Tuscan Turkey Vegetable Soup

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday shared with family and friends.  It's hard to believe another year has come and gone.  With each new year many of us turn to resolutions only to be forgotten within weeks of making them.  Mine is always pretty much the same - stay healthy and fit by eating well, exercising and enjoying life to the fullest.  

If we make a conscious effort, our goals truly are not difficult to maintain.  Most of all be happy - laugh a lot and share life with those you love and care about.  Be kind and treat others as you would like them to treat you.

I'm looking forward to the 2013 especially since 2012 didn't end too well for me.  I literally spent from December 23rd through today in bed and still not 100%.  First with food poisoning then later turning into bronchitis.  I've not been a happy camper and still weak and sluggish.  Hopefully by the weekend I'll be up and about like normal.

Fortunately the recipe I'm sharing with you today is one I made just before Christmas.  It's delicious and hearty, and perfect for the cold weather we're having here in the Midwest.  I think you'll like it.  Serve with some warm crostini or loaf of Tuscan bread and you've got a comforting meal to warm and nourish you.

Gather up your ingredients today for a simple yet hearty dinner tonight.  Here's the recipe........

Tuscan Turkey Vegetable Soup

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey breast

Mirepoix:

2 cups onions, diced

1 cup celery, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

1 cup carrots, diced

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (I used button mushrooms)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

32 oz. low sodium chicken broth

15 oz. can tomato sauce

15 oz. can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1 cup dry whole grain penne pasta

2 cups fresh spinach, packed

1/4-1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Non-Stick Spray

Directions:

Spray a large stock pot with non-stick spray and cook ground turkey breast breaking up pieces and stirring until cooked and no longer pink.  

Add Mirepoix and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender, about 3 additional minutes.

Add broth, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with their juices; heat to boiling.  Stir in dry pasta; reduce heat and simmer until pasta is al dente, about 9-10 minutes (see box for directions).  

Add spinach and stir until wilted. 

Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over top. Serve with crostini or loaf of Tuscan bread.

Enjoy!!!

Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Turkey Roulade

It's that time of year again.  I've been so busy with culinary classes and events that I'll be lucky if I can post more than once a week from  now until the end of the year.  However, I'll do my best to visit all my blogger friends and post comments on your blogs.

In the meantime, I am still cooking!  With Thanksgiving just 16 days away I thought I'd post a variation on the Thanksgiving Day turkey. 

Many of you will have a large gathering of family and friends while others an intimate gathering of just a few. So if you're looking for an alternative to roasting a large turkey or doing something more creative than just a turkey breast - consider a Turkey Roulade.

I make these all the time stuffing with whatever I'm in the mood for.  The breast above is stuffed with spinach, shallots and roasted red peppers, while others I've stuffed with mushrooms; bread stuffing; wild rice, etc.  Whatever sounds appetizing to you, works!

The procedure for making a turkey roulade is quite simple.  In fact, I thought I had taken numerous photos but apparently I must have been dreaming.  At any rate here's what you need to do:

Ask your butcher to bone and butterfly a turkey breast for you.  You can request to take the skin off or leave it on.  I have found leaving the skin on definitely makes for a juicier turkey.  Opt to have the butcher separate the breasts making it easier to handle or leave the 2 halves connected, making one large roll.  Have them flatten the breast 1/4 inch thick or do it yourself when you get home between to sheets of plastic wrap. 

Which ever way you decide to debone your turkey the stuffing and rolling are the same.

Ingredients:

1 whole turkey breast, boned, butterflied and skinned if desired

1 shallot, diced

fresh spinach, washed, stemmed, enough to cover one side of the turkey

1 roasted red pepper, sliced and chopped

2 tbsp. butter

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup Marsala Wine if desired

salt and pepper

kitchen twine

Directions:

Heat butter in a skillet and add shallots.  Cook until softened.  Add spinach briefly to heat up then turn off stove and mix in roasted red peppers.

With the turkey opened up and laying flat, skin side down on a cutting board drizzle with salt and pepper.  Then spread the spinach mixture over one side of the turkey being sure to leave about a 1-inch border all the way around.

Now at this point you want to make sure you have a roll of twine to tie up the bird once you roll it.

Then simply roll your turkey from one end of the breast to the other, tucking the sides in. Then cut your twine in about four 24" pieces (if using the entire turkey - one whole breast - or cut into 12" pieces if using 2 separate butterflied breasts), placing the center of each piece of twine under the seam of the turkey and tying it on top. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of twine spacing them evenly apart. Then cut a 5th piece longer than the other four to be tied the entire length of the turkey. This will insure that it will remain closed while cooking.

turkey breast, boned, butterflied and cut into 2 separate breasts

Place in a roasting pan. If you like add about 1/2 cup of Marsala wine and 1 cup low sodium chicken broth to the bottom of the pan. Cover and bake at 350F until the internal temperature reaches 160F degrees.

The whole rolled turkey breast it will take approximately 1 1/2 hours, while for two separate butterflied turkey breasts it will take approximately 45 minutes.

At this point you can remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes. This will allow the juices to evenly get distributed. While resting the internal temperature of the turkey should rise to 165F-170F which is where you want it to be for eating. (Baste at least once during cooking with juices).

While the turkey is resting (if desired) take 1 1/2 tbsp. of butter and melt in a saucepan. Once melted add the same amount of flour and cook with the butter until the flour reaches a golden brown. Then add the remaining liquid (Marsala Wine and chicken broth) from the turkey to the saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens.

Slice your turkey roulade and drizzle with the marsala wine sauce or other sauce. This is so delicious and moist you won't believe you made it.

Note: The Marsala Wine Sauce is nice and light and I've used this when I make the Turkey Roulade stuffed with mushrooms.  However, a nice Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is also fantastic with this dish,  which I prefer.  I did not show this with a sauce since my husband and son requested it plain.

Serve with all your favorite sides for a wonderful Thanksgiving meal.

Ground Turkey Recall!!!

I don't know about you but in an effort to try and keep a low fat diet I purchase quite of bit of ground turkey.  If you use ground turkey as well then this might be of interest to you.

Today I received an email stating that there is a ground turkey recall.  Of course one of the brands is one that I frequently purchase so I thought it would be important to share.

Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, a Springdale, Ark. establishment, is recalling approximately 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products that may be contaminated with a strain of Salmonella Heidelberg.

The products subject to recall include:

Fresh Ground Turkey Chubs

• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Fresh HEB Ground Turkey 85/15 with Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/12/2011, 09/13/2011, 09/19/2011 and 09/20/2011
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Fresh Ground Turkey with Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/19/2011, 09/20/2011 and 09/21/2011

Fresh Ground Turkey Trays

• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey with Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/10/2011 and 09/12/2011
• 48.0 oz. (3 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh 85/15 with Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/17/2011, 09/18/2011 and 09/19/2011
• 48.0 oz. (3 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey Family Pack with Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/11/2011, 09/12/2011, 09/13/2011, 09/15/2011, 09/17/2011 and 09/18/2011
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey with a Use or Freeze by Date of 09/11/2011

Fresh Ground Turkey Patties

• 16.0 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey Patties with a Use or Freeze by Date of 09/18/2011
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Seasoned Turkey Patties Fresh 85/15 with a Use or Freeze by Date of 09/17/2011

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number "P-963" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were produced on August 23, 24, 30 and 31 of this year. These products were distributed at the retail level nationwide.
Consumers with questions about this recall should contact Cargill's consumer relations toll free telephone number at 1-888-812-1646.