Ground Turkey and Pasta Skillet with Greens

Ground Turkey and Pasta Skillet with Greens

1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 large onion, diced
1 c mushrooms, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp fennel
1/2 tsp pepper 
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt
32 oz. strained tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
1/4 c sundried tomatoes, chopped
4 cups greens of choice (I used spinach)
4 servings cooked quinoa or brown rice pasta (I used this brand from Trader Joe's) 

Saute ground turkey and onion in a pan, halfway through adding the mushrooms, garlic and spices. When turkey is cooked through, add the tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and the greens, cooking until the greens are completely cooked down and can be stirred into the turkey mixture.  Taste your sauce and add more seasoning if it needs it!  Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.  When pasta is done cooking, add it to the ground turkey mixture.  I served mine over steamed broccoli and cauliflower and it was delicious!  

Paleo Moussaka

When I studied abroad in Greece, I discovered an amazing dish called Moussaka. Traditionally, this casserole is made with spiced ground lamb, eggplant, potatoes, and a creamy milk and flour based bechamel sauce on top.  It is hearty and homey like a good lasagna but with a more "exotic" flavor set.  A few weeks ago, Rem discovered a recipe for a paleo moussaka on the blog Real Food Forager.  We adapted it slightly to make a LOT more and to use ingredients we had on hand.  We've actually made it twice in the past few weeks and it turned out fantastic both times.  The bechamel sauce is unreal. As you can see in the pictures, broiling the moussaka for the last few minutes gives the bechamel that crusty, delicious brown on top which is reminiscent of broiled cheese.  There is still some in the fridge that I may need to go eat right now...  By the way, this tastes great cold as well as piping hot.  Is it weird that I tend to eat all of my leftovers cold?  Does anyone else do that?

Before baking.

After baking.  Mmmm....

Paleo Moussaka

Slightly adapted from Grassfed Girl via Real Food Forager

2 T coconut oil
2 small onions of 1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt and pepper
2 lb. antibiotic and hormone-free ground turkey
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 6 oz. can organic tomato paste
1 15 oz. can organic no salt added tomato sauce
2 medium eggplants, skin peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces

2 cans full fat coconut milk
1/2 c arrowroot powder (I buy Bob'd Red Mill brand, which I have found at Kroger, Earth Fare, and Meijer)
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Melt coconut oil in large saute pan.  Add onions and garlic, saute 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Cook, breaking up turkey, until ground turkey is cooked through. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, and 1/2 can of water.  Stir and cook this for about 5 minutes more.
  
Meanwhile, grease 2 13x9 inch pans with coconut oil.  Peel and chop the eggplant into bite-sized pieces.  Place 1/2 of the eggplant pieces into each pan.  Then pour the meat mixture on top of the eggplant in each pan, splitting the amount evenly between the 2 pans.  

To make the bechamel sauce, mix 1 can of coconut milk with the 1/2 c arrowroot powder.  Pour of other can of coconut milk into a large sauce pan and heat until it starts to bubble (but not a full blown boil).  At this point, add the coconut milk/arrowroot powder mixture and whisk continuously until the sauce is very thick. Then remove the sauce from the heat, crack the 2 eggs into it, and whisk until the eggs are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Pour the bechamel sauce over the meat mixture in each pan, splitting the amount evenly between the 2 pans.  

Bake both pans, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  After 40 minutes, remove the pans from the oven, move the oven rack up one slot, and set the oven to BROIL.  Put the pans back in the oven and broil for 3-5 minutes or until the bechamel starts to brown (but not until it gets burnt).  Makes 8-12 servings.

Serve hot!  This also makes great leftovers.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

For some reason I've been craving lettuce wraps lately, and the 5 lbs. of napa cabbage we got in our CSA have been a perfect excuse to eat lots of them!  Here is a great filling for lettuce wraps that Rem and I have made several times in the past few weeks.  We never seem to have as many leftovers as we think we will! 
The ingredients are simple, and each plays an important role in making the flavors of the dish pop!  Onion, garlic and mushroom are a great base for any flavorful stir fry, and minced fresh ginger adds a certain zing that is incredibly delicious.  The crushed red pepper adds the perfect amount of heat, and the water chestnuts add a necessary crunch.  

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

2 lb. ground turkey (I use Nature's Basket brand from Giant Eagle)
l large onion, diced
2 c sliced mushrooms
4 cloves minced garlic
3 T minced ginger
salt, pepper, crushed red pepper
1-2 T fish sauce
2 cans sliced water chestnuts, drained

Place ground turkey in a large skillet and heat to medium-high. (If it starts to stick, add a little bit of olive or coconut oil to the pan)  Stir and break up the turkey every few minutes.  As the turkey browns, chop up the onion, then add the onion and mushrooms, continuing to stir every few minutes.  While that cooks, mince the garlic and ginger, then add to the pan.  Next add salt (about 1/8 tsp), pepper (10-12 "cranks"), crushed red pepper (a light sprinkling over the whole pan), fish sauce, and water chestnuts.  Continue to saute this mixture until the turkey is cooked through and all ingredients are hot. Serve with romaine lettuce leaves or napa cabbage leaves.  Makes 4-6 large servings.  

Turkey Sloppy Joes

I’ve made this sloppy joe recipe several times for potlucks or special occasions at school.  After being asked for the recipe by many co-workers, I decided I finally needed to post it!  This is my favorite version of sloppy joes.  If you like a sweet sloppy joe that doesn’t have any refined sugar, this is a wonderful recipe to try!  The veggies, tomato paste and honey add natural sweetness, and the turkey itself has a sweeter taste than beef.   It’s also great if you’re trying to serve more veggies to your kids because the pepper, onion, and carrots soften and meld nicely with the sauce.  If you try it out, let me know what you think!

Turkey Sloppy Joes

adapted from Paleo Mama

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 red pepper, diced

1 small red onion, diced

2 large handfuls baby carrots or 2 large carrots, diced

2 lb. lean ground turkey (I use Harvestland Farms brand, which is antibiotic and hormone free)

2- 15 oz. cans tomato sauce (I use canned Muir Glen organic tomato sauce- it has no added sugar; don’t get spaghetti sauce, just plain tomato sauce in a can)

6 oz. can tomato paste (I used canned Muir Glen organic tomato paste)

2 T honey

2 T red wine vinegar

2 T lemon juice

1 T ground mustard

1 tsp dried thyme

1 T chili powder

1 T garlic powder

Lots of freshly ground pepper

A few shakes allspice

A few shakes ground cloves

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in large stockpot.  After a few minutes, add diced pepper, onion, and carrots.  Cook 5-10 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.  Add ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the turkey is browned all the way through.   As the turkey browns, mix together the rest of the ingredients (tomato sauce through cloves) to create the sauce.  Once the turkey is cooked through, add the sauce to the pot and simmer 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.  Enjoy!

For serving a crowd, I doubled this recipe, cooking half of the turkey and vegetable mixture in a separate skillet then adding it to pot before adding the sauce.  I cooked everything the night before, refrigerated it overnight, then heated the sloppy joe in a crockpot for 4 hours on high the next day.