turkey meatballs dijonnaise

How was your Thanksgiving?  I was invited to my daughter and family celebration on Friday - oh my, what a groaning table!

I came early to make the pumpkin roll (which I forgot to take a picture of), while Izzie (above) made a giant apple pie and my daughter tended Mr. Turkey - oh, the aromas in the kitchen were making our stomachs rumble.  And when we sat down, it was all just perfect.  What a great dinner - but I forgot to bring home leftovers!  I picked up some ground turkey yesterday and was mulling over what kind of meatball I would make, and wanted a creamy sauce.  Well, how about a dijonnaise sauce?  I found a recipe in one of the Silver Palate books and it was all that I wanted on this cold, rainy day - creamy, mustardy, not too spicy - just right.

It would be nice with some buttered noodles, if you're making it for a family dinner, and a green salad or roasted brussels sprouts, but a small plate of meatballs was just perfect for me.

Turkey meatballs dijonnaise

1 one pound package ground turkey (I always get Jennie-O)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/3 cup prepared dijon mustard (or you can use coarse-ground)

several grindings of black pepper

a few tablespoons dry vermouth or dry white wine

pinch of thyme

1/2 cup (or more) heavy cream

tiny pinch of salt after tasting the cooked meatballs (the mustard has a lot of salt in it)

Roll the ground turkey into medium meatballs.

Melt the butter in a skillet set on medium heat.

Add the mustard, pepper,thyme, and vermouth and heavy cream and whisk, then add the meatballs.  

Cook on medium-low heat, watching the meatballs carefully, and turning them with a spoon as they cook.

Remove meatballs to a serving dish, scraping the sauce over them, or, if the sauce has soaked into the meatballs, just add another 1/3 cup heavy cream to the skillet and heat.

Drizzle the hot sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle with minced parsley.

Enjoy!

I pass this enormous tree on the sidewalk everyday - now that the snow has melted, this little bouquet of green leaves nestled in the roots of the tree is a happy sight -   

Italian turkey meatballs

Settling in finally, though I still look at that tiny gas stove warily.  But yesterday I was so hungry I finally made those turkey meatballs I love so much - perfect for snacks and/or an actual sit down supper.  They're super simple to make, quick to cook, and loaded with freshly chopped herbs.

To make you will need:

1 pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons sliced scallion tops (the green part)
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1 extra-large egg (the egg makes the meatballs very tender)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
lots of black pepper (lost my pepper grinder in the move) - I used boxed pepper
1 or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (for the cooking)

First, wash your hands.
Place the turkey, parsley, egg, thyme, salt, pepper, and scallions in a medium bowl.
Stir the mixture until it is well combined.
Pinch off tablespoon sized pieces of the mixture and roll carefully into balls, setting the balls on a platter.  The mixture is quite sticky.

Wash your hands again, then pour the olive oil into a medium sized frying pan and heat on medium.
Using a large spoon, move all the meatballs into the frying pan, cover, and cook for ten minutes.  Uncover the pan, and use the spoon to roll the meatballs over, then cover again.  Cook another ten minutes.  Take a meatball out and cut in half to make sure the ground turkey is cooked and not pink.  Remove from heat and serve - or set aside to cool before placing in the fridge.  I like to serve it with salsa, but you can also use guacamole or hummus as a side.

This usually makes about 25 meatballs, depending on size.

Enjoy!




A year ago : kale salad with breadcrumbs and garlic
2 years ago:  fresh cherry scones with lemon zest

ground turkey and spring greens meatballs

When my son and his wife (and most important:  Baby Max!) visited last week they brought a wonderful salad mix I'd never had - it's organic, from Earthbound Farm, and is a delicious mix of baby spinach, greens, radicchio, and arugula. After they left, I realized we'd barely eaten half the box, so I made up these meatballs.  Not little ones, big, ice-cream scoop size, all this packing is making me hungry!  They were so good I stood at the counter eating them warm from the skillet - so much for good manners:)

While sorting through the freezer I discovered I had five bags of frozen cranberries - 5 bags!  Ever since the year there was a shortage of cranberries, I tend to panic in the Fall and stash extras in the freezer for my cranberry muffins, but five is a little excessive.  So I added a cup of berries to a saucepan and cooked them just until they started popping, then served them as a side. I loved the tang of the berries with the fairly mild turkey mixture, but that leaves me with 4 1/2 bags to go!

Once the meatballs are made, cooking time is short - I cooked them for 18 minutes, covered, until there was no pink when I cut them with the fork.



Ground Turkey and Spring Greens meatballs

1 package of ground turkey , mine was 20 oz.
1/3 teaspoon kosher salt
a few grindings of pepper
1/2 cup finely minced greens (about two handfuls)
2 T. finely minced onion (one small onion)
1/2 teaspoon whole thyme
1 heaping tablespoon Panko crumbs (optional)
dash hot pepper sauce or Worcestershire sauce (or both)

1 cup frozen cranberries

Mince the greens in a food processor, scrape out into a dish, then mince a small onion - no need to wash the container after the greens, since they are dry.

Place turkey into a bowl and break up with a spoon, then add the greens and onion, the thyme, salt, pepper, Panko, and sauce, if wished.  Form into large meatballs with your very clean hands, or use an ice cream scoop.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil in a skillet, add the meatballs, and cook five minutes.  Turn the meatballs then turn the heat to medium-low and cover.   Cook another 13 minutes, then remove from heat and uncover pan. 

In a small saucepan, cover the cranberries with water and bring to a boil, uncovered.  When the cranberries begin to pop, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Serve unsweetened cranberry sauce on the side with the meatballs - and dig in!


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A tiny sprinkle of rain a few minutes ago - we haven't had rain in weeks!  As you see, the front garden is doing well.  And I have 21 boxes packed for the Big Minneapolis Move, now about a month and a half away.

Tender Turkey Meatballs and the big snow

Do you remember that children's book called "Katy and the Big Snow"?  Well, we are having that kind of winter.  The path from the front door to my car has walls of snow up to my hip;  it seems like every week we have two more snowstorms, though I'm grateful the snow is fluffy and not wet, which would set us up for the dreaded ice storm.  I don't mind shoveling, but this is getting ridiculous.

I was happy to come in to a wonderful lunch I made early morning  - turkey meatballs with herbs and Trader Joe's Harvest Grains mixture, which sadly is now all gone.  The meatballs are soft and tender, not especially photogenic, but oh so delicious - and I know kids love them!  Our Izzie and Frankie never got tired of them.  

You can make large meatballs or small - I like smallish ones a little smaller than the size of a ping pong ball - this recipe made about 20 meatballs.


Tender Turkey Meatballs with herbs

a one pound package of fresh ground turkey
Place ground turkey in a large bowl and set aside

Place in food processor bowl (or finely mince by hand):
1-2 tablespoons minced leek whites
1/2 piece of bread, torn up (I used Arnold bread, but you can use gluten-free bread)
1-2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
a few pinches of fresh rosemary from my kitchen rosemary plant
2 tablespoons chopped celery plus a few leaves

Pulse briefly and add herb mixture to the turkey.

Add to the turkey and herbs:

1 large egg
a tablespoon or two of mild salsa
kosher salt and pepper

Wash your hands and squeeze mixture together, or use a large spoon to mix very, very well.
Form the mixture into small meatballs.

Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil and a little butter into a large skillet and add the meatballs on medium heat for 10 minutes, then use a spoon to roll the meatballs over and cook another 5 minutes.  I always cut one open to make sure it isn't too pink, though they will continue to cook for a few minutes after you turn the heat off.

Serve with salad and rice, grains, or noodles.

juicy turkey burgers with salmoriglio sauce

I have had this scrap of paper taped to the side of the fridge for at least a year.  I think I was in a doctor's office when it caught my eye in one of the magazines in the waiting room.  You'd be proud of me - I did NOT slide the magazine into my bag, but I neglected to write down where it was from.  This recipe seems to come close when I googled it today.  It's really a sauce for fish, but as I was cooking up fresh ground turkey burgers this morning, it flashed into my sleepy morning brain that a sauce of fresh parsley, a little garlic, lemon zest and juice, and oregano just might be the perfect topping for those somewhat bland but juicy burgers.  And oh, so it was.

I usually would stir everything together in a big bowl, as I do for turkey meatballs, but this time I spooned the pan juices over the burgers, then added a teaspoon of the salmoriglio sauce on top.  It is a very bright but pungent sauce, so a teaspoon seemed just right.  I can see this sauce in so many other dishes besides fish and turkey:  pasta for sure, whether hot or cold pasta salads or sides.  It's perfect with avocado, ramping up the buttery avocado with a little excitement.  How about stuffed broiled mushrooms?  Absolutely.  And a spoonful stirred in to any number of soups would had a zing.   I know the name is somewhat of a mouthful, but I haven't found any Italian to English translation, so we're stuck with it.


Salmoriglio Sauce

1 fat clove of garlic, peeled
about 1 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley, not packed down

2 heaping teaspoons grated lemon zest
a few pinches of kosher salt
freshly cracked pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano ( I had no fresh)
3 tablespoons good olive oil

Place the garlic and parsley in a food processor and whizz until fairly fine.
Stop the processor and add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and oregano .  Process briefly and scrape into a bowl, then drizzle on the olive oil and stir.

Taste test to see if it needs more salt, then use sparingly in desired dishes - a little goes a long way.  If you plan to use this on fish or meats, chicken or turkey, just use your clean fingers to coat before baking.


Spring is coming here in New Hampshire- I planted my Italian parsley seedlings yesterday!

Frankie's turkey meatballs with herbs

We had a wonderful family and friends lunch yesterday, with a 7 month old baby (Noah) and a 3 year old (Frankie) in attendance as well.  Baby Noah is a hefty armload, but everyone loves a baby, so he got passed around in between spoonfuls of applesauce and soup.  And Frankie?  Knowing he was coming I made him his favorite meatball recipe, but streamlined it  after I looked at a clock and realized I was running late. 

A simple homemade lunch, but perfect for this chilly November day - homemade bread, butternut soup, gingerbread cookies, and these turkey meatballs, and , best of all, some time to catch up with my sister and our friend Dee (who washed ALL the dishes - thank you, Dee!)


Turkey Meatballs

I think this made about 24 smallish meatballs, but I forgot to count them before we started eating them.

• 1 package ground turkey (mine was 1.3 lbs)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large piece soft bread, torn into small pieces
• 1 t. thyme
• half a red onion, finely chopped (optional)
• kosher salt and fresh pepper
• 3 scallions (green onions) thinly sliced
• about 2 T. Italian parsley and fresh dill, chopped
• 2 cups packaged organic greens, loosely packed and briefly whizzed in a food processor until finely chopped.  I used an organic spinach and beet green mixture.

Wash your hands.
Place turkey and egg in a large bowl and mix with a spoon, then add the bread, the minced greens and herbs, the sliced scallions, the onion if using, the thyme, salt and pepper.  Use your hands to toss the mixture well.  

Form into small meatballs and cook in a skillet coated with a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Cook the meatballs, covered, for about 10 minutes , then shake the pan or turn meatballs with a spoon and cook another 10 minutes on medium heat, half covered.  Cut into a meatball to make sure the inside isn't pink before serving, serve with a side of salsa.

ground turkey meatballs with fresh herbs and salsa

Some months ago, I noticed I had completely lost my taste for beef in any form - not burgers, meatballs, steaks, even thinly sliced roast beef.  I do love turkey, probably more than chicken, and I eat a lot of fish, so I don't seem to be missing it, but it is curious.

Now that summer is really here (!), I like to tour my garden patches, picking a few chives here, some rosemary sprigs there, and snipping off some sorrel leaves and turnip greens, celery leaves, and if I have blooming nasturtiums, those will go right in my basket, too.  Sometimes they go into a salad, but often they end up in soup or something like these juicy, plump turkey meatballs.  Sometimes the meatballs are tiny, but today I wanted big beefy diner-sized meatballs, two or three make the perfect lunch or dinner, nestled in a wedge of iceberg lettuce, just to be authentic - and OH! were they good!

I don't fry them up on high heat, but simmer them on middle heat, covered.  They come out tender, juicy, and have enough herby flavor to be tasty, but not overpowering.



How's your weather?  We are having thunderstorms and rain every late afternoon or evening and the plants ( and I) love it - no need to haul out the hoses,  thanks to Mother Nature!


Ground Turkey Meatballs with chopped herbs

This made about 10 large meatballs.

1 one pound package ground turkey
About 3 loosely packed cups of various herbs and greens:  I used:

4 scallions (green onions) trimmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled 
1 piece bread, torn up
1 large egg
1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced into chunks
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme ( which I prefer to fresh)
sliced sorrel leaves, stems are ok to use as well
rosemary sprigs
turnip or other greens, torn (spinach, tender kale, etc can be used, too)
nasturtium leaves and flowers
garlic scapes
radish leaves
celery leaves and some of the stalk, sliced
sprigs of oregano
chives
sea salt and pepper
about 4 T. salsa, divided ( I used Green Mountain Gringo hot salsa)

Place ground turkey in a large bowl.
In food processor add the herbs and greens, the red onion, the scallions , the bread, thyme, and 2 T. of the salsa.  Pulse or chop by hand into a coarse mixture.  

Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the turkey, and add the sea salt and the raw egg and mix well.

Pour a few tablespoons mild olive oil into a skillet and heat on medium.

Form the turkey mixture into large balls - a little smaller than a tennis ball.

Cook for 10 minutes on medium, covered, then flip the turkey patties over and cook another 5 minutes, covered.

Serve on iceberg wedges or hearty rolls, top with a little more salsa and serve.  Now I'm thinking a little goat cheese crumbled on top would be fabulous - next time!

Enjoy!

turkey leg soup with kale

A cold, gray day again, but right in the middle of the day, an hour of fat snowflakes lazily floating down - against the gray sky it looked like a children's book illustration - for Christmas.   But I'll take a few moments of pretty anywhere I can find them.

I was seized by a new book by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas ( who lives in the town next to me), so instead of baking today, I made a lovely turkey soup with a fat fresh leg the meat man had saved for me.  Turkey legs are hard to find this time of year, so I had a standing order with two butchers around here - and one came through for me a few days ago.  I like to do a long simmer for stock and then make up a hearty, colorful soup with carrots and kale and the shredded dark turkey meat.  

Somewhere on Pinterest I saw that turkey topped the chart for lowest in fat and highest in protein - if I find it, I'll pass it along.  I like it better than chicken because the flavor is heartier and less bland , somehow having more substance than chicken.  This is a good soup to make on a lazy at-home day, which today happily was for me.

For the stock:

One large turkey leg & thigh

water to cover

4 peeled carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 large onion, peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled but whole

1 t. thyme

3 sprigs rosemary

1 bay leaf

Place all ingredients in a stockpot and barely cover with water.  Simmer, uncovered, for about an hour.

When cooled a little, remove turkey to a plate to cool further, then use two forks to pull the meat off the bone.  It's up to you, but I like bite size chunks of about two inches.  Discard any skin or little bones.  Strain the stock through a colander into a large pot, discarding the vegetables.  Taste the stock, and if it seems watery in flavor, simply simmer it a little longer before adding the soup makings.  Rinse out the stockpot you used for making the stock,  add the ingredients, then pour the stock to cover plus a few inches.  If you have stock left over, let it cool and then freeze.

For the soup:

3 cups shredded or cut up turkey meat

4 large peeled carrots, sliced

4 stalks celery, sliced in fairly large pieces

kosher salt and pepper to taste

pinch hot pepper flakes (optional)

4 cups kale, torn into medium sized pieces, stalks discarded

Optional:  pasta or rice can be cooked along with the soup if wished.  I don't wish.

Simmer all until the carrots are tender.  Taste for seasoning and enjoy!

ground turkey with apricots and sage

After several weeks on antibiotics for a sinus condition, my diet consisted mostly of toast and tea, juice and yogurt. Within a day of stopping the medication, my appetite came roaring back, and this was what I made. A juicy turkeyloaf studded with soft apricots, and lots of fresh sage and thyme.

I usually throw in a few tablespoons of bread crumbs when I make a meatloaf, but I'm trying to make a few gluten-free recipes with my 5 year old granddaughter in mind, so I chopped up fresh mushrooms instead. This is definitely going in my favorites file.

I I used 93% lean turkey, and split the mixture between two 3.5x5.5 inch ceramic loaf pans. As you can see, the mixture shrunk about an inch after cooking. There are quite a bit of juices when you first take them out of the oven, but they are reabsorbed as they cool.

Ground turkey with apricots and sage:

To make:

About 10 apricots, snipped with scissors into quarters

1 pound ground, 93% lean, no antibiotics, turkey

1 T. slivered fresh sage

1/2 t. thyme

salt and pepper to your taste

1/2 medium white onion, diced

1 small egg

6 medium white mushrooms, medium chop

1/2 cup medium chop parsley

Preheat oven to 350F

Oil two small ceramic loaf pans with olive oil.

Combine the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix until completely incorporated.

Divide the mixture and pat into pans, smoothing the tops.

Bake for about 35 minutes and remove to cool. (The cooking time may change depending on the loaf pan or pans you use).

Great for leftovers, and freezes well!

You might also like the fresh chicken meatloaf I made a while ago. Enjoy!

juicy turkey burger with garlic, mint, and rosemary

Yes, I just said JUICY turkey burgers! These burgers came out loaded with the flavors of garlic, mint, rosemary, and parsley with a secret ingredient that insured you'd be biting into a juicy, dribble down your chin, burger. Olive oil made all the difference, in this wonderful recipe slightly adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen.

Her recipe included some spices I didn't have, like coriander and sweet paprika, so I minced up some rosemary along with the parsley and mint. While those spices are on my grocery list for the next shopping, this adaptation was fabulous. I was also able to make two fat, large burgers, along with a dozen "turkey meatballs" to simmer in broth for brown bagging lunches.

So do check out her recipe, which includes a yogurt sauce for dipping.

To make:

1 pound ground turkey

2 fat cloves of garlic, minced

3 T. minced parsley

2 T. minced fresh mint

2 T. minced rosemary ( or you can use fresh dill if you prefer)

1 1/2 t. ground cumin

3 T. olive oil

1 1/2 t. salt

freshly ground pepper

Mix ingredients together well. Form into 4 patties, or make two burgers and a dozen medium-sized turkey meatballs. Cook in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat until cooked through.

I served the burgers on sandwich flats with heirloom tomatoes.

Enjoy!

turkeyball soup with fresh cabbage & thyme

My kids always made fun of my name for this soup - but I noticed they sure ate it up fast. It's simply fresh ground turkey mixed with herbs and gently simmered in chicken broth and thinly sliced cabbage. It's a nice, light meal for winter, and perfect for those January diets we all start after the holidays.

You will need:

1 pound ground turkey

2 cups chicken stock ( and 2 cups water)

1 t. dried thyme

salt and pepper

1 T. fresh Italian parsley, minced fine

2 handfuls thinly sliced cabbage

2 T. scallions ( green onions) chopped

2 rosemary sprigs

1 t. herbes de provence

more thyme if needed

Mix the parsley and 1 t. thyme, plus salt and pepper, into the raw turkey. Form into small, marble sized balls and set aside.

Heat the chicken broth with the water and rosemary sprigs. Turn heat to medium and add the cabbage. Simmer until cabbage is tender - about 15 minutes.

Add the herbes de provence and scallions to the broth, and gently float the turkeyballs on the top. Cook until the turkey is cooked through - about ten minutes.

Ladle into soup bowls and add a little parsley or scallions to bowl.

Enjoy!

turkey tenderloins with leek & rosemary sauce

This was my first experience with turkey tenderloins - and it made for a delicious Christmas Eve dinner. It was succulent and flavorful from its slow cooking on a bed of leeks, rosemary, and Granny Smith apples with a sprinkling of thyme. The hour it took to roast gave me plenty of time to set the table and saute the sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts we had as sides. This is definitely a keeper and I look forward to making it again.

To Make:

2 turkey tenderloins, about a pound each, rinsed and patted dry

1 cups thinly sliced white of leeks

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 T. white wine or herb vinegar

a 5" sprig of fresh rosemary

1 Granny Smith apple, not peeled, sliced

2 T. olive oil

1 t. thyme

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325F.

Sprinkle the leeks, apple slices, and rosemary in the bottom of an ovenproof casserole. Drizzle the vinegar and chicken broth on top.

Set the turkey tenderloins on top of the leeks and apples.

Sprinkle the turkey with salt and freshly cracked pepper, the olive oil, and the thyme. Cover with foil.

Bake in a 325F oven for one hour.

Uncover the turkey and remove tenderloins. Pour the juices into a blender, then scrape the leeks and apples into the blender and puree - remove the rosemary sprig before pureeing.

Put the tenderloins back in the casserole and cover with the foil, then let the turkey rest for 15 minutes.

Cut the turkey into medium thin slices and top with the leek and apple sauce.

I served this with sauteed sweet and white potatoes in olive oil, thinly sliced brussels sprouts sauteed in a little oil and water, and an arugula salad. Delicious!!

the day after

Is there anything more welcome today than a steaming cup of turkey soup? Enriched with rosemary, parsley, and thyme broth, chunky with sweet carrots and fresh celery - and a little jasmine rice.

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