Turkey-Mozzarella Ciabatta Sandwich

Two weeks into school, we have a Furlough Day. It's very sad that our teachers/schools have to take an unpaid days here in California due to the economic conditions, but I gotta say...our family wasn't complaining too much. My daughter started 1st grade this year, and even though she was in Kindergarten last year, she was at school only half-days, so we have been having a hard time adjusting to full days (Mommy and kiddos both!). 

Skillet Lasagna

Our family is craving Lasagna. With all the trimmings. In the middle of the summer with temperatures around 100° F. There's no way we are turning the oven on...especially with our single-paned windows and horribly energy-efficient house. Plus, I want to make something quick, and Lasagna can be pretty labor intensive.

Egg in a Basket Topped Asparagus & Smoked Turkey

 

About a year ago during the Christmas season, we were cruising through Walmart (that's the only way you can walk through Walmart...cruising! )when my daughter Hannah started tugging on my shirt and saying, "Mommy, mommy look at those over there." I looked where she was pointing to and saw a huge cylinder box labeled 99 cookie cutters for every season. My first thought was, "Seriously, couldn't they have just made it a 100 ?! " My daughter brought me back to reality, "Mommy, I want to make cookies with you. Wouldn't those be the perfect ones to make cookies with ?" How can you say NO to that? So I caved in, and bought the box of cookie cutters, still feeling jibbed of that one cookie cutter that they left out. 

Monday: Farm Fresh Beet Stacked Burger

 

The word that best describes this burger is FRESH. The herb infused goat cheese topping used in this Rachel Ray recipe reminds me of a German spread called Quark. Germans like to spread it on their toast for breakfast for a light and fresh start to their day. To make the burger a little leaner, I used half ground turkey breast, half ground chicken, but you can use whatever meat you prefer. Enjoy!

Burger Recipe
4-6 servings

 1 beet, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
1 1/2 lbs ground meat (chicken, lean turkey or lean beef)
1/3 cup plus 1 TB flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped or grated
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
3 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup sour cream, creme fraiche or Greek-style yogurt (want to make greek-style out of regular yogurt? Check out this link on my blog to see how: Making Greek Yogurt)
1 TB fresh thyme, chopped or 1 tsp dry thyme
1 TB finely chopped dill, or 1 tsp dry dill
1 tsp lemon peel, grated
4 crusty rolls
1 red onion, cut 4 thin slices off
4 lettuce leaves

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the beet and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until tender. Drain.
2. Combine ground meat, 1/3 cup parsley, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Form into patties (4-6) and make a thumbprint in the center of each. Coat each pattie with cooking spray.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties, and cook for 6-8 minutes. While patties are cooking, in a medium bowl crumble goat cheese, add yogurt, thyme, dill, lemon peel and remaining 1 TB parsley.
4. Place the patties on the roll bottoms. Top with beet slices, goat cheese mixture, onion, lettuce and the roll tops. 

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Make yogurt spread ahead of time and keep in fridge until time of use.
~Cook beet ahead of time, and refrigerate until time of use.
~Make burger patties ahead of time, and keep in fridge up to 24 hours.

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP? 

~Instead of lettuce use spinach leaves. 

~Try chopped basil instead of parsley, use only 1/4 cup chopped basil for burger and 1 TB chopped basil for yogurt spread.

~Replace thyme with fresh oregano or rosemary.

~Use a little pesto on each roll bottom.

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Wednesday: Turkey Burger with Goat Cheese Spread and Garlic-Broccoli

 

This is one of my favorite burgers. I love that it has some sort of vegetable (spinach) in it. This Cooking Light Burger makes me feel good about serving it to my kids. The lemon zest gives it an extra burst of citrus goodness. :) Serve with a side of garlic-broccoli and you have made yourself a healthy dinner! There are only 269 calories per burger. YUM-YUM!

Turkey Burger Recipe
4 servings

2 tsp lemon rind, grated
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
1 cup of fresh spinach, finely chopped
1 large egg white
1/8 tsp pepper, divided
6 English muffins, toasted
6 green leaf lettuce leaves
6 slices red onion 

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 6 portions, shaping each into a patty. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add patties to pan, and cook for 8 minutes on each side or until done. 

 2. Toast english muffins. Spread 1 1/2 TB yogurt mixture on bottom half. Top with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 onion slice and 1 patty. Place top half of bun on each serving.

Yogurt/Goat Cheese spread Recipe 

1/2 cup low or nonfat yogurt or Greek style yogurt (if using low or nonfat-see additional instructions below) 
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup (1oz) crumbled goat cheese (I like using an herb variety)
2 TB flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 TB fresh oregano, chopped
1 TB fresh mint, chopped 

1. If using Greek style yogurt, go to step 2. If not, follow these instructions. Place yogurt in a paper towel lined strainer. Drain yogurt over sink for about 15 minutes. This thickens the yogurt, and turns it into something similar to Greek-style yogurt.

2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. 

Broccoli Recipe 

1 lb Broccoli crowns, cut up into bite sized pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TB olive oil 

1. Steam broccoli for about 4-6 minutes until it is still crunchy. In a medium skillet, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add cooked broccoli and saute for another minute until everything is blended together. Serve with Turkey burger. 
 

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Combine turkey mixture ahead of time and keep in fridge for no longer than 24 hours. 
~Make goat cheese spread ahead of time, and keep in fridge. 
~Slice red onion ahead of time and keep in fridge.

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP?

~Use ground chicken, pork or beef instead of turkey. If using beef, make sure to get lean cuts to cut down on the fat content.
~Try chopped rosemary and basil instead of oregano and mint. 
~Swap parsley for cilantro. 
~Yummy sourdough bread or french bread rolls would be good with these burgers. 
~Instead of goat cheese try feta. 
~Zest up a lime instead of lemon for the burgers. 
~Add some sprouts instead of lettuce. 

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Have you ever tried goat cheese?  

When I first discovered goat cheese, I was going to college in Arcata, CA and as some of you know, Arcata is ALL about organic food and health food. At one of the coffee shops they used to serve a toasted Foccasia bread sandwich with goat cheese , marinated artichokes and portabella mushrooms. Ever since then, I have been in love with goat cheese!

Goat cheese has a very distinct tangy flavor. It is tolerated well by those that are lactose intolerant and comes in many different flavors. My personal favorite is an herb variety. If you've never tried goat cheese, check it out next time you are at the grocery store. You might be pleasantly surprised how much you enjoy it. It's super yummy on a spinach salad with strawberries and slivered almonds.

Wednesday: La Bamba Casserole

 

 This is such an easy meal and has turned into one of our weeknight favorites. We served this Cooking Light casserole to some of our friends for Cinco De Mayo, paired it with a yummy strawberry spinach salad and cornbread muffins! YUM! The kids gobbled it right up. Anybody have a good homemade cornbread recipe? I would love to try it! Leave a comment below this post.

Casserole Recipe
6 servings

  1 (4oz) can whole green chiles, drained (we use the mild kind)
1 lb ground turkey breast
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves
1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained (we use the plain diced tomatoes since they are less spicy)
2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels, thawed
1 (16oz) fat-free refried beans (we used homemade, check out how below)
1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomato (optional)
1/2 cup chopped green onion (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Cut chiles in half lengthwise and arrange on the bottom of a cooking sprayed 8-inch square pan. 
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add turkey and next 5 ingredients. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add diced tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. 
4. Spoon turkey mixture over chiles. Add layer of corn. Top with beans, carefully spreading with the back of a wooden spoon. Sprinkle cheese on top. Stick in oven for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Top with tomatoes and green onions if desired.

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Make the turkey mixture ahead of time and keep in fridge until time of use.

~Grate cheese and place in fridge. 

~Thaw corn ahead of time and keep in fridge.
~Cut up tomato and green onions if using.

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP?

~Use a different refried bean like black beans instead of pinto.
~Replace monterrey jack cheese with cheddar. 
~Try ground beef or chicken instead of turkey. 
~Try a layer of chopped bell peppers instead of corn. 

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Homemade Refried Beans

I talked about making your own beans in previous posts, so if you haven't already done that check it out here:  Homemade Beans
Get out one bag (should have 2 cups of beans in it) of frozen pinto beans from the freezer. Defrost in microwave. In a medium sized pan, mash the beans over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup salsa to pan and mix well. If the mixture is still a little thick, add some water to thin it out, 2 TB at a time. Use in recipe above!

Tuesday: Savory Spaghetti Bolognese

 

 A few years ago, I was on the hunt for the perfect spaghetti bolognese (meat sauce). I had sampled several delicious pasta bolognese in Italy and wanted something that was just as good if not better! So, after tasting and cooking probably at least 30 different recipes, I finally concocted and tweaked a sauce that I am satisfied with and I think you will be too!  It's even got a few veggies in it. :) To make it a little healthier, I omitted a lot of the oil from the recipe, and did half turkey half beef instead of all beef. If you or your husband like beef though, go for the beef!

The best part is, if you have leftovers, this sauce freezes well. Serve with fresh bread and spinach salad. YUM!

Bolognese Recipe
6-8 servings

  1/4 cup pancetta, chopped (see below what it is and where you can buy it)
  1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef (lean) 
1 lb ground turkey breast
3 8oz cans tomato paste (when a recipe calls for a 28 oz can of tomato puree, just buy tomato paste cans instead and add 4 empty cans of water. It will save you $ and it's just as good)
4 empty tomato paste cans of water

1. Spray a large, heavy pot (like a dutch oven) with cooking spray, and heat over medium-low heat. Once pot is warm, add the pancetta. Cook for about 5 minutes until the fat is rendered. 

 2. Increase heat to medium, and add onion, carrot and celery. Cooking, stirring for about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute. 

 3. Increase heat to medium-high heat and add the beef and turkey, 1 LB at a time, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. 

4. Stir in tomato paste and 4 empty cans of water. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat, partially covered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

5. Pour sauce over whole wheat spaghetti (that is cooked el dente...6-7 minutes). Tip: If your spaghetti tends to stick together after you drain it, pour 1 tsp olive oil over spaghetti and mix it around. This will also prevent the leftover spaghetti from sticking together after you refrigerate it.

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Chop veggies ahead of time and refrigerate in air tight container.

~You can make the whole sauce ahead of time, refrigerate it, and then warm it up when ready to use. 

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP?

~Replace ground pork or chicken for beef and turkey.
~Use bacon instead of pancetta.

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What is Pancetta?

It's an Italian bacon that is cured with salt, pepper and other spices. It's NOT smoked. English or American bacon is taken from the sides and belly of the pig, may be smoked and then cut into slices. Pancetta comes from the pigs belly, and is salt-cured. I've probably grossed you out now, haven't I? :)

Check out your local grocery store, to see if they carry pancetta. If not, check out a Italian market in your area or of course you can buy it online right here on Amazon. Seriously, what doesn't Amazon carry?

Volpi Pre-Sliced Pancetta - 4 oz 

Thursday: Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Yummy Cranberry-Strawberry-Spinach Salad

This one I found in a Rachael Ray magazine years ago, and it has been a family favorite every since. The cranberry flavor really compliments the apple-cheddar combo. Unfortunately, cranberry sauce is something that is usually seasonal. So, if you like this meal, get a bunch of cans that will last you for the rest of the year. Or you can always replace it with ketchup!

Recipe

2 lbs ground turkey breast
4 green onions finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 TB grill seasoning
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2 TB olive-oil
1 granny-smith apple, halved, cored and sliced into 12 slices
8 slices extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 TB grainy mustard
4 english muffins, split and toasted
8 leaves of red or green leaf lettuce

1. Mix the turkey, green onions, parsley and seasonings together in a bowl. Form them into patties to fit the english muffins, pressing your thumb into center of each to prevent it from bulging. In a different bowl, mix together cranberry sauce and mustard, set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Top with 1 apple slice and 1-2 cheese slices, tent pan with foil and cook until cheese melts about 1-2 minutes.

3. Slather cranberry mixture on to muffin tops. Pile 1-2 lettuce leaves on each muffin bottom, top with the patties. Enjoy!

Yummy Cranberry-Strawberry-Spinach Salad

Spinach leaves
Strawberries, sliced
sliced almonds or pine nuts
dried cranberries
TJ's Cranberry-Gorgonzola Dressing or a Raspberry Vinaigrette
goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

1. Mix all the ingredients together in your favorite salad bowl. Top with dressing when ready to serve.

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Who likes to change it up?

~Instead of cranberry sauce use ketchup on top and mustard on bottom half.
~Replace english muffins with whole grain hamburger buns or your favorite fresh bread.
~Try spinach instead of lettuce.
~Add ground chicken instead of turkey for the burger. ~For the salad try clementine, orange or tangerine pieces instead of strawberries.
~Use feta cheese instead of goat cheese for the salad.


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Does it matter what kind of ground Turkey I buy?

Honestly, I didn't even know there were different kinds of ground turkey. I thought it was all the same, until I started reading labels. If it's not labeled ground turkey breast, than usually it has skin and dark meat in it which causes it to have a high fat content, sometimes higher than lean ground beef! So, bottom line? Read those labels!