Talkin Turkey, but it’s not about Thanksgiving

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Uh oh, Mr. Solo Plates is in trouble.  He went to the doctor a few weeks ago for a long overdue physical and got a lecture about his diet.  Like I mentioned before, he’s not terribly adventuresome in that department and likes food that is really bad for you, but tastes really good.  Don’t we all?

The doc gave him an edict.  Cut back on the red meat and eat fish or fowl.  Ok then, I can cook that.   I decided to start out easy with a package of ground turkey. Meatloaf and meatballs came to mind first…what to do with the rest of the turkey? I remembered I pinned a couple of stuffed pepper recipes recently and went back to take a look.  My mom used to make stuffed peppers when I was a kid and I wasn’t too fond of them, consequently, I never made them for my family.  What was I thinking?  They looked delicious.  That would work perfectly to finish off this trio of recipes.

I made about ¾ of the package of ground turkey into a pretty standard meatloaf mixture.  Rolled some of it to make the meatballs for the soup, and the rest was spiced up with curry and cumin to make some pretty yummy Curried Turkey Loaves.  These moist and spicy little loaves just need a side salad or some steamed veggies and dinner is done.  I took the rest of the ground turkey and combined it with some veggies, rice and other bits of goodness to stuff bell peppers. Last but not least, the aforementioned little meatballs were plopped into a tasty Italian Wedding Soup.  Hope you enjoy!

Shopping

1          package (1.25 lb.) lean ground turkey

2          small bell peppers, any color

1          small onion

2          ribs celery

1          small carrot

1          package (32 oz.) chicken broth

½        cup small shaped pasta

1/3      cup converted rice (Uncle Ben’s)

¾        cup fresh bread crumbs

½        cup frozen chopped spinach

¼        cup shredded Cheddar cheese

4          tablespoons ketchup

2          tablespoons milk

2          tablespoons tomato paste

2          tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1          tablespoon olive oil

1          teaspoon brown sugar

1          tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

Spices

Curry powder

Cumin

Crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper

Whole nutmeg or ground nutmeg

Salt or seasoned salt

Pepper

Notes on the shopping:

  • You can use any kind of rice you want, but adjust the amount of water to match the type of rice.  I generally use converted rice in these kinds of dishes because it doesn’t get sticky and the grains stay separated.
  • If you have a left-over hamburger or hot dog bun, you can easily make fresh bread crumbs by rubbing the two halves together.  If you have a food processor or blender, just throw a piece of bread or a bun in there and chop it up to make the crumbs.  You can also use dry bread crumbs but you might want to add some extra milk to the mixture.
  • Try to buy the tomato paste in a tube.  It might cost a bit more up front, but it will last a very long time and is more economical in the end.

Chopping

Divide the package of ground turkey into quarters.

Slice one side off of each pepper to make a “boat”.  Remove the veins and seeds from the inside and discard.  Chop up the sides that you sliced off.  You should end up with about 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup.

Slice one rib of celery and chop the other rib.  Peel the carrot if you like and slice it.  Chop the small onion. You should have about 6 tablespoons of chopped onion.

That’s it. You are ready to go.

Cooking

Meatloaf and Meatball Mix

1          pound ground lean turkey (about 3/4 typical package of ground turkey)

3/4      cup fresh bread crumbs

2          tablespoons milk

2          tablespoons chopped onions

2          tablespoons chopped celery

2          tablespoons chopped bell pepper

1/2      teaspoon jarred minced garlic or 1 clove fresh minced garlic

2          tablespoons ketchup

Seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Place breadcrumbs in a large bowl.  Sprinkle milk over crumbs and let mixture set about 5 minutes to form a panade (milk and bread goo – this is the binding agent for the mixture instead of eggs).  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  If you have a food processor, this would be an excellent time to use it if you like a fine textured meatloaf/meatball.

Separate about 1-cup of meat mixture and form 12 small meatballs for the soup.  Place meatballs on one end of the prepared baking tray.  The rest of the meat mixture will be used for the curried turkey loaves.

Curried Turkey Loaves

Reserved meatloaf mix

1          teaspoon curry powder, divided

¼        teaspoon cumin, divided

2          tablespoons ketchup

1          teaspoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Add ½-teaspoon curry powder and 1/8-teaspoon cumin to meatloaf mix and blend well.

Shape into 2 mini-loaves about 4 inches long by 3 inches wide.  Place on baking sheet with meatballs.  Mix remaining curry powder, cumin, ketchup and brown sugar together in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.  Start stuffed peppers while meatloaves/balls are baking.  Check meatballs for doneness after 20 minutes, if cooked through, remove from pan and set aside for soup.  Spread about half of reserved ketchup mixture over each loaf and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes baking time or until cooked through.

Yield: 2 meat loaves to serve or refrigerate or freeze for later

Stuffed Bell Peppers

¼         pound lean ground turkey (about 1/4 of typical package of ground turkey)

2          tablespoons chopped onion

2          tablespoons chopped celery

2          tablespoons chopped bell pepper

½        teaspoon jarred minced garlic or 1 clove garlic, minced

2          tablespoons tomato paste

½        cup converted rice

1¼      cups water

Seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper

Pinch or more crushed red pepper flakes

2          prepped bell pepper halves

¼        cup sharp shredded Cheddar cheese

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Place ground turkey,  onions,  celery, and  peppers  in large skillet over medium heat.   Stir to break up meat and crumble.

Cook and stir until turkey is cooked through and vegetables are tender.  Add tomato paste and cook an additional minute. Add rice, water, seasoned salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Mix well and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Start soup while rice is cooking.

When rice is tender or almost tender, fill each pepper half with about half of rice mixture.   Heap mixture to overfill.  Place filled peppers in a small baking dish or each half in individual baking dishes and cover with foil.  Place in oven (same temperature as for the meat loaves and meatballs) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until peppers are just tender.   Finish soup while peppers are baking.  At the end of 15 minutes baking time, sprinkle the tops of the peppers with the shredded Cheddar cheese and return to the oven for 5 more minutes or until melted.  (If you know you are going to freeze or refrigerate these wait on the cheese until you reheat them.).  Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Yield: 2 stuffed peppers to serve now, refrigerate or freeze for later

Italian Wedding Soup

1          tablespoon olive oil

2          tablespoons chopped onion

1/3      cup sliced celery (about 1 small stalk)

1/3      cup sliced carrots (about 1 small carrot)

2          cans (14.5 oz. each) chicken broth

½         cup small shaped pasta, (anything you have on hand)

Reserved meatballs

½         cup frozen chopped spinach

2          tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg or a pinch of ground nutmeg

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or small stockpot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery and carrots.

Cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken broth and increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil.

Add pasta and continue to boil until pasta is almost tender and a bit firm in the center.  (I like to undercook the pasta slightly as it will continue to absorb liquid even after the soup is finished and it keeps it from getting too mushy)  Add frozen chopped spinach, reserved meatballs, Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Stir well and simmer 1 or 2 minutes to heat through.

Yield: 3 servings

Chicken and Corn Duo

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Welcome to my blog! I’ve been working on this idea on for a couple of years, and I am so happy to see it come together with the help of my kids. Solo Plates is about a smarter way of cooking for one or two people.

The idea for this blog came to me when my two youngest children, twins at different universities in different states, moved off-campus into apartments for the first time. They had big plans for the kitchen- planned to make their favorite dishes from home and try lots of new recipes.  It was going to be great!  All was well for the first month or so, but then the demands of keeping up with schoolwork and jobs hit home. Cooking for themselves became a royal chore.

One of the biggest problems they complained about was the availability of ingredients in packages that were just too big to be practical for cooking for one person.  What could be done with the leftover food?  Leave in the back of the fridge or toss it in the freezer to become an ice covered mystery chunk? (You know, we all have those in our freezer- I wonder what this was?) Moreover, I found myself facing similar problems as an empty nester used to cooking for a crowd. Who is going to eat all this extra food?

What if there was set of recipes designed around the typical package of hamburger or chicken or pork chops, that used up ALL of the perishable or packaged ingredients. You could end up with a meal to eat now, one for the fridge or freezer for later, and several servings of soup for the fridge or freezer.  Busy home cooks could maximize their time in the kitchen and build up a nice inventory of homemade meals and soup for their freezer, all the while saving money by not wasting food.  The Solo Plates challenge was on!

This style of cooking has ingredient lists and instructions that are a bit longer than usual and can be a little intimidating, but hang in there! In the end you will have a meal to eat now, one for the freezer, and some homemade soup for later in the week- all in about an hour!  And I promise, all of the produce, meat or canned ingredients will be used up- no leftover bits of this and that to clutter up your fridge.

Fresh corn on the cob inspired my first recipe duo. I love the stuff and have been buying it up like crazy at my local farmer’s market.  I love that it’s so sweet it’s almost like candy- I’ll be sad when the season is over. I first saw the Spanish Chicken and Rice dish in Everyday Foods. I jazzed it up a bit and combined it with a tasty Chicken and Corn Chowder recipe to make the best use of all the ingredients. I hope you enjoy!

Shopping 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 ears fresh corn or 2 ½ cups frozen corn kernels

1 green pepper

1 medium onion

1 medium potato

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice

1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies

1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic, or 2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup milk

½ cup rice (recommend converted rice a.k.a. Uncle Ben’s)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons Wondra flour

½ teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cumin

Seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons sliced green olives (optional)

Chopping

Cut one chicken breast into ½-inch pieces/cubes.  Place in a small sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until no longer pink and cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Cut the other piece of chicken into 1 ½ to 2-inch chunks.  Pat dry with paper towel (try not to skip this – it really helps the chicken to brown and not steam in the pan) and season liberally with seasoned salt and fresh ground pepper.  Set aside.

Prep the vegetables while the chicken is cooking.  If you are using the same cutting board, clean it well before dealing with the vegetables.

Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off the cobs.  Separate 1 ear’s worth (about 3/4 cup) for the Spanish Chicken and Rice and the rest of the kernels for the chowder. Next, take a table knife or spoon and scrape the cobs over a bowl to get the rest of corn milk and bits.  You can skip this step if you want, but it adds a bit of corny goodness to the soup.

Cut the green pepper in half and remove the seeds.  Cut one half into slices for the Chicken and Rice dish and dice the other half for the soup.  Do the same thing with the onion.

Peel and dice the potato.  Mince the garlic if you are using fresh.

Ok, now you’re ready to get going!

Cooking

Act One: Spanish Chicken and Rice

Adapted from Everyday Foods

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 prepped and seasoned boneless skinless chicken breast

½ green pepper, sliced

½ onion, sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

½ cup dry white wine

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes and juice

½ cup converted rice

½ can (4 oz.) diced green chilies

¾ cup reserved corn kernels

2 tablespoons sliced green olives (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook and stir until nicely browned on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Add the green pepper and onions and continue to cook until just beginning to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes longer.  Add the garlic, paprika, and cumin.  Cook and stir a few minutes more.

Add the wine, tomatoes and juice, and rice.  Stir well to mix.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes.  Start the soup while the rice dish is cooking.

After 15 minutes, add the green chilies and reserved corn kernels.  Mix well, cover, and continue to simmer until the rice is tender.

Serve hot with olives as a garnish if desired.

Yield: 2 generous servings to eat now, refrigerate or freeze

Act Two: Chicken Corn Chowder

1 tablespoon canola oil

½ green pepper, diced

½ medium onion, diced

1 medium potato diced

1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth

Reserved corn milk and bits (optional)

1 pre-cooked diced chicken breast

½ can (4 oz.) diced green chilies

1 ½ cups (2 ears worth) fresh corn kernels

2 tablespoons Wondra flour

1 cup milk

Seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat canola oil in a small stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat.  Add green pepper and onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add potatoes, chicken broth, and reserved corn milk.  Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add cooked chicken, chilies, and reserved corn kernels.  Stir well. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil. Stir Wondra flour into milk. When soup is boiling, add flour and milk mixture, stir well and continue to boil until thickened and potatoes are tender.

Remove from heat immediately and season to taste with salt or seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper.

Yield: Three generous servings to eat now, refrigerate or freeze