Tag Archives: turkey

Ginger Teriyaki Sliders

As you may have noticed, I haven’t been posting much the last two weeks because my life is changing and I’ve got a lot of good things going on so I’m stretched a little thin. I intend to keep up with this blog as best as I can so THANK YOU for hanging in with me! Anyway…you guys. These Ginger Teriyaki Sliders. OMG. Please try them.

Ginger, scallions, and mushrooms are chopped in a food processor and added to ground turkey (the recipe uses pork so use whatever you like!). Teriyaki sauce and panko crumbs are added and then formed into little patties and broiled – who knew?! – until perfectly cooked (use a meat thermometer when it comes to turkey and pork to make sure they are fully cooked). A little mixture of mayonnaise, more teriyaki sauce and a pinch of sugar are smeared onto slider buns with sprinkles of scallions, all of which add yet even more flavor. Seriously, I’m embarrassed to tell you that I ate all of these sliders almost in one sitting. Luckily I had two friends over on Saturday and they each had a few but yes, the rest are in my tummy. Embarrassing. But these sliders are insanely ridiculously good.

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Heat broiler. Line a baking pan with foil; coat foil with nonstick cooking spray. Wrap rolls in foil and place in lower part of oven to warm. In a mini chopper, combine mushrooms, 2 of the scallions and the ginger. Pulse until finely chopped.

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Transfer to a medium-size bowl and add pork or turkey, 1/4 cup of the stir-fry sauce and the bread crumbs. Stir to blend. Shape mixture into 12 equal-size patties, a scant 1/4 cup for each. Place patties on prepared baking pan; broil 4 inches from heat for 6 minutes, turning once, until instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted into center of burgers.

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Meanwhile, stir together mayonnaise, remaining 1 teaspoon teriyaki stir-fry sauce and the sugar in a small bowl.

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Split rolls and top each with a burger. Spread 1 teaspoon teriyaki mayonnaise on each roll; sprinkle with scallion.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Ground turkey
  • Whole wheat panko

Overall Rating: Love it

Source: Family Circle magazine

Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers

I’m in a fruit and veggies state of mind (sorry I just saw Billy Joel in concert over the weekend). I used to be diligent about going to the local produce stand (which isn’t all that close to me) each weekend and stocking up on fresh fruits and veggies. Up until this past weekend, I don’t think I’ve been there all year. Pathetic. And then when I go to my sad grocery store, I complain each and every time because the produce section is inevitably out of something I specifically went there to get and I wonder why I didn’t go the extra few miles to the produce stand. The peppers in these Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers were one such missing item from my grocery store after having seen bags of them for weeks. Then poof! They were gone.  Along with the purple cauliflower and the bags of cherries the store had advertised as being a special price in their circular. But I had my heart set on making these little snacks so I hopped in Zelda (my car) and drove to another grocery store farther away which I knew had a better produce department. The store stinks (literally, P.U.) …but the produce is good. And I walked away, satisfied, with a huge bag of these baby bells.

Baby bell peppers are blistered in a skillet before being halved and stuffed with a mixture of cooked ground meat (I used turkey but the recipe calls for pork), poblano pepper, onion, garlic, spices, fresh cilantro and Muenster cheese. After a quick trip to the oven, the cheese melts and these guys are ready to go. Sure, stuffing the peppers is the most time consuming part but when it’s all said and done, these peppers are the perfect one or two bites. The poblano gives a subtle kick and the ancho and chile powders add a punch of flavor. Make these as an appetizer or as a unique little lunch. People will walk by and wonder what colorful lunch you are having.

If you like these, definitely try Sausage-and-Feta Cheese-Stuffed Peppers.

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Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the baby bell peppers in a single layer and cook, turning, until the skins blister and start browning, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

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Add the onion, poblano, garlic, cumin, oregano, ancho and chipotle chile powders and 1 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the onion and poblano are tender, about 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and add the turkey. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and thoroughly cooked. Remove from the heat; let cool.

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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Make a slit in each baby bell pepper with a paring knife, cutting from stem to tip. Crumble the meat mixture into small bits, then stir in the cilantro and cheese. Stuff 2 to 3 teaspoons of the meat mixture into each pepper using your fingers or a small spoon; transfer to a baking sheet.

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Bake until the peppers are hot and the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Ground turkey

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Food Network magazine

Sloppy Turkey and Chili Joes

I had a nice long 4-day weekend this weekend and I didn’t do much but read, relax and sleep. No, I wasn’t at the beach, or the lake, or the park, or the pool. I was home. I found myself going to Target two or three times just because I was bored and wanted someone to talk to. See, here in the Philadelphia area, people disappear in the summer. People either have a shore house or know someone who does. Or people go on their summer vacation, something I’ve been used to since growing up in Illinois (my birthday is in July and friends were always on vacation). Going into the weekend, I took a deep breath and resigned myself to the fact that I’d be riding solo all weekend. My only plans were to read and eat a turkey burger. Done and done. But once that was accomplished, I got bored again. So I started cooking these Sloppy Turkey and Chili Joes.

Ground turkey is cooked with onion and poblano pepper (one of my faves) until meat is browned and veggies are softened. Next, canned tomato sauce, a little brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and garlic powder are added and brought to a simmer. This is such a quick and simple sloppy joe recipe that I honestly think this is my new go-to. It doesn’t require a slow-cooker or an electric skillet (what my mom used make her sloppy joes in) or a bunch of ingredients. The poblano pepper gives it a subtle bit of heat without it being too much (you can use green pepper here if you prefer) and the brown sugar gives it a mild sweetness that I like from my sloppy joes. These are messy, just the way you want them to be, so keep a lot of napkins on hand. I liked this so much that I might make another batch and eat it on some baby spinach or roasted veggies. It’s just as good when eaten with a fork.

If you like this, also check out Sweet Chili Rolls.

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In a large nonstick skillet cook ground turkey, onion, and poblano pepper until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to break up turkey as it cooks.

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Stir in tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and garlic powder. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

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Place bun bottoms on serving plates; add cheese slices. Top each with turkey mixture. If desired, top with basil leaves. Add bun tops.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Monterey Jack cheese

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Better Homes & Gardens magazine

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