Southwestern Turkey Club

Ingredients:
8 slices of bacon
1 lb. sliced deli turkey
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
2 T. lime juice
1-2 T. pickled jalapeno chiles, chopped
12 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, lightly toasted
1 tomato, thinly sliced

Directions:
Cook bacon in a large skillet until brown and crisp, 6-8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 T. rendered fat from skillet.
In a small bowl, mash avocado, lime juice, and chilies with a fork; season with salt and pepper.
Using the rendered fat from the bacon heat turkey in skillet until warmed through.
Spread avocado mixture on one side of each slice of toast. Layer turkey, bacon, tomato, and toast to form four triple decker sandwiches. To serve, skewer with toothpicks; slice in half with a serrated knife.

Makes 4 sandwiches. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
We have eaten these a few times before. We are sandwich fans at our house so this makes a good fast dinner. The kids don't normally eat this (they eat PB&J) but Blake and I really like them. If using the bacon grease to heat up your turkey grosses you out you could omit it. But I won't lie when I say it adds good flavor.

Veggie Burger

Ingredients:
1/2 c. bulgur
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. Swiss, grated
1/2 c. carrots, finely grated
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
coarse salt and pepper

toppings can include:
avocado
sprouts
hamburger buns

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine bulgur and 1 c. boiling water. Cover tightly and let sit until bulgur is tender, 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to remove liquid, then return bulgur to bowl. In a food processor pulse pinto beans until coarsely chopped. Add beans to bulgur, along with Swiss, carrots, green onion, and egg. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
In a large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium. Add 1/2 c. bean mixture and press lightly with a spatula to flatten. Make 3 more patties, working in batches if necessary (add more oil for second batch), and cook until browned and cooked through, 3 minutes per side. Serve burgers on buns with toppings.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
When Blake first walked into the house he said "oh, something smells good." Then he walked into the kitchen and you could tell the obvious disappointment on his face. But he was brave and tried them anyways. Here is a shocker...he thought they were good. He said that they are the best veggie burgers that he had ever had. I thought they were good too and we will be having them again.

Coriander and Oregano Brined Pork

Ingredients:
2/3 c. coarse salt
2 T. sugar
1 T. black peppercorns
1 T. coriander seeds
2 sprigs oregano
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork loin

Directions:
In a large bowl or plastic bag, combine 4 c. water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, coriander, oregano, and bay leaf and stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Add pork and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
Preheat grill to medium high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Remove pork from brine, pat dry, and grill directly over heat source until brown all over, 15 minutes. Move to cooler side of grill. Cover grill and cook until pork is cooked through and registers 140 degrees, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 55 minutes plus brining.

Verdict:
I was going to use a pork loin but I decided to use 4 pork chops instead. I let them marinate for 8 hours. Both Blake and I thought this was delicious. I would most likely, if I was going to use pork chops again, only keep it in for 6 hours or less. I could tell that it was getting a little salty. The recipe says that you could also use this with turkey or chicken. I am excited to try it on chicken.

Pork Chops With Pineapple and Rice

Ingredients:
2 c. long grain white rice
2 t. vegetable oil
4 pork chops, 1 inch thick
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 jalapeno, diced small
1 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil. Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook until meat is slightly pink in center, 7 minutes per side. Remove from skillet. Transfer pork to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium. Add pineapple and jalapeno to skillet. Cook, stirring, until pineapple is tender, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce.
Serve pork with pineapple mixture, rice and cilantro.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 40 minutes.

Verdict:
Not bad. I liked the pineapple mixture but all in all I would say it wasn't that special.

Antipasti Sandwich

Ingredients:
coarse salt and pepper
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 red bell pepper
1 loaf crusty bread, sliced in half lengthwise
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. mortadella, prosciutto, or thinly sliced deli ham
1/2 c. fresh parsley leaves
1 c. marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered or sliced
1/2 c. shaved Parmesan
1/2 c. pepperoncini, drained and halved if large

Directions:
*Make this sandwich ahead of time. Allowing the flavors to mingle.
Sprinkle a double layer of paper towels with salt and place zucchini on top. Sprinkle with salt and roll up like a newspaper. Let sit 10 minutes to draw out excess liquid.
Over a gas flame or under a broiler, roast bell pepper until skin is charred, 10 minutes, turning frequently. Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit 10 minutes. Rub the pepper with a paper towel to remove skin, then core, discard seeds, and slice flesh into strips.
Pull out about 2 c. bread from the inside loaf halves. In a food processor, combine beans, garlic, lemon juice and oil and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Completely cover inside of both bread halves with an even layer of bean puree.
Arrange zucchini on bottom half of bread. Top with mortadella, parsley, roasted pepper, artichokes, Parmesan, and pepperoncini. Sandwich with top half of bread and wrap tightly in plastic. Place on a baking sheet in refrigerator. Place another baking sheet on top and weight with several heavy cans. Let sit at least 3 hours (or up to overnight). To serve, unwrap and cut into wedges.

Makes 6-8 servings. Total time 25 minutes + chilling.

Verdict:
First off I just used regular ham. I also only let the sandwich sit for 2 hours. I still liked it. Blake liked it too except for the pepperoncinis. I also ate it for lunch the next day and it still tasted good. The bread was getting a little soggy so I wouldn't have it sit for more than a day.

Tex-Mex Turkey and Bean Chili

Ingredients:
4 slices of bacon, cut in to 1/2 inch strips
3 lbs. ground turkey
4 onions, coarsely chopped
2 jalapenos, minced, ribs and seeds removed for less heat if desired
3 T. chili powder
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 t. ground cumin
2 cans (28 oz. each) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
2 T. unsulfured molasses
1 c. water
3 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Assorted toppings: cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro

Directions:
Heat a dutch oven or heavy 5 quart pot over medium. Add bacon; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Raise heat to high; add turkey. Cook, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 8-10 minutes.
Add onions, garlic, and jalapenos; cook until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cocoa and cumin; cook stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Break up tomatoes with kitchen shears or your hands, and add them to the pot along with the puree. Add molasses, the water, and 4 t. salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook partially covered, 30 minutes.
Add beans; continue cooking (uncovered) until turkey is very tender and liquid has thickened, about 30 minutes more. Serve hot, with assorted toppings if desired.

Makes 8 servings. Total time 1 hour 30 minutes.

Verdict:
My sister got me a cast iron pot for my birthday and this was the first thing I made in it and I loved it. It made cooking the chili really easy. I also like that it doesn't take much effort, just a little bit of stirring here and there. The flavor was good and I enjoyed it. Blake is not a huge fan of chili so he just thought it was OK but he did say we could eat it again. It made so much that we froze half of it to eat another day when I don't feel like making dinner. One more thing. I don't know what the difference is between unsulfured molasses and regular molasses so I just used regular.

Sorry

Sorry for the week I left you hanging. Life seems to be getting a little more busy here lately. Either that or I am just getting a little more tired.
I hope to be able to keep up for the next 7 weeks.
Then our little baby is coming and I will most likely need a little time off to recover.
And cope.

Baked Ravioli

Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and pepper
1 1/2 t. dried thyme or oregano
1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 lbs. ravioli
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 c., 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top. Drain the pasta; return to the pot.
Toss the sauce with the pasta. Pour the pasta into a large gratin dish or 9x13 inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings. Total time 50 minutes.

Verdict:
When I made this I used the frozen spinach and cheese ravioli from Costco. I thought it was good. I would, however, next time I make this use just plain cheese or cheese and meat ravioli instead. While this is not an ideal summer meal it was filling and would be great for fall.

Sole With Lemon Butter Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 c. dry white wine
8 sole fillets
coarse salt and pepper
16 very thin lemon slices, seeds removed
Juice of one lemon
3 T. cold butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
Place the wine in a large, lidded skillet. Fold each sole fillet into thirds. arrange in the skillet; season with salt and pepper. Lay two overlapping lemon slices on each piece of fish.
Bring the wine to a boil; reduce the heat to medium low. Cover; simmer gently until the fish is opaque throughout, 3-5 minutes. With a spatula, transfer the fish to serving plates.
Return the liquid in the skillet to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/3 c, 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon juice; remove from heat. Whisk in the butter until smooth. Season with salt; strain, if desired. Serve with the fish.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
I used to make this a lot when it was just Blake and I. I haven't made it for a long time so I figured it was time for a little recipe resurrection. I didn't have any sole on hand so I used tilapia instead and just kept it flat instead of folding it into thirds. I still like it although it was more lemony than I remember it being. Since lemon flavor is not Blake's favorite he ate it but didn't want seconds.

Chicken With Poblano Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
1 poblano chile
2 T. vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 c. heavy cream
coarse salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
*optional
1-2 jalapenos, seeded (leave seeds in one for more heat), diced

Directions:
Roast the chile over a gas burner or under the broiler, until charred all over. Wrap in a paper towel; steam for 5 minutes. Rub off the skin; remove the seeds and ribs. Chop coarsely.
Heat 1 T. oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add the onion and garlic; cook until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add the chile, cream and jalapeno if using.
Puree in a blender; add water if too thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Cook the chicken until it is golden and juices run clear, 4-5 minutes per side. Serve with the sauce.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 25 minutes.

Verdict:
My sister had tried this recipe before I did and she said it was a little bland so she had added pickled jalapenos. I decided on regular jalapenos. I used two when I made it leaving the seeds in one. I didn't think that it was spicy. I think it gave it the little extra that it needed. If you are spice sensitive I would say that you could leave out the seeds or the jalapenos all together. I thought that it still had a light flavor. Blake liked it too.