Erin's Easy Eats

Turkey Cutlets and Sauteed Mushrooms

May 7th, 2008 by Erin

This is a staple from my mom’s kitchen. I’m not really sure where she got the recipe originally, but it has stood the test of time. I add a little cheese (not originally in the recipe, as far as I can remember) and pretend like I’m making beautiful food from Take Home Chef, which I watched for about 2 hours today. Sigh.

Ingredients:

• 4 turkey cutlets (about 1 lb, total)
• 2 Tbs grainy Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 1 c. seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced thinly (I really should stop buying the presliced mushrooms, which are sliced, apparently, with a saw held by giants. They are way too thick)

Mix breadcrumbs and cheese together. (I do this in a bag and pretend it’s Shake ‘n Bake.) Pat turkey cutlets dry. Spread each all over with 1/2 Tbs mustard apiece. Coat with breadcrumb mixture. Cook on a preheated nonstick skillet with a little olive oil over medium high heat, turning until nicely browned and cooked through. Add wine to pan, allow to cook off nearly completely, turning cutlets once to get both sides in wine. Remove cutlets from pan. Add a little bit more olive oil (or butter, if you’re me) and add mushrooms. Do not add salt until the very end, I promise. The mushrooms will brown and release their own juices. Then add the salt and pepper to taste.

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Deep Dish Hamburger Pie

February 28th, 2008 by Erin

This is another one of those nostalgic dinners that my mother used to make all of the time. It looks like a sloppy mess, as does most of my favorite food. It is good comfort food. The picture doesn’t do it justice, and normally the mashed potatoes are a little bit stiffer, but I think we ran out of cheating potato flakes and just left them a little more runny than normal. Essentially, this is a really easy shepherd’s pie recipe that has cheese on top because where there is cheese, there is sublime happiness.

Oh! I also updated the Chicken with Peppers in Peanut Sauce page to include a loverly photograph. And, as per Dave’s request (which will go unmentioned and be a “need to know” basis only) there won’t be nudity, but there is gonna be one hot mama gracing this page sometime in the near future. And cheesecake.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
• 4 servings mashed potatoes (about 2 cups)
• 5 slices of American cheese (ya know, Kraft singles)
• 1 can tomato soup (I use Campbell’s “Healthy Requests”
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can cut green beans, drained

Preheat oven to 350. Brown meat and onions together in a non-stick pan. (If I’m using turkey, which I always am, I add a few glugs of Worcestershire sauce, too.) When the meat is cooked through, turn off the heat, and add the green beans and tomato soup. Stir to combine. Place in a baking dish (your 8×8 brownie pan will do the trick.) Top with mashed potatoes* and then cheese. (Break up that 5th piece to fill in the gaps.) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. You will want a cookie sheet underneath so you don’t have to clean your oven like I’m going to have to do later.

*I always cheat and use instant mashed potatoes, 4 servings, because that’s what mommy does. If you have real mashed potatoes, or if you’re feeling adventurous/resourceful/anything but lazy, please feel free.

Posted in dinner, recipes, turkey || 1 Comment

Mexican Mac ‘n Cheese

February 12th, 2008 by Erin

Don’t be put off by the amount of ingredients in this one, it really came together quickly (about 5 minutes) and the majority of them are spices/pantry staples. I might have put too much chili powder in mine (because I added some to the cheese sauce) because it was quite spicy. We’ll see how things shape up in leftover land - it will either be unbearable tomorrow or quite pleasant. For some reason, I can stand spiciness as long as it’s not Mexican food. Something about Asian spicy (think Thai) is much more bearable.

Also, I’m realizing that all of the food I like to eat is not photogenic and really just looks like mess. But I promise they are all delicious messes.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey or beef
• 1/2 lb corkscrew pasta (or anything, really)
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 gloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalepenos,chopped (I didn’t pull out all of the seeds or veins, so this could be why it was really spicy)
• 2 Tbs. chipotle chili powder
• 1 Tbs. ground coriander
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 2 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Cook pasta according to package directions - right to al dente (really, don’t overcook it.) Brown meat with coriander, cumin, and chili powder. When meat is done browning, add onions, garlic, jalepeno, and diced tomatoes. Let that hang out and simmer while you make the cheese sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk flour and cold butter together until all melty and bubbly. Add milk, whisking slowly. Bring to a bubble. Add cheese slowly, stirring to melt. Stir in cilantro. Mix everything together - meat mixture, cheese sauce, and pasta.

Posted in dinner, mexican, pasta, recipes, turkey || No Comments

Macaroni Beef Sautee

February 6th, 2008 by Erin

This was dinner last night. Tonight, I will have the easiest eat of all: takeout Chinese food. Anyway…

I love how my mother always gave this such a fancy name when really it’s Beefaroni. But, like the song says, it can’t be beat. The husband, my resident 1982 model dishwasher, was complaining that I’m tough to handle when it comes to post-dinner cleanup. This one satisfies not only his belly, but his laziness in cleaning. Despite the name (both of them involving the word beef,) I use ground turkey.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1 14 oz. can Italian style stewed tomatoes
• small can tomato paste
• 1 tsp. each garlic powder and onion powder
• 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce (roughly. Use less if you’re using beef. I say 1/4 cup but it’s a “few healthy shakes.” Like 5 or 6 with turkey, 3 with beef.)
• 1 c. elbow macaroni, uncooked

Brown meat in pan. Add stewed tomatoes (I squeeze them in my hands to mash ‘em up before I put them in.) Put tomato paste into stewed tomato can, fill with enough hot water to refill stewed tomato can. (It’s really a cup of water. I checked last night. But I have to put the complicated directions, because that’s just “how it’s done.”) Add to pan. Add remaining ingredients. Cover, stirring occasionally, and cook over low heat (simmering) for 45 minutes.

Posted in pasta, recipes, turkey || 1 Comment

Kofta Curry

January 21st, 2008 by Erin

I got this recipe from my high school friend Maria, who upon my begging for new things to do with ground turkey, sent this. It is delicious and simple. We serve it with couscous or rice, and sometimes some pita wedges. On a different note, I love those bowl plate things, but they are so not photo friendly. They are Erin friendly, because they are super colorful, but pink and green and blue plates do not make for pretty food photos.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1½ pounds ground turkey (or lamb, or beef, or venison)
2½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup thinly sliced onion (separate from the chopped onion)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 cup water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine the chopped onion, turkey, 1½ teaspoons of the salt, the cinnamon, cloves and beaten egg. Shape into eighteen meatballs and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Brown the onion slices in it. Add the turmeric and cook for two or three minutes. Remove the onion slices from the pan and reserve them.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat it. Add the meatballs and cook them until browned on all sides.
Mix the browned onions, water, tomato paste, remaining salt, the coriander, cumin and cayenne and add to the pan. Cover and cook over moderate heat for 20 minutes.

Posted in dinner, recipes, turkey || 2 Comments

"Mexican Pie"

January 8th, 2008 by Erin

This was cut into and half devoured before I could even think of getting my camera out. Next time, folks!
This was inspired by a “Mexican fajita bake” or something equally weird sounding in the El Paso boxed section of the international foods aisle. Hubby reports this is better than the boxed stuff. He’s great. It’s sort of a Mexican take on lasagna. (Real lasagna tomorrow! Not an easy eat by any measure, but deeeeelicous.)
Also, does anyone read this? Comment if you do, I’m feeling sort of lonely and unappreciated here in food blog land.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey (or beef, if you prefer)
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilies
1 c. salsa
1/4 c. nacho cheese (or a good hunk of Velveeta)
1 package taco seasoning
4 tortillas (fajita sized)
2 cups Mexican cheese blend
1 can beans (kidney or pinto work best), drained

Preheat oven to 350.
Brown the meat until fully cooked. Add 1/4 c. water and taco seasoning. Cook until slightly thickened. Add tomatoes/chilies, salsa, nacho cheese, and beans. Heat until warmed through (or until your Velveeta is all melty.)
Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray. Put in one tortilla. Put about 1/4 of the meat mixture on top, and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat layering until all of your meat mixture and tortillas are gone (you should end with cheese on top.)
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream if you like.

Posted in mexican, recipes, turkey || 3 Comments

Simple Sausage Pasta

December 28th, 2007 by Erin

So I used to make this dish back when I was a vegetarian and I used the fake “GimmeLean” sausage rolls. And my dear man even ate it then and raved. Last night was the first time I’ve ever made this dish with “real sausage” (even though I’ve been eating poultry again for over a year) and let me tell you, there were no leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 package turkey sausage (Hot or mild - I prefer hot)
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup cream (I used light last night but have used heavy in the past)
2 Tbs country Dijon mustard
1/4 cup (a good handful) chopped fresh basil
1/2 pound pasta (something small) cooked according to package directions

Start your water boiling for your pasta. (You’ll want it close by.) Remove your sausage from the casings and crumble and brown over medium high heat. When your sausage is done, add your pasta to the water (I use small shells and they normally take about 6 minutes to cook.) Add white wine and let cook off until reduced by about half. Turn heat wayyyyy down, add mustard and cream, stir to mix. Let simmer together for about 3-5 minutes. Add basil and pasta, stir to combine.

Now, yesterday, when I made it, I got hot sausage by accident and preferred it. Normally I got mild and added a couple of red chili flakes - you choose. Also, the sauce was really sparse, so I took about a ladle full of pasta water and mixed it in before I added the pasta and it worked well. Some tips, ya know?

Posted in dinner, pasta, sausage, turkey || No Comments