Turkey Breast

This is a great option if you need something that you can toss in the crock pot in the morning and come home to a tasty meal at the end of the day. The best part about doing it in the crock pot is that it falls off the bone, and has so much flavor. You could also use the oven.

Ingredients:

• turkey breast, skin removed and rinsed
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup onion (dried)
• 2 TBSP garlic (dried)
• 1/4 cup celery (dried)
• 2-4 TBSP Herbs de Provence

Procedure:

• Add all ingredients to the crock pot. 
• Place on a low setting if you plan to leave it all day so it will not come to a boil.
• Once turkey is cooked through, slice and serve.

Turkey Meatloaf

Let me start off by saying that these smelled so good while they were cooking. I was eager to eat, and was not disappointed. I found the original recipe here. Below are my changes.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground turkey (or chicken)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dry yellow mustard
• 2 tsp black pepper (pepper blend)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp chipotle pepper spice
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (2 cloves minced)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)or 1/2 cup dried onions 
• 2 celery stalks (finely chopped)
  Procedure:
  

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Spray cooking vessel with oil, I used a muffin pan
3. Mix all ingredients well
4. Place mixture in your desired cooking vessel
5. Bake for 40 minutes

Mueller Family Mouse

First, please let me apologize for the lack of posts this week. It has been a busy week helping family and we have been eating out A LOT. Luckily I have managed to stay on track.

I guess you could count this as a guest post since this isn't my recipe. This was provided by a colleague, and is loved and eaten quite a bit by his family. They like to freeze it and use it as an ice cream substitute. If you are wanting something chocolate but not something as thick as my fudge recipe you may want to give this a try.

Ingredients:
1 small tub fat free whipped topping
8 oz cream cheese
2 TBSP fat free milk
2 TBSP cocoa powder (or more to taste)
sweetener to taste (6 packages of Truvia was suggested)

Procedure:
Mix until well blended, enjoy!

Chicken/Turkey Piccata Pasta

I originally had this at a Pampered Chef party and fell in love with it. This recipe has been adapted from their seasonal booklet, but I am not sure which one. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken or turkey, ground or cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 1/2 TBSP lemon pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 of a medium sized onion or a palm full of dehydrated onions
• 16 oz package of orzo pasta, or pasta of your choice
• 1 lemon
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 12 oz jar/can of artichoke hearts in water (DO NOT DRAIN)
• 3.5 oz jar capers, drained
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

1. Place the chicken or turkey in a pot, large enough to cook the meal in, and heat until cooked through. Season with the lemon pepper and onions.
2. While waiting for the meat to cook drain the capers and chop the artichoke hearts (not required, but I think they are easier to eat when in smaller bits). Zest and juice your lemon.
3. Once the meat is done add all the remaining ingredients to the pot. Simmer until pasta is cooked completely.

Makes approximately 8 servings.

Beef Stew

This was a hearty meal that hit the spot. I made a big batch, and will enjoy the leftovers this week for lunch. If you don't want to make as much feel free to cut the ingredients needed by half. 

I know the peas are a no no, but I can't eat stew without them. If you want to be really good omit them. And don't worry, those aren't potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef, cut into pieces
• 4-5 turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 5-6 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 cups beef or vegetable broth
• 2 TBSP corn starch
• 1/2 - 1 TBSP pepper blend
• 1 TBSP dried onions
• 2 TBSP BBQ sauce
• 1 cup peas (I use frozen)

Procedure:

1. Cook the beef in a large pot, I use the pot I intend to cook the rest of the stew in, until it is nearly cooked through.
2. Add the broth, reserving 1/2 cup in a separate container to use in a moment.
3. Add the chopped vegetables, dried onions and BBQ sauce.
4. Allow ingredients to simmer until the vegetables are cooked to your preferences.
5. Add the cornstarch to the 1/2 cup of broth and stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Add to the pot and mix in well.
6. Simmer for a bit longer to allow the cornstarch to cook and thicken the sauce.
7. Add peas if you want them.

Vanilla Cake Doughnuts

I found this recipe here and thought it would be worth a try. After Dukanizing it I will admit that they are pretty good. Not the same as a real doughnut, but a tasty snack.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oat bran flour 
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup sweetener of your choice
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 2 eggs 
• 2 tablespoons fruit puree (I used pears)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For a different flavor, try adding a dash of nutmeg, allspice, cloves and cinnamon
Procedure:

•  Preheat oven to 325F
• Combine all of the wet ingredients plus the sweetener, mix, and set aside. Combine the flour, soda, and powder. 
• Carefully add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stir until well mixed but not too long. 
• Fill a doughnut pan, or doughnut maker to level determined appropriate by the manufacturer, usually about 2/3 full. 
• The batter I ended up with is more liquid than that shown on the original recipe, and it worked out great. Feel free to alter the thickness of your batter to meet your needs, but it can change the density of the end product.
• For the pan, which is what I used, bake for 12-14 minutes. If you have a doughnut maker you will have to experiment a bit to find what works for you.

 I topped some with cinnamon Truvia (think cinnamon sugar), others I put a bit of my chai cream cheese and some cinnamon Truvia. Both were good, but I prefer the cream cheese topping.

This makes approximately 8 doughnuts when using a pan.

Pizza Night

We love pizza around our house, and I was happy when I discovered something that was incredibly good and didn't stray from the approved list. I am sure there are many different types of crust that you could use. I have heard of using a galette, or a crust made from cauliflower. Neither appealed to me, so I tried my pizza on a large portobello mushroom. This works well for me since I love combination pizza, and it is one less thing that I have to chop or slice to put on my pizza. Give this variation a try next time it is pizza night at your house.

Ingredients:

• 1 large portobello mushroom, wiped with stem popped off
• pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Your desired toppings
• Consider:
• Green Peppers
• Onions
• Turkey Sausage
• Turkey Pepperoni
• Fresh Basil
• Chicken, seasoned all sorts of ways

Procedure:

• Preheat your oven to 350F
• Carefully wipe your mushroom inside and out with a slightly damp paper towel
• Place your mushroom on an oven safe pan, with the outside down
• Top your mushroom with your desired toppings
• Bake until the cheese has become melted and starts to brown.

NOTE: The mushrooms will let go of their moisture as the cook, so you will want to use a pan with an edge to contain the moisture.