Turkey Burgers with Roasted Eggplant

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) eggplant
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, divided
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound turkey tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon less-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon Marmite
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
4 Bibb lettuce leaves
4 (1/4-inch-thick) tomato slices

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Lightly coat eggplant with cooking spray; wrap eggplant in foil. Place eggplant on a jelly-roll pan; bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until very tender, turning once. Remove from foil; cool slightly. Cut eggplant in half. Carefully scoop out pulp to measure 1 1/4 cups; discard skin. Place pulp in a food processor; process until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup pureed pulp. Combine remaining pulp, 1 tablespoon parsley, 2 teaspoons oil, juice, and garlic. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

3. To prepare grinder, place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die plate in freezer 30 minutes or until well chilled. Assemble the grinder just before grinding.

4. Arrange turkey pieces in a single layer on jelly-roll pan, leaving space between each piece. Freeze 15 minutes or until meat is firm but not frozen. Combine meat and remaining 2 teaspoons oil in large bowl; toss to combine. Pass meat through meat grinder completely. Immediately pass meat through grinder a second time. Combine reserved 1/4 cup eggplant puree, turkey, remaining 1 tablespoon parsley, soy sauce, and Marmite in a large bowl. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill.

5. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

6. Lightly coat patties with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place patties on grill rack, and grill 4 minutes until well marked. Carefully turn patties over, and grill 3 minutes or until done. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1 tablespoon eggplant mixture, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, and top half of bun. (Reserve remaining eggplant mixture for another use.)

Comments:
Ok, who really grinds their own turkey? Please... quit making the rest of us look like lazy cooks. Go to the grocery store and buy Jennie O like a normal person. Anyway, a little time-consuming on the eggplant prep (I actually ended up roasting and pureeing it the night before.) Good results, if not exactly earth-shattering. The eggplant in the burger itself is pretty much invisible. The condiment on top is interesting, but not really the best thing I ever ate. I do have some leftover tortillas so I plan to use the leftovers as a dip. We'll see how that goes.

Turkey, Kale, and Rice Bake

From Eating Well



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
1 cup thinly sliced celery
4 cups slivered kale leaves
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-fat, no-salt-added cottage cheese
1 cup instant or quick-cooking brown rice
6 ounces smoked turkey breast or smoked tofu, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add kale and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the kale begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cottage cheese, rice, turkey (or tofu), water and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

3. Stir the rice mixture, increase the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Spread cheese on top. Broil until the cheese is bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.

Comments:
Adam picked this one after we got a Nook subscription to the magazine. Kind of surprised me, actually. This doesn't seem like his usual area of food choices. It was ok, I guess. I'm not too big a fan of the dark, leafy greens so the kale was a struggle, but overall it was fine. Not sure I'd make it again. Awful lot of prep and effort for something just so-so...

Adirondack Red Wing Burgers

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery with leafy tops, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or chicken
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
4 sandwich-size english muffins, toasted
4 deli slices cheddar cheese
1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/4 cup pickle relish

Directions:
1. In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Reserve the skillet. Mix the turkey, dill and poultry seasoning into the vegetable mixture; season with salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties.

2. In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO over medium heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until firm, about 12 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the butter to the skillet to melt, then stir in the hot sauce. Add the patties to the sauce, turning to coat. Top each with some of the blue cheese and a cheddar slice. Tent with foil, turn off the heat and let stand until the cheese is melted.

3. Top each muffin bottom with some lettuce, a patty, some relish and a muffin top.

Comments:
Relatively easy, although I always seem to burn the first side of a turkey burger. Nice flavor, but Adam didn't like the English muffin bun - too dry.

Southwestern Turkey Burgers

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey breast
1/3 cup crushed baked tortilla chips
1/3 cup bottled salsa
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
4 (1.5-ounce) light wheat hamburger buns
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves
4 slices ripe tomato
1/4 cup bottled salsa

Directions:
Combine first 8 ingredients. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat patties with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes. Carefully turn patties over; cook 4 minutes or until done.

Top bottom halves of buns with lettuce and tomato slices. Place patties over tomato slices, and top each with salsa and top halves of buns.

Comments:
Man, I could not get a decent picture of this. Then Adam tried and ended up with obvious cat foodage on the counter. Gah! Oh well. These were really good. I don't like a lot of junk on my burger so I skipped the lettuce, tomato, and extra salsa and it tasted just fine.

Terrific Teriyaki Burgers

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
SAUCE:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened crushed pineapple
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

BURGERS:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened crushed pineapple
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound lean ground turkey
6 slices unsweetened pineapple
6 hamburger buns, split and toasted
6 lettuce leaves
6 slices tomato

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple, ginger, garlic and sesame oil; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the egg white, bread crumbs, onions, crushed pineapple and 3 tablespoons reserved ketchup mixture. Crumble beef and turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into six burgers.

Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear, brushing occasionally with remaining ketchup mixture.

Grill or broil pineapple slices for 2-3 minutes on each side or until heated through. Serve burgers and pineapple on buns with lettuce and tomato.

Comments:
I didn't read the recipe too well prior to making these so I didn't have any turkey thawed. So these are all beef. I also thawed a whole pound instead of the half-pound I thought I had pulled out so they were ginormous. And they fell apart. But they tasted good! That's what counts, right?

Apricot-Glazed Turkey Breast

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash salt
1 bone-in turkey breast (5 pounds)

Directions:
Combine the preserves, vinegar, pepper and salt. Place turkey breast on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan.

Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170°, basting every 30 minutes with apricot mixture. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

Comments:
My breast took about 2 hours and 20 minutes to get to 170. It always seems to take longer than the recipe tells me, no matter how much extra time I allot for it. Gah. Adam really liked the glaze. I don't eat the skin and it didn't really get into the meat that I noticed. Maybe I'll use this same glaze on some boneless, skinless chicken and see what happens.

Turkey Strudel

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
7 tablespoons butter
2 onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 pounds ground dark-meat turkey
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted and finely chopped
8 ounces baby spinach
Salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
9 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, cardamom and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the pine nuts.

2. Return the skillet to high heat. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain, squeezing out the excess liquid. Chop the spinach and add to the turkey mixture; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg.

3. In a microwave, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, lay out a sheet of phyllo and brush with some melted butter. Place another sheet on top and brush with more butter. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and butter.

4. Mound the turkey mixture lengthwise into the center of the phyllo. Fold the short ends over the filling and brush with butter. Fold a long end over the filling, then roll up to enclose. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Halve the roll crosswise, then cut each half diagonally.

Comments:
I used puff pastry instead of phyllo as usual and it turned out fine. I also left out the butter completely, cooking the onions in olive oil and the turkey in its own fat. Overall, good flavor. Not spectacular.

Sausage and Broccoli Risotto

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine (or more chicken broth)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage
1/2 bunch broccoli, rinsed and chopped

Directions:
1. To make the risotto, bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and keep at a simmer.

2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the outer shell is lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the wine, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the broth and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy. The cooking time from the first addition of broth should be 20-24 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

4. Meanwhile, spray a nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli; cover and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir the sausage and broccoli into the risotto.

Serves 6. POINTS Value per serving: 6

Comments:
This was good. Adam wanted more sausage though. I thought it was fine as it was. That always seems to be the case. Might try this again with other meats. Risotto is kind of time-consuming to make and I was surprised that this was good even without the traditional handful of parmesan cheese at the end.

Southwest Turkey Burgers

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 poblano chiles (about 1/2 pound)
1 ounce French bread baguette
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound ground turkey breast
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices tomato
4 green leaf lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Cut poblanos in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place poblanos, skin sides down, on grill rack; grill 10 minutes or until blackened. Place poblanos in a small zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and dice.

3. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add poblanos, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, cumin, and next 4 ingredients (through turkey); gently mix just until combined. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions; shape each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done.

4. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and mayonnaise. Top bottom half of each bun with 1 tomato slice, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 patty, about 1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise mixture, and 1 bun top.

Comments:
I ended up making these indoors since it was pouring out the night they were on the menu. Worked out ok that way. These are spicy, no doubt about it. But still very good.

Monterey Jack Turkey Burgers

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
3/4 pound ground turkey breast
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 strips turkey bacon
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
1 tomato, cut into 4 slices

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, shallots, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and pepper. Blend in the cheese. Form into 4 burgers.

2. Heat an indoor ridged grill sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the burgers until cooked through, 6-8 minutes on each side. When you turn the burgers, add the bacon to the grill. Cook until crisp, 3-4 minutes per side. Serve the burgers in th ebuns, with the bacon and tomato slices.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 6

Comments:
These were simple to make, but ended up being pretty bland. I would have thought the cheese would have given the burgers some kind of punch, but I couldn't even taste the cheese. Just tasted like a plain old turkey burger to me.

Spaghetti with Spicy Turkey Meat Sauce

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound ground turkey
Salt and black pepper
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:
1.In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

2.Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Increase the heat to medium-high, crumble in the turkey, season with salt and black pepper and cook until the turkey is just no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cheese.

3.Toss the pasta with the sauce and 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water, adding more water to thin the consistency, if desired. Serve immediately with more cheese.

Comments:
I really liked this, but what's not to like? Mmmm. Carbs. And yes, those are really whole wheat noodles. Trying to eat more healthfully and all...

I generally ignore the "add starchy cooking water to the sauce" instructions since I prefer a thicker sauce. This recipe was no different. In fact I was kind of afraid it was going to be totally runny, but it really thickened up in the last few minutes of cooking. Yay!

Potato Salad with Smoked Turkey and Gruyere

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
4 cups salted water
1 pound quartered small red potatoes
1/2 pound smoked turkey breast
6 ounces gruyère cheese
3 ribs celery
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for topping
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 chopped granny smith apple

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups salted water and 1 pound quartered small red potatoes to a boil. Cook until crisptender, about 5 minutes; drain and let cool. Meanwhile, slice 1/2 pound smoked turkey breast, 6 ounces gruyère cheese and 3 ribs celery into matchsticks. In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill and 1 tablespoon dijon mustard. Add the potatoes, turkey, cheese and celery and toss. Stir in 1 chopped granny smith apple. Top with dill sprigs.

Comments:
This was really good. The crunch of the celery, the sweet tartness of the apples. Great combination of flavors and textures. Plus, it's potatoes, so what's not to like? :)

Oven-Roasted Turkey

Based on a recipe from Recipezaar.com



Ingredients:
1 8- to 10-pound turkey, thawed with giblets and neck removed
4 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs sage
1 lemon, halved
1 apple, halved
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

Directions:
Wash the turkey and pat it dry. Place all of the herbs, all the butter, half the lemon and half the apple into the body cavity. Place the other half of lemon and apple into the neck cavity. Truss the turkey with kitchen string or dental floss. Rub canola oil all over the turkey and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Cover the turkey loosely with foil.

Roast in a 325 degree oven for 2 1/4 hours. Remove foil. Continue roasting 30-45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 180 degrees. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Comments:



I never really saw the big hullabaloo about cooking a whole turkey. Yes, it takes some time, but it's kind of hard to mess up. Anyway, combined a couple "recipes" to get some flavor and time ideas. It turned out quite well, I think. Then Adam took the leftovers, tried to make jerky from them, and turned them into turkey pellets. Ha!

Santa Fe Turkey Skillet

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 (1/2-pound) turkey tenderloins, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
Cooking spray
8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:
1. Combine turkey and chili powder, tossing until turkey is coated. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey, and sauté 5 minutes or until done. Remove turkey from skillet; set aside.

2. Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add green onions and garlic to skillet; sauté 2 minutes. Add beans and next 4 ingredients; cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated.

3. Add turkey and tomatoes to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thoroughly heated.

Comments:
I liked this a lot but Adam thought it could use more spice. I used ground turkey instead of tenderloins and a regular tomato rather than cherry ones. It had a good mixture of flavors, textures, and colors. Might even be better with some cheese on top...

Turkey Sauté with Cranberry-Port Sauce

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds turkey breast slices
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 (16-ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup port wine
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Sprinkle turkey with pepper and salt. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of turkey slices; cook 5 minutes or until browned on both sides, turning once. Remove from skillet, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining turkey.

2. Add cranberry sauce, wine, and vinegar to skillet; bring to a boil. Return turkey to skillet; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes, basting turkey with sauce

Comments:
This picture looks kind of unappetizing, but this was really good, I promise. The tartness of the cranberries and vinegar, the richness of the wine, the smooth turkey. Wonderful and really quick to throw together too.

California Bacon Burger

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 strip turkey bacon, halved
1 tbsp egg substitute
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1/4 pound ground turkey
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
3/4 ounce thinly sliced cheddar cheese
1 whole-grain hamburger bun
1 tbsp mayo
tomato slices and thinly sliced red onion to taste

Directions:
Place a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the bacon in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until crisp. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the egg subsitite and the breadcrumbs. Add the turkey, parsley, Worcestershire, and jalapeno. Mix well. Shape into a patty.

Place the patty in the same pan the bacon was in. Cook for about 2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another two minutes. Flip the patty, cover it with the cheese, and cook for an additional two minutes, or until the turkey is no longer pink.

Toast the bun. Place the bun bottom on a serving plate. Spread half the mayo onto it. Top with the patty, bacon, tomato, and onion. Spread the remaining mayo over the inside of the top of the bun and flip onto the burger.

Comments:
Seriously, after only three days of cooking solely from this book I'm going crazy with the stupid directions. People who are fat know how to cook. How do you think we got fat? Argh! After this week I'm not going to cook from this book for a long time. That's all I can say right now. It's a great book with good recipes and ideas, but it's written for complete morons. (Almost as bad as that horrible glycemic index cookbook.)

Ok. I feel better now.

What you see in the directions above is what I actually did, which is not what you'll find in the book. These were pretty good for not having any salt or pepper in them. I skipped the turkey bacon and onion on mine and didn't feel deprived. Adam liked it so that's really what matters.

Turkey (or Chicken) Schnitzel with Tots and Apple-Cranberry Sauce

From Everyday With Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
4 cups frozen puffed potatoes, such as Ore-Ida Tater Tots
4 mcintosh apples, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 cup apple cider
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries (a generous handful)
Flour, for coating
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (about a palmful)
About 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 turkey breast cutlets, pounded 1/8 inch thick
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 lemon wedges

Directions:
1. Bake the potatoes according to package directions until golden and crisp.

2. In a large saucepan, bring the apples, cider and cranberries to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook, mashing the apples into a sauce, for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs on 3 separate plates. Season the breadcrumbs with the poultry seasoning and nutmeg. Season the turkey cutlets with salt and pepper and coat them in the flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs.

4. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the cutlets 2 at a time and fry, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges, potatoes and apple-cranberry sauce.

Comments:
Pretty simple, although I used chicken instead of turkey. Adam helped with the pounding of the chicken. He always likes doing that - male agression or something. He really whacks them good... The cranberry-apple sauce was really good. It gets pretty sweet, even with no added sugar, and is a nice alternative to ketchup for the tater tots.

Mom's Turkey Meatloaf

From Ellie Krieger via The Food Network (also seen here.)



Ingredients:
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1 medium onion, peeled
2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to15 minutes before slicing.

Comments:
I halve this recipe since it's just the two of us and two pounds of turkey is a lot. It works out pretty well. I've made this quite a few times and it always turns out. This time I made some mashed red-skinned potatoes and boiled up some edamame to go with it since meatloaf kind of begs to be paired with carbs. Yum.

Spicy Turkey (or Chicken) Jack Flats

From Everyday With Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 pound store-bought pizza dough
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Butter-Basted Turkey meat
One 5-ounce bag baby spinach
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:
1. Position a rack in the lower half of the oven, place an inverted large baking sheet on the rack and preheat to 500°. Divide the pizza dough into 6 pieces and roll into balls; transfer to a lightly floured surface and cover with a towel.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 12 minutes.

3. Stretch the dough balls into 7-inch rounds. Brush each round with 1 teaspoon olive oil; place on 3 sheets of parchment paper.

Comments:
I altered the recipe a little bit. (What? I never do that...) I used chicken because, well, that's what I have. This was from the November issue and I guess you're supposed to use leftover turkey. I do have a turkey downstairs in the freezer, but since we didn't host the meal here, I had no leftovers. Also, I skipped the pizza dough fuss and just bought flatbread at the store. Much easier if you ask me. So, other than that I stuck to the plan. These were tasty - not too spicy.

Spicy Turkey Meatloaf

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.

3. Combine mushroom mixture, panko, and next 8 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; stir well to combine. Shape turkey mixture into a 9 x 5–inch rectangle on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.

4. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and nutmeg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spread ketchup mixture evenly over top of meat loaf; bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Comments:
I skipped step #2 and just added some minced onions and garlic powder into the turkey mixture. It turned out quite well although it took closer to 55 minutes to get to 160. Just a little spice from the chile sauce in the background so I could deal. Adam was unimpressed. Shocking... He could probably eat the chile sauce straight from the bottle and be unaffected. In any case, I'll probably make this again. It wasn't difficult and came out pretty good.