Turkey, Dijon Turkey, and some bonus recipies!

The wonderful world of Turkey

This week I want to explore the wonderful world of Turkey. It’s not just for Thanksgiving anymore! Turkey is an inexpensive way to get your protein and B vitamins without eating a lot of fat.

Turkey Parts and what they are good for!

The whole enchilada: I really only like whole turkey once or twice a year at the holidays. I find preparing and cooking a whole turkey to be time consuming, and unless your brother and husband deep fry it, dry and tasteless (except with gravy).

Breast: At the grocery you will probably find turkey breast or turkey breast cutlets without a problem. These are white meat, so healthier, and easy to manage and cook with if they are cut to a reasonable size.

Drumsticks: Giant and hard to find, just pass

Ground Turkey: A wonderful and healthy alternative to ground beef and many times cheaper than ground chicken

Deli Turkey: Unless you are buying actual sliced breast, with no preservatives, nitrates, nitrites, antibiotics, ect. stay away from deli meat. It is surprisingly high in sodium and fat and can be highly processed. That said, I love real sliced turkey breast and so does Ty. He eats if for lunch by itself or rolled around a little cream cheese and vegetables.

Sausage: Turkey sausage is almost always lower in fat then pork sausage and can be spiced just the same. It is great by itself or in pasta!

Just a note to my vegetarian reader :) I will be putting up at least one vegetarian recipe every week and there WILL be a vegetarian week coming up (as well as tofu!).

Dijon Turkey Breast

Easy and simple this is a great light recipe for any time of the year! Serve with a green veggie and your choice of healthy starch!

• 4 Turkey breast slices/cutlets (found in your meat case at the grocery)
• 4T of your favorite Dijon mustard (honey Dijon is great on this!)
• 2T fresh parsley (or dried)
• 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 1c bread crumbs (watch out for hydrogenated fat in these, making your own is easy too…see note below)
• Chicken broth
• Salt and pepper

1. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat
2. Dredge cutlets in mustard of parsley, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper
3. Coat in bread crumbs (use some chicken broth or more mustard to get them to stick)
4. Cook over medium heat until done, about 3 min per side

Bread crumbs

Because many store brand bread crumbs are not really bread crumbs and instead are very fine crap filled with hydrogenated oils, make your own!

Toast up your favorite ww bread, put it in a food processor and go to town. You can also put it in a plastic bag (ONCE COOL) and mash it up! Make sure you toast them low and slow!

Bonus Recipes!

I made my husband a welcome home meal. After much thought, and way too much produce being produced in our garden, I figured I should make something with zucchini, squash and tomatoes.

Vegetable Chicken Soup (leave out the chicken if you are a vegetarian!)

Ingredients (remember to use organic where you can!)

• 2 cans tomato sauce, no salt (or use your own!)
• 2 cans chicken broth, one salt, one without salt
• 1 can of kidney beans (use fresh soaked if you are cooking all day, I only used one can but you could easily put in 2 or 3)
• 4 large carrots (sliced)
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 2 medium sized zucchinis (Diced)
• 2 medium sized yellow squash (diced)
• 4 large tomatoes (diced)
• 1/2c barley (pearled)
• Handful of fresh basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary (chopped)
• 3c of fresh spinach
• 2 large chicken breasts (I would add more next time)

To cook (just like everything from last week)

1. Brown chicken in pot
2. Add sauce, broth, beans, carrots, onions
3. Cook for a long time, until chicken is cooked
4. Add everything else, cook until barley is cooked and soft (about 45min)
5. Add more water, spice, salt, pepper as needed

Tomato Tart (take out the bacon if you are a vegetarian)

• 2lbs tomatoes sliced and cored (meaning scoop out the seeds and take of the stem)
• handful of fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme chopped
• 1T cornsctarch
• 1c flour
• 1c cornmeal
• 1 1/2t baking powder
• 1/4t baking soda
• 3T cold butter cut into small pieces
• 1 egg
• ½ c buttermilk, plus more for kneeding
• 6 slices bacon cooked and broken into pieces
• Handful of cheese (I did not use this but I should have!)
• 1 clove garlic mashed
• Salt and pepper

1. Prepare tomatoes, mix in all your herbs and garlic (reserve about 2T)
2. Toss in bowl with cornstarch, salt and pepper
3. In another bowl mix cornmeal, baking powder/soda
4. Place butter in bowl, and working quickly smash butter with fingers into flour. Do not heat up the butter too much. If you do place bowl back in fridge.
5. Mix in egg, buttermilk, cheese, rest of herbs and garlic, a little salt and pepper. Add more buttermilk if dough is not sticking together
6. Mix bacon into tomatoes
7. Place tomatoes into greased deep dish pie plate
8. Top with spoonful of biscuit dough (make sure there are air holes)
9. Cook at 375 until golden on top and bubbling on the bottom
10. Place on a cookie sheet if you want to avoid a mess in your oven!

Shepherd's Pie, Rice pudding for breakfast, Teddy Puffs

Recipes

Spicing up Shepherd’s Pie

I love shepherd’s pie. This is a dish that might take a little time to make but can be made ahead, baked right before eating, and frozen.

A favorite of mine growing up, shepherd’s pie can actually be REALLY bad for you. Load up those potatoes with butter/cream/milk, only use corn, and use a high fat beef and you are talking an extremely starchy dinner full of fat. Here are some alternatives you can use.

Meat:

• Ground turkey-this can get dry so make sure you put it on the bottom
• Vegetable protein “beef” style- This stuff is great IN dishes (not really by itself). Try this with traditional shepherd’s pie spices or a little catsup mixed in.
• Ground chicken
• Very low fat beef
• Ground lamb- a little more expensive and a tad gamey lamb is lean and healthy

Corn:

• Using a small layer of corn is ok, but Shepherd’s pie does not really offer much in the way of vegetables
• Mix in celery
• Put in a layer of peas, green beans, roasted peppers, broccoli, or just about any other vegetable.
• Mix in spinach with what ever you put in for a little more green to your pie

Potatoes:

• Mashed potatoes with no butter and skim milk, add garlic for a little more flavor
• Brown rice
• Mashed cauliflower/potatoes (see previous blog for recipe)
• Sweet potatoes
• Thinner layer of traditional mashed potatoes

I am taking some liberties on what shep. Pie really is in this next section :)

Mixin’ it up, different spice and food combos:

• Asian: Ground chicken with a little stir fry sauce, green beans, bean sprouts, pea pods topped with thin rice noodles also with a little stir fry sauce
• Tex Mex: Throw a taco seasoning packet in with your choice of meat, roasted red peppers, corn, onions, black beans, top with potatoes
• Indian: Lamb with curry spices, apple, onion, string beans, summer squash, any other veggies that are mixed with a little curry, brown rice, top with a little chutney
• The vegetarian: Vegetable protein mixed with a little catsup, green beans, ketchup, peas, mashed cauliflower
• Italian: Mix up your meat with a little pasta sauce, summer squash, zucchini, brown rice, parmesan cheese.

Ty’s Breakfast Rice Pudding

This is what Ty had for breakfast this morning, it was pretty good.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/4 to 1/3c cooked brown rice (we had leftovers)
• dash of cinnamon
• Dash of sugar (ty’s did not have it)
• Diced fruit

1. Scramble egg with cinnamon (and sugar) and place into hot non stick pan
2. Let it cook for a few seconds and add in rice
3. Take off stove and add in favorite fruit
4. (Ty’s also had peas in it)
5. Cool and enjoy

This can also be made with quick oats. I have done this at work. Instead of scrambling the egg and then adding the oats, you do it all in the same bowl. You then cook it like a pancake!

Product of the day:

Healthy Times Teddy Puffs

http://www.healthytimes.com/htteddypuffs.htm

These are a totally whole grain (no wheat or soy) product. Although I would classify these as not super healthy, they are easier to grab and more fun than cheerios. All organic, iron enriched, and sugar is way down on the list of ingredients these are a fun and quick snack when you are on the go!

Picture from website above