Turkey Sloppy Joes

While visiting Brad and Erica in Springville, I thumbed through a cookbook she had with some yummy looking recipes. Here's the book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Family-Flavor-Practical-Delicious/dp/1484884043. The first I tried were the turkey sloppy joes, which I made in the crockpot. I initially used the food processor to mince all the veggies, so they ended up quite moist and also made the joes pretty runny. The next time I would either take some of the liquid out of the joes or just chop the veggies by hand.
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 T dijon mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 T olive oil
1 celery stalk, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 pound ground turkey breast
6 hamburger buns

In a medium bowl, combine tomato sauce, brown sugar, dijon mustard, vinegar, and worcestershire sauce. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add the celery, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute until veggies are softened, about 10 minutes. Add ground turkey. Break up the turkey and stir occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce mixture and stire well. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve on buns.

Carrot-Apple Spice Muffins

We're into making healthy muffins since it's a nice way to sneak some vegetables into things that Cooper will actually eat. These turned out quite tasty! Recipe HERE.

Carrot-Apple Spice Muffins Adapted from Whole Foods for the Whole Family

*Makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/3 cup of honey OR 1/3 cup brown sugar (I used half and half)

1 egg

1/2 cup yogurt 

1/3 cup applesauce 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup grated apples

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

- In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice.

- In a second larger bowl, mix together the honey, egg, buttermilk, applesauce, vanilla extract, carrots and apples.

- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.

- Divide the batter among 12 muffins cups.

- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

- Cool on a wire rack.

- Enjoy!

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

Sadly, I don't know where I found this recipe, but it's a good one! I liked pulsing the veggies in the food processor first to make for a creamier soup.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced onions

1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano

1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil

4 cups chicken broth

½ bay leaf

½ cup flour

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

½ cup butter

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to

a large slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are

soft.

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a

skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1

cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow

cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.

Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on

spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at

the end).

4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Honey-Ginger Glazed Tilapia

Honey-Ginger Glazed Tilapia

Fish recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Sauce by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon grated ginger root

2 teaspoons minced or pressed garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

4-6 4-ounce tilapia fillets (or other favorite fish)

Creamy Dipping Sauce

6 ounces fat-free plain Greek yogurt

1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger root

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Juice of 1 small, juicy lime (about 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon lime zest

Sriracha sauce to taste (1/8-1/4 teaspoon will suit most tastes)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Optional: 1-2 teaspoons finely minced cilantro

Instructions:

Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and olive oil. Marinate the fish in the mixture for 20 minutes-1 hour.

While the fish is marinating, whisk together the creamy sauce ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat and brush with vegetable oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the fish for 4-6 minutes per side or until it flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce alongside steamed veggies and brown rice.

Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry

I recommend doubling the sauce recipe, since we like sauce.

Sweet & Sour Citrus Chicken Stir-Fry

Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from this recipe by Alice Currah

Ingredients:

Sauce

2/3 cup orange juice

Juice and grated rind of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons juice)

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced or grated

Stir-Fry

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ chunks

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen; if frozen, pull them out when you begin cooking)

1 1/2 cups green beans (fresh or frozen; pull these out of the freezer with the broccoli)

1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 small or medium red onion, halved and cut into 1/4″ slices

Instructions:

In a large skillet, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Rinse out the skillet and wipe it dry.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with corn starch and rub the corn starch into the chicken.

Add about 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan to coat it. Add the seasoned chicken and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the onions and other veggies and stir-fry until the beans and broccoli are tender-crisp. Add the sauce, a few tablespoons at a time, allowing the sauce to bubble up after each addition. Serve immediately over hot rice. Makes 4 servings.

Zuchinni Pancakes

Smitten Kitchen does it again with these great zuchinni break pancakes. You can make these with whole wheat flour, too!

Makes 10 to 12 pancakes

2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or 2 tablespoons each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 9 ounces whole, or 1 1/2 medium zucchini), heaping cups are fine
1 cup all-purpose flour (half can seamlessly be swapped with a whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
Butter or oil, for coating skillet

In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined.

Preheat oven to 200°F and place a tray — foil-lined if you’re into doing fewer dishes later — on a middle rack.

Heat a large, heavy skillet (my favorite for pancakes is a cast-iron) over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles. Scoop scant 1/4-cup dollops of batter (mine were about 3 tablespoons each) in pan so the puddles do not touch. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath. Transfer pancakes to prepared pan to keep warm as well as ensure that they’re all cooked through when they’re served. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm. Repeat next weekend.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

These pancakes are from Smitten Kitchen, which has some awesome pancake recipes. We love these and make them without the cream cheese frosting. Still delicious!

Yield: About 12 to 16 3- to 4-inch pancakes

Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used a smidge less)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional, I skipped them)
2 tablespoons golden raisins (optional, ditto)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrots (from about a 3/4 pound bundle whole carrots)
3 tablespoons butter, for griddle

Cream cheese topping
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dash of ground cinnamon

Place a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 200°F. This will keep the pancakes warmed as they’re fried in batches.

To make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and, if using, nuts and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in carrots. Stir carrot mixture into dry ingredients, stirring until just Incorporated. Let rest for five minutes while you make the cream cheese topping.

To make the cream cheese topping: In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and lump-free. Whisk in powdered sugar, two tablespoons milk, vanilla and cinnamon. If you’d like the mixture thinner, add the remaining tablespoon of milk (I did not).

Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a cast-iron skillet or griddle pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into the hot pan per pancake (to me, this seemed like too little but after experimenting with larger pancakes, I advise you to listen to Joy; It’s a wiggly batter and much easier to and cook in small puddles), flipping once, until pancakes are golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer finished pancakes to a serving dish or tray in the oven, to keep warm while you repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed.

Serve warm with cream cheese topping.

Green Chicken Coconut Curry

I got this recipe from Brad and Erica, but not sure where it's really from. We really like it, especially over coconut rice!

Green Chicken Coconut Curry

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oil (oil, peanut, coconut)
• 2-5 T. green curry paste
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs. chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 T. fresh ginger, minced
• 2 cans coconut milk
• 3 T. fish sauce
• 3 T. soy sauce
• 2 T. sugar
• 4 potatoes, cubed
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 2 limes cut into wedges
• hot cooked rice

Directions:

In a large soup pot or dutch oven heat the oil and green curry paste over medium heat. Stir to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes. You are giving the oil and curry paste a chance to merry and this is an important step. Add the onions and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes over medium heat. If the mixture seems to be sticking to the bottom of the pan just add a little more oil as needed. A little sticking is ok, but you don't want to burn it.

Add the raw chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger, coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add the potatoes and carrots. Allow the the curry to gently simmer, uncovered, until the mixture thickens and the vegetables are cooked through, 45 minutes to an hour. Add the pea 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, dish the hot curry on top of hot rice and then sprinkle with chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, and if it needs more salt, additional fish sauce on top.