayenne and chiles and continue sauteeing another few minutes.

Stir in about 2 cups of broth. Drain two of the cans of beans, and add to meat. Drain about half the liquid from the third can, and then empty contents into a blender or food processor and blend til smooth. Again, here's an example of when it's awesome to have an immersion blender-just stick it right in the can. Add bean "paste" and about 1 1/2 cups cheese to the pot and stir. Let mixture simmer about 15 minutes, adding more broth if desired.

Serve with warm tortillas and top with remaining cheese and chopped cilantro. And sour cream, if it's too spicy for you...


Ridiculous Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/3 c flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp molasses
2/3 cup sugar (softened)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
Handful chocolate and/or butterscotch chips (1/4 to 1/2 cup)
1 1/3 cup ready-to-cook oats (Quaker, etc.)

Heat oven to 350. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In large bowl, mix butter, sugar and molasses with a hand blender until smooth. Beat in egg, vanilla and almond. Mix in flour mixture.

When well combined, stir in oats and chips-it will be really thick. Drop smallish globs onto a cookie sheet (12 per sheet) and cook about 12 minutes or until beginning to brown. Let cool a few minutes before transferring to wire rack.

Makes 3 dozen. I can't stop eating them.

That's it, no more turkey.

Literally, every piece of tupperware we own is currently in our fridge, and somehow there's still nothing I want to eat. Probably because I need green things at this point, not meat. Or pie. Seriously, I sauteed up brussel sprouts and baby tomatoes and called that dinner last night. (Actually, it was delicious. A little light butter with microwave steamed brussels, halved cherry tomatoes, then topped with a bit of parm, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), salt and pepper. 10 minutes total.)

With two turkeys, two racks of ribs and 10 people, I'm actually surprised we didn't have more meat left over. I'm totally sick of turkey at this point, but I feel bad just trashing it, so I'm trying my best to use it up. But I'm also trying not to cook too much, seeing that my fridge is FULL and cooking is starting to make me tired...I'm apparently a bit of a frenetic cook—I work fast and multi-task, and I just don't have the energy I had 28 weeks ago.

Speaking of 28 weeks, I finally feel like I look pregnant. Or else I just ate way too much pie this weekend. (Shaking fist at my mother for bringing—and leaving—a ginormous, delicious Costco apple pie.) Which makes me scared to see how enormous I am by the time Christmas rolls around. If I don't post any photos, it's because my face has caught up with my ass and I'm refusing to have it documented. Just a heads up.

Anyway, we had some broccoli in the fridge, so I decided to do something easy with it. It's similar to chicken divan, but easier, quicker, and heavier on the broc. Not much prepping here, and even though it looks and seems a little down-homey and rich (just enough to spread out Thanksgiving a little more?) it's really not. I based it off a vegetarian Cooking Light recipe, but got rid of the mayo and threw in some turkey for some extra protein. And because it has to be used somehow.

Broccoli Casserole
12 oz bag of steam-able broccoli (or 3/4 lb loose broccoli florets)
1 cup 1% milk
1 tbsp flour
good pinch each salt and pepper
1/3 cup sharp cheddar
2 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
2 shallots, chopped
1 can sliced water chestnuts
about a cup shredded cooked turkey or chicken
bread crumbs

Cook broccoli. In saute pan, combine milk, flour, salt and pepper, and whisk over medium heat until thickened. Add cheese and cream cheese, whisking til smooth. Stir in shallot.

In medium casserole dish, layer broccoli, shredded turkey, and water chestnuts. Pour cheese sauce evenly across the top. Sprinkle top evenly with breadcrumbs. Cook at 400 for 20 minutes.

Roughly 850 calories total. (213 for 1/4 casserole)

And I don't even like chipotle that much...

To clarify, I'm talking smoked jalapenos. Not the restaurant. The restaurant is always a good idea. Just throwing that out there.

I know I've griped before about the stupidity of oversized chipotle/adobo sauce packaging, but it's happening again. Seriously, who made the inane decision to put a dozen chipotle peppers and sauce in a can when you need, like, a TEASPOON per dish? Bobby Flay's kitchen aside, who uses more than that? (I have a similar beef with tomato paste, but that's a bitch for another day.)

Anyway, hubby wanted to invent a Southwestern burger, which means we're stuck with the vast majority of a large can (it was all we had, and I'm pretty sure all they sell) after this meal. I'm planning a chipotle-centric menu for the next few days—If you have any great suggestions, let me know.

Chipotle Turkey Burgers
Burgers:
Ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1/4 onion, grated
Fresh pepper
salt
Chipotle Mayo:
About 1/2 tsp adobo sauce
2 tbsp light mayo
big pinch garlic powder
Chipotle Ketchup:
About 1/2 tsp adobo sauce
3 tbsp ketchup
pinch garlic powder
big pinch cumin powder
Burger Toppings:
Arugula
whole canned green chiles, split open flat
sliced pepper jack cheese
sliced onion
buns

In large bowl, combine burger ingredients well (use your hands). Mold into four patties and refrigerate while you prep the sauces.

So, yeah, prep the sauces. Mix them in small bowls. Cover. Chill.

Heat skillet over medium high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Cook patties about 5 minutes. Flip, and add chiles to skillet to heat. When the second side is almost done, add slice of cheese and cover. Now's the time to toast the buns, if you want.

When cheese is melted, smear one side of bun with mayo and one with ketchup, and place cheesy patty on bun. Top with chile, arugula and onion.

Serve with sweet potato fries and more chipotle ketchup.

Turkey & Black Bean Chili

I love Bobby Flay. He comes across as such a weird mix of smart, funny, cocky, and nice guy...but more importantly, the man can cook. Having eaten at his Mesa Grill restaurant twice, I can personally attest to this, but besides that, I don't think I've ever watched a Throwdown and not cursed technology for not yet inventing taste-o-vision.

In all honestly, however, Tex-mex is not my favorite genre, because it always seems to revolve around chipotle, which can be a really strong, super spicy flavor, so I try not to use it very often. It had been a while, though, so when I found this recipe for Black Bean Chili, I decided to trust Bobby and go for it. His version calls for beef chunks and beer, but this way worked just fine. Great with cornbread, but remember...low fat cornbread only sounds like a great idea. In practice, it's only ok. Even if you can eat more of it.

Careful with this one...it's got some heat, which is why I put the chile as optional.


Turkey & Black Bean Chili
olive oil
1 pkg ground turkey
salt and pepper
half an onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chile, minced (optional)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp chipotle peppers/sauce (from can)
1.5 tbsp honey
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans black beans, drained
Juice from one lime

To top:
finely chopped onion
shredded cheese (monterey jack or cheddar)
Cumin Crema (1 tsp cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper mixed with 1/2 cup greek yogurt or creme fraiche)

Combine cumin, chili powder, drained tomatoes, chipotle and honey in blender (or bowl, if you have an immersion blender. Have you bought one yet?)

Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper, heat a splash of oil over medium high, then add turkey and stir fry until cooked through, 5 minutes or so. Transfer meat to a big bowl. Add a bit more oil to the pot, and saute onion about 3 minutes. Add garlic and chile, if using. Cook another minute or two, then stir in tomato puree, broth and add meat back in. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat back to low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in beans and cook another 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in lime. Taste and add a little bit salt, if needed, and a bit more honey if it's too spicy.

The original recipe serves this with the cumin crema and homemade guac, but it's good with cheese and/or onion, too. Or regular sour cream. It's chili...do it how you like it.

Meatballs!

Meatballs in Marinara
1 slice bread, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
About a 1/4 cup shredded Romano or Parm
Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Salt and pepper
1 pkg lean ground turkey
Olive oil
1 jar marinara or other pasta sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, drained

Mix bread (gluten free works), garlic, egg, cheese, turkey, and a good pinch each of basil, thyme, oregano and S&P with your hands. Roll into balls, any size you want (up to about 2 inches across.) Stick in the fridge til ready to use.

Heat oil on high heat, and brown the balls on each side as best you can for a couple of minutes. Add sauce and tomatoes. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or til the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve over pasta. About 5 servings.

I have a problem saying no.

I inherited the inability to say no (thanks, mom), and tend to stretch myself far too thin...so when we decided to make our work holiday party a Mediterranean themed make-a-food-and-bring-a-wine ordeal, I was both stoked and stressed.

Everyone at work thinks I can cook. I talk a big game, people...and sometimes, I really do make magic. But not always. Unfortunately. And I'm fine when that happens at home. It just stresses me out when other people will be judging me. Which is probably some sort of cosmic karma for being a McJudgerson all the damn time.

Anyway.

The bossman tries to stick to a vegetarian diet, so I wanted to bring something he could eat. Figured Chickpea Stew would be good*...but as I never leave well enough alone, I also volunteered to bring stuffed grape leaves.

Stuffed grape leaves are kind of a pain in the ass. Chopping and mixing and rolling-even getting the leaves out of the jar can be annoying. But it's also actually pretty fun. And totally something to be done in advance. So Thursday night, I got to work. And I was so proud of how good they looked, even after using a jar full of the most bizarre sized leaves. The problem? They were dry, dry, dry. Ground turkey is already not the moistest meat out there, so you really do have to be careful to not overcook them. And I forgot the plate. Don't ask me why it works, but it does. And I knew better, which makes it that much more frustrating.

So this is one of those examples of do what I say and not what I do. I really should follow my own recipes.
*Speaking of, the stew turned out great. I used crushed tomatoes instead of diced, used 2 Serrano chilies instead of Jalapeno, and will be doing that from now on.

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Egyptian, not Greek)
1 jar grape leaves, rinsed (they'll be near the olives at the store)
1 pkg lean ground turkey
1 cup uncooked white or basmati rice
1 half onion, chopped finely
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
Juice of one lemon, plus slices to garnish
3 cups chicken broth

Mix rice, turkey, onion, minced garlic, and spices(including salt and pepper). Use your hands...this is the fun part.

Take a grape leaf and spread it out on a cutting board. Place about a finger's width worth of rice mix across the leaf. Roll it up like a burrito, tucking in the sides first and then rolling lengthwise, keeping it fairly tight.

Repeat with remaining rice/leaves. Place in stock pot in a circular pattern. Tuck in the garlic slices randomly between rolls. Make more than one level if you need to.

When you're done, tuck the egg in the middle. I don't know why. Tradition? I'll ask Miss Lucy- she's the Egyptian responsible for me knowing it. Whatever it is, it's fun to make people eat it afterward (It tastes fine, I promise).

Cover with chicken broth and lemon juice. Place a heavy plate over rolls to keep them in place. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 30 minutes. Serve with lemon slices. Can serve warm or cold.
Makes about 2 dozen medium sized rolls. Roughly 50 cals per roll, 1g fat, 6g carbs, 6g protein.

Yes, I hand-address envelopes. You should too.

How is it Friday already? Time flew this week for me. Good projects at work-the company Christmas cards and a kid's puzzle book, which is especially fun cause I get to be super cheese. I named one puzzle A-maze-ing! Amazing, indeed.

Anyway, because time flew, I didn't really think about the fact that my own holiday cards should probably go out sometime during the holidays (I think last year's ended up as 'Hope you're having a Happy New Year' card)...which stressed me out for the two minutes it took me to order the cards I made but never got around to actually ordering a week or so ago. And then I discovered that you can pick up your kodakgallery.com prints the SAME DAY from Target. Hel-lo.

I'll use any excuse to go to Target, I really will.

But that all meant dinner last night needed to be speedy, cause it was envelope addressing time. So I ran to the store to get some ground turkey for meat sauce, and noticed the mushrooms looked good...and so did the bell peppers (talking about it earlier apparently inspired me), and before I knew it, I had made a cacciatore of sorts. Not as speedily as I would have hoped, but it was really good. We decided it would make an awesome chunky pizza sauce. Mmmm. I'm gonna try it tonight while the hubby's at football (play-offs...it never ends). And then I'm going to get around to actually addressing envelopes.

Turkey Cacciatore
1 pkg Italian-seasoned lean ground turkey
1 pkg mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 green onion, roughly chopped
1/4 to 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jar pasta sauce (I like Newman's Own or 5 Brothers mushroom options)
red pepper flakes to taste (I do about a 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine

Heat a large soup pot, and add the turkey. As you brown it, break the meat into pieces and cook until none is pink anymore. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and bell pepper, saute with meat about 2 minutes. Add sauce, red pepper, vinegar and wine, mix well. Return to simmer, cover, and cook at med-low for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve with pasta and garlic bread. (If you can. Though I usually let myself have an itty bitty slice on pasta nights. Eh.) If you like cheese, I thought our romano/asiago/parm blend was good.
Makes about 5 servings. Per serving(no cheese), about 270 cals, 10g fat, 5g fiber, 27g protein, 30g carbs

It's just meat...in a loaf.

So for the third and final chapter of anniversary week happy-husband food, I broke out the turkey/spinach meatloaf, which always goes over well. What is it with guys and meatloaf? I'm convinced it's some Leave it to Beaver/1950's thing that's become ingrained into their DNA over the past few generations. So weird. I mean...it's good and homey, but...it's just meat. In a loaf. (Which freaks one of my best friends out, btw. Some day I'll dedicate an entry to non AW-approved foods...it's quite an entertaining list.)

Ground beef and I don't always get along all that well, so I made the switch to lean ground turkey for pretty much everything long ago. The flavor is a little different, but I really like it, and the fat and cal count are both lower. Which really just means I can serve a more fattening side. Stanky fries, in this case. Mmmmmmm. That said, feel free to substitute beef if you want.

And with that, I'm done cooking for the week. The husband and I are off to the coast for the weekend (many thanks to my fabulous mother-in-law for the room!), which means lots of eating out...I love restaurants. I get to eat well and I get to be served, both of which rock my world. SO excited.

Turkey-Spinach Meatloaf
1 package lean ground turkey (I used Italian seasoned tonight, but I usually use plain)
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
big handful spinach, roughly chopped
big pinch each salt and pepper
small handful basil, thinly sliced
splash of Worcestershire sauce (2 tsp or so)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs*
ketchup (I used low-sugar and it was fine)

*I don't use these, but if you can, I recommend it. It helps the texture a lot.

Preheat oven to 350.
In large bowl, mix everything but ketchup. Use your hands to make sure it's well blended. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray, and press meat mix lightly into pan. (If you don't have one, just spray a cooking sheet and shape it into a loaf on there.)

Squeeze ketchup over entire loaf (maybe a half cup or so). Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let sit a few minutes, and slice into 6 slices. Remove carefully with spatula to serve.
Per slice (without breadcrumbs), about 210 cals, 7g fat, 3g carbs, 20g protein

I really like my yoga pants.

As I was scrounging through our ridiculously bare pantry after yoga last night, the train of thought started...oh, crap, we have nothing to eat...do I have to go to the store? I don't want to change, I love my yoga pants...well, I guess I could wear them...but I'd have to change my shirt, anyway...damnit...why didn't I go earlier? What the hell do I even WANT...there has to be SOMETHING edible in this house...I really, really don't want to change...Why is all we have cheese???

The husband can confirm this sort of thought process continues indefinitely, so I'll spare you.

So as I'm throwing possible ingredients on the counter, I preempted the inevitable "whatcha making?" question with "Don't even ask what we're eating, I have no idea." And that's when the man I love looked at me and said the best three words an aspiring cook can hear: "I trust you."

"I trust you" means he knows what I'm going to make will be awesome at best and edible at worst. And even better, it means I don't have to go to the store, because he knows I'll do the best with what we have. Of course, my darling husband followed it with, "Woman, as long as you're making me dinner, I don't care what it is." But we'll ignore that part. He's sweet.

And as it turns out, he was right. We had all the ingredients for a quasi-fancy salad (romaine, green onion, celery, feta, blush wine vinaigrette, bacon pieces and candied walnuts), which ended up being a pretty little first course.

And, after enough digging, I realized we also had everything to make what the husband calls goulash. I call it installment two of the 'scrounging around' series. Which I ate while wearing my yoga pants. On the couch. Classy.


Goulash
3 servings spiral pasta
olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 package lean ground turkey
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
dash crushed red pepper
dash all spice
1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1/2 cup Parmesan (shaved is prettier)

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente (not too soft). In a medium stock pot, heat a splash of olive oil. Saute garlic for about 30 seconds, then add onion. Cook a couple of minutes, until the onion begins getting soft.

Add ground turkey and cook, stirring frequently to break it up into little pieces til no longer pink anywhere. Add tomatoes and spices, including salt and pepper, and mix well. Let cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn and cooked pasta, and mix well. Cook until corn is heated through. Serve with parmesan on top. Serves six.
(About 300 calories, 6g fat, 34g carbs, 3g fiber, 29g protein)

I wish my parents were Italian.

We know I'm not exactly a football fan, but I married one. Which means for approximately four months a year, my life is a little in upheaval—the husband is an official, so he's gone at least two evenings a week working high school games, as well as all day Saturdays, when he refs youth football for 12 hours.

This is bittersweet...I don't like having him gone that much (I kinda like the guy) but at the same time, I get to take advantage of Netflix's expansive collection of the TV shows I'm way behind on and he doesn't care about. For the record, I just finished Season 2 of Dexter, am about to start Grey's Anatomy from last season, and Gossip Girl's Season 1, disc 2 is on the way—I'm stoked.

But football season also means I get to play in the kitchen. On my home-alone nights, I'm a big fan of my old stand by recipes—Tuna Casserole, Cabbage Pancakes, Baked Chicken Parm, or Chicken & cabbage soup—which are easy, yummy, and with the exception of Parm, are weird enough to not necessarily be the husband's favorites...though I honestly never make them for him, so I can't actually back that up.

Tonight, however, is Wedding Soup night. I had an acquaintance's Italian mother make it when I was in New York a few years ago, and I've made my wanna-be version ever since. But all summer I hear, "It's hotttt. Why do you want soup? I don't want soup." And all summer, even in 102 degrees, I want Wedding Soup. And tonight's the first time I've gotten a chance to make it.


Wanna-be Italian Wedding Soup
12 cups chicken broth
16-20oz extra lean ground turkey
One egg
One egg white
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
red pepper to taste
garlic powder, at least a teaspoon
fresh or dried oregano, a healthy shake.
1 oz shredded romano or parmesan
2 cups spinach, chopped
Big handful julienned,shredded, or diced carrots
1/4c bread crumbs (I skip this now...but the meatballs stick together better when you use them)
2 cups small-shaped pasta
salt and pepper


In a big bowl, combine turkey, egg, basil, red pepper, garlic, oregano, cheese, and salt and pepper(and breadcrumbs, if using). Use your hands to mix it all together well. Shape into small meatballs (about an inch or so), place in fridge to chill. (Or, if you have extra time, throw them in the oven at 400 for 8 minutes or so)

Bring chicken broth to boil in a big soup pot, add meatballs one at a time, slowly, in different places in the pot so they don't stick together as they cook. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook 15 minutes. Add carrot, spinach, and pasta, and let cook about 10 minutes, or until pasta is cooked.

Serve topped with a healthy pinch/handful of cheese. Makes 6 servings.
About 250 cals, 10g fat, 1g fiber, 22g protein, 17g carbs (without topping cheese or breadcrumbs)