Category: Main Dishes

Thai Turkey Curry

First, I was going to make Thai Turkey burgers. Then, I thought about Thai Turkey Meatloaf. I finally decided on this dish, which turned out really well. It would be great served over brown rice.

2 t olive oil
1 t minced garlic
2 T diced scallion
1 lb. ground turkey
2 t red curry paste
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 (10 oz.) box chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 T lime juice

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and scallion, and saute for 2 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until browned; drain any excess grease. Add remaining ingredients (curry paste, cilantro, spinach, tomato sauce, and lime juice) and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Recession Roast

My cooking club theme this month was cooking on a budget. We each had to spend less than $5 on ingredients to make our dish. However, you could also use whatever staples you had in the house. Since we are a creative bunch (and have staples such as pine nuts), we had quite a feast: stuffed shells, stuffed peppers, green beans with pine nuts, and even a trifle for dessert!

My contribution was a pot roast, which I purchased on sale for $1.79/lb. That used up most of the $5, so I used garlic powder, thyme, and black pepper from my cabinet and rubbed the spices on the roast. I cooked the beef in the crockpot, with some beef broth made from a bouillon cube.

The roast was moist when I first took it out of the crockpot, but seemed to dry out fairly quickly. I liked the mix of spices, and would definitely use the same combination again, but next time I will make some kind of gravy or sauce to serve on the side.

Thai Tofu

Yes, you can use chicken instead of tofu if you prefer. So even if you’re not a fan of tofu, keep reading!

This was the first time I used red curry paste, which was in the international foods aisle at my regular grocery store. I was nervous to use the full teaspoon, but I am so glad I did. The dish had just the right amount of kick for my tastes. That means some of you can use two teaspoons.

1 c. light coconut milk
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 t red curry paste
1 t brown sugar
14 oz. extra-firm tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
2 t olive oil
3 cups fresh spinach
2-3 c. chopped vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, and pea pods

Whisk coconut milk, cilantro, curry paste, and brown sugar in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu and cook in a single layer, without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom. Add vegetables and continue cooking until almost tender. Add curry sauce, and cook for 2 more minutes until heated through.

Creamy Tomato Sauce

I found this recipe for Creamy Tomato Sauce (scroll down the page), and wanted to give it a try myself. I served it over whole wheat pasta, and it was very thick and creamy. And since the wine bottle was already open….. It was a great meal!

I followed the directions as written, and here are the proportions and ingredients which I used:

1 small onion, diced
2 t olive oil
Splash white wine
1 (14 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 T Italian seasoning
1 c. fresh spinach
5 oz. Greek yogurt

Lazy Cabbage Casserole

This is “lazy” because I used cole slaw mix instead of shredding a head of cabbage. It was simple but also made a good meal, with leftovers for many days.

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 14 oz. bag cole slaw mix
Salt
Pepper
1 c. brown rice, uncooked
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 c. beef broth

Brown beef and onion in a frying pan over medium heat; drain and set aside. Spread cole slaw mix in a 13″x9″ casserole dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper over cabbage, and then spread the rice evenly on the cabbage. Spoon the beef and onion mixture into the dish, followed by the crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 1 hour.

Rose’s Ultimate Vegetable Casserole

Rose featured this Ultimate Vegetable Casserole on her blog, and I wanted to try the recipe myself. It was a great opportunity to use ingredients such as polenta and leeks which are not in my regular rotation. This seems like a very flexible recipe, but here are the amounts that I used:

18 oz. tube polenta
9 oz. bag fresh spinach
15 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
2 carrots
2 leeks
1 T olive oil
Garlic powder, salt, and pepper
2 Arnold Sandwich Thins, torn into small pieces
1 c. mozzarella cheese
2 T Parmesan cheese

This doesn’t hold together like a traditional casserole, but I loved the mix of vegetables! It was really easy to put together for dinner, and then take for lunches the rest of the week. Next time I might add either zucchini or mushrooms, which would lend some additional moisture and perhaps allow the carrots to cook more fully. I would definitely recommend you give this recipe a try!

Chicken Meatballs

When I make traditional meatballs, I use a mixture of ground beef and pork. Looking for something a little lighter, I tried the chicken meatballs from this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. They were a hit!

I made regular sized meatballs, and baked them on a cookie sheet at 350F for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Finally, I let the meatballs simmer in a mixture of tomatoes, chicken broth, and garlic. I wouldn’t bother with the sauce again as it did not thicken as I expected, but I will make the meatballs again soon.

Spinach Pesto Lasagna

Traditional lasagna can be a time consuming project, although the end result is certainly worth the effort. This Super-Fast Spinach, Pesto, and Cheese Lasagna certainly lives up to it’s name, but still made a nice meal. I bought several key ingredients at Trader Joe’s including a jar of Pesto alla Genovese, 2 jars of Roasted Garlic Marinara, and a bag of Quattro Formaggio. I also used a bag of fresh baby spinach instead of the frozen spinach indicated in the recipe.

I mixed the ricotta, pesto, spinach, and 1 c. cheese together, but forgot to add in the egg. Oops! This may have been the reason the lasagna was a bit messy to cut. I took this photo from the lasagne’s “best side”.

Spicy Scallops

These scallops are spicy, I promise! This is also a very quick and easy recipe; my dinner was on the table in 15 minutes. Either bay or sea scallops will work, you simply need to adjust the cooking time.

1 t garlic powder
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t thyme
Dash cayenne pepper
6 oz. scallops

Mix spices in a sealable bag, and add scallops. Seal bag, and shake well. Coat a frying pan with cooking spray, and place on medium heat. When pan is hot, add scallops, and cook for a few minutes on one side until browned. Turn scallops, and cook an additional few minutes on the other side.

Manicotti

This post is more than just a recipe, it’s a complete guide to making homemade manicotti. Trust me, this is not as difficult as you may think, and all of the ingredients are very familiar.

Let’s start with the shells. First, mix a batter of 4 eggs well beaten, 1 c. flour, 1/2 t salt, 1 1/3 c. milk, and 2 T melted butter.

We used an 8″ saute pan, rubbed with canola oil. This size pan requires slightly less than 1/4 c. batter for each shell. If you are using a smaller pan, you can adjust the amount of batter. Pour the batter into the pan, tilting to make the crepe as thin as possible, and cook until the top of the shell appears dry. Using a rubber scraper to loosen the edges, slide the shell onto waxed paper to cool. Note that you are only cooking the shell from one side.

While the shells are cooling, mix the filling ingredients in a bowl: 1 T fresh parsley, 1 lb. ricotta cheese, 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella, 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, 1 t salt, and 2 eggs slightly beaten. (Thanks to neighbor Marge for the fresh parsley from her garden!)

Now, it’s time to assemble them. Spread a scoop of filling onto each shell, and roll.

At this point, you can freeze the manicotti to cook later, or you can place them in a pan with sauce on the bottom and then spread more sauce top. Bake for 20 minutes at 350F. Here is the final product:

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and enjoy!