Thai Turkey with Basil

I found this in a recipe book that had Chinese, Japanese and Thai recipes in it. I forgot I even had the book so I marked what I wanted to try and I'll add it to my recipe collection on my computer. This recipe stuck out and I knew I would try it soon. I made it this morning and yes I know it was only 10am but I didn't care. It was sooooo good! I've never fried basil before so that was new to me. You are supposed to serve it on a piece of lettuce, which I did but I also put some additional lettuce leaves on the side to wrap it up in. I also drizzled some hoisin sauce over the top. The recipe calls for Boston or Bibb lettuce but I couldn't find any at two grocery stores so I just used iceberg lettuce, which worked fine.



Thai Turkey with Basil (4 servings)

1 small bunch fresh basil, divided
2 c veggie oil
6 large shallots, coarsely chopped (I used the other half of a white onion, diced)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
1 lg ground turkey
2 fresh Thai chili peppers, cut into thin slices
2 tsp packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Lettuce leaves

Set aside 8 small basil sprigs. Slice remaining basil into strips; set aside.

Heat oil in wok over med-high until oil registers 375. Add 1 or 2 basil sprigs at a time and deep-fry about 15 seconds or until basil is glossy and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels; drain. Repeat with remaining sprigs, reheating oil between batches. Reserved fried basil.

Let oil cool slightly. Pour off most of oil, leaving 1/4 c in skillet or wok. Heat over med-high 30 seconds. Add shallots, garlic and ginger; cook and stir 1 min. Add turkey and stir-fry about 4 min or until lightly browned. Push turkey up side of work or skillet, letting juices remain in bottom.

Continue to cook 5-7 min or until all liquid evaporates. Stir in chili slices, brown sugar and salt; cook 1 min. Stir in reserved basil strips. Remove from heat.

Line serving plate with lettuce. Spoon turkey mixture on top. Top with reserved fried basil.



The ingredients...

Fried basil...

Enjoy!

Ham & Lentil Soup

Between my mom and I we made up this recipe. I've decided I wanted to start eating more fiber-based foods and last night I was in the mood for some soup. I stopped at a Whole Foods store on the way home to get some basil for another recipe and decided to try some lentils for the first time. I also picked up some veggies and ham and went home to experiment. It turned out pretty good. I'm not sure if i like the lentils but I'm willing to try it again..and I have leftovers so I'll eat the soup again. The broth itself turned out awesome with all the veggies I added. When I went to put the leftovers into another container, I noticed all the broth had evaporated. So when I reheat the soup, I'll add another 2 cups of broth and simmer it in it..maybe the lentils will soften up some more. The measurements listed below are just an estimate of what I used. For the carrots, onion & celery, I used a pre-cut pkg of the trio and only used half of the pkg.


Ham & Lentil Soup

1-2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1-in piece ginger, minced
1 c sliced yellow squash
1/4 c diced carrot
1/4 c diced celery
1/4 c diced onion
2 c ham, cut into cubes
4 c chicken broth
1 c dried brown lentils
1 bay leaf
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme

Melt butter in Dutch oven. Add veggies and cook until squash is tender but not translucent, about 3-4 min. Add broth and bring to boil. Once broth is boiling, add lentils, bay leaf, basil and thyme.

Simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are cooked to your desired consistency.

Remove bay leaf and serve.


All the ingredients chopped up and ready to go...

Veggies...

Enjoy!

**On A Side Note: I remade this soup a couple weeks ago with much better results!I used up all my leftover veggies in the fridge; half of a bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, a bay leaf, garlic and ginger, along with cubed ham and the lentils. Instead of using chicken bouillon cubes, which was a huge mistake when I first made this soup, I used 6 cups of veggie (you can also use chicken) broth and the soup tasted so much better! It wasn't as salty and the broth didn't evaporate like it did when I first made it. I also added some oregano, thyme and basil to the soup after it was done. Although it did turn green in the fridge from all the spices, it tasted even better the next day. I will definitely be making this soup on a regular basis, especially since you can basically put in any veggie you desire. Yum!


All the veggies..






Broth added...






Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Garbage Bread

Found the idea for this recipe on Pinterest and found the actual recipe on www.food.com after a google search. It was really easy to make and it tastes pretty good. I'll definitely make this again, and maybe play around with the ingredients as well. I added garlic to mine this time around.

Buffalo Chicken Garbage Bread:

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp olive oil
1 can pizza dough
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
3 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c frank hot sauce
1/3 c ranch dressing
1 tbsp minced garlic

Preheat oven to 425.

Cut chicken into cubes. Season with pepper. Heat 1 tsp oil in pan and add chicken when hot. Cook chicken completely and add 1/4 c hot sauce. Stir to coat and let simmer 1-2 min. Take chicken off heat and let cool.

On well floured surface, roll out pizza dough into a long rectangle. Add hot sauce and ranch dressing and mix well. Spread onto the pizza dough. Add chicken and garlic and top with cheeses. You can add more sauce if you want it spicier on top of everything.

Starting at one of the short ends, roll up until you read the other end. Make sure to tuck in the ends of the dough so the middle doesn't 'ooze' out when baking.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (I used foil and sprayed that with the cooking spray). Place bread on the pan and bake 20-25 min. Let sit 5 min before cutting into it.

Hot sauce and dressing mixed together...

Chicken simmering in hot sauce...

Hot sauce and dressing spread on pizza dough...

Chicken & garlic...

Cheeses...

All rolled up...

I served my slice with a side of blue cheese dressing...Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken

I've been trying to use my slow cooker more often so I googled this recipe. Not sure which site I used..multiple sites seem to have this recipe and it only calls for 4 ingredients. I adapted the amount of chicken breasts for my recipe and it still made plenty. It has a lot of flavor and for dinner, I made some toast, sprinkled some feta cheese on top and topped it with the chicken as an open-faced sandwich. It was pretty good...spicy but good. I may try to add it to some eggs in the morning.




Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, frozen
1 bottle of Frank's hot sauce
1 envelope Ranch Dressing seasoning
1 tbsp butter

Place chicken breast in slow cooker. Add 1 bottle of Frank's hot sauce over chicken and top with packet of seasoning. Cook on low 6-7 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

Shred chicken with 2 forks. Stir in 1 tbsp butter and cook an additional 10 min.



Shredded chicken...

Enjoy!

Gorgonzola Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I got this idea for this recipe from Pinterest but made it my own. My first recipe where I added my own ingredients and it turned out amazing! I will definitely make this recipe again! I'm guessing on the measurements of spices so you can add more or less of each, to your taste.


Gorgonzola Stuffed Chicken Breasts (2 servings):

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 slices uncooked baon
6 pieces gorgonzola cheese (from a gorgonzola cheese rind)
1 tbsp, plus 1 tsp bottled minced ginger, divided
1 tbsp, plus 1 tsp bottled minced garlic, divided
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley


Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag and pound to desired flatness. Sprinkle both pieces with 1 tbsp garlic, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tsp oregano and 1 tsp parsley. Lay 3 pieces of cheese onto chicken and roll up. Place 2 slices bacon around each chicken breast and roll up. Sprinkle rolled-up chicken pieces with 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp oregano and 1 tsp parsley. Place chicken in baking dish.

Bake for 35-40 min or until juices run clear and meat thermometer reads 170. Some of the cheese may leak out during cooking.

I made zucchini to eat with my chicken and I scooped up some of the melted cheese on the bottom of the dish and put it on top of my chicken.



Flattened chicken pieces with spices...

Pieces of gorgonzola cheese on top of the chicken...

Rolled up in bacon...

Spices on top of bacon...

Enjoy!

Buttery Shrimp

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it sounded pretty simple and easy and it tastes amazing!!! Highly recommend you try it. It originally didn't call for capers but since I love capers, I added several tablespoonfuls.

Find the recipe here



Lemon slices on top of the butter...

Raw shrimp on top...

Sprinkled with Italian seasoning...

Capers...

Shrimp & Couscous...

Enjoy!

Rolled-Up Croissants

I use this snack/meal usually on Sundays when I'm not in the mood to cook anything. I got the idea from work-we used hot dogs and a slice of cheese for the kids. I've adapted mine and I use pepperoni slices and shredded cheese. You can put pretty much anything in it though. The last couple times I've made it I've used garlic and buttery croissants. Yum!



The type of pepperoni I use..

Pepperoni & cheese sprinkled on a croissant piece..

Rolled up croissants, ready to be baked...

Taken out of the oven...

Enjoy!

Couscous with Peppers

I love love love couscous and so I started adding more veggies when I make it. I also love baby bell peppers so for this recipe I used a handful of them, sliced and fried them with some minced garlic in olive oil. I fried them up while the couscous was cooking and added it to the couscous once it was done cooking. Delish!



The couscous I use...

Baby bell peppers & Garlic...

Enjoy!

Flavorful Chicken

I found this recipe in my collection and it sounded good and I had all the ingredients. Plus it only made 2 servings, which is perfect for me. I'll definitely make this again...the chicken had really good flavor. Next time, I may add some sliced potatoes and veggies to the chicken to make it a complete meal. I doubled the amount of butter an soy sauce to give the chicken some extra flavor and instead of just dipping it in the marinade, I let it sit in the fridge for about an hour.

Flavorful Chicken (2 servings):

2 tbsp butter, melted (I used 4 tbsp)
1 tbsp soy sauce (I used 2 tbsp)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp grated parm cheese (I used 2 tbsp Parmesan-Romano cheese)
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic salt (I used garlic powder)
1/4 tsp paprika

In shallow bowl, combine melted butter and soy sauce. Dip or marinate chicken in sauce. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and spices.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 min until juices run clear.


Chicken marinating in melted butter and soy sauce...

Paprika, Garlic Salt and Italian Seasoning mix...

Spices and cheese sprinkled onto chicken pieces...

I served my chicken with a wild rice pilaf and cheese melted on top..yum! Enjoy!

Open-Faced Tuna Sandwiches

I don't really have set measurements for this recipe. My mom told me what to put in it so I just added everything to taste. I can give you a rough estimate of what I used. It was a good lunch and I'd definitely make it again.

1 can (3 oz) of tuna fish in water (I used the brand above)
1-2 small pieces of celery, chopped
1-2 tbsp pickle relish (I used Heinz dill relish)
1/4 c mayo
2-3 tbsp capers

Mix all ingredients together to your desired consistency, adding more mayo as needed. Serve on toast. Enjoy!

Israeli Couscous with Veggies

I was looking through my cupboards tonight trying to figure out what to make for dinner. I found some fish in the freezer so I started looking for a side to make. I was just about to start slicing up some polenta to fry up when I noticed my box of Israeli couscous in the back. I have yet to make this type of couscous and the directions on the box seemed easy enough but I wanted something else to go with it. I had some little bell peppers so I sliced some of those up. Then I went on the foodnetwork and found a recipe for Israeli couscous that included a lemon-balsamic vinaigrette. I I made up the couscous according to the box, added some bell peppers and garlic and made up the vinaigrette to drizzle over it. I would definitely make this recipe again and I think I can put the vinaigrette on most things. Side note..the vinaigrette calls for an aged balsamic vinegar. My balsamic vinegar is from Italy and it's really thick and tastes amazing with this dressing. Not sure how any other dressing will taste so if you have an Italian balsamic vinegar on hand, I highly recommend you use that! Very rich tasting! I didn't have a shallot on hand so I used about 2 tbsp of a white minced onion.

Israeli Couscous with Veggies:

1 box (8 oz) Israeli Couscous (I got mine from Trader Joe's)
3-4 mini bell peppers or 1-2 regular sized bell peppers, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsp canola or veggie or olive oil, divided
1 small shallot, minced
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3/4 c EVOO
1 tsp dried parsley

For the vinaigrette, mix the minced shallot, lemon juice, lemon zest, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar and EVOO. I put mine in a shaker/pourer to make it easier to pour on the couscous. Shake it up and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry up the garlic and peppers until tender. Set aside.

In a 2 qt saucepan, saute the couscous with 1 tbsp oil over med heat until couscous is lightly browned, about 5 min. Slowly add 1 3/4 c boiling water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and cover. Simmer for 12 min or until liquid is absorbed.

When there is about 1 min left of the cooking time, reheat the peppers and garlic. Add to the couscous and sprinkle with the dried parsley. Pour desired amount of vinaigrette over the couscous.




The mini bell peppers and garlic...

The balsamic vinegar that I bought in Italy...

The vinaigrette...

Smoked/Browned couscous...

Boiling water added to the couscous...

Couscous served with my fish..Enjoy!