Tag Archives: easy seasonal cooking

Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast Roasted with Vegetables: Two Meals in One Dish

Posted on November 23, 2012 | 4 comments

Did you not get enough turkey yesterday? Or do you have too many leftovers and are looking for tasty ways to use them? This recipe features many of the flavors of Thanksgiving in a one dish meal. And part two of the recipe is a hash — a perfect way to make a second night’s meal, or to use extra Thanksgiving leftovers.

We didn’t cook the whole feast ourselves yesterday but joined a large, extended family gathering. I brought pies. The hosts are great cooks and so gracious that they actually send every guest home with a large to go container of leftovers. Still, I couldn’t wait for the tastes of Thanksgiving last weekend. I also make this recipe with chicken, but the chicken just didn’t look as good in the store as the half split turkey breast. Normally I wrap chicken breast in prosciutto or stuff the turkey with a mix of pancetta and fresh herbs, but this time I had bacon at home. To be perfectly honest, we preferred the taste of the prosciutto over the bacon. Any of them will work for adding moisture and flavor, so use what you like! Similarly, any number of vegetables will work. Use whatever you have on hand. Winter root vegetables are particular well suited to the dish and mushrooms add a lot umami.

Meal One: Turkey Breast Wrapped in Bacon Roasted with Vegetables

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Vegetables (Sweet Potato, Mushrooms, Fennel, Onion, Garlic, Parsnips, Potato, Bell Pepper, Butternut Squash, Leeks, Carrots etc.)
Black Pepper, Cayenne
1 Split Half Turkey Breast, Bone-In (can also use Chicken)
Prosciutto or Bacon
Fresh Herbs (Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley, etc.)
1/4 cup of Sherry, Marsala or White Wine

Preheat oven to 400° F. Add oil to a large oven proof skillet, pan, dutch oven or baking dish. Chop the vegetables into chunks (slightly larger than bite-sized as they will shrink down) and add them to the pan. Sprinkle with pepper and cayenne (salt is optional since the bacon/prosciutto is salty). Stir so that all are coated with a little bit of oil, and add a little more oil if needed.

Sprinkle pepper and fresh herbs on the turkey breast. Wrap with slices of prosciutto and bacon so that just the top is covered. Place on top of the vegetables. Toss any extra herbs in with the vegetables. Roast in the oven until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. (I remove it just before then as I find the temperature continues to rise slightly.) Move the meat to a serving dish. If the veggies need more time, throw them back into the oven. If they are near done, add the sherry, marsala or wine, and stir. Place back in the oven for 3-5 minutes. (This can also be done on top of the stove, if using a skillet or dutch oven.) Using a spatula or wooden spoon, scrape up the caramelized bits, stir and serve.

Notes:

If you are using chicken it will be definitely be done before the vegetables. So either cook them alone a little before adding the meat, after, or both.
For a nice variation, stuff the turkey with pancetta and herbs instead of wrapping. Make a slice length-wise down the breast and stuff.
For a true taste of Thanksgiving, use sage, among other herbs. I try to avoid eating sage while breastfeeding, however, since it can reduce milk production.
This is easily a one dish meal, but this time I served it with my favorite green salad of late: baby kale, citrus, fennel and feta.

Meal Two: Turkey, Roast Veggie and Bacon Hash

Leftovers from the above dish, or any combination of leftover meat, potatoes and/or veggies
6 or so eggs, beaten

In a large pan heat any fat that has congealed in the leftovers. If needed, add a little oil. Remove the bacon (if any) from the meat and chop finely. Add to the pan. Remove the meat from the bone and cut into bite-sized chunks. Add the meat and vegetables to the pan. Add the eggs. Stir occasionally, like scrambled eggs, until the eggs are done and the other ingredients are heated though. No seasoning is usually needed since the leftovers are seasoned. Can be served with hot sauce and/or ketchup.

What is your favorite way to use leftover turkey?

4 Comments

Posted in Food, Recipes for the Whole Family, Recipes from the Garden, Seasonal Recipes

Tagged easy farm to table, easy seasonal cooking, easy seasonal recipes, meals for the whole family, naturally gluten free, naturally paleo, paleo, Thanksgiving

Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash

Posted on November 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Quinoa is an all around great for you food. It is an ancient grain, originally the primary nutrition source of the Incas, and has been popular the last 10-15 years–with good reason. It is naturally high protein. Unlike other vegetarian sources of protein, like lentils and other beans, which must be combined with something like rice in order to provide a complete protein, quinoa is one of the few grains that is a complete protein on its own. Although we are not vegetarian, there are many reasons why I try to reduce how often we eat meat, including environmental, economic and health concerns.

Quinoa is also a great source of fiber, iron, magnesium, essential amino acids and other nutrients. It is naturally low fat, low calorie and gluten free. I serve quinoa as I would rice, along side fish, chicken or vegetable mains. It is also great mixed into salads. I love it most, however, mixed into stuffings and veggie burgers. Whenever making it (which I usually do simply, with just water in a rice cooker) I make extra so as to have leftovers.

This recipe is a twice baked butternut squash with quinoa and parmesan cheese mixed in. I made it super simple as I was juggling a squirmy little one. I would normally sauté an onion, at least, and maybe a carrot, some celery, garlic, etc. and mix it in. But it tasted surprisingly flavorful as is!

Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe

1 large Butternut Squash (any winter squash will do)
1 cup cooked Quinoa
1 egg
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, paprika and/or a seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Reserve the seeds and toast them for snacking (click here to read how.) Salt and pepper the squash and place on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat. Bake until soft, or when a fork is easily inserted, about 35-50 minutes, depending on the size of the squash.

Remove the squash from the oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop out most of the flesh into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mix, and then refill the shells. Bake another 20-30 minutes, or until the stuffing is heated through.

Tips for Feeding Baby:

This is a great dish for babies. Even the earliest eaters (6-7 months) will enjoy the baked squash mixed with quinoa (reserve some for baby before mixing in the egg.) Quinoa on its own is impossibly messy, but mixed with squash it sticks together much better (and tastes better), especially for the independent babes who want to feed themselves. My daughter enjoyed this both with her hands and practicing her growing spoon and fork skills. We served her just the stuffing, while the presentation in the half shell of a squash is pretty enough for company!

Spanish Tuna Stuffed Peppers

Posted on November 11, 2012 | 3 comments

Papa Bird picked a peck of peppers this weekend. Ok, maybe not a peck… To be perfectly honest, we can’t remember what kind of peppers he planted. Perhaps Anaheim or Poblano. But the long peppers were begging to be stuffed and I had a can of sustainably fished, wild pole-caught tuna packed in olive oil. This recipe is my best recollection of a tapa I once enjoyed in a Spanish restaurant. ¡Buen Provecho!

Tuna Stuffed Peppers Recipe (Pimientos Rellenos de Atun)

Poblano, Anaheim or similar peppers
one can of olive oil packed tuna, drained
1/4 cup of walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup of olives, pitted and finely chopped
green onion, sliced thinly
balsamic vinegar
pepper
paprika

Preheat the boiler to its highest setting. On a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, broil the peppers until the skin starts to char. Remove from the oven and place the peppers in a bowl, cover with a lid and let sit, covered, until cool enough to handle. The steam and condensation should make the skin easier to peel. Peel and discard the skin.

In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients. Carefully slice an opening in the side of the peppers. Spoon the mixture into the peppers. I garnished the peppers with a balsamic reduction, pomegranate seeds and green onion from the garden. It is traditionally served with crusty bread.

3 Comments

Posted in Food, Healthy Recipes, Recipes from the Garden, Urban Agriculture

Tagged easy farm to table, easy seasonal cooking, easy seasonal recipes, farm to table, peppers, Urban Homesteading, victory gardens

Pumpkin French Toast Bread Pudding

Posted on October 28, 2012 | 3 comments

Happy Halloween! Yesterday was fun, but full, after taking baby to two different costume parties. We were lazy this morning and the house was chilly, so I offered to make my version of french toast, which is actually baked and sort of a cross between french toast and bread pudding. I like it because you let the oven do the work without needing to stand at the stove to flip. As I beat the fresh eggs, I got out the spices. We were out of cinnamon so I pulled out a bottle of Pumpkin Pie Spices. That got me craving the seasonal favorite, so I added a cup of pumpkin to the custard.

This pumpkin bread pudding is not to be confused with a bread pudding made with pumpkin bread, similar to this Zucchini Bread Pudding, although that would be yum if you happened to have extra pumpkin bread lying around. In this case the pumpkin is added to the batter making it like the custard filling for a Pumpkin Pie.

Pumpkin French Toast Bread Pudding Recipe

6 thick slices of challah or similar bread, at least one day old
1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
6 eggs
1 cup milk (any kind of milk: cow, coconut, goat, soy, rice, etc)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place the butter or coconut oil in an oven safe baking dish and put it in the oven while it is heating up, just until the butter/oil has melted. Take it out and swish the pan to completely to cover the bottom with grease.

Slice the day old bread. If it isn’t dry enough, toast it briefly. Line the pan with the bread slices and poke them several times with a fork.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the bread in the dish. Bake until the custard is set, approximately 30 minutes. I find it is usually done when the kitchen starts smelling delicious.

Serve warm with maple or cajeta syrup.

Notes:

Our baby loves this and seemed to like it even more with the pumpkin.

For a truly decadent french toast and morning, soak the bread in the batter the night before.

Whenever I have extra bread, whether challah or baguette, I pre-slice it and freeze it, wrapped twice in plastic. I very briefly microwave it to defrost, covered in a damp paper towel.

3 Comments

Posted in Food, Recipes for the Whole Family, Recipes from the Garden

Tagged easy farm to table, easy seasonal cooking, easy seasonal recipes, holiday breakfasts, pumpkin

Roast Butternut Squash and Vegetable Soup

Posted on October 21, 2012 | 3 comments

The weather is definitely changing, even here in Southern California. I’m craving hot herbal tea, which I haven’t made in forever, and soups. I made this roast vegetable soup last night. It was perfect for lazy cooking on a chilly day. Most of the work is done by a hot oven and time. High heat converts the starches in the vegetables to sugar and the browning in the oven adds a complexity to the overall flavor.

I used a butternut squash in this recipe, along with other autumnal vegetables and fruit. But feel free to substitute anything you have on hand. I didn’t have parsnips, but they would also be great. This recipe is based on “orange soup”, what we called a curried squash soup my mom used to make when we were young.

Roast Butternut Squash and Vegetable Soup Recipe

1 medium butternut squash
1 yam or sweet potato
1-2 large carrots
1 onion
3-4 large cloves of garlic
2 apples
1 quart of chicken or vegetable stock or broth
salt, pepper
cumin, curry powder, ginger powder, coriander, garam masala, etc.
a tiny touch of cinnamon (don’t use too much or it will taste like pumpkin pie)

Optional garnishes:

cilantro, basil, or other fresh herb
toasted squash seeds (recipe follows)
coconut yogurt, kefir, coconut milk, or creme fraiche
black lava salt or truffle salt

Preheat oven to 400-425° F. Prep the vegetables: cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Reserve the seeds for toasting. Roughly chop the carrots and onion. Cut and core the apple. Skins can be left on everything. Leave the yam or sweet potato whole. Don’t peel the garlic.

Roast in the oven until tender, approximately 40-45 minutes. (I usually put the garlic in a little later as it cooks faster.)

When cool enough to handle, peel the skins off and transfer to a large pot. Add the quart of stock or broth, plus any water as needed to cover the vegetables. Bring up to a boil and then down to a simmer. Add the salt, pepper and spices to taste. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are very soft. Using a stick blender, puree until somewhat smooth.

Serving suggestions: Top with coconut yogurt or something else creamy. Sprinkle on the toasted squash seeds. I paired the soup with toast spread with avocado. A green salad would also be nice.

Toasted Butternut Squash Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are the most famous squash seeds for toasting. Perhaps because pumpkins are so big the yield is “worth it.” But really any squash’s seeds can be toasted and eaten. We found the butternut squash seeds to be delicious!

Preheat a toaster oven or an oven to 325-300° F. Since I was roasting the veggies at high heat I used the toaster oven for the seeds. My toaster oven is also easier to see into, which is important for keeping an eye on the seeds.

Separate the seeds from the strings and flesh. Let them sit in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to help rinse them off. Dry with a clean dish towel. Spread the seeds on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a good amount of salt. I also used cayenne and black pepper.

The seeds will be done when they are done. Sorry. It could be 5 minutes, or it could be 20. Check them and give them a stir periodically. The should be turning darker and getting crispy.

Serve over the squash soup, salads or (our favorite) just snacked on!