Italian Soft Tacos

Cook’s notes: An easy weeknight meal. I served these with leftover Zucchini Corn Mix. Corn tortillas are rather soft, and they will tear if you try to roll them into fat burritos. Just fold in half to make a soft taco instead.

Serves 6 (about enough filling for 13 tacos)

1 package (1.25 lbs) ground chicken or turkey
1 Tablespoon red bell pepper flakes, 3/8″ cut (Penzey’s brand)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup mushroom marinara sauce
Soft corn tortilla, 12 each
1/4 cup (0.5 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

Coat a large skillet lightly with cooking spray and heat over the skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, red bell pepper flakes, and garlic powder to the hot pan. Saute the chicken, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until it is cooked through and no longer pink. Drain off fat; return seasoned chicken to pan.

Pour marinara sauce and Parmesan over the chicken and stir well until the mixture is heated through.

Warm the tortillas briefly in the microwave. Serve immediately: Place 1/4 cup mixture on each tortilla, and fold in half.

Menu suggestion:
2 Italian soft tacos, 1 cup Zucchini Corn Mix, and a side salad.

Estimated nutritional values per 2 tortillas and 1/2 cup chicken mixture:
3.1 g fiber; dietary exchanges of 0.9 carbs, 0.3 produce, 0.1 dairy, and 3.6 oz protein.

Turkey and Vegetable Soup

Cook’s Notes: This recipe was originally posted on another blog as “Susan’s Dirty Little Secret Soup” (link). The “little secret” is using frozen vegetables to make a really wonderful soup. The flavors come together well, you don’t have to chop any vegetables, and leftovers are great the next day.

Wonderful soup...plenty for you

The recipe is very flexible: I added ground turkey and used a blend of broths. You can use any two types of beans and any type of frozen vegetables (about 2 lbs. total). You don’t have to thaw the frozen vegetables before cooking. Instead of potatoes, you can use 1 cup frozen corn or  1/2 cup quick-cooking grain (pearled barley, millet, or quinoa), or 1/2 cup cooked rice.

About ground turkey: The amount of turkey is not critical; just make sure you have at least 0.5 lb / 8 oz of turkey but less than a full pound. It’s used more like a seasoning than the main feature of the soup.  If you want a fancier way to cook the turkey, read these instructions (link).

Feeds a crowd: This recipe filled my 6-quart soup pot (at least 20 cups of soup)

14 oz / 0.88 lb package ground turkey (see note above)
2 cups fat-free chicken broth (organic, low sodium)
4 cups vegetable broth
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
15-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
16-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, and peas)
2 bags (10 ounces each) of frozen Chinese stir-fry vegetables (green beans, broccoli, carrots, red pepper, onions, and mushroom)
2 cups frozen diced potato chunk medley (mixed blend with purple, white, yellow, and sweet potatoes)
1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder (Garlic Garni)
1 heaping teaspoon dried red bell pepper flakes (such as Penzeys brand, cut 3/8″ flakes)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Lightly coat the bottom of a large stock pot (6-quart size) with cooking spray. Cook the ground turkey, stirring often until meat is no longer pink.

Stir in all the remaining ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer, and cook until soup is heated through, vegetables are done, and potato chunks are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. If the soup seems too thick, add more broth. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

 

Best Recipe: Smoky Enchilada Casserole

Cook’s notes: This casserole is an expanded version of Sweet Potato Enchilada Pie. The fire-roasted tomatoes tone down the spice in the enchilada sauce. All of the ingredients came from Trader Joe’s. The hand-tossed tortillas are wonderful in this dish. The smoked cheese mixture is a blend of smoked cheddar, gouda, provolone, and mozzarella. Altogether, this casserole has a mellow flavor that’s just the thing on a rainy fall day. Leftovers are even better the next day.

Smoked cheese blends wonderfully with the sweet potato filling

Yield: Makes 12 generous servings (3 quarts of filling!); ready in about 40 minutes total

12 oz bag sweet potato spears, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (such as Trader Joe’s brand)
1 Tbsp water
1.3 pounds ground turkey (20-oz package or so)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
5 oz chopped crimini mushrooms (half of a 10-oz bag)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (such as Muir Glen brand)
1 bottle (12 oz) enchilada sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
9 flour tortillas without lard (8 inches); we like the “truly handmade” ones
Up to 2 cups (8 oz) shredded smoked cheese blend (such as Trader Joe’s brand)

Heat the oven to 400F. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine sweet potato cubes and water. Cover and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes or until potato cubes are tender.

Meanwhile, coat a large skillet lightly with cooking spray. Cook the turkey, onion, and mushroom over medium heat, stirring often to keep the meat loose. Cook until vegetables soften and meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the sweet potatoe, beans, crushed tomatoes with their juice, enchilada sauce, oregano, and cumin; make sure all ingredients are well-combined and heat through.

Coat a rectangular 3-quart dish with cooking spray. Place two flour tortillas to cover the bottom of the pan; tear up a third tortilla to fill in the gaps. Layer with a third of the turkey mixture and a third of the cheese (sprinkle a large handful of shreds evenly over the layer). Repeat layers twice. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is melted.

Turkey Taco Rice

Cook’s notes: I first saw Taco Rice posted as part of a lovely story about Japan and knew I had to make this easy Mexican-style dish immediately. Food.com has a recipe for a mild version of the taco seasoning mix; I’ll try that next time.

3 cups cooked rice
16 to 20 oz (1 to 1.25 lb package) ground turkey
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix (see below)
1 cup water
Toppings: chopped lettuce, grated cheddar cheese, and diced tomato

Prepare rice (you can use a pouch of frozen pre-made rice that microwaves in 3 minutes).

Lightly coat a skillet with cooking spray and brown ground turkey. Add taco seasoning mix and water; simmer over low heat until liquid is gone

Make a mound of rice on a plate and top with ground turkey. Layer on toppings. You might also like sour cream and guacamole as toppings.

Taco seasoning:
1 tablespoon chili powder (make sure that salt is not listed as one of the first three ingredients)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together all the spices. Store in an airtight container.

Weeknight Dinner: Turkey Cutlets and Rice Pilaf

Cook’s notes: This meal takes about 30 minutes to make. You’ll have 3 burners on the stove going at once. Serve with a mixed salad or green vegetable and fruit for dessert.

Main ingredients:

• 7 oz box rice orzo pilaf mix (such as Trader Joe’s brand)
• 10-oz bag of sliced crimini (brown) mushrooms
• 1.4 lb package of turkey cutlets, about 5 to 6 cutlets
• Spice mixture: Combine 2 teaspoon Mild Chili Spice mix, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Prepare the rice pilaf according to the instructions on the box (it simmers for 20 minutes in a saucepan with a lid).

At the same time, while the pilaf is cooking, prepare the mushrooms and the cutlets as follows:

Mushrooms: Sauté the mushrooms in a medium-size skillet lightly coated with olive oil cooking spray, stirring often. Let them cook the entire time the rice pilaf cooks. Add water to the skillet as needed.

Cutlets: Lightly coat a second skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Rub both sides of turkey cutlets with the spice mixture, so that the cutlets are evenly coated. Working in batches, place turkey cutlets in skillet. Cook on medium heat 3 minutes on each side (6 minutes total) or until cooked through. Cut into them to make sure there are no raw spots. Set them aside on a plate as they are cooked.

Everything — rice pilaf, mushrooms, all the cutlets — should finish cooking at about the same time. Stir the mushrooms into the rice pilaf. Serve 3 oz turkey with 1/2 cup of the mushroom rice pilaf.

Serves 4.

Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Red Pepper

Cook’s notes: This recipe taught me that a loaf pan isn’t the best choice for baking meat loaf. Instead, use a large pan with 1.5 to 2-inch sides, such as a metal, glass, or ceramic 7-by-11-inch baking dish, which will allow the heat to circulate over the meat, cooking it evenly. Yield: 4 servings

1.5 pounds (24 oz) ground turkey
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
7 oz jar roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 F. Coat the baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, mustard, diced red peppers, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a large bowl. Shape the meat into an 8-inch loaf and place in a baking dish.

Bake until no trace of pink remains (internal temperature should be 165 F), about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Menu: Turkey meat loaf, sweet potato cubes, and sautéed spinach; dessert: fresh strawberries with balsamic vinegar.

Adapted from Sara Quessenberry, Real Simple magazine, March 2008

Sweet Potato Enchilada Pie

Cook’s notes: I could eat this every meal until it’s gone. This is a hearty dish.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings; ready in about 40 minutes total

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 Tbsp water
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 oz) enchilada sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 flour tortillas (8 inches)
Up to 2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (I use less, about 1.5 cups)

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine sweet potato and water. Cover and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes or until potato is almost tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, enchilada sauce, oregano, cumin and sweet potato; heat through.

Place a flour tortilla in a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate; layer with a third of the turkey mixture and cheese. Repeat layers twice. Bake at 400∞ for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Adapted from Taste of Home (link)

Cabbage-Kielbasa Supper

Cook’s notes: Adapted from a recipe in Cosmopolitan magazine that was printed in the 1990′s. This is an easy supper.

1 package turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 Tbsp oil
1 (16 oz) bag coleslaw mix
1 onion, diced
2 Tbsp cider or red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In skillet over medium flame, brown the kielbasa slices. Remove to plate.

Heat the oil, and sauté the coleslaw mix and onion until tender. Add vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir well, and add kielbasa slices. Mix well and cook until heated through.

Black Beans and Kielbasa

Cook’s notes: Comfort food in 40 minutes, including prep time. You can even double the spinach.

1 pkg turkey kielbasa (14 to 16 oz), cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cans (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 oz) fat-free chicken broth
1 package baby spinach (6 oz)
For serving: plain, fat-free yogurt

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add kielbasa and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add shallots to skillet and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add black beans and broth and bring mixture to a boil. Add sausage, reduce heat to a rapid simmer, and top with spinach. Cover the pan and cook until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat and serve with a dollop of yogurt.

Adapted from Everyday Food, November 2010

Barbeque Turkey Tostados

8 flour tortillas, 7- to 8-in.
Nonstick cooking spray
8 oz lean ground turkey
16 oz can barbecue baked beans
Up to 1 cup (4 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
Accompaniments: Shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, chopped onions, salsa, and sour cream

Position racks to divide oven in thirds. Heat oven to 375 F.

Coat both sides of tortillas with nonstick spray. Arrange on baking sheets and bake 8 to 10 minutes until crisp.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon, 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in beans; heat through.

Spoon a generous 1/3 cup of filling on each tortilla, then sprinkle with cheese to taste. Return to oven and bake 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with the listed Accompaniments.

Adapted from Woman’s Day magazine