Turkey and Vegetable Meatloaf

Don't let the fact that this meatloaf contains ground turkey scare you.  I know ground turkey is so lean that it can be dry, but this recipe contains a high concentration of vegetables, which not only adds incredibly flavor, but a great deal of moisture too.  I hope you'll give it a try.

To begin you'll need some roughly chopped carrots, onion, celery, mushrooms, and a few cloves of garlic.

Pulse in a food processor, in batches, until finely ground.

Tip: to keep the processor lid clean, drape a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl before placing the lid on. 

Like this.  Click the lid in place and pulse away.

When done, all the little bits that would have normally splashed up on the lid will now be on the plastic wrap instead.

And the lid will stay perfectly clean!  

Obviously, you wouldn't use this trick if you need to use the feed tube.  

Back to the veggies - process them until they look like this.   

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

Add the ground vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.  Don't be alarmed if you see some liquid releasing from the vegetables.

Oh, and don't forget to add the kosher salt and pepper to the vegetables as they cook.

After 10 minutes pass, the liquid will have evaporated and the color of the vegetables will have darkened a bit. 

Stir in the Italian seasoning and remove from the heat.

Allow the vegetables to cool a bit.  To speed up the process, spread them out on a sheet pan.

Time to mix everything together.  In a very large bowl, place the turkey, panko breadcrumbs, beaten egg, and worcestershire sauce.

..... and don't forget to add the cooled cooked vegetables. 

Mix everything together very well.  You don't want any unmixed clumps to remain. 

Place the meat mixture on the prepared sheet pan and shape into a loaf like this. 

In a small bowl, place ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard.

Whisk together well. 

Brush the ketchup mixture evenly over the top of the meatloaf and bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 165F is reached.  Rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• nonstick foil https://amzn.to/3bq7c11

• silicone pastry brush https://amzn.to/2WNM5R8

• instant read digital thermometer https://amzn.to/35TcgKd

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Turkey and Vegetable Meatloaf

makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 large carrots, chopped

• 2 ribs celery, chopped

• 6 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 pounds ground turkey

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a half sheet pan with nonstick foil.

2. Place onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely ground, processing in batches as needed.

3. In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook ground vegetables, salt, and pepper in oil for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until excess liquid evaporates and the color of the vegetables darken slightly.

4. Remove the vegetables from the heat, stir in the Italian seasoning, and allow the mixture to cool before proceeding.

5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled vegetable mixture, ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, beaten eggs, and worcestershire sauce; mix very well until they are evenly distributed.

6. Place the turkey mixture on the prepared half sheet pan and shape into a loaf.

7. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard; pour evenly over meatloaf.

8. Bake in center of preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until it reaches an internat temperature of 165F; rest for 10 minutes before serving.

adapted from laurainthekitchen.com 

Greek Pearl Couscous Salad

I enjoyed a delicious pearl couscous salad with Greek dressing at a picnic recently and it won high praise from many in attendance so I thought I'd come up with my own version to share with you today.  

I've included my delicious creamy greek salad dressing recipe below, but you can purchase a high quality bottled version from your grocery store (typically found in the refrigerated section).  

Couscous is often believed to be a grain, but it's actually pasta.

The traditional couscous on the left is very small, while the Pearl or Israeli couscous on the right, although still small, is quite a bit larger. 

If you can find it, look for tri-colored couscous.  It doesn't taste any different than all white couscous, but it adds lovely visual appeal to the finished dish.  There are many brands to choose from.   While we're talking about substitutions, orzo would be a very appropriate substitution for the pearl couscous.  

Start by cutting curly kale into small pieces.  I actually find a sharp pair of kitchen shears, like these, work really well for this job. 

Cook the couscous like you would any pasta, in salted boiling water, stirring frequently to prevent them from sticking.

A minute or two before the couscous is done, add the chopped kale to the pot.  This will soften the kale and deepen it's lovely green color. 

When the couscous is done, remove it from the heat and drain, then rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking process and preserve the vibrant color of the kale.  Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.

Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over the kale and couscous.

Stir well to coat each pearl of couscous so they won't stick together.  If you skip this step, not only will the couscous clump together in a big lump, but it will absorb all the dressing and you won't be able to taste it (doesn't seem to make sense, but it's true - I speak from experience).  

We'll also need some sliced cucumbers - I like to use the mini cubes in this slicer/grater box.  They're just so darn cute. 

1 cup sliced mini cucumbers are going into the bowl too.

Next we'll need to cut some grape tomatoes in half - I cut mine across their equator because I think they look better that way.  

Continue until you have 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes and toss them into the bowl. I also got some super-duper, teeny-tiny heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market, which I'll throw in whole (see finished photo). 

Can't forget sliced black olives.  I only show 1/2 cup here, but I decided to increase the amount to a full cup.  Into the bowl.

Note to self:  next time, be sure to buy pre-sliced olives! 

Lastly, 1 cup of diced red bell pepper (green bell pepper would be excellent too).  Into the bowl. 

Now is when I looked at my overflowing bowl of ingredients and assessed the situation - mix now and make a terrible mess, or transfer everything to a larger bowl and make another dirty dish.  

I'd rather dirty another dish than struggle to mix everything in too small a bowl.  Frustration I can live without!

Back to the salad - pour half of the prepared creamy Greek dressing (recipe below) and toss well. Alternatively, you can use about 1/2 cup of a high quality store brand.

Garnish with crumbled feta, chopped fresh parsley, and sliced scallions.  Serve at room temperature.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• ninja blender/food processor https://amzn.to/2W8kRTr

• my favorite knife https://amzn.to/2FdHY9b

• Pearl or Israeli couscous https://amzn.to/2Hx2Nya

• red wine vinegar https://amzn.to/396Rfyz

• the best olive oil https://amzn.to/2T4T04B

• oxo slicer https://amzn.to/3HBqilS

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Greek Pearl Couscous Salad

makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked pearl or Israeli couscous (or orzo)

• 1 cup chopped curly kale

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes

• 1 cup diced red bell pepper

• 1 cup sliced black olives, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup mini cucumber slices

• 1/2 cup creamy Greek dressing (recipe below)

• Garnish: 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

• Garnish: 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

• Garnish: 2 scallions, sliced

Directions

1. Bring 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to a boil; add couscous and return to a boil, stirring frequently.

2. Add kale to the boiling couscous a minute or two before the couscous is done.

3. Drain and rinse the kale and couscous with cold water to stop the cooking process.

4. Transfer drained kale and couscous to a large mixing bowl drizzle with olive oil and mix well to prevent pasta from sticking together.

5. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, mini cucumbers, and Greek dressing; toss until combined.

6. Garnish with crumbled feta, chopped parsley, and sliced scallions. Serve at room temperature.

Creamy Greek Dressing

makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese

• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and combine. Use half for the recipe above. Store the remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week.