Garlicky (Turkey) Meatballs

A few weeks ago, I realized I had gotten into a rut with weeknight dinners. I vowed to go through my recipe binder (where I put recipes that I tear out of magazines) and make one new-to-me recipe a week. Michael has been requesting more recipes that include meat, so I thought I would give this one a try. I have never tried making meatballs and wasn't sure if I would like them, but I figured I could just eat the pasta and sauce if I didn't like the meatballs.

I substituted lean turkey for the sirloin, breadcrumbs for panko and dried pasta for fresh, but otherwise followed the recipe. I thought they turned out quite tasty! The leftovers were great, too. I used jarred marinara as the recipe called for, but if you have time for a homemade sauce (or make big batches ahead of time), that would be even better.

Garlicky Meatball Pasta

Ingredients
9 ounces refrigerated fettuccine
12 ounces ground sirloin
1/2 cup panko
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation
1. Cook the pasta per directions. Drain over a bowl, and reserve 1/3 cup pasta water.
2. While pasta cooks, combine beef and next 6 ingredients (through egg); shape mixture into 16 meatballs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add marinara and 1/3 cup pasta water. Cover and cook 11 minutes or until meatballs are done. Divide the pasta evenly among 4 plates; top evenly with sauce, meatballs, and cheese.

Robin Bashinsky, Cooking Light
APRIL 2012

Turkey Soup Provencal

I came across this recipe and all the ingredients sounded wonderful! Lean turkey, beans, spinach, tomatoes, what's not to like?

I was actually a little worried that it would turn out bland because it called for such few ingredients, but this soup was full of flavor. It was extra good served with a little parmesan and a side of crusty bread.

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey breast
1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence, crushed
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained (I used garbanzo beans)
1 (14.5-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
(I also added just a pinch of sea salt at the same time as the spinach)

Preparation

Cook turkey in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble.
Add herbes de Provence, beans, broth, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in spinach; simmer 5 minutes.

Robyn Webb, Cooking Light
MARCH 2003

Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup

My coworker made this soup for a potluck and I loved it so much, she sent me home with the leftovers. When I asked her for the recipe, she told me it was a Giada de Laurentis recipe, so I immediately looked it up and made it at home. It is a delicious, hearty soup, healthy but still very flavorful!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 to 6 large shallots, chopped
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 ounces ground white turkey meat, broken into small chunks
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence (I actually used dried Italian seasoning, but I think the herbes de Provence would be so much better, so I will definitely use that the next time I make the recipe.)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 small bunch kale, coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots and bell pepper and saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground turkey and stir until the meat turns white and begins to color very slightly around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the herbes de Provence and stir, 1 minute. Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes and rice. Bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and Parmesan, if using, and serve.

Turkey Chili

My coworker gave me this recipe, so easy to put together and it turned out fabulous! I added about half a tablespoon of cumin as well.

1lb ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (4 oz) mild green chiles
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoon chili powder

Brown turkey and onion in a pan, add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Mix well. Cook on high 6-8 hours.