Turkey Fiesta Soup

We had mojo turkey left over from Thanksgiving and I wanted to make a soup. 
Typically I use carrots, celery, onion and white beans with poultry seasoning.  This time I decided to kick it up a notch because I had cubanelle peppers from my CSA and the mojo turkey.  It was a really nice change to my typical way.  I loved the spices with it!

I know it sounds like I lot of ingredients but once I got the prep work out of the way it was easy.  I pre-chopped all the veggies and put them in a big bowl, opened the cans and lined those up and mixed my spices in a small bowl.  This way I wasn't scrambling around as I made the soup.

 

Turkey Fiesta Soup
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and chopped

1 sweet potato, chopped

1 cup chopped carrots

2 onions, diced

2 ribs celery, diced
1 cup corn kernels (I used left over grilled corn)
5 cups cooked turkey, cubed (Mojo rotisserie chicken can also be used here)

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained) (I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes)

1 15 oz can black beans (undrained) (I used Eden Foods Organic)

1 15 oz can black beans and rice (I used Eden Foods Organic)

8 cups chicken broth

6 bay leaves

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder

1 1/2 Tbsp paprika

1 1/2 Tbsp cumin

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the peppers through celery and cook until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil then decrease heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Discard bay leaves and serve.

Tagged, I'm it!

I was tagged by Lizzy at Food to Run For, which is one of my most favorite blogs, to answer a few questions!


1. What's your favorite thing about blogging?


I love the networking part and "meeting" new friends.


Secondly, I love learning to cook new things. Food makes me so happy I always want to share with the people I love!


Finally, the photography part is so much fun. One of my favorite electives in school was my photography class. 


2. What is your perfect Saturday?


Gosh this is a tough one because there are so many things I love to do on Saturdays.   I'll have to say power yoga, then the St Augustine Farmers market with my baby girl, lunch at the Floridian with my mom and then drinks that evening with my hubby.


3. What is your favorite meal to cook/eat?


How about current favorite ingredient?  Squash.


4. What would be your ideal workout?


Weights and yoga combo.  I love combining balance, strength and flexibility. 


5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you move?


I can't say I'd move but I would have multiple houses.  I would love a summer house on the Cape, winter house in St Augustine and my main house on the river. 


I might change my answer after I've traveled more though. 

Roasted Kohlrabi and Daikon Radish Salad

Last Wednesday was my second CSA pickup and I got some really interesting veggies including a kohlrabi and a daikon radish.  The kohlrabi tastes a lot like broccoli to me and the radish was milder than a standard radish.  For Thanksgiving I decided to roast them and make a salad with some of the gorgeous lettuces I got as well.

If you don't have these particular veggies you can sub any root veggies and they would be delicious in this recipe.

Kohlrabi

Daikon radish

(The white thing that looks like a carrot in front.)

This is what the mixture looked like after roasting,

This is the final salad.

(A bit blurry as my photography equipment was put away for Thanksgiving).

Roasted Kohlrabi and Daikon Radish Salad

Serves about 8

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 kohlrabi, peeled and diced

1 daikon radish, peeled and diced

1 cup chopped onion

2 green apples
2 heads fresh lettuce, torn


Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp poultry seasoning
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp agave (or honey)


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350F.  In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients, pouring half in a large bowl to toss the vegetables and reserve half for later to top salad.  Add the kohlrabi, radish and onion to the large bowl with the dressing, toss to coat; pour mixture onto a large baking sheet.  Bake 45 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Turn broiler to high, broil vegetables until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through; remove from oven and let cool.


2. Chop apples and place in a large salad bowl; add cooled vegetables and lettuce; pour reserved dressing and toss gently to coat.

Happy Thanksgiving to All

Since I may not be able to log on tomorrow I would just like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and say thank you to anyone who comes here to visit me. 

May your travels be safe, family be healthy and dinner come out perfectly!

XOXO

Dawn

Turkey and Vegetable Grilled Stuffed Peppers

Saturday night was the Riverside Wine Fest.  The street was blocked off and there were 300 wines to taste.  For three hours of fun we mingled, tasted, met new friends and had an all around blast.  I can't wait to go again next year!

After all that wine I needed some nice fresh veggies for dinner the next night.  That's where the stuffed peppers came in.

I'm almost through the veggies from my first CSA installment and had been holding out on the peppers as I figured they would keep a bit longer than the delicate veggies.  For this recipe I used both the peppers and the spinach and came up with a grilled variation of the traditionally baked stuffed peppers.

I chose to leave the rice out and went with a bit of corn to lower the carbohydrate content.  The mix of flavors was so fresh with all the veggies and light with the lean ground turkey; the cheese added a bit of decadence to round out the whole dish.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Turkey and Vegetable Grilled Stuffed Peppers

Serves 6

Printable Recipe

**5 WW Pts (full nutrition below)

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground turkey

6 green bell peppers, core and seeds cut out

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

1 cup fresh or frozen mushrooms

1 cup fresh or frozen bell pepper mix

1 cup chopped onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning (or salt, pepper and garlic powder), to taste

1 15oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

2 Tbsp tomato paste

6 oz shredded cheese, mozzarella and/or Mexican blend

Directions

1. Preheat grill over medium high heat.  Spray peppers with cooking spray and season with Cajun seasoning.  Grill on top side for 5 minutes, turn on side for 3 minutes, turn and grill an additional 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and place in a shallow baking dish.

2. Meanwhile spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat.  Add ground turkey, season with Cajun seasoning and cook, crumbling with a spoon, until browned.  Remove turkey from pan and add the corn through garlic.  Cook for 10 minutes or until onions begin to stick on bottom.  Add the tomatoes, spinach and turkey, taste and season with additional seasoning if necessary.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Stuff peppers with the turkey mixture and top each with 1 ounce of shredded cheese.  Place pan back in grill to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

6 Servings

Amount Per Serving
Calories 245.2
Total Fat 6.2 g
Saturated Fat 3.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.8 g
Cholesterol 49.0 mg
Sodium 1,294.5 mg
Potassium 630.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 25.2 g
Dietary Fiber 5.1 g
Sugars 11.4 g
Protein 23.6 g

Vitamin A 26.7 %
Vitamin B-12 29.4 %
Vitamin B-6 21.7 %
Vitamin C 76.5 %
Vitamin D 2.2 %
Vitamin E 5.0 %
Calcium 21.3 %
Copper 9.5 %
Folate 8.4 %
Iron 10.1 %
Magnesium 10.4 %
Manganese 8.2 %
Niacin 7.4 %
Pantothenic Acid 9.9 %
Phosphorus 35.4 %
Riboflavin 25.6 %
Selenium 41.5 %
Thiamin 12.6 %
Zinc 13.1 %

Seafood Squash Casserole

Just last week I got summer squash and zucchini.  I had to laugh because according to most recipes, posts, articles etc. this stuff is not in season.  Here in Florida this is what is ripe right now!

I decided to just give in and enjoy it.

After much searching I found this Summer Squash Casserole made by Joanne at Eats Well with Others.

To make it a meal I threw some crab in and it came out great.

Now my round two recipe (below) was a complete fail.  I simply put some of the leftover in a high fiber wrap and I was not a huge fan.

Hey, we can't win 'em all right?

my-not-very-tasty round two idea.

Aaaanyway, I highly suggest the casserole.  Chris and I both went back in for a second taste.

The very tasty round one version.

Seafood Squash Casserole

Serves 6

Adapted from Eats Well with Others

Ingredients

2 lb summer squash and zucchini, sliced thin
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup reduced fat plain non fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
Pepper and garlic powder, to taste
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tbsp chives, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 cup (80z) lump crab meat

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Put all the zucchini in a microwaveable bowl, add a tbsp or two of water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave until tender (about 5 minutes or so)

2. Melt 2 tbsp butter, yogurt, cheese, salt and paprika over low heat in a small saucepan; whisking until smooth. A tbsp at a time, whisk the cheese sauce into the eggs so that they become tempered and don't cook upon contact.

3. Layer half the squash mixture, pepper and garlic powder and half the crab in a 9x13 casserole dish; repeat with remaining. Cover with cheese sauce.


3. Mix the topping ingredients (the chives, 2 tbsp melted butter, bread crumbs, and parmesan). Spread evenly over the squash. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Special Thanks to Ashlee and Cara

Recently my friend Ashlee at Veggies by Season had an on line auction to raise money for Molly's vet bills.

Molly

Molly is a little dog she found wandering alone on a busy road in Jacksonville.  Ashlee kindly took her in and brought her to the vet.  She is in fairly good health but still needed some shots and tests done. 

The animal lover in me was in full support and the fact that Cara at Cara's Cravings, another of my most favorite bloggers, had put up some of her world famous baked goods so of course I had to bid.

Most happily I won her Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Brownies!

(Please visit her website to get the recipe for them.)

As a special suprise, Cara went out of her way to make my allergic-to-everything two year old daughter her own oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!

I was just blown away because I know how complicated and expensive gluten, dairy, egg, soy free baked goods can be (see below ingredients and notes).  My daughter very rarely gets to have any of the goodies that other kids enjoy so this was a very special treat.

The original recipe she used was from Gluten Free Goddess and here are the ingredients and her notes.

The ingredients, with Cara's notes:

2/3 cup Spectrum Organic Shortening - I used this brand, the only ingredient is palm oil

1 1/2 cups organic brown sugar - regular brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened organic applesauce

2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract - same thing, my vanilla extract is a pure one

2 tablespoons agave or honey - I used honey

In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients:

1/2 cup rice flour or sorghum flour - Bob's Red Mill sorghum flour

1/2 cup oat flour [certified gluten-free Lara's Oats] - Bob's Red Mill certified gf oats

1/2 cup potato or tapioca starch - Bob's Red Mill tapioca starch

1/4 cup vanilla rice protein powder [I used Nutribiotics] - omitted and used extra sorghum

1 teaspoon xanthan gum - Bob's Red Mill

1/2 teaspoon baking soda - this and all the rest were just standard

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

And I added chocolate chips from Enjoy Life  - they are dairy and soy free and made in a gluten and nut-free facility.

p.s. As an update, Molly was accepted into a rescue two weeks ago.

Thank you to Ashlee for taking Molly in and to Cara for contributing and surprising us with this special treat.

Simple Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

Not only was this meal a round two recipe for my slaw, I also dished up some fresh brocolli rabe.

The meat shown here was an organic Boston butt cooked in the crock pot in a home made BBQ sauce on low for 10 hours and then shredded. 

For the round two on the slaw I simply grabbed a Arnold Sandwich thin, some of the pulled pork, a bit of extra BBQ sauce and about 1/4 cup of the slaw.

For the star of this post...the broccoli rabe, also called rapini, I got from my CSA.

I was a little scared of broccoli rabe.

I was scared, according to most recipes out there, of how bitter it would be.

As it turns out, there was no need to be scared.  When blanched and sautéed with some olive oil, fresh garlic and Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning the bitterness was just an afterthought and the tender, crisp freshness of the broccoli rabe showed through,

Simple Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

Serves 2

**2 WW pts (see below for full nutrition)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed and woody ends trimmed

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning, to taste (salt, pepper and garlic powder may be used as a sub, but the Tony's is really tasty)

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of water over high heat.  Blanch the broccoli rabe for three minutes then rinse with cool water.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat;  add the broccoli rabe, garlic and red pepper flakes; season with Cajun seasoning, to taste; sauté three minutes.

Nutrition Facts

2 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 81.9
Total Fat 6.8 g
Saturated Fat 0.9 g 
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 77.8 mg
Potassium 6.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 4.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 3.1 g

Vitamin A 0.0 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 0.9 %
Vitamin C 0.8 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 4.2 %
Calcium 0.3 %
Copper 0.2 %
Folate 0.0 %
Iron 0.3 %
Magnesium 0.1 %
Manganese 1.3 %
Niacin 0.1 %
Pantothenic Acid 0.1 %
Phosphorus 0.2 %
Riboflavin 0.1 %
Selenium 0.3 %
Thiamin 0.2 %
Zinc 0.1 %

Asian Bok Choy Slaw

Last Saturday was a BBQ rib night complete with a bonfire.  On the side was grilled corn and slaw.

I chose this bok choy slaw because, I hate to admit, I don't think I'm a huge fan of sautéed bok choy.  I know...I'm crazy.  It's a texture thing.  My dilemma?  I got a huge amount from my CSA and had to come up with something other than sautéing. 

This is why I love CSA's.  I never would have bought it on my own and then I never would have tried this recipe which is amazing.  Secondly I would not have bought toasted sesame oil and that would have also been a tragedy.  When I opened the cap and took a sniff I realized what I've been missing.  It smelled toasty and nutty and just a little goes such a long way with flavor.

I altered this recipe only slightly by using agave instead of sugar and I added some toasted sesame seeds and sunflower seeds for a salty crunch.

Note: The only down-side I found with this recipe was that it is best served immediately.  The next day the flavor and consistency had changed and I was still able to use it on a BBQ pulled pork sandwich but as a side I didn't like it quite as much.

Asian Bok Choy Slaw

Slightly altered from Eating Well's Crunch Bok Choy Slaw

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

3 tsp agave

2 tsp coarse ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 cups very thinly sliced bok choy, (about a 1-pound head, trimmed)

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 shallot, diced

(Optional sesame seeds and/or sunflower seeds)

Directions

1.Whisk rice vinegar, oil, agave, mustard and salt in a large bowl until well combined.  Add bok choy, carrots and shallot; toss to coat with the dressing.  Serve immediately.

Nutrition per 3/4 cup serving:

(Optional seeds add additional fat/cals)

33 calories;

2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono);

0 mg cholesterol;

4 g carbohydrates;

1 g added sugars;

1 g protein;

1 g fiber;

132 mg sodium;

185 mg potassium.

Pumpkin, Apple and Kale Soup

After browsing around some food blogs to look for some recipes to use when I get my CSA veggies I came across the most wonderful recipe for a 5 Minute Autumn Soup created by Michelle at Find Your Balance. 

I just thought it was brilliant; simple, healthy and a wonderful mix of flavors.  I had just had a sweet potato for breakfast so I decided to change this soup up for dinner and add pumpkin puree and a bit of chili powder for some heat.  I just love anything sweet and spicy.

Dear Michelle,

I. Love.This. Recipe.

Pumpkin, Apple and Kale Soup

Slightly altered from 5 minute Autumn Soup from Find Your Balance

Serves 4

Printable Recipe

**2 WW Pts.  See full nutrition info below.

Ingredients

1 carton chicken broth

1 can pumpkin puree

8 ounces chopped kale

2 apples, diced

Salt, pepper, red chili powder, to taste

Directions

1. Heat chicken broth and pumpkin puree over medium high heat; bring to a boil.  Add kale, salt, pepper and chili powder; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until kale is softened.

2. Add diced apples to soup mixture.  Stir and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 126.8
Total Fat 1.8 g
Saturated Fat 0.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Cholesterol 5.0 mg
Sodium 1,060.5 mg
Potassium 858.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 27.2 g
Dietary Fiber 9.7 g
Sugars 7.0 g
Protein 6.2 g

Vitamin A 443.2 %
Vitamin B-12 8.4 %
Vitamin B-6 15.0 %
Vitamin C 116.1 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 8.0 %
Calcium 13.6 %
Copper 26.3 %
Folate 8.2 %
Iron 14.4 %
Magnesium 9.3 %
Manganese 60.1 %
Niacin 32.3 %
Pantothenic Acid 2.1 %
Phosphorus 20.0 %
Riboflavin 13.9 %
Selenium 10.5 %
Thiamin 7.3 %
Zinc 6.0 %

For my first CSA recipe; Caramelized Radish, Apple and Arugula Salad

Community supported agriculture, or CSA is sort of a membership to a farm where you pay a subscription fee up front for the growing season and in turn get a share of the crop.  In my case, at the KYV farm, which is about five minutes from my house, I bought a half share.  This means that every other week I'll go directly to the farm and pick up my share of what is ripe at that time.  (For those that don't live as close they have drop off areas at various points around the city.)

Here is what I got last night: Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Bok Choy, Yukina Spinach, Cucumber (regular and seedless), Bell Green Pepper, Cubanelle Pepper, Green Beans, Radish, Arugula.

The Up-Side

• You can see where your food is coming from, how it's grown and meet the farmers.
• The fruits and vegetables (and possibly meats and eggs) you receive are the freshest you can get (as you can see above).
• For me, it's a much cheaper way to go than paying for organic produce (KYV practices follows organic farming practices) at my natural food store where I'm also paying for the marketing, transport and prepping of the food and the overhead of the store.
• You get a wide variety of vegetables that you may not normally buy thereby learning new recipes and new ways to cook.
• Minimize your carbon footprint.
• Expose your kids to where food and animals (should) come from. (My daughter was very excited to see real chickens running around like chickens are supposed to.)

The Down-Side

• You have to wash and chop your own veggies.
• You may not want to learn new ways to cook new veggies.
• There may be something like a freeze or drought that affects the crop (for me it's definitely worth that chance).

My first CSA experience was wonderful.  I rushed out of work to pick my daughter up at school and drove like a mad woman to the farm while we sang the "chicken song", complete with wings flapping, that we made up on the way there.  

We pulled up; I threw my heels in the trunk and changed into sneakers.  In the dusk light we were greeted by citrus trees and a few small dogs who welcomed us to the front porch of the house.  Inside all the vegetables were neatly arranged in bins with the number that we could add into our produce bag.  Vivian, one of the farm owners, was talking to a few of my new fellow CSA-ers and we discussed food blogging, recipes and the like before I walked in to pick my produce.

I've never seen such gorgeous vegetables!  I remember being warned by someone that CSA vegetables would be really dirty, however; they were only a bit dusty and just would need a good wash.  (The same wash I would give the veggies from the store anyway so not much time lost there). 

My daughter, of course, wanted to see the chickens so Vivian graciously showed us where the hens were lining up to enter the hen house for the night.  After saying goodnight we gathered our bag and made our way home to separate and bag the vegetables in produce bags to be refrigerated. 

This brings me to my first recipe. 

While browsing for radish recipes I found one on Food Republik for a Pan Seared Radish and Avocado Salad.  I had bought an avocado but the thing was still hard as a rock and I decided I wanted something sweet on the salad instead anyway so I went with some of the gorgeous apples I had picked up at the farmers market in Asheville, NC and threw on some honey chevre goat cheese I had gotten there as well. 

The dressing was simple. Equal parts honey and fresh lemon juice. I love the sweet apples, the spicy bite of arugula and the bitter radishes.

 

Caramelized Radish, Apple and Arugula Salad

Altered from Food Republik's Pan Seared Radish and Avocado Salad

Serves 2

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

5 radishes, trimmed and halved
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (such as canola)
Dash of white wine (or some additional lemon juice)
Salt and pepper
1 sweet apple of choice, cored and sliced
5 ounces baby arugula (about 2 big handfuls per serving)
2 ounces goat cheese crumbles
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey

Directions

1. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the radishes, season with salt and pepper and cook about three minutes.  Turn radishes and cook an additional three minutes.  Add a dash of wine and let that cook off for about a minute.  Remove the radishes from the pan to cool.

2. Mix the lemon juice and honey in a small bowl; add the apple sliced and toss to coat.

3. Divide the arugula between two plates, top with the radishes, apples, goat cheese and some additional salt and fresh ground pepper.

Nutrition Facts

2 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 298.9
Total Fat 15.8 g
Saturated Fat 6.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.4 g
Monounsaturated Fat 6.1 g
Cholesterol 22.4 mg
Sodium 170.0 mg
Potassium 323.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 33.0 g
Dietary Fiber 3.8 g
Sugars 28.3 g
Protein 7.7 g

Vitamin A 33.1 %
Vitamin B-12 1.0 %
Vitamin B-6 4.2 %
Vitamin C 39.9 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 9.3 %
Calcium 18.4 %
Copper 11.2 %
Folate 14.3 %
Iron 8.8 %
Magnesium 9.2 %
Manganese 14.4 %
Niacin 2.9 %
Pantothenic Acid 3.4 %
Phosphorus 14.1 %
Riboflavin 14.9 %
Selenium 2.3 %
Thiamin 3.4 %
Zinc 3.7 %