Made a big pot of this Wednesday night. Tastes way better after being in the fridge a day or so.
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
28 oz. diced tomatoes
2 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus 2 cups water
3 cups white kidney beans (Cannellini)
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp Blackstrap molasses, unsulphered
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried Oregano
Sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste
2 chipotles in Adobo sauce, chopped, undrained
Heat some oil in a large skillet, add turkey and brown, about 6-7 minutes each side, then crumble and add diced onion. Cook turkey about 3 minutes more, or until browned and onions are slightly softened and sweated. Place into 5-qt stock pot with the broth, half the water, tomatoes, beans, and seasonings.
Bring to the boil. Let simmer for about 1 hour, or til slightly reduced and cooked through. Add chipotles, vinegar, and molasses, and heat through, simmering another 20-30 minutes. If chili is a bit thicker than you’d like, add more stock or water, cook a few minutes longer (not too long, or you’ll reduce it again).
Makes about 10-14 cups. I like mine with a little Tapatio and grated pepper Jack. . . and some fruit on the side.
Turtle bean salad – I like to use it as a salsa on chicken tacos or with tortilla chips…pictured is the deli version, but theirs is loaded with sodium (taco seasoning packets) and sugar. It’s not far-off from the very popular “cowboy caviar.” Here’s my version:
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
3 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground Mexican oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons honey or agave
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained – about 14-15 oz. (better yet, cook them from dry for less sodium and more flavor/texture)
1 cup corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, cut on the diagonal
1/4 cup chopped green chilies (best if roasted)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Whisk together the first seven ingredients until well blended. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, onion and chiles, stir to combine. Fold in cilantro leaves. Chill at least 2 hours, or overnight (for best flavor). Serves 6-8.
Sausage & vegetable “brunch” bake– Tried a new egg bake mixture for this morning’s breakfast. Recipe below, if you care to have it. Been awhile since I made one of these, they’re a great way to use up leftovers, chopped veggies, and scraps of cheese, or other items that aren’t enough make a meal by themselves. It’s also a fast way to have a nice hot breakfast in the morning with no prep (do it all the night before). You can also eliminate the bread for a lower carb version, though it can fall flat without bread, so just add a sprinkle of baking soda to the eggs when whisking them…to keep things nice and fluffy. Serves 6-8 people.
Ingredients
4-5 English muffins, split
12-16 oz sausage (I use Jennie-O Breakfast Lovers’ Turkey sausage)
1 medium onion, diced
Chopped frozen veggies of your choice, thawed (or fresh)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
8 eggs
Splash of half & half or cream
1/4 cup to 1 cup of more cheddar or other cheese you like, reserved
Steps:
Chop veggies and onion into small pieces. I used a frozen mix of sweet red/gold bell peppers, broccoli florets, sliced carrots. I also decided to pop some halved grape tomatoes on top that were getting a tad bit overripe. Super sweet!
Grate cheese.
Brown sausage according to package directions. Split and/or toast your muffins, place them in pieces on bottom of buttered cake pan (I bought Thomas’ Whole Wheat–I did not toast them, I may do that next time).
Drop spoonfuls of the browned sausage on top of the bread pieces. Sprinkle the onions, veggies and the 1 cup of grated cheese on top of the sausage.
Whisk 8 eggs with a splash of milk (or water), season w/your fave seasonings (s&p, dried herbs, etc., I use Mrs Dash), pour over items in pan.
Cover tightly with foil** and store in fridge overnight.
In the morning, preheat the oven to 375°F and take the egg bake out of the fridge. Top it with the reserved cheddar or other kind of cheese you like (I used 4 slices of Gouda, cut into small strips and laid across the top). Seal it back up with the foil.
Bake at 375°F for 45-55 minutes, or until cheese melts, then take foil off and bake another 10-15 minutes til cheese and is golden and bubbly. Gouda melts into a lighter color than it looks cold, so I may have over baked this 🙂 If it’s pretty puffed-up and a knife or toothpick inserted in the center come out dry (maybe with breadcrumbs or egg bits but NOT too wet), it’s ready.
**The tightly covering of the pan is key to steam the dish for the eggs to rise and bake properly.
Hawaiian style is how I learned to make fried rice. I don’t like lap cheong, though (sweet Chinese pork sausage), and I would also include some chopped white or sweet yellow onion. My fried rice always includes some peas and carrots…even though that’s not typical of island style.
Exhausted and hot. Easy dinner (salad) to the rescue.
A mix of spring greens & baby spinach comes in a clamshell at the grocery store, and I just add the rest: shredded red cabbage, Naturesweet “Glory” grape tomatoes, fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, some olive oil, squeeze of lemon, and black pepper, close the lid, shake, remove lid & eat.
So I’ve had some dark cherries macerating in honey and cider vinegar for days now, and I’ve got some really nice Treasure Cave blue cheese…and ideas whirling in my head…stay tuned.
