Turkey Burgers with Asiago Cheese

11 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Prep-Ahead, Freeze then Cook Tags: ,

Last night I had a pound of ground turkey, a few peppers, onions and pita bread–and I always have a ton of cheese-on hand. I felt like having a burger for dinner so this was the result.  A light, tasty burger with crunchy peppers, tangy and melty Asiago cheese and a flavorful burger.  Ideally I would’ve eaten this on a hamburger roll or a portugese roll but since I had one pita bread in the fridge to use up-that’s how it ended up. These burgers would also be great topped with other cheese(s) and veggies-but I used what I had on hand.  I cooked these on my awesome Breville panini press-it makes the best crisp outside, I then topped with cheese and let the top plate hover over the cheese (not touching-but very close) to melt the cheese.

Turkey Burgers with Asiago Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 red pepper sliced very thin
  • 1 green pepper sliced very thin
  • 1/2 red onion sliced very thin
  • 1 clove garlic, minced very small
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 packet Goya Sazon seasoning
  • 5 pita breads or rolls or bread
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 5 slices of Asiago, or more if you’d like

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl mix the turkey and Sazon until combined. Make 5 patties. Set aside.
  2. In a medium pan over low-med heat add the oil. When hot add the peppers and cook until they start to become a bit soft. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softer but still crunchy.
  3. On a panini press or grill cook the burgers until almost to 165 internal temp. Top with cheese. When cheese is melted and burgers have reached 165 remove from heat.
  4. Warm the pita or rolls and top with the burger and pepper topping.

sparksfromthekitchen.com original

Marinara Sauce 2

10 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Thaw/Reheat & Serve Tags:

I was over at my girlfriend Michelle’s house on Saturday night working on making these delicious appetizers and she was also making a big pot of sauce which smelled absolutely magnificent. A super delicious, easy to make sauce that is very versatile. She made it to use later in the week in baked ziti but it would also be great with spaghetti or other pasta…..

Michelle’s Magnificent Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup red wine (she used cabernet)
  • 3 28oz. cans crushed san marzano tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • dried parsley-small palmful
  • dried oregano-small  handful
  • fresh oregano-1 tsp chopped small
  • fresh basil-1 handful-chopped small

Instructions:

  1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat cook onion and carrot in olive oil until soft. Add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 2 hours.

Sparksfromthekitchen.com original via friend 🙂

Shrimp Salad BLT Bites

10 Sep 2012 2 Comments

by sparksfromthekitchen in Appetizer Tags: ,

Recently a friend of mine had a very tasty appetizer at a party.  She wanted to recreate it using the Shrimp Salad from these. So we got together and tried a few different types of bacon (regular, turkey and thin and crispy turkey). The regular bacon worked best-the flavor was just right. The turkey and T&C just didn’t taste right. So after some experimenting-mixing the lettuce into the salad, different amounts of salad, different sizes of the piece of bacon underneath etc…-we finally arrived at a perfect little bite of BLT with shrimp salad. They’re just the right size to pick up with 2 fingers and eat in one bite.

Shrimp Salad BLT Bites

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
  • 1/4 cup cornichons, chopped small, plus 1 Tbsp brine
  • Black pepper
  • 1/2 lb cooked, peeled and deveined large shrimp cut into very small pieces
  • 1&1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 10 pieces bacon
  • a few leaves of green leaf lettuce (or any other lettuce that will lay flat)
  • 3 egg tomatoes (or any other that has the same circumference as the piece of bacon, each sliced very thin into 10 slices)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare bacon so that it’s crispy.  Set aside to cool.
  2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, brine and season with pepper.
  3. Add the shrimp, cornichons and tarragon and toss to combine.
  4. Break pieces of bacon into 3 equal sized pieces.  On each place a slice of tomato, a small piece of lettuce (similar size to bacon and tomato) and top with a little less than 1 tbsp of shrimp salad. It helps to compact the salad into a tbsp before placing on top of the bacon.

Hummingbird Cupcakes

07 Sep 2012 2 Comments

by sparksfromthekitchen in Dessert Tags: , , ,

A few years ago I made a Hummingbird Cake and it was delicious so I knew these cupcakes would be great. They’re a bit fruity and a bit crunchy, sweet and delicious. The original recipe called for a TON of frosting so I halved that recipe as I couldn’t fathom an entire box of cream cheese and a whole box of sugar-it would be way too much.  I have a pet peeve about over frosted cupcakes and half of the frosting recipe made enough for a good schmear on top of each cake-the perfect amount.  They’re also pretty simple to make-just a few mixing bowls and spoons-no mixer needed (aside of the frosting). Make them 🙂

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Ingredients: For the cake:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tps salt
  • 1&1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
  • 1 8oz can crushed pineapple, with juice
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 ripe bananas, chopped
  • 24 pecans (to top each cupcake)

Ingredients: Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4ozs 1/3 less fat cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 lb powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions: for the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tin cups with paper liners.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

3. In a small bowl beat the three eggs. Add to the dry ingredients along with the oil and applesauce. Stir until the mixture is just moist. (Do not use a mixer). Stir in the vanilla, pineapple (with juice), pecans, and bananas until just mixed in.

4. Pour the batter into prepared muffin tins filling each cup ¾ of the way full. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool in the muffin tins for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Instructions: For the frosting

1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with a mixer. Add the powdered sugar 1 c. at a time until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon.

2. Spread or pipe 1 ½ T. of icing on each cupcake. Top with a pecan. (Store extra icing in the refrigerator).

Adapted from Southern Living and Heather.



Shrimp Salad Lettuce Wraps

06 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Appetizer Tags:

A few weeks ago I made these.  Since I had to bring a few appetizers to my Mom’s for Labor Day weekend and because they were so delicious I thought ‘why not turn them into an app?’. So I did. I adjusted the original recipe’s amount to my taste and made less than the orginal recipe as we had other apps as well (like these puff pastry bites and pita chips with peperonata) and wrapped them in Boston Lettuce leaves. Delicious, light and pretty easy to put together.

Shrimp Salad Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

  • 1&1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
  • 1/4 cup cornichons, chopped small, plus 1 Tbsp brine
  • Black pepper
  • 1/2  lb cooked, peeled and deveined large shrimp cut into half inch pieces
  • 1&1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 head Boston Lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried.
  • Toothpicks for securing

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, brine and season with pepper.
  2. Add the shrimp, cornichons and tarragon and toss to combine.
  3. Using the smaller leaves (not the white inner ones), lay the leaf flat and scoop a small amount of shrim mixture into one end of the leaf. Carefully roll up the leaf, trimming any excess, and secure with a toothpick.

Keep chilled, serve cold.

Shrimp Salad adapted from Woman’s Day, via christina.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

05 Sep 2012 1 Comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Main Dish Tags: ,

The original recipe for this was in my September issue of Cooking Light Magazine. I changed it up a bit as I didn’t want to grill the chicken and then pick the meat off of the bones. It’s an easy to make, pretty fast recipe and the end result was delicious.  It’s a pasta that is very lightly coated with the cream sauce.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 lb uncooked capellini
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup) plus extra for sprinkling
  • 4 cups fresh spinach leaves  

Preparation

  1.  Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat and melt butter.  Add the chicken to the pan and cook until cooked through and browned. Set aside and wipe pan clean.
  2.  Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well; keep warm.
  3.  In the same skillet over medium-high heat add the oil; swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic; cook until garlic is browned (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly. Add milk and broth, stirring with a whisk; bring to a simmer, and cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and spinach; stir until spinach wilts. Add pasta and chicken; toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with remaining parmesan.

Adapted from Cooking Light.

Green Bean Salad

05 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Salad Tags: , ,

I seriously love this salad. Crispy veggies and a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. It’s super easy to make and it’s delicious!! The original recipe only calls for 1/4 cucumber but since I love them I changed it to include the entire cucumber. The original recipe also only called for 1/2 pint of tomatoes but I throw in the whole pint. Why not?

Green Bean Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
  • 1 European cucumber, cut into small cubes
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • Coarse salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Steam green beans in 1/2 inch boiling water covered for 3 or 4 minutes. Cold shock beans by running under cold water and drain well. Place beans in a bowl and combine with onions, cucumber and tomato. Dress salad with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Season salad with coarse salt and pepper, to taste.

Adapted from Rachael Ray.

Puff Pastry Bites with Asiago, Parmesan, Shallots, Scallions and Pancetta

04 Sep 2012 3 Comments

by sparksfromthekitchen in Appetizer Tags: , ,

So a while ago Cooking Light Magazine had a section about appetizers using puff pastry sheets and they were great!! They have onion, potato, bell pepper etc…but I wanted something original and different this time. I came up with this basically by putting many of my favorite flavors onto a bite of puff pastry. The tangy, nutty cheeses, the carmelized shallots and scallions and the crispy pancetta create many flavor and texture levels. I brought these to my Mom’s Labor Day party and they were great!!

Puff Pastry Bites with Asiago, Parmesan, Shallots, Scallions and Pancetta

Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • 1/3 lb pancetta, cut the short way across into 1/3 inch strips
  • 2 shallots, sliced thin
  • 2 scallions, white and bright green parts only, sliced thin
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan (do not use pre-shredded)
  • 1/2 cup finely grated asiago
  • flour for dusting

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. On a large board dusted with flour roll out puff pastry sheet to a square. Cut across the sheet 5 times from top to bottom and then 5 times from right to left to make 25 small squares. Place squares on the cookie sheet and put in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. In a large skillet cook the pancetta over medium heat until crispy. Reduce heat to low-med and remove the pancetta with a spider to keep the fat in the pan (or a slotted spoon but keep as much fat in the pan as possible) and set aside on paper towels. Add the shallot, garlic and scallion to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until carmelized. Set aside. Add the 2 cheeses to a plate and mix to combine.
  3. Remove cookie sheet from fridge and prick each square with a fork so that the pastry doesn’t puff too much in the oven.  Cook in the oven for 10 minutes (the pastry should not be completely cooked at this point). On each square spred a small amount of the cheese mix, top with a bit of the scallion/shallot mix and then top with a bit of pancetta. There should be an even amount of all on each square.
  4. Return the squares to the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes or until corners of pastry are golden.
  5. Remove and serve warm or at room temp.

Sparksfromthekitchen.com original.

Pita Chips with Peperonata

04 Sep 2012 1 Comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Appetizer

Recently I made Peperonata.  As I wrote in that post it’s super versatile. So I made some more and also made some fresh pita chips. Sure you can buy a bag but these are so much better!!

Pita Chips

Ingredients:

  • 3 pita
  • 3 tbsp olive oil for drizzling
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano 
  • 1 tbsp dried basil

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400.  Lay each pita flat and, using a knife that isn’t too sharp (a regular dinner knife works well), cut into the edge all around splitting the top from the bottom. I find it helpful to hold my palm on the top of the pita and rotate that way.  Then slide your hand in between the top and bottom carefully to separate.  Cut each half into 8 wedges. Repeat with all pitas.
  2. Lay all wedges flat on a large cookie sheet, drizzle evenly with the olive oil and herbs.
  3. Bake for 7 minutes, remove from the oven, turn the wedges over, and return it to the oven for another 5-7 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm or room temperature. These can be stored in an airtight container. Serve with anything from the Peperonata above to hummus-they’re great with anything.

Sweet-Spicy Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry

30 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Lunch, Main Dish Tags: , ,

 

What an easy, fast dish!! The greatest amount of time is consumed chopping the pepper, onion and chicken. Super fast!! This is great on it’s own (as I had it) or over rice.  This will definately be made again soon.

Sweet-Spicy Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 1.25 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces  
  • 1 lb sugar snap peas
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced  
  • 1/2 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts  

Instructions:

  1. Combine the first 6 ingredients, whisk to combine and set aside.
  2. Heat a large wok or large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 4 minutes or until browned and done. Remove the chicken and add the other 1 tbsp oil to the wok and swirl to coat. Add the peas, pepper and onion and stir-fry until crisp-tender about 3 minutes. Stir in te brown sugar mixture and cook 1 minute or until thickened.  Stir in chicken, toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onion and peanuts.

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, September 2012 issue.

Makes 4 servings (without rice). Prep time: 10 minutes  Cooking time : 15 minutes.

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