Sweet Asian Meatballs

My youngest son is not a morning person. He wakes up angry and stays angry pretty much until the bus comes in the morning. By the afternoon he is normal again, happy, and content. It's not that he doesn't get enough sleep, he does. He just hates waking up in the morning and lets his feelings be known to everyone around him. Most mornings I have to get him dressed and carry him half way to the bus stop. This isn't bad since he is skinny and only 5 years old. However, I'm hoping that he starts being more of a morning person before he gets taller and bigger than me.

I have had a lot of baking recipes lately since they are the easiest to have time to photograph. Fresh foods such as meat have to be photographed pretty much as soon as they're made without allowing them to get cold so they can still be eaten for dinner. This week I have finally gotten back into my blogging grove and feel that after almost 3 months my schedule has finally settled now that both of my kids are in school. So the recipe I am sharing today is for Sweet Asian Meatballs, the recipe is as follows.

Adapted from Taste of Home.

Sweet Asian Meatballs

Calories per serving: 52
Fat per serving: 2 g

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp plus 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco

Cooking Directions

1. Combine turkey, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, ginger, and minced garlic in a bowl.
2. Shape turkey mixture into balls (approximately 1 inch, I ended up with 25 total).
3. Place meatballs on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, turning once to ensure even browning.
5. Combine remaining soy sauce, molasses, tomato paste, Tabasco, and vinegar in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
6. Add meatballs and cook 5 minutes, or until sauce has reduced.
7. Serve as an appetizer or with rice for a main dish.

Tips: 

• If you don't have Tabasco, another type of pepper sauce would also do. 
• I prefer 93 percent lean ground turkey. A leaner cut ends up too dry, and fatter cuts end up grisly and fatty. 

Turkey Burgers with Orange Mustard Glaze

Turkey Burgers with Orange Mustard Glaze

I have a horrible attention span. When I was younger it was much better. As I've gotten older it seems to have gone downhill. It's particularly bad with regards to books and television. I have a bad habit of watching part of a season of a tv show and then stopping. Since my husband and I rarely watch live television I am able to look up the ending to most of the past seasons of shows that I catch up on online. I tend to do the same with books. I will read 3/4 of a book and then skim the rest. Part of the problem is that I have very high expectations. I will read pretty much any book, but I get bored with bad writing very easily. Honestly, there have been only a handful of books, television shows and movies within the last 10 years that have been able to hold my attention for long. I'm not sure if it has to do with me getting older or plots getting worse. Either way my attention seems to be going rapidly downhill. Luckily cooking still holds my interest for hours at a time. That's part of the reason that I love it, it changes every time I make a recipe. Today I tried a new recipe for Turkey Burgers with Orange Mustard Glaze from the Food Network Magazine.

Marble Arch Huntington, WV

This recipe has 14 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 6 servings. I did make a number of changes to the original recipe. First I did not make 6 - 1/2 pound burgers. That is a lot of meat and my two kids are in finicky eating stages currently. Instead I made 4 burgers and they were about 1/3 pound each. For the grilling I used my indoor electric grill, I am still waiting for my husband to fix our outdoor electric grill. I made my own hamburger buns and used heirloom tomatoes for topping. The only type of paprika I had in my cupboard was smoked paprika, so that is what I used.

Marble Arch Huntington, WV

The glaze for these burgers was delicious. It was a perfect combination of sweet and spicy. If you like your food on the mild side I would suggest seeding the jalapenos. You could also decrease or leave out the chili powder. My kids chose to eat their burgers with the pickles on the burgers instead of the glaze. It was a nice way to make the recipe kid friendly.

For the recipe go to Turkey Burgers with Orange Mustard Glaze.

Turkey Burgers with Orange Mustard Glaze

Recipe Type: Main

Summary:

A simple turkey burger recipe with orange jalapeno mustard glaze. A nice combination of sweet and spicy, plus lower in fat than beef burgers.

Preparation Time: 0h, 25m

Total Time: 0h, 40m

Yield: Serves 6

Recipe for Tuscan Turkey Burgers with Fresh Basil

Tuscan Turkey Burgers with Fresh Basil and Tomatoes

I was so happy that tonight I was able to use fresh herbs from my herb garden for my dinner recipe. My herbs are doing better than I expected and will save me so much money this summer. Growing my own basil is one way that I know that I will save money since I use basil at least once a week for dinner. The herbs available at the grocery store are over priced and start to brown by the time I am able to use them. Being able to just go out and cut the amount that I need is so nice. Plus the flavor is noticeably better than store bought. One food I love adding fresh basil to is burgers. It can take a regular burger from ordinary to something memorable. Last week I tried a new recipe for Tuscan Turkey Burgers from Redbook magazine.

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. First since I eat gluten free I made gluten free biscuits and then made bread crumbs in my food processor. I also used my indoor grill to cook the burgers, which helped to reduce the fat without reducing the flavor. For my serving I ate the burger between two gluten free biscuits, for the rest of my family I made homemade hamburger buns.

These burgers have a tendency to crumble when you try to flip them over so be careful. I actually waited until the next day to take the photo. After sitting in the fridge the burgers were much firmer and easier to deal with. It might be a good idea to place the burgers in the fridge to firm before cooking them. I thought these burgers were great without lettuce so if you are unable to find Boston lettuce you can leave it out. Overall these burgers turned out very moist and were enjoyed by my whole family.

For the recipe go to Tuscan Turkey Burgers.

Turkey Sloppy Joes Recipe

Crock-Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes

My youngest had the misfortune of getting his first bee sting this evening. I knew something was wrong when he told me he was playing with a bug. As soon as the word stop was out of my mouth he started screaming because he had been stung by the 'bug'. Luckily pain medication and a baking soda paste saved the day. He is now asleep and I'm pretty sure that he won't be playing with bees again soon. Luckily before the be incident my family enjoyed a family favorite, sloppy joes. For dinner I tried a new recipe for Turkey Sloppy Joes from the May 2013 issue of Family Circle magazine.

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes 3 hours and 15 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 12 servings. I followed the recipe pretty closely to the original. I always have baby carrots for my husband's lunch so that is what I used in this recipe. Since I only had smoked paprika I substituted it for regular and Sunny Buns for the hamburger buns. Of course my youngest slightly smashed my photo bun before I got the picture, hence why it looks a little lopsided. I ate my serving over brown rice.

My kids loved this recipe. I did find that it only made about 5 servings, not the 12 suggested by the recipe. My husband thought that he would have liked fewer carrots, I thought that it was a little sweet. Overall though this was a very family friendly recipe and I like that it uses turkey instead of beef.

For the recipe go to Turkey Sloppy Joes. Registration required.

Recipe for Grilled Turkey Burgers with Pineapple Salsa

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Pineapple Salsa

With the weather getting warmer it has been project week in my house. During the spring I set aside a couple of weeks to do all the projects that I have put off for the last year. This year it is painting furniture, my dining room and re-staining a few tables. I have completed half of the things that I need to finish so that's a start. It always seems ten times harder to finish anything with a 4 and 6-year-old. My youngest loves doing his workbooks, but hates playing by himself. Plus he is in a phase where he wants to to everything with mommy. So tonight after my husband got home I painted the dining room while he worked on a painting project of his own. I have been a little behind on my posts and cooking this week since I have been busy, but I should be back to normal in another week. This week I tried a new recipe for Grilled Turkey Burgers with Pineapple Salsa from the Food Network Canada.

Pineapple Salsa

This recipe has 11 ingredients. It takes 27 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 6 servings. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. First my mother-in-law gave me a number of frozen turkey patties that had sat in my freezer for months. So instead of making the turkey burgers from scratch, I utilized the frozen patties. All the red peppers at my local grocery store where not usable, so I substituted a yellow pepper instead. I chose to include the jalapeno in the salsa, but seeded it since my kids would be enjoying some. I served regular buns for the rest of the family and gluten free for me.

The salsa in this recipe is really delicious. It made the store bought burgers much better and was also delicious as a sweet side salad the next day. The taste of the fresh pineapple was sweet and blended nicely with the strong flavors of the onion and jalapeno.

For the recipe go to Grilled Turkey Burgers with Pineapple Salsa.

Easy Enchiladas Suizas with Ground Turkey and Zucchini Filing

Enchiladas Suizas with Ground Turkey and Zucchini Filling

Salt is always a battle in my household. My husband and two boys could literally eat it straight from the shaker while I would be fine never salting anything. I know your thinking how can a self proclaimed foodie and food blogger hate salt. I seem to be a little bit of the odd one out. Chefs and foodies love salt. It adds flavor and substance to dishes and many chefs claim that over salting if always better than under salting. I salt all my recipes. I just don't add more than is necessary. Salt is absolutely essential for dishes to taste correctly, but I also believe that most Americans overuse salt, sometimes to an extreme. There is a happy medium where the flavor of dishes come through while keeping my blood pressure nice and low. It's also all about moderation as it should be with all food. If I make a dish high in salt one day I try to compensate and make something low in sodium the next. That way everyone is happy and we will all still live until we're at least 90. This week I tried a new recipe for Enchiladas Suizas from the April 2013 issue of Family Circle magazine.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes 60 minutes of total time, 40 minutes of which is active and makes 6 servings. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. First for the turkey I used 93 percent lean, I substituted non-fat half and half for regular and mild salsa instead of medium since my kids would be eating it. Instead of heating each tortilla individually on the stove, I heated them in two sets in the microwave in between a moist set of paper towels for 40 seconds. I also skipped the step of heating the salsa mixture before adding the cheese, I was in a rush and needed dinner of the table as quickly as possible. Finally make sure to squeeze out the water from the zucchini. The recipe doesn't state this step and it is essential. Place the grated zucchini between paper towels and squeeze. A large amount of water will come out. Without this step the turkey will never brown and your enchiladas will be soggy.

I really like how easy this recipe is to prepare. The spices used in the turkey mixture were delicious and my whole family really liked the filling. I do think that there wasn't enough sauce to fully coat all the enchiladas. I would recommend making a double batch of sauce (you won't need it all you can freeze the extra). If you are a big cheese lover I would also suggest adding slightly more cheese to the top. The magazine picture shows more cheese than would actually be there if you only used 3/4 of a cup like the recipe suggests.

For the recipe go to Enchiladas Suizas (registration required).

Spanish Turkey Meatball Stew

I love my food with lots of flavor. Dishes that are bland or lack any kind of spice have never been something that I liked. Growing-up my mother loved any type of ethnic food she could try and we went to every type of restaurant my mom could find. She also loved going to small ethnic grocery stores to find just the right ingredient for a recipe she had gotten from someone. It was through her that I learned to love and use spices in my cooking. Using the right spice can transform a mediocre dish into something spectacular. Having two boys I am always having to find the right balance between the spice that I want and what my boys will actually eat. So I often modify recipes to still have great flavor with a little less bite. This week I tried a new recipe for Spanish Turkey Meatball Stew from the October 2012 issue of the Food Network Magazine.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes 35 minutes of total time, 30 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. I did make a few changes. First I used baby carrots which I sliced instead of full sized carrots. I love using baby carrots in recipes, they are easy to work with since they are never too thick. Instead of using canned chickpeas I made my chickpeas from scratch. A great way to save money is to make a large batch of dried beans and then freeze them in smaller portions. Much cheaper than canned and lower in sodium. For the turkey I used 93% lean. I find that 85% is way too greasy and the more lean varieties are too dry. Since I make my own chicken stock I always have to add salt at the table, but if you use store bought this shouldn't be as much of a problem.

I found that this recipe made more than four servings. There was enough stew for two meals for my family of 4. I did think that it might have been nice if their were some egg noddles to add a little more texture to the soup. I would also suggest adding another cup of chicken broth to make a larger amount of broth. The spiciness was perfect for my two boys, but if you like more of a kick I would suggest adding 1/8-1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper. My two boys were fans of this recipe and add their servings happily, so it was kid friendly (at least in my house).

For the recipe go to Spanish Turkey Meatball Stew.

Turkey, Squash and Black Bean Chili

There were very few foods that my dad could cook growing-up. He would make great fried potatoes, bacon and best of all chili. Everything else he burned or didn't even try to make. There was one time that my dad managed to completely burn boxed macaroni. He forgot that the macaroni was cooking and the water went dry. It was not delicious. However, he could make great chili. I never understood how everything else he made was so bad, when his chili was so great. Since my dad made chili so well I never really made chili when I was younger. I did have a great recipe for vegetarian chili, but since I married a big meat eater I haven't made it in years. After a couple years of marriage I decided that I needed to start cooking more chili since it is so hearty and can make multiple meals. Fast forward to ten years of marriage and I cook chili once or twice a month in the winter. It is one of my favorite winter time meals, it is warm and filling. Yesterday I made a new recipe for Turkey, Squash and Black Bean Chili from the January issue of All You magazine.

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes 34 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 4 servings. I did make a few modifications to the recipe. First, I have been making an effort to make everything I can from scratch. For this reason I made my black beans from scratch in the Crock-pot. I also grind my own turkey. It is cheaper and the texture is so much better. I saved the leftover butternut squash to make squash bread and it was delicious. The recipe cooks the chili on low for 10 minutes. I chose to cook the chili on medium for 10 minutes in order for it to fully thicken. Finally, I was out of regular chili powder so I used ancho chili powder instead. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

My whole family was really happy with this recipe. Normally I make beef chili since it tends to come out more tender and flavorful. This turkey chili was delicious and my husband even commented about how good it was since he normally doesn't like turkey chili. Do not use low-fat ground turkey. Very low-fat turkey will dry out and not have the same flavor as turkey with higher fat content.

For the recipe go to Turkey, Squash and Black Bean Chili.

Spicy Turkey and Green Bean Stir-Fry

This time of the year is always crazy in our house. My youngest son turned 4 last week and between school, cooking and gift buying my time is very limited. I seem to always be running out of time and money. Since I bake a lot during the holidays I also try to make sure that my dinners stay at least somewhat healthy. Plus then I can let myself have more holidays cookies, right? I make a lot of chicken throughout the year. It is a great lower fat option and can be delicious in so many recipes. However, chicken can also get a little boring. I try to add in turkey and other poultry to keep my family's taste buds interested. This week I tried a new recipe for Spicy Turkey and Green Bean Stir-Fry from the December issue of the Food Network Magazine, which looked quick, low in fat, and filling.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 4 servings. I did make a number of changes. First, I have never seen 99 percent lean ground turkey in my area. The only types normally available are 85, 95 and 97 percent. So I bought the 85 percent lean ground turkey. Since my turkey was higher in fat I did not fry it in as much vegetable oil. Plus I drained my ground turkey after it was done browning. I eat gluten free so I used gluten free soy sauce. Always read your labels, since wheat is a top ingredient in many low priced soy sauces. After tasting the recipe as written, I changed a few things. First I doubled the amount of chile paste, soy sauce and added three garlic cloves instead of one. I also served it over brown rice instead of white rice. I stopped serving white rice about 6 months ago and now my two boys prefer brown rice. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

After all the changes this recipe worked much better. As the recipe was written it lacked flavor, but after an increase of the chile paste, soy sauce and garlic the taste worked. Finely grated fresh ginger would be another great addition to the flavor in this recipe. I always use magazine recipes as a starting point to making a better recipe. This is an example of a recipe that with a few changes works out well.

For the recipe go to Spicy Turkey and Green Bean Stir-Fry.

Spicy Turkey Thighs and Bacon Stir-Fry

This was a nice weekend. My family and I spent the Saturday morning at Chili Fest and then went over to our local small farmer's market and I bought a half gallon of grass-fed organic milk that my kids absolutely love. I love relaxing weekends in the last summer/early fall. If I was to pick my favorite time of the year it would without a doubt be fall. The temps are cooler and there are tons of local events that my family and I love going to. This is also the season when I begin to change my menu plans around. Out go the salads and burgers from the summer and in come the soups, stews and chili. One of my favorite dishes that I make frequently in the warmer months is stir-fry. My two boys love stir-fry and enjoy helping me prep all the vegetables. Last week I tried a new recipe for Spicy Turkey Thighs and Bacon Stir-Fry from Everyday Food, which promised 30 minutes of total time and to be inexpensive on my food budget.

This recipe has 11 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 4 servings. I did end up having to go to two separate stores to find all the ingredients. Luckily the grocery store in the suburbs has a large ethnic foods section and they had the sambal pelek so I didn't have to make any ingredient substitution. I did chose to serve the dish over brown rice. I have stopped using white rice and my boys actually have learned to love brown rice, so as I always do I substituted. Additionally, I used honey instead of light-brown sugar. Most importantly I am never able to find turkey thighs in my area, so I substituted turkey breast cutlets. My turkey took longer than the recipe suggested to fully cook, in total I would approximate it took 15 minutes. This might have been due to the fact that I cut my turkey a little thicker than the recipe probably would suggest. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I was worried that this dish might be a little too spicy for my two boys, but they loved it. I really liked the chili sauce. Previously I had never tried that particular type of chili sauce and both my husband and I really enjoyed it. Of course my family loves any dish with bacon and it was interesting making a stir-fry in which it was a main ingredient. I love that this recipe goes together quickly and the prep work is very easy. Overall a quick and inexpensive weekday dinner option.

For the recipe go to Spicy Turkey Thighs with Bacon Stir-Fry.

Southwestern Turkey Meat Loaf

Growing up my father could make two dishes, fried potatoes and meatloaf. We ate a lot of meatloaf on the nights my mother was at work, a lot of meatloaf. Now don't get me wrong, my father's meatloaf was pretty good, it was moist and the sauce had a nice taste. It was just that after having the same meatloaf for the first 18 years of my life, I became a little bit burnt out. So in college and most of the first couple of years of my marriage I didn't have meatloaf. Then about five years ago I slowly transitioned myself back into cooking and eating meatloaf. I discovered that turkey meatloaf can be delicious and a lot less fat than its traditional counterpart. As I was looking through the April issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine I noticed a recipe for Southwestern Turkey Meatloaf which looked simple and delicious.

This recipe has 11 ingredients and 5 optional ingredients. It takes approximately 2 hours of prep and cooking, 30 minutes of which is active and makes 8 to 10 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local store and made no ingredient modifications. Make sure to adequately rinse the canned beans or they will taste metallic. I chose to use tortilla chips for this recipe, it was the one type of chip I could guarantee my boys would eat the leftovers. I used mild picante sauce, but if I was to make this recipe again I think I would use a hotter sauce. The taste was a little too mild for me. For the toppings I chose to use cheese, jalapeno and lime wedges. My meat loaf took a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes exactly, I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I was very impressed by how flavorful this meatloaf turned out. It makes a very large meatloaf. I made one giant meatloaf, but it could just as easily make two smaller meatloaves. The meatloaf was a little dry by itself, but with the cheese and lime it was much more moist. I think if I made this again I would add the whole bottle of picante sauce and add a tablespoon of taco seasoning. With only a teaspoon of seasoning, the flavors weren't bold enough for my liking. For a turkey meat loaf recipe this dish turned out well and my youngest son absolutely loved it.

For the recipe go to Southwestern Turkey Meat Loaf.

Buffalo Sloppy Joes

As I sit here trying to write this post my two boys are running around making as much noise as humanly possible. That by itself would be mildly irritating, but it doesn't help that they are hyper from eating a healthy dinner. They haven't always eaten so healthy. About two months ago I decided to stop baking sweets and snack multiple times a week and instead provide more fruits, vegetables, and dairy for snacks. So far it has been working very well. It took about a month before the complaints and demands for fast food ceased (for the most part). Along with stopping snacks I have also been changing the types of meat that my family consumes. Instead of ground red meat I now substitute with turkey and chicken. I have been surprised by how much my two boys love ground turkey and I use it frequently. The October 2011 issue of Taste of Home magazine had a recipe for Buffalo Sloppy Joes using ground turkey and promising only 30 minutes of total time.

This recipe has 14 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time and makes 8 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store and made no ingredient modifications. I did use homemade chicken stock, I prefer the flavor to store bought and it is much lower in price. For the hamburger buns I used Sunny Buns, a family favorite. I let the mixture cook down slightly after adding all the ingredients, approximately 5 minutes. If you don't allow the mixture to cook down more it will be a little too watery. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I was very surprised by how much my two kids loved the blue cheese in this recipe. I had assumed that they would hate the blue cheese and completely turn up their noses at the whole idea. However, they ate all the leftover cheese out of the fridge after dinner. As for the recipe, it had a great blend of sweet from the hot sauce and brown sugar and is low in fat from the ground turkey. Overall a very quick and child friendly recipe.

For the recipe go to Buffalo Sloppy Joes. (you must be a subscriber to view)

Family Circle Indian-Spiced Turkey Breast

When I started this blog approximately a year ago I made a vow to myself to post all the recipes that I try, good or bad. Most weeks the recipes that I try at least come out okay with a few changes. Then there are the weeks like last week, where every recipe that I try turns out bad. Less than just okay, but literally I am the only one that will eat the leftovers. I should know better with new crockpot recipes. They are by far the easiest recipes to have go bad. When I tried a recipe for Indian-Spiced Turkey Breast from the April 2012 issue of Family Circle magazine, I was hopeful that it would be a great new crockpot recipe with 52 grams of protein.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes 10 minutes of prep and 6 hours of cooking and makes 6 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store and made no ingredient modifications. As written this recipe was literally a disaster. The taste was bland and the texture of the onions was not pleasant. So here are my modifications. First off caramelize the onions before adding to the crockpot. This will help the onions to fully cook and greatly improve the texture. The actual curry sauce wasn't bad, but needed more flavor. I would suggest increasing the total amount of curry powder to 1 tablespoon. The worst part was the turkey breast. It was much better after it had sat in the fridge for a few days and soaked up more flavor. The flavor might be better if the turkey breast was marinated before going in the fridge overnight and then in the crockpot.

When I have a week of recipe disasters it almost makes me want to stop trying new recipes. Then I remember that the whole reason that I decided to start this blog was to help other people find new recipes to try. Along with that idea I want my readers to realize that not every recipe turns out perfect and what needs to be changed to make it better. This recipe didn't turn out well. My husband was great and ate his serving and then politely told me he would take something else for his lunch the next day. My two boys ate one bite and refused to have any more. So all-in-all this recipe requires some work.

For the recipe go to Indian-Spiced Turkey Breast. (registration required).

Mustard Greens

I learned to cook from my mother who came from a very large family of twelve kids, so I learned to cook in bulk from a very young age. I thought it was perfectly normal to have 20 people over for a 'small' Christmas Eve gathering, which my mom would go all out preparing food for. As I got older I feel in love with cookbooks and prepared menus for my parents, complete with appetizers, a main course, and a dessert. Soon after that my mother decided to stop cooking and let me take over. I somewhat walked into that one. After moving 2500 hundred miles away and meeting my husband, I quickly learned that food is cultural. The foods that we all grow up on are greatly influenced by the area in which we live. While I thought salmon, apples, and cherries were common ingredients, I had no idea how to prepare biscuits and gravy or pinto beans. After living in West Virginia almost nine years now I make all the typical comfort foods and am raising two very definite West Virginians (just ask the youngest to say milk). One of my husband's favorite foods that I have taught myself to make are Mustard Greens, here's my easy recipe.

The main thing to remember with mustard greens is to wash them thoroughly. There are large amounts of dirt and sand on greens and if you don't soak them well enough the greens will have bits of grit, which are less than pleasant to eat. I normally make about 2 bunches of mustard greens for a typical meal. While this might sound like a lot, they break down significantly and shrink a great deal.

• 2 bunches Mustard Greens
• Tony Chachere’s seasoning or any Seasoning Salt to taste, normally 1-1 1/2 tsp.
• Ham Hock, Smoked Turkey Leg, or Slab Bacon. I have even used sliced ham when I had nothing else.
• Enough water to cover about 1/4 of a stock pot

Cut the stems out of the mustard greens. The greens can either be kept as is without the stems or chopped depending on your preference. Add the greens, water, meat, and seasoning salt. Let cook on low for approximately 4-6 hours, adding water as needed. Don't throw away the cooking liquid! The potlikker is delicious to dip biscuits or bread into and is my husband's favorite part. If you don't want to use the stove most of the day I have also made greens on low in my crockpot for 8-10 hours and they have turned out just as well.

Mustard greens have become a stable in my house and are very easy to prepare. A great way to get vegetables into your family's diet and are yummy with cheddar biscuits or homemade bread to dip the potlikker. A great homemade, comfort food!

Taste of Home Sweet and Spicy Fusion Burgers

We are big burger eaters in my house and I make about one burger recipe a week during the summer months. Most of the burgers that I make are beef, which my family loves, but I have been trying to make a larger variety of ground meats. I have tried a number of different turkey burger recipes, but haven't found one that my family is in love with. The June/July issue of Taste of Home magazine had a recipe for Sweet and Spicy Fusion Burgers, which looked like a contemporary spin on a turkey burger dish.

This recipe has a large amount of ingredients, 16 in total. However, all the ingredients were easy to find at my local grocery store or I already had them in my pantry. I ground my own turkey meat, which I did in the morning and it took about 10 minutes in total. The prep took me about twenty minutes, with a total time of approximately 30 minutes. I used my indoor grill to prepare the burgers, so my grill time was less than if I had used a traditional grill. Instead of spreading the cheese on the naan, I crumbled it over the burger.

My family thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. The taste of the burger is sweet, with a nice bite from the sriracha. It reheated well the next day when my husband took the leftovers for lunch, since only the burger needed to be microwaved. This burger is a knife and fork burger, it isn't very easy to pick-up and hold, which my two sons got a kick out of. This recipe is one that I will use again, it's a great turkey burger recipe.

For the recipe go to Taste of Home Sweet and Spicy Fusion Burgers.

Everyday Food Mushroom-Swiss Turkey Burgers

My family eats a large amount of burgers. Since they are eaten so frequently I try to change up the recipes, in order that we don't get bored. Additionally, I have been trying to introduce more types of white meat burgers for my family's health. My two boys thoroughly enjoy burgers made with turkey meat, so I have been making an effort to find new recipes using this meat. Recently, an issue of Everyday Food magazine had a recipe for mushroom-swiss turkey burgers, which looked like something my family would enjoy.

This recipe goes together quickly, with the time from prep to finish taking less than a half an hour. I had no problems finding the ingredients at my local grocery store and made no major substitutions. Instead of using an outdoor grill, I used my foreman grill, which worked great. My total grilling time took less time on the indoor grill than the outdoor suggestion.

My two boys loved this recipe. They have always been fans of turkey burgers and mushrooms, so they were pleased to see them combined into one recipe. My husband thought this was one of the best turkey burger recipes that he has every had. I appreciate that it takes less than thirty minutes to prepare, which makes it a great recipe for a weeknight meal.

This recipe is currently unavailable online, but can be found in the July/August issue of Everyday Food Magazine.

Better Homes and Gardens Turkey Burgers with Peaches and Blueberries

The three men in my house are big red meat eaters, especially pork. They seem completely oblivious to the idea of eating a larger variety of proteins in their diets. My four-year-old loves chicken and shrimp, but I have been trying to incorporate other types of white meat. The June issue of Better Homes and Gardens had a recipe for turkey burgers with peaches and blueberries that looked like a great way to introduce a larger variety of white meat into my family's diet.

The ingredients for this recipe were easily found at my local grocery store. I purchased frozen garlic bread and toasted it in the oven, as suggested. The only problem I encountered with the ingredients was the less than stellar peaches available in my area, but they tasted fine after being cooked. This recipe goes together very quickly. There are only 7 ingredients in total and the prep takes less that 15 minutes. I found the total time to take less than the 30 minutes stated, even with grinding my own meat. Instead of using an outdoor grill, I used my indoor Forman grill, which worked perfectly. Finally, I found my peaches took longer to cook than the suggested 5 minutes, closer to 10, but that might have been influenced my my peaches not being ripe enough.

My family thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. Being open faced it provides an alternative to the usual burger recipe and my two boys loved the berries. My husband particularly liked this recipe and it will be one I will use again in the future.

For the recipe go to Better Homes and Gardens Turkey Burger with Peaches and Blueberries. (Registration Required)

Martha Stewart Living Turkey Burgers with Red Onion and Jalapenos

The men in my family can at times be a little overly meat oriented. My husband can go about two days without meat before he gets grumpy and binges out on beef jerky or other meat snacks. My two boys aren't much better, they have been known to eat almost an entire package of bacon. Due to this meat addiction I have been trying to find healthier types of meat to include in my family's diet, such as turkey, fish and chicken. Recently, Martha Stewart Living magazine had a recipe for turkey burgers with red onions and jalapenos. 

The ingredients in this recipe were easily found at my local grocery store. The prep time is next to nothing, with only the red onion needing slicing and cooked and the avocado mashed. I grind my own turkey meat, so that took an additional 10-15 minutes. Instead, of using an outdoor grill I used my Forman grill inside. My total time was about 25 minutes, but that included the time needed to grind the meat. 

My two sons thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. At first they were unsure of the onions and jalapenos, but ended up eating their whole portion. I appreciate that this recipe uses turkey meat, which I have been trying to incorporate more into my family's diet. The red onions bring a sweet taste which nicely compliments the jalapenos. I especially enjoyed the avocado spread, which was a nice contrast with the rest of the burger. This recipe makes a nice alternative to a beef burger without sacrificing on taste. 

For the link go to Martha Stewart Living Turkey Burgers with Red Onions and Jalapenos.

Food and Wine Black-Bean Turkey Chili

I have a hard time finding turkey recipes that my family will enjoy. My husband is a bacon and beef guy, with intermittent amounts of chicken and my sons could eat chicken all day and be content. So when I was flipping through the March issue of Food and Wine and saw a recipe for Black-Bean Turkey Chili, I was intrigued.

This recipe was a big hit in my house. My 2 year old ate his entire bowl and my husband actually heated up the leftovers and ate them the next day. I was only able to find one type of chili powder in my area, so I used 2 tablespoons of chili powder and a frozen, chopped chipotle chili in adobo sauce. The flavor turned out nice, with the right subtle undertones from the chili. I ground my own turkey, which I prefer to the pre-ground supermarket options, the texture is better. Finally, I added cilantro to the chili at the end, which brought out the flavor. This is a recipe that I would definitely use again, especially with the fact that it has 36gm of protein per serving.

You can find the recipe here Black-Bean Turkey Chili.

Reuben Sandwich Leftovers: Everything But the Corned Beef

What do you do with the leftovers from a Reuben sandwich, when you run out of corned beef? The solution in my kitchen is a take on the Rachel sandwich. Since there was no coleslaw to be had in our house I used sauerkraut, Jewish rye, Swiss cheese, Turkey deli-cuts and the Russian dressing from yesterday. After it was put together I grilled it on my waffle/griddle until it was nicely browned. I actually preferred this sandwich to the reuben, but everyone else in the house is still in love with yesterday's sandwich. This sandwich was a great way to use leftovers and tasted delicious!