turkey pot pie

In the midst of 16 degree weather and post-Thanksgiving leftovers, I scrounged up the perfect dish: Turkey Pot Pie! It's rich and warm and comforting and is packed full of nourishing vegetables and lean protein. 

I made mine in mini casserole dishes which turned out to be perfect serving sizes. Forgive my lack of exact measurements but I made this one up as I went so I'll be estimating how much of everything went into it! 

What You'll Need:
for the crust:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup shortening 
dash of salt 
3-5 tbsp ice water 
for the filling:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup turkey, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 small potato, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk (plus more as needed)
salt and pepper 

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350

In a food processor, combine four, shortening and salt. Pulse until the mixture forms a coarse crumbly texture. Then add 1 tbsp of water at a time, mixing just until it comes together. Form dough into a ball and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes. 

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add turkey, potato, carrot and celery and stir well. Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are softened, adding more oil as necessary. Sprinkle flour over and stir to coat. Slowly add in broth and milk, scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow mixture to come to a boil and thicken. 

Meanwhile, divide dough among four mini casserole dishes or roll out for your pie pan. Spray dish with cooking spray and press dough into shape. Fill each with turkey filling and top with more pie dough. 

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is browned. 

pie crust recipe adapted from here

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

This soup might not be very pretty much oh my goodness is it delicious! The bacon-ham flavor really shines in this dish, supported by the creaminess from the peas and subtle notes from the carrots and onion. I was surprised at how much I really liked it and wished that I had made a double batch! The peas provide more texture than flavor so even if you're not a huge fan of green peas, I would recommend giving this rich, warming soup a try!

With the unusual green color of the soup, it would be fun to name it Green Monster Soup or The Hulk Soup or something similar for the kiddos. 

Another part of this I loved was how easy it was to prepare! Chopping the vegetables takes the most time and then you just pop everything in the slow cooker. Easy 'peas'y. (Haha I crack myself up).

What You'll Need:

1 cup split green peas
4 slices thick cut bacon
1 cup ham, chopped
1 sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cups water

shaved Parmesan for garnish 

What To Do:

Prepare bacon, cooking until maximum fat is rendered and bacon is crispy. Remove from heat and dice. In the drippings, cook peas, ham, onion, carrot and bacon pieces for about five minutes or until all of the bacon drippings have been absorbed. 

Transfer ingredients to your slow cooker, and add water, seasonings and bay leaves. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When ready to serve, discard bay leaves and stir well. Ladle into bowls and top with shaved Parmesan!

recipe adapted from Cook Republic 

Summer Vegetable Saute

There are so many good things about summer. One of my favorites is the huge selection of fresh, delicious produce. I love being able to just wash produce and enjoy it raw, with all its nutrients, but cooking truly brings depth of flavor especially when you combine so many complementary tastes. 

This saute was packed with fresh summer flavors and can be adjusted to include all of your favorites! Heating tomatoes brings out their delicious natural sweetness, which pairs beautifully with sweet yellow onion and fresh corn. Savory notes from the garlic and zucchini balance the dish. A little kick of crushed red pepper rounds out the flavors nicely. I added a little protein with some diced summer sausage and topped everything off with a sprinkle of creamy feta cheese. 

And with only about 20 minutes from prep to serving, this dish is great for those in a hurry or for anyone wanting to avoid turning on the stove for too long! 

What You'll Need:

(serves 2)

2 tbsp olive oil or butter, divided 

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ear of corn

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup grape tomatoes

1 cup diced summer sausage

sprinkle of feta cheese

1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste 

What To Do:

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, onion, and corn, stirring frequently until corn is slightly charred and onions are translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking for one minute. 

Add zucchini, tomatoes, and summer sausage. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add crushed red pepper. Add more oil as needed to keep saute from burning. 

Continue cooking, stirring often, for about ten minutes or until tomatoes are slightly charred and zucchini is tender crisp. Sprinkle with feta and serve immediately.

Serve in a bowl as a standalone meal, plate over brown rice/quinoa, wrap it up in whole wheat pita bread or layer over your favorite greens with dressing. This versatile dish can take so many forms!

Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach and Feta

After scoring some yummy shrimp on sale at the grocery store, I've been experimenting with how best to integrate them into meals. This simple pasta is packed with flavor and only took about ten minutes to prepare, including preparing the pasta. It's perfect for a light summer dinner and definite proof that you don't need to douse your pasta in a heavy, fatty sauce! 

What You'll Need:

(serves 3-4)

1 lb pasta (I used thin spaghetti but angel hair pasta would be divine!)

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 

1 large tomato, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups spinach

1/2 cup feta cheese 

juice of 1/2 lemon 

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper 

dash of crushed red pepper

What To Do:

Prepare pasta according to package. 

Meanwhile, heat saucepan to medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook for about two minutes, making sure the spinach is completely wilted. 

Add shrimp in one layer, cooking 1-2 minutes per side or until opaque and white. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper. Squeeze lemon over the shrimp and stir to combine all the flavors. 

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2-1 cup pasta water. Pour pasta directly into pan with shrimp and stir to combine. Drizzle in pasta water to coat the noodles as desired. Add feta cheese. Stir and serve!

original recipe

Carnitas Stuffed Poblano Pepper with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Poblanos are fantastic, especially when stuffed with seasoned pulled pork, rice and veggies. This is a delicious meal with a beautiful presentation. Impress your friends with this meal and make it look like you worked a lot harder than you did ;) 

What You'll Need:
serves 4
for pepper:
4 poblano peppers
1 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp
1 cup carnitas
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced 
a handful goat cheese crumbles 
for sauce:
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup salsa
1 cube chipotle seasoning 
for topping:
extra goat cheese crumbles
avocado slices 

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 375. Rub poblano peppers with olive oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until soft and charred in spots, turning once. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, saute onions with olive oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add rice and garlic cooking about five minutes more, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, rice, and carnitas and stir well, heating it through. Stir in goat cheese crumbles.

Slice peppers lengthwise and carefully remove veins and seeds. Stuff each pepper with filling. Place back into the oven for 10 minutes. 

While the peppers are cooking, begin your sauce. Over medium heat, combine cream cheese, salsa and chipotle seasoning, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese is completely melted and it is a uniform consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust with more cream cheese to thicken or more salsa to thin it out. 

Pour a spoonful of sauce on your serving plate, place pepper on top, sprinkle with extra goat cheese crumbles and serve alongside avocado slices! Delicious. 

original recipe

Quick Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

What You'll Need:
(serves 2) 
2 tbsp olive oil
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
two large handfuls of spinach
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup fresh green beans, ends trimmed

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup prepared brown rice 
• 
  

What To Do:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Be sure chicken pieces are completely dry. Salt and pepper generously. Cook chicken and onion together until chicken is no longer pink and the onion is soft. Add spinach, mushrooms and green beans to the skillet and cook 2-3 more minutes or until spinach is wilted.

In a separate bowl, stir together cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Pour into skillet and stir all of the ingredients together. Cook together, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened. Let simmer five more minutes on low heat. Spoon over rice and serve immediately.

Adapted from Marian Collins

Creamy Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Spinach

Growing up, Chicken Alfredo was one of those meals that everyone loved

Although we had plenty of picky eaters in the family, 

there were no squabbles about this meal.

I mean, what's not to love about moist chicken atop 

a creamy, cheesy sauce and slurpy noodles?

Exactly.

This version incorporates fresh vegetables

and can be made lighter by using reduced fat cream cheese and milk

Delicious, full flavor in a lighter, healthier version? Yes! 

I love this version of the Alfredo sauce- 

so light and creamy compared to a roux based sauce

The original recipe called for red bell peppers

(which would add some beautiful color to the dish for sure)

but I'm insane and don't like bell peppers, so I added spinach instead.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

What You'll Need:

½ lb. uncooked fettuccine pasta

1 package (8 ounces) Neufchatel or cream cheese, cubed

6 tablespoons butter, cubed

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 cups chopped broccoli, fresh or frozen and thawed

8 button mushrooms, sliced

1 heaping cup fresh spinach 

1/4 cup plus 4 Tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano

What To Do:

In a medium pot of boiling water, add pasta and cook according to package instructions (usually 11 minutes for al dente). Drain well and set aside.

In a large skillet over low heat, melt cream cheese and butter; stir until smooth. Add the milk, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, or until thickened.

Add the cooked chicken, broccoli, mushrooms and spinach. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and cook 5 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Stir in Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately with penne and extra Parmigiano Reggiano.

Recipe from The Comfort of Cooking, originally adapted from Taste of Home