Orange-Glazed Turkey Meatballs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I really like these meatballs. Depending on circumstance or fancy, they can be served as an appetizer or main course, and I think you'll find that they'll appeal to both the young and old young eaters who gather at your table. The recipe comes from the McCormick recipe collection and I think a quick glance through the instructions will convince you that they are really easy to make. They are also delicious. If served with a side of rice or a simple noodle salad, they are substantial enough to serve as a meal, but they truly shine when they are served as a small plate meal starter. Their unique flavor comes from poultry seasoning and the sweetness of the orange marmalade that forms the base of the glaze that naps them, is cut by the addition of vinegar and cayenne pepper. The end result is pleasantly sweet but not cloying and the glaze gives the meatballs a unique flavor. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the meatballs are made.

Orange-Glazed Turkey Meatballs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of McCormick test kitchens

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Pinch red pepper

Directions:
1) Beat egg and milk in large bowl. Stir in bread crumbs, salt, poultry seasoning and pepper. Add ground turkey and mix well. Cover. Refrigerate 1 hour. Shape into 1-inch meatballs.
2) Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Place meatballs in single layer in skillet. Cook until well browned on all sides. Remove meatballs from skillet. Set aside.
3) Mix orange marmalade, broth, vinegar and red pepper in skillet on medium beat. Bring to boil, stirring to release browned bits in bottom of skillet. Return meatballs to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and sauce has reduced to glaze consistency. Serve as an appetizer or as an entree. Yield: 15 appetizer or 5 main course servings.

      

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                Hazelnut Biscotti                                                   Turkish Eggplant Stew with Tomatoes
                  

             Three Years Ago Today:                                                     Four Years Ago Today: 

       Autumn Date and Hazelnut Bread                                           Mushroom Lasagna Florentine

Frugal Foodie Friday - Lemony Turkey Bolognese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A sale on ground turkey at a local warehouse store practically guaranteed it would appear in at least one Frugal Friday post. Tonight is the night. I've been looking for a calorically kind white pasta sauce, and when I found this recipe on Oprah's website, I knew I'd have to give it a try. The sauce is easy to make and comes together very quickly, though I must say the finished pasta bears no resemblance to the photo that accompanied the original recipe. My sauce  remained white and never picked up the red hue shown in their photo. That being said, this is a nice recipe and if you are looking for a new way to sauce your pasta, do give this version a try. If you enjoy the flavors of bacon and lemon, I think you'll enjoy this dish. While it falls short of being memorable, it makes a nice family meal and it is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.  Do give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Lemony Turkey Bolognese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Kathy Brennan and Caroline at Oprah.com

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 ounces bacon (about 4 slices), finely diced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Small pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1-1/4 pound ground turkey, dark meat or a combination of dark and white
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1 cup Greek yogurt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt
1 pound penne or other tubular pasta
Olive oil for finishing the dish
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, plus extra for serving

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to crisp around edges, about 4 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of drippings. Add onions, garlic, oregano and pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
2) Raise heat to high,  add turkey and season lightly with salt and pepper.. Cook, stirring often and breaking up meat, until meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir for about 1 minute. Add wine and briskly simmer, scraping up any caramelized bits from bottom of pan. Reduce heat, stir in yogurt and lemon zest and gently simmer to meld flavors, about 5 minutes. Taste again for seasoning, adjusting salt and pepper as needed.  Set aside.
3) Meanwhile, generously salt boiling water. When it returns to a boil, add pasta, quickly stir to separate tubes, then cover pot until water returns to a boil. Uncover and boil, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente.
4) Drain pasta, reserving a cup of cooking water, then pour pasta on top of Bolognese sauce. Drizzle with oil, add cheese and toss to combine over medium heat. If the pasta looks dry, add some of the cooking water. Check seasonings and serve with more cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Onion Scones

Two Years Ago Today: Turkish-Style Pumpkin Hummus

Three Years Ago Today: Apple-Oatmeal Bread

Four Years Ago Today: Old-Fashioned Double Chocolate Pudding

Turkey Meatballs with Lemon-Garlic Yogurt Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am prone to wanderlust. When the siren calls, I seek one of two things. It's occasionally the lure of brighter lights or a bigger city, but more often than not, especially these days, solitude better meets my need to cast away. Silence paves the way for reflection. Insight and serenity follow and they are my fresh air, my cosmic oxygen. My Valentine, bless him, has brought me to Loon Lake for the weekend. At this time of year, our only neighbors are the loons and save for their keening wails, silence and solitude reign supreme. The weather today was glorious and though a front has just moved in, we are warm and dry and very well-fed as we sit in this tiny cabin that teeters on the edge of the world. Bob has the fire blazing and the wind and rain are beating a steady tattoo that will have me sleepy well before my bedtime. I'm mesmerized by the artillery-like barrage that pine cones, loosed by the wind and pelting rain, are making as they bounce off the metal roof. There will be a mess for someone to clean up tomorrow, but for tonight all's right with my world. I have a lemon pie, and a special one at that, waiting to set, but it won't be ready in time for tonight's post. Fortunately, I can share tonight's dinner with you. I suspect many of you have read, or are at least familiar with, Molly Wizenberg's cookbook "A Homemade Life". While her recipes are wonderful, I'm always struck by her facility with language and the restrained power of her words. I have come to love her writing and her blog, Orangette. Hers, is one of the few books that has made from the library stacks to my personal collection. The meatballs we had for supper came from her book. While they are delicious, they are hard to categorize. They are vaguely Greek and definitely have their roots in Mediterranean kitchens. The ingredient list will be surprising to many. While the meatballs are made with pine nuts and raisins, they serve to make the recipe unique and add a texture and sweetness that makes an otherwise ordinary dish special. I mixed and formed the meatballs yesterday and brought them with us to be cooked. That gave all the flavors time to develop and made for a very tasty supper. While I served the meatballs on pita bread, it is not necessary and they do quite well on their own. The meatballs can be baked if you are watching your diet. I prefer them fried, but to each his own. These are very easy to make and can be assembled in less than 30 minutes. I promise you the flavor is unique and the meatballs are delicious. Here's the recipe.

Turkey Meatballs with Lemon-Garlic Yogurt Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Molly Wizenberg

Ingredients:
Meatballs
1-1/4 pound ground turkey thigh meat
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup cup golden raisins (chopped if large)
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon-Garlic Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek-style if possible)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) To make meatballs: Combine turkey, onion, egg, cilantro, nuts, raisins, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and cumin in a large bowl. Mix just until ingredients are combined and evenly mixed. With wet hands form the mixture into 1 to 1-1/2-inch balls. Set on a tray. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and chill until ready to sauté.
2) To make sauce: Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt in a small bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate.
3) To cook: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, and sauté meatballs in batches, so as not to crowd them. As they begin to color, turn them regularly so that they are golden on all sides. They should be done when they are evenly browned and feel medium firm, but not hard when touched. Place on a paper towel to catch excess oil. Serve hot, warm, or cold with yogurt sauce. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Italian-Style Turkey Meatballs - My Kitchen Adventures
Cheese Stuffed Turkey Meatballs - Sydney's Kitchen
Mario Batali Meatballs - Made Famous By
Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs - Being Suzy Homemaker
Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Blue Cheese Dip - My Kitchen Adventures
Swedish Meatballs - The Galley Gourmet
Porcupine Meatballs - The Daily Dish

Curried Turkey Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I took advantage of a sale on bone-in turkey breasts at one of our local supermarkets today. I bought several to feed the freezer and another to make this lovely turkey salad. The recipe won an honorable mention in a recipe contest several years ago. While I poached the turkey for tonight's salad, it can be made with freshly roasted poultry or even leftovers, if they are not too dry. Chicken also works well. With warm weather rapidly approaching, I thought some of you might like to have the recipe for this easy main course salad. It works well for luncheons and it is perfect for a light summer meal. I think those of you who try this will really enjoy it. Here's the recipe.

Curried Turkey Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 to 4 cups cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1-1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup chutney
1 to 2 tablespoons mild curry powder or curry powder to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt or salt to taste
1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts

Directions:
1) Combine turkey, celery and grapes in a large bowl. Set aside.
2) Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice and chutney in a small bowl. Add curry powder and salt to taste.
3) Pour dressing over turkey mixture and toss gently to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving fold peanuts into salad. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Thai Tuna Salad - One Perfect Bite
Pistachio Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese Medallions - One Perfect Bite
Asian Chicken or Shrimp Salad - One Perfect Bite

Green Curry Turkey Burgers with Asian-Style Cucumber Relish - Outdoor Wednesday

Blue River Oregon

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This was intended to be a competition burger but our travel plans assure that, even if chosen, we'll be no where near the Napa Valley when the Build a Better Burger cook-off is held. A person younger than myself might decide to save the recipe for another year, but I've reached an age where that doesn't make a lot of sense, and I'd rather share it with you now than see it sit in limbo for another year. This is really easy to do. While the relish is best made several hours before assembling the burgers, their actual construction takes minutes and uses ingredients that can be found in any large grocery store. While the burgers look all-American , they are really Thai-inspired and capture the hot, sweet, sour and salty tastes that are the hallmark of Thai cooking. I have fudged a bit here and have used a range of measures for the green curry paste that's used to flavor the sauce and add heat to the burgers. Commercially made curry paste tends to be very hot and can kill the taste buds very quickly. If you are not familiar with it, start with the smaller amount and taste carefully as you go along. The goal here is a warming heat, not fire. The burgers can be cooked stovetop or on a grill. They should be turned only once. They are moist burgers and will fall part if you play with them too much. I usually serve these on a brioche-type roll, but any bread with a soft crust can be used. I think you'll like these burgers. Here's the recipe.

Green Curry Turkey Burgers with Asian-Style Cucumber Relish...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 large English cucumber, cut in 1/4 to 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh hot green chilies
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 3 teaspoons Thai-style green curry paste
1-1/4 pounds ground turkey meat (I prefer thighs)
4 lightly toasted brioche-style rolls
Garnish: Cilantro sprigs

Directions:
1) Combine vinegar, water, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium sauce pan and cook, stirring occasionally, over moderate heat until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2) Combine cucumbers, onions and chiles in a small bowl. Cover with cooled dressing and chill for several hours.
3) Combine mayonnaise, green curry paste and reserved 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Mix well. Remove 1/4 cup of sauce to another small bowl and stir 1/2 cup drained cucumber relish into it.
4) Add relish mixture to ground turkey and mix just until combined. Shape into 4 patties. In a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat, cook patties for 4 minutes on each side. Spread reserved mayonnaise mixture on top and bottom of warm rolls. Place a pattie on bottom half of each roll and cover with relish and sprigs of cilantro. Set roll tops in place and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes;
Salmon Burgers with Chipotle Aioli and Pineapple Salsa - One Perfect Bite
Grilled Pork Burgers Indochine - One Perfect Bite
Chimichurri Turkey Burgers - One Perfect Bite

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Beggar's Chowder - A Crock-Pot Recipe

Who said beggars can't be choosers? This plain Jane recipe won the last Rival Crocktober competition - my first big win. As a matter of fact, it's my only big win. Despite that, I've kept my sense of humor and a sure belief that lightening can strike twice, if you're willing to fly kites and stand under tall trees in thunderstorms. I do dumb stuff like that. I've made this recipe, in one form or another, for decades. It first simmered on a two burner stove in the basement apartment that was our first home. In those days the chowder was made with turkey necks and truly was a beggar's chowder. It stayed in my recipe rotation as we moved uptown and ended up in the kitchen of the Institute for Culinary Education where it was judged best of show. If you're always on the lookout for crock-pot recipes, give this one a try. It will not disappoint.

Beggar's Chowder

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 skinless, bone-in turkey thighs, trimmed of visible fat
Cooking spray
2 (14.75-ounce) cans creamed style sweet corn
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed chicken broth, undiluted
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
1 pound cleaned, stemmed white mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup cilantro or parsley
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Combine butter, flour, garlic salt, pepper, thyme and paprika in a small (1 quart) mixing bowl. Using the back of a wooden spoon, work the mixture to form a smooth paste. Rub the paste into all sides of the turkey thighs.
2) Spray the stoneware insert of a 5 1/2 - 6 quart slow cooker with a nonstick cooking spray. Place peppers and onions in stoneware. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil and microwave, covered, on HIGH power for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Put the turkey thighs in the bottom of the stoneware; cover with the the creamed corn and the undiluted chicken broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or until the turkey is fork tender.
3) Remove the turkey thighs from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle. While the turkey cools add the mushrooms and diced tomatoes to the liquid in the stoneware; cover the pot and continue to cook for 1/2 hour more.
4) While the mushrooms are cooking, remove the turkey meat from the bones in bite size pieces.
5) When the mushrooms are tender, return the turkey to the chowder; add the heavy cream and the cilantro or parsley and cook, covered, until heated through, about 15 minutes more. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 8 servings.

Bring Back Swedish Meatballs

It's time to spring Swedish meatballs from their Ikea prison; they've done their time, let's bring them home - they deserve a better fate. They were a staple in American kitchens for years; kids loved them, they were easy to make and they were budget friendly. Trouble is they lacked panache. Now, I know I'm moving dangerously close to "putting lipstick on a pig", but if it's been awhile since you had Swedish meatballs, I hope you'll give these a try. These are really good - cardamom takes them to another level and the aroma just might dive you crazy.

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients:
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk, divided use
1/2 cup packaged bread crumbs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1/2 cup very finely chopped onion
1-1/2 teaspoon salt + salt to taste
1-1/2 pounds ground turkey (not turkey breast)
3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed, divided use
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 (10.5-oz.) can condensed beef broth, undiluted
2 tablespoons quick-mixing flour (i.e. Wondra)
1/4 cup cold water
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Garnish: fresh dill or parsley

Directions:
1) Combine eggs, 1/2 cup milk and bread crumbs in a medium bowl.
2) Place onions and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a microwave container. Microwave on HIGH power for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onions are soft and fragrant.
3) Add onions, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, turkey, dill weed, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom to bread-crumb mixture. Mix to combine (don't overdo this). Refrigerate, covered, until mixture can be shaped, about 2 hours.
4) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Shape meat mixture into 30 meatballs.
5) Combine butter and reserved 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Heat over medium heat until butter melts and the mixture sizzles but is not brown. Saute meatballs in two batches until brown. Transfer to a 8 x 11 x 2-inch baking pan. Set aside.
6) Add beef broth to skillet. Stir flour into cold water. Add to skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to cook for 1 minute until thickened. Add pepper, and reserved 1/2 teaspoon dill; adjust salt to taste. Stir in reserved 1/2 cup milk and whisk until heated through. Pour over meatballs.
7) Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh dill. Yield: 6 servings.