Rosemary Chicken, Prosciutto and Mushrooms with Stone-Ground Grits

I’m a big talker.

See, I like to ponder aloud things that I should do or will do when I have time. Somehow, that magical window of opportunity vanishes before most of my plans come to fruition. Turbo has gotten wise to my wolf-crying ways and either ignores my grand plans or encourages me to put my money where my mouth is.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Happily, I’ve found a group of friends who share this somewhat debilitating behavior trait. Apparently when people like this get together, the plans get bigger and even less attainable. We’ve intended to visit apple orchards, hold weekly happy hours, host Christmas cookie swaps and so on. To date, one of the few plans we’ve managed to execute is a trip to Ketner’s Mill Fair.

The event is nothing spectacular – a large “country arts fair” with a boat load of crafts, questionable fair food, exceptional people watching and stone ground grits – made on site by their large mill…hence the name. I’ve got a bag of them in the pantry.

And that, boys and girls, is how this recipe was born.

A little perusing on one of my favorite sites unearthed a delicious dairy-laden recipe, which I modified. Any God-fearing Southerner would be appaled to know I made grits without butter or cream, but it’s true. And neither Turbo nor I missed it. I may have to return my citizenship for that comment but I stand by it. The mushrooms and broth give plenty of richness, and a teensy bit of almond milk gives enough “cream” to the sauce.

So here you go my dairy-free friends…mangia!

(That’s Italian for “eat until your pants get tight.”)

First, I boiled both beef and chicken stock with wine in a heavy saucepan – aka my cast iron skillet – until reduced.

Then I sauteed strips of chicken with a little rosemary, thyme and oregano. I didn’t measure (sorry) but just sprinkle until the aroma makes you swoon in anticipation.

Add some prosciutto. I like saying prosciutto. Has a nice ring to it, no? But if you can’t find it, any pork product will do like bacon, serrano ham or pancetta (Italian bacon).

Once browned, set aside and try to keep any shifty looking kitchen loiterers at bay. (Turbo is an incurable picker.)

Guess I can’t blame him. Next, it’s mushroom time…

Mmm. Golden brown. Then add your reduced broth and a little bit of almond milk. I recommend not confusing your regular almond milk for vanilla flavored. I did.

Blech.

We still ate it. It was pretty good.

Anyway, let this delicious concoction simmer until reduced to sauce consistancy. It’s not going to be super thick because of the lack of cream, but give it about 10 minutes or so. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can whisk in about 1 tablespoon of flour.

Word of caution, the flour turned into tiny little lumps in my sauce. I tried mashing them with a fork but it was tedious so I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. They must have disolved because it tasted delicious but just wanted to warn you. For that reason, flour is optional.

Meanwhile, start the grits by pouring them into boiling water and stirring.

Stir OFTEN with a whisk until thick.

Add your chicken and prosciutto back to the mushroom sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Once grits are done, spoon onto plates and top with chicken/mushroom combination.

Delizioso!

Recipe: Serves 2

Grits:

• 1/2 cup grits
• 1 cup water

Chicken:

• 1 cup beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1 cup chicken stock or low-salt canned chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3-4 slices prosciutto
• 1 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 8-10 shitake or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or rice or soy)
• 1 Tbsp flour (optional)
• Rosemary, thyme, oregano to taste
• Olive oil

Boil beef and chicken broths with wine in heavy saucepan until reduced to 1 cup (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Sautee chicken in olive oil (two turns of the pan) with rosemary, thyme and oregano. When browned on both sides (about 5 minutes) add proscuitto and cook until browned. Transfer to plate with slotted spoon. Add mushrooms to same skillet and sautee until golden (about 4 minutes). Add stock mixture and milk and simmer until reduced to sauce consistancy (about 10 minutes). If you prefer thicker mixture, whisk in flour. Season with salt and pepper.

To cook grits, whisk into boiling water and stir frequently with wire whisk until thick (about 30 minutes).

Spoon grits onto plate and top with chicken/mushroom mixture.

Enjoy!

Roasted broccoli with lemon and pine nuts

 

My sister-in-law jokes that growing up, my mother-in-law swore that every childhood illness could be healed with a good night’s sleep and broccoli. If that’s true, then during the month of February you can catch me in bed every night at 8 p.m., and I’ll be serving up broccoli for breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. Why? Well, if I might indulge in a little self pity, I’d love to summarize my month:

January 8: Fuss spikes a fever the day before her baptism. Hubbie has to truck down to the urgent care clinic as my family is pulling in the driveway. Diagnosed with ear infection and a shot of antibiotics saves the big day.

January 9-12: Fuss runs low-grade fever for five days. Feels ABSOLUTELY horrible. I know this because…

January 15: I get Fuss’ “bug.” Feel like death warmed over. Run low-grade fever for five days. Finally go see the doctor: bronchitis.

January 23: After a faux recovery, Fuss spikes another fever (on a weekend, of course).

January 24: Fuss’ fever goes as high as 104 degrees (at 2 a.m. of course). Worried sick. Meanwhile, Turbo gets horrible stomach bug and has to be quarantined in our bedroom. I disinfect the entire house, twice, then yell at him for touching things.

January 25: Go to the pediatrician. Yep, it’s pnemonia. Will this ever end?

January 26: Turbo feeling better but Mom feels sorry for me so comes in town to help. I get first night’s sleep in almost a month. Heavenly.

January 27: Mom gets Turbo’s stomach bug. Drives back to Carrollton with soda crackers and ginger ale. Feel really guilty…and even more paranoid that Fuss will get sick with yet another bug.

So, that pretty much sums it up.

And while everyone seems to be on the mend for now, I think I’ll stick to my broccoli regime just in case. To spice things up, I’ll need new and exciting ways to cook it…like this dandy little recipe. It’s inspired by the Barefoot Contessa, although hers is called Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli. Obviously, some tweaking was in order.

You start with the magical little green trees.

Place in an oven safe dish and coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little garlic.

Roast in a 400 degree oven until nice and crispy, then top with toasted pine nuts and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Mmmmm. Short, simple, perfection. Enjoy and remember, eat your greens!

Roasted broccoli with lemon and pine nuts (Serves 2):

• Approximately 2 cups of broccoli florets
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• Olive oil to coat
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut enough broccoli florets from the thick stalk for 2 people (approximately 2 cups). Place in shallow dish and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Toss to coat. Roast in oven until desired crispness, approximately 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and toss with lemon juice and pine nuts. Eat three times daily to avoid stomach bugs and pneumonia. Hey, you can never be too careful.

Panang Curry

A couple of months ago I hardly knew what curry was, now I’m blogging about how to make it. Ain’t life funny? A recent writing assignment took me to far-flung corners of my city that I hardly knew existed. I was introduced to the complex, spicy, creamy flavors of Thai food and I fell in love…head over heels.

Now I realize my recent obsession is way behind the rest of the world. I tried Thai cuisine nearly 10 years ago but wrote it off because of a disdain for coconut milk. Thankfully, tastes change. After almost a year without dairy, anything I can eat that’s described as “creamy” simply knocks my socks off.

The dish that really made my skirt fly up was a saucy little number called Panang Curry. I just couldn’t get it out of my head. So a little googling turned up a recipe, and, after a lot of experimenting I had something similar to what I ate in the restaurant. Now I must share it with you because even though it sounds terribly exotic and intimidating, it’s actually very simple to make.

And like any recipe in my kitchen, it’s flexible. You’ll see what I mean in a bit… Let’s just say after a virus hit our house like the bubonic plague I wasn’t feeling top-notch when I made this dish.

You start by sauteeing chicken in the pan. Shocking, right?

Then you add the savory stuff: shallots, garlic, and ginger.

Let it sizzle until shallots are tender.

 Then add peanut butter, turmeric, cumin and chili paste.

Now I didn’t have cumin (it’s still a mystery as to where it is) and my peanut butter was running low so I only used about half of what it called for. It was still yummy. Also, it called for two teaspoons of turmeric, which I measured in meticulous fashion.

I love eyeballing measurements in my hand. Makes me feel gutsy and a little daring.

That probably means I need to get out of the house more, but let’s just get back to the dish.

Next you whisk in water, coconut milk, lime juice and brown sugar. You only use half a can of coconut milk, but freeze the rest for another time.

Now if you were holding true to authentic Thai cuisine, you’d use kaffir lime leaves. But if you’re fresh out of kaffir lime leaves, or if you’ve never heard of them and wouldn’t know them if they walked in and tapped you on the shoulder, you can substitute with lime juice and grated lime peel. Or, if you’re a real a stickler like me, you could use this…

I know, I shudder every time I use this stuff but sometimes a girl’s gotta improvise, right?

Anyway, now that you have a lovely sauce, you add the chopped carrots and bell pepper. Or, if you’re fresh out of bell pepper like I was, just use carrots.

Once the veggies are tender you’re good to go. And, as if this dish weren’t easy enough, the sauce can be made up to three days ahead. So take a walk on the wild side and try this dish soon…your taste buds will thank you.

Here’s the handy-dandy printable version (highlight it and right click to print the selection):

Panang Curry

• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 2 Tbsp finely grated, peeled ginger
• 4 tsp diced garlic
• 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp hot chili paste (or less according to heat preference, I recommend sambal oelek)
• 1 cup water
• Half a can of coconut milk (I used 14 ounce can, shake well before opening)
• 3 kaffir lime leaves or 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice and 1 1/2 tsp grated lime peel
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2-3 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until just browned, about 5 minutes. Add shallots, garlic and ginger and cook until shallots are tender, about 3 minutes. Add peanut butter, turmeric, cumin and chili paste. Stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Whisk in water, then coconut milk, lime and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer. Add carrots and bell pepper and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Adjust heat to medium low if curry begins to boil and stir occasionally. Season to taste with salt. Serve warm over rice.

Can be made three days ahead. Cool slightly, cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.

Dairy-free Smoothie

Okay all you dairy lovers out there…eat your heart out.

I give you…the froozie!

I can’t claim that name. I’m “borrowing” it from a local grocery store that was recently bought out by Whole Foods. I hope they don’t sue me for all that I’m worth. That would be, like, hundreds. Well, if you count my 401(k).

Anyhoo, we’ve gotten on a smoothie kick at our house. Why are we making smoothies when there’s 3 inches of snow on the ground? I haven’t the foggiest.

The hubby came home on Monday with a bunch of fruit and announced he was on a smoothie kick. Who am I to argue?

Actually, I intended to post about this last summer when the peaches were at their peak. I cut them up, arranged on a cookie sheet and froze them.

The next morning, I threw them into a plastic baggie. And there they sat…for 4 months. So they’re pretty psyched to finally see some action.

The froozie is so simple to make, I could almost cry. Into a blender goes 1/4 cup frozen blueberries…

blackberries…

banana…

Okay, you caught me. Mine isn’t frozen.

But the peaches are. I used 1/2 cup of the little lovelies.

and last but certainly not least, frozen strawberries.

Add one cup juice.

Apple juice is really divine, but orange juice is good too. This morning I used pineapple juice because I was feeling experimental.

Highly recommend apple…I’m just saying.

Blend until smooth and pour.

I enjoyed mine with a delicious slice of banana bread that my mom lovingly made for me during Christmas using fake butter. Thanks Mom! You’re the best.

Now, enjoy the breakfast of champions and Happy New Year!!!!

Frozen fruit smoothie

• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, blackberries, banana
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries and peaches
• 1 cup apple juice

Combine all ingredients into a blender. Process until smooth. Enjoy slowly to avoid brain freeze.

White Bean and Cilantro Pesto Quesadillas

So, what’s for dinner tonight?

Am I the only one who hates that question? It’s usually met with some sort of resistance from Turbo, although he’s getting better. If it’s something weird, I just say “it’s a surprise.” But when it’s quesadilla night, I breathe easy. I mean, who can argue with this?

The best part of this recipe is that it’s insanely easy. In fact, the hardest part is spelling it.

Q-U-E-S-O… no, wait, that’s not it… Q-U-E-S-A… hmm, still doesn’t look right.

Oh who cares? You’ll be eating it, not writing it. As for me, well, thank goodness for spell check.

This recipe was adapted from one of the best restaurants in Athens, GA – The Grit. It was tricky making it tasty without the cheese but after a few tries – and a lot of spice – I got it. You honestly don’t miss it. No, really! 

It begins like all great recipes in the history of mankind; with a generous handful of cilantro.

To which you add pine nuts, garlic, honey, chipotle peppers and sauce, half a lime and black pepper. Shew, that was quite a list. I’m exhausted.

Grind it all up.

Then mix with white beans (I use Great Northern). You can used canned, but if you have some leftovers from previous post those are good as well. My apologies for the lag time in postings. There was this little thing called Christmas. I know, totally caught me off guard too.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet, add two tortillas and spoon the bean mixture onto one side.

Fold tortillas over and, once golden, flip to the other side. On medium heat this should only take a minute or two. OK, I’ve never actually timed it. I just do it when the tortilla gods speak to me.

If you don’t hear voices in the kitchen, then just use your best judgement.

Just be sure to go slowly so the beans don’t fly out of their cozy little tortilla nest. If a few fall out, scoop them out so they don’t burn and start stinking up your kitchen. (Speaking from experience here).

Now…it’s time for the piece de resistance. The secret sauce. The….the….the….chipotle mayo.

The creaminess of the mayo makes up for any cheeseless shortcomings. It’s essential to life and, thankfully, extremely easy to make. Using canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, I just spoon out a few peppers and sauce into the mayo and pulse until blended.

Yum. I got the mayo recipe from my friend Robyn. She is a kitchen goddess and can make deliciousness appear out of the most humble ingredients. I have no idea how she does it…

Once your golden quesadillas are on the plate, spoon some mayo and salsa on the side. This dish is also great with fiery turnip greens from last post. Again, my apologies for the hang time.

And that, my friends, is how you find happiness on a plate. Here’s the recipe.

Enjoy!

White Bean Cilantro Pesto Quesadillas

• Handful of cilantro (about 20 stems)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 tsp garlic
• 2 tsp honey
• 1/2 lime
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 (15.5 oz) can of white beans or 1 1/2 cups homemade
• 4 Tbsp mayo
• salsa on the side

For the pesto, combine cilantro, honey, garlic, pine nuts, lime, black pepper and 1 chipotle pepper plus 2 tsp of adobo sauce. 

Combine pesto and beans in medium bowl. Add olive oil to large skillet. Add two tortillas and spoon bean mixture on one side. Fold tortillas over and press with spatula. Once golden, flip to other side.

To make mayo, place 3 chipotle peppers in food processor along with 3 tsp of the sauce and 4 Tbsp mayo. Pulse until combined and set aside. Reserve the rest of the peppers and sauce for another use. It will keep in the refrigerator in sealed container for a month or so.

Serve with side of mayo and salsa.

Tomato Peasant Soup

Well, my flirtation with butter was brief. Friday night we were awakened to the siren scream of dear Fuss. She fussed off and on until about 3 a.m., slept until 6 a.m., then fussed some more. This went on for several nights. Now she’s pretty much sleeping through the night except for an 11 p.m. waking. Now why on earth her tummy only bothers her at 11 is beyond me. Is it teeth? Is she just knocked off her schedule? Or is it the dreaded tummy pains? Who knows! But for now I’m back to strictly dairy free.

But that’s ok because I have some recipes that will simply knock your socks off, including this tomato soup.

What’s that you say? Can’t have tomato soup without cream or cheese? Au contraire. And the best part; it’s as easy as it is delicious.

It all begins with 2 large cans of whole, peeled tomatoes that have been run through the food processor.

To which you add 2 cups of cubed ciabatta, 2 teaspoons minced onion, garlic and dried oregano.

Give it a good stir and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, pour into a large pot and simmer covered for about 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to break up the bread.

When it’s done, it’ll look like this.

While the soup is simmering, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat…

Add a sprig of rosemary. If it starts popping like crazy, back off the heat.

Let it simmer for 3 or 4 minutes and BAM – you’ve just infused olive oil.

Doesn’t that make you feel official?

It doesn’t take much to make me happy.

Next you add the oil to the soup and give it a stir.

It’s ready to go…but if you’re really in the mood for a treat, take some leftover bread cubes – or any bread for that matter – drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper…

and toast them in the oven (or toaster oven) for some mighty impressive and simple croutons.

I got that trick from the Barefoot Contessa. Can’t you just see Jeffrey coming through the door right now to sample this lovely concoction?

OK, maybe not. But I swear, one bite and you’ll be hooked. (And this reheats well for lunches too!)

Enjoy!

Tomato Peasant Soup

• 56 oz. canned, peeled tomatoes
• 2 cups small cubes ciabatta bread
• 2 tsp. minced onion
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Run the tomatoes through a food processor and pour into large bowl. Combine tomatoes, bread, garlic, onion and oregano and refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Pour into a large pot and simmer tomatoes, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the bread. Heat olive oil in the skillet over medium heat, add rosemary and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add oil to soup and stir.

Serve with toasted croutons.

Turkey While You Sleep

Excuse me, can someone please tell me what happened? How is it possible that Thanksgiving is less than one week away?

When I tested this recipe two weeks ago, I was so proud of myself for being ahead of the game. The holiday seemed like something in the very distant future. Funny how time flies… 

Anyhoo, if you haven’t already made your turkey plans, I urge you to check this one out. You could do it in your sleep…literally. When I invited my two friends over for a casual get-together, they were floored that I had made a turkey.

Once they read this post, the secret will be out. Let’s keep it between us, okay?

I stumbled across this recipe in the Jackson, Mississippi Junior League cookbook, “Come on In.” (It’s a good one if you’re in the market for a new book.) I don’t know who to thank for this marvelous recipe, but if I could track her down I’d squink on and on to her about how fabulous this turkey is.

The term squink was coined by a Yankee transplant in Mississippi and refers to a Southern woman’s uncanny ability to fuss over people. You have to hold your face really tight, flex one hand downward, and draw your words out like, “Oooohhhhh, I just loooooove this recipeeeeeee.”

I’m not nearly as skilled at this as my mother, but for this recipe, I’d try. I mean, the bird isn’t exactly a taste bud revolution, but the technique is so brilliantly simple it must be praised. One disclaimer – the author says this isn’t a carving turkey because it’s so moist it falls off the bone. I didn’t find that to be true, but if you’re making it for the big day, maybe plan to preslice and serve on platter.

So without further ado…here’s how you make a turkey while you sleep…

First, you have to clean the bird. This task isn’t for the faint of heart. (Don’t worry, no picture.) Remove the neck and giblets, wash it and pat dry with paper towels. Warning: be sure to remove items from BOTH sides of the bird. I almost missed one. Also, if you’re using a frozen turkey you’ll need to factor in a defrosting time of about 3-4 days in the frig. You can do it faster with cold water in the sink but it’s a pain because you have to change the water out.

All you need for this recipe is celery, fake butter and salt.

Oh, and a turkey.

Sprinkle the salt inside the turkey cavity and insert 2 celery stalks. Include the leaves if you’ve got them – mine were lacking foliage.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and, if you haven’t already done so, place your turkey on a rack in a roasting pan.

Do you love my vintage one? It was my grandmother’s.

Next give it a good rub down with melted MSPI-friendly margarine. (Side note…mine was a little dry, so maybe olive oil would be better???)

Pour boiling water into the pan, cover it tightly and cook for 2 hours.

After the cooking time is up, turn the oven off but DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. If you do, catastrophic things will happen.

Ok, not really. But I bet that makes you really want to open the door. Oh, that’s just me? Okay…moving on.

All you do now is go to sleep! Leave your turkey tucked in the oven until the next morning (8 hours). When you get up, it’s ready to slice. Because there’s nothing better than slicing turkey with your morning coffee.

That’s not true, but we do what we have to do, no?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Turkey While You Sleep:

• 1 uncooked turkey
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 stalks of celery with leaves
• 1/2 cup unsalted MSPI-friendly margarine, melted
• 2 cups boiling water

Remove neck and giblets, wash turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt inside turkey cavity and insert celery stalks. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place turkey on rack in roasting pan and rub with melted butter. Pour boiling water around turkey, cover pan tightly, and cook 2 hours for 14 pounds or less, 2 1/2 hours for more than 14 pounds. (If you’re on the cusp, go with less time. As I mentioned mine was a tad dry.)

After cooking time, turn off heat, but DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR. Leave turkey in closed oven overnight (for 8 hours). Turkey is ready to slice the next morning with drippings for gravy if you like.

Spaghetti

Sometimes when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I’ll ask Turbo to do dinner.  I’ll lie in the tub with a glass of wine and deep condition my hair, leisurely flip through my magazines or paint my nails.

Oh, I’m sorry, I think I dozed off there for a moment.  I had the loveliest dream…

So as I was saying, I’ve got a stack of magazines waist-high, I haven’t had a hair cut since the baby was born and I only get to file my nails when they’re a hazard to myself or others.  And while I don’t send my hubbie into the kitchen nearly enough, I am pretty fortunate that he enjoys making his world-famous spaghetti sauce.  In six years of marriage there have only been a handful of times when we didn’t have a stockpile of it in our freezer.  It’s my go-to dinner when Turbo asks what’s for dinner and my first response is, “Uhh…”  It’s become particularly important since MSPI put the kibosh on my former go-to option: DiGiorno pizza and a salad. This spaghetti freezes like a dream and it’s so good we’re still not sick of it. (I tend to say “Uhh” a lot).

This is a great weekend dish because it requires some simmer time, but overall it’s pretty easy.  You start by browning Italian sausage…

Meanwhile, dice up some onions, bell pepper and throw in a large stock pot with a boat load of garlic.  Let that get acquainted over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.

Your sausage should be done, so drain and set aside and brown ground turkey in the same pan.  That’s not for some special flavoring technique, it just prevents dirtying another pan.

Now chop some celery.  This gives a nice peppery flavor.  Celery?  Pepper?  I swear it’s true.

Throw it in with the other veggies, along with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, onion powder and bay leaves.

Give a healthy stir and check on your turkey meat, which should be browning nicely by now.

Any vegetarians brave enough to make it to this point might want to avert their eyes for this next step.

Give it a good stir…

Much better.  Now let this simmer for about half an hour, stirring occasionally.  Then add a 12 ounce can of tomato paste and diced mushrooms and simmer for yet another half hour.  You can see why this is good for the weekends.

But the finished product is worth the wait.

Tear off a piece of crusty bread, pour a generous glass of red wine and mangia!

Turbo’s World Famous Spaghetti Sauce

• 4-5 links of Italian sausage
• Ground turkey meat, approximately 1 1/2 pounds
• 1 onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 4 Tbsp. garlic
• 3 (14.5) ounce cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5) ounce can of tomato sauce
• 2 ribs of celery
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 (12) ounce can tomato paste
• Approximately 20 button mushrooms, sliced

Brown sausage over medium high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to large stock pot with olive oil and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent.  Meanwhile, drain sausage and brown turkey meat in same pan.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, celery, onion powder and bay leaves to stock pot.  Stir and cook on medium. When hamburger is browned, drain meat and add to stock pot along with Italian sausage.  Simmer for about half an hour, stirring occasionally.  Add tomato paste and mushrooms.  Simmer for another half hour, stirring occasionally.

Turkey Tacos

When I graduated college I moved to San Diego with two of my best friends.  The plan was hatched late one night in my friend Callie’s kitchen.  Actually, Brooke and Callie had already come up with the brilliant scheme, and I was invited along that fateful evening.  My clever compadres decided on San Diego because it was voted one of the top places to live in the U.S., eeking ahead of Austin, TX by just a hair. 

Our main motivation for the move was that we didn’t want to be sitting in the carpool line years from then, kicking ourselves for never doing anything adventurous while we still had the chance.  Now that I’m in that carpool line, I’m grateful for my 22-year-old wisdom – particularly because San Diego introduced me to one of my favorite culinary achievements: the fish taco. 

Before this South-of-the-border sensation swept the nation, it was one of the best kept secrets of San Diego.  All across town restaurants would host Taco Tuesdays, where you could down these golden-fried gifts from the sea for just $1.  That’s right, $1.  (Well, at least when I was there.)  If you happen to visit the city, do yourself a favor and visit World Famous for their lobster tacos.  “Heavenly” is the only description I can muster.

Anyway, in the short 9 months I lived in California I learned to make a pretty mean fish taco (if I do say so myself).  Now that I’m living in landlocked Tennessee, I’ve turned it into a turkey taco.  That’s because Turbo has a strict rule against eating seafood when he’s not within walking distance to the ocean. 

To construct a proper taco, you need to start with pico de gallo, which is just one diced tomato…

half a diced onion (purple is better but white will do)…

and a bouquet of cilantro.  I never measure, just use your best judgement. You can never have too much cilantro.

Chop all of these ingredients and mix them together with juice from one-half lime and a dash of salt. 

Yum.  Now let that sit while you brown the turkey meat…

and make the cilantro lime mayo dressing.  Yes, the very same from the chicken sandwiches.  

I might have an addiction to cilantro.  Thinking about forming a support group if you’d like to join…

Everything you put inside your taco is completely up to you, except for one ingredient: shredded cabbage.  If you don’t have any cilantro, make the white sauce out of mayo, lime and jalapenos (pickled or fresh).  Don’t feel like making pico?  Fine, leave it out.  But whatever you do, don’t scrimp on the cabbage.  You can buy a head for 99 cents and it will last almost forever.  Just ask Turbo, our fridge is like a science experiment. 

As for other fillings, I use avocado (when I have it) and black beans.  You can use canned or make your own.

Now just zap some tortillas in the microwave for, say, 15 seconds or so, pile the aforementioned toppings sky-high and eat till your little heart’s content.  Take a lot of napkins to the table and, as the sauces drip down your arms, think of sunny California and smile…

Happy Friday!

Turkey Tacos (serves 2-4)

Pico de gallo

• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 8-10 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• Dash of salt

Fillings

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
• 1 packet MSPI-friendly taco seasoning
• Water
• Shredded cabbage
• 1 avocado
• 1 can black beans (or 1 cup homemade)
• 2 Tbsp mayo
• 1 lime
• 8-10 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
• Dash of chili powder (optional)
• Flour tortillas

Mix all ingredients for pico and set aside to rest.  Heat black beans over medium-low heat.  Brown turkey meat on medium heat.  When ready, drain fat and return to pan.  Add one packet of taco seasoning, fill empty packet with water and add to pan.  Stir and simmer until warmed through.

Slice head of cabbage into thin strips, about 1-2 cups for two people.  Make white sauce by combining mayo, lime, cilantro and chili powder (optional).  Slice avocado.

Heat tortillas in microwave for about 15 seconds.  Layer meat, beans, cabbage, white sauce, pico and avocado on top.

Chicken sandwiches with cilantro lime mayo

Back in our younger years, my cooking made Turbo nervous. It wasn’t so much the end product as the process. See, he’s one of those naturals in the kitchen.  He never measures anything and, when he’s in the mood, can whip up a masterpiece from leftovers like MacGyver makes a bomb out of toothpicks and a stick of gum.  I, on the other hand, used to approach things a little different. 

As a newlywed, I would arbitrarily select recipes that looked pretty in magazines, usually Cooking Light, not noticing they had 40 ingredients and took 2 hours to make.  So after spending a small fortune at the grocery store on things like cardamom and ancho chili paste, I’d spend hours toiling in the kitchen.  There was generally a lot of cussing and even some tears.

I’ve come a long way in six years of marriage.  I’ve learned to improvise, accept imperfection and not sweat the small stuff.  Oh yeah, and I’m a much better cook. 

But this recipe came from the early days, in fact from the very pages of the aforementioned magazine.  Considering it was not only easy but delicious, it quickly earned a spot in our menu rotation with a few adjustments.  To date, it’s been made in our kitchen too many times to count.  I even had to outlaw it for a few months because I thought I might turn into a chicken sandwich. 

What’s kept this recipe so near and dear to our hearts is the cilantro.  We love this herb so much Turbo jokes he could eat it on his cereal.  We almost always have it on hand and I regularly use it as a substitute for parsley.  What can I say…I’ve really learned to walk on the wild side.

And the best part is it’s just five simple ingredients.  Grilled chicken, that’s been marinated in Italian dressing…

Mayo, lime and cilantro that’s whipped into a mind-blowing dressing…

And a toasty bun.  I prefer onion and Cobblestone Mill makes one that’s dairy-free.  But you can also do ciabatta, focaccia or just plain old hamburger buns.  Isn’t improvisation a beautiful thing?

If you’ve got ’em, lettuce and tomato are also good additions.

And that’s all there is to it…simple, straightforward, wonderful.  Just like all the best things in life.

Chicken Sandwiches with cilantro lime mayo (serves 4)

• 4 Chicken Breasts
• Italian dressing
• 4 hamburger buns
• Handful of cilantro, approximately 8 sprigs
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• 1 tbsp mayo
• Chili powder to taste (optional)
• Lettuce and tomato (optional)

Marinate the chicken in just enough Italian dressing to coat for at least 1 hour.  Grill on medium-low until done, approximately 8 minutes each side. 

Chop the cilantro.  In a small bowl, combine mayo, lime juice, cilantro and chili powder.

Toast the hamburger buns and assemble sandwiches with lettuce and tomato (optional).