TURKEY WONTON DUMPLINGS

Have you ever seen that segment on the Rachael Ray Show where one grocery trip or one bag of groceries provides ingredients for a week's worth of dinners?  It never fails to blow my mind.  You can use the kale for a salad AND for a chicken dinner?  Some of the potatoes can be mashed one day and then used for soup on a DIFFERENT DAY?!  If I have to purchase a unique (or even standard) ingredient for just one recipe, I'll probably end up wasting whatever is left of it.  HOWEVER, I did get super crafty this week.  Not as cool and prepared as a TV show host, but close.  Remember these?  Whenever I buy wonton wrappers, I use them for one meal then throw them out once they've expired.  Remember these?  I used way too much ground turkey and had tons of leftover meatball mixture. Raw meat doesn't stay safe for long.  I decided to jazz up the filling and make wontons!

I added some soy sauce and sliced green onions to the meatball mix.  It was already pretty flavorful, the direction of the flavor just needed to shift a bit.  Note: I also tried out a few with already cooked meatball chunks.  Not so great.  The meat really needs to be raw, otherwise it tastes crumbly, dry and overcooked.  Go fresh, for sure.

Whenever we order takeout, I NEED pan fried dumplings.  Sure, the steamed variety are healthier, but they are slimy and gross.  These dumplings are made with NO oil, so they are a lot healthier for sure.

Start with these fabulous little things.

Add a teaspoon of filling to center of wonton, then spread water around the edges with your finger.

Lift a corner and pull it over to the opposite corner.  Pinch HARD to seal all around, eliminating any gaps.  Keep package of wontons and constructed dumplings covered with a damp towel while assembling.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Spray generously with nonstick spray once it's hot.  Add dumplings in a single layer, flat side down.  Let cook for 2 or 3 minutes without touching.  Spray tops with cooking spray, then flip.  Once browned, flip back.

Add 1/4 cup water and a few splashes of soy sauce to pan and cover.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer and steam until most of the water has evaporated, less than 5 minutes. 

So, so good.  Try not to eat 10 of these in one sitting. 

Pack leftovers in the container your usual Chinese food is delivered in.  Your coworkers will assume it's leftover delivery.  You can then blow their minds by bragging that you not only made dumplings, but also fried rice!  Stay tuned for that recipe.

To cook the dumplings, I used this recipe as a guide.

BAKED TURKEY SPINACH MEATBALLS

These little meatballs are amazing.  Whenever I make them, I find myself hunched over the kitchen counter just popping them in my mouth.  You could find a more refined technique, like eating them with pasta and marinara, or inside a meatball sub, or with pesto and vegetables.  Don't be like me.  Or do, because it's a delicious way to live.  Also, these are delicious served with some soy sauce for dipping.

Before we get started, I need to tell you a little secret: you must taste the meatballs before you bake them!  How, you ask?  Prepare the meat mixture, then form a tiny little patty and cook it in a skillet, like a burger.  If it tastes fab, proceed.  If it needs some additional flavoring, add needed spices and test again.  Sounds like a pain, but it's a much better option than ending up with a huge batch of meatballs that aren't properly seasoned. 

Saute onions and seasonings, then add chopped spinach.

Allow the mixture of onions and spinach to cool, or throw it in the fridge to speed up the process.

Combine ground turkey, panko, and eggs.

Combine the two mixtures, then form into meatballs.

I am terrible at math, and Costco packages their meat in irregular portions.  I filled an entire baking sheet with meatballs only to realize I still had half the meat mixture left!  I also forgot we own several baking sheets, and instead grabbed a mini muffin tin, thinking, "Wow, this will be fantastic for meatballs!"  It was not.  The meatballs took longer to cook in the muffin tin, and got a weird char on the bottom.  Anyway, I ended up making a gazillion meatballs AND had meat leftover.  Stay tuned this week for a recipe (hint: homemade dumplings!) to use up any extra meat.  If you follow the recipe below and use the proper amount of turkey, you'll make about 40 meatballs.

Bake and enjoy!

Ingredients

2 lbs lean ground turkey
2 large eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs (you may use more or less, depending on how sticky your mixture is)
4 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 bags spinach, 8 ounces each

Chop spinach and set aside.  Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in salt, pepper, oregano and crushed red pepper.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant.  Add a splash of Worcestershire if the mixture seems dry.  Add spinach by handfuls, stirring to wilt.  Cook until most liquid has evaporated from mixture, then set aside to cool.
Combine turkey, eggs, breadcrumbs and Worcestershire in large bowl.  Mix until well blended.  Add more breadcrumbs if mixture seems overly sticky.  Refrigerate 30-60 minutes to prepare the meat for handling, if necessary.  Combine meat and spinach mixture.  Prepare two baking sheets with Pam sprayed foil.  Form turkey into 1 1/2 inch meatballs.  Place on prepared baking sheets.  You should have about 40 meatballs.  Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through. 

CHEESY RANCH TURKEY BURGERS

Remember when I said I wanted to use this cheese in new recipes?  Well, I did it!  I'm also still sticking to my vow of not grocery shopping, and only using what I've currently got in the kitchen.  I used the remainder of the delicious pimento cheese, but I think next time I'll use even more for ultimate cheese flavor.

This is a simple recipe.  One pound extra lean ground turkey, one packet Hidden Valley Ranch powder seasoning, and of course, Spicy White Cheddar pimento cheese.  These burgers had so much flavor that while cooking the second batch, we ate the first batch without toppings or buns!  Yum.  There were some ripe avocados and romaine lettuce leftover from salad night earlier this week.  By the way, I just realized that I bought the romaine on Monday, washed and dried it in my new salad spinner, and it's still fresh today.  I am now officially a salad spinner convert.

Begin by combining turkey, ranch seasoning and cheese in a large bowl with your hands.  Form and flatten into patties.  Heat some oil or butter in a large nonstick skillet, then cook burgers over medium heat.  Flip them after about 7 minutes, when they've got a nice brown crust.  Cook on other side until cooked through.  We had ours on delicious, soft pretzel slider rolls.

Moisten the tops with a little water...

then, sprinkle on some coarse salt.

Ingredients

1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch powder
Pimento cheese, anywhere from 1/3 cup to half the package*
Butter or oil for cooking
salt and pepper
toppings
buns

Using your hands, mix turkey, ranch powder, and cheese in large bowl.  Form into 4 patties for burgers, or 8 patties for sliders.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat, then heat up oil or butter.  Cook burgers 2 or 3 at a time, and cook sliders 4 at a time.  You don't want to crowd them in the skillet.  Cook for about 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  Serve on hamburger buns or slider rolls.  Top with additional cheese, lettuce, avocado, thousand island, etc.

*Note: I've made the burgers using the entire container of cheese and it was a DISASTER.  I could barely form patties, and when I finally did they just fell apart.  Don't use more than half the package, unless you want a bowl of turkey crumbles for dinner.  It was still delicious!

CHOPPED TACO SALAD

A recipe for salad?  Yes, a recipe for salad.  I love love love Mexican food, but I'm not sure my pants would fit if I gave into my daily cravings.  When I'm in the mood for delicious tacos, burritos or enchiladas I whip up this "healthier" taco salad.  Now, I have a version that is not healthy at all, and another that is a bit more health conscious.

I always start with a big bunch of chopped romaine.  Brown a pound of extra lean ground turkey, then add a can of black beans and a packet of taco seasoning.  Let simmer until most liquid has evaporated. 

Brown ground turkey, add beans and taco seasoning

Now it's time for toppings!  Chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and avocado are delicious in taco salad.

Now for the dressing: when in piggy mode, I use (coat the salad in) thousand island dressing.  It gives the meal such an unexpected tangy flavor.  It is SO good.  If you're going all the way with full fat thousand island, you may as well throw in some crushed up nacho cheese Doritos.  Totally makes the salad.  For the healthier version, I mix about a tablespoon of ranch dressing with a lot of salsa and hot sauce.  You still get that creamy ranch flavor, but without the calories of a bigger pour.  The salsa will coat your salad nicely, but with minimal calories.  If you still need the Doritos, get the baked kind!

"Healthier" dressing ingredients

Flavor!

Ingredients

Chopped romaine
1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 can black beans, 15 oz
1 packet taco seasoning (I used Old El Paso)
tomatoes
avocado
green peppers
cucumber
Thousand Island salad dressing
OR
Ranch + Salsa + Hot sauce
OR
Nonfat greek yogurt + Salsa + Hot sauce

Brown ground turkey, add taco seasoning and undrained black beans.  Simmer until most liquid evaporates.  Plate lettuce and top with meat mixture.  Top with chopped veggies, dressing, and chips.  Enjoy!



Truth time: I always eat my salads out of a huge mixing bowl while hunkered down on the couch. Don't judge.

What my salad actually looks like.

LASAGNA SOUP

Another amazingly easy one pot dish!  Lasagna is a classic, but full of heavy ricotta and very labor intensive.  This soup is a lot healthier and is ready in about 45 minutes.  It's filling, comforting and uses affordable ingredients.  I adapted this recipe from here.  My version has more broth and pasta, and includes the addictive Texas Toast brand croutons.  They give the soup more flavor and a satisfying crunch.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lb ground turkey
48 ounces chicken broth
15 ounces tomato sauce
15 ounces petite diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 heaping cups rotini pasta
grated parmesan, shredded mozzarella and croutons for topping

Heat olive oil in large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, then add onions.  Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add ground turkey, cook and crumble.  When meat is fully cooked, pour in broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt and cayenne pepper.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, then add pasta.   Bring back to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until pasta is done.  Top each bowl with parmesan, mozzarella and croutons.

MEATY MEXICAN RAVIOLI

This is a recipe you can throw together when you have no idea what to make, and/or are short on time.  It uses ingredients that are low cost, shelf stable and usually already in your kitchen.  The olives are optional, since there's usually a clear divide between lovers and haters.  The flavor of olives can really overpower this if you're not a fan.

First, boil a bag of frozen beef ravioli.  If you want this meal to be vegetarian, choose a cheese or veggie filled pasta.

Brown a pound of ground turkey (or beef or chicken or Boca crumbles, whatever you like) then pour in enchilada sauce, salsa (I used the store brand with black beans and corn), sliced olives and drained black beans.  You could even use a plain, non chunky salsa to make this kid friendly.  Simmer while the ravioli cooks.

When ravioli is done, scoop using a small strainer (I'm lazy and didn't want to drain the entire thing over the sink with a larger colander) into the meat mixture.

Add cheese and stir.  Now, I know I'm always demanding you to use freshly grated cheddar cheese.  I am so tired of shredding and really not in the mood to do dishes.  I purchased shredded cheddar.  Please don't tell anyone.  It's lactose free!!!

This is a delicious, hearty and comforting meal.  Feel free to mix it up by going meatless, using different cheeses, or kick it up a notch and use spicy enchilada sauce and/or salsa.

Ingredients

1 bag frozen beef ravioli, 25 oz
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 can red enchilada sauce, 16 oz
1 jar salsa, 16 oz
1 can black beans, 15.5 oz, drained
1 small can sliced olives, drained (if you choose to omit the olives, you may want to add salt for additional flavor)
2 cups shredded cheddar

Boil ravioli according to package directions.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet.  Drain off any fat if necessary, then add enchilada sauce, salsa, black beans and olives.  Simmer over low heat until ravioli is done.  Add drained ravioli to meat mixture, along with shredded cheese.  Gently stir until combined.  Serve with extra cheese, if desired.