South Beach Diet Thai Style Turkey Meatball Lettuce Wraps

01/17/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

I have made these 3 times so far….each time getting a little better! I am finally happy with this version. I first saw the recipe when it was delivered to my mailbox from Kaylyn’s Kitchen, http://www.kalynskitchen.com/. Kaylyn has fabulous low-carb, South Beach Diet recipes. I have changed up the recipe to suit our taste, and to increase the fiber by adding flax meal. I also prefer to bake them, rather than fry them, as they are very soft. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

For the Meatballs

2 pounds lean ground turkey

1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, finely minced

2 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger root

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon of soy sauce

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup ground flax meal

Combine all the ingredients above in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. If time permits, chill for 20-30 minutes.

Scoop the meatballs into 1 inch balls. Place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Bake 20 minutes at 350′, making sure internal temperature of meatballs is 160′.

For the Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup of Fish Sauce

1/3 cup of rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons of sesame oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons of soy sauce

Mix all together, set aside until ready to use.

For the Lettuce Wraps and Garnishes

1-2 heads of Butter Lettuce, washed and leaves separated

1 cucumber, seeded and sliced

1 bunch of green onions, sliced

1 bunch of mint, chopped

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

To Serve

Place one to two meatballs in a leaf of lettuce. Garnish with cucumber, mint, cilantro, and onion. Add a couple spoonful’s of dipping sauce. Roll up like a burrito. Enjoy!

More Savory, Less Sweet Cranberry Chutney

11/26/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I adore homemade cranberry chutney. I don’t think I have made it the same way twice. The “pop, pop, pop” of the cranberries as they are cooking is so much fun! This years combination includes pears, apples, onion, balsamic vinegar and a little Grand Marnier, for good measure! Not only great alongside roast turkey, it is fabulous on a turkey sandwich. No can opener required.

For the Chutney

2 12 ounce bags of fresh cranberries

1 small granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 small Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and diced

1 small sweet onion, diced

3/4 – 1 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

juice and zest of 1 large orange

zest of 1 lemon

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons of Grand Marnier (or Triple Sec or Cointreau)

Dice the apple, onion, pear and set aside. Zest the orange and lemon with a microplane grater. Juice the orange into a measuring cup. If needed add water, or additional orange juice to make 1 cup.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring the juice and sugar to a simmer. Cook about 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the onion and simmer about 5 more minutes. Add in the cranberries, apple, pear, cinnamon, clove, salt. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Taste for sweetness – you made need a little more sugar depending on how tart the cranberries were. Add the balsamic vinegar and orange liquor. Simmer on very low heat another 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Add in the lemon and orange zest. Place in a container and refrigerate. The sauce will thicken as it cools. This recipe made 1 quart + one cup of chutney.

Turkey Dinner – A pre-holiday primer!

10/09/2013 by Laura 2 Comments

I know I sound like a broken record but our weather is horrible! I guess we are receiving the giant weather bill for our glorious summer. These dark, grey days make me crave comfort food more than normal. Turkey dinner is one of my favorite in the comfort food department. I have “turkey dinner spots” all across the country. Almost every NYC deli has a good turkey dinner – check out the diner at the Edison Hotel near Times Square. At our favorite beach spot, it is the Lumberyard Grill & Rotisserie in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

In addition to being a warm, comforting meal, it is economical. We always have a turkey breast, or two, in the freezer. In the summertime, we grill them on the rotisserie or smoke them in the smoker. My favorite, however, is the old fashioned way. Smothered in poultry seasoning, roasted slowly and served with stuffing and gravy! YUMM! Not to mention the sandwiches….! I’ll also share some of my “must have” products with you, to help with the big turkey event, later next month!

The turkey breast is all white meat and low in fat. There is virtually no waste, unlike a whole turkey. And, it is extremely easy to prepare! It is important to season it well and provide moisture, while it cooks. To impart a lot of flavor and end up with good gravy “fixings” I always cook the breast on a bed of herbs and vegetables. I used carrots, fennel, celery, onion, sage, thyme, and rosemary. To start, heat the oven to 325′. I have a Convection Roast feature I love to use, with a temperature probe option.

Place the breast on the bed of veggies and herbs. Pat dry. Give it an olive oil massage. Season with Poultry Seasoning, Garlic Pepper and Kosher Salt. If you are from the Northeast, I am sure you know about Bell’s. Not always easy to find in the West – it is worth the search!

One of my must have holiday items, very poorly lit, is Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base. They make many other stock bases that are very useful. Place two Tablespoons Turkey base into the roasting pan with a cup of water. Roast the turkey until the temperature in the meatiest part reaches 165′. About 2 hours for an 8 pound breast.

While the turkey is roasting, prepare the stuffing. I have many favorites, but not all are available all year around. My mom has always used Mrs. Cubbison’s, so when going for the comfort factor, that is what I tend to grab. Follow the directions on the package! Don’t skip the celery and onions.

When the turkey is done, remove from baking pan and place on a plate. Cover it loosely with foil. It needs to rest at least 15 minutes, before carving.

Pour the pan juices through a strainer into a pot to make the gravy. Smash the veggies with a spoon against the sides of the strainer, to extract all their yumminess!

Pour the broth into a fat separator. You don’t know what that is? Awesome device. If you wash dishes by hand, I would make sure I get a glass unit, as the plastic seems to hold on to the fat. I use this whenever I make soup, broth, gravy etc…. Yes you can skim with a spoon, or chill until the fat solidifies, but that’s a lot of extra time and work!

Return the pan drippings to a small saucepan. Make a thickening for the gravy. I use 3-4 Tablespoons of Wondra Flour and 1/4 cup of cold water. Mix the flour and water well, stir into simmering pan juices. Whisk until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve.

We served the turkey and stuffing with oven roasted Brussels sprouts and lingonberries. The best thing about turkey dinner, are the turkey sandwiches that follow. Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Italian Style Turkey Meatballs and Spinach Pappardelle

08/26/2013 by Laura 1 Comment

One of my friends asked if I was using the same tomato pictures over and over and over again. The truth is, the tomatoes are all ripening at once and I have been picking a colander full about every other day! I processed 4 quarts, gave many away and still have more than two people can eat! Sunday’s basket full led to a fabulous batch of fresh Marinara sauce. I am sure there will be additional batches to freeze and enjoy this coming winter.

I am certain every cook who has a patch of tomatoes has a fresh tomato sauce recipe. I think it is something that must be customized to your own taste. I “winged” it this time, but I will repeat this process, as it was absolutely delicious. (The green tomatoes are “Green Zebra” heirloom tomatoes. They are not unripe tomatoes. The yellow-orange tomato is Jaune Flamme – a new variety to us, that is really yummy.)

Laura’s Fresh Tomato Marinara

6 cloves Garlic

1 large diced onion

1 large diced Carrot

1 stalk diced Celery

Olive oil

Handful of fresh chopped Basil – about 1/2 cup

Fresh chopped Oregano – about 1/4 cup

Red Pepper flakes – about 1 teaspoon

Tomato paste – I used 3 small cans – you will need to judge this based on the desired thickness of your sauce and the water content of your tomatoes.

1 large can whole San Marzano tomatoes (I thought I needed additional color and depth, so I threw in the canned tomatoes.)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh tomatoes – about 8 pounds, blanched, cooled, peeled and chopped*

In a very large pot, sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in about 1/3 cup of olive oil, until softened. Always add the garlic last, to avoid burning it.

Add in the peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes.

Bring to a slow simmer, breaking down the tomatoes with a spoon. Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, herbs, and seasonings. Cover and simmer about 2 hours. I used the immersion blender near the end of the cooking time, to ensure all tomatoes were broken down.

Italian Style Turkey Meatballs

Inspired by Katie Workman’s recipe in Food and Wine Magazine

4 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

2 cups panko bread crumbs (use panko – they produce a lighter, fluffier meatball)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon olive oil (ground turkey can be a little dry)

Kosher salt and Freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 pounds ground turkey

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Stir in the breadcrumbs, garlic, parley, oregano, basil, olive oil and cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Add the ground turkey and mix well until all ingredients are combined.

Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Form the meat mixture into 1 1/2 – 2 inch balls and place in the sauté pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 15 minutes at 350′. Wipe the oil from the sauté pan, return the meatballs and smother in marinara sauce. Serve over your favorite pasta. We used our local La Pasta’s spinach pappardelle.

This was our first time making these meatballs. They are absolutely delicious and will become a staple around here. Next time, I will double the recipe so I can freeze extras for future use!

*I am sure you know the easiest way to peel a tomato is to blanch it in boiling water for about 30 seconds, and then drop it into an ice water bath. The skin will slide right off! Cut an “X” in the bottom of the tomato before dropping it in the simmering water.

Dave didn’t know I had onions in the garden! Walla Walla sweets of course. You should have seen his face when I reached into the ground and yanked them up! The basil is also growing like crazy. Pesto is forthcoming.