The Incredible Turkey Burger

For quite some time now, the hubby and I have tried to cut down on the amount of red meat we put into our systems. Every once in a while we will indulge, but we have noticed how differently our bodies feel after we do have a big juicy steak.  We feel much more sluggish, and I for one can practically feel my body trying to break down the red meat and it seems to be working so hard. So we have substituted eating regular burgers and ground meat for ground turkey and turkey burgers. Surprisingly, it is very good. While on the drier side, if you season properly and cook it pretty much as you would cook the meat, it can be very flavorful and extremely enjoyable.

I almost prefer these turkey burgers to any burger that I could eat elsewhere. Almost.

It's a fairly easy recipe and one that doesn't require a whole lot of thought or effort. I put them on a sandwich thin and topped with ketchup. I've also eaten the patty alone with sweet potato fries, or with just a salad (to keep it on the light side).  If you have the ingredients (which you should), you could probably make these for tomorrow's dinner.
And I certainly hope you do!

Enjoy!

Delicious Turkey Burgers

Yield: 4 burgers


Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Italian-style breadcrumbs
1 shallot, finely diced
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (you can also use dried parsley, just double it)
1 clove garlic, peeled & minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp Feta cheese

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Form into 4 patties.
2. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Serve as desired & enjoy!


xoxo,

Jen

Roast Pork Loin

A couple Sundays ago, my hubby and I invited his parents over. Whenever we have anyone over, I go into hyperdrive and freak out because I want my food to be perfect. This time was no different.We bought a pork loin and I decided to alter a recipe I had already tried once before.  Pork can turn out very dry if it isn't done right, so I am always scared of making it. However, this recipe manages to always turn out perfectly. The last time I made it, I seasoned it right before putting the roast in the over, but this times, I sealed it and marinated for about 4 hours. the result was a juicy, savory, and leftover-worthy pork roast. I hope you will enjoy this meal as much as we did!

Roast Pork Loin

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary, plus several whole sprigs
juice from 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper to taste
2 pounds boneless pork loin roast
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Crush garlic with rosemary, lemon, salt, and pepper, making a paste.
3. Pierce meat with a sharp knife in several places (I make pretty deep cuts along the length of the roast) and press the garlic paste into the openings. Rub the meat with the remaining garlic mixture and olive oil.
4. Place pork loin in the oven, turning and basting with pan liquids. About 45 minutes through, pour in the white wine and stir to loosen the bits of food on the bottom.  Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Serve with pan juices.  and garnish with rosemary sprigs.

Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Jen

Black Truffle Steak and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I'm sorry I haven't been posting - work has been absolutely nuts and our social calendar has been nonstop as well. I'm hoping to catch up in the next few days - I have SEVERAL recipes I want to share with you all. :)

So let me preface this by saying how much I love sweet potatoes. I can eat them all the time and in many different forms. I just think they are so tasty and filling. Today's post comes with help from my assistant chef, my hubby Eddie. :) I am definitely not a grill master, and honestly, the grill kind of scares me, so I let him take care of that when the time comes for it.

This meal was delicious. The steak was juicy and tender, and since we only seasoned it with Kosher salt and pepper, you could really taste the great cut of meat.  I garnished it with a dash of Black Truffle Salt and it added a tiny hint of truffle flavor. It was oh-so-good.

I'll let the dish speak for itself, although pictures don't really do it justice.


Black Truffle Steak and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

16 oz New York Strip (or other read meat) divided (YES, we eat big portions of steak... you can adjust to whatever you want to eat)

Kosher salt and black pepper (for seasoning)

1 tsp black truffle salt (optional) Available Here

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin fries

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp black truffle salt

Instructions


For the fries, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix sweet potato, olive oil,  Kosher salt and pepper.  Spread evenly in a single layer on a large nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, then flip fries over. Bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fries begin to brown on the edges.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with black truffle salt.

For the steaks, while the fries are in the oven, preheat your grill.  Season steak pieces with Kosher salt and pepper.  Over medium-high heat, grill steaks for 7 minutes on one side, then turn and grill for 5 minutes on the other (for a Medium steak), or until desired done-ness. How long you cook it also depends on the thickness of the steaks. Remove from the flame, sprinkle with a dash of Truffle salt, and serve.

Rack of Lamb Anyone?

So this past weekend, Eddie (that's my one and only) went to Costco and called me to find out what we needed. I rattled off the usual list and we hung up. He called me back to ask, "Do you like lamb?" I said yes, although I've never made lamb before. "Ok thanks. Bye!"
And he came home with a Frenched rack of lamb.
Great.

Last night he asked me to make it, and since I had not planned on making it, had to find a recipe that didn't call for the lamb to be marinated for several hours before cooking.
Well the one I found was fairly simple, quicker than I'd ever imagined, and tasted absolutely amazing.

So I guess this will be the first recipe I share on here.

Roasted Rack of Lamb

(Pardon the poor-ish quality of the picture -
I took it with my phone, since my camera was not on hand.)

Ingredients
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp dried or fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

1 rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard


Directions
Preheat the over to 450 degrees. Move oven rack to center position.

In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 2 Tbsp olive oil.  Mix well and set aside.

Season the rack all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large heavy oven proof skillet over high heat. Sear rack of lamb for 1-2 minutes on all sides. Set aside for a few minutes.  Brush rack of lamb with the mustard, then roll in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent from charring.

Arrange the rack bone side down in the skillet. Roast the lamb in the oven for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on how well you would like it to be cooked.
Carve between the ribs and serve.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com.