Herb Roasted Turkey= Turkey Sandwiches with Pesto and Avocado

This is the most amazing roasted turkey I have ever had! This will be the recipe I use any time I raost a turkey. It is amazing, moist, flavorful and so easy to put together. I bought a 6 pound turkey breast a couple of months ago when they were on sale. I figured that I would cook it up and use the meat for sandwiches, enchiladas, soup and salads. I now wish that I would have bought two or even three. Yes....this turkey is that good. The recipe comes from one of my favorite chefs, Ina Garten, from the food network. I don't have a roasting pan (I have been meaning to get one), so I just used a glass casserole pan to cook the turkey. Also, I used chicken broth instead of wine to put in the bottom of the pan. After the turkey was done roasting, I let it rest, pulled off the skin, and sliced it up. I stored the extra meat in ziploc bags to use later. My husband and I enjoyed some of the turkey in these delicious sandwiches. We toasted the bagle thins, and spread some cilantro pesto on each side. We topped it off with turkey, turkey bacon, sliced swiss cheese, avocado, tomato, pickles and some dijon mustard. I made some potato salad and cooked some corn on the cob for a delicious summer meal!

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

1 whole bone in turkey breast, 6 1/2-7 pounds

1 Tbsp. minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 tsp. dry mustard

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary (I used dried)

1 Tbsp. fresh chopped sage leaves

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup dry white wine (I used chicken broth)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt pepper, olive oil and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smearr half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. If the skin is over browning, cover the breast loosely with foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with pan juices spooned over the turkey.

Thai Chicken Pizza

I have been so bad about blogging lately. I have been extremely busy. I'm not using that as an excuse...it is the truth. Now that I will be assisting in planning a wedding, I will be extra busy! But planning a wedding is fun busy and I am so excited to plan it because it is for my beautiful, wonderful, sweet, kind and dear sister! I could not be any happier for her!

I know I have posted a Thai chicken pizza recipe before, but this one is different and, to be honest, much better! It is PACKED with flavor!

This recipe uses a peanut sauce that is full of deliciousness from ginger, garlic, soy sauce and of course peanut butter. This sauce would also be wonderful tossed with some noodles and stir fried veggies.

Please try this. You will love it!

Thai Chicken Pizza
1 store bought or homemade pizza dough recipe

Sauce:
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
3 cloves garlic
1-1 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced or grated

Blend in a blender until smooth

Other toppings:
diced chicken (Iused a rotisserie chicken from Costco)
1 carrot cut into match sticks or grated
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
sliced black olives
sliced sweet onion
1-2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped peanuts
fresh mozzarella cheese, grated (I also used a bit of smoked gouda!)


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface and place on a preheated pizza stone (spread some cornmeal on it first) or on a cookie sheet (sprayed with non-stick spray). Bake the crust for about 5-6 minutes. Spread some of the sauce on the crust, followed by the cheese, chicken, onions and the rest of the ingredients besides the bean sprouts. Bake for an additional 10-11 minutes or until the crust is a light golden color and remove from oven. Top with fresh bean sprouts. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I saw this recipe on another food blog and had to give it a try. I had never made meatballs as a meal before and wanted to give it a try. This recipe had great reviews so I figured I couldn't go wrong. I made a few minor changes to the recipe beginning with the meat. I used lean ground turkey instead of beef and I would highly recommend it! The turkey went really well with the rest of the ingredients and it was a lot more healthy. Besides, I didn't have to worry about a bunch of fat and grease pooling in the sauce as they baked. That would just be wrong and I am pretty sure I would not have been able to eat them. I also added a grated clove of garlic, just because it sounded good. A key ingredient in the sauce is BBQ sauce and in my opinion, anything with BBQ sauce in it or on it is delicious. It is a bit more tangy with the vineager and is delicious with the rice. I served the meatballs over brown scallion and edamme rice with a green salad and a piece of cheese toast. It was a yummy meal and I will be making these again!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
3/4 cup quick oats (I used regualr and it was fine)
2 eggs, slightly beaten (I used one)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into 12-14 balls each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in a casserole dish and cover with sauce below. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. yellow or Dijon mustard
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sace

Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat until well combines and sugar is dissolved. Pour over the meatballs. (I doubled the sauce and it was the perfect amount for 1 recipe of meat balls).

Italian Sausage Manicotti

Once again, I apologize for the horrible picture. This is a wonderful and easy meal to put together. I like to make a couple of pans and freeze one for a meal for later. I found the recipe on another food blog. It sounded so delicious that I knew I had to make it! When my mom made manicotti or lasagne, she always included shredded carrots and zucchini, so I knew right away that I would be adding each of those. I am so glad that I did! It helps to add some bulk to the filling and it is another way to get in some more veggies! I only used two chicken sausage links because that is what I had. I know it might sound like a complicated dish, but it actually came together rather quickly. I served this with a nice green salad and some toasted sourdough bread. Yummy!

Italian Sausage Manicotti

1 onion, diced

2-4 links chicken or turkey Italian sausage

8 oz.pkg. sliced mushrooms

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

salt and freshly ground black pepper

15 oz ricotta cheese (I used part skim and it was great!)

dash of nutmeg

2-3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

5-6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

4-5 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

Manicotti shells, cooked (I used 1 whole box, 16 shells, and made two 8X8 pans)

3 cups marinara sauce (I used Classico brand)

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided (I used a lot less because we didn't have much. It still turned out yummy!)

1-2 zucchini grated*optional

1-2 carrots grated *optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put a little bit of the marinara sauce in the bottom of your pan (or pans). Heat a skillet and add a touch of olive oil or spray with non-stick spray. Add the sausage (remove from casing) and cook for 1-2 minutes while crumbling. Remove the sausage and pour out any fat. Add mushrooms and onions to skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add sausage back to pan and add minced garlic. Cook for a minute longer, making sure the sausage is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook the Manicotti shells according to the package directions and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, add the cooled meat mixture, ricotta cheese, grated nutmeg, parsley, basil, 1/4 cup mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese (I also added a bit of cottage cheese to make more filling), shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the mixture to combine. Fill the manicotti shells and lay filled shells in the pan(s). Cover with remaining sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and salad!

*if you want to freeze a pan, assemble the manicotti and cover with foil. Do not bake it before freezing. The night before you want to eat it, take it out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Sweet and Savory Couscous Salad

This is a delicious salad to have during the summer time when you don't feel like heating up your kitchen. It is made with couscous, a quick cooking pasta, and lots of fresh veggies and herbs. The couscous only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. I used sliced scallions, carrots, apricots, parsley, cilantro, basil and garbonzo beans to help bulk up the couscous. You can use pretty much any veggies you wanted to or whatever needed to be used up in your refrigerator. The dressing is light and sweet, yet savory at the same time. I know that cinnamon seems like a strange spice to use in a dressing, but trust me, it works and very well might I add!

Sweet and Savory Couscous Salad

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

4 scallions, sliced

1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, diced

2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsely

2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

Fresh basil, sliced into ribbons

1 15 oz. can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed

6 dried apricots chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 cups couscous

Dressing

1/4 fresh orange juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4-1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, bring chicken broth to a boil and add couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5-10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. While couscous stands, combine all the veggies, herbs, beans and dried fruit. When the liquid is absorbed, add the couscous to the veggies and stir. Slowly pour some-not all- of the dressing over the salad and todd to combine. I served this with mango and ginger grilled fish, steamed chard, and a green salad.

Jalapeno Poppers

My husband could not get enough of these! They were so easy and a lot more healthy than the regular deep fried jalapeno poppers. I used turkey bacon and scallions to flavor the filling. I bought a total of 10 jalapenos to make this recipe but only made a few since I knew he would be the only one eating them (I don't do so well with dairy and these have cream cheese). But I can tell you that they smelled WONDERFUL! My husband ate the entire plate almost the second I pulled them out of the oven.

Jalapeno Poppers

10 jalapenos, stems removed, sliced in half and seeded

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, at room temp. (I used low fat)

3 scallions, sliced

4 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped (I used turkey bacon)

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Combine cream cheese, scallions and chopped bacon. Stir to combine well. Scoop desired amount of filling in the jalapeno halves. Dip each half in the panko and spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until peppers are cooked through and the tops are golden brown.

Broiled Polenta with Black Bean, Mango and Corn Salad

This is a meal that I threw together because I was really in the mood for polenta. I had only had it twice, once served broiled and once served soft. Although both ways are delicious, I think that I prefer the crispy crust the poleta gets when it is broiled for a few minutes. If you have never tried polenta before, you are really missing out. It is simply delicious! Honestly, I think that we will be having it a lot more often. It is inexpensive, and a great alternative to rice, pasta, or potatoes. I don't know about you, but I HAVE to have some kind of good starch with each meal. I love bread, potatoes, pasta, quinoa, couscous, and of course rice. Polenta is a welcomed change and will be making a lot more appearances on our table. Especially after this meal. My husband could not say enough about this meal! It was filling but light and packed full of flavor! I could honestly eat this for a week straight and still want more! This meal is composed of a few of my favorite things. Lime, cilantro, corn, black beans, fresh mozzerella, fresh veggies, mango, garlic, scallops (with my meal and steak wtih my husbands), and polenta! It may look like it takes a long time to make, but it really doesn't and it is very easy! You need to give this recipe a try...you won't be sorry!



Broiled Polenta

3/4 cup polenta (not quick cooking)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1-2 tsp. butter (I use Smart Balance Light)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Bring 4 cups of water, salt and pepper to a boil. Add polenta in a slow stream and stir constantly. Continue to stir until thickened. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring frequently until polenta is smooth; about 10 minutes. When fully cooked, add butter and cheese and stir to mix. Lightly spray a small-medium bread loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour polenta into it. Let the polenta sit and cool before covering and placing in the refrigerator to set. I prefer to let it sit overnight, but it needs at least a couple of hours. When polenta is set, cut into 1/2 inch thick sliced and place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Place slices under broiled for about 20-25 minutes, or until desired golden crust is acquired. Once polenta is broiled, you can put a slice of cheese (we used fresh mozzerella) and place under the broiler until melted.

Black Bean, Mango and Corn Salad
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground black pepper
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4-1/2 fresh mango, diced
5 scallions, sliced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/2 jalapeno, minced (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

*Note: This salad is also wonderful with diced avocado added just before serving.

I served this meal with a large fresh green salad, grilled shrimp and seared scallops (for me) and grilled steak for my husband. YUMMY!