A New Type of Sloppy...

....Sloppy Joe that is! Or, in this case, a turkey joe because I made it with ground turkey instead of ground beef.

I was going to make Turkey Joe's for dinner anyway, but then I stumbled upon this recipe in my Food Network magazine and decided to make it.

Wow, what a combo of new and interesting ingredients...meat, spices, fruit...very Indian in nature and flavor and a spicy kick as well. Try this recipe, it gives the standard Sloppy Joe a new "face lift" so to speak!

~Spicy Bombay Turkey Joe's~

Sauce

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tbsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Meat

3-4 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 c. raisins

1/4 c. shelled pistachios*

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 lg. onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

salt

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 tsp. honey

1/4 c. milk

4 Buns

For the sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a med. saucepan over med. heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and peppers until the garlic browns a little, about 1 min. Add the tomato sauce and 1 c. water, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 min.

For the meat: Heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil in a lg. skillet over med. heat. Add the raisins and pistachios* and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly, about 1 min. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Return the skillet to med. heat and add the remaining 1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Add the onion, pepper, and cumin and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 5 min. Season with salt. Add the turkey, breaking up the big lumps, and cook until opaque, about 5 min.

Add the sauce to the turkey mixture in the skillet. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 min. Add the honey, milk, and raisins-pistachio mixture and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning. Serve on the toasted buns.

This was, again, a very new and interesting flavor. I really enjoyed the sweet-savory combo and the texture that the meat, fruit, and nuts provided. Hubby was not a fan of the raisins, they made it too sweet for his taste buds, but they can be easily subbed out or picked out.

Try this...its new, its good....

ENJOY!

Sizzle....Sizzle....

POW!

Can ya guess what this it? Huh huh...can ya!!!  IT'S MY 100th BLOG POST!! Ahhhh! I am UBER excited! Can ya tell!! Hahaha!

I thought that I had missed it by a few, but I went through all of my posts and realized that there were a lot of drafts that I had never actually posted. So, I deleted the ones that I didn't want to post any longer, and voila! This is my 100th post! I made it! -->Happy Dance<--

So, for my 100th post I am going to share with you, not one, but TWO recipes. Two sizzling, hot, and spicy recipes. I can tell its spicy when 1. While I am cooking said item, when I breath in the smoke it makes me choke and the peppers go up into my nose and I can feel the burn, and 2. When my Hubby is eating said food, he is visibly sweating...yeah, he likes his food hot...

Here is Spicy recipe number 1:

~Spicy Beef Curry~

1 lb. stir-fry cut beef

3 carrots, diced

1 yellow onion, chopped

1-2 small green chilies, w/ seeds, diced

2 tsp. minced garlic

2-4 c. chicken or beef stock

5 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 c. flour

4 tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. chili powder

2-3 tsp. ginger

1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. salt

In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Saute onion and garlic until softened. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add the carrots and peppers, stir a few times, and then add the stock. 

While the mead is cooking, make a roux. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a med. skillet until warmed through. Over med-low heat, add the flour and stir, cooking until the flour is blended and takes on a pale golden hue. Add curry powder, chili powder, ginger, cayenne pepper, paprika, and coriander. The mixture will be powdery and dry. Take 1/2 c. of the hot liquid from the meat pot and slowly add it to the curry-roux mixture, stirring constantly to form a smooth paste. By spoonfuls, add the curry paste back to the beef mixture, stirring to dissolve. Add the salt.

Simmer the curry for 20-30 min. until the sauce as thickened and the beef and vegetables are tender. While the curry is finishing up, cook some white rice according to package directions. Check the curry a min. or so before serving, if it is too thick, add more stock or water and simmer for a few min. longer. Serve the curry over the rice in a shallow bowl. 

The spicy roux

This curry sure did have a kick! I only had a little bit, it was much to hot for me...but my Hubby sure did like it! He was sweating...really sweating when he was done! I guess I did a good job! ;-)

NOTE: I adapted this recipe by combining various curry recipes and researching what made curry so spicy. Its a big hot pot of the "best of" curry, and our/my Hubby's personal preferences....

And...being on a spicy/hot kick, I also made....

~Spicy Turkey Breakfast Patties~

1 lb. ground turkey

3 tsp. chili powder

2 tbsp. paprika

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder (salt)

1 egg, beaten

1 dried Anaheim chili, diced

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Shape into small disks. Cook in a med skillet over med heat until cooked through, flipping once, about 7-8 min. Place remaining disks on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Remove from pan and put into a plastic baggie. Remove and cook as needed. (No need to de-thaw!)

The spicy ground turkey mix...just look at that color!

These were hot as well! They were really easy to cook up to. When I did cook them and I breathed in the smoke, I got a jolt from all the pepper and spices that were in these...yowza... I served these to my Hubby for breakfast. Serving them as just plain patties, in a breakfast sammi, and I broke a few up and made them into a breakfast burrito! Yummy, yummy!

Restaurant Side Note: One of the first off-base restaurants we tried over here in Okinawa was Cocos Curry House. They make japanese style curry where you can pick your meat, veggies, and other toppings as well as your spice level 1-10 with 10 being the hottest. The first time we went, Hubby started off with a level 5 spice. He said it was alright. Then the next time we went, he bumped it up all the way to a 10! The only difference he commented on was that the heat lingered a lot longer, but it was not that much more "spicy" hmmm..... He later made a comment that my curry was more spicy! That is was better! teheheh I did a little *victory dance* inside. It's good to hear that homemade won over a restaurant!

And what did I get at Cocos? (I'm not much of a curry fan....) I got some garlic naan! It was alright...I think I would have preferred it plain or with garlic in the dough versus cheese and garlic bits on top of the naan...but alas...it met my craving for something starch-y and garlic-y!

Turkey Day Round-Up

So, here are the things that I made for Turkey Day!

Numero Uno was a Mustard Crusted Turkey Breast - twas very yummy and moist. I subbed the panko breadcrumbs that the recipe called for, for plain old breadcrumbs. I think panko would have been a better texture. This tasted good, don't get me wrong, but the texture could have been much better, more crispy....

Numero Dos was some classic MN Wild rice. It has mushrooms, garlic, onions, butter and seasoning salt in it. This is my "its not Thanksgiving without....." dish. My mom makes this EVERY thanksgiving. Now I am doing the same! I made it when I had Thanksgiving out in NC, both in 2008 and 2009! Now it made its appearance in Okinawa in 2010! Where else will it go! Go here for the recipe!

Numero Tres was some Nori Cookies....they were an epic FAIL! They baked up nice....looked like an ordinary cookie, but alas, they did not taste like I thought they would. I assumed they would be a butter cookie that was a tid bit more savory...with the nori and all, but they were soooo salty! I cannot remember if I used salted or unsalted butter or not, but next time (there will be a next time! I am going to make these taste good!) I am going to use unsalted and not add any additional salt! Maybe it was the nori I bought....but I don' think so...

So, that fail brings us to...

Numero Cuatro was a quick batch of Pumpkin Cookies w/ White Chocolate Chips! These were yummy! Just the flavor I was looking for. They were more like a cake-cookie being a little lighter and not hard or crisp. I would for sure make these again!

~White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies~

(adapted from closetcooking.blogspot.com)

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. rolled oats

3/4 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 c. macadamia nuts (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix in the rolled oats, white chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts. Drop by heaping tbsp. onto a baking sheet about 1 in. apart. Bake for 8-10 min or until set. 

Next time I make these, I am for sure going to use the macadamia nuts in them. I just didn't have any on hand. Also, I am going to used actual rolled oats and not quick-cooking oats. I think they absorbed to much liquid, their texture was lost. I really enjoy the texture of an oat in a cookie! Maybe the ones that I have are just too small? Oh well, I have high hopes for the next time I make these cookies!

What is your "It's not Thanksgiving without....."?

ENJOY!

Grillin' Action

I got to fire up the GRILL a few weeks ago! Just a simple supper...nothing too fancy, but, when its done on the grill, it seems so much more special!

Just some sweet Italian turkey sausage and green beans. I tossed the beans with some garlic, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Then I put them on a small baking sheet and grilled them next to the sausage. T'was yummy!!

I had some time this week to edit other pictures besides food-related ones! Here is a sample: can you guess where it is from? Probably not...oh well, it looks cool!

NEWS: Stay tuned for a few restaurant reviews from a recent trip the Hubbs and I took to Raleigh, NC! Great time, great reads!

ENJOY!!

Easy, Yummy Meal(s)

This is what the Hubbs and I had for dinner on Wednesday night this past week: Turkey sausage w/ sautéed mushrooms, herbed barley, and steamed corn. Pretty simple and pretty straight forward. And here are the "recipes"

~Turkey Sausage w/ Sautéed Mushrooms~

5 Sweet Turkey sausages, de-thawed 

5-6 sliced button mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 red onion, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat a skillet over med-high heat. Add olive oil when warm. After chopping the garlic, onions, and mushrooms add them to the skillet, stirring. Saute for about 5 min. or until onions and mushrooms are soft. Once done remove from pan. Add turkey sausage. Cover and cook for 10 min. turning every 3 min until sausages are done, or a thermometer reads 180 degrees.

The herbed barley was left over from lunch the same day. It was plain so I added in some italian seasoning, a dab of olive oil and some salt and pepper. It was yummy. The barley recipe that I made for lunch was easy as well!

~Mixed Vegetable Barley Salad~

1 c. uncooked quick barley

2 c. water

salt 

pepper

olive oil

garlic

red onion

peppers

carrots

cherry tomatoes

Bring the water to a boil in a med stock pot. Once the water is boiling, add the barley, stir, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 10-12 min. Meanwhile, chop all the veggies (amount of each veggie differs based on amount of barley used). I used 2-3 cloves garlic, about 1/4 of an onion, 1/4 of a pepper, 4 baby carrots, and 4-5 cherry tomatoes. Place all the chopped veggies in a med saute pan, with a drizzle of olive oil, over med heat. Saute for about 5-6 min. or until the veggies are cooked though. Fluff barley with a fork when done cooking. Add to sautéed veggies. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Turkey on Tuesday

I am keeping it up! I am so very proud!

I decided to make some turkey burgers for dinner. I love, love, LOVE ground turkey! In burgers, meatballs, meat loaf, tacos, sloppy joes, and just about any other combination that you can imagine. Normally I add some sort of Italian seasonings and parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, but this time I wanted something different. The recipe I used was clipped out of a magazine, not sure which one, but one of the larger known cooking magazines.

~Grilled Turkey Burgers~

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

1/2 tsp. salt

2 garlic cloves*

1 lb. ground turkey

1 10oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained*

1 lg. egg white

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder*

1 tsp. italian seasoning*

1 tsp. chopped thyme*

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing gently. Divide turkey mixture into equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4 in. thick patty. Heat a grill pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 8 min. on each side or until done.

*NOTE: I did not use garlic cloves, I used minced garlic in water, about 2 tsp. I also left out the spinach because I did not have any on hand. I also added the last 3 ingredients to "spice" things up a bit.

Both Hubby and I liked the burgers! The stand-out flavor is the lemon rind, it beings a nice fresh taste to things. I am going to be adding it to my turkey burgers from now on!

ENJOY!

Is it a Holiday?

Wow, what a day...wait, what day is today? Oh yeah, it's THANKSGIVING!!! Sure don't feel like it, at least to me. It was such an odd day. Started out that the hubby and I had plans to go to a family friends for Turkey day dinner, but those plans got changed, okay no problem...lets just roll with the flow. Well, we woke up, went to the gym...came home and hard core cleaned the house with the expectation of my In-laws spending the weekend. Okay, what's next? Right, I need to go to the grocery store to pick up some last minute items...okay, in the car over there and when I get there found out that they had closed up for the day...dang! Its the towns only grocery store, you would think they would stay open later that 3:00. Oh well, went to CVS that was open...didn't get everything that I needed, but made due... So, in the car on the way home and I get a call from my hubby who says that he has to go into work earlier than expected, okay...dang! Can't have a mini Thanksgiving with just the two of us in the afternoon! I tell him that I will have food for him when he gets home, but im hungry! I tell him I might eat, and I do...I made Turkey Meatballs (Yummy!) and stovetop stuffing. I also made some spicy turkey sausage when my hubby got home cuz I ate a good deal of the meatballs...I had more of them and less of the stuffing.

~Easy Turkey Meatballs~

1.25 lbs. Ground Turkey

1 egg

1 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

2 tbsp. ketchup

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. parsley

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Roll into golfball sized balls and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 min. or until the meatballs register 180 degrees on a thermometer.

The hubbs got home and started eating, and then he started to feel a little sick...must have been the lack of food all day and then quickly eating really dense food...and the energy drinks that he said he had at work. Bummer man! I don't want him to be sick! So we waited a while and then had dessert! (I was going to make apple pie, but I couldn't get some ingredients due to the grocery store being closed) I made Special K Bars or Scotcheroos as they are also known by. Then I baked up one pie crust that I prepared the other day, and made Mom's Chocolate Pie that is now firming up in the fridge! I also stared some Wild Rice in the microwave that will cook for a while, then sit and steam overnight...can't wait for Thanksgiving Round II tomorrow!! Sans turkey, but hey, thats fine with me!!

~Scotcheroos~

(aka Special K Bars)

1 c. light corn syrup

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. creamy peanut butter

6 c. rice krispies cereal (or Special K)

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. butterscotch chips

In a medium sauce pan (large enough to hold all 6 c. of cereal and be able to stir) combine the corn syrup and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium high heat stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Once the peanut butter has melted and combined, add in the cereal. Stir to coat completely. Spread mixture into a 9in x 10in baking dish spayed with cooking spray. Let sit. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips over LOW heat stirring constantly to prevent burning. Once melted and combined, pour over peanut butter cereal mixture and spread to cover. Let cool. Cut into bite sized bars and ENJOY!!

On the docket for tomorrow:

1. Finish Wild Rice

2. Finish and Bake Apple Pie

3. Do whatever else that may need to be done...

In the time being, here are some picture and some recipes that I am sure everyone is waiting for!

Pie Crust and Apple Pie Recipe coming soon!!

Mom's Chocolate Pie Recipe here.

Things I have made...

So, here are some of the things that I have baked/cooked in the past month that I actually took time to take some pictures of...due mostly to the lack of lighting in the kitchen! Note to self: in future when looking at kitchen, look at photo potential... Anywho...I have cooked so many meals for both myself and my hubby but here are some that I have photographed!

~Turkey Meatloaf~

1 lb. ground turkey

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c. italian bread crumbs

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/3 c. ketchup

1 tbsp. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl combine the turkey, onion, garlic powder, garlic salt, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly and pat into a loaf pan. Bake for 50 min. In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup and brown sugar. Coat over the meat loaf and bake for another 5 - 10 min. Enjoy!

Biscuits (Plain and Herbed)

Last Night of Large Scale Baking...

So, the other night was the last night of this mens group called "Band Of Brothers" that I have been cooking for. Its just a group of guys, college aged, that come and eat, play some games and have fellowship time. I have made about 7 0r 8 recipes of various degrees trying not to repeat various categories like mexican, or italian. I like variety in my life! So, here is what I have made (to the best that I can recall)

Make your own Tacos

Turkey Joe's

Fancy Mac & Cheese

Pork Loin

Penne w/ Meat Balls

Chow Mein

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Dorito Casserole

(I feel like there might be another one that I can't remember)

Anywho...I made all of these recipes at home, then took them over to church so that they could eat them! There was also some sort of side dish that accompanied them, like garlic potatoes, veggies, salads, cornbread, and other things. And, OF COURSE there was dessert to go along with them, like cookies, cakes, and cupcakes and an apple crisp. I really did enjoy doing this project because I like to share my cooking with other people, for them to be happy and enjoy it! I am sad that it is now over....but, to cheer me up, I am going to share some recipes with my wonderful readers!

~Dorito Casserole~

(From Mixing Bowl Magazine)

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. (1.25 oz.) taco seasoning

1 small onion, chopped

1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup

1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and greed chilies

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 bg. (14 oz.) Dorito nacho cheese chips, crushed

1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Salsa

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain. Add taco seasoning (and water) and cook according to package directions. In a large baking dish, layer the bottom with 1/2 of the crushed chips. Set remaining chips aside. In a large bow, combine seasoned beef and onion mixture, nacho cheese soup, cream of mushroom soup, black beans, and undrained diced tomatoes with chilies. Mix well. Pour into pan with chips. Layer with remaining chips and top with the cheese. Bake for 20 min. or until cheese in melted and edges bubble. Top servings with sour cream and/or salsa if desired. Enjoy!

Browning the onions and ground beef

Adding the taco mix and water

Casserole pre-bake

Casserole post-bake

Nummy Jiffy Cornbread

~Apple Crisp~

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/4 c. quick cooking oats

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

3/4-1 c. butter, melted

2 tsp. cinnamon

6 c. chopped apples

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. water

3 tbsp corn starch

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and 3/4 c. melted butter. Mix together. Add more butter if mixture is dry. Pat 1/4 of this mixture into the bottom of a greased 8 1/2 x 11 in. pan. (will not cover entirely) Mix together the cinnamon and apples in a large bowl and arrange in the pan. In a saucepan boil the sugar, water and corn starch. Once it boils, remove from heat and pour over the apple mixture in the pan. Top with the remaining oat mixture, being sure to distribute evenly. Bake in oven for 1 hr. Let cool slightly and serve with vanilla or caramel ice cream. Enjoy!

Apple crisp pre-bake

Apple crisp post-bake

I hope that you enjoy these recipes and I do recommend them! The casserole was a hit as well as the apple crisp! Good for eaters of all ages!

~Turkey Joe's~

1 lb. ground turkey

1 sm. onion, chopped

2/4 c. brown sugar

1 10.75 oz. can tomato soup

Dash of worcheshire sauce

Pinch of red chili powder/flakes

Brown the onions and ground turkey until translucent and cooked though. Add the can of tomato soup and brown sugar and spices. Let simmer until the soup is no longer watery, about 20 min. Server on buns of choice.

ENJOY!!