Playing catch up and Fast & Easy Turkey Joes

I know, I know, I have been truly M.I.A. for the past couple of months. Don't think that the kitchen closed down or anything.  The hubby and I have been starting a new endeavor to raise money for our adoption.  We are now making and selling cake pops and cake ball truffles and no I'm not posting any recipes on here. Why give away my secrets so then y'all won't buy any and help us to bring our baby home?
;-)

Mmmm, now don't those look good? Too bad you guys don't have smell-o-vision because they smell & taste as good as they look! [LOL!] Seriously, though if you guys would like to take a look over at our new site, we've got a lot of goodies, homemade crafts, and jewelry for sale. We've come a long way since our beaded bracelet sale although we do still have those on there too.  The new site is available at www.BringingHomeBabyBurns.org.  Check us out and let me know if you'd like to order something.  You'd get some delicious treats to eat and we'd be a few steps closer to bringing our baby home.

Now, on to today's recipe...
I came home from work on Thursday with no clue what I wanted to eat for dinner. Thursdays are my late nights at work so I knew whatever it was it would have to be quick and easy and something involving ground turkey since that's what I had thawed in the refrigerator.  I went to Monique's blog DivasCanCook and found an easy recipe for Sloppy Joes. We had almost all the ingredients in the refrigerator, so that's what we made. Threw some sweet potato tater tots in the oven and dinner was served, quick and easy, just like I like it...

Now Monique's original recipe for her Fast & Easy Sloppy Joes can be found on the link, but you know I had to modify it. Why? Because that's what I do...  Hubby says that I have problems following directions, but I think I'm just creative and like to put my own spin on things. Besides, who knows better than I do what my taste buds like? Right??? LOL!
So here's the recipe, hope you like it. Let me know if you try it!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound ground beef - extra lean
1/2 pound ground turkey - extra lean
1/2 cup onions - chopped
1/2 cup bell peppers - chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
8 oz. can tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS
1.  Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Brown ground meat and drain, set aside.
2.  Saute onions & bell peppers in skillet until tender.
3.  Add garlic and saute, stirring frequently until fragrant (approximately 1 minute).
4.  Add meat back to skillet and stir well.
5.  Add all remaining ingredients and stir well to incorporate.
6.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 3-5 more minutes.
7.  Enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Southern Meatloaf

Who doesn't love a delicious juicy slice of meatloaf? I mean, seriously, it's one of those memories of the ultimate comfort food to me. I don't know about you guys, but as a child, we didn't have meatloaf that often, so when we did it was kind of a treat. The leftovers the next day were always even better than the 1st night. I'm sitting here thinking about how good our meatloaf is going to be tomorrow after it's sat overnight in the fridge! Mmm mmm...

So anyway, for tonight's Sunday dinner, I made a Southern-style meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas and carrots. It was so good, I think I surprised myself with this one.  I'm pretty sure it's not all that healthy since I didn't really try to adapt any recipes or anything. I had to rely on my imagination and my childhood memories of watching my mama make her delicious meatloaf.  I have to admit, I think my version has her's beat.
Progress indeed...

INGREDIENTS
1 pound meatloaf mix (beef, veal, and pork - next time I will get 2 packages for 2 pounds)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Progresso's Garlic & Herb - for 2 pounds of meat, use 1 cup)
1 egg - beaten (again, for 2 pounds, use 2 eggs)
1/2 cup onions - chopped
1/2 cup onion/bell pepper mix (found in the frozen vegetable section)- chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp Italian seasoning

Meatloaf Glaze
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1.  I used the meatloaf mix found at my local grocer. It consists of ground beef, veal, and pork. It was a little shy of a pound of meat so next time I will use 2 packages and adjust my seasonings accordingly.

 

2.  Beat 1 egg in small bowl.

3.  Measure 1/2 cup bread crumbs.

4.  In medium-sized bowl, place meat, beaten egg, and bread crumbs.

5.  Add 1 Tbsp minced garlic (approximately 3 cloves).

6.  Add 1/2 cup chopped onion.

7.  Add 1/2 cup chopped onion/bell pepper mix.

8.  Add 1/2 tsp salt.

 

9.  Add 1 tsp black pepper.

 

10.  Add 1 tsp smoked paprika.

11.  Add 2 tsp Italian seasoning.



12. Add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

13.  Mix well. Works best to use hands but I have issues with having raw meat under my nails (hence the use of gloves)...

14.  I lined my baking dish with foil (I think the size is a 9x5 loaf pan). 

This makes clean up a lot easier!

Pack the meat in the baking dish forming it into a loaf.

Now to make the glaze!

1.  Add 1/2 cup ketchup to small bowl. (Feel free to use tomato sauce, I just prefer my meatloaf glaze sweeter.)

2.  Add 2 Tbsp brown sugar.

3.  Add 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar. Mix well.

4.  Add half of glaze mixture to top of meat (approximately 3 Tbsp).

5.  Smooth over entire loaf, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

6.  After 30 minutes, remove foil cover, place remaining amount of glaze and bake uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.

7.  Let sit for 10 minutes, cut and enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Unstuffed Pepper Bake

Tonight's menu was inspired by a sample eaten at the grocery store this weekend. The lady at the counter told us that the name of this delicious concoction was the Unstuffed Pepper Bake. It was really tasty, so of course I quickly grabbed one of the recipe cards, looked it over and realized I already had all of the ingredients at home and started plotting how I could put my own spin on this tasty treat.

This recipe was an easy way to get the taste of a stuffed pepper without all the work! I hope you like it, because it was really good.

*NOTE: I used a combination of ground beef & ground turkey and less rice than the original recipe called for. Originally, the recipe was for 1 pound of lean ground beef and 1.5 cups of rice. Since I doubled the meat, I also doubled the seasoning, so if you are going to use the 1 pound of meat, divide all seasoning (including the Worcestershire sauce) in half for your recipe. The tomato, cheese, and 15 oz can of tomato sauce amounts are the same as the original recipe. I also added the additional 8 oz can of tomato sauce since there was more meat included in my version and we didn't want the casserole to be too dry.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground beef – extra lean
1 lb ground turkey – extra lean
1 bag frozen Onions & Three Pepper Blend - chopped
2 garlic cloves – minced
1 tsp seasoning salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
14.5 oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes – drained
1 cup Instant Brown Rice
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning
8 oz package Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese – divided
15 oz can Tomato Sauce, no salt
8 oz can Tomato Sauce, no salt
Cooking spray


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté ground beef & turkey with the chopped onions/peppers blend and garlic for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned & vegetables are tender.
3. Drain off excess fat and water and season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, 8 oz can of tomato sauce, rice, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning.
5. Remove from heat and stir in ½ of cheese.
6. Spray cooking spray into a 13x9 baking dish.
7. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish and top with 15 oz can of tomato sauce and remaining cheese.
8. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes on center oven rack, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.
9. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
10. Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings.
According to the handy dandy Sparkpeople recipe calculator, 1 serving was only 307 calories! Eureka! I think I did a pretty good job adapting this recipe to make it healthier with less calories.

KITCHEN KREATIONS: Ground Beef and Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Off to Mexico we go again, fam! I wanted to try this recipe for Chicken Enchiladas, but when I went to the grocery store, I didn't know if I was supposed to get the green enchilada sauce or the red enchilada sauce. I ended up getting the red enchilada sauce. After watching the food network and a couple of Youtube videos, I learned that for chicken enchiladas you are supposed to use the green sauce. For beef, you are supposed to used the red sauce. So, my menu changed from Chicken Enchiladas to Ground Beef and Turkey Enchiladas. Hey, I can be flexible...

On tonight's menu is the enchilada casserole. We are also having Mexican rice (Zatarain's Yellow Rice + Green Giant Mexicorn), and refried beans. Since I still wasn't able to find the recipe that I was looking for, I decided to free-style it again and make my own. I seem to be on a roll today...

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground turkey

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 chopped yellow onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 package McCormick Taco seasoning
1 package McCormick Enchilada seasoning
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 1/2 cups water
8 oz can of tomato sauce
10 oz can of Rotel tomatoes (Mexican)
Old El Paso Mexican flavored 60 second rice (optional)
12 corn tortillas
1 package shredded cheese
4.5 oz. can mild green chilis
2 cans red enchilada sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
Pam's cooking spray
sour cream - to garnish (optional)
green onions - to garnish (optional)

Zatarain's Yellow Rice
11 oz. can Green Giant Mexicorn (drained)
1 Tbsp butter

16 oz. can Fat Free Refried Beans
1/2 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat olive oil in large skillet.
Saute onions and garlic in skillet until tender.
Add ground turkey & ground beef to skillet. Cook until browned completely.
Drain fat from meat and crumble into small pieces. Return to skillet, reduce heat.
Add Rotel tomatoes, cilantro, water, taco & enchilada seasonings, tomato sauce, green chilis & enchilada sauce to meat.
Microwave 60 second rice. Add to meat mixture. Stir well.
Bring to boil, stirring often. Reduce heat.
While meat is cooking, prepare rice according to package directions. Add Mexicorn. Let simmer together until rice is done. Add butter and cover.

Prepare casserole:
Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with Pam cooking spray.
Layer meat and sauce mixture in bottom of casserole dish.
Cut tortillas in half or in strips and place over meat mixture.
Add shredded cheese.
Repeat layers as needed.
Place shredded cheese on top of last tortilla layer.
Cover casserole with aluminum foil.
Cook in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and place back in oven for additional 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add 1/8 cup water to microwave-safe bowl. Add refried beans and seasonings. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes until hot.

Enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATIONS: Chinese Beef & Broccoli

So apparently, my doctor feels that I need to increase my red meat intake. (Sigh...) I truly am not a big beef eater, but I told the hubby that I would try to start making more beef for dinner. He responded with a loud and profound "YESSS"! LOL. My hubby is definitely a steak and potatoes kind of guy...


Well, you guys know me, anything that I can fix in my new wok is gonna be high on the recipe finder list. So, back to Youtube I went to look for a good-looking and delicious-sounding recipe. Of course I checked out my girl Lila's site. I've never been disappointed by anything that I've made from her page. I also checked out my current obsession with Kai. He had a good-looking Mongolian Beef video, but there were too many ingredients that I didn't have in the house and I really didn't feel like going to the grocery store. So, I combined aspects of his recipe with parts of Lila's and made my own tasty homemade Chinese.

It came out really great and tasted delicious. Hope you enjoy the recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb flank steak or stir-fry beef - cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 bag frozen broccoli cuts
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
3 Tbsp cooking oil

Meat Marinade (Marinate for approx. 10 mins while preparing other ingredients):
1 Tbsp cooking wine
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Stir-Fry Sauce (can halve the sauce for less if you like):
1 cup beef broth
4 tsp sugar
4 tsp rice vinegar
4 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Sauce Thickener:
2 Tbsp cornstarch
Water (just enough to dissolve cornstarch when stirred)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp cooking oil in wok on high heat.
2. Cook onions and garlic in oil until tender.
3. Add beef to wok until browned (should still be pink in the center to avoid overcooking).
4. Remove beef from wok and add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to wok to heat.
5. Add broccoli cuts and stir fry until tender.
6. Add beef back to wok.
7. Add stir fry sauce to wok and heat until boiling.
8. Pour sauce thickener into mixture, stir well and return to boil.
9. Simmer on low heat until sauce has thickened.
10. Serve with rice and enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Homemade Chili with Beans

On this cold and blustery winter night, I thought I would prepare a delicious pot of homemade chili. I didn't know what category to put this recipe in, so I looked up the definition of chili on Wikipedia. I know, I know, just wanted to broaden my horizons a little bit, and hey, if you don't know something, google it! LOL!

According to Wikipedia:
Chili con carne (often known simply as chili) is a spicy stew. The name "chili con carne" is taken from Spanish, and means "peppers with meat." Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included.

Hmm, I think somewhere in my mind I knew that Chili was a Mexican dish, but for some reason, I was having a full mental moment. I don't have an actual recipe for this dish. This is one that I have perfected over the years since I am a chili-lovin' gal. So this is a true "original," as in coming straight from my kitchen to yours. Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 cup chopped medium yellow onion
1/2 chopped green bell pepper
4 cans kidney beans - rinsed
8 oz. can tomato sauce
10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes - undrained
2 packages McCormick Mild Chili seasoning (can use hot-your preference)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups water - can add more or less depending on how thick you want your chili
shredded cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in non-stick skillet.
2. Cook garlic, bell pepper and onions in oil until tender.
3. Add ground beef and ground turkey.
4. While meat is browning, heat water in large pot.
5. Open cans of beans. Rinse well and dump in pot.
6. Add Rotel tomatoes and tomato sauce.
7. Add McCormick Chili seasonings, cumin, brown sugar and chili powder. Stir well to combine.
   
8. Heat to boiling. Stir occasionally.
   
9. When meat is completely cooked, drain fat and add to beans. Stir well to combine.
   
10. Lower temperature on stove, cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
11. When done, add cheese and sour cream to garnish as desired.
12. Enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATIONS: Crock pot Meatballs with Grape Jelly Sauce

The other night the hubby and I were talking about our Superbowl menu. I told him that I had been thinking about making meatballs but I wanted to try this sauce that I found online. The sauce uses chili sauce and grape jelly. Sounds gross, right? That's what he thought too, but I had already tried it before so I knew that as disgusting a combination as that sounds, it actually makes for a really good sauce. Of course I had to modify the recipe a little bit because I am big on seasoning everything, but I have to say it came out really good. For the actual Superbowl party, I plan on making my own meatballs, but since we were mainly trying out the sauce, we used frozen ones that were already cooked. Here is the recipe, hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
1 bag frozen “home-style” beef meatballs
12 oz. bottle chili sauce
1 cup grape jelly
½ cup barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions
1. Place frozen meatballs in crock pot on high.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients in pot and bring to boil.
3. Pour over meatballs and let cook in crock pot for 2-3 hours on low to incorporate flavors.
4. Enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATIONS: Beef stew with vegetables and Sweet Potato Pie for dessert

Sunday Dinner:

So, for tonight's dinner, the hubby and I had home-style beef stew. You know, the kind where you have to let the meat cook for some hours in the crock pot before adding your veggies and seasonings. The stew that I make is really more of a thick vegetable soup because I like a lot of broth, but the DH assures me that the stew gets two thumbs up and we can't wait to eat more of it tomorrow after it has sat and marinated in the refrigerator overnight. I will probably make a batch of cornbread to go with it tomorrow.
For dessert, I made sweet potato pie. I had to call my aunt in Little Rock for a good recipe because my mama had already left for church this morning. I got up early, washed a load of clothes, and ran to the grocery store all before getting cleaned up and dressed for church this morning. Yaayyy for daylight savings time! (LOL) Well, I have to admit, that pie turned out to be the absolute best sweet potato pie that I have EVER made in my life and I do like to experiment with the recipes. The hubby has proclaimed himself to be my "happily stuffed lab rat". LOL!
He says that he does not mind if I experiment on him because so far, everything has come out really good. I think that the sweet potato pie has become #1 in his affections of kitchen creations. Will post a picture of the pie in the next post.

Beefy Vegetable Stew
1 pound beef stew meat
2 bags frozen mixed vegetables
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 packages of McCormick's Beef Stew Seasoning
1/2 chopped onion
3 medium sized diced potatoes
1 can diced tomatoes and chiles (I used Rotel brand, but any kind should work)
3-4 cups beef broth

Dump everything into your slow cooker (crock pot) and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
Enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATIONS: Mexican Rice Casserole

Sunday Dinner:

Ok, for dinner tonight, I'm going to experiment a little bit with our dinner.
I recently came across an amazing blog called "For The Love of Cooking" and there is a beautiful picture of a mexican rice casserole that I am anxious to try tonight.

So, I am going to adapt it a little bit using ground turkey instead of ground beef and omitting the sliced tomatoes on top. I'll try to post a picture to let you all know how it came out.

UPDATE: Sorry, the hubby and I were so anxious to try this casserole that we forgot about taking pictures until after we were done eating. Here is the picture from her blog. My casserole didn't come out quite as pretty and we left the sliced tomatoes off the top, but it was oh so delish and turned out nicely.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of white rice, prepared per instructions
1 tsp of olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
3-4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (divided)
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 tomatoes, sliced thickly
Sour cream (topping)
Salsa (topping)
Guacamole (topping)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare rice per instructions. While the rice is cooking heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef, making sure to break it up into crumbles. Cook the beef for 3-4 minutes then add the diced onion and all of the seasonings.
4. Stir until well combined and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the beef is cooked through and the onion is tender.
5. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for an additional 60 seconds.
6. Add the cooked rice, drained and rinsed black beans, tomato sauce and a bit of cilantro (reserving some for garnishing) to the beef and onion mixture.
7. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, taste and re-season if needed.
8. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray and pour the rice mixture into the dish, spreading it evenly.
9. Place the tomato slices on top of the rice mixture then top with cheddar cheese.
10. Spray a piece of tin foil with cooking spray (so the cheese won't stick) and cover the baking dish.
11. Bake for 20 minutes then remove the tin foil. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
12. Top with a dollop of sour cream and the remaining chopped cilantro. Enjoy.