Turkey Po-Tacos, Turkey Tac-atoes, or Oh Lord Someone Else Name Something for Me

So about a thousand years ago, I came up with the idea to put taco meat and toppings on a baked potato  ((this certainly is not an original idea, I am well aware)) and we spent an unreasonable amount of time debating what they should be called with a fervor which should really be reserved for matters of national security.  I was adamantly lobbying for po-tacos.  <<Redacted>> was just as strongly committed to tac-atoes which he later modified to tac-aters.  Ridiculous argument that always lasted way after the meal was gone aside, but has remained memorable for at least seven or so years, these are quite good and good for you.

Not the most photogenic

What you need for 2:

2 large baking potatoes
1/2 lb of ground turkey burger
1 packet of taco seasoning
1/2 c of shredded Mexican cheese
Shredded lettuce
1/2 c of salsa
2 dollops of sour cream

Go:

Start by scrubbing the potatoes and then stabbing them with a fork a few times.  Set aside.

Brown the ground turkey until all of the pink is gone.  Add the taco seasoning packet and the water as directed on the packet.  RIGHT NOW, put the potatoes in the microwave and hit the "potato" button.  If you don't have a "potato" button, well, you are on your own.  Good luck.  Once the turkey and sauce come to a fast simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer until the potatoes are done.

When the potatoes are finished, remove them to a plate, slice them open, and smash them a little.  Top with the lettuce, turkey, Mexican cheese, salsa, and a little sour cream.

Potacos

Nutritional Info:   If you are using a large potato and go easy on the cheese and sour cream, let's call it 350 calories and 6 grams of fat.

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Let's see.... What else?  Submitted updated menus to a bed and breakfast this morning...  Working on another writing project...  Inhaling the LaPorte eBook like it is the air I breathe...  Worked a little bit on some blog redesign around here...  I *almost* know what I'm doing at this point!  Not really...  But now if you want to share a post on FB, Twitter, or Google Plus ((cuz EVERYONE uses GPlus)), there should be buttons below each post to do so.  I appreciate it when you do!  You even get a gold star in my Book of People That Don't Suck.

Panasonic Stainless Steel Countertop Microwave Oven - NNSD797S
GE Profile Spacemaker II Stainless Steel Microwave Oven - PEM31SMSS
Cuisinart Stainless Steel Countertop Microwave - CMW-100

Turkey with Black Bean and Salsa Skillet, Blogaholism, and What was the Point?

As you may have gathered, I read a LOT of blogs of basically every variety: food/cooking/baking, fitness, personal, parenting, dating/relationship, fashion, lifestyle, humor, and you name it.  I think my Google Reader subscription list is still over 300 and I have pared it down a lot.  But what I love about reading blogs is the inside look into people's lives.  Now granted, people are not who they appear to be on their site by and large.  The author gives you their own spin on events which out of necessity, must be filtered somewhat.  Some things are exaggerated for effect, some things are outright bullshit, omissions are made, etc etc.  Still I find it fascinating to see how other people's lives unfold and the way in which they choose to present it.  And what is really fascinating is how invested the readers become in their lives as well.

Hmmm.  I wonder what my point was.  I probably didn't actually have one.  I think my point is this...  In this space, I really only talk about my cooking endeavors.  There are some things that I just can't or won't talk about.  However, I have a LOT of other projects going on and as time goes on, I'll be talking more about those as well.  In the past couple of weeks, shit has really taken off.  Based on a conversation today, it is about to get really fracking awesome.  Once we have it up and running, I will fill y'all in.  Promise.

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Let's EAT.  As I mentioned previously, I get a lot of requests from people for ideas for quick, easy dinners.  I came up with this after vacantly staring in the fridge and frankly, enjoying the cool breeze from it ((it was 108 here today)).  A turkey with black bean and salsa skillet.

What you need for two servings:

1/2 pound ground turkey
1 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup ((or more)) of a salsa of your choice
1/4 cup of shredded Mexican cheese
2 tablespoons of sour cream
Tortillas
Lime
Cilantro

Make it:

Start by browning the ground turkey in a skillet.  Crumble it up using a spatula or a fork into small pieces.  Once all the pink is out, add the salsa and the black beans.  Stir and heat through.

Heat your tortillas by placing them between two paper towels and microwaving for 30 seconds.  Pile on the turkey/bean/salsa and then top with shredded cheese, sour cream, a squeeze of lime, and some cilantro.

There are lots of other things you could add if you have time...  Chopped onions, avocado, sweet corn ((I used a corn salsa)), or whatever you want!

This came together in less than ten minutes which is exactly what I'm talking about when it is hot and you haven't had anything but seven diet cokes all day.  

Nutritional Info for one serving:  Approximately 230 calories ((using reduced-fat cheese, fat-free sour cream, and small tortillas)) and 4 grams of fat.

This didn't photograph very well... the light was weird and blah blah blah ... but it was really good and filling.  Luckily, I have a photography student who has asked if she can work with me to build her portfolio!  I just need to come up with something colorful to make and find a time that works with our schedules.  I'm super-excited about it.  As I've said before, I'm no photographer.  I actually don't own a real camera and only take these pictures with my phone.  So when you see super pretty pictures, you will know that is her work!

*****

I need to crank out some more writing tonight and figure out why my dog won't stop growling at the wall.  Be back tomorrow!

Sloppy Turkey Joe's the Easy Way and Sloppy Turkey Joe's the Slightly Less Easy Way

This morning I was in the midst of a laundry-o-rama when the phone rang.  Before I knew it, it was 90 minutes later, my ear was numb, and I was STARVING.  I had been planning to make Sloppy Joe's ((or Barbecues)) with turkey burger, but I was suddenly in that "eff that, it takes too much time" frame of mind.  So I came up with an on-the-fly short cut which would be perfect for those of you who struggle with weeknight dinners.  It took less than 15 minutes.  My normal Sloppy Joe or barbecue sauce recipe will come after...

Turkey Joe's, sweet corn, and pineapple

What you need to serve 4:

1 lb of ground turkey
1/2 cup of Trader Joe's Barbecue Sauce*
*Some* minced onion and minced garlic

What you do:

Brown the ground turkey in a large pan.  Once browned, throw in the barbecue sauce and the spices.  Stir to combine, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for a few minutes.  Serve on a toasted, buttered bun with pickle slices or whatever you like.  ((I'm using sandwich thins because I bought a pack and I swear to John Lithgow they are reproducing in my refrigerator.))

*You can use any brand of barbecue sauce you like, obviously.  TJ's has a nice smoky, sweetness to it though.  I also like the Jack Daniels' brand of sauces though.

I know this is nothing earth-shattering, but it wasn't an idea that had occurred to me before and I don't think I've ever heard it suggested somewhere.  I suspect I will make this a lot.  Served along side some sweet corn and fresh pineapple, it feels like summer, no?

Nutritional Info for just the meat:  1/4 pound serving is approximately 180 calories and 2 grams of fat if you use the super lean variety.  SCORE.

Now here is how someone who isn't about to eat their own arm off might make the sauce...

Ingredients:


1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pinch celery salt
1 pinch mustard powder

Basically all you do is throw that all in a sauce pan, stir to combine, and let it simmer on low for about 5 minutes.  You can then add it to your browned turkey or beef.  

Unfortunately, this is another one of the recipes that has been in my email folder for a few years and I am clueless as to where it came from.  The calorie count would be about the same though.

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I'm off to do some boning up on my new writing gig!

Stuffed Turkey Burgers, Sweet Corn, and Tomorrow Piles

I had declared today a day off...  and then 6 am hit.  I'm trying to catch up on all of the things that continually get put on my Tomorrow Pile.  The beauty of the Tomorrow Pile is that you get to say, "Oh, I'll do that tomorrow."  Then when tomorrow comes, the pile still says "Tomorrow."   Rinse and repeat.

One of the things that has been looming is doing something about the condition of my refrigerators.  Yes, refrigerators plural.  As I was putting things away on Sunday after the brunch, there was quite a bit of rearranging going on.  ((Had you been here you would have seen that the door had to be closed quickly to prevent things from falling out.))  I finally decided an intervention was needed.  I took absolutely everything out, washed all the shelves, etc etc and cleaned out what was questionable and prioritized what needed to be used.   Let's just say it took so long that the upper level light bulb finally overheated...  It didn't burn out, it was just so hot that it had to shut down.  Yikes.  But it is now nice and sparkly and it turns out that I don't need to go to the grocery store ((at least for myself)) probably until October.

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Two of the things on the "Use Me Now" list were ground turkey and spinach.  Until about a year ago, I had never had a turkey burger.  I'm from Beef Country.  If you are having a burger, it had better have moo-ed recently.  I think I thought they were dry or just generally gross.  Wrong again.  Certainly not the same as a regular burger or even a buffalo burger ((which I strongly advocate)), but still good and good for you.

What you need for two:

1/2 lb of ground turkey ((I buy the 99% lean variety, but 93% is good))
1 cup of fresh spinach, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons of shredded parmesan
Various spices: garlic powder, onion salt, black pepper

What to do:

In a medium bowl, using your hands, mix together all of the above until it seems pretty consistent.  You can use whatever spices you like.  Just throw in a couple, three, four dashes of each.  Once mixed,  I like to use a burger press to shape them, because they stick together better.  I think I got mine at Target for like 99 cents.

Preheat your grill and then oil it.  I use GrillMates grill oil which comes on a little pad that attaches to your grill brush.  You heat up the grill, turn the burners down until you basically can't any further, and then rub the oil over it.  Nothing sticks.  It's like fricking magic.

Cook the burger over a medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side.  Again, this will depend on how thick your burger is, the fat content, and how medium your medium is on the grill.  Don't flip it a million times!  Once is enough.  Either use a meat thermometer ((cough, hypocrite, cough)) or cut into the middle to assess doneness.  You do NOT need to cook the living shit out of it.  This is why people think turkey burgers are dry.  This turned out moist and juicy.  ((I hate those two words so I had to use them both.))

I served these on multi-grain thin sandwich buns and topped with a little more spinach and roma tomatoes.  No need for any other sauces or condiments or anything.

On the side I had sweet corn, the first of the season from the co-op.  I LOVE sweet corn with a passion unknown to anything but my diet coke.  In case you didn't know, I grew up on a farm in the middle of Nowhereville North.  My friend Angie and I used to anxiously await the sweet corn being ready.  We would walk out to the field and and check on it, sometimes several times a day.  Nothing was ever more tragic then when the raccoons got it before we did.  ((Which now that I think about that, I think I just figured out something that I hadn't thought of in 20 odd years...))

ANYWAY, sweet corn is super easy to prepare.  Shuck it, boil some water, and throw it in for about 8 minutes or until the kernels turn a bright yellow.  I just then baste it with a little bit of real butter and maybe some salt.

Nutritional Info:  About 350 calories for the entire plate, assuming you have a 6 ounce burger and a large ear of corn.  VICTORY!

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Let's see what else?  I wrote my first ad this morning...  That was frustratingly fun.  I have no idea how it will look once the editor gets a hold of it, but it should be up in May!  I'll provide a link when that happens.

Now I'm going to go delight in my clean refrigerators.

Work-Work, Not Work-Work, and a Turkey-Spinach Wrap with Cucumber Salad

I have had a busy morning of a little bit of work-work ((meaning my current "real" job)) and a little bit more of my not work-work ((all things foooood.))  Honestly, I hope my not work-work becomes my work-work but not-work real job soon because I am loving every minute of it.  So far today I've made deliveries of the brown butter banana bread brunch cookies from the give-away on Facebook yesterday, planned a menu for an event I'm a part of this Friday evening, and am planning a menu for an event in a couple of weeks.  My name is Jules and I'm obsessed with menu-planning.  It's almost as good as actually cooking and eating.  Almost.

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Consequently, lunch had to be fast, but not a diet-killer, because I'm going to a meeting tonight where I know there will be lots of temptations.  I opted for a turkey and spinach wrap with a super-easy cucumber salad.

Healthy, no?

Making this is really simple and takes less time than it does to nuke something that came out of a box in your freezer.  Plus, it tastes a gzillion times better.  Just take one tortilla ((I've been using whole-grain, low-carb lately, but I don't really mean it)) and pile on 2 ounces of shaved turkey breast.  Throw a paper towel over it and microwave it for 30 seconds.  Pile on some fresh spinach, some diced cucumber, a tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette ((I like Paul Newman's lite version when I don't make my own,)) and a few crumbles of fat-free feta.  A crack or two of black pepper couldn't hurt either.  I would have added diced tomato but the 24 that I have are still ripening which means they will all hit at once and I'll be up to my neck in marinara in a few days.

Ratio of green stuff to non-green stuff?  8:1.

For the side cucumber salad, I just sliced up some more of the cukes, added a couple of cracks of sea salt, drizzled it with 1/2 a tablespoon of the dressing, and added a little more feta, just because I can.

Cuke Salad

And just to make you jealous, here is one in the Arizona sun where the projected highs for the rest of the week are in the mid to upper 70's.  

Nutritional Info:  Halo status.  Both combined are a whopping 175 calories and 5 grams of fat.

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I'm off to continue my plans of world domination which for today include booking more events ((I've added four more today--)) and finalizing my registration ((not as a sex offender, thanks though)) for the certifications I am pursuing!

*****

One more thing...  If you "like" the page "Cooking Is Alchemy" on FB, I give stuff away occasionally!  Sarah and Colleen each got a dozen cookies and a special surprise for their Fido's today for being my testers.  I suggest joining up.  I don't want to hear any whining if you don't.