Recipes Discovered

Okay, so I didn’t actually make this meal, but being stuck in a hotel room, I’m a little limited in my cooking resources. I’m also a little tried of going out to dinner all the time, so I got some frozen dinners for Seth and myself. This one was made by Lean Cuisine as part of the Spa Cuisines, and it was actually really good. The veggies were fresh and crisp, the chicken actually tasted like chicken, and the noodles had a nice bite to them. The sauce was a sweet sesame sauce that coated everything and tasted great. I was pretty surprised, and I would recommend it if you are stuck with only a microwave.

Savory Turkey Burger Recipe

Since Seth and I were stuck packing on the 4th of July, I thought I would at least try to keep with tradition and make burgers for lunch. I’m not a big fan of red meat and prefer a turkey burger to a hamburger, so that’s what we had.
Ground turkey is pretty easy to find in the stores now. I usually go with the ground turkey breast since it’s leaner, but the dark meat is more moist and has a little more flavor. I also sometimes mix the two together. I add a lot of seasoning to the burgers since turkey is drier than beef. Thyme and sage go really well with turkey, and I also add minced onions and garlic (or a minced shallot), salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cranberries are outstanding in these burgers as well. I haven’t tried adding the walnuts. After mixing all the ingredients together lightly (don’t overwork the meat), I shaped them into patties and fried them over medium heat for about 7 minutes a side. I would normally grill them, but the grill isn’t currently in working order.

I have added a variety of cheeses to the burgers, including Swiss, muenster, and cheddar. I decided to go with brie this time, which was interesting because the brie just melted into a thick liquid. I ended up spooning it out of the pan and onto the burgers, which worked out pretty well and tasted great. While the turkey burger obviously doesn’t taste like the traditional burger, I still think it’s very good. It has a terrific flavor from all the seasoning and cheese, plus it retains moisture from the onions and garlic. Served on a wheat bun with lettuce and a little Russian dressing, and it makes one exceptional burger.

Vietnamese Sandwich Recipe

In Hawaii, there is a popular Vietnamese shop called Ba-Le Sandwiches & Bakery. They specialize in serving bahn mi, which is essentially a Vietnamese sandwich. Bahn mi are served on a french bread or baguettes, and are filled with pickled carrots and daikon (Japanese radish), cucumber, onions, and a choice of meat. Lemongrass chicken was always my favorite. These unique sandwiches had amazing flavor and such a range of textures. The bread was crisp on the outside, but fluffy on the inside. The chicken was warm and spicy, but the vegetables were cool and sweet. Since moving, I have been trying to find all of the ingredients to make my own bahn mi, and it has been a long process. I think I finally found the recipes and the ingredients though, so here is my version of the Vietnamese Sandwich. >> Read more

Grilled Pear and Chicken Sandwich Recipe

This sandwich is a great alternative to a traditional grilled ham and cheese. The original recipe from Big Book of 30-Minute Dinnerscalls for an apple, Canadian bacon and swiss cheese. I have made them a lot and they are always good, but I had pears and sliced chicken instead, which I thought would be even more of a unique twist.
The sandwiches are easy to assemble. Just split open English muffins and spread the cut side with Dijon mustard and the outside with butter. Layer thinly sliced pears, deli-style chicken breast, and cheese between the muffins and place in a hot skillet over medium-low heat. They take about 5 minutes on each side, and I usually cover the pan to help the sandwich heat through.
They are simple to make, but have amazing flavor. I really like the texture of the English muffin rather than regular bread for some reason. The fruit mixed with the meat and cheese adds a nice sweetness to the sandwich. I prefer the apple over the pear because the apple also adds a little crispness, but the sandwich really has endless possibilities. Mix and match any fruits, meats, and cheeses you like to create a unique sandwich all your own!

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells Recipe

Generally when I make stuffed shells, I have to make two different kinds to keep everyone happy – ones stuffed with meat and ones stuffed with cheese. I thought this recipe sounded like a good compromise between the two.

I started by boiling a large pot of salted water and adding jumbo pasta shells. I assume 4 or 5 shells per person so a 12 ounce box of shells should serve about 8 people. Even though the directions on the box said to boil the shells for 15 minutes, I only let them go about 5 minutes until they were pliable. This will keep them from falling apart when they bake. I drained the shells and separated them on wax paper to cool.

For the stuffing, I sautéed an onion over medium heat until it began to soften and then I added the garlic and ground turkey. I left the turkey in pretty big chunks and let it cook for a minute until it got a nice crust on the outside, then I begin to break it up unto smaller pieces. I seasoned everything with salt and pepper, and when the turkey was cooked through, I added the chopped artichoke hearts and removed the skillet from the stove. In a large bowl, I combined ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, dried basil and parsley (I didn’t have fresh), salt, and pepper. When it was well mixed, I stirred in the turkey mixture. >> Read more