Turkey Burgers and Kale

Hello October.

Right. I can't believe it either. It feels like just yesterday I was flying into Austin, nervously waiting to get off the plane and make my move official. No, actually, it feels like not so long ago (January) I was complaining to my parents about how I had nothing to do and I was bored all day. Ha! Don't I wish I could turn back time--or at least stop it.

Well, surprise, I can't! And it's just going to keep going faster and faster--or so I've been told. So I think the only way I'm going to be able to deal with it is with food, food and more food.

Before I get into today's recipe. Let me share my most current woe. Every weekend (almost) I head out to the grocery store on my bike. I bring along my backpack, my two Ortliebs (bike bags), and a spare Whole Foods reusable bag (and no unfortunately I don't shop at Whole Foods on a weekly basis); of course I also bring a list, a pen, and my wallet. But that's it.

As I make my way to the store I wonder if today might be the day when I can fit everything without having to pull aside next to the cash register and organize everything neatly. It's tough, and it breaks my heart, but I always have to choose between an extra yogurt container or another pack of sliced turkey.

Just kidding. It's actually just the quirk that my type A personality needs after a long week of studies. Since I can only fit a certain, small, amount of groceries, I really have to think about what I'll be consuming during the week. And you know what? It's actually not that bad: having to think about each and every thing I buy makes me appreciate that last spoonful of yogurt that much more!

That said, today I was really, really craving a burger. And since my trip to the groceries happened right after my craving, I made it happen. Here's a recipe for a lean turkey burger with a kick. It's simple, healthy, and delicious, so really no excuses for it not being on my (and your) regular meal plan. Enjoy!

Also, I decided to try the whole portobello mushroom bun idea, and while I'm not saying I didn't love it (because I did), there's no reason these can't be in-between regular burger buns!

Turkey Burgers (adapted from Real Simple: Easy, Delicious Home Cooking)
Active time: 20 mins; total time: 30 mins.

• 4 portobello mushroom caps
• 1 lb. ground turkey (99% lean; or 93% lean)
• 3 green onions, sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray portobello caps with olive oil spray and season with salt. Place portobellos on a baking dish and cook for 10 minutes; flip over and cook for another 10 minutes or until steamy. Prepare the meat while you wait for the mushrooms to cook.
2. In a medium bowl, combine turkey, onions, mustard and thyme; using your hands, mix gently until onions and thyme are distributed. 
3. Form four 3/4-inch patties and season with salt and pepper. 
4. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook patties until cooked through, and golden, 6-8 minutes on each side. 
5. Serve burgers over portobello caps and top with favorite burger toppings!

Here is the recipe to the kale chips I prepared on the side. 

90 days

Aaaaand we have more snow. It feels like just yesterday, I was rolling around in Nemo snow, but apparently it’s been a week. Time flies huh?

Can you believe I’ve been a working gal for more than a month now? Because I certainly can’t. It’s still mind boggling to think that graduation is 90 days away. This is it. This is really the last stretch—said every college student nearing graduation.

As my college life is coming to an end, my life is in a state of chaos—yet again someone everyone say, but I mean it. I’ve blogged about my confusion as to how I plan to continue my life, and I’ve complained about the plethora of opportunities and the lack of decisions (on my part). What I haven’t mentioned is that my social life is also undergoing a huge transition.

Lately I find myself conflicted about weekend plans and outings. What used to be an easy “Oh I’ll just go to this place with these people,” has flipped over into “what am I supposed to do now?” Unfortunately there are certain places that I would rather stop frequenting—ahem Tavern; and others that although entertaining, don’t measure up to my idea of going out. So often I find myself caught between the appeal of staying at home and the terrorizing fomo.

That said, if anyone is going through anything similar (or has gone through) and has a suggestions for me, please share your wisdom. But for now, I’ll share my recipes.

Thursday I was getting ready to make a recipe I found in a magazine, but then I realized it involved a slow-cooker. Yep, I completely forgot to read the instructions and missed the point. Well before I could start freaking out about dinner, my roommate Baroqueness Monster randomly suggested I make burritos. Coincidentally, I had just bought tortillas and burritos, for once, sounded appetizing to me.

So I threw a quick turkey and tomato picadillo (hash) and wrapped with a wheat tortilla. Boom! I had a delicious Mexican-inspired meal. The recipe is really easy and I would recommend playing around with it—add some mushrooms, different peppers, chicken, etc. If all else fails, just pop a cheese-filled tortilla into the microwave for 30 seconds and enjoy a quesadilla!

Turkey Tomato Burritos
Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 35 minutes.
Makes 4-6 servings

·         1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil

·         ½ red onion, finely chopped

·         1 can diced tomatoes

·         1 can tomato sauce

·         1 lb. lean ground turkey

·         3 bell peppers, sliced (I used red, but other colors would make the burritos more colorful!)

·         1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

·         10 whole wheat flour tortillas (regular size)

·         ½ cup cilantro leaves

·         Shredded cheese (optional)

1.       Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and pepper.

2.       Add ground turkey to tomato mixture and lower heat to medium again. Cook until almost all liquid is consumed and turkey is fully cooked, about 10 minutes.

3.       In a separate pan, heat the remaining teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add peppers and cook until slightly browned and tender, 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4.       Remove peppers from pan and return to heat. Bring heat down to low and warm up tortillas, one at a time, placing in pan for 1 minute. Keep tortillas warm by wrapping them in a kitchen towel.

5.       To assemble burritos, place a tortilla flat on a plate and add the turkey. Top with peppers and a small bunch of cilantro leaves. Add cheese if desired.

Summer Grilling: Turkey Burgers

Ok so this is my very first post from an iPhone. Long story short, I have been trying to organize a very hectic last week in Boston (I leave for Mexico early on Friday). Since this week also happens to be finals week, I am cramming all the studying I failed to do using June into a couple of days. Anyways, I thought I could start writing while I'm waiting for class to start and that way I can put up a post or two this week.

And let me tell you, I'm not hating typing on my phone; I thought it would be excruciating, but it's not--we'll see how many typos I have to correct later though.

So a bit about my summer so far. Now that classes are coming to an end I really can't wait to finally be on vacation. Sure, I love Boston in the summer and two classes are not bad, but I'm ready to go home. I'm also ready to start reading the pile of books (or bytes of ebooks) that I have accumulated over the year. Oh, and there is also a considerable amount of recipes that have been just decorating my Pinterest boards an bedroom shelves. I'd like to change that soon.

**Turns out my great idea to try to blog during summer finals was actually very stupid. But here is the end of my post and a recipe for delicious turkey burgers. This recipes is easy peasy, but it tastes so gourmet that you would never tell. Oh and the chutney-mustard dip on the side is delicious for dipping in fries too. Enjoy!

Turkey Burgers (adapted from Martha Stewart)
Makes 4.
Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 20 minutes.

• 2 slices whole wheat bread, tore into small pieces
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 4 tablespoons store-bought (or home made) mango chutney
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• Coarse salt
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 cup mixed greens

1. In a medium bowl combine bread, turkey, ricotta, 3 tablespoons chutney, 1 tablespoon mustard, chili powder and 1 teaspoon coarse salt until fully incorporated. Shape into 4 firmly-packed patties. (Patties can be frozen wrapped in plastic and placed in a Ziploc bag; they will keep for about 2 months)
2. Preheat grill. In a small plate combine remaining chutney and mustard. Set aside.
3. Cook burgers until well done, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve burgers topped with chutney-mustard sauce, tomato and mixed greens. (I also added some cilantro)

Pepper Onion Sandwich

It's the end of the week! Or almost.

On Sunday I thought this week would never end. That was when it hadn't even started, but now that I look back, it flew by. And it puts my whole semester into perspective--maybe even my whole life. In about one month, I will be done with my junior year of college. When did this happen?

It's crazy to think that I've lived in Boston, on my own, for almost three years now. I'm baffled. So I've decided to start living in the moment--not that I wasn't trying to do so beforehand. I'm really going to try and make the best out of everything. Boring philosophical talk right? No. I'm talking the small stuff, like smiling to that stranger I met at orientation when I run into him on the street (even if he thinks I'm creepy); or making a real effort to stay on top of my reading; or refraining myself from badmouthing somebody I don't like. This also includes building up the courage to open up to and trust other people--something which is extremely hard for me. Basically I'm going to try to be a better--and more outgoing--person.

But enough with the talk about me. Here's what I had for lunch yesterday. And let me just say it was delicious!

Red Pepper & Onion Cheese Sandwich
Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 20 minutes.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• Scant 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 slices turkey
• 1 Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Thin Slim, or other bread

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook until slightly tender, for about 4 minutes. Add red wine and lower heat to medium. Continue cooking until wine is evaporated and vegetables are slightly browned. Transfer to plate and set aside.
2. Do not clean off skillet. Assemble sandwich by placing turkey on one piece of bread and topping it with pepper-onion mix. Top with cheese and remaining bread.
3. Cook sandwich on skillet over medium heat, pressing occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for one more minute or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

The Day After (Thanksgiving) Part I

It's been a month and a half since my last post.

Whew! That wasn't too hard to say I guess. Either way, I'm not happy with the way posts happened--or should I say didn't happen--this semester. So let me change that.

So lets begin. First here's a very quick update on my life. I am almost done with my fifth, and most hectic semester yet, at BU and I am very happy about it (when I say hectic I mean I have turned into a constantly-neck-pained-and-sleep-deprived student who jumps her roommates' bones for any given reason. It's bad). But still, I am proud to call myself a working girl again and I have been running constantly for the past month--although now I may have to stop no thanks to a mysterious injury.

For Thanksgiving this year I switched coasts; I came to Coronado with my cousin. Let me just say, the weather, even if it's "cold," is absolutely delicious. There's just something so relaxing about coming to Coronado. If it's not the fact that this small city could have been taken out of a painting, it's the fact that it's an island. (In reality it's part of a peninsula, but for these purposes I will pretend like the Silver Strand connecting it to the mainland is nonexistent).

Anyways, we decided to make a gourmet Thanksgiving dinner by taking traditional dishes and turning them into an exciting meal. Yes, it was a small Thanksgiving party this year--just my cousin and me--but let me tell you, the food was absolutely delicious.

First and foremost, you need turkey, but since we weren't about to cook a large bird just for the two of us, we settled on turkey breasts. This recipe is so simple, you won't even know what to do with the rest of your Thanksgiving chef time.

Turkey Breast Medallions with Shallot-Dijon Gravy

For the gravy (adapted from Epicurious)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (or turkey stock if available)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and saute for one minute. Whisk in flour and cook until mixture is light brown, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. 
2. Whisk in wine, stock, mustard and rosemary. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking to blend. Boil until gravy coats a spoon, or until desired consistency, whisking constantly, about 5 minutes.

For the turkey breasts (adapted from Epicurious)

• 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb. turkey breast (look for ready cut turkey breast or turkey breast medallions)

1. In a large glass baking dish, combine flour and spices. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Dredge turkey breast cutlets in flour mixture and place on skillet. Cook until turkey is golden brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes on each side.

Wonton Soup

I have been sick for the past few days. Scratch that. I have been very sick; wanting-to-sleep-all-day-not-caring-about-anything sick. But I also decided I was going to stop complaining. The time will come when I can go about my usual activities once again.

In the mean time, I have been trying to study for finals and waiting for that time Saturday when I get to jump on a plane and land in a different country.

I am going to Mexico and I can't wait! Despite the fact that I am only going for ten days, I plan on making the most of it. There really is no other place in which I feel so at home. Yes, Boston is my home for now--and don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore it--but Mexico City will always be where I feel like everything falls into place. Bear with me through these philosophical statements; sometimes they are much needed.

I am sad about the end of the semester. Sad that sophomore year is over. And sad that I will only have a ten day summer before I return to Terrierland.

But I am also happy that I still have two years left at college (not counting law school). I am happy with my life now. I am very happy with the opportunity that I have discovered in this blog. And I am very happy to be spending a summer in a warm and sunny Beantown.

Oh, and going back to the Mexico topic, sleeping on a queen size bed and driving my bug has never sounded better than it does now.

Tonight's dinner was nothing ordinary. At least not in my book. Another first came from making wonton soup. At my roommate's request I folded wonton wrappers around seasoned ground turkey (had some leftover and decided to substitute for pork).

The recipe is surprisingly easy, but actually making the wontons is the time consuming part. Either way I suggest you try it. It was the first time I had it and it definitely lived up to its expectations.

Wonton Soup (adapted from Joylicious)

• 8 oz (1/2 lb.) ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon egg whites
• 1/2 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 package wonton wrappers
• 5 cups chicken stock
• S & P
• Cilantro and green onion, chopped, for garnish

1. Combine ground turkey, egg whites, corn starch, oil, salt, rice vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl. Place about one teaspoon filling on a wonton wrapper and fold in half. Press gently to close and fold flat part a second time. Pinch ends and fold to form a ring. (Here is an easy demonstration courtesy of Recipe Tips)
2. In a large pot, boil about 5 cups of water and drop wontons in. Work in batches so as not to crowd the wontons. Cook wontons until the rise to the surface, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring chicken stock to a boil in a separate pot. Season with S & P. Serve soup with wontons and garnish.

Frittata and Kale Salad

I can't really say breakfast is my favorite meal, because ALL meals are my favorite, but I definitely love breakfast. What better than to have breakfast for dinner?

First of all let me state that I am not a pancake fan, so when I say breakfast for dinner I don't mean pancakes and waffles, I mean eggs. Frittata to be exact. Last weekend I stumbled upon an easy frittata recipe (almost all frittatas are very simple to make) and several variations in FOOD by Martha Stewart, and yesterday I finally made it.

Originally, the frittata was going to be a turkey zucchini with gruyere cheese frittata, but for some reason I completely forgot to buy zucchini.  So I looked around in my veggies drawer and found some asparagus spears, the perfect substitution.

As a side, I made one of my favorite salads. Because breakfast is good for dinner, but I need to have some kind of green in my dinner or I won't be satisfied. Anyways, the Kale and Pine Nut salad from Bon Appetit is one of the salads that I could eat over and over again. And yes, contrary to popular belief, there are some salads that I don't like.

Turkey, Asparagus, Gruyere Frittata (adapted from FOOD by Martha Stewart)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup cubed turkey (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped asparagus
• 3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• S & P

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Heat olive oil on a 10-inch oven proof skillet over medium high heat. Add turkey and asparagus and season with S & P. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until asparagus are slightly tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile slightly beat eggs and egg-whites together. Add egg mixture to the skillet and sprinkle with the gruyere cheese. Cook until edges are set, about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 10-13 minutes or until frittata is set. Place plate over skillet and invert frittata. Serve immediately

Kale and Pine-nut Salad (adapted from Bon Appetit)

• 2 tablespoons dried currants
• 2 tablespoons pine-nuts
• 2-3 bunches kale (depending on size), stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
• 7 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Shave parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Place currants in bowl with 5 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar and let marinate for 2-24 hours (the more they soak, the better they will taste in the salad). Lightly toast pine-nuts on a baking sheet.
2. In a small bowl whisk 2 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, olive oil, and honey until honey dissolves. In a large bowl place kale, drained currants, and pine-nuts and toss with dressing to coat. Let salad marinate for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.
3. Add parmesan cheese and serve. 

Fresh Baguette & Turkey

On Monday morning, I stopped at Barnes & Nobles (pretending I wasn't going to buy anything) and came out with the coolest cookbook ever. How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

When I got home and started reading the book (I actually read the whole intro and everything) I started to get more and more excited. Today, I went to Borders and bought two more books. Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh, and a cookie book that I will introduce later. 

Anyways, tonight I made turkey and bread. There's nothing as rewarding as warm freshly baked bread waiting to be dipped into olive oil and eaten. Yum.

The turkey was good too... (I'm kidding, it was great!)

French Baguette (from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman)

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

*The recipe asks for a food processor, but since I don't have one, I just used my hands.

1. Put the flour, salt, and yeast in a big bowl. Add 1 cup of water and knead until dough is formed. If needed, keep adding water by the tablespoon. You want the dough to be moist but not too wet. If you add too much water, add more flour to balance.
2. Leave dough in bowl to rise, covered with plastic, at least an hour (up to three hours at room temperature).
3. Once dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured surface and form bread. (I made three baguettes so that I could freeze two and eat one tonight). Let dough rise covered with a towel for another hour or two.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slash the bread with a sharp knife to make diagonal cuts. Transfer baguette to a lightly oiled baking sheet (or pizza stone if you have one). Lower heat to 375 F and bake bread until golden brown.

Roast Boneless Turkey Breast with Fennel (adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman)

• 2 fennel bulbs, both trimmed, one sliced and the other finely chopped.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 to grease pan
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• S & P
• 1 turkey breast*
• 1 cup orange juice

*(I really don't know how much the one that I used weighed since it had been in my freezer since Thanksgiving. Oops!)

1. Heat the oven to 450F. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the sliced fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Add ginger paste and S & P and cook until fennel is slightly browned. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
2. While fennel is cooking, grease a baking dish with remaining olive oil. Add chopped fennel and sprinkle some salt. Place turkey on baking dish and sprinkle some more salt. Add orange juice. 
3. Cook turkey in the oven for about 30-35 minutes or until its almost done (155-165F if you have a thermometer). Add sliced fennel and return dish to the oven for 5 more minutes, or until turkey is done.

Sunday Cookout

So Sunday comes around and its one of those days when all I want to do is lounge around in my sweats, watch TV (even if it's just background noise), aimlessly procrastinate on the internet, and bake or cook like a crazy person. The last part being the most important.

I was feeling for cookies, but when I came across a Buttermilk Biscuit recipe from Noble pig (one of the best food/wine blogs out there!) that would help me get rid of the almost-expired buttermilk and left-over cake flour in my kitchen, I changed my menu.

First time making biscuits; first time making bread without a food processor. And let me tell you, it's definitely not as hard as those crazy cakes I've done before. Pretty simple recipe and delicious outcome (my roommate actually said they were just like Pillsbury ones, but I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing). 

Anyways, here are some picture of the process, and then the final product (although I did forget the melted butter towards the end, so the presentation is really not great).

Next on my dinner menu was Turkey Meat Loaf (adapted from Spicy Turkey Meat Loaf) and Kale Salad with Pine-nuts, Currants, and Parmesan).

Again, first time making meat loaf. I wasn't excited about the ketchup dressing at first, but it actually came out pretty good considering its ketchup. I added normal mustard instead of the dry mustard since that's what I had, and it was in the oven for about 1 hour (granted my oven acts up now and again)

Finally the favorite part of my meal: the kale salad! Its an easy recipe, but it does take some planning because the currants have to marinate for a while. I sometimes add more dressing, depending on the amount of kale I have, but the recipe is pretty much perfect. Do use the specific vinegars asked for, because that's the only way to get the yummy factor!

And then, dinner was finally served (about 2 hours after I began cooking).