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

Sweet Cheesy Biscuits

These biscuits remind me a lot of the Jim 'N Nick's cheese biscuits. They're slightly sweet from the vanilla and sugar, but you could probably add less if  you prefer less-sweet biscuits. I like to make these to go along with soups, and it also goes will with BBQ dishes.
These are super easy to make, and clean-up is a breeze.

Sweet Cheesy Biscuits
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Bisquick
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Stir together all ingredients just until combines. Scoop into a mini muffin pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden.
Yield: About 20 mini muffins

Source: Plain Chicken

Risotto Cakes

Every time I make risotto, there is always a lot left over. I never know what to do with it, and it doesn't have the right texture when re-heated. I've been hearing of people making risotto cakes with their leftover risotto, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did because it was absolutely delicious. I made one of those just-add-water gravy mixes to drizzle on top, and we had a nice meal. I'm looking forward to making many more risotto cakes in the future and trying out different toppings. I'm thinking marinara sauce with sprinkles of fresh basil would be nice.

Risotto Cakes
Ingredients:
2 cups Risotto
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Topping of your choice (gravy, marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, etc.)

Directions:
Shape risotto into 4 round patties (about 3-1/2 inches wide). Dredge in breadcrumbs.
Cook patties in hot oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve warm with desired topping(s).

Source: Southern Living June 2008 issue

Birthday Cake Bark

I apologize for my lack of posts lately. In the past 11 nights, I've only spent 2 of those nights at home. And those days were spend unpacking, doing laundry, and re-packing. Aubrey and I got a chance to visit my sister and her husband in Kansas City last weekend. We had a blast sledding in the snow, trying out new restaurants, and just spending time with family. My sister's birthday was last Saturday, so I made this birthday cake bark to help celebrate.
This bark is sinfully delicious! It's was so hard to keep from snacking on it while making it. The flavor really does resemble that of a birthday cake. It's a great twist to the original birthday cake.

Birthday Cake Bark
Ingredients:
6 ounces high quality dark chocolate
12 ounces high quality white chocolate
2-3 Tablespoons yellow cake mix
3-4 Tablespoons sprinkles of your choice

Directions:
Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour chocolate on. You can smooth it with a spatula to the thickness you desire. Stick the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Whisk in cake mix very slowly, stirring well until no lumps remain. Let it set for 3-5 minutes, or until it slightly thickens. Remove baking sheet with chocolate from the freezer and immediately pour white chocolate on top. Sprinkle on sprinkles. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Once set, break into chunks. Keep refrigerated.

Source: How Sweet It Is
If you need other recipes to use up that cake mix, try these:
Birthday Cake Ice CreamBrownie Bottom Ice Cream Cupcakes

Cornbread Pancakes

This recipe is originally for cornbread waffles, but I made them into pancakes since I don't have a waffle maker. I served them with Santa Fe Chicken on top, and they were a huge hit! The chunks of corn kernels inside the pancakes give them a nice texture. This recipe makes several pancakes, and they were just as good the next night. I just placed them in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes, and they were as fresh as the night before. I'll definitely be repeating this recipe in the future.

Cornbread Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (11-ounce) can white shoepeg corn

Directions:
Stir together the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together egg and next 3 ingredients; add to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Bake in a preheated, oiled waffle iron just until crisp -OR- make them into pancakes on a buttered non-stick skillet.
Yield: 12 (4-inch) waffles or pancakes

Source: Southern Living, February 1998

Pig Dip

Aubrey has really perfected his BBQ-ing skills over the past month. He smokes his meat for about 16 hours, and it's the most tender meat I've ever tasted. It literally falls off the bone. When he started his hobby of smoking meat, I knew I needed to find BBQ sauce recipes that would complement his meat.
This pig dip sauce did just what I wanted it to do. This is a very thin vinegar/ketchup-based sauce that would be good for a baste mop or a finishing slather. We use it as a post-cooking soak for the meat. We pour the sauce over the pulled pork and mix it throughout. I prefer this over the thick BBQ sauces because this coats every square inch of the meat.
If you would like another great BBQ sauce, you should try the White BBQ Sauce.



Big Bob Gibson's Western Carolina Pig Dip

Ingredients:
4 cups distilled vinegar
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper

**Note that this makes 6 1/2 cups of sauce. I usually cut these ingredients in half when we smoke a 6 pound pork butt.

Directions:
In a large nonreactive bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well with a whisk. Make at least 24 hours prior to usage for best flavor. Store the sauce in a tightly covered jar for up to 1 month refrigerated.

When meat is pulled or chopped, mix the sauce throughout the meat. We like to serve on slider buns with a warm pickle and maybe even some cole slaw on top.

Source: Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book

Laughing Cow Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a lighter version of Chicken Cordon Bleu without skimping on the flavors. Laughing Cow cheese is one of my favorite snacks. It comes in many different flavors, but the plain is my favorite. If you make this recipe feel free to use the flavored kind (garlic and herb would be good).
Don't be afraid to pound the chicken. Just make sure it's in between 2 pieces of plastic wrap so chicken pieces don't fly everywhere. Pounding it makes it easy to roll up, and it also makes the chicken very tender. I didn't add any salt since the ham contained a good amount, but feel free to season the chicken if you like.

Ingredients:
4 (4-ounce) pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 wedges Laughing Cow cheese (any flavor)
4 servings extra lean deli ham
Panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Pound each chicken breast to about 1/4-inch thickness. Spread one wedge of cheese on top of each breast. Then place 2 to 3 slices of ham on top of the cheese. Roll up the chicken and secure with toothpicks. Roll the chicken around in a dish of Panko bread crumbs.
Spray a baking dish lightly with PAM. Place the chicken in the baking dish and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.
Yield: 4 servings

Estimated nutritional info (per serving): 217 calories; 5g fat; 80mg cholesterol; 1232mg sodium; 99mg potassium; 7g carbs; 32g protein

Source: Spark Recipes

Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers

I took a home economics class in 9th grade, and the very first thing (real food) I learned to cook was stuffed peppers. I was so proud of those peppers, too! I think they had ground beef and rice and a few other ingredients in them, and they were good.

I found this recipe on a blog that I frequent when I need ideas for healthy cooking. I was really pleased with how these turned out and with how filling they were. My man thought the same thing. He even brought a pepper over to his parent's house so his family could give it a try.

We ate these for two nights, and they are still good the next night. I stuck them in the oven just to warm them up, and they were perfect.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup parsley or cilantro
5 bell peppers (red or green)
14-ounces shredded cooked chicken breast (I used 1 rotisserie chicken)
Cumin, to taste
Salt, to taste
1 (15.5-ounce) can white beans
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a medium pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add chopped onions, garlic, parsley and red pepper. Saute until soft, about 1-2 minutes. Add chicken and season with cumin and salt. Add beans and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until it thickens and the liquid reduces. Adjust spices to taste.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Cut peppers in half removing seeds and stem. Place peppers in an oven-proof dish. Fill each pepper with 1/3 cup of chicken and bean mixture. Pour about 1/3 cup water or chicken broth on the bottom of the dish. Cover tight with foil. Bake 30 minutes at 350-degrees. Remove foil, top with cheese and bake uncovered another 5 minutes.
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 2 halves)

Nutritional Info (per serving): 304 calories; 5.9g fat; 29.9g protein; 34.9g carbs; 6.5g fiber

Source: Gina's Skinny Recipes

Southwest Chicken and Corn Chowder

This has been a very cold winter, so I've had a chance to try several new soup recipes. I absolutely love soup, and I don't think I could ever get tired of eating it. This soup is particularly good because it has lots of fiber and the chicken that keeps you feeling full. I also love the smoky flavor from the adobo sauce. I served this with a slice of Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread, and everyone was satisfied.

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock
2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup (I used light)
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken (I used the meat from 1 Rotisserie chicken)
1-2 chilies in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
In a large stockpot over medium high heat, combine chicken stock, salsa, and cream of chicken soup. Bring to a boil, stirring until well combined. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Add cooked chicken, chilies in adobo, frozen corn and black beans. Simmer until heated through, 15-20 minutes. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

Source: Let's Dish

Cheddar Jalepeno Cornbread

I wanted to try a new recipe of cornbread to go along side my soup recipes. I made a Southwest Chicken and Corn Chowder (recipe found here), and this cornbread sounded like it would be perfect. Aubrey loves jalapenos, so he really enjoyed this recipe. His brother also came over and ate several pieces of it. I'll definitely make it again. It's a tad bit on the sweet side, so you can reduce the amount of sugar if you want to make it less sweet. I think I'll use 2 tablespoons next time instead of 1/4 cup.


Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup sliced scallions, divided
3 Tablespoons fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

Directions:
Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until most of the lumps are dissolved. Do not over mix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated cheddar cheese, about 1/3 cup scallions and the jalapenos. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares.

Source: Let's Dish