Turkey, Squash, and Spinach Saute

1 cup slivered almonds
1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef seasoned with sage, fennel, etc.)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 red onion, sliced in half moons
3 yellow or green zucchini
1/4 cup chicken stock
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves (1 tsp. of dried parsley)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

In a large deep saute pan over medium-high heat, add the almonds. Toast, tossing frequently, until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the almonds from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the turkey. Cook, while breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Set turkey aside . Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and let the butter brown for 1 minute. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes, then add the squash. Cook until the squash begins to color, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and continue cooking until the squash is tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the spinach, cranberries, parsley, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Return the sausage and the almonds to the pan. Toss well and heat through. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and serve.

Never Fail Turkey

Anyone that knows my husband knows that he has two hobbies that he can't live without. One is triathlons and the other is BBQ. When we lived in WA, he took a class and has spent a lot of time practicing and perfecting his smoked meats. His newest project has been smoking turkeys. He has smoked a few turkeys and it has been a work in progress. This week he willingly and happily told our friends he would smoke their Christmas turkey. It was by far his best and it looked perfect! The picture above is the end result of our friends turkey. Before he smokes the turkey he brines it for about twelve hours to infuse the bird with fluid. It makes it a really moist and perfect turkey. Here is the recipe for his brine:

From Dan Gill

Estimate how much liquid will be required to cover the bird. For each gallon of water add:

1 1/2 C. salt

1/2 C. Molassis

1 1/2 T. crushed or minced garlic (or use garlic powder)

1/2 T. onion powder

1/4 C. pepper

1/2 C. lemon juice

1/2 oz. maple flavoring

12 oz. ginger ale

Cover bird completely with brine and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove from brine and drain the brine from the bird while preparing smoker or roasting pan. At this point, Port usually injects the bird with melted butter and garlic. He also takes room temperature butter and dry rub and rubs it under the skin of the bird. He smokes the bird on his smoker between 200 and 250 degrees until the internal temperature reads 165-170 degrees. Use the same temperatures and cook until the same temperature if using the oven.

Southwestern Turkey Burgers

From Kitchen Cafe

2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced green onion, white and green parts
2 egg whites, whisked
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
dash cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Garnishes: avacado, tomato, lettuce, cheddar cheese, red onions

Preheat a grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey with the minced red onion, green onion, egg whites, seasonings and worcestershire sauce. Mix gently but thoroughly. Divide the mixture into six equal portions and shape them into burgers.Place the burgers on the grill and cook until the turkey is just done (about 4 minutes per side) and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees.Serve the burgers on buns and top with garnishes.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Yield: 6-8 servings
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (or chicken)
1 cup minced mushrooms (I used white button mushrooms)
1/4 teaspoon salt1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, minced
1/2 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 lemon, zested and then juiced.
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/3 cup chopped cilantro1 head iceberg lettuce

*Dipping Sauce recipe to follow

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot add minced garlic and ginger. Saute for a minute just until fragrant and then add in the ground chicken, minced mushrooms, and salt. Cook until turkey or chicken is cooked through.Add in the water chestnuts and green onions. Cook for a few minutes until cabbage starts to wilt. Add in the soy sauce, sesame oil, juice and zest from the lemon, and hot sauce. When everything is cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.To serve, carefully separate the whole leaves from the lettuce. Wash the lettuce leaves and wrap them in paper towels and put them in the refrigerator so they are cold and crisp when serving. Spoon chicken filling onto the lettuce leaf and then roll it up and serve with dipping sauce below- or any other favorite Asian dipping sauce.Lettuce Wrap

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Combine all ingredients and serve with lettuce wraps.