Turkey Chili

1 1/4 lb. lean ground turkey
2 cups tomato sauce (canned is fine)
1 large can diced tomatoes (I used Italian seasoned)
2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup each: diced green and red peppers
1 small dice onion
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup chili seasoning
salt and pepper
shredded cheese

1. Saute the onion and peppers in the oil til tender.
2. Add the ground turkey and cook.
3. Stir in the seasonings, sauce, beans, and tomatoes and simmer for at least an hour.
4. Serve with shredded cheese on top and some delicious little corn muffins.

Cheesy Spinach Squares

2 tbsps. melted butter
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp. bak. Powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. thyme
2 pkgs. frozen and thawed chopped spinach: squeeze all the water out
2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
1 cup finely chopped onion

1. Butter the sides and bottom of a 13×9 baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350*.
2. Combine the remaining butter, milk, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and spices, mixing well.
3. Stir in the spinach, cheeses, and onion.
4. Spread in pan and bake, uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
5. Makes 2-3 dozen mini squares.

Spiced Cranberry Relish

1 bag cranberries
1 lemon
1/2 cup diced apricots
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. anise seeds
1/4 tsp. allspice
5 whole cloves

1. Put the cranberries in water to rinse and discard any unsavory ones.
2. Strip the lemon and squeeze out the lemon juice in a pan.
3. Drain the cranberries and add the lemon rind strips to it and set aside.
4. Back to the pan with the juice: Add in the apricots, orange juice, water, anise seeds, allspice, and cloves.
5. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add in the cranberries and continue stirring. The cranberries will pop. Continue cooking for about 5-8 minutes, until the mix thickens. Remove from heat and cool.
6. I removed the lemon rinds and cloves before serving.
7. Store in the refrigerator.

Incredible Turkey Chili

1 lb. ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained
1 (15 oz) cans great northern beans, drained
2 Tbsp hot Mexican chili powder (or up to 4 Tbsp if you like it really hot)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tbsp salt, plus more if desired to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Shredded cheddar or jalapeno cheese, chopped red onion, sour cream for optional garnish.

1. In a large, 8-quart, thick-bottom pot, cook the onion and green pepper over medium high heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground turkey and cook completely.
2. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for a minute or two more.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock. beans, oregano, salt, pepper, and cooked turkey meat. Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for an hour.
4. Salt to taste.

Check out the crisp edges of browned cheese and stuffing mix! MMMM.

I am one of those people that love their veggies. I usually try to eat them in their natural state and add little to them. Some might say that is boring but I know that it is a healthier way to eat them. However, once in a great while, usually for a holiday meal, I make this casserole that really has nothing in it that is healthy, except for the broccoli.  Why? Because it is a very delicious casserole. It has to be, it is loaded with sodium from the soups, and fat from the butter, but yet, I still make sure to have it at least once a year! Worth every bite. In fact, having it once a year is rather a lie, as it tastes incredible heated up the second day, if I am so fortunate to have some left!

Broccoli Casserole
6-8 large heads of broccoli (I use just the florets)
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 stick of butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
pepper
2 cups Pepperidge Farms Coarse Stuffing mix
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 large stomach:you’ll need it after eating this because you’ll want more!

Par boil broccoli (about 6 cups florets).
Place in a casserole dish, and stir in 1 can Cream of Celery soup and 1 can Cream of Chicken soup. Set aside.
In a frying pan, saute a chopped onion in a stick of butter.
Add some minced garlic and pepper. (Don’t need salt as the soups have more than enough.)
Add ¼ cup water to this and 2 cups of Pepperidge Farms Coarse Stuffing and stir.
Pour this mixture on the broccoli mix.
Put 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Bake 350º for 45 minutes.

Mix the following in a bowl:

3 cups flour                           1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar                 2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves              1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg                        1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder               

Put in blender and mix for 30 seconds:
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 cups chopped zucchini                       
3 eggs

Add to dry mix.

Stir in:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup golden raisins

Pour into 2 bread pans, bake about 1 hour at 350.

How to Cook Fiddleheads

Trim the base so that there is only a tiny tail. Rub off any brown, furry covering that my remain.
Rinse under cold water.
Boil a 2 qt. pan of water. Add salt.
Place fiddleheads in boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes. They should not be undercooked as they will be bland and not have the best flavor possible. Immediately drain and serve with butter.

They may also be sauteed with butter or served cold with a vinaigrette.

Pasta and Ham Salad

1/2 cup orzo pasta
1 cup frozen vegetables-I used peas and carrots
2 cups cubed cooked ham
4 scallions, sliced small
1/2 cup fat free ranch dressing
2 sliced tomatoes
1 sliced pepper
sliced hard boiled eggs
mixed salad greens

Cook the pasta and frozen vegetables together. Drain. Mix ham, pasta, vegetables, and scallions with the ranch dressing. Serve over mixed greens. Decorate with sliced tomatoes, peppers, and sliced eggs.

Turkey Sausage Patties

1 lb. ground turkey
1 apple-shredded
1 1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 teaspoons oil

Combine all ingredients. Shape into 12 patties and let meat absorb flavorings in the refrigerator for 8 hours. Heat oil in cast iron skillet and fry patties til cooked, (about 5 minutes each side.

Potato Bacon Wraps

1 lb. small potatoes, I mean tiny small
1 tbsp. minced fresh thyme
2 tbsps. oil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
bacon: half as many slices as potatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup chicken broth

1. Place washed potatoes in a bowl with thyme,oil, pepper, and paprika. Mix.
2. Wrap each potato with a half slice of bacon.
3. Cook potatoes in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until the bacon fat has rendered out and looks like it has closed around the potatoes.
4. Place in a crockpot with the chicken broth and cook on High for about 3 hours.