Baked Turkey Salad

It has been a while since I've posted an entry.  You see, I've been undergoing a cabinet refinishing project and unfortunately, I've neglected the blog as a result.  I'm really pleased with the results and I feel a great sense of accomplishment since I did all the work myself.  Not to mention I have a brand spanking new kitchen! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  Would I be wrong if I presumed that there are many of you, just like me, who have a lot of turkey leftovers and are wondering what you might do with them to add a little variety rather than nuking the remaining slices?   

Many years ago  a friend of mine gave me this recipe and it is always my "go-to" recipe for post holiday turkey leftovers and if you'll excuse the pun, this salad is delish and always gobbled up!
If you are among my low-carbing friends, this is also a good low carb recipe with only 7 net carbs per serving!

So you aren't a Turkey fan?  Chicken can easily be substituted for the turkey.

Cathy's Vegetable Soup

Most of us think of soup as a winter dish.  However, with the modern convenience of air conditioning, soup is really appropriate all year round. 

I love soups and make them often.  It makes preparing supper a breeze after a long day at work and because it makes so much, I enjoy the leftovers packed for my lunch.

This soup is quick, easy and healthy. I threw it together one afternoon when I didn't know what to fix for dinner. 

This recipe and chili are the soups I most frequently prepare.
You can easily adjust this to use ingredients what you have on hand.  I typically use both ground beef and ground turkey, but you can also use all ground beef if you prefer. 
Like my chili, I always just make this, never following a written recipe (not that I'd necessarily follow it precisely if I had one).  Today, while making the soup, I decided to measure and write down the ingredients and directions so I could share it with you.

I missed adding beef soup base to my shopping list so I had to use beef broth today. It isn't necessary to use soup base but it adds a richer flavor to the soup that I prefer.

Like many soups, this one gets better with age, so get out your biggest soup pot and make it a day ahead so the flavors have a chance to fully develop.

Cathy's Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cups shredded carrots (I buy them pre-shredded)
6 cups shredded cabbage (1/2 a medium sized head)
3 15 oz. cans of pinto beans
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
8 cups of beef soup base
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

Directions:

1. Add the olive oil to a large stock pot.  Place over medium heat. 
2. Add the ground turkey, ground beef, chopped onion, salt and pepper to the pot and cook, crumbling meat until it is browned.
3. Drain any fat from the pan.
4. Add carrots, pinto beans, tomato sauce and beef broth to the pan, stirring to mix ingredients.
5. Add fennel seed and thyme and shredded cabbage.
6. Stir to mix well.
7. Reduce heat to low and simmer until cabbage and carrots are cooked.
8. Sample and adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan and crusty loaf of bread.

Grilled Turkey Breast with Date and Apricot Stuffing

Garden Sage

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving Dinner this year and it was really good.  I wanted to fix turkey this week and decided to pull out the recipe.  I had all the ingredients that I needed, with one substitution.  I have sage growing in my flower bed so I harvested a few leaves.   

I really love sage.  My grandma Burkhart had several sage bushes and when I was a kid visiting, I'd pick the leaves right off the bushes and eat them.  Grandma would scold me for eating them because there might be bugs or worms but that didn't stop me!  However, if you are using fresh sage, as the recipe calls for, be sure to wash it to rid it from any bugs and dirt.

This is not a difficult recipe and the preparation time is more than most but the tasty result is well worth the extra effort.  You will find this recipe is a nice alternative to the traditional roasted bird and works well for special occasions or for week night supper. 

Since you will be handling raw meat, be sure to clean up thoroughly with soapy water and avoid cross contamination of utensils and work surfaces.  I did a lot of handwashing while making this to take all the photos!


Turkey Breast with Date and Apricot Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup pitted and coarsely chopped dried dates
1/3 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
Salt & Pepper to Taste

1 boneless, skinless turkey breast half (1 3/4 to 2 lbs)
Salt and Pepper
3 slices of thick-sliced bacon
Kitchen String

Directions:

Onions

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently.  Cook until the onion is soft and lightly browned.  Set aside to cool.

Minced Ingredients

Put the dates, apricots, walnuts, parsley and sage into the bowl of a small food processor.  Pulse until everything is minced and well combined.   Transfer to a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the turkey breast on a cutting board and with a sharp knife parallel to the work surface, slice open the turkey breast horizontally, working from the thicker side of the lobe to the thinner side and not cutting all the way through.

Open up the turkey breast like a book and season generously with salt and pepper.  Spread the stuffing evenly over half the opened breast, leaving a little border around the outer edge.  Fold the other half of the turkey breast over the stuffing, encasing the stuffing as much as possible.

Lay the three strips of bacon lengthwise on top o the turkey breast and tie the breast crosswise with kitchen string in four or five places to hold everything together.

Season both sides of the turkey with salt and pepper.

Preheat your gas grill to 350 degrees.  Place the turkey breast bacon side up on the grill and maintain the heat for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, turn the breast over and continue to maintain the grill at 350 and continue cooking the turkey breast for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the center of the breast reads 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer.

Remove the turkey from the grill, let rest for 10 minutes loosely covered with foil. 

Carve and serve.