Italian-style turkey mini-meatballs

We tried this recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-italian-meatballs-turkey-1-p/ We made the following modifications: (1) we first sautéed 1 medium onion (chopped) in olive oil, then added the crushed garlic cloves and sautéed for a minute before adding the crushed tomatoes and herbs; (2) we replaced half (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes with 29 oz chopped canned tomatoes that… Continue reading Italian-style turkey mini-meatballs

Italian-style penne with meat sauce

We tried this recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/penne_pasta_with_meat_sauce/ Our modifications: first, we used 28 oz crushed tomato in lieu of chunky tomato sauce, which we added immediately to the cooked garlic-onion mixture and let simmer for while we browned the ground beef separately and cooked the pasta. We also doubled the amount of garlic. Second, we used fresh… Continue reading Italian-style penne with meat sauce

Italian bucatini with chicken sausage and bell peppers

We tried this recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/bucatini-with-sausage-and-peppers-56389445 We used spicy chicken sausage instead of sweet turkey. At first, we found the sauce a bit too thin, but we later realized that this is intentional so that the bucatini can soak up the sauce. We also recommend preparing the sauce in a Dutch oven, since the cooked pasta… Continue reading Italian bucatini with chicken sausage and bell peppers

Greek-style chicken and tomato with orzo

I had a craving for youvetsi, so I tried to modify this Pioneer Woman recipe with Greek seasonings and orzo:  https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a8917/chicken-with-tomatoes-and-garlic/ My modifications: 4 skinless, boneless breasts, each cut into three pieces; reduced olive oil to 1 Tbsp; added and sautéed one large shallot (½ inch chunks) and 10 garlic cloves before deglazing with white… Continue reading Greek-style chicken and tomato with orzo

Mushroom bourguignon

We tried this Smitten Kitchen recipe, and it was delicious. http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/01/mushroom-bourguignon/. The recipe calls for beef broth, but it easily can be made vegetarian if you use vegetable broth. We used baby portobellos (cremini mushrooms) instead of large portobellos. We served this over egg noodles tossed with some minced parsley. (May 2016)Note: The recipe recommends… Continue reading Mushroom bourguignon