Recipe of the Week: Favorite Turkey Burger

Favorite Turkey Burger

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (preferably 93 percent lean)
• 1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• coarse salt
• fresh ground pepper
• vegetable oil, for grates
• 4 hamburger buns

1. Heat the grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine the turkey with the Gruyere, scallions, breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Dividing the mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties.

2. Lightly oil the grill. Place the patties on the hottest part of the grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move the patties to the cooler part of the grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.

3. Split the hamburger buns and toast on the grill if you like; place a burger on each bun and serve with the desired accompaniments.

Recipe found in Great Food Fast cookbook.


From my experience: I had to change this recipe up a bit because of what supplies I had available. I didn't have any Dijon mustard, so I used spicy brown mustard and a little bit of mayo for the creamy flavor of Dijon. Also I had Gruyere (which I don't even know how to pronounce) slices, so instead of grating it, I put a slice on each of the turkey patties. Since I didn't use the cheese in the ground turkey mixture, I used a little extra breadcrumbs. Overall, my turkey patties came out a little tangy, but tasted great when put together as a burger. My husband, Jake, said at dinner that night he didn't think he would like a burger made of turkey but it was actually pretty good. I'd say that equals success in my house, enjoy!

Recipe of the Week: All-Day Beef Bourguignon

I always wanted to make Beef Bourguignon, and I found this recipe for this crockpot version.

All-Day Beef Bourguignon

2 cups thinly sliced onion (from 1 extra-large onion or 2 medium-size ones)
1 cup thinly sliced pre-peeled baby carrots
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 pounds pre-cubed lean beef stew meat salt and black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 package (8 ounces) pre-sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves 1 can (14 ounces) low-sodium beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
2 scallions, both white and light green parts, chopped (for 1/4 cup), for garnish

1. Place the onion, carrots, and garlic in the bottom of a 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker and stir to mix.

2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the beef in the flour, then shake off the excess. Place the beef on top of the onion mixture, then scatter the mushrooms, oregano, and bay leaves on top of the beef. Pour the beef broth and red wine over the beef.

3. Cover the cooker and cook the beef until it is quite tender and the liquid has cooked down and thickened, 6 hours on high heat or 10 hours on low heat.

4. To serve, remove and discard the bay leaves. Spoon the stew into bowls and garnish with chopped scallions.

Recipe found in The Dinner Doctor cookbook.

From my experience: I wanted to an easier way without patting and flouring the meat, so I asked my good friend the chef. She advised me to take the lid off, then put a little mix made of same parts water and cornstarch into the stew once it was nearing the end to thicken it. That mixture was sneaky. I thought it wasn't going to work since nothing was happening, so I added a little more. Then I checked on it about 15 minutes later and magically it had a much thicker consistency. I started my stew later than I should have, so it didn't get the full 6 hours. As a result, not only was there more liquid but it had a pretty strong wine flavor which would have reduced given more time to cook off. For the red wine, I used a dry, cheap Pinot Noir. Anyway, I will probably make this again because it was a fancy meal fit for the crockpot. Enjoy!

Recipe Of The Week: Strawberry Pie

My friend Kelly, wanted a fresh strawberry pie. Strawberries were on major sale that week, and another friend, a chef, had a great family recipe. This gave us all a reason to get together and make some strawberry pies!

Strawberry Pie

2 8-inch pie shells, baked

2 1/2 quart fresh strawberries, sliced

1 cup sugar

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 cup boiling water

1 3oz. pkg. Strawberry gelatin

In a saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Add water and cook until thick. Remove from heat, add gelatin and stir. Let stand until room temperature. Layer strawberries in pie shell. Pour cooled gelatin mix over. Refrigerate until set. Serve with whipped cream.

From my experience: My friend, the chef, made these pies and taught us as she completed each step. It was pretty simple, and tasted awesome. It is best if eaten within two days. Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week: Greek Vinegarette

My friend and I made this recipe for a salad I was serving for our small group dinner. We made it in a blender. It made enough to fill an empty salad dressing jar and a small bowl. Cut it in half if you want a smaller amount.

Greek Vinegarette

1 Tbs. Dijon Mustard

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup Canola oil

1 Tbs. & 1 tsp. honey

3 Tbs. feta

approx. 15 olives (any kind)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix first 10 ingredients in a blender. Add feta, olives, and salt and pepper and mix.

From my experience: This was pretty easy to make since it all got thrown in to the blender, and it was so delicious! Everyone really liked the dressing. It had a tangy taste from the yummy feta cheese and olives because I used green, but you can use any kind you have on hand. This recipe can be varied based on your likes. Enjoy!

Look At Me!

I just had to post this picture. These are Sloane's best friends right now, Ben and Crew. Their moms and I meet once a week and walk around Town Lake then picnic by the playground. Here are the little tykes before we headed out.

And this is Sloane drinking from a straw. She has to suck hard on them so sometimes she gives up and just plays with the straw. She is learning though and appreciating them on our walks since they require no tilting.

Recipe of the Week: Baked Oatmeal

Another breakfast recipe! I made this recipe when some friends came in town for the weekend. I got this it from my mother-in-law who got it from a friend. It is great to make and eat on for the week.

Oatmeal Bake

3 cups of dry oatmeal
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. sifted baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts

a) In a medium size bowl, mix together the oatmeal brown sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

b) In another bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla.

c) Pour batter into an oiled 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

d) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Spoon into cereal bowls and serve with milk.

From my experience: I used applesauce instead of the oil to attempt to make it lighter and omitted the nuts since my daughter isn't allowed to eat them yet (she is 1). You will definitely need to add milk to moisten and break up the oatmeal (you could also try yogurt), but it was super yummy, and I enjoyed making it this way. We ended up having leftovers, so breakfast was low maintenance for the next few days. When you eat if for leftovers, you can vary the flavor by adding different things to it. I added different nuts, dried cranberries one day, then a chopped apple the next, it was great! Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week: Southwestern Potato Breakfast Bake

I hadn't tried any breakfast recipes yet, so a couple of weeks ago (I'm a little behind with spring break and an unexpected funeral) I made this breakfast casserole for a function at our church. Who doesn't like salsa, eggs, and potatoes?

Southwestern Potato Breakfast Bake

Nonstick cooking spray
5 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (half of a 30-ounce package)
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 14 1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes and green chile peppers, undrained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 ounces)

1. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking pan or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange potatoes evenly in prepared pan or dish; sprinkle with the 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet cook onion in hot oil until tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, chili powder, the 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, and the black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon over potatoes in pan or dish.

3. In a large bowl whisk together eggs and milk; pour evenly over mixture in pan or dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes clean (170 degrees). Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings. Recipe found in 9x13 The Pan That Can.

From my experience: This recipe was really easy to make and it tasted like a southwestern breakfast bake...good! I used half egg whites, and half whole eggs to make it a little lighter. The only difference was cook time, it took a while longer to finish cooking, in the center especially. When it was cut into, there was some remaining liquid which appeared to be from the rotel tomatoes. This suggests draining some of the liquid from the tomatoes or letting it simmer longer to reduce. You could also simply use salsa instead of the cans of rotel tomatoes. This recipe has a lot of potential, so I can definitely see myself making it again. Enjoy!