Pesto Turkey Meatloaf

This was a delicious, healthier take on meatloaf. Last summer I took advantage of cheap, fragrant basil at the farmer's market to make a substantial amount of pesto. We've been chipping away at our frozen stock with pizzas and pastas, but needed to change it up. I took some liberties with the recipe and wished that I had adhered to the baking instructions calling for a roasting pan instead of a loaf pan.  It still worked, just ended up pretty juicy.

Pesto Turkey Meatloaf
adapted from Kayln's Kitchen and Culinate


2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb lean ground turkey
1/4 cup basil pesto
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup marinara sauce
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a roasting pan with draining slits (or 9x5 loaf pan, if you don't mind the juice) with olive oil.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 7-8 minutes till slightly brown. Add the garlic, lower heat and sauté 2 minutes.

Combine turkey, onion, garlic, pesto, parmesan cheese, salt, and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl.

Form mixture into a loaf and set on roasting pan or into your loaf pan.

 Look at that yummy pesto!

Bake for 40 minutes. In the meantime, mix balsamic vinegar and marinara sauce. Brush sauce over meatloaf until fully covered. Bake another 5 minutes until cooked through, 160 degrees. (It takes awhile, the original blog says one hour and twenty minutes until done.) 

 Our final results weren't pretty, it didn't hold together in slices at all, but it was quite tasty.  If it was called "Crumbled Turkey with Pesto," I'd have nailed it.  Crumbled or sliced, it's pretty fantastic with  baked potatoes on the side.

Corn Chowder

Cook's Illustrated is the best. No really- I've never been let down by one of their recipes. I haven't even had a mediocre recipe from them.  Here's one of my favorites.  There's plenty of steps and lots of work, but it was totally worth it. Even with grocery store corn on the cob trucked in from who knows where. I can't imagine how wonderful this would be with fresh Minnesota sweet corn!

Lighter Corn Chowder
from Cook's Illustrated magazine, July August 2011


8 ears corn, husked
3 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped finely
4 slices bacon, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 tsp minced fresh thyme *we actually had this and it was SO good in the final soup*
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup flour
5 cups water
3/4 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2 pieces
1 cup half-and-half
Sugar
3 Tbsp fresh basil *didn't have this, didn't add it and it still worked*


Remove the corn kernels from the cobs and set aside. (A chef's knife works alright if you stand the cob up in a large bowl to catch the flying kernels. Otherwise OXO makes a great corn kernel stripper that we've invested in and love. It's much quicker, less messy, and seems safer in my opinion. This toy is featured in this recipe write up in the magazine.)

KEEP THE EMPTY COBS! This is the cool part. Using the back, dull side of a butter knife, scrape down the empty cobs over/into a medium bowl. You'll end up with about 2 cups of pulp.  Strain out the pulp pieces using a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and set aside the resulting corn juice.

Now, all the other stuff. We cooked the bacon slices separately, so we could remove the grease and have even "lighter" chowder.

Cook the onion, thyme, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper over medium heat in a Dutch oven or large pot. (Add bacon if you didn't cook separately beforehand, otherwise add after flour below.) Stir frequently and cook about 8 minutes or until onion is softened and sides are beginning to brown. Add flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes.

While continuing to stir constantly, slowly add water and bring to a boil. Add the corn kernels and red potatoes. Return mixture to a simmer and cook 15-18 minutes over medium heat until potatoes have softened.

Process mixture in a blender or using an immersion blender. (Another fun toy that means you don't have to wait for the soup to cool fully or clean out a fully dirty food processor/blender!)

Add half-and-half and return blended chowder to a simmer. Remove the chowder from heat and add that odd corn juice you strained earlier. Add any remaining salt or pepper the soup needs, add sugar if you feel it needs it. Serve with basil garnish, if desired.

I think the odd, magic corn juice is really what sent the chowder to the favorites list. This was a hearty, filling soup that actually tasted like corn, not nondescript cafeteria soup. We're stuck in a continuous heat wave this summer, so when our local corn is ready, we may tried a chilled Corn Chowder. I'll keep you posted.

Halal Street Chicken

Late-night recipe searching on the web yields some pretty delicious results. I have a feeling our version turned out less greasy than the original street food version of this Halal Chicken recipe-- but ours was incredibly flavorful and a nice break from mac and cheese or ramen.

Halal Street Chicken
adapted from Serious Eats Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice with White Sauce


Chicken:
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh oregano *or dried oregano...or Italian Seasoning for those watching the budget*
1/2 tsp ground coriander
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped *we always add more garlic*
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper (roughly 1/2 tsp of each)
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced or sliced
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Rice:
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp tumeric *can and will die almost anything yellow, be careful which dishes you use and always clean up spills right away!*
1/4 ground cumin
1 1/2 cups long-grain Basmati rice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt and Pepper (roughly 1/2 of each)

Sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley *same story as for Oregano above*


Serving Condiments:
shredded iceberg lettuce
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
pita bread (optional)
hot sauce (optional- but who doesn't like hot sauce!)

Very first thing, you'll need to marinate the chicken. Slice or dice chicken, whatever you prefer. Blend the lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Pour marinade into freezer gallon-sized ziplock bag and add the raw chicken pieces. Marinade for 1-4 hours in the fridge.

I opted for getting the condiments and sauce ready first-- hoping some of the dried herbs in the yogurt mixture would release more flavor with more time.

Spoon the marinated chicken from the ziplock bag into a medium-high heat skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned on all sides and no pink is visible when a larger piece is cut in half. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add turmeric and cumin to melted butter and cook for 1 minute. Lightly toast the rice in the spiced butter by stirring frequently for about 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and any salt and pepper you desire. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let rest 15 minutes. Stir cooked rice with a fork.

That's it!  Now it's all about assembling. I'm of the mindset that each person should assemble their own dinner using the proportions that they'd prefer. Aside from eating out, I'm never a fan of having my plate prepared for me.

Enjoy, it's delicious!

(As a side note for those watching their waistlines, this could be served with much more lettuce and less rice/chicken as a salad. There was plenty of flavor with the rice/chicken/sauce to go around with much more lettuce and tomatoes.)

Spicy Southwestern Lasagna

Spicy Southwestern Lasagna
adapted from the Texas Pete Hot Sauce recipe


1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (would also work vegetarian style, sub black beans)
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
3-4 Tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1 small poblano pepper, diced (we used ancho peppers)
1 cup fresh corn (feel free to use the whole can of corn)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (orginial recipe called for 2 CUPS heavy cream, can you believe it?!)
1/4 cup Chipotle Tobasco sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp sugar
12 corn tortillas (small taco size is fine)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

In ziplock bag or between sheets of saran wrap, pound chicken to 1/4 inch. In shallow bowl, combine flour, 1 tsp salt, and cumin. Coat chicken pieces in the mixture, reserving remaining mixture for later.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in frying pan. Brown chicken over medium-high heat about 1 minute per side until browned and cooked through. Set cooked chicken aside. (In retrospect, it would have turned out the same to just bake or boil the chicken and avoid the mess and fat from frying it here.)

Add 1 Tbsp butter back to frying pan and add onion, pepper, corn, garlic, and 1 Tbsp reserved flour mixture over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes or until vegetables have softened.

Add tomatoes with their juice, yogurt, Tobasco, broth, salt, and sugar. Stir and cook until sauce has thickened, about 1-2 minutes.

Dice reserved chicken and add to sauce.

Line bottom of large casserole dish with 4 tortillas. Spread 1/2 chicken and sauce mixture and top with 4 more tortillas. Add second 1/2 of chicken and sauce mixture then top with remaining tortillas.

Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese has melted and lasagna is heated through.

White Chicken Sausage Chili with Jalapenos, Spinach, and Cheddar

While we don't regularly shop at Lunds or Byerlys, we're big fans of their free, recipe-filled catalogs.  Here's our latest find-- great for a lighter yet hearty winter meal.

As the recipe indicates, the chicken sausage is optional. Truly this is a chili where the flavors can stand alone without meat and it's easy to cook the sausage separately and add it only to the bowls of the meat-eaters you're serving.

White Chicken Sausage Chili with Jalapenos, Spinach, and Cheddar
adapted from Lunds and Byerlys "Real Food" Winter 2011 catalog
6 servings


1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 large jalapenos, seeded and chopped
2 15 oz cans white beans, with juices
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup canned tomatillos (chopped) or mild green salsa
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 oz per person spicy chicken sausage, precooked and chopped (optional- we used a delicious Johnsonville Chicken Sausage with cheese and smokey chipotle flavors)
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
salt
4 oz shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, garnish

Heat oil in large pot over medium- high heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos.  Saute for 10 minutes over medium heat until softened.

Add beans, tomatoes, tomatillos or salsa, paprika, cumin, and oregano. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Warm precooked chicken sausage for each serving of the chili with meat. Place warmed, chopped sausage in bottom of each meat serving bowl.

Just before serving, add spinach and salt to taste. Once spinach is just wilted, serve chili with Cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.

Nutrition facts according to the catalog:
Without chicken sausage: 284 calories/ serving, 84 from fat, 9 g fiber, 16 g protein
With sausage: 391 calories/serving, 145 from fat, 9 g fiber, 26 g protein

Butternut Squash Soup

This is an old favorite fall recipe and an interesting twist on plain squash soup.  I've made it probably a dozen times on chilly Saturday afternoons in October or November.  It's a rather time consuming recipe as the squash needs time to bake and the base needs to be pureed.  We got an immersion blender for Christmas-- so I'm hoping that really speeds up the process!

Butternut Squash Soup with Ancho Chile and Chicken
2 2lb. butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
5 cups chicken stock
1 potato, peeled and diced
+2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 cups roasted chicken, diced (chicken breast works, too)
2 Tbsp sage
2 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp cumin seed, ground
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 zucchini, diced
1/2 cup light sour cream, for garnish
cilantro, for garnish
2 Tbsp toasted, shelled pumpkin seeds, for garnish (I just used whole, toasted seeds from the squash itself)



Preheat oven to 375 and grease a large glass pan. Place halved and seeded squash cut-side up in glass pan. Poke squash inside with a fork half a dozen times and lightly salt and pepper. Bake 45 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool. (I've set them outside before to speed up the cooling process)

(Optional: Rinse squash seeds to remove all pulp. Toss lightly with canola oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil and bake in 375 oven for 10 minutes or until you just smell toasted seeds in the kitchen.)

Meanwhile, bring chicken stock, garlic cloves, and potatoes to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Once squash is cool enough to touch, scoop the pulp into the simmering stock and simmer 5 more minutes.

Puree soup base in small batches in a blender or food processor (or use a fancy immersion blender if you got one for Christmas!) and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and sweat 5 minutes on low-medium heat.  Add jalapeno, chicken, spices, and zucchini. Cook 1 more minute.

Add pureed soup base and simmer 10 minutes.

To serve, garnish with sour cream, cilantro, and toasted seeds.

The Best Veggie Lasagna: Part 2: Lasagna

For those days when you're looking for comfort food but don't want to feel weighed down afterwards. I first used this lasagna on weekend retreats with high school students--many of which were self-identified "meat lovers" and had difficulty comprehending vegetables in lasagna. Even next to a traditional meaty lasagna, this veggie dish held its own among health-conscious vegetarians and high school junk food lovers alike. The only part of the story I won't share?  How I managed to sneak the wine with me on said retreat.

The Best Veggie Lasagna (adapted from Moosewood's "Lighter Lasagne")
2 cups zucchini, cubed
1 cup bell peppers, cubed (optional: nice in that they can add color)
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/3 cup red wine
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed and ends trimmed
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 recipe Tomato Wine Sauce
1 pound lasagna noodles, uncooked


Preheat oven to 350. Combine zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, salt, and wine in a stock pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When all veggies are tender, add fresh basil and set aside.  (See what I mean about the color?)

Cover and cook the spinach on high heat for no more than 3 minutes. Remove when wilted but not too soggy and chop after squeezing out as much moisture as possible. Mix with the 3 cheeses and set aside.

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce on bottom of a baking dish. Layer with uncooked noodles, about a cup of cooked veggies, then about a cup of the spinach and cheese, and cover with more noodles.

 Continue layering (sauce, veggies, spinach and cheese, noodles) until you near the top of your baking dish. Be sure to end with sauce and/or veggies so that there is liquid on top of the last layer of noodles (otherwise they'll turn to burnt chips in the oven).

 Cover with foil and bake about an hour until top noodles are tender and bubbles appear at the edges. Remove and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

The Best Veggie Lasagna: Part 1: Tomato Wine Sauce

There are hundreds of delicious tomato-based sauces intended for use in pasta dishes. I have three or four favorites-- including this simple sauce from the brilliant folks out east at the Moosewood Restaurant. I have only used the sauce in Moosewood's Veggie Lasagna, so I cannot vouch for its flavor as a simple spaghetti sauce. What I can tell you is this: once you've paired this sauce with the amazing Veggie Lasagna recipe from Moosewood, you'll never try another combo of sauce to lasagna. Simply the best!

Tomato Wine Sauce, adapted from Moosewood 

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup white onions, chopped (my trick is to light a candle!)

2+ garlic cloves, chopped (4-5 cloves is better)

1/4 teaspoon salt (not necessary, if you're cutting sodium leave it out entirely)

2 teaspoons fennel seed, ground

1 teaspoon dried basil (better with fresh basil)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/3 cup red wine

3 cups (1-28 ounce can) tomatoes, undrained and lightly blended/pureed

(optional: tomato paste (to thicken, add before simmering), salt and pepper to taste)

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute on low until soft, 5-7 minutes.

Add herbs* and cook for another minute or so. Add red wine and bring mixture to a boil. Add pureed tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. For thicker sauce, take cover off and continue simmering until sauce reaches your desired consistency.

If you're using fresh basil, add after the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes. Rule of thumb: if using dry herbs, add early enough for them to release flavor; if using fresh herbs, add towards the end of cooking so as not to lose all flavor.