Sausage-Stuffed Peppers

One of the reasons I love making stuffed peppers is because I don't have to worry about making a side item to go with them. They are a meal in themselves. Bell peppers serve as the "bowl" and can be stuffed with almost anything. I like to stuff them with a meat mixture, but I've never tried sausage. I was pleasantly surprised at how the flavors came together. I used a honey chicken sausage because that's the only healthy sausage my grocery store carried. I also added a pinch of crushed red pepper to the sausage to add a little heat to the sweetness.

This recipe calls for marinara sauce to be added before baking, but I forgot to add it. They were good nonetheless, and I saved a few calories that way.

Sausage-Stuffed Peppers


Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1 small onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs
1 pound ground turkey sausage
4 bell peppers
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, plus more for serving


Directions:
Brown the sausage.

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Generously spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
Mix together the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup cheese and the bread crumbs then mix in the browned turkey.

Cut the tops off the peppers and use a spoon to scrape out the ribs and seeds. Stuff the peppers with the turkey mixture and place upright in the baking dish. Spoon the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables.

Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional cheese. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.
To serve, let peppers rest three minutes, then transfer to a platter and serve with additional sauce.

Source: Apple A Day

Cajun Turkey Sliders

I have found an amazing healthy burger that will make my man slap his mama (in a good way). These are even delicious left over the next night. Ground turkey has a tendency to be a dry when cooking, but these were very moist. I felt like I was indulging in a sinful burger, but these are actually very healthy. I love the idea of mixing chopped vegetables inside. I'll definitely make these many more times in the future.
The original recipe calls for 1 pound of ground turkey made into 4 burgers (quarter-pounders), but I decided to make sliders. I used 1.25 pounds of ground turkey since that's the only way I could purchase it at my grocery store, and I was able to make 11 sliders.

Cajun Turkey Sliders
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
3 ounces white mushrooms, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
1 egg
2 Tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Burger/slider buns
Burger condiments

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Spray a broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. I used a cookie rack on top of a cookie sheet since I don't have a broiler pan.

In a large bowl, mix together turkey, green pepper, mushrooms, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, minced onion, Cajun seasoning and garlic powder. Form into burgers or mini-burgers (sliders).

Place burgers on the prepared broiler pan or cookie rack on top of pan and broil for about 5 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reads 160-degrees on an instant-read thermometer (or no longer pink/raw in the middle).

Make individual burgers with the condiments you like.

Source: adapted from Parents online

Marsala Turkey Burgers

My dad came to visit last week, and I wanted to cook while he was in town. I've had this recipe saved for quite some time, and it was time to get some things checked off my list of things-to-cook list. I used turkey instead of the beef because I wanted to make it more healthy. I love ground turkey, and I incorporate it into many recipes that say to use ground beef. When making turkey burgers, you need to be very careful when cooking them because they are very likely to fall apart. If you wish, you can add ingredients into the turkey meat like cheese or eggs to help it hold together.
This recipe is a definite keeper. I love the dimension that the french bread adds to the burger.

Ingredients:
12 ounces ground turkey (or ground beef)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 ounces assorted mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup sweet Marsala (I used cooking Marsala)
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 fresh rosemary sprig (I didn't have fresh rosemary on hand, so I used about 1/2 tsp dried rosemary)
4 ounces Mozzarella cheese
Crusty French bread baguette

Directions:
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

Shape the ground turkey into 4 oblong patties, about 4 inches long each. Drizzle the patties with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; repeat on the opposite sides. Cut the french bread into pieces a little shorter than each of the patties and set aside.

Brown the patties in the skillet on both sides until the burgers are medium. Transfer the burgers to a plate and keep warm; leave the juices in the pan.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add another 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, if necessary. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender and the juices evaporate, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Add the Marsala. Simmer until the Marsala reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and the rosemary sprig. Simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Return the burgers to the skillet. Cook burgers until they are well done, turning to coat, about 2 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Add 1 ounce of cheese to the top of each burger and cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt, about 2 minutes.

When the cheese has melted, remove the burgers from the pan and place on the French bread. Top the burgers with Marsala sauce and then the top of the French bread. Serve hot.

Source: Adapted from Smells Like Home

Taco Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

I just came home from working out of town today, and I wanted something quick to cook for supper. I already had some lettuce cut up, and I was so happy to find this recipe. The avocado dressing is absolutely delicious. I cut out the seeds and membrane of the jalapeno, so it wasn't too spicy. Aubrey raved and raved about this salad, so I know it will be a keeper recipe.

Ingredients:

Dressing:
1 large avocado, pitted, skin removed
2 Tablespoons minced red onion
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup mayo (I used canola mayo)
1/4 cup light sour cream
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt, to taste

Salad:
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt, to taste
2 corn tortillas cut into strips
Corn oil for frying
1 head green leaf lettuce, washed and chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:
Combine dressing ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

In a skillet, brown ground turkey. Season with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt, to taste.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a saucepan. Once hot, fry tortilla strips until golden brown. About 3-5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Depending on how much dressing you like, spoon about 1/4 to 1/2 of the dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Add lettuce, meat, tomatoes and kidney beans. Toss to coat. Top with tortilla strips, cheddar cheese, green onions and another dollop of dressing.

Serves 2-4

Source: Adapted from Life's Ambrosia

Open-Face Turkey Burgers

Sometimes you just gotta have a burger. I love turkey burgers, and I thought this was a good twist instead of the lettuce and tomato deal. Instead of regular french fries, I baked some sweet potato fries (the frozen ones). My tummy was so happy tonight!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey (divided into 3 patties)
salt & pepper to taste
3 TBSP olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

3 slices baby Swiss cheese
2 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Mix the salt and pepper into the ground turkey, and form the turkey into 3 patties. Put 1 TBSP of olive oil on a grill pan over medium heat. Place the patties on the grill pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked throughout. While these are cooking, saute the mushrooms and onions in the rest of the olive oil until tender. Toast the buns face down on the grill for about 30 seconds. Place the bun on a plate with the meat, and place a slice of cheese on top. Top with onions and mushrooms.