Turkey and Artichoke Pot Pie

If you’ve checked out my post about the turkey that keeps on giving, you know that I’ve been using my gift turkey in all sorts of ways. Here is one more recipe that is perfect for cold wintry evenings. It uses two of my favorite Trader Joe’s items; A creamy Parmesan cheese called Toscano with toscano cheeseBlack Pepper and a bag of California goodness, Frozen Artichoke TJ artichoke heartsHearts. Both of these items are available pretty much all of the time at Trader Joe’s. The cheese is wonderful in cooking and delightful on a cracker or as part of a decadent grilled cheese. The artichokes have a fresher taste than the ones in the can and are great in hundreds of recipes.

They had a formidable co-star in some super moist turkey breast. Onion and roasted red peppers rounded out the cast. DIGITAL CAMERA

The sauce was “Alfredo like” with a hefty punch of garlic, but lighter in body because turkey stock made up most of the liquid with only a bit of fat-free half & half to add some creaminess.

I used a Montreal Reduced Sodium Chicken Seasoning along with Smoked Paprika for my seasoning, but you could use any seasoning you like and it would be wonderful with fresh herbs as well.

The pot pie that resulted was wonderful. I allowed it to rest the required 10 minutes. This was slightly longer than my husband could wait…hence the picture of the completed dish is missing a corner…it was that good.DIGITAL CAMERA

 

Turkey and Artichoke Pot Pie
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Turkey and Artichoke Pot Pie
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Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
Sauce
  1. Heat a medium saucepan over over medium heat. Add the butter. When the butter is melted, add 1/2 cup of the onion and the garlic. Cook stirring frequently until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant. Don't let the garlic burn!
  2. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. allow the mixture to cook stirring frequently until it is pale golden.
  3. Slowly add the stock stirring constantly to keep the sauce smooth. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the half & half and continue to cook stirring constantly for another 4 - 5 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the grated cheese. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
Filling
  1. Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining onion and cook for 5 minutes or so until the onion begins to brown.
  2. Add the artichokes and mushrooms. Continue to cook for 7 -10 minutes. Everything should be soft and golden.
  3. Stir in the sliced red peppers and cook for 3 minutes. Add the turkey (or chicken) and cook another 3 - 4 minutes. Add the poultry seasoning of your choice and the smoked paprika stir to combine.
  4. Pour in the sauce and stir to combine. Let this simmer quietly for 5 minutes or so.
Assemble and Bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a gratin or deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. Pour the filling into the pan. Top with the uncooked pie crust. Flute the edges as you like. Make several small cuts in the crust to allow steam to escape.
  2. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Lightly coat the crust with olive oil spray and bake for 25 -30 minutes. The crust should be golden and the filling should be bubbly.
  3. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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Spinach Orzo Salad

Spinach Orzo Salad
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This lemon forward pasta salad is great for parties. Make it a main dish by adding Feta Cheese and maybe some cooked chicken or garbanzo beans.
Servings
12
Servings
12
Spinach Orzo Salad
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This lemon forward pasta salad is great for parties. Make it a main dish by adding Feta Cheese and maybe some cooked chicken or garbanzo beans.
Servings
12
Servings
12
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Boil the orzo in salted water according to package directions. While the orzo is cooking, squeeze out the thawed spinach and crumble it into the bottom of a colander.
  2. When the pasta is cooked drain it into the colander with the spinach. Drain well, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Pour it all into a large bowl.
  3. In the meantime, chop the red peppers and onions and slice the olives. Remove all of the zest from the lemon with a grater and squeeze all of the juice into a small bowl. Set all of these wonderful things aside.
  4. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the orzo spinach mixture and toss to coat evenly.Open both packages of the dry soup mix and sprinkle them onto the mixture. Stir to combine everything very well. Add the lemon zest and stir well again.
  5. Add the reserved vegetables and toss to combine things.
  6. In a jar with a tight fitting lid combine the remaining olive oil, the lemon juice and the white balsamic vinegar. Cover and shake well to blend. Pour about 1/2 to 2/3 of the dressing on the salad and toss to incorporate.
  7. Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but better yet, overnight. Store the rest of the dressing in the refrigerator as well.
  8. Just before serving, remove the salad from the frig and toss it well. Add the remaining dressing and toss again. Transfer to a serving bowl and feed the masses.
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Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

Roasted Red Pepper Salsa
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Salsa re-imagined. Sweet and mild, but if you like it with more heat, use a whole jalapeno and leave in a few seeds.
Roasted Red Pepper Salsa
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Salsa re-imagined. Sweet and mild, but if you like it with more heat, use a whole jalapeno and leave in a few seeds.
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Put the peppers in a medium bowl. Add the onions, garlic, cilantro, and parsley. Stir to combine.
  2. Add the jalapeno and lime zest and toss to combine.
  3. Stir in the lime juice and olive oil and stir again to combine.
  4. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill for several hours.
  5. Serve as a garnish for tacos or with chips.
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Yogurt and Roasted Red Pepper Chicken

As I continue to take Mama D’s Kitchen to a lighter and healthier place, I’m exploring different ways of infusing flavor and love. This chicken dish uses Greek yogurt and coriander seeds to create flavor without fat. It is  complimented by vegetables enhanced by roasting. Those would be garlic and red peppers. The marinade is tart yet sweet as the peppers and yogurt combine.The subtle flavor of the roasted garlic and the aromatic toasted coriander add interesting tones. DIGITAL CAMERAVirtually fat free, but heavy on the flavor this can fit into almost any diet or food plan.

DIGITAL CAMERAIt is complimented with roasted vegetables. I used broccoli, carrots, red pepper and onion because that’s what I had. Any vegetables you have on hand will work. Figure one to one and a half cups of vegetables per person. Toss the vegetables with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper or any herb/spice blend that you like. Roast for 15 – 20 minutes at 375 degrees. You want the vegetables to have a little crunch and vibrant color.

All this needs is some kind of grain. Couscous, quinoa, rice or orzo would be great. I opted for a combination of all those things. I got this mixture from World Market, but may grocery stores are starting to carry more than “rice-a-roni”.DIGITAL CAMERAYou can double or triple the chicken recipe as needed. The marinade will easily cover 4 – 6 breasts. If you are only doing a couple, save the rest of the marinade. Put it in a bowl, surround it with raw veggies and call it a dip.

 

Yogurt and Roasted Red Pepper Chicken
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Yogurt and Roasted Red Pepper Chicken
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Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Pat chicken breasts dry and place in a zip top bag.
  2. Put yogurt, roasted peppers, garlic,coriander seeds, and parsley in the bowl of a processor. Process until smooth.
  3. Measure 1/2 cup of the mixture and pour it into the bag with the chicken. Marinate for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight. Reserve the rest of the yogurt mixture for basting. It also makes a great veggie dip.
  4. Preheat broiler. Spray broiler tray with non-stick cooking spray. Remove the chicken breast from the marinade and lay on the broiler tray. Top with a little more of the yogurt mixture, Broil 10 minutes. Turn chicken over and top with a little more of the yogurt. Broil 10 minutes more or until cooked through.
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