Step One
Know how much oil you need in advance. Before you even think about cooking the bird or brining it for that matter make sure the turkey is going to fit in your pot and see how much oil you are going to need. This is easily done by placing the bird in the pot and filling it with water until the bird is almost fully submerged. Remove the bird and the remaining amount of water will be the amount of oil needed. This is also a good time to make sure the amount of oil needed is not going to be above your fill line. If it is above your fill line then you are going to need a smaller bird (which means you are going to have to cook this one a different way.) It is good to know how large of a bird you can cook in your fryer. I can cook up to a 20 lb bird but find for myself anything above a 13lb bird makes too much of a mess and is too unwieldy for me to handle. Which leads me to...
Step Two
Practice moving the turkey around on the hanger with the hook handle. Depending on your set up this could be a little different. Mine comes with a large turkey stand with a ring that comes out of the top of the bird. The hook latches on to the ring and at the end of the bar is a Triangle handle to grip. This is a weird way to move around food and it is not a bad idea to practice moving the bird around like this. You can practice when filling the pot with water and when putting the turkey in your large pot to brine. Any practice is going to help you when it comes to carefully dipping the turkey into the hot oil. There is no stopping once you get to that point and you better know you are going to be strong enough and practiced enough not to drop the turkey and burn down half of your city.
Step Three
We brine the turkey so it is super moist but have you ever dropped something damp into a pan full of hot oil. It spits and splatters everywhere. You scream, "Ow ow oh ahh owie (then a few cuss words for good measure,)" as the oil hits your hands, arms and in most of my cases my feet. Well now imagine that you have a damp 13 lb turkey dangling on a rod and you are dropping it into 3 gallons of hot oil... Yeah... That is really going to hurt! So when you remove the bird from the brine make sure the Turkey is super dried off on the outside by really rubbing it down with a large towel. Now a disclaimer. I have a rub that I put on the turkey that uses some lime juice. It spits and splatters before frying it onto the crust. I know this is going to happen and prepare for it. So if you want to use a rub like I use make sure to read the next step!
Step Four
Suit up properly. For heaven sakes wear shoes, oven mitts (or better yet wielding gloves,) pants, long sleeves and an apron. It may be a bit over kill but a wielders mask is not a bad idea. I tell you below to turn off the flame before starting to dip the bird because that will help with any oil that may drip into the flame and flare up, well there is no way to stop the hot oil from splattering and hitting you if something goes wrong so wear proper attire! Also have your wits about you... Yep the next and final step.
Step Five
Don't drink in alcohol until the bird is done cooking, you have removed it from the pot and it is sitting on the counter covered in aluminum foil! I have a scar from an oil burn on my right hand that is about the size and shape of a jumbo Lima bean, why? Because I had a beer, put the bird into the oil, decided to have a couple more beers as I relaxed with friends while it cooked... Internal temp gauge goes off, I jump up to get the turkey, realize I'd had more to drink than I had though but due to my brain being nice and fuzzy decided I could still handle a dangerous situation with just a t-shirt and shorts on... I manhandled the turkey out of the oil and in the process some of the oil splashed out towards my feet, I jumped back luckily avoiding the oil but in the process dropped the turkey back into the oil causing oil to shoot up through the cavity onto my hand. Fried hand is not what you are trying to make here... So avoid the booze until the bird is done!
Taste Level: VGR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 15-20 min.
Cook Time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: 2
I want no heat in the kitchen this summer, So I've been testing meals on the grill outside while we shop for an outdoor oven. These amazing tasting nachos were made along side some fajitas for a Mexican themed potluck we had at the house. I really just tossed them together with leftovers from the night before fully thinking that it was going to be a failed experiment. I really didn't think I would be able to grill nachos without burning them somehow or just making a complete mess. I made sure the grill would close and just let them cook until all the cheese was melted. I tossed them on the counter and took a photo just in case they were decent. I didn't even try any of them until our friend Josh said, "Man those nachos are good, you can really taste the grilled flavor." I had to dig in to check it out and what do you know? They really did taste grilled! It was so tasty I and everyone that tried them polished them off before the fajitas were even touched. A very successful grilling experiment indeed! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Nachos
4 orange vine sweet mini pepper (sliced, 1/2 orange bell pepper can be substituted)
1/3-1/2 cup chipotle cheddar (shredded)
1/3-1/2 cup aged sharp cheddar (shredded)
3-4 tbsp cup salsa de chile fresco
1/4-1/3 cup lite sour cream
2-3 tbsp pickled sliced jalapenos
1 large bag Mexican style corn tortilla chips
1 handful of mesquite chips
Meat
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 limes freshly squeezed juice
1/2 shallot (chopped)
1/2 jalapeno (seeded, diced)
1/4 bell pepper (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 pinches garlic powder
2 pinches onion powder
2 tbsp tequila
1 1/2 tsp fresh cilantro
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
kosher salt (to taste)
1 1/4 tsp olive oil
Refried Beans
1/2 can low fat low sodium refried black beans
1 tbsp crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp sweet onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (diced)
1/4 jalapeno (seeded, diced)
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 pinches cumin
2 pinches cayenne
kosher salt (to taste)
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
1 tsp olive oil
Mesquite Chips
Soak chips in water for 15-30 min. Remove chips from water and allow to dry for a couple of minutes but make sure to keep moist. You can add chips directly to lava rocks or coals or wrap them in aluminum foil with holes poked into the top.
Meat
In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is heated add shallot, garlic and jalapeno cooking for 5 minutes stirring often. Fold meat, seasonings and green bell peppers until mixed well and cook stirring often for 7 minutes. Add lime juice and tequila and let cook for 5 minutes stirring every other minute. Finally fold in cilantro and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit until ready to use.
Beans
In a medium sauce pan heat olive oil over medium heat. Once heated add seasonings, jalapeno, garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Fold the remaining ingredients into the sauce pan, turn heat down to medium low, cover and let simmer for 7-10 minutes stirring often. Remove from heat and let sit until ready to use.
Nachos
Heat grill to medium heat (add mesquite chips 5 minutes before putting nachos on grill.) *Depending on your grill you may need to remove extra grills or adjust heat down. I cooked these on the middle grill and my top grill cleared them when the top was closed. You may have to remove top grills or cook on a lower grill with the heat turned down a little.*
Mix both types of cheese together in a small dish.
Lay out a large enough piece of aluminum foil to fully cover the bottom of a large 12-14 inch baking safe plate (the aluminum foil is to keep the plate from turning black.) For the moment don't pull aluminium foil up around plate. Make a layer of tortilla chips making sure that no plate is showing. Now layer your nachos:
Sprinkle 1 handful ground turkey meat over chips, sprinkle with a small handful of mini pepper slices and a small handful of cheese mixture.
Make a second layer of tortilla chips that almost completely coat the first layer and gently press down on the chips (don't press to hard or you will break the chips.) Sprinkle 3 tbsp-1/4 cup refried beans over nachos, sprinkle with a small handful of mini peppers, then sprinkle a small handful of cheese and drizzle about 1 tbsp of salsa over the top.
Make a third layer of tortilla chips that almost completely cover the second layer and press them down gently. Sprinkle 3 tbsp-1/4 cup refired beans over nachos, sprinkle 1 handful of turkey meat, sprinkle the remaining mini peppers, then sprinkle a small handful of cheese and drizzle about 1 tbsp of salsa over the top.
Make a fourth layer of tortilla chips that almost completely cover the third layer and press them down gently. Sprinkle the remaining beans over nachos, sprinkle the remaining turkey meat over nachos, then sprinkle a small handful of cheese and drizzle about 1 tbsp of salsa over the top.
Make a fifth layer of tortilla chips that almost completely cover the fourth layer and press them down gently. Drizzle the remaining salsa over nachos, sprinkle the remaining cheese over nachos and top with sliced jalapeno peppers. Secure aluminum foil to plate by pinching it in four corners to the plate.
After adding mesquite chips to grill 5 minutes prior, place aluminum foiled plate onto middle grilling rack and grill for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. *As noted above you may need to remove grilling racks prior to heating up grill or place nachos on bottom grill and turn down the heat. As long as all the cheese is melted these are going to be tasty!*
Remove nachos from grill and place on a hot pad. Top with dollops of sour cream (sprinkle a little cumin over the sour cream for a garnish if you like) and serve hot!
Taste Level: VGR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 15-20 min.
Cook Time: 15-20 min.
Difficulty: 1
Lately I've been trying to make meals with ingredients I'm not the fondest of. It is almost unheard of that Zo and I have some kind of turkey product within a months time. But hey, who doesn't love a challenge? I decided that we had a whole lot of left over tostadas that I needed to get rid of and instead of grabbing out chicken, beef or pork I was going to make some Turkey Tostadas. Add in some tequila and you have Tequila Turkey Tostadas! I just went with the usual mixture of ingredients I would use to make ground beef tostadas except I used shallot in lieu of onion. I don't know exactly why I tried this bit the shallot flavor really went better with the turkey. In my opinion turkey is a softer bird flavor with one hell of an after bite. the shallot and tequila I feel really smoothed out the flavor of the turkey. You get that turkey flavor but it is mixed in with other strong flavors ending up in one of my favorite ground turkey recipes. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Meat
1 lb ground turkey
1 limes freshly squeezed juice
1 shallot (chopped)
1 jalapeno (seeded, diced)
1/2 bell pepper (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup tequila
1 tbsp fresh cilantro
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
kosher salt (to taste)
2 tsp olive oil
Refried Beans1 can low fat low sodium refried black beans
2 tbsp crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup sweet onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (diced)
1/2 jalapeno (seeded, diced)
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
kosher salt (to taste)
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
Misc
1/2 cup chipotle cheddar (shredded)
6-8 corn tostadas
1/3 cup salsa de chile fresco
1 avocado (sliced)
1/3 cup lite sour cream
Meat
In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is heated add shallot, garlic and jalapeno cooking for 5 minutes stirring often. Fold meat, seasonings and green bell peppers until mixed well and cook stirring often for 7 minutes. Add lime juice and tequila and let cook for 5 minutes stirring every other minute. Finally fold in cilantro and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Beans
In a medium sauce pan heat olive oil over medium heat. Once heated add seasonings, jalapeno, garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Fold the remaining ingredients into the sauce pan, turn heat down to medium low, cover and let simmer for 7-10 minutes stirring often. Turn heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
Tostadas
Lay out the ingredients and let everyone build each tostada with their desired amounts of ingredients. (Personally I like to make them in this order, beans, salsa, meat, sour cream, avocado and then cheese.) Enjoy!
Taste Level: VGR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 25-30 min.
Cook Time: 15-20 min.
Difficulty: 1
After cooking these burgers I was having trouble coming up with a name for them. We had just purchased the vegetables that went into the burger at the farmers market so I really wanted to have the garden in the name. But when I said, "Garden something burger," It seemed misleading. I mean this was no veggie burger! Then Andrew said, "the Garden Gobbler!" It was basically the perfect name, so that is what I named it!
Ingredients:
Burgers
1 1/2 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp 1 tsp carrots (shredded)
1/4 cup green bell peppers (seeded, chopped)
1/4 cup red onions (chopped)
1/4 jalapeno (seeded, diced)
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
2 tbsp Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup ranch dressing (instructions below)
3 garlic cloves (diced)
Misc
1/4 cup Brummel and Brown
1 tsp garlic powder
4 potato buns
1/4 cup ranch dressing (instructions below)
4 slices habanero jack
3 tbsp Root beer BBQ sauce
Ranch
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp fresh baby dill (chopped)
1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4-1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
kosher salt (to taste)
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
Misc
Spread 1/2 tbsp of Brummel and Brown onto inner side of each bun and then sprinkle 1/8 tsp of garlic powder over each bun. Sit to side until ready to use.
Ranch
In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Burgers
In a medium mixing bowl mix together all burger ingredients except the garlic until even. Separate mixture into four even amounts and form four hamburger patties. Lay patties on plate and sprinkle diced garlic over the tops of the patties, gently press the garlic into the tops of the patties.
Heat grill to medium high. Once heated place patties garlic side up on medium grill and cook for 7-8 minutes. Flip patties and grill for another 7-8 minutes or until burgers are cooked through.
(The last two minutes of cooking add garlic bread buns to top grill and toast. The last minute of grilling add cheese to burgers, if not fully melted don't worry, when you remove the burgers from the grill the cheese will continue to melt.)
Spread 2 tsp of BBQ sauce on all the bottom buns add patty and then top with 2 tsp-1 tbsp of the ranch. Serve hot and enjoy!
Taste Level: GR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10-15 min.
Cook Time: 40-45 min.
Difficulty: 1
Ground turkey! YUCK! Growing up I hated when my parents substituted ground turkey for ground beef. Sure it is better for you but WHERE'S THE BEEF?!? Remember that commercial with the old lady saying "Where's the beef?" I do not remember what it was a commercial for but I remember laughing every time she said it! Anyway back to turkey being a dreaded ingredient as a kid. Turkey burritos, turkey burgers, turkey meat loaf, I hated them all. It was not till my early teens that I started not minding the flavor, even now you will never see me excited about ground turkey in any form. So why do I cook it? Does Zo love it? No, Zo hates turkey. We figure though you have to try everything you do not like now and then because you might find you like it. We happen to find that we liked this turkey loaf. As a matter of fact Zo said it is the best Turkey meat loaf she has ever had. That is saying a lot because Zo's mother only made turkey meat loaf. So if I beat out 25 years of turkey meat loaf making it must be pretty decent. I told Zo I hated it but then she laughed because I ate almost the whole thing. I was just being a bump on a log. It really was tasty. I just did not want to admit that I liked the turkey loaf. If I did we might have to eat Turkey all the time! Then again I would not mind eating this Turkey loaf all the time! It is really good! My only problem I had with this recipe was figuring out what to call it. I went with East Florida Turkey Loaf because ground Turkey reminds me of growing up in Tampa, Fl. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
2 slices deli cut smoked bacon
4-5 slices of salami
1 cup button mushrooms (diced)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil (diced)
1/4 cup fresh chives (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/4 tsp Louisiana hot sauce
1/2 tsp essence
1/4 smoked paprika
1/3 cup medium sharp cheddar (shredded)
ketchup (about 2-3 tbsp)
1 1/4 tsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Coat the inside of a small bread loaf pan with olive oil (I used a normal size bread loaf pan and just set the loaf to one side.)
Mix all ingredients by hand except ketchup, cheese and olive oil in a medium mixing bowl till blended well. Form the mixture into a 6-7 inch loaf using your hands (it should be manageable but if not lay it out on a piece of wax paper to form.) Place loaf into oiled pan and spread cheese over loaf. Now drizzle the ketchup over loaf, cover with aluminium foil and bake 35-40 minutes. Remove the aluminium foil and allow to cook an additional 4-5 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool 5-7 minutes before serving. Serve either alone or as a sandwich!
Taste Level: GR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10-15 min.
Cook time: 20-25 min.
Difficulty: 1
Unlike soups I always enjoyed stews and chowders as a child. They were thicker and suited me just fine. There was a canned stew that I use to look forward to having at the hunting camp. I knew that Paw-pa would have some Dinty Moore up at the fishing camp as an emergency meal and I would always gobble up a can. It was totally gross and I would not eat it any other time but at the camp I would eat it cold and I loved it. Something about it made me feel rustic! I have no idea what is even in Dinty Moore anymore but thought I would make a stew based on that childhood love of mine! I hope you enjoy this stew that was inspired by a great childhood memory of mine! It is hearty and tasty!
Ingredients:
Stew
6 1/2 oz Portuguese Linguica (sliced)
1/2 of a Turkey Kielbasa Sausage (Sliced, I used a tomato basil flavored one)
1 red onion
1 large yellow squash (sliced)
1 large Zucchini (sliced)
1 large Mexican squash (sliced)
1/2 lb button mushrooms (halved)
4-5 small Red potatoes (chopped)
Sauce
2 Roma tomatoes (chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/2 jalapeno (diced, seeded)
1/4 red bell pepper, fine dice
2 tbsp red onion, fine chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
1/8 tsp Chili powder,
kosher salt (to taste)
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh cilantro (diced)
1/2 tsp fresh parsley (diced)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp teriyaki sauce
In a large stock pot over medium heat add all sauce ingredients and cook for 5 minutes uncovered. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes stirring frequently. Serve warm with garlic bread!
Taste Level: VG
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10-15 min.
Cook Time: 10-15 min.
Difficulty: 1
It seems like I have been trying to get rid of leftovers for weeks. We went on a camping trip with my parents and I made too much food! This meal was a result of wanting something that tasted a bit Asian but used up some of what I had already chopped up. It came out rather tasty for having to put absolutely no work into it, heck I did not even have to adjust the seasonings!
Ingredients:
1/2 of a Turkey Kielbasa Sausage (chopped, I used a tomato basil flavored one)
1/3 of a red bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 of a red onion (chopped)
1/2 of a yellow squash (chopped)
1/2 of a Mexican squash (chopped)
1 medium zucchini (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/3 cup habanero salsa (or your favorite salsa)
1 tbsp teriyaki
1 1/4 tsp Hoisin sauce
1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 tsp olive oil
In a medium sauce pan heat oil over medium high heat. Combine all ingredients and cook uncovered in sauce pan for 10-15 minutes stirring frequently with a wooden spatula (or until the onions are turning translucent.)
Serve hot over rice with a little Sriracha drizzled over the top of each serving.
Taste Level: G
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 5-10 min.
Cook Time: 10-15 min.
Difficulty: 1
This sandwich was pretty popular amongst my friends 6 years ago. All you do is heat up your meats and onions in a skillet with some seasoning and olive oil. Heat up your rolls and combine. We always called them bad for you sandwiches becasue the olive oil makes them seem like they are as greasy as a fastfodo joints hamburgers. In reality they are no more worse for you than a deli sandwich. If you are a fan of hot sandwiches give this one a try!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup onion or 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp essence
8 slices pepperoni or 6 slices salami
2 slices prosciutto or 4 slices capicola
4 slices deli ham or 4 slices of roast beef
2 slices of turkey or 2 slices of chicken
2 slices of Havarti, Swiss or Colby jack
2 tsp pesto or 2 tsp mayonnaise and 2 leaves of lettuce
2 Cibatta or sourdough rolls
In a medium skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and meats and cook until onions are translucent (7-10 minutes.)
Warm rolls in oven at 250 for 5-10 minutes. Remove rolls from oven and slice open. Spread on pesto or mayo (add lettuce if using mayo.) Distribute slices of meat evenly between sandwiches, sprinkle onion and then top with your chosen cheese.
Taste Level: VGR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 35-40 min.
Cook time: 1 hour
Difficulty: 2
Need a meal that is going to feed a troop (or in our case a party?) Or want a meal that you can make and have for lunch all week? This is the meal to make! It tastes great, it is pretty easy to make and it is good for dinner or lunches. Zo and I really love the ways our mothers made meat loaf. So much so that we almost got in an argument over how a meat loaf should be made. In the end I took ideas from both of our mothers prized meatloaf recipes, threw in some of my own and created this testament to our meatloaf love.
Ingredients:
Loaf
1 1/4 lb extra lean ground beef
1 lb hot Italian ground turkey sausage
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup chipotle cheddar (grated)
pinch of nutmeg
2 pinches essence
Filling
1 package chopped frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 cup fresh Italian Parsley (coarsley chopped)
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
pinch of essence
1 tsp fresh crack pepper
3/4 of a sweet onion chopped
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 cup Bella mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 cup chipotle cheddar (grated)
1/2 cup Colby cheddar (grated)
Sauce
1/4 of a sweet onion (Julian)
4-5 tbsp ketchup
2-3 tbs white wine mustard
pinch of cumin
1/4 tsp Habanero Chile hot sauce
1/4 tsp sriracha (Japanese hot sauce)
Additional ingredients:
1 tbsp garlic extra virgin olive oil for sauteing
1 tbsp butter for greasing pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a frying pan heat 1 tbsp garlic olive oil over medium heat. Once heated saute onions, garlic and mushrooms. Sit aside to cool once sauteed.
Sauce
In a small mixing bowl mix sauce ingredients and let sit.
Filling
Loaf
On a large piece of wax paper take loaf mixture and form into an evenly flat rectangular shape that is almost as wide as the loaf pan you will be using. One side will most likely be wider, this is OK and desired.
Spread filling mixture evenly over loaf mixture creating another layer.
(This step can be skipped but I recommend due to it making the roll easier.) Take another piece of wax paper that is a little bit longer than the meat loaf and place over top. Making sure to go from wider side to skinner side, roll the two layers into a spiral using the wax paper to help shape the loaf. Unroll the loaf, remove the top wax paper and re-roll into Pinwheel Meat loaf. (The first roll with the wax paper gives the meatloaf the spiral shape and makes the second roll much easier.)
Put loaf in greased pan and then pour sauce evenly over loaf. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes, then remove aluminium foil and bake uncovered for 15 more minutes.
Cut into slices and serve.
Additional uses for this recipe:
1. Use slices of loaf on your favorite sliced bread with your favorite condiments for a hearty sandwich.
Taste Level: VGR 
Cost: $20 and over
Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 10-15 min.
Cook time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: 2
I really wanted clam chowder awhile back but we were having movie night with a friends that is allergic to all things seafood. A crying shame I know but we still love her! So I took a peek at what we had in the freezer (that wasn't seafood darn it) and saw we had some ground spicy Italian sausage and some turkey tenders I had been reluctant to cook. As soon as I took out the turkey Zo gave me the evil eye... We both hate turkey but I reassured her, "Babe, just trust me it is not going to taste like turkey when I'm done." She said, "Alright," but I could see the disbelief in her ever so (I love you but I hate turkey) eyes. It came out better than I expected that is for sure! Everyone who had a bowl loved it. So try this different spin on corn chowder and see what you think.
Ingredients:
2-3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 small Vidalia onion (Juliane then halved)
1/4 of each red, green and yellow bell pepper (Juliane then halved)
3 tbsp flour
1/2 teaspoon essence
sprinkle of thyme
3 cups potatoes (chopped. I like to use this colorful blend Trader Joe's has. It is a mix of purple, red and regular potatoes but any potato should do.)
2 cups of roasted corn (I use a Trader Joe's brand)
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb spice ground Italian sausage (If you have sausage links just remove the skin.)
1/2 - 3/4 lb turkey (You can use whatever you want really, I just shredded some tenders but I believe ground turkey would work just the same.)
2 cups chicken bullion
4 green onions (chopped)
crack pepper (to desired taste)
2 tbsp fresh parsley (coarsely chopped)
1/2 cup white wine (I just used a cheap chardonnay)
1/2 cup White cheddar (shredded)
Taste Level: TF
Cost: $20 and over
Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 20-25 min.
Cook time: 1 hour-1 hour 30 min.
Difficulty: 3
This one is going to take some time over the stove but is well worth the work. Zo and I were talking about some Andouille gumbo we had in New Orleans during our Thanksgiving visit to my family and I decided to give gumbo a go. I have helped my dad make it before but he never puts any kind of meat in it. He always says, "Gumbo is seafood and if it does not have okra it is not gumbo, my mom, my grandmother and my great grandmothers gumbos always had okra." He really liked my version but said, "This is more like a pan roast because it does not have okra." That said everyone enjoyed this gumbo (and my dad enjoyed this pan roast.)
Ingredients:
2 slices of bacon
1 cup butter
1 tbsp garlic olive oil
1 tsp white truffle oil
1 cup flour
1 bunch green onion (chopped)
1 medium red onion(chopped)
1 small sweet yellow onion (chopped)
1 jalapeno (deseeded, deviened and diced)
5-6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 pound garlic herb rotisserie turkey (skin and meat chopped)
1 package Cajun Andouille sausage (cut into 1/8 inch slices)
1 package seafood blend (Trader Joe's shrimp, calamari rings and bay scallops)
2 6 oz cans of cooked crab meat
1 quart chicken stock (I used Rachael Ray's chicken stock to save time)
2 cups veggie bullion
3 bay leaves
1 cup Italian Parsley (coarsely chopped)
2 pinches garlic salt
1-2 tsp essence to desired taste
1-2 tsp crack pepper to desired taste
In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat cook bacon and Andouille in 1 tbsp garlic olive oil and 1 tsp truffle oil until bacon is crisp and Andouille is browning. Then remove the bacon (eat) and Andouille (set aside.)
Reduce heat to medium-low. Move sauce pan to unheated burner and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. At this time add the butter and as it is melting gently whisk the butter together with the oil. Move sauce pan back to medium-low heated burner and slowly whisk in flour till smooth. Cover and let cook 15-18 minutes (it should look peanut butter colored.)
Immediately with a wooden spoon, fold in onions (yellow and red,) jalapeno, bell pepper, garlic and bay leaves into the roux. Cover and let cook 8 minutes (or veggies are softening.) Stir in stock and bullion with whisk. Slowly bring the mixture to boil stirring occasionally. Once boiling reduce heat and let simmer 15 minutes.
Add seasonings, roasted tomatoes, turkey and Andouille and let simmer 10 minutes. Add all seafood and let cook 5-7 minutes then add parsley and green onions and cook and additional 5-7 minutes.
This meal is delicious and can be frozen in Tupperware for future "what are we going to have for dinner" use.
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